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Hamas airs "confessions of pro-Abbas plotters"
By Nidal al-Mughrabi
GAZA (Reuters) - Hamas screened purported confessions on Saturday that it said proved Palestinian rivals had plotted to kill the Islamists' leader in the Gaza Strip.
But aides to Western-backed President Mahmoud Abbas dismissed the allegations as lies produced under torture.
"I was told that if I blew myself up against ... Haniyeh, they would take care of my family," a young man named as Ahmed al-Dbaki and described as a would-be suicide bomber said in a film clip shown at a televised Hamas news conference in Gaza.
Among nine others whose edited video statements were screened to journalists by Hamas's security chief, one described as a senior security officer for Abbas's secular Fatah faction spoke fluently for several minutes of how he oversaw a plot to kill Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas leader in Gaza.
"I was ordered to form an armed cell to strike the Hamas movement," the man, named as Hassan al-Zant, said. "I was instructed to find a martyr to carry out the task."
Other detainees were younger and appeared pale and hesitant.
French FM presses Israel for settlement freeze
No independent assessment was available of allegations first made last month when Hamas announced a number of arrests.
The conflicting accounts and bitterness in the opposing camps underlined the depth of the split among Palestinian leaders since Hamas defeated Abbas's Western-backed forces in Gaza in June, leaving Abbas's rule limited to the West Bank.
Abbas, who last year accused Hamas officials of trying to blow him up, has opened U.S.-sponsored peace negotiations with Israel while Hamas, shunned by the West for refusing to give up violence, is in open conflict with the Jewish state.
Saeed Seyam, a former interior minister who now runs security forces in Gaza, accused senior presidential aide Tayeb Abdel-Rahim and Abbas's intelligence chief Tawfiq Tirawi.
"This dirty crime was plotted at the highest level of leadership within the Palestinian Authority," Seyam said.
"It proved they did not want dialogue and wanted civil war when they planned to kill an official like Ismail Haniyeh."
A senior Abbas spokesman, in a statement issued in the West Bank, dismissed Seyam's news briefing as "comedy theatre":
"Hamas is known for making up lies and using any method to make themselves look real, including torture," he said. "These lies will persuade no one. Quite the reverse -- these lies will strengthen the belief that Hamas is ... beyond the law."
Seyam denied the detainees, who were not presented in person to reporters, were abused. "They were not subject to any torture or psychological pressure," he said.
Several of those whose edited segments of testimony were shown said the plan was to place suicide bombers in a mosque where Haniyeh, once Abbas's prime minister, often prayed or at an event last month when he welcomed pilgrims home from Mecca.
Additional reporting by Ali Sawafta in Ramallah and Alastair Macdonald in Gaza; editing by Robert Woodward


A former elementary school teacher, former Notebook editor and co-founder of Parents United for Public Education, City Council candidate Helen Gym has made a name for herself as a fierce education activist.
It was no surprise that back in February she entered the City Council race with the endorsement of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT) in her pocket. Since then she has secured the endorsement of more labor groups: the Pennsylvania Federation of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division, Teamsters Local 502, the Commonwealth Association of School Administrators; AFT Local 2026- the Faculty and Staff Federation of Community College of Philadelphia; and the AFSCME District Council 47.
"I am used to organizing communities that have long been ignored, pushed to the side and to get them to situations where they can access the resources that they need," Gym said.
She believes there is an enormous level of civic engagement in Philly, and that the people at City Hall haven't been able to respond to that.
"My candidacy wasn't just motivated by the negative aspects. I've been really inspired by the amount of civic energy that has happened around schools and neighborhood life, new and revived attention from a host of communities around the city that talked about how they need Philadelphia to be more livable," Gym said.
What was your process in deciding to run for City Council?
What hit me hard was when we closed down the 24 public schools in Philadelphia in 2013. Those jobs were lost, the 7,000 children who attended those schools went to others that were no better than the ones they attended previously. Those buildings were turned over for almost nothing, most of them in vulnerable income and in predominantly African American communities in our city. When public spaces move into private market there is no opportunity for people to weigh in on what happens, and that is a very big serious lesson that we need to be able to understand. We need to value and support the spaces that we have if we are going to see real change in our communities. It was a divestment of public resources out of communities that needed it the most. That to me was a big wake up call.
If elected you would become the first Asian American woman on Philadelphia City Council. What do you think your election would mean for the Asian community in Philly?
A lot of my work comes out of the Asian-American community, working within a community that has been long marginalized in the city and is also very vulnerable. It was shaped by stereotypes and biases in terms of how we are perceived, and how we are treated, and we had to fight tooth and nail for our existence. Also for visibility and voice in the city. And on that level Latinos and Asian Americans, in particular, share a common experience around it. I am very much informed out of that experience and I try to think about it as I go into other neighborhoods or other communities that are also seeking the same thing. I think it is less that I am an Asian American, than I have been informed by my experience as an Asian American to better help me become a candidate that better serves a wide swath of people in our city.
You are well known for your record as an education activist. What can you tell us of your civic engagement in other local issues?
Folks should know that before schools a lot of my work came from the community where we are working for voice and visibility. We are trying to advance and take down perceptions of Asian Americans as being the model minority, we are trying to advance data and information that Asian Americans in Philadelphia suffer from very high levels of poverty, need access to health care, struggle with language access, are highly immigrant, highly diverse as well. They need great public schools and that bring us into coalition with a large body of people within our city. I care about schools a lot because I think they are the strongest anti-poverty initiative that we as a society can undertake. I value jobs as well in our city, and coming out of the immigrant community where you don't often gain access to the traditional pipeline of jobs, it reinforces the importance of the fact that 98 percent of jobs in Philadelphia are actually small businesses. We need to be thoughtful about businesses that are responsive to the majority and responsive to high levels of need, not just about fitting policy according to the Chamber of Commerce or huge corporations. Immigrant communities live and thrive off of small businesses and that is good for the city overall.
What other priorities are part of your agenda?
We want to think about structuring taxes that are responsible, making sure that we have community base that support small businesses, and that we get language access out to small businesses in the community so that everybody has a chance to have information. A big issue for me is also investing in neighborhoods, it is great to have a Center City that is revitalized and becoming more vibrant, but to see the contrast about what is happening in many of our neighborhoods is really painful. More importantly it is less that we don't have programs and policies on the books, it is that we need to organize our communities that have been marginalized to gain access to resources. The other thing I think of a lot is the idea of a connected city. I care a lot about a city in which people are not trapped in their individual circumstances. That has to do with making sure streets are safe and walkable, that we have bike lanes for the 20 percent of Philadelphians who don't own a car. It also means that I want language access because we want to be a global city. Along with investments in light rail and transit.
Latinos and Asian Americans have been accused to low voter turnout. What outreach have you done with voters in general during your campaign trail to energize civic participation?
For more than two decades, I have worked for and with community organizations to broaden civic engagement for immigrant and non-English speaking communities. There is a difference between low voter turnout (often interpreted as apathy) and lack of voter access. For many immigrant and/or non-English speaking communities, the terrible lack of language access at the polls is a serious barrier to voting. We have worked with organizations and supported legal efforts to ensure language access at the polls and to improve voting in the city. As someone who comes out of immigrant community struggles in this city, there isn't a single City Council candidate running who has as deep a history with immigrant communities as I do, or can navigate issues like the fight for drivers' licenses or ending abusive deportation practices and promoting a sanctuary city as I have done. As an Asian American candidate it's particularly important to me that this platform is a shared effort with the Latino community. Our struggles for self-determination, visibility and voice in this city are a shared struggle. I am putting forth a multimedia effort to outreach to the Latino community. Even with limited funds, we're working to get onto radio and print. I am continuing to support and promote organizations and groups I have worked with over the years to ensure that this campaign works to end stereotypes and biases about our communities.
There are at least another 18 Democrat candidates running for at-large seats at City Council. What is your strategy to win as the election day gets closer?
I have worked for the last 20 years to advance issues at the citywide level. I am obviously an outsider to the system but I am not an unknown. I am activating my citywide network, utilizing many community organizations, parent and education groups, educators and others who understand like no other that the stakes are enormously high in this election. The possibility of putting someone into office who will lead a community-driven agenda – not just follow one – has galvanized groups all across this city. We are going to be smart and strategic about ward outreach and getting onto ballots of course, but like any election, it will come down to turnout.
Do you support Mayor Nutter's' property tax increase to provide funds for schools? Why or why not?
I support the Mayor's call to fund schools this year and with items that are within Council's power to control and direct. But $105 million is too heavy a lift for any one group. That's why last week I published a counter to the Mayor's proposal that got schools to their $105 million local funding request, provided recurring and sustainable revenue (as opposed to a one-shot fix) and focused on actions entirely within City Council's control. My proposal promotes a shared funding approach among businesses and large non-profits. It reduces the Mayor's proposed tax hike to a $3.75/month median property surcharge that would be eliminated the following year when Governor Wolf's proposed property tax relief bill goes through. I won't just give schools money without any accountability. I will be holding our District accountable to deliver the money so that children and classrooms benefit. I am working to put a nurse back in every school, lower class sizes, provide counselors and re-open school libraries.
Could Steinke be a champion for neighborhood business?


Before you bite into soan papdi, remember it is not just related to Patisa and Mysore Pak but to a whole genre of flaky flour based confections that have come to us from interactions with other cultures.
I first saw it made in a modest halwai "factory" in a small village near Hissar in Haryana. It was monsoon--- the time of the year, when apparently soan papdi sells most briskly in the Hindi heartland- the time around Rakshabandhan. Though, of course, packaged and branded mithaiand the longetivity of this flour and fat based sweet now means that we consume it all year round, regardless of occasions.
The karigars, who were cooling the mix of besan and flour in huge vats, pouring sugar syrup over this and then somehow, magically, making flaky strands appear out of all this goo-yiness, would pack the mithai and send it in trucks to the closest cities.
What they, or those who would eventually bite into it, may hardly know is that the soan papdi has cousins all over the world. Most notably, the Pismaniye, a Turkish "candy floss".
When one thinks of candy floss, one just thinks of the simple (and pink) sugar cloud that dissolves as soon as it touches your lips. But pulled sugar is a rather simplistic taste. Pismaniye, the Turkish equivalent (which is made differently too from candy floss) builds far more complexity into the entire process of eating strands. Roasted flour and butter are blended into sugar and the sweet garnished with pistachios.
The roasting of the flour and the pistachios both contribute a sense of nuttiness to the confection. This is even more apparent in the soan papdi, where the flavour of the gram flour as well as charmagaz (melon) seeds that are used as a garnish instead of pistachios, contribute to the nutty flavour profile.
The flaky soan papdi however, is just a cousin of the Patisa, a seemingly far more ancient mithai. Besan as an ingredient is fairly unique to Indian cooking. Even though chickpeas are predominant in Arabic cooking, the flour and its innovative uses are pretty intrinsic to Indian cooking-and spread across the Subcontinent.
It is inevitable therefore that we have a whole genre of besan-based sweets. My parents still distinguish mithai in generic terms-according to the basic ingredient used. For them, therefore, only about three broad categories of mithais exist in India: Milk based, vegetable/fruit based (like the various halwas), and wheat flour or gram flour (besan) based.
The patisa, which is much denser, is really just a barfi or fudge made with bhuna besan, ghee and sugar. When and how did the innovation of the soan papdi occur? When did someone decide that beating the mix with a fork and running strands through it, would make this a much more delightful confection? These are interesting food stories that need to be unearthed.
If the Soan Papdi has a Turkish connection, it also has other Subcontinental ones: Namely in the Mysore Pak, another spin off of the besan barfi -- more moist than the barfi/patisa. The flour is roasted more here and the resultant confection has a far richer colour than the Soan Papdi, which is off-white/pale compared to the robust southern cousin.
The pale colour of the Soan Papdi, as well as its lightness of touch comes not just from the aeration of the mix but also because unlike the purely besan-based sweets, this one is made with a mix of besan and maida. This takes it much closer to European and Turkish flour based sweets. The Pismaniye, for instance, is made from maida.
It also takes it close to the Feni, the Rajasthani sweet, also popular during the monsoon festivities (Rakshabandhan, Teej as also Id), which is a similar confection of flour and sugar pulled into light strands. The gluten in the wheat allows for the strands to stretch without breaking. The Feni obviously owes something of its origins to the idea of the vermicelli/seviyan. And sometimes, depending on where it is being made, rice flour substitutes the wheat (just as seasame flour substitutes the refined wheat in some Iranian confections of the same genre).
It is interesting that Feni (as also seviyan) cuts across religious barriers in India. They are prized as festive sweets; as Ramzan food, you can see whirls selling in the night markets. And devoted wives fasting for their husbands' longetivity during the patriarchy-imposed Karvachauth eat it as their before-day break sargi sustenance.
The soan papdi may or may not have such ritualistic significance. But what it shows up for sure, is the idea of food without boundaries. The lightness of touch that makes it so prized is a result of our shared cultural heritage, the result of interactions, political, trade and cultural with other empires of the world, mixing with the indigenous ways of treating ingredients.


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Gallery: Churches of Central London
by Peter Kessler, 3 January 2010
City of London Part 19: Churches of Newgate & Temple
St Etheldreda Ely, the ancient town chapel of the bishops of Ely from about 1250 to 1570, is on the western side of Ely Place, off Charterhouse Street immediately east of the junction with High Holborn. Built between 1250-1290 by John De Kirkeby, bishop of Ely and treasurer of England, it is reputedly the oldest Catholic church in England and one of only two remaining buildings in London from the reign of Edward I. Etheldreda was the daughter of King Anna of the East Angles.
Etheldreda, born in AD 630, became a nun and founded what became Ely Cathedral. The church became Protestant at the time of the English Reformation, despite a brief reversal under Mary Tudor. During the late 1500s part of the undercroft (the crypt) was used as a tavern, but the church was finally restored to the 'old faith', Catholicism, in 1874. Sunday masses are sung in Latin, while the church is in the care of the Rosminian Fathers (Institute of Charity).
St Bride's Fleet Street is on the southern side of the street, opposite the Shoe Lane entrance which leads north to St Etheldreda. Sometime in the sixth century the first known stone church was built on the site, dedicated to St Bridgit or St Bride of Kildare (born AD 453). The later eleventh century church was replaced by another in the fifteenth, and this was destroyed by the Great Fire. Wren rebuilt it in 1671-1675. The tower was not completed until further work began in 1701.
Wren's steeple was his highest, and was reputedly the inspiration for the first tiered wedding cake after it was completed in 1703. A lightening strike removed the topmost 2.4 metres (eight feet) of the steeple in 1764. As a result of being struck by firebombs on 29 December 1940, the crypts were discovered, as well as remains of Roman pavements, made in AD 180. A burnt-out shell was all that remained on the site until the eighth church, the current one, was later built.
Holy Trinity Gough Square is reached via narrow passages such as Bolt Court, St Dunstan's Court, and Johnsons Court, all of which join to the northern side of Fleet Street, just a few metres west of St Bride's. The church was built as a sister to St Bride's in about 1629 on a square that may have been named after Nicholas Goff or Gough, the printer, who resided there. The decline of the City's population in the nineteenth century saw the church closed down in about 1875.
The Guild Church of St Dunstan-in-the-West is on the northern side of Fleet Street, the most westerly of the traditional City parish churches. St Dunstan was one of the foremost Anglo-Saxon saints, born in AD 909 and educated by Irish monks at Glastonbury Abbey, Somerset. The original church stood on the same site, but extended further into what then was a much narrower Fleet Street. It was built between 988 and 1070, perhaps even on St Dunstan's orders.
The church narrowly escaped the Great Fire when the dean of Westminster roused scholars from Westminster School in the middle of the night to extinguish the flames with buckets of water. Wear and tear took its toll, and the church was rebuilt in 1831. Unusually, it looks traditionally neo-Gothic on the outside, yet is octagonal inside. The tower was badly damaged in 1944, and was rebuilt in 1950. The church also serves as the Romanian Orthodox Church in London.
The Temple Church lies virtually opposite St Dunstan in a complex of buildings. It was built by the Knights Templar, the order of crusading monks founded to protect pilgrims on their way to and from the Christian kingdom of Jerusalem in the twelfth century. The earliest part, the Round Church, was consecrated in 1185 by the patriarch of Jerusalem, designed to recall the holiest place in the Crusaders' world: the circular Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
The adjoining rectangular chancel was built to replace the original choir. It was consecrated on Ascension Day in 1240 and comprises a central aisle and two side aisles of identical width. After the destruction and abolition of the Knights Templar in 1307, Edward II took control of the church as a Crown possession. It was later given to the Knights Hospitaller, who rented it to lawyers. Back in post-Reformation Crown hands, the church was undamaged by the Great Fire.
Even so, it was refurbished by Wren, and an organ was introduced for the first time. In 1841 the church was again restored, the walls and ceiling being decorated in the high Victorian Gothic style. The object was to bring the church back to its original brightly decorated appearance. Nothing of the work remains, however. The organ and decoration were destroyed in the fire raid that gutted the building on 10 May 1941. Restoration was only completed in November 1958.
Two photos on this page licensed for re-use under a Creative Commons Licence by John Salmon at Geograph British Isles.
Gallery: Churches of Westminster
Gallery: Churches of North London
Gallery: Churches of SE London
Christian Kingdom of Jerusalem
St Etheldreda Ely
St Bride's Fleet Street
Geograph British Isles
Temple Church Chancel
Ely Cathedral

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Andrew White: Limit some gun sales to better protect Texans
Local // Texas Politics
Democrat wants Gov. Abbott to call a special session
Mike Ward Feb. 26, 2018 Updated: Feb. 26, 2018 7:13 p.m.
Andrew White, a Democrat running for governor, meets with supporters Wednesday at Kirby Ice House in Houston.
Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle
AUSTIN -- Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew White on Monday called for Republican Gov. Greg Abbott to call the Legislature into a special session to pass new restrictions on the purchase of a variety of weapons and gun gear to better protect Texans.
"I call B.S. on Gov. Abbott" for continuing to support the National Rifle Associations' stance that new restrictions on gun purchases will not make for safer schools and communities, White said. "You can support the Second Amendment and also support common-sense gun safety legislation."
Abbott's campaign had no immediate reaction to White's remarks. Instead, officials said he joined several dozen other Republican governors in Washington for an approximately 45-minute meeting Monday with President Trump to discuss school safety in the wake of a South Florida shooting rampage that left 17 dead.
White, a 45-year-old Houston entrepreneur, is running against eight other Democrats in the March 6 primary, seeking the party nomination to face Abbott in the November general election.
He earlier endorsed universal background checks for gun purchasers, and reiterated on Monday his support for the Second Amendment but said he thinks some additional restrictions are appropriate. He said he owns several rifles and shotguns as a sportsman.
Among them: Raise the age at which Texans can buy rifles from 18 to 21, with an exception for active-duty military; ban the sale of bump stocks that can make a traditional weapon fire rapidly, limit sales of large-capacity ammunition magazines to allow for perhaps just 5-10 rounds before a shooter has to reload, and allowing a court to take custody of guns from accused domestic abusers until their case is resolved.
He does not support confiscation of weapons and gear currently in the hands of gun owners.
Later, in a statement, White's primary rival Lupe Valdez said she supports a "comprehensive approach to gun violence, instead of a reactive approach." Valdez, the former Dallas County sheriff, had earlier supported for universal background checks and a ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines.
Flanked in Austin by members of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a grassroots group lobbying for new restrictions on gun sales, White said Abbott appears to be protecting his "A" rating with the NRA, at a time "when I would not matter if it went from an A to a B-minus."
He noted that Abbott called a special legislative session last summer in an unsuccessful bid to pass the highly controversial bathroom bill among other items, said a special session is warranted now to better protect Texas' five million school students in the wake of the Florida shooting.
Since the Florida tragedy, Abbott has called for a top-to-bottom review of school safety procedures statewide but has not endorsed new gun-purchase limitations.
White said that is a mistake. "We can't wait until 2019 for that to happen," he said. "Texas can do better."
Nicole Golden, an Austin volunteer leader with Moms Demand Action, which last week picketed an Abbott campaign event in Houston, said their presence Monday with White was not an endorsement of candidacy, but was rather a prelude to a meeting where they planned to asked him detailed questions about position.
San Antonio resident Elva Mendoza, the state legislative lead volunteer for the group, said the group is working to support politicians who support its goals and is pushing to throw the ones who do not out of office.
"This is about doing the right thing," White said about his stance on guns, acknowledging that it may not be popular among Republican officials who have eschewed gun-purchase restrictions in the past.
"This is about doing the right thing," he said.
With just a week to go before polls open for Texas' primary elections -- early voting started last week -- Valdez and White have emerged in polls as the apparent front-runners in the crowded field of nine Democrats seeking the nomination to face Abbott in November.
On Monday, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro endorsed Valdez. In a statement, Castro said he was "proud to endorse Sheriff Lupe Valdez for Texas governor, because I know she will always stand up for us."
Castro, a former Texas House member who has served Congressional District 20 since 2013, was mentioned as a potential candidate for governor as well as a candidate for Senate against incumbent Republican Ted Cruz. He opted to stay put for now.
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Mike Ward is a former Houston Chronicle reporter.
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NIRMALA NAYAK
(Co Founder)
Nirmala's Mantra – Your life is your message to the world … makes sure it's Inspiring.
As founder of World of Women(WOW), she is passionate towards imparting menstrual hygiene education and facilitating empowering initiatives for young disadvantaged women, such as yoga workshops, emotional wellbeing seminars and cleanliness drives.
She has accumulated considerable experience working with various NGOs for over three decades. Recognized for her work and dedication to the field, she previously served as the President of Communities Services Bangalore. Her zeal towards empowering women, especially in the lower income groups who were subjected to physical and mental abuse, has been a major driving force. As a counsellor at Vanitha Sahaya Vani Women's help line at the policecommissioner's office – she was a source of assurance and emotional strength to the vulnerable women coming in and she supported them in their journey to becoming resilient and financially independent. At 'Belaku Old Age home for Women', she has helped fill the void by being a constant source of support while at 'Geridie's House for the Underprivileged' she taught yoga and engaged girls in activities in order to help them manage their emotions. At 'Prasanna Trust' she used to volunteer as a counsellor to help the girls there to overcome the trauma of not having parents. As a counsellor and motivational speaker she passionately strives to influence, inspire and positively impact minds, which has invariably also made her a role model for many.
From an organisational standpoint she is a tremendous administrator, who has successfully spearheaded and organised various fund raising events, ranging from bazaars to theatre and even fashion events, bringing her own brand of unorthodox and creative approaches to raising awareness about causes.
Nirmala is an active yoga practitioner and chakra therapist, while also being a motivational speaker and a writer and blogger on various subjects such as spirituality, fashion and health.
"Secret of her growth is helping others"
Preeti Dadu Kedia, the Vice President and the Founding Member – World of Womem. The youngest and the most energetic member of the team but by no means inexperienced.
Ella Fitzgerald said: 'Just don't give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong.' Preeti is an embodiment of these words. Her cheerful & bubbly personality, unmatched enthusiasm and love for people are an inspiration. These qualities, coupled with a desire to enable a real difference in the world make her a delight to work with.
She believes that the path to self-empowerment starts from within. Menstrual Hygiene is still taboo for people around her. Her vision is to educate every girl child about their own hygiene and equip them with everything that is needed to live a healthy life. She is blessed to be a mother of a beautiful little girl. Her little daughter is her inspiration, and the reason for her to be a part of WOW.
Preeti is an alumni of NIFT Bangalore. Her career as an Event Stylist began entirely by chance 7 years ago, the Founder of Hourglass Events. She is now much sought after in Bangalore for her work.
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VANDANA BOGGARAM
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Vandana is the director Sarathi International Inc – a world class export house for Incense. A 70 year old company exporting to around 45 countries, Winner of 13 national awards, Enjoys the #1 Brand status for Incense in more than 11 countries across the world.
A dynamic and an empowering creative head , Vandana Boggaram is a qualified Perfumer. While she develops unique fragrance,s she also manages a large segment of women workforce involved in manufacturing of incense.
Working for social causes for the past 15 years , Vandana Boggaram has been associated with acclaimed social initiatives like Teach India and Bacche Mann Ke Sacche where she has helped educate underpreviliged children and converted many slum children to school going children.
She has worked extensively with inspiring and award winning social leaders like Dr Kala Charlu and Ms Janet Yagneswaran.
Recognised as an influencer of young minds , she has won many awards and accolades like The Bengaluru Youth Award, Youth ICON, Inspiration Ambassador, Shining Star – Woman of the year award etc.
She is the Founder and Managing Trustee of World of Women. The shocking taboos and social stigma attached to menstruation lead her to start the organization. She has embarked on a mission to add value and make a positive difference in the lives of other women. Attract what you expect , Reflect what you desire, Become what you respect , Mirror what you admire is what Vandana believes.
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text:
tax plan
Big Money Will Dominate the 2018 Midterm Elections, But It Doesn't Have to
Big money has corrupted our democracy, but campaign finance reform legislation at both the local and federal level can protect the interests of American citizens.
Jasper Craven
The Misguided Concept of 'Wilderness' Comes at the Expense of Indigenous Peoples
Trump's tax bill could open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling.
The Same Party Attacking Abortion Rights Plans to Cut the Adoption Tax Credit
Under the current law, families who adopt qualify for a one-time adoption tax credit of up to $13,570 per eligible child, but the Republican-backed tax plan would eliminate that.
Kimberly Lawson
The VICE Guide to Right Now Podcast
Trump's Death Penalty Tweet, the GOP Tax Plan, and Living with HIV
On this episode of 'The VICE Guide to Right Now Podcast,' we talk about the president's response to the NYC terror attack and how it could pose issues with the suspect's trial.


The men who police say led officers on a car chase over the Verrazano Bridge Tuesday in a dramatic sequence captured exclusively by Chopper 4 are facing additional charges.
Anthony Mazza, 41, and passenger Timothy Isaksan, 26, were both arrested after the chase that took police from New Jersey, through Staten Island and over the nation's longest suspension bridge before ending in a Brooklyn neighborhood.
Mazza was initially charged by the U.S. Marshals Service with eluding and aggravated assault on a police officer, but Port Authority police also filed charges of assault, reckless endangerment, striking a marked police car and reckless driving.
Isaksan was charged with obstruction, but was also later charged with additional crimes, including resisting arrest and drug possession.
Mazza and Isaksan both appeared in Staten Island Criminal Court Wednesday. Mazza, who has previously served prison time on drug and robbery charges, was remanded back to jail on $500,000 bail on a fugitive warrant, and Isaksan was remanded on $1,500 bail.
They're both expected back in court March 2. They will likely be extradited back to New Jersey at some point.
Isaksan's attorney said his client was being penalized simply for being a passenger in Mazza's car.
The arrests came after marshals and Monmouth County sheriff's deputies went to a home in Old Bridge, New Jersey, to act on a lead they'd gotten on Mazza, who was wanted for failing to appear for a sentencing hearing on an aggravated assault conviction.
Chopper 4 exclusively captured this police chase across the Verrazano Bridge Tuesday, when authorities pursued a man wanted in an armed robbery.
TBTA is short for Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, the legal name for the bridge and tunnel arm of the MTA.
Chopper 4 showed nearly half a dozen vehicles, many with sirens blaring, zipping across the span of the Verrazano and on residential streets before the runaway vehicle, which reached 100 mph at one point during the chase, crashed on the Brooklyn side shortly after 2 p.m.
MTA Bridges and Tunnels officers surrounded the vehicle and took Mazza into custody on 14th Avenue, the agency said. The person in the red shirt, identified as Timothy Isaksan, was also apprehended.
Officers found three glassines of heroin on the driver's side floor of the car, two glass vials of cocaine and a pipe of hash oil on the back floor, and a gravity knife on the back floor, according to a criminal complaint.


Watch this DM Radio Deep Dive On-demand Webinar to learn how streaming data can rejuvenate or supplant traditional data management practices. Host Eric Kavanagh explains how streaming-first architectures can relieve data engineers from time-consuming, error-prone processes, ideally bidding farewell to those unpleasant batch windows. He's joined by Kevin Petrie of Attunity, who explains why (with real-world story successes) streaming data solutions can keep the business fueled with trusted data in a timely, efficient manner for improved business outcomes.
Participe junto a los expertos de Hortonworks y Attunity mientras explican cómo Apache NiFi y la tecnología CDC de transmisión de datos proporcionan una plataforma distribuida y flexible para abrir nuevos caminos de sacar valor adicional de los datos. Conozca más.
Watch this TDWI on-demand webinar to learn how your organization can up its game when it comes to operational reporting and analytics. Lead by David Stodder, Senior Director of TDWI Research for business intelligence, this session discusses key trends in enabling technology and practices that enable IT teams to deliver the real-time updates and insights needed to optimize and grow the business.
Rejoignez les experts de Hortonworks et d'Attunity pour découvrir comment Apache NiFi et la technologie CDC fournissent une plate-forme distribuée et résiliente pour libérer la valeur de vos données. En savoir plus.
Watch as subject matter experts from Forrester and Attunity to learn how to better understand the machine learning (ML) life cycle, support model training, leverage real-time CDC to accelerate ML data pipelines, enable higher productivity and more. Learn more.
In this webinar, Wikibon, Attunity, and MemSQL discuss how enterprise data professionals should migrate their legacy architectures in this direction. This webinar will provide guidance for migrating data lakes, data warehouses, data governance, and transactional databases to support all-streaming architectures for complex cloud and edge applications. Additionally, it discusses how this new architecture will drive enterprise strategies for operationalizing artificial intelligence, mobile computing, the Internet of Things, and cloud-native microservices.


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Mariner's Menu
Results for: striped bass
Hybrid striped bass, North Carolina farmed
March 23, 2010 | David Green
north carolina fisheries Hybrid striped bass generally refers to a cross between striped bass (Morone saxatilis) and white bass (Morone chrysops). Striped bass, and hybrid striped bass in particular, is well-loved by chefs who appreciate…
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The Biology and Management of Atlantic Striped Bass
March 23, 2010 | Barry Nash
north carolina fisheries Striped bass is found from the St. Lawrence River in Canada to the St. John's River in Florida. Striped bass spawn in coastal sounds and estuaries. Wintering grounds span from Cape Henry,…
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Joyce Taylor used to publish the Mariner's Menu newsletter with cooking tips and recipes on a specific seafood or preparation. Here are issues from our archive. Broiled Fish Crawfish Grilled Seafood Holiday Seafood Marinades Poached…
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Fish Flavors and Substitutions
September 17, 2010 | Joyce Taylor
how to select, handle, clean and store seafood Different fish have different flavors. But you can almost always substitute in most recipes. Just exchange one type for a similar one. For example, substitute one lean…
Continue reading "Fish Flavors and Substitutions"


I love how detailed you are–giving important tips through all steps. I couldn't screw this recipe up if I tried. Thanks for teaching me new stuff!
This sounds very tasty. I have never roasted my salsa ingredients. Thanks for the idea. Kiwi, huh? Hmm.
Take it from someone who has had habenero oil in her nose… Cutty Sark makes the burning stop. Rub a little on the affected area and the burn ceases. And, had I used gloves in the first place, it would have been a non-issue.
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On a Farther Shore: The Life and Legacy of Rachel Carson
by: William Souder
Third Party New Price: $9.11
Binding: Audio CD
Brand: Brand: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Feature: Used Book in Good Condition
Format: Audiobook, Unabridged
Item Dimensions: 57555070150
Label: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Languages: EnglishPublishedEnglishOriginal LanguageEnglishUnknown
Manufacturer: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Running Time: 55800 seconds
Studio: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Alternate Versions: Click to Display
Editorial Review:
[Read by David Drummond]
Published on the fiftieth anniversary of her seminal book, Silent Spring, here is an indelible new portrait of Rachel Carson, founder of the modern environmental movement.
She loved the ocean and wrote three books about its mysteries, including the international bestseller The Sea around Us. But it was with her fourth book, Silent Spring, that this unassuming biologist transformed our relationship with the natural world.
Rachel Carson began work on Silent Spring in the late 1950s, when a dizzying array of synthetic pesticides had come into use. Leading this chemical onslaught was the insecticide DDT, whose inventor had won a Nobel Prize for its discovery. Effective against crop pests as well as insects that transmitted human diseases such as typhus and malaria, DDT had at first appeared safe. But as its use expanded, alarming reports surfaced of collateral damage to fish, birds, and other wildlife. Silent Spring was a chilling indictment of DDT and its effects, which were lasting, widespread, and lethal.
Published in 1962, Silent Spring shocked the public and forced the government to take action -- despite a withering attack on Carson from the chemicals industry. The book awakened the world to the heedless contamination of the environment and eventually led to the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency and to the banning of DDT and a host of related pesticides. By drawing frightening parallels between dangerous chemicals and the then-pervasive fallout from nuclear testing, Carson opened a fault line between the gentle ideal of conservation and the more urgent new concept of environmentalism.
Elegantly written and meticulously researched, On a Farther Shore reveals a shy yet passionate woman more at home in the natural world than in the literary one that embraced her. William Souder also writes sensitively of Carson's romantic friendship with Dorothy Freeman and of Carson's death from cancer in 1964. This extraordinary biography captures the essence of one of the great reformers of the twentieth century.


My brain is consumed by sketchnoting!
I am in the middle of both the Doodle Revolution and Blah Blah Blah. I finished Visual Note-Taking for Educators last week. I am very excited about reading Game Storming just simply because it is about creative activities to use during team meetings and PD. Which I think has a lot of applications for me.
Just checked these out from our teacher/innovation team library!
I have been wanting to read The Third Teacher for quite awhile, Creating Innovators just looks good, and I have read Catlin Tucker before, in fact it might be the Blended Learning in Grades 4-12, I think she has it pretty dialed in so I am looking forward to reading both of these books- or at least reading the new one Blended Learning in Action.
Anyway, thought it might be interesting to people to see what I am reading on a professional level, I am close to hitting my 50 books read this year already! I am bound and determined to beat my 150 goal!


The new Speedo LZR Racer X will be the suit for the Rio 2016 Games.
Wearing the right suit has long been one of the most important parts of swimming in the Olympic Games. To ensure competitive swimwear meets the expectations of Olympic competition and aren't giving swimmers an unfair advantage, it's necessary for every suit approved for the games to be on the market for at least one year prior to the competition. The latest Speedo championship racing suit is now available to ensure it is ready for the Rio Olympic Games in 2016. The Speedo LZR Racer X can be purchased now to give swimmers plenty of time to train with it.
The Speedo FastSkin line has long been the top of the competitive racing market for many years. The Speedo LZR Racer X is the latest in this line. This Speedo championship racing suit was designed with the help of elite swimmers and state-of-the-art 3D body scanning techniques to ensure the perfect fit with less restriction. In addition, computer technology was used to measure drag and resistance. After more than 10,000 hours of work, feedback from 130 elite swimmers around the world and a team of researchers and scientists, the end result is a competitive swimsuit that offers swimmers all the advantages.
Like all the other swimsuits in the Speedo competitive line, the Speedo LZR Racer X is available in a number of styles to ensure each swimmer can find the right option for their needs and preferences. The Open Back Kneeskin is the ideal option for women with maximum support and freedom of movement. It also offers ab activators for better body alignment and increased compression. The Closed Back Kneeskin provides similar benefits with a closed back design for greater coverage. For men, the suit is available in a Jammer and High Waist Jammer style. Regardless of the style, each suit is constructed of a polyamide/elastane combination and is FINA approved. All suits are available in a blue and black design.
The Speedo LZR Racer X will prove to be the most desirable swimsuit for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Now that this Speedo championship racing suit is available, it's time to start looking ahead to the Olympic trials so you can be ready to compete.
If you're interested in ordering this competitive swimwear, contact us. DJSports.com has the Speedo LZR Racer X available now in all three styles.


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UN rapporteurs call for release of Canadian academic jailed in Iran
NEW YORK — Twenty former United Nations special human rights investigators are calling on Iran to release a jailed Canadian-Iranian academic.
The ex-rapporteurs are raising Homa Hoodfar's case as the UN holds a general assembly in New York.
The 65-year-old, who taught at Montreal's Concordia University, has been held at Tehran's notorious Evin prison since June 6.
The former rapporteurs say Hoodfar's academic work poses no threat to Iranian security and that she should be released immediately.
Hoodfar's family has said the Iranian probe into the retired anthropology professor centred on her "dabbling in feminism'' and security matters.
On Tuesday, Hoodfar's relatives said the judge in the case had refused to accept her lawyer and had instead appointed one to his own liking.
MORE: cp canada


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Back to CPA Site
Awards, Grants, & Bursaries
Neck Care, Cochrane Systematic Reviews and Knowledge Translation: Anita Gross
Submitted by: Anita Gross, PT, MSc
A frequent criticism of Cochrane reviews and other systematic reviews is that, in spite of their methodological rigor, they fail to provide clear clinical answers or lack appropriate translation of the evidence into the realities of clinical practice. It is common to read in reviews that "the methodological quality of the evidence is limited, there are too few studies of merit, or there are no clear evidence-based answers." This criticism is also valid of the "conservative management of mechanical neck disorders" systematic reviews delivered by the Cervical Overview Group (COG). Others have struggled with this issue, as exemplified in a recent best-evidence synthesis by the Bone and Joint Decade (Hurwitz et al. 2008). While best-evidence synthesis has some methodological differences from the Cochrane reviews, such as design criteria for selection of studies and criteria for methodological quality, its numerous findings overlap substantially with those of the COG. However, these publications have not been prepared in a manner that allows ready uptake by clinicians. Disappointingly, over the past decade, there has been limited improvement in the methodological quality of controlled trials conducted in manual therapy and exercise for neck disorders (Figure 1), in spite of the strong recommendations on conduct and reporting of clinical trials from the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) group and its resulting guidelines (Boutron 2008). Practitioners, however, often have to make practice decisions in the absence of research data of optimal quality. Our team is mindful to highlight the best available evidence, even though it may not be based on optimal methodological rigor, in an attempt to rationally guide clinical practice. WCPT has noted that "Physical therapists have been slow adopters of new technologies – and must learn to overcome common barriers and concerns if their patients are ultimately to benefit" (WCPT 2011). The reasons why social networking (such as Facebook and Twitter), blogs, e-learning, and "wikis" have not been embraced more wholeheartedly by physical therapists and their managers, given the potential benefits for spreading expertise and patient education is not fully understood. Some (WCPT 2011) raised important issues such as: concerns over privacy and patient confidentiality; the lack of academic rigor in much internet information; professional resistance to change; the dull experience of many e-learning packages; institutional/employer resistance to professionals spending time on social networks. COG supports the importance of new technologies for providing healthcare information to low and middle income countries. The publication of research and open access journals over the internet help to impact professional development. COG has taken the following two steps in this regards in the past decade:
Step 1. We have linked our Cochrane Reviews with the development of two simple clinical guides that are complementary – a Clinician Tool Kit (Miller et al 2012) and a Patient Decision Aide (Miller, Gross, MacDermid 2012). They can be found on a
Physical therapy "wiki site" (www.physio-pedia.com – Physiopaedia). Publishing in this open access location allows maximum access to a broad audience. The purpose of 'Manual therapy and exercise for neck pain: clinical treatment tool-kit' is to provide a resource for clinical decision making by providing evidence, techniques, and dosages for the use of manual therapy and exercise in the treatment of neck pain.
We have included the actual magnitude of effects in this tool. The magnitude of expected benefit can be important to patients, third-party payers, and policymakers. It can be represented in clinical trials as the absolute benefit as well as the number-needed-to-treat (NNT)*. The evidence included in this knowledge translation tool suggests between 2 to 5 patients with subacute or chronic mechanical neck disorders (with or without headache) would need to be treated for 1 patient to substantially benefit (Miller et ql 2010). NNTs in the range of 2 to 5 are generally considered to indicate important treatment effects. The clinical tool-kit in this wiki site serve as the most straightforward clinical treatment guide for the disorders encompassed by the term "neck pain." They depict both the evidence in terms of its direction (evidence for its use, or against its use), as well as data on specific treatment techniques and dosages. Many clinicians have a positive attitude towards evidence-based practice, but may not have the time or resources to seek out the specific technique and dosage information from positive trials investigating the effectiveness of treatment strategies. Knowledge translation tools can be used to help clinicians access the evidence provided in systematic reviews and provide the specific technique and dosage information so that it can be implemented in clinical practice. In spite of thousands of hits a month on this wiki site for this topic, the overarching question of "Does accessing these tool actually influence practice?" eludes us.
Step 2: We have linked with the ICON (International Collaboration on Neck) project (MacDermid, Miller and Gross 2013). This project's goal was to develop and deliver overviews on neck care through open access journals (Peloso et al 2013; Graham et al 2013; Gross et al 2013). Have you accessed them yet? Both COG and ICON are also currently linking with AAOMPT to update their clinical guidelines (Childs et al 2008). Clinical practice guidelines are defined as "systematically developed statements to assist practitioner and patient decisions about appropriate healthcare for specific circumstances." (Hasenfeld & Shekelle 2003) Ideally, they serve as a "knowledge translation tool" to move the best evidence into clinical practice. However, some guidelines are not based on high-quality evidence (Hasenfeld & Shekelle 2003), such as that found in systematic reviews. Systematic reviews facilitate clinicians' ability to stay current, as they compile high-quality, synthesized data. Guidelines commonly exhibit discrepancies and may not be evidence based. The onus is on the clinician to judiciously interpret and integrate the information provided.
In this decade of information explosion, we need to be more engaged. There is a wide spectrum of treatments available to people with neck pain, not all of which are equally effective. We need to be a tech savvy profession, we need to be continuously involved in knowledge engagement, critical analysis, knowledge generation (research involvement), and translate this best evidence into our care, our local/regional policy development and governance decision making. "Are you engaged?"
Boutron I, Moher D, Altman DG, Schulz KF, Ravaud P. Extending the CONSORT statement to randomized trials of nonpharmacologic treatment: Explanation and elaboration. Ann Intern Med. 2008;148:295-309.
Childs JD, Cleland JA, Elliott JM, et al. Neck Pain: Clinical practice guidelines linked to the international classification of functioning, disability and health from the orthopaedic section of the American Physiotherapy association. JOSPT 2008;38(9):A1-A34.
Graham N, Gross AR, Carlesso LC, Santaguida PL, MacDermid JC, Walton DM, Ho E, ICON. An ICON overview on physical modalities for neck pain and associated disorders. The Open Orthopaedics Journal, 2013, 7, Suppl 4: M6: 440-460.
Gross AR, Kaplan F, Huang S, Khan M, Santaguida PL, Carlesso LC, MacDermid JC, Walton DM, Kenardy J, Söderlund A, Verhagen A, Hartvigsen J. Psychological Care, Patient Education, Orthotics, Ergonomics and Prevention for Neck Pain: A Systematic Overview Update as part of the ICON* Project. The Open Orthopaedics Journal, 2013, 7, (Suppl 4: M12): Sep 20;7:530-61.
Hasenfeld R, Shekelle PG. Is the methodological quality of guidelines declining in the US? Comparison of the quality of US Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) guidelines with those published subsequently. Qual Saf Health Care. 2003;12:428-434.
Hurwitz EL, Carragee EJ, van der Velde G et al. Treatment of neck pain: noninvasive interventions: results of the Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders. Spine.2008;33:S123-152.
MacDermid JC, Miller J, Gross A: Knowledge Translation Tools are Emerging to Move Neck Pain Research into Practice. The Open Orthopaedics Journal, 7, (Suppl 4: M15):582-593. 2013.
Miller J, Gross A, D'Sylva J, Burnie SJ, Goldsmith CH, Graham N, Haines T, Brønfort G, Hoving JL. Manual therapy and exercise for neck pain: a systematic review. Man Ther 2010 Aug;15(4):334-54. doi:10.1016/j.math.2010.02.007
Miller J, Gross A, Rogers T, Willemse J. Manual Therapy and Exercise for Neck Pain: Clinical Treatment Tool-kit Physiopaedia, March 2012. <http://www.physio-pedia.com/Manual_Therapy_and_Exercise_for_Neck_Pain:_Clinical_Treatment_Tool-kit>
Miller J, Gross A, MacDermid J, COG, ICON. Should I receive manual therapy and exercise for my neck pain?: A patient decision aid. February 2012, <http://www.physio-pedia.com/Should_I_receive_manual_therapy_and_exercise_for_my_neck_pain%3F:_A_patient_decision_aid?utm_source=May+2012&utm_campaign=Physiopedia+Newsletter&utm_medium=socialshare>
Peloso PM, Khan M, Gross AR, Carlesso L, Santaguida PL, Lowcock J, MacDermid JC, Walton D, Goldsmith CH, Langevin P, Shi Q. Pharmacological Interventions including Medical Injections for Neck Pain: An Overview as part of the ICON* Project. The Open Orthopaedics Journal, 2013, 7 (Suppl 4: M8): 473-493.
WCPT News July 2011 < http://www.wcpt.org/intranet/news/list/42659/pdf_article/WCPTNews_July%2… access July 2014.
Figure 1. Risk of bias criteria across primary trials in 1) manual therapies as a stand-alone treatment, 2) exercise and 3) manual therapy and exercise primary trials for neck pain.


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GARDEL Bertrand
Vietnam, Binh Thuan province, the village of Mui Ne Beach is a popular spot for the practice of Kite-Surf
Vietnam, Quang Nam province, near Hoi An, paddy cultivation
Vietnam, Quang Nam province, Hoi An, listed as World Heritage by UNESCO, traditional lanterns store
Thailand, province of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Ayutthaya, listed as World Heritage by UNESCO, Historical Park, Wat Phra Si Sanphet
Thailand, Chiang Mai province, Chiang Mai, Wat temple Phan Tao, the election of Miss Chiang Mai 2017
Colombia, Bolivar department, Cartagena, historical center listed as World Heritage by UNESCO, district of Centro, Santo Domingo Church, traditional costume woman carrying fruit
Colombia, Santander department, Barichara, colonial town
Sweden, Stockholm, old caravel used for excursions in the bay
Spain, Andalusia, Seville, Santa Cruz district, the Cathedral and the Giralda
Spain, Madrid, La Latina district the sunday flea market of El Rastro, fans
Poland, Mazovia region, Warsaw, general city view from the Palace of Science and Culture
Germany, Berlin, East Berlin, Mitte district, Schiffbauerdam wharf, cafes on the banks of the Spree in summer
Estonia (Baltic States), Harju region, Tallinn, historical center listed as World Heritage by UNESCO, Kadriorg Palace, located in Kadriorg Park, built in 1718 by the Italian architect Niccolò Michett...
Denmark, Zealand, Copenhagen, N�rreport district, Statens Museum for Kunst (National Museum of Fine Arts)
Denmark, Zealand, Copenhagen, Nyhavn district, Design Museum (Designmuseum Danmark), the design chair gallery
France, Calvados, Pays d'Auge, Honfleur, the streets of the historic center
France, Calvados, Pays d'Auge, Honfleur, Vieux Bassin (old harbour) (old Harbour) and Sainte Catherine quay
France, Hauts de Seine, Boulogne Billancourt, the garden of the island Seguin
France, Gironde, Bordeaux, area listed as World Heritage by UNESCO, Grande Instance designed by architect Richard Rogers in 1998
France, Paris, the Rives de Seine park, new railway track development inaugurated on 02/04/2017
France, Paris, Arcole Bridge and the City Hall of Paris
France, Paris, Boulevard Haussmann and the Printemps department store during the Christmas holidays
United States, New York, Manhattan, Midtown, Herald Square, dominated by Rockefeller Center
United Arab Emirates, Dubai, Burj Khalifa skyscraper Burj Dubai or designed by the U.S. firm SOM, 828m high, which opened on 4 January 2010.
United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, Yas Island, Yas Marina
Thailand, Bangkok, Siam square, the Erawan shrine, traditional dancer
Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), City Hall
Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), the central station with the portrait of Ho Chi Minh
Vietnam, Binh Thuan province, near Mui Ne, fishing nets repair
Vietnam, Binh Thuan province, Mui Ne, the fishing port
Vietnam, Quang Nam province, Hoi An, old town listed as World Heritage by UNESCO, along the Thu Bon River
Thailand, province of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Ayutthaya, listed as World Heritage by UNESCO, Historic Park, Wat Phanan Choeng
Thailand, province of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Ayutthaya, listed as World Heritage by UNESCO, Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon, Buddha statues
Thailand, province of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Ayutthaya, tourist walk on the back of elephants among the ruins
Thailand, province of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Ayutthaya, outdoor food stand, young girls enjoying grilled insects
Thailand, province of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Ayutthaya, listed as World Heritage by UNESCO, Historical Park, Wat Mahathat
Thailand, Chiang Mai province, Chiang Mai, Wat Phra Sing Luang temple
Thailand, Chiang Mai province, Chiang Mai, Saturday night market walking street
Thailand, Chiang Mai province, Bo Sang, a village specializing in the manufacture of parasols
Thailand, Chiang Mai province, Chiang Mai, Maya Shopping Center
Colombia, Boyaca department, around Villa de Leyva, Covent del Santo Ecce Homo
Colombia, Boyaca department, Villa de Leyva, a colonial city
Colombia, Boyaca department, Villa de Leyva, a colonial city, Church del Carmen
Colombia, Bolivar department, Cartagena, historical center listed as World Heritage by UNESCO, San Diego neighborhood district, the Argentinean Marzola restaurant
Colombia, Bolivar department, Cartagena, historical center listed as World Heritage by UNESCO, San Diego neighborhood neighborhood, carriage tour
Colombia, Bolivar department, Cartagena, historical center listed as World Heritage by UNESCO, the Centro district, traditional costume woman carrying fruit
Colombia, Bolivar department, Cartagena, historical center listed as World Heritage by UNESCO, district of Centro, Santo Domingo Church, statue of Botero and tourist


BITSS is pleased to announce its 3rd annual meeting (December 11-12 – Berkeley, CA).
This year's research transparency meeting will be the first to be open to the public and is anticipated to be the largest BITSS event to date. The event will act to update the academic community of the growing movement for greater openness in research and as a forum to discuss a variety of transparency related issues such as changing journal practices, novel evidence of publication bias and burgeoning related initiatives.
The gathe ring will cater to a range of guests from seasoned transparency experts to new supporters of the transparency movement. As such the event will consist of a variety of activities including a collaborative training session geared towards disseminating new tools, a public conference with presentations from transparency leaders, and a research seminar showcasing the latest developments in the world of research transparency.
Confirmed speakers include Edward Miguel (CEGA's Faculty Director), John Ioannidis from Stanford School of Medicine, Victoria Stodden from the University of Illinois and Brian Nosek from the Center for Open Science.
For more information visit the BITSS Annual Meeting page and to attend register here.


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Breast Cancer Survivorship: A Comprehensive Review of Long-Term Medical Issues and Lifestyle Recommendations - BREAST CANCER-RELATED LYMPHEDEMA
Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is a serious, chronic, debilitating, and common consequence of breast cancer treatment and has been addressed as incurable, or at least as refractory, to conventional treatment modalities. Multiple lifelong morbidities include deformity, pain, a reduction in limb use, and extreme emotional distress often resulting in isolation.328-330 Many patients fear the development of lymphedema even more so than the diagnosis of the cancer itself or the loss of a breast.328,329,331-333 Upwards of one in five patients may face the consequences of this irreversible, lifelong condition.330 In BCRL, there is an ongoing, progressive accumulation of protein-rich fluids and subsequent fibrosis in the affected limb because of the disruption of lymphatic anatomy.10,334-337 This condition remains poorly understood despite extensive research directed in attempts to identify its exact etiology.10,335,338
BCRL is a well-recognized sequela of the treatment of breast cancer, including surgery and adjuvant therapies employed.10,339 The risk of the development of BCRL is a lifetime risk. Fibrosis may be slow to develop, which may account for the delay in the development of BCRL.334,337 BCRL may develop at any time after treatment; however, the condition develops in most patients within the first two to three years after treatment.332,340-342
The incidence of BCRL, as reported, is incredibly misleading and quite confusing because it varies from 6% to 62%. This range represents an enormous variation and underscores our poor understanding of the condition.331,338,343-345 Some estimates of the incidence of BCRL even exceed 80%.332 Discrepancy of the reported incidence of BCRL appears to result from multifactorial variations of the definition of the condition, the absence of any standardized uniform measurements, the lack of patient symptom reporting, inadequate follow-up of complaints relating to BCRL symptoms, varying follow-up periods, weak study designs, and finally, poor documentation by health care professionals involved in the treatment of patients with BCRL.10,338,346-348 In addition, BCRL may develop in other regions, including the chest wall and/or the remaining breast tissue, an issue that has received little attention in the medical community.349-352
Numerous predisposing risk factors for BCRL have been identified. These risks can be stratified into two major categories: disease specific (factors beyond the patient's control) and lifestyle risks (factors that may be influenced or controlled by the patient's proactive involvement). Although some of these risk factors may overlap, many nonmedical factors remain beyond the patient's control. Factors beyond the patient's control include the age at diagnosis, stage of disease, extent of surgical manipulation, need for adjuvant therapies, development of postoperative infections, and formation of seromas.10,353,354 Age has been addressed in several studies, and the evidence for this as being a definitive risk factor for the development of BCRL remains conflicting.10,353,354An urgent and more recent concern is that breast cancer is being diagnosed in younger women. Because development of BCRL is a lifelong risk, the long-term survival of younger patients may result in an increased risk of BCRL over time, as with the risk of CVD.25,26
The surgical treatment of breast cancer appears to be the primary predisposing factor for the development of BCRL. Therefore, the risk of BCRL may differ depending on the initial surgical option chosen by the patient. Mastectomy, as opposed to lumpectomy, may result in a significantly higher risk (a twofold to sixfold increase) of BCRL.341,355,356 The extent of axillary dissection and the ratio of positive to negative lymph nodes have also been identified as factors that may increase the potential for BCRL development.330,338,357-359
Intuitively, it appears to make sense that the number of lymph nodes removed and, furthermore, those that are found to be involved with metastatic disease would increase the chance of BCRL developing owing to the disruption of the anatomic flow of lymph. Several studies do not support this concept and, in fact, offer little evidence for the mechanism of this pathologic event.339,354,360 A potential explanation offered is the fact that lymph node involvement early in the disease process allows the development of collateral channels for lymphatic drainage.360 On the other hand, multiple additional studies lend support to the hypothesis that the extent of nodal dissection or involvement with the disease are, indeed, factors that increase the propensity for the BCRL.330,338,340,357-359,361 Replacing the radical axillary dissections of decades ago, sentinel lymph node sampling is now the currently accepted, minimally invasive, approach to breast cancer treatment in early-stage disease.328,362 Compared with traditional axillary dissection, multiple studies have well documented that sentinel lymph node biopsy for assessing and staging breast cancer results in a significant reduction in the development of BCRL.328,355,363-366 Nonetheless, despite the rapid adoption of sentinel lymph node biopsy, BCRL remains a concern; according to recent data, there is still more than a 7% or 8% chance of BCRL developing within the first 6 months after the biopsy procedure.328,353,367
Chemotherapy has been well documented as an extremely effective adjuvant therapy to decrease recurrence and increase the OS of patients with breast cancer.368,369 Interestingly, the percentage of patients receiving such adjuvant therapies as related to the development of BCRL is poorly documented because of incomplete information gathering and secondarily, in large part, because of the outpatient administration of chemotherapy.370 The addition of chemotherapy to the breast cancer treatment regimen and its relationship to the incidence of BCRL remains largely unresolved. As the multidisciplinary approach to breast cancer increases, it is becoming increasingly difficult to separate various therapies and their long-term consequences. This is particularly true in the setting of BCRL. Polyagent therapies have been implicated with an increase in the incidence of BCRL.371-373 Particular attention has focused on the anthracycline-based therapies.374 It remains unclear why the addition of chemotherapy to the treatment of breast cancer may increase the incidence of BCRL. The issue of more advanced disease requiring adjuvant chemotherapy may skew the population that is more likely to experience BCRL. No studies, to our knowledge, have addressed or isolated a primary association. Therefore, it seems wise to be aware of the fact that chemotherapy, particularly anthracycline-based regimens, should be considered as a potential contributing risk factor for BCRL.
As previously mentioned, RT has become a mainstay in the adjuvant treatment of breast cancer.59-75 Although the ultimate role of adjuvant RT in the development of BCRL is currently under review, substantial evidence has been reported supporting the idea that axillary RT increases the risk of BCRL.335,338,375,376 Presumably, RT-induced fibrosis results in scarring of the lymphatic system, resulting in further lymphatic flow disruption and the subsequent development of BCRL. Other studies have reported no increase in the incidence of BCRL after adjuvant axillary RT.372-374 Contemporary therapy involves sophisticated computed tomographic planning for appropriate simulation and allows for a more exact "targeted" zone for RT. As such, the potential for BCRL secondary to RT will, one hopes, be minimized in the near future.
Additional risk factors for BCRL include the postoperative complications of infection and seroma formation.336,352,355 Trauma, such as a shearing chest wall injury or dermal intrusion secondary to activities such as gardening and hiking, may also predispose a patient to the development of late-onset BCRL. Furthermore, surgery on the dominant side may also increase the incidence of BCRL.377
Lifestyle issues that are modifiable by a patient's behavior may also play an important role in BCRL risk. The most important modifiable risk factor is related to obesity as determined by BMI.330,338,354,355 A sedentary lifestyle contributes to obesity, and therefore increasing physical activity may help decrease a patient's BMI. In fact, multiple studies have demonstrated the benefits of exercise to not only decrease BMI but also to decrease the risk of BCRL.10,354,378-380 In addition, exercise has been shown to have significant beneficial effects in cancer rehabilitation and, when coupled with an effective diet, including high vegetable and fruit consumption, has been shown to increase OS after breast cancer.381-383 Finally, DM and hypertension, both associated with an increased BMI, have been identified as potential risk factors for BCRL, and these conditions may be altered by an effective diet and exercise program.10,338,354,355,381,383 Obesity, DM, and hypertensive states also increase the risk of CVD as previously d iscussed. (See Sidebar: Risk Factors for Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema.)


text:
Q: How to return ROW_NUMBER() with sorted database results? Good Evening, I currently study the ROW_NUMBER() in squirrel sql. I success to retrieve data from the database, but the problem is the R in the ROW_NUMBER() OVER () AS R does not match with the sorted database data. Need some suggestion and hints for the query below, thanks
Query
SELECT COUNT(*) AS RECORDS  FROM (SELECT ROW_NUMBER() OVER () AS R,
somethingAisID, somethingB, somethingC ORDER BY somethingA ) AS T WHERE R>=0
AND R<=100

p/s: The database rows is sorted, but the R fields is match with the un-sorted database rows.
Example:
the somethingAisID which sorted from the query is 1,2,3,4,5
the somethingAisID which un-sorted from the original database table is 4,5,2,3,1
then the R is match as 4,5,2,3,1
How can I query the R to match as 1,2,3,4,5? (sorted query)

A: You have to use ORDER BY in OVER clause for that
ROW_NUMBER() OVER (ORDER BY column_name [ASC|DESC]) AS R

Here is SQLFiddle demo

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


New York State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Howard Zucker, has declared that influenza (flu) is now prevalent, or widespread in New York, with several cases being reported in Rockland County.
The best way to prevent the flu, and its complications, is by getting the flu vaccine each year. The flu vaccine offers protection for you through the rest of the flu season. Anyone who hasn't gotten a flu vaccine yet should do so now - it's not too late!
The Health Department will be giving the flu vaccine on Fridays, through Friday, March 29, from 11 am to 12 pm, by appointment only. Call (845) 364-2534 for more information and to make an appointment. You can also check with your doctor and your child's doctor, or visit www.flu.gov/ for places to get the flu vaccine in our area.
The Health Department is giving the quadrivalent flu vaccine which does not contain preservatives, including thimerosal. The vaccine is called quadrivalent because it offers protection against four different flu virus strains that research shows will be most common during this flu season: two influenza (flu) A virus strains and two influenza B virus strains. It is recommended that you wait for 15 minutes after being vaccinated so you can be observed for any reactions.
There is a $20 fee (down from $25 last year) for those 6 months through 64 years old. Only cash or checks will be accepted. For those with private health insurance, we will provide you with a receipt to submit to your health insurance for possible reimbursement.
It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against the flu virus. The protection you get from the flu vaccine will last throughout the flu season. Talk to your doctor before getting the flu shot if you have an allergy to eggs or any of the ingredients in the vaccine, or if you are not feeling well (talk to your doctor about your symptoms).
The flu is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. Even healthy people can get very sick from the flu and spread it to others. Getting the flu vaccine is the main way to prevent the flu and its complications.
For more information about the flu vaccine clinics visit call 364-2534.
To download or order educational posters and brochures (in multiple languages) click here.


The suspension of sea passage and very limited air travel have impeded Jaffna University students' travel to Colombo to sit for examinations or to reach Eastern University to which they have been selected from Jaffna peninsula, Prof. N. Shanmugalingan, Vice-chancellor of Jaffna University said. The VC has requested Moratuwa University VC and the Eastern University VC to help make alternative arrangements, Jaffna University administration sources said.
Students who had applied to follow educational courses in Moratuwa University were to sit for an examination in Colombo and the students are unable to appear for the examination due to the suspension of sea passage and limited air travel.
Jaffna University VC has requested Moratuwa University VC to help conduct the examination in Jaffna.
Similar request has been extended to Eastern University VC to postpone the selection examination for the students appearing from Jaffna peninsula.
More than a hundred students in Jaffna peninsula have qualified to appear for the selection examination of Eastern University.


text:
Business Hrs: 1300 LAW 111
After Hrs: 0477 LAW 111
info@lawyercall.com.au
Perverting the Course of
Justice Offences
Lawyers NSW
What is a Perverting the Course of Justice?
The offence of Perverting the Course of Justice is an extremely serious offence.
It involves numerous types of actions that are considered as attacks on the judicial system and a total disregard regard for the authority of the Rule of Law in NSW. It can include actions such as lying to authorities and the Court, and will often lead to penalties of full time custody. It can also include the intended interference with an investigation of a serious offence through the concealment of evidence or the purposeful fabrication of false information to authorities, with the purpose of interfering and disrupting the administration of justice.
Perverting the Course of Justice & The Law
Perverting the Course of Justice is an offence under Section 319 of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW).
Examples of Perverting the Course of Justice:
Lying in court
Lying in Statements given to Police
Physically or verbally threatening a witness, juror or judge
Disposing of evidence
What the Prosecution need to Prove (Beyond a Reasonable Doubt):
The accused acted in such a way to with intention to pervert the course of justice
The accused failed to act in such a way as to purposefully pervert the course of justice
Going to Court – "What am I looking at?"
This offence is treated seriously by the Court and is strictly indictable which means that the matter must be dealt with before a Judge in the District court, and can carry a maximum penalty of up to 14 years imprisonment.
Lawyer Call – here to help..
At Lawyer Call, we understand that if you or a loved one has been charged with Perverting the Course of Justice, you may be feeling anxious and worried about what will happen next.
Contact our office today, and rest assured you are in experienced and capable hands, working with expert lawyers with a proven track record of great results. On many occasions ,this offence is hard to defend due to overwhelming Police evidence.
We understand the intricacies of conducting powerful pleas before a Magistrate, where should you wish to plead guilty, our solicitors have in-depth preparation in gathering and analysing specific medical and supporting documentation to assist the case and present the best possible submissions before a Magistrate or a Judge for a more lenient sentence.
At every stage of this process, our lawyers will provide useful legal advice, strong representation in Court, masterful negotiation skills with Police and continuous personal support for you and your family throughout this trying time.
Our Online Legal Conferencing Service, together with our dedicated correspondence and face to face consultations are just only some of the reasons Lawyer Call is the Legal Team you want on your side.
Being charged with Perverting the Course of Justice can be daunting due to the seriousness of the charge, and the implications this could have on your life, family and future aspirations. At Lawyer Call, we seek to understand the exact details of the incident first and foremost.
If you have been charged with offence, please call our office immediately on 1300 LAW 111.
"I cannot begin to thank Paul for his tireless efforts with my case. Would recommend them anybody with a criminal matter their clear communication and expert advice got me my best possible outcome"
— Casey, Nurse
No material on this website, including but not limited to documents, articles, general written and visual information should be interpreted as relevant or accurate legal advice for any individual or specific situation. The written content, images and external links are of a general nature and should not be relied upon to apply to any specific set of circumstances. Professional and legal advice is only provided by Lawyer Call following the acceptance by a client of the Client Services Agreement, and the payment of the required fees into Trust.


Yesterday I returned to my hometown. It was a warm summer day and I drove my rental car into the little town and stopped at the first building. Carl's Service Station.
"Fill the tank, please," I told him, hoping he couldn't hear the fear in my voice.
No, it isn't fear, I told myself, just uncertainty. You learned long ago to conquer your fear.
I smiled to myself and headed toward the door. Things hadn't changed here. You always had to have a key to use the less than spotless bathroom at Carl's.
Who's Carl, anyway? I asked myself as I carefully used the facilities and washed my hands. When I lived in Clarksville, the place had been run by an old, gray-haired man. Maybe that was Carl.
"Carl still around?" I asked the kid.
I paid him and pulled away, the old knot of fear tightening my stomach muscles. I beat my fist on the steering wheel and told myself that I was a grown woman now.
I had nothing to be afraid of.


text:
Q: Webdriver Error "Driver info: driver.version: unknown" I am trying to run the example from Page-Objects Example
and it runs fine on Windows 7, but when i try to run it on Linux ( Fedora 15 ) I get an error:
GitHubLoginTest (1)
com.example.test.GitHubLoginTest
should_not_login_with_wrong_credentials(com.example.test.GitHubLoginTest)
org.openqa.selenium.TimeoutException: Timed out after 30 seconds waiting for title to contain "GitHub � Social Coding". Current title: "GitHub · Social Coding"
Build info: version: '2.25.0', revision: '17482', time: '2012-07-18 21:09:54'
System info: os.name: 'Linux', os.arch: 'amd64', os.version: '2.6.43.5-2.fc15.x86_64', java.version: '1.6.0_35'
Driver info: driver.version: unknown
    at org.openqa.selenium.support.ui.FluentWait.timeoutException(FluentWait.java:255)
    at org.openqa.selenium.support.ui.FluentWait.timeoutException(FluentWait.java:270)
    at org.openqa.selenium.support.ui.FluentWait.until(FluentWait.java:222)
    at com.example.pageobjects.GitHubPage.waitForPageToLoad(GitHubPage.java:40)
    at com.example.pageobjects.GitHubPage.openPage(GitHubPage.java:30)
    at com.example.pageobjects.GitHubHomePage.open(GitHubHomePage.java:31)
    at com.example.test.GitHubLoginTest.should_not_login_with_wrong_credentials(GitHubLoginTest.java:33)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
    at org.junit.runners.model.FrameworkMethod$1.runReflectiveCall(FrameworkMethod.java:45)
    at org.junit.internal.runners.model.ReflectiveCallable.run(ReflectiveCallable.java:15)
    at org.junit.runners.model.FrameworkMethod.invokeExplosively(FrameworkMethod.java:42)
    at org.junit.internal.runners.statements.InvokeMethod.evaluate(InvokeMethod.java:20)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.runLeaf(ParentRunner.java:263)
    at org.junit.runners.BlockJUnit4ClassRunner.runChild(BlockJUnit4ClassRunner.java:68)
    at org.junit.runners.BlockJUnit4ClassRunner.runChild(BlockJUnit4ClassRunner.java:47)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$3.run(ParentRunner.java:231)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$1.schedule(ParentRunner.java:60)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.runChildren(ParentRunner.java:229)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.access$000(ParentRunner.java:50)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$2.evaluate(ParentRunner.java:222)
    at org.junit.internal.runners.statements.RunAfters.evaluate(RunAfters.java:30)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.run(ParentRunner.java:300)
    at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit4.runner.JUnit4TestReference.run(JUnit4TestReference.java:50)
    at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.TestExecution.run(TestExecution.java:38)
    at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.RemoteTestRunner.runTests(RemoteTestRunner.java:467)
    at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.RemoteTestRunner.runTests(RemoteTestRunner.java:683)
    at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.RemoteTestRunner.run(RemoteTestRunner.java:390)
    at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.RemoteTestRunner.main(RemoteTestRunner.java:197)

I tried setting up System.setProperty as:
    System.setProperty("webdriver.chrome.driver", "workspace/libs/chromedriver");

But got the same error.

A: It was actually resolved by setting up Encoding to UTF-8 in Eclipse


Michael Haneke likes to challenge and provoke us, whether it's with intellectual puzzles (Hidden), bleak character studies (The Piano Teacher) or a brand of horror that makes us feel uneasily complicit (Funny Games). He's a brilliant director, and a tough one. So while Love may not be a sudden ray of sunshine, it still feels like a departure for the Austrian, a softening of the provocateur, in which he eschews his customary ironic distance for an intimate and essentially positive account of love in adversity. It is as immaculately made as ever, but also touching and terribly sad, with two magnificent, heartrending central performances. And the festival loved it.
Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva play Georges and Anne, a couple in their eighties, retired music teachers still very much in love and, when the film opens, leading a quiet, cultured, dignified life in Paris. But then her health starts seriously to decline. And a man who is no spring chicken finds himself in the role of carer.
Given his day job, Doherty has a surprisingly lack of charismaApart from the opening scene, in a concert hall, the entirety of the film takes place in the couple's apartment, a space we feel we get to know as intimately as do the characters. Here we observe a careful, thoroughly absorbing depiction of care – feeding, cleaning, carrying, consoling and berating, deflecting the pity of others. The emotions involved are presented with equal precision. The camera spends a great deal of time on Georges' face as he gazes upon his incapacitated, often vacant, sometimes suffering wife, or reads to her from newspapers and books, or tells her stories from his life before meeting her; and it's like viewing a changing sky, as tenderness, concern, frustration, bewilderment and love pass across it.
Haneke favourite Isabelle Huppert makes fleeting visits as the couple's daughter, but the film belongs to the elderly leads. I remember admiring Trintignant's reclusive magistrate in Krzysztof Kieślowski's Three Colours: Red in 1994, when he was 64, and assuming it would be his last truly spectacular performance. I was wrong.
British bad-boy rock star Peter Doherty (pictured right) probably can't believe his luck to find the first film he's acted in selected for Cannes. But if he was the chief reason for checking out Confession of a Child of the Century, he is also the chief reason why it's one of the worst films I've seen here.
Writer/director Sylvie Verheyde has listlessly adapted Alfred de Musset's autobiographical novel, pitching Doherty into the demanding central role of Octave, a disenchanted and debauched young man in 1830s France who falls in love with an older woman and is unable to cope with his emotions. Given his day job, Doherty has a surprisingly lack of charisma – the ruffled cherub look really isn't appealing on screen – and decidedly dodgy diction. The latter, since he has to provide the theme-filled voice-over, is singularly unhelpful. Having to share scenes with the experienced and gifted Charlotte Gainsbourg merely highlights the miscasting.


text:
Book Review of Exclamatory Marks of Silence
Nivedita (Nivie)
Exclamatory Marks of Silence
Bhavesh Graphics, 2021
Pages 32, Price INR 50
Musings on Life As We Know It
Nivedita's latest book of verse Exclamatory Marks of Silence is an amazing animation of contemporary reality, with its myriad hues. Weaving her thoughts with images of life, the poet encapsulates both the disturbing and endearing elements to present a composite picture. A slim volume comprising a little over 30 pages, the book can be completed at one go and prompts the reader to question, accept and think along different lines when it comes to the elusive thing called truth.
Exclamatory Marks of Silence is divided into two parts – the first treading into muddy waters and unsettling the mind while the second lightens the mood with sunny thoughts. As cited in the Preface, the poet seeks to both evoke a response from the reader and help them to express themselves. In Part I, we have some of the most powerful poems such as "You Stink" and "Priest of My Conscience". The former matter-of-factly accuses the reader of being biased towards various social and mental constructs that do not serve the cause of life:
You stink
Because you inherit
Pride, misanthropy, unrecyclable discord
Orgasm for power
Touching on various disturbing facets, the poem ends on a poignant note, urging the reader to live in the true sense by disassociating from the stench of conventional fixations.
Live everyday till the stench leaves you
Or you leave the stench
In "Priest of My Conscience" the speaker requests the listener and friend to be a partaker in their journey instead of being a judge and advisor. The message resonates in the forever judgmental world where people are quick to shell out their advice and opinion. The poem "Women Activists" is empowering in its tone and encourages women to be strong to build a better future. However, the apparent simplicity with which the point is made is creditable.
You have to pick your sickle, you have
To button the discomfort and sow seeds for
A future that grows a muscle and
Strengthens the tampon.
"Amma Left Me Here" is based on the real-life story of a young blind boy who was left by his mother at the school for the blind. It beautifully shows how the child's initial feeling of abandonment and desolation gradually melts into a future full of possibilities.
Though mental health and its various conditions have received more awareness than before, it is still sadly incomprehensible to and underestimated by many. In this context, "How Do You Explain Therapy to a Layperson?" is a powerful piece. The person treading slowly on a carpet of broken glass while being the subject of speculation by others who are running could be an analogy for any mental health condition. The poem indirectly compares therapy to healing the bruised feet by allowing blood to freely flow and massaging with ice.
The poems in Part II, as mentioned earlier, are livelier and act in the poet's words (in the Preface) "like a cooling agent after a tight pinch". "Steaming Cup, Waukesha" and "The Lanes of Waukesha" mark the celebration of poetry and creativity in the town of Waukesha in Wisconsin, USA. Again, "Gates at Chikkadapally" brings out the close-knit warmth of age-old neighbors "who never wanted to leave". The titular poem "Exclamatory Marks of Silence" endearingly describes the speaker's reaction on seeing her dog with newborn puppies. Being amazed, moved and joyous all at once, the speaker's emotions find their way through tears – exclamations of silence that convey the beauty of new life.
The volume can be a bit intense at times, hitting home and making us uncomfortable. In this respect, in is not the choice for beauty lovers who perceive poetry as an extension of art that fascinates.
However, overall, the book is a great read for those who are willing to pause, ponder and rummage instead of being sucked into the frenetic onward journey. Going through it on a winter afternoon, on a short travel or during a break at work can help in passing the time more meaningfully. The poems evince immense potential and deliver an unforgettable experience.


text:
Bayern announce Mats Hummels deal
Avinash Bhunjun
Hummels had been heavily linked to Bayern, and will now join Renato Sanches
Prodigal son...Mats Hummels has returned to Bayern Munich eight seasons after he left.
TAGS: Bayern MunichBorussia DortmundMats Hummels
Bayern Munich have continued their summer spending by announcing that Borussia Dortmund captain Mats Hummels will be joining the club.
Bayern also announced the signing of Benfica starlet, Renato Sanches for a reported deal said to be worth €35million.
Hummels has been heavily linked to Bayern, he is a product of their youth system and he is a Bavarian native. His family are also based there too.
He will now team up with Bayern on July 1st, and the fee between both clubs is undisclosed.
DEAL DONE; Dortmund confirm that Mats Hummels will leave the club for Bayern Munich over the summer. (Source: @BVB) pic.twitter.com/TUmCzJnSJt
— Football Facts (@FootbalIFact) May 10, 2016
Hummels told Dortmund's official website: "I have not made this decision easily after eight-and-a-half successful years at BVB.
"I was always proud and still am, to wear the BVB jersey and to be part of this exceptional team. Before I return to my hometown in the summer, we have a large, common goal all: once again to bring the DFB-Pokal to Dortmund.
"For that I will give everything just like my team-mates. I wholeheartedly thank my team-mates, all the staff and fans for this long and wonderful time in Black and Yellow."
Borussia Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke expected the German international to join Bayern, given that Hummels has a deep rooted connection with the club.
Watzke previously said: I believe that if he (Hummels) goes, it will be in the direction of Munich,
"He still has unfinished business with the club. His father, his mother and his brother all live in Munich."
His girlfriend comes from Munich, he's from Munich too – so a whole lot of components have already come together."