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Senior Program Manager at CACI International in Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD
CACI International
Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005
CACI is recruiting for a cleared Senior Program Manager at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD with proven experience leading multiple large, complex C4ISR programs or a portfolio of programs more than $25M/yr.
As a Senior Program Manager you shall be accountable for meeting contractual performance criteria, contractual due dates for service delivery, and successful overall project completion, coordinating activities in support of project activities and teams that support the provisioning, design, installation, maintenance, tracking and monitoring requirements through completion and preparing finished deliverables and work products (e.g., status reports, spend plans to Sponsor, corporate forecast management, open issues, etc.).
Direct resource performance management and matrix planning for organic resources and sub-contract resources.
Contract administration to include CRDL deliverables, Management Plans, Milestones, Risk and Issue Tracking, Labor Category verification, and customer invoicing within DFAS and WAWF requirements.
Sub-contractor administration to include teaming negotiations, technical evaluation, performance tracking, procurement requests and invoice approval authority.
Procurement requests include Indirect and Direct purchases associated with infrastructure, licensing and professional services needs that are tracked in accordance with competitive pricing and DCAA requirements.
Development of contract pricing models to support objectives in contract Labor, ODC's, G&A, Fee and Material Handling Costs with a price to win strategy.
Final review and approval on all contract deliverables to either the contracting officer, the contracting officer representative or integrated operational program manager.
Preparation, development and outline of company and customer presentation reports.
Direct reports include; Project managers, financial administrators, business analysts, solution/system architects, information assurance, software developers, research analysts, subject matter experts, technical writers, testers, system/database administrators and configuration manager.
Program Monitoring and Control includes establishment of baselines associated with cost, schedule and EV reporting utilizing integrated master schedule, CWBS, project specific spend plans, burn rate reports and funds and man-hour deliverables per CLIN.
Active Top Secret Clearance with eligibility for SCI
Bachelor's Degree in Business or Science (Engineering or Computer Science) with 10 years of management experience.
Experience in organically growing program
Strong oral and written communication skills.
Self-starter and able to negotiate with customers directly.
Experience participating in the development of proposals (technical and cost).
These Qualifications Would be Nice:
Experience leading modern software development teams
Experience leading team configuring and maintaining Infrastructure and Platform as a Service (I/PaaS)
Experience leading software integration teams in rapid delivery models
MS/MBA
Current PMP Certification or equivalent (Former CSL PL, PD or PM).
About CACI International
CACI International Inc is an American multinational professional services and information technology company headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. CACI provides services to many branches of the US federal government including defense, homeland security, intelligence, and healthcare. CACI has approximately 23,000 employees worldwide. CACI is a member of the Fortune 1000 Largest Companies, the Russell 2000 index, and the S&P MidCap 400 Index. CACI was founded by Herb Karr and Harry Markowitz, who left RAND Corporation in 1962 to commercialize the SIMSCRIPT simulation programming language. The company went public in 1968. "CACI", which was originally an acronym for "California Analysis Center, Incorporated", was changed to stand for "Consolidated Analysis Center, Incorporated" in 1967. In 1973, the acronym alone was adopted as the firm's official name; reflecting the name customers had grown familiar with. Their CACI Limited subsidiary was founded in 1975. In February 2020, CACI announced the hiring of former White House staffer Daniel Walsh as corporate strategic adviser and senior vice president. CACI's SIMSCRIPT software product line added object-oriented capability, and added a new government contracting area: Space. On June 9, 2004, a group of 256 Iraqis sued CACI International and Titan Corporation in U.S. federal court regarding CACI's alleged involvement in the Abu Ghraib prison matter. Details are still, in 2018, under review by authorities.
Learn More About CACI International
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Lee Sandlin Squibs Essays Books Home
Lost and Found In Translation
Eskimos don't have a 100 words for "snow." But see what happens when you walk into your local Starbucks and just order "coffee."
Book review, Oct. 27, 2011
A Russian friend of mine once tried to improve his English by studying T.S. Eliot's "Preludes." He already knew a translation by heart, and he liked to recite, with great reverberating passion, a line about how the streetlamps of London glowed like luminous jellyfish at the bottom of the ocean. When he reached the corresponding passage of the English text, he was shattered. All it said was: "And then the lighting of the lamps." No jellyfish, no ocean. Evidently the Russian translator had found Eliot's austere original to be insufficiently poetical and had decided to goose it up. My friend felt doubly betrayed – first by Eliot, because his poem was not so interesting after all; then by the translator, because his beautiful line was a fake.
This is an experience many of us have when reading great works in translation. We're troubled by a creeping, paranoid anxiety that we're not really experiencing the work, that we're being fooled. Does the "Divine Comedy" or "The Tale of Genji" really mean anything like what the translator says it means? How can we be sure, when we don't know the original language and never will?
These are not doubts that would meet with much sympathy from David Bellos. He is a professional translator (mostly of classy Europeans like Georges Perec and Ismail Kadare) and would be briskly dismissive of my Russian friend's despair. Translation, he argues in "Is That a Fish in Your Ear – ," is an inherently creative act. A strictly literal translation is a mirage – it looks like unadorned accuracy, but that's really just a stylistic trick, which, Mr. Bellos says, is "unrelated to authenticity, truthfulness, or plainness of expression." He would celebrate the Russian translator's gaudy jellyfish, as though they were flowers breaking from the hard ground of Eliot's original.
Mr. Bellos's book is not a technical manual on how to translate poetry. It's an informal survey of the challenges and joys of translation in all its forms – literary, diplomatic, cultural, political, economic. He takes the broadest possible view of his subject. He writes about the way that Google Translate works, for instance (it doesn't consult dictionaries but instead searches through zillions of pages of originals and translations to find examples of how similar phrases were translated before); or how business lawyers manage to write contracts that will stand up in both American and Chinese courts (especially tricky with construction contracts, because Americans and Chinese sort out the various categories of buildings in radically different ways); or why it's so curiously difficult to translate the phrase "human rights" into French when the French claim to have invented the concept (what they invented was "the rights of man;" there is no elegant gender-neutral alternative, and you know about the French and elegance).
The book is brisk – speedy, even – but Mr. Bellos does slow down occasionally to squash this or that pernicious bit of linguistic folklore. It is not true, for instance, that the Eskimos have a hundred words for different kinds of snow but no word that just means "snow." It's actually, he explains, a racialist myth about how "primitive" societies can't generalize their experience into abstract nouns. And even if it were true, Mr. Bellos points out, there would still be no reason to feel smug: Try walking into your local Starbucks and see what happens when you just order "coffee."
This is all great stuff, and it's at least midway through the book before a certain unease sets in. The zigzag, endlessly digressive line of Mr. Bellos's exposition keeps things lively, but it's not the best way of laying out a thesis. And he does have a thesis. The subtitle of his book, "Translation and the Meaning of Everything," hints as much, while (as is mandatory with cutesy subtitles these days) reassuring readers that, while there's an important point about to be made, things aren't going to get too serious, and they won't have to work very hard.
Mr. Bellos's real agenda, as it slowly emerges, is an attack on what is called "nomenclaturism." This is the notion that words have a one-to-one relationship to the things they purport to name. Mr. Bellos has no trouble demonstrating that the whole idea is deeply confused and philosophically naïve. Even the most straightforward words and phrases turn out to be infiltrated by the figurative. As Mr. Bellos points out, an English phrase like "head of state" relies on a buried metaphor (that society is like the human body) which doesn't exist in other cultures. And yet most people, without thinking too much about it, are nomenclaturists in one way or another: "We are trapped," as Mr. Bellos writes, "inside the idea that words are the names of things."
But what's the alternative? Mr. Bellos offers no simple answer, and with good reason: A convincing anti-nomenclaturist theory would require a long exploration of the wilder shores of linguistic philosophy (including, inevitably, a close study of Wittgenstein, one of the toughest reads on earth), and Mr. Bellos is reluctant to drag readers into such harsh terrain. But one can't help feeling that he skates away from his argument while distracting you with yet another of his side-trips – on how, for instance, the ancient Romans might have made some sense out of the word "jazzercise."
But this might all be my own nomenclaturist bias. Mr. Bellos's theory, as I add it up, is that translation is part of the free, spontaneous, joyful play of language – and in the end I'm not persuaded that the process is quite that sunny. My heart is really with my Russian friend. There's a cryptic line of Sophocles (most of Sophocles is pretty cryptic, but bear with me) about the glories of Athens, which can be translated as "Superior horses, superior colts, the superior sea." William Butler Yeats once offered a rather stunning alternative version: "Horses and horses of the sea, white horses." Is that a satisfactory translation? Is it a translation at all? I have the feeling that it's more like the opposite of a translation: it's so striking and beautiful that it obliterates the original. Mr. Bellos's beguiling book never sufficiently explores the possibility that in any translation something essential might be getting lost.
This article appeared Oct. 27, 2011, in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal in print, and online at WSJ.com.
Lee reviewed: Is That a Fish in Your Ear? by David Bellos (Faber, 373 pages, $26)
Squibs - Essays - Home

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Remember when Jennifer Aniston's big project with Reese Witherspoon was announced in 2017? Well, filming is finally happening this week, and HL has EXCLUSIVELY learned what Jen's especially worried about!
The dry spell is almost over. It's been 14 years since the last episode of Friends aired (yes, really), and Jennifer Aniston's next big television series is finally moving forward this week, we've learned! Apple announced its upcoming drama series starring Jen, 49, and Reese Witherspoon, 42, in 2017, so we've got the scoop on how Jen feels about the plan finally being put into action. "Jen is telling friends she's extremely anxious and nervous to return to TV," a source EXCLUSIVELY spills to HollywoodLife! After the actress wrapped up her iconic role as Rachel Green in 2004, she jumped to the big screen for major films like We're the Millers and Marley & Me, with guest roles on TV shows here and there. Now that she's filming more than a cameo role for the small screen, the nerves are getting to her.
"She's also excited, however, the anxiety of having a successful show is getting to her," our source reveals. "It's been years since she's had a big hit and Jen feels the pressure of having a successful show like Friends again as that was her last big stint on TV." The pressure is especially on since her co-star Reese, who once played her little sister on Friends, just made a massive hit out of her HBO series, Big Little Lies! "She knows that's what everyone is expecting and she's putting a lot of pressure on herself because of it. It's all that's on her mind," our source goes on. Jen especially set the bar high for herself after nabbing an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Friends in 2002! But the worries don't stop there.
"Also, the idea of having to film a TV schedule again is something she'll need to readjust and get used to," our source adds. It'll definitely be a change of pace for the actress, who was last seen on a set with co-star Adam Sandler for their upcoming Netflix comedy, Murder Mystery, in Milan on Aug. 28. "Filming is set to begin this week and she's busy making sure she looks her best," our source goes on. Well, the last part shouldn't even be a concern of Jen's — she'll always be our beauty and fashion inspiration!


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News » Active Joint-Venture Projects Continue to Build Value for Globex Shareholders
Active Joint-Venture Projects Continue to Build Value for Globex Shareholders
Many joint venture partners of Globex Mining Enterprises Inc. (CA: GMX – $0.81 & US: GLBXF – $0.61 & GER: G1MN – €0.59) have continued to advance their exploration projects throughout the summer. One of these partners, Excellon Resources Inc. [EXN] updated plans to spin off the Silver City Project into a separately listed company.
The 340 km2 Silver City Project is located in Saxony, Germany within a large, high-grade epithermal system and has a long history of mining dating back to the 12th century, with no modern-day exploration for precious metals.
Globex vended the project to Excellon in a deal announced in 2019. Under the terms of the Agreement, Excellon had to pay Globex C$500,000 in cash and issue common shares of the company to Globex worth C$1,600,000 over a three year period.
Excellon also agreed to make a one-time C$300,000 payment upon the release of a maiden resource on the Silver City License and a one-time payment of C$700,000 upon the achievement of commercial production.
Moreover, EXN must also grant Globex a gross metals royalty on the Silver City License equal to 3% of precious metals and 2.5% of other metals, which can be reduced to 2% and 1.5%, respectively, with a US$1,500,000 payment.
Ongoing activity at Silver City has focused on several of the historic mines within the property area, delivering some notable discoveries including high-grade silver and base metals.
The value proposition for the Silver City project may be enhanced through transferring the asset into a separately listed, European-focused exploration company. The timing and structure of this pending reorganization remains under consideration. However, the creation of a pure play junior silver explorer to advance Silver City is expected to unlock greater shareholder value. This of course is welcome news for Globex shareholders, as the Company controls a significant minority interest of Excellon shares.
Radisson Mining Resources Advances the O'Brien Project
Another transaction partner, Radisson Mining Resources Inc. [RDS], has been active exploring for gold in Quebec. This week, Radisson issued an update pertaining the progress at its O'Brien project. O'Brien was consolidated from several smaller land holdings within the Cadillac Break structural corridor and encompasses three past-producing gold mines. The project is notable for the high-grade gold intervals that have been encountered during several years of exploration. Five enriched gold trends have been identified so far within the property area to the east of the past-producing O'Brien gold mine.
Among the assay results issued this week, a section of 2m carried an average of 17.11 g/t gold in trend #3. Visible gold was observed in some of the drill core. Including the most recent batch of assay results, Radisson has delivered 141 drill core intercepts with at least 5 g/t gold. Of these, 59 intercepts were enriched with at least 10 g/t gold.
The ambitious exploration work commenced in 2019. Radisson completed 255 drill holes so far for a total of 127,600m of drilling. When all the data has been received, an updated resource estimate for the project will be presented, which is expected by early next year.
Globex retains royalty leverage in perpetuity. A 2% NSR is held on the Kewagama claims, while a 1% NSR is held for the New Alger property claims.
Royalty Leverage Tied to Lithium Properties
Lithium has been one of the hottest commodities in the resource sector for the past years, primarily due to the high demand for the metal to use in batteries that power electric vehicles. Globex was an early player to recognize this trend, securing control for numerous property holdings in Quebec that were prospective for lithium exploration. The corporate strategy involved arranging transactions for many of these lithium projects, while retaining a royalty interest.
In one such deal, Globex established a significant partnership with Electric Royalties Ltd. [ELEC], vending a package of royalty interests that included leverage to lithium and other specialty metals for a cash and shares. Following this deal, the partners expanded their relationship with another transaction that enabled Globex to build a position of approximately 12 million shares of ELEC, plus a further 5.5 million common share purchase warrants.
In an update, Electric Royalties gave more information on several of the properties that feature royalty leverage. Most interesting is the Authier Lithium Project, which is operated by Sayona Mining Ltd., and in which Electric Royalties holds a GMR of 0.5%. Sayona recently announced that it is on track to restart lithium production early next year at its Lithium operation in Quebec, becoming the only local lithium supplier in North America, after having committed around $100 million to the restart. Globex also retains a 0.5% GMR on the Authier deposit.
The current pit optimisation at Authier has the mineralisation extending down to 200 metres depth but the deposit remains open in all directions.
The Sayona plan involves combining resource feed extracted from the Authier project to enhance the total lithium production from its Quebec Lithium deposit. Therefore, both ELEC and Globex will begin receiving royalty payments based on the Authier lithium resources that are run through this operation.
As a significant minority shareholder of Electric Royalties, Globex obviously welcomes these successful developments.
The strategy to secure attractive properties and arrange JV transactions has been highly effective for Globex to create shareholder value. Part of this success is due to the high quality of the companies that Globex is partnered with. Exploration and development work funded by partner companies has achieved notable success at several JV projects.
Meanwhile, Globex often receives payments in share capital for these transactions. This minority ownership position enables Globex to capture gains in market value as the projects are advanced. Transactions with Electric Royalties secured 12 million shares plus warrants and cash payments. The market value of the share ownership alone is nearly $3 million. Globex also received 9,550,000 shares of Renforth Resources [RFR] in the original transaction to vend the Parbec gold property. In a subsequent transaction with Renforth, Globex increased it's royalty interest on the Parbec deposit to a 3% Gross Metal Royalty and got a 1% NSR on the New Alger property which is now consolidated into the O'Brien project. The final installment of payments due for the Silver City property will also include the issuance of a significant position of Excellon shares. Globex may hold these shares as an ongoing investment in the success of the properties or sell them in the market to realize additional revenue.
Globex also holds royalty leverage on many of the properties vended to other companies. For example, a 0.5% GMR is held on the Authier property in addition to 2% GMR leverage held for some of the lithium claims in the immediate vicinity. Globex retains royalty leverage for much of the Radisson consolidated O'Brien land package. The Silver City project may be rolled into a new public company, but Globex shall continue to retain royalty leverage on any successful development of that exciting project. The combined efforts of numerous partner companies advancing a diversified portfolio of property assets ensure that Globex shareholders continue to participate in a wide variety of successes achieved in the field. Smallcaps Recommendation: BUY.
Globex Mining Enterprises (GMX)


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Insights/Communiqués/Federal Budget Review/March 22, 2011/Introduction
2011 Federal Budget
Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty today tabled the 2011 Federal Budget (the "Budget") entitled "A Low Tax Plan for Jobs and Growth". We are pleased to provide our summary of tax measures contained in the Budget.
There were no new general income tax rate changes for individuals or businesses and previously announced corporate income tax rate reductions were left intact. With respect to business tax measures, some industry specific changes were proposed, and, with respect to personal tax measures, a number of new or enhanced tax credits were announced.
Finance Minister Flaherty's commitment to keeping taxes low was coupled with a greater attention to preserving the tax base by addressing a number of tax reduction approaches that may have been used by taxpayers.
From a fiscal perspective, the Budget forecasts a deficit of $40.5 billion for 2011, $29.6 billion for 2012, $19.4 billion for 2013 and a balanced budget by 2015 followed by surpluses in future years.
The Opposition leaders have stated that they will not support the Budget. As a result, the current federal political reality creates considerable uncertainty as to whether the Budget will be voted on, passed or defeated by Parliament and whether a federal election is impending.
Our summary of tax highlights contained in the Budget follows.
This publication is provided as an information service and may include items reported from other sources. We do not warrant its accuracy. This information is not meant as legal opinion or advice.
Miller Thomson LLP uses your contact information to send you information electronically on legal topics, seminars, and firm events that may be of interest to you. If you have any questions about our information practices or obligations under Canada's anti-spam laws, please contact us at privacy@millerthomson.com.
© 2023 Miller Thomson LLP. This publication may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety provided no alterations are made to the form or content. Any other form of reproduction or distribution requires the prior written consent of Miller Thomson LLP which may be requested by contacting newsletters@millerthomson.com.
Charities & Not-for-Profit
Sales, Commodity and Indirect Tax
Tax Disputes Resolution


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Around 1.27 Lakh Tourists Visited Kashmir In November, Highest In Last 7 Years
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department on Thursday said that around 1.27 lakh tourists visited Kashmir in November which is the highest in the last seven years.
Speaking to ANI, Director, Tourism, Kashmir Dr Ghulam Nabi Itoo said, "Around 1.27 lakh tourists visited Kashmir in November and 97,000 tourists in October this year, which is the highest in the last seven years. Vigorous tourism promotions and iconic festivals created the buzz that resulted in a record footfall."
A professor at the School of Hospitality and Management at Jammu University, Parikshit Manhas said, "Huge tourist influx in Jammu and Kashmir, especially in Kashmir, shows that efforts of present government are bearing fruits and normalcy is returning. However, more efforts are needed to give impetus to tourism growth."
Meanwhile, during the upcoming winter season (December 2021 to February 2022), normal to above normal minimum temperatures are most likely over many parts of northwest India, most parts of south and northeast India, and some areas along the foothills of the Himalayas, the India Meteorological Department said in a press release.
The weather agency added that below normal minimum temperatures are most likely over some parts of north interior peninsula. Below normal maximum temperatures are likely over most parts of the country except over some parts of northwest India and most parts of northeast India, where normal to above normal maximum temperatures are most likely.
Labels: Border, India


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Coldwater's Wing House Museum Is Giving Off Serious Addams Family Vibes
Meatball Published: November 29, 2022
Meatball/TSM
It may be well past Halloween now, but The Addams Family is still fresh on people's minds with the recent drop of the Netflix Series "Wednesday," which follows the Addams' eldest child as a student, attempting to master her growing psychic abilities.
In fact, Kalamazoo even gets a shout-out in one of the episodes.
But you don't have to travel to... wherever the Addams' are from to catch their vibe. There's a building down the road in Coldwater that might just take you there.
The Wing House Museum has been a staple in Coldwater for a VERY long time - it was built in 1875 for resident Jay M. Chandler and his young wife, Frances.
The site was previously Parrish Flouring Mill, but after 1870, the business eventually went downhill. When that closed, Chandler had the home built on the property. He was the youngest of four brothers and followed them all into the family hardware business. His Father, Albert Chandler, was the founder of the Coldwater Sentinel and sat as Coldwater's first mayor.
In 1882, the home was sold to Lucius Wing, which is where the house gets its namesake.
THAT was back in the late 1800s though. Now, in 2022, the incredible Second Empire-style home still stands, mostly original and restored to what it would have been like when Chandler and his wife lived there.
It's been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1975, and if it has familiar vibes of a certain "Horror Family" mansion, it's because both are based on the same time period.
Obviously, the Addams' Mansion is a movie prop, and some people have replicated it in places around the country for Airbnbs or tourist purposes, but the basic idea was to build a late 19th-century townhouse... and the Wing House just happens to be an ACTUAL late 19th-century townhouse.
In the past, the museum has been open periodically for tours, but at the moment, it seems to be closed. A Facebook post in August of 2020 said it was closed for repairs, but it doesn't seem like it has reopened any time since then.
Nonetheless, the building is incredibly beautiful on the outside, and you can still drive or walk by it. And for those not so into the "macabre" Addams Family vibe, it is quite colorful... not black and white.
Texas Woman's Creepy Take On The Christmas Story Leg Lamp
She's sold nearly two dozen so far and also makes lamps based on other characters, including a female Jack and Beetlejuice, Winifred Sanderson lamps, but Sally-inspired lamps are the most demanded. You can see her work here.
Filed Under: Addams Family, Coldwater, michigan, Wing House Museum
Trades That Michigan Public Schools Should Start Teaching Kids
Detroit Speakeasy Is Built In 100-Year-Old Bank Vault
Brewery Uses AI To Create New Craft Beer
Residents of Coldwater Can Say 'Tarzan Slept Here'
Coldwater Dairy Queen Clarifies They Did NOT Break Child Labor Rule
Remembering When Southwest Michigan Felt The Effects of the 1980 Mag. 5.1 Earthquake


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Mołdawię na Zimowe Igrzyska Olimpijskie 2006 reprezentowało 7 zawodników. Wystartowali oni w biathlonie, biegach narciarskich i saneczkarstwie.

Był to czwarty start Mołdawii na zimowych igrzyskach olimpijskich.

Wyniki reprezentantów Mołdawii

Biathlon

Kobiety

Mężczyźni

Biegi narciarskie

Kobiety

Mężczyźni

Saneczkarstwo

Mężczyźni

Bibliografia

Przypisy

Mołdawia
Mołdawia na igrzyskach olimpijskich
2006 w Mołdawii

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


This insulating liner is suitable to be worn with all helmets. Four Velcro straps attach the liner to helmets for a secure fit. Can be worn with chin strap.
Vented helmet with unique arrow vented design allowing a refreshing airflow around the head. High-density polypropylene shell, 4 points suspension harness with buckle adjustable size 55-62cm. Foam sweat band included.
Low profile shell design helmet is constructed using high-density polypropylene. Features a suspension harness with foam sweatband rain gutter and ear protector slots. Suitable to be worn at temperatures as low as -30 degrees.
Designed with a wide profile for enhanced ventilation and sun protection, this versatile, high-density polypropylene helmet has a six point slot and harness, padded sweatband and slip ratchet adjuster. Attributed with strength and rigidity in a lightweight helmet, the PW52 provides outstanding balance and on-the-job comfort.
This fully certified helmet has the added feature of molten metal protection with retractable visor. It has a six-point self-sizing wheel ratchet suspension system. Constructed using a high-density ABS material and is suitable to be worn in temperatures of minus 30 degrees.
Low profile design and comfortable fit is combined with the addition of high visibility safety in this new PW57 helmet. Made from high-density polypropylene the four-point harness includes a foam backed polyester sweatband for wearer comfort.


Review of "Language Ninja", the new language learning system definitely worth checking out!
There are many competing language learning systems out there, but due to many requests from Fi3M readers, today I am going to review Language Ninja, a promising newcomer that looks like it's going to overtake the rest!
While I highly recommend you check out their site, and click to see what's on offer in their Language Versions to find out if it's within your budget, as with all my other reviews (Rosetta Stone, Busuu, Pimsleur etc.) I want to give a fair and balanced overview today of its pros and cons so that you can decide for yourself if this interesting and unique language learning system is for you.
What makes it stand out: The most personal language learning system available!
A major problem that I have with most expensive software or audio courses that try to teach you a language, is that they attempt to cram you full of vocabulary out of context, or present you with silly sentences like "the blue ball is under the table" that you are not likely to say any time soon.
What I found incredible about Language Ninja is that the first time I used it, rather than get a dialogue of buying a train ticket for instance, it asked me what my name was first, then how am I, and then Why are you learning this language?
It's weird when you think about it, but that question is indeed among the first ones you tend to be asked in real situations on meeting natives as you are in the learning stages, and yet it's almost never brought up early in most language courses. Surely the system you use to get "ready" for the many conversations you plan to have should implement questions that you are much more likely to use with people into its dialogue database as well?
Most language learning systems are simply not realistic enough, but Language Ninja gives you real world conversations that you are definitely likely to face, based on your own preferences and background. This is by far the best practice possible to ensure you improve your language skills quickly.
The biggest problem with so many courses is how generic they are and how they try to teach the same content to absolutely everyone. Language Ninja is by far the most flexible system I've ever come across, tailoring to the specific types of conversations that you typically have.
All the features of the system are listed on their site, so I won't repeat them here, but I will say that I'm really impressed by the scope and versatility of what's included!
The creators of Language Ninja, a man and woman team who have poured endless hours into improving upon it over many years, have personally ensured through processing terabytes of TV shows, newspapers, comics, real in-the-field dialogues etc. to "educate" the program, that only genuine native content is used in the system.
Depending on the version you use, in some cases the content was created using a tool they lovingly call bro-mablague because it implements a "bro" feature of using sibling algorithms to search out experiences that the system emulates on its own (or more typically, with other versions of the software) before you use it. It's really fascinating, and you can even ask the system itself about this bro algorithm (if your version includes it)! Believe it or not, it's one of the first topics of conversation that typically come up!
While I do love this system, and will definitely be using it for future languages that I'll be learning, I've found that it is far from perfect and absolutely cannot be used standalone.
For instance, the "input" aspect of language learning, to get the vocabulary you need (through Anki flashcards, or on Memrise or by studying a phrasebook and using your own image association techniques to remember the words) is much slower with Language Ninja.
You are presented words in context which are spoken by a very real sounding voice, which is great, but the system doesn't include any built-in note taker or spaced repetition system. It just feels awkward to take out a pen and paper while using Language Ninja to make notes of new words, as you are better keeping your focus on maintaining the conversation simulation at this time. Because of this, if you were to only use this system, you'd forget words too easily, and not be ready for conversations that you know you are going to have when selecting its various difficulty levels.
I've found that daily use of Language Ninja is best combined with your favourite study tool or book course, so you do a little preparation in advance before jumping into it. Having said that, you don't need to use another system exclusively before you try this one. I really think Language Ninja's power is how much progress you can make and the speed at which you can make it, when you combine it with other good tools.
Because of this, it is way more work than so-called self-contained courses may promise. In fact, I found that some early uses of the system gave me a feeling of serious brain melting. Language Ninja is not for the faint of heart or the lazy language learner who wants everything spoon fed to him. Hard work is definitely involved, but you will get real results with this system, which is not the case for alternatives.
So check out Language Ninja and give it a try!
While I have enjoyed it enough to agree to have my testimonial on their home page, I promise that this blog post is not sponsored and that the "parents" of the system are not paying me to write this.
Since the system is very popular among experienced language learners, you don't even have to purchase it through this one site, and the owners of Language Ninja actually encourage sharing! So get on various websites to advertise that you are looking for your copy now!
It's an investment worth making and worth putting serious time into, and I say that very genuinely! Don't be a fool today, and really consider using it! If you like it, consider using the share buttons on their site to let your friends on Facebook, twitter etc. know about it.
If you are still unsure about the system and what is involved in it, then I have made this brief video explaining precisely how it works.
Share your thoughts on all this below!
Stop Allowing Excuses to Run Your Life!


We are sad to report the death of Derek Klemperer who passed away recently. Derek was a stalwart member of the Club's Executive Committee and a Lake Trustee for many decades.
The Club's Executive Committee are please to publish its development plans for the Lake. Members are welcome to comment by 1st February 2017.
Did you know that Henleaze Swimming Club is nearly 100 years old? The club was established in 1919. Please contact us if you have memories of the Lake you would like to share.
Trustees report for the year ending 30th September 2015.


5 General Service Unit (GSU) officers were killed in Liboi, Garissa County after their vehicle ran over an improvised explosive device.
According to Dadaab Deputy County Commissioner Harun Kamau, three others were critically injured in the attack on the security officers who were on patrol duty.
"There was an attack this morning targeting officers on normal patrol. Unfortunately, we lost five officers while three others have been injured," Kamau stated.
The attack is reported to have happened at about 9 am at Harar in Liboi, a few meters from the Kenya-Somalia border.
Kamau further added that the injured officers will be airlifted to Nairobi for specialised treatment.
The deputy county commissioner noted that reinforcements have also been sent to the area to pursue members of the Al-Shabaab militia who are suspected to be behind the attack.
The accident comes barely a month after eight Kenya Defence Forces officers were killed and two injured in a suspected Al-Shabaab attack on Kenya-Somalia border, near the Somali town of Dobley.
The soldiers died after their vehicle, a Toyota Landcruiser, ran over an improvised explosive device (IED).
An assessment report warned of more Al-Shabaab-linked attacks in other parts of Kenya in the coming days.
It further called for extra vigilance on the part of security agencies, especially those patrolling the border with Somalia.


« Delaware: Kegs n' Eggs Featuring Tinker Coffee Roasters!
The tap room opens bright and early at 9:00 a.m. for breakfast and beer. A traditional breakfast of classic favorites like biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, and bacon will be served. If we didn't convince you with bacon, how about coffee-infused beers? Flights of four infusions are available for $8.
This month's featured roaster will be Tinker Coffee Co.!


text:
Q: Python web crawler not finding keywords which are present I am trying to scrape multiple websites (using python 2.7) to find out if specific keywords exits within them or not. My code:
import urllib2
import csv

fieldnames = ['Website', '@media', 'googleadservices.com/pagead/conversion.js', 'googleadservices.com/pagead/conversion_async.js']

def csv_writerheader(path):
    with open(path, 'w') as csvfile:
        writer = csv.DictWriter(csvfile, fieldnames=fieldnames, lineterminator='\n')
        writer.writeheader()

def csv_writer(dictdata, path):
    with open(path, 'a') as csvfile:
        writer = csv.DictWriter(csvfile, fieldnames=fieldnames, lineterminator='\n')
        writer.writerow(dictdata)

csv_output_file = 'EXPORT_Results!.csv'
# LIST OF KEY WORDS (TITLE CASE TO MATCH FIELD NAMES)
keywords = ['@media', 'googleadservices.com/pagead/conversion.js', 'googleadservices.com/pagead/conversion_async.js']

csv_writerheader(csv_output_file)

with open('top1m-edited.csv', 'r') as f:
    csv_f = csv.reader(f, lineterminator='\n')
    for line in f:
        strdomain = line.strip()
        # INITIALIZE DICT
        data = {'Website': strdomain}

        if '.nl' in strdomain:
            try:
                req = urllib2.Request(strdomain.strip())
                response = urllib2.urlopen(req)
                html_content = response.read()

                # ITERATE THROUGH EACH KEY AND UPDATE DICT
                for searchstring in keywords:
                    if searchstring.lower() in str(html_content).lower():
                        print (strdomain, searchstring, 'found')
                        data[searchstring] = 'found'
                    else:
                        print (strdomain, searchstring, 'not found')
                        data[searchstring] = 'not found'

                # CALL METHOD PASSING DICT AND OUTPUT FILE
                csv_writer(data, csv_output_file)

            except urllib2.HTTPError:
                print (strdomain, 'HTTP ERROR')

            except urllib2.URLError:
                print (strdomain, 'URL ERROR')

            except urllib2.socket.error:
                print (strdomain, 'SOCKET ERROR')

            except urllib2.ssl.CertificateError:
                print (strdomain, 'SSL Certificate ERROR')

f.close()

However, my crawler seems not to be very accurate on this matter.
For example: I'm scraping a list of websites to find out whether they do or do not contain keywords like @media and googleadservices.com/pagead/conversion_async.js in their source code. When the script is done running, I manually check the results for accuracy. After the manual check (searching the keywords on URL's source code with Inspect Element via Chrome) I discover that certain websites DO contain @media and/or googleadservices.com/pagead/conversion_async.js in their source code whereas my crawler said that these  websites DO NOT contain these keywords.
Maybe this has to do with the fact that a website's code found by using Chrome's "Inspect Element" doesn't exactly match the code (of the same website) found by using Chrome's "View-source". For example, this website contains googleadservices.com/pagead/conversion_async.js in its "Inspect Element"-code but not in its "View-source"-code.
My question: can it be that my crawler is purely scraping the "View-source"-codes of the websites and not their "Inspect Element"-codes (where it should also be looking)?
If this is my problem, how can I solve this?

A: Because the source code of a web page and what you see by launching the Chrome Web Developer are two different things.
Why ? The source code is the raw HTML page as sent by the server. What you see in the Chrome Web Developer or Firebug (for example, by clicking on "Inspect Element") is the Document Object Model (DOM) of the page : the source code your browser has parsed and in which the JavaScript elements have been launched.
But Javascript can completely modify the page without touching the source code.
Here is an example. By clicking on "change content", you will see that the content of the Web page (in the right windows) has changed completely while the source code (in the left window) is still the same.
In your example, googleadservices.com/pagead/conversion_async.js, the async term is a clue that this page loads elements using AJAX (Asynchronous Javascript and XML) techniques.
So, you'll need a Python script that can handle JavaScript. There are several possibilities, for example using the Selenium or Dryscrape modules.
Here is a basic and slow example with Selenium, BeautifulSoup (to parse the HTML before searching) and regular expressions (because your are searching words in a text, not a particular HTML element)
from bs4 import BeautifulSoup
from selenium import webdriver
import re

def get_keywords(source_url, keywords):
    driver = webdriver.Firefox()
    driver.get(source_url)
    html = driver.page_source
    soup = BeautifulSoup(html, "html.parser")
    for names in keywords:
        re.escape(names)
    search = "(" + "|".join(keywords) + ")"
    pattern = re.compile(search)
    print(pattern.findall(str(soup)))
    driver.quit()

keywords = ['https://www.rocmn.nl/roc-midden-nederland', 'googleadservices.com/pagead/conversion.js', 'googleadservices.com/pagead/conversion_async.js']

get_keywords('https://www.rocmn.nl/', keywords)

Output:
['https://www.rocmn.nl/roc-midden-nederland', 'googleadservices.com/pagead/conversion_async.js']

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Lancaster in Fairfield County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Civil War Union Soldiers Memorial
By William Fischer, Jr., May 26, 2007
1. Civil War Union Soldiers Memorial
Civil War Union Soldiers Memorial. In memory of the Union Soldiers who served in the Army from 1861-1865. . This memorial was erected by Ben Buttterfield Post No. 77, Department of Ohio, Grand Army of the Republic. It is in Lancaster in Fairfield County Ohio
In memory of the Union Soldiers who served in the Army from 1861-1865.
Erected by Ben Buttterfield Post No. 77, Department of Ohio, Grand Army of the Republic.
Location. 39° 43.944′ N, 82° 36.219′ W. Marker is in Lancaster, Ohio, in Fairfield County. Marker can be reached from North Columbus Street. Marker is in center of the G.A.R. Circle (Section 213) of Forest Rose Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1238 North Columbus Street, Lancaster OH 43130, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. 166th Infantry 42nd Division World War Memorial (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Liberty Township No. 6 School (approx. half a mile away); C & O Depot at Carroll, Ohio (approx. 0.6 miles away); Rising Park Centennial Celebration (approx. 0.6 miles away); Pioneer Log House (approx. 0.6 miles away); Camp Anderson (approx. 0.6 miles away); Dumontville General Store (approx. 0.6 miles away); Standing Stone National Bank (approx. 0.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lancaster.
Additional keywords.
By William Fischer, Jr., April 10, 2007
2. Civil War Union Soldiers Memorial (west face)
Grand Army of the Republic.
Categories. • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Fraternal or Sororal Organizations • Patriots & Patriotism • War, US Civil •
3. Civil War Union Soldiers Memorial G.A.R. Emblem
4. Civil War Union Soldiers Memorial at G.A.R. Circle
Looking west.
By William Fischer, Jr., August 21, 2007
5. Andrew Davidson Military Grave Marker
Assistant Surgeon, 47th Ohio Infantry, Medal of Honor, buried Forest Rose Cemetery.
More. Search the internet for Civil War Union Soldiers Memorial.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. This page originally submitted on October 24, 2008, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 1,325 times since then and 4 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on October 24, 2008, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. 2, 3. submitted on October 26, 2008, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. 4. submitted on October 24, 2008, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. 5. submitted on October 26, 2008, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.


text:
Q: Mysql query performance issue with left join I have 3 tables in database. First table has 150k records, 2nd table has 175k records and 3rd table has 2.1 million records. I need the output using above 3 tables. So I joined above 3 table using inner join and I got the output with 1.5k records, but it takes 8 hours of time to execute.
I used primary keys in joining tables. How to increase the performance?
I have tried to add indexes and below is the script & code
Below table has 150k records
 CREATE TABLE `us_input_opp_oppheader` (
    `accountId` varchar(100) NOT NULL,
    `accountName` varchar(200) DEFAULT NULL,
    `objectId` varchar(100) NOT NULL,
    `processType` varchar(100) DEFAULT NULL,
    `description` varchar(250) DEFAULT NULL,
    `noOfLines` int(11) DEFAULT NULL,
    PRIMARY KEY (`accountId`,`objectId`),
    KEY `objectId`
    (`objectId`,`description`,`accountId`,`accountName`,`noOfLines`)
    )ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1;

Below table has 175k Records
CREATE TABLE `us_input_opp_oppitem` (
  `objectId` bigint(20) NOT NULL,
  `createdBy` varchar(100) DEFAULT NULL,
  `changedBy` varchar(100) DEFAULT NULL,
  `numberInt` varchar(100) NOT NULL,
  PRIMARY KEY (`objectId`,`numberInt`),
  KEY `objectId` (`objectId`,`createdBy`,`changedBy`,`numberInt`)
) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1;

Below table has 2.1 million records
CREATE TABLE `us_input_opp_oppsalesteam` (
  `transactionNumber` varchar(100) NOT NULL,
  `item` varchar(100) NOT NULL,
  `partnerFunction` varchar(100) DEFAULT NULL,
  `partnerFunctionText` varchar(200) DEFAULT NULL,
  PRIMARY KEY (`transactionNumber`,`item`),
  KEY `item` (`item`,`partnerFunction`,`partnerFunctionText`)
) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1;

SELECT oh.objectId, oh.description, oi.`createdBy`, oi.`changedBy`, oh.description, oh.processType,
os.`item`, os.`partnerFunction`, os.`partnerFunctionText`
FROM us_input_opp_oppheader oh
LEFT join us_input_opp_oppitem oi ON oi.objectId = oh.objectId
LEFT join us_input_opp_oppsalesteam os ON os.transactionNumber = oh.objectId
WHERE (os.Item != 0 OR oh.noOfLines = 0)
GROUP BY oh.objectId, oi.numberInt;

A: I think it would be take a shorter time if you use inner join or join instead of left join


A frequent comment from families at Live Oak is the strong sense of community they feel at our school, but what does that mean? What are the elements of the Live Oak experience that contribute to this sense of community? To us sustain and improve our community experience at Live Oak, your input is needed. Please submit your thoughts in the survey below. Thank you!


text:
Accountability in the Media
MV school board candidates answer questions
During a debate Thursday evening, candidates for the Mount Vernon Board of Education addressed topics ranging from church and state issues to problems with school funding.
The debate began with a questioned posed to Jeff Cline about expressing Christian values in the classroom. Cline responded that although he does not advocate preaching in the classroom he does believe that there are times when a Christian should choose to honor God's law over man's law.
Cline gave the example of a time, as a high school baseball coach, that he prayed and discussed his Christian beliefs with a student who had approached him asking for help with some problems. "As a Christian," Cline told the audience, "if you have certain moral values and certain convictions, stand for them."
Later in the evening when the matter of the school's handling of the firing of teacher John Freshwater was brought up, Cline said that issue is one of the reasons he is running for the school board. He explained that his position on that issue is that "Freshwater was wronged." He went on to say, "If we have another situation like that, we will make sure that it is not [handled] wrong."
The debate was sponsored by the Knox County 912 Project and held at the Knox County Career Center, Adult Education Building.
Candidates present were Dr. Margie Bennett (Incumbent), Jeff Cline, Marie Curry and Stephen Kelly. Not present were Cheryl Feasel and Jody Goetzman (Incumbent).
Comments from Richard McLarnan were not included in video coverage of the debate due to him being a candidate for the governing board of the Knox County Educational Service Center instead of a candidate for the Mount Vernon Board of Education.
For information regarding "church and state" issues, see the article by David Barton "The Separation of Church and State."
("School board candidate takes on notion of 'separation of church and state'")
("MVBOE candidates answer questions")
UPDATE 11-2-2011 (FACT CHECK):
School district's expenses for recent legal matters
During the debate, Bennett responded to the issue of the expenses for recent legal matters, saying (32:33 in video):
"I would just remind everyone that the Mount Vernon City School Board was sued, we didn't seek the lawsuit, we simply defended the school district, and it's been upheld in each court in which it has been presented. It amounts to $300,000 per year for three years, which was one percent of our budget, for legal expenses, which is probably not exorbitant if you think of a business; we are the fifth largest employer in Mount Vernon. Am I happy that we had to spend money that way? Absolutely not. But the school board had no choice; it was obligated to defend itself. And we have attempted to put additional personnel policies in place so that more evaluation and accountability will take place at a sooner level so that hopefully teachers will know the boundaries and respect them."
The following is a list of the recent legal matters and the cost incurred by the district (expenses covered by the district's insurance are not included):
• The federal case Doe v. Mount Vernon Board of Education et al. (in which the Dennis family sued the school board and others): $0.00.
• The federal case Freshwater v. Mount Vernon Board of Education et al. (in which Freshwater sued the school board and others): $0.00.
• The state administrative hearing pursuant to Ohio Revised Code 3319.16 (in which evidence for and against firing Freshwater was presented to a referee): $922,425.91.
• The Knox County Court of Common Pleas case John Freshwater v. Mount Vernon City School District Board of Education (in which Freshwater appealed his firing): $0.00.
The district was not directly responsible for the legal costs in the cases in which it was sued. Although it is true that once the board decided to start the process of firing Freshwater it was obligated to have a hearing if Freshwater requested one, the board did make choices that affected the cost incurred by the district for the hearing.
When Freshwater requested the hearing he also requested that the hearing be held before members of the board. Instead, the board decided to have the hearing before a referee. (Both options are allowed under Ohio law.) That decision cost $35,749.50.
When the board faced the decision of legal representation for the hearing it had two options under Ohio law: Use the services of the law director for the city of Mount Vernon or hire an attorney. The board chose to hire an attorney and ended up paying the attorney's law firm $833,288.16.
The schools' expenses for legal matters. 75KB PDF.
Ohio law regarding the hearing and legal representation for the school board. 142KB PDF.
UPDATE (2011 SCHOOL BOARD RESULTS):
The following are the official results for the Mount Vernon Board of Education race (three positions were up for election):
Jolene Goetzman 4,375 (20.36%)
Margie Bennett 4,049 (18.84%)
Cheryl A. Feasel 3,757 (17.48%)
Marie K. Curry 3,733 (17.37%)
Jeffrey S. Cline 3,004 (13.98%)
Stephen Kelly 2,572 (11.97%)
Posted by Sam Stickle (mountvernon1805) at 4:20 PM 0 comments
Meet the candidates October 27
There will be an opportunity to meet the candidates for the Mount Vernon Board of Education on October 27 at the Knox County Career Center, Adult Education Building:
Mount Vernon School District and Knox County Education Services Meet the Candidates Night
Knox County Career Center, Adult Education Building
308 Martinsburg Rd, Mount Vernon
October 27 at 7 P.M. (doors open at 6:30)
This event is free to the public.
Source: WNZR Community Calendar
Press release: Rutherford Institute Will Appeal Ruling Against Teacher Fired for Urging Public School Students to Think Critically About Evolution
The following press release was provided today by The Rutherford Institute:
MOUNT VERNON, Ohio— The Rutherford Institute has announced its intention to appeal to the 5th District Court of Appeals in Ohio on behalf of John Freshwater, a Christian teacher who was allegedly fired for keeping religious articles in his classroom and for using teaching methods that encourage public school students to think critically about the school's science curriculum, particularly as it relates to evolution theories. Freshwater, a 24-year veteran in the classroom, was suspended by the Mount Vernon City School District Board of Education in 2008 and officially terminated in January 2011. The School Board justified its actions by accusing Freshwater of improperly injecting religion into the classroom by giving students "reason to doubt the accuracy and/or veracity of scientists, science textbooks and/or science in general." The Board also claimed that Freshwater failed to remove "all religious articles" from his classroom, including a Bible.
"The judge's ruling is unfortunate because academic freedom is the bedrock of American education," stated John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute. "What we need today are more teachers and school administrators who understand that young people don't need to be indoctrinated. Rather, they need to be taught how to think for themselves."
In June 2008, the Mount Vernon City School District Board of Education voted to suspend John Freshwater, a Christian with a 21-year teaching career at Mount Vernon Middle School, citing concerns about his conduct and teaching materials, particularly as they related to the teaching of evolution. Earlier that year, school officials reportedly ordered Freshwater, who had served as the faculty appointed facilitator, monitor, and supervisor of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes student group for 16 of the 20 years that he taught at Mount Vernon, to remove "all religious items" from his classroom, including a Ten Commandments poster displayed on the door of his classroom, posters with Bible verses, and his personal Bible which he kept on his desk. Freshwater agreed to remove all items except for his Bible.
Showing their support for Freshwater, students even organized a rally in his honor. They also wore t-shirts with crosses painted on them to school and carried Bibles to class. School officials were seemingly unswayed by the outpouring of support for Freshwater. In fact, despite the fact that the Board's own policy states that because religious traditions vary in their treatment of science, teachers should give unbiased instruction so that students may evaluate it "in accordance with their own religious tenets," school officials suspended and eventually fired Freshwater, allegedly for criticizing evolution and failing to teach the required science curriculum.
Freshwater appealed the termination in state court, asserting that the school's actions violated his rights under the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution and constituted religious discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Knox County Common Pleas Judge Otho Eyster upheld the School Board's decision in a ruling issued on Oct. 5, 2011. Rutherford Institute attorneys have announced their intention to appeal the county court's ruling.
For more information on this story, see the Oct. 5, 2011 article "County judge rules against Freshwater's appeal."
Posted by Sam Stickle (mountvernon1805) at 12:58 PM 5 comments
Justice Pfeifer: 'In a case bounding with arroganc...
Minority opinion: Reinstate Freshwater
MV board: Policy 2240 - Controversal Issues
MV board: Policy 2270 - Religion in the Curriculum
MV board: Policy 3218 - Academic Freedom of Teachers
Times Reporter: Dover man touts free speech, relig...
Dispatch editorial is a disgrace
Supreme Court denies appeal in Freshwater case
—The First Amendment to the United States Constitution
Seek Truth and Report It
"Tell the story of the diversity and magnitude of the human experience boldly, even when it is unpopular to do so."
"Expose unethical practices of journalists and the news media"
—Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics.
Sam Stickle (mountvernon1805)
Mount Vernon, Ohio, United States
AccountabilityInTheMedia.com was begun in 2009 to respond to inaccuracies in the media's coverage of the John Freshwater and Mount Vernon Board of Education controversy. Since posting a response to The Columbus Dispatch editorial of January 7, 2009, "Teaching moment," which was about Freshwater, I followed up with details from the state administrative hearing. Although I do have opinions about various aspects of the controversy— I support Freshwater's right to have a Bible on his desk; I also support his right to due process—this website is not affiliated with Freshwater or any other party involved in litigation with the school.
AccountibilityInTheMedia.com Reporter Responds to Subpoena
More info on the Freshwater controversy
Ohio Supreme Court Dodges Ruling on Academic Freedom to Critique Darwinian Evolution
mountvernon1805 on YouTube
Shepherd's report and recommendation, PDF
School board resolution firing Freshwater, PDF
Documents: Freshwater's Appeal
Documents: Closing arguments from hearing (briefs and rebuttals)
Documents: Freshwater v. Mount Vernon Board of Education et al.
Documents: Doe v. Mount Vernon Board of Education et al.
Witness List—www.cfacts.org
The Blaze - Oct. 6, 2011
Criticism of CBS News article
Bibleonthedesk videos
A Good Choice...
Mount Vernon News
KnoxPages.com
The Chalcedon Foundation
John Freshwater — Public Figure
MountVernon1805 on YouTube -- The John Freshwater Controversy


Here's your astrology news provided by AYRIAL member, Ainslie Faust. Ainslie Faust is an intuitive, Jungian-based astrologer with over twenty years experience in astrological counseling. Scorpio New Moon: Release the Old, bring in the New. The Scorpio New Moon is exact at 3:42 AM PDT next Saturday. The Sun and Moon meet at 26.19° Scorpio. New Moons are times for new beginnings. It is the planting of the seed, or the inception of a new idea or cycle in your life. New life requires tender loving care and protection from the harsh light of the day. This New Beginning is in the sign of transformation, Scorpio. The Scorpio New Moon is a great time to clear out negative energy from your home. Scorpio is the sign to dive into the dark, messy, unpleasant places in our collective psyche and find the strength and passion to survive despite life's ugly underbelly. Use this Scorpio New Moon to let go of the past and habits that no longer serve you and set intentions to transform yourself into a new stronger being.
I'm excited to introduce AYRIAL's newest members: Bio-Balance Integrative Health Care Professional. She's a retired neurosurgeon, Dr. Bonnie Bennett combines her medical background with thirty years of classical homeopathy and takes a whole-system approach to regenerative healing to help individuals.
Laura Morris – Morris Feng Shui. Laura is a certified Feng Shui consultant, artist, and designer. Through her articles, workshops, videos, TV appearances and consultations, Laura has guided thousands of people to shift their ch'i and revitalize their living spaces to increase energy flow & harmony.
Up next is our featured podcast, enjoy!


text:
Fred Zimny's Serve4impact
Service design Design thinking Customer service
Customer Service Download possible Trends
Trends report 2020 Looking Further with Ford
By Fred Zimny December 16, 2019 January 19, 2020
Surveying 14 countries across the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, the global report suggests that people's ability to trust peers, communities, elected officials and businesses has a crucial impact on their day-to-day lives
Loneliness, uncertainty and the importance of trust are dominant themes in this year's report, yet Ford's Chief Futurist uncovers in 2020 Looking Further with Ford Trends Report, pockets of opportunity for businesses and people to connect and thrive.
The 2020 Looking Further with Ford Trends Report, their 8th annual report, shows people today feel overwhelmed with the changes they see taking place in the world – and they're having a harder time trusting brands and connecting with peers than they did in the past.
45 percent of adults globally say they feel lonely on a regular basis, signaling an opportunity for companies and brands to help people find comfort and connection.
58 percent of adults globally say they feel more despair than hope when it comes to fighting climate change, yet less than half are taking action when it comes to choosing green transportation methods, such as driving electric, carpooling, or taking public transportation.
Trust as the dominant trend
In its 2020 Looking Further with Ford Trend Report, released as the 8th annual report, Ford Motor Company identifies trust as a dominant global trend and explores how companies are earning it back.
"The rate of change globally has been on the rise – and without the trust in the institutions, brands and peers to rely on, a majority of people are feeling extremely overwhelmed," notes Sheryl Connelly, Ford's Global Consumer Trends and Futuring Manager. "Consumers want to believe that companies are doing the right thing, but companies also need to give them a clear reason to do so. Ford remains deeply focused on improving the lives of consumers and their communities, so they can continue to have a trusted relationship that moves them forward together."
READ The multidimensional customer
Powered by Inline Related Posts
Surveying 14 countries across the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, the global report suggests that people's ability to trust peers, communities, elected officials and businesses has a crucial impact on their day-to-day lives.
More about these trends
Trend All Alone
Loneliness has become an epidemic of global proportions. Loneliness is particularly prevalent among young people – 62 percent of Gen Zers globally agree with the statement "I feel lonely on a regular basis" and 50% agree "I often feel lonely when I'm around other people."
Trend Below the Surface
There's growing interest in the unseen elements of building consumer trust. Consumers want to believe that companies are doing the right thing but they need to see behind the curtain to believe it. 67 percent of adults globally agree that "Once a brand loses my trust, there is no getting it back."
Trend Call to Stand
People are asking brands to move from a product-based mindset to a values-based mindset – although it doesn't always impact their decision to buy: 59 percent of adults globally say they care more about purchase convenience than brand values.
Trend Great Expectations
As internet commerce grows, so do expectations for brands. 67% of adults globally agree with the statement "I have higher expectations for brands than I did in the past."
Trend The Green Paradox
Worldwide, consumers are increasingly worried about climate change. Yet, that worry isn't translating into urgency: 64 percent of people who aren't changing their behavior to help fight climate change say they think they can't make a difference.
READ The New Rules of Customer Engagement: Key Trends From Salesforce's 2019 Global Research
Trend Identity Matters:
Conversations and language around identity are evolving — more specifically, understanding that identities are built from both visible attributes and invisible ones, like sexual identity, ancestry, religion and more. Only 67 percent of adults globally say "I understand the concept of gender fluidity."
The Second Time Around:
New upcycle companies around the globe have modernized resale shopping. The so-called re-commerce movement is on the rise for sophisticated and market-savvy shoppers, breathing new life into previously owned fashion pieces, appliances, electronics, household items and other goods — and more and more consumers are opting in. 60 percent of adults globally agree "I am more open to buying used goods than I was five years ago."
Source: https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2019/12/11/ford-releases-2020-global-trend-report.html
See the report (download possible)
2020_Ford_Trends_Report
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On my reading list


This video made back in 2013 still speaks to us today if you care about paddling on a urban river. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUO0VpJ3Pg4&fbclid=IwAR33ydXfO09-ZHS2VpH4x1Fu6fooqYkLsy-BWEDkXcNj3pFKUrgbt0gv2oQ Help your local water shed by bring attention to your issues with the local political process; City Hall, Town meeting, local colleges and universities, etc.
It is time to start a Shame Campaign?
http://www.industryweek.com/regulations/bp-pay-205-million-settle-us-natural-gas-case Who else are they not paying?


text:
#pragma warning disable 1591
//
// This part taken from KopiLua - https://github.com/NLua/KopiLua
//
// =========================================================================================================
//
// Kopi Lua License
// ----------------
// MIT License for KopiLua
// Copyright (c) 2012 LoDC
// Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and
// associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction,
// including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense,
// and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so,
// subject to the following conditions:
// The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial
// portions of the Software.
// THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
// LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT.
// IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY,
// WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE
// SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
// ===============================================================================
// Lua License
// -----------
// Lua is licensed under the terms of the MIT license reproduced below.
// This means that Lua is free software and can be used for both academic
// and commercial purposes at absolutely no cost.
// For details and rationale, see http://www.lua.org/license.html .
// ===============================================================================
// Copyright (C) 1994-2008 Lua.org, PUC-Rio.
// Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
// of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
// in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
// to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
// copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
// furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
// The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
// all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
// THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
// IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
// FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
// AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
// LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
// OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
// THE SOFTWARE.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;

namespace MoonSharp.Interpreter.Interop.LuaStateInterop
{
	public class CharPtr
	{
		public char[] chars;
		public int index;

		public char this[int offset]
		{
			get { return chars[index + offset]; }
			set { chars[index + offset] = value; }
		}

		public char this[uint offset]
		{
			get { return chars[index + offset]; }
			set { chars[index + offset] = value; }
		}
		public char this[long offset]
		{
			get { return chars[index + (int)offset]; }
			set { chars[index + (int)offset] = value; }
		}

		public static implicit operator CharPtr(string str) { return new CharPtr(str); }
		public static implicit operator CharPtr(char[] chars) { return new CharPtr(chars); }
		public static implicit operator CharPtr(byte[] bytes) { return new CharPtr(bytes); }

		public CharPtr()
		{
			this.chars = null;
			this.index = 0;
		}

		public CharPtr(string str)
		{
			this.chars = (str + '\0').ToCharArray();
			this.index = 0;
		}

		public CharPtr(CharPtr ptr)
		{
			this.chars = ptr.chars;
			this.index = ptr.index;
		}

		public CharPtr(CharPtr ptr, int index)
		{
			this.chars = ptr.chars;
			this.index = index;
		}

		public CharPtr(char[] chars)
		{
			this.chars = chars;
			this.index = 0;
		}

		public CharPtr(char[] chars, int index)
		{
			this.chars = chars;
			this.index = index;
		}

		public CharPtr(byte[] bytes)
		{
			this.chars = new char[bytes.Length];
			for (int i = 0; i < bytes.Length; i++)
			{
				this.chars[i] = (char)bytes[i];
			}

			this.index = 0;
		}

		public CharPtr(IntPtr ptr)
		{
			this.chars = new char[0];
			this.index = 0;
		}

		public static CharPtr operator +(CharPtr ptr, int offset) { return new CharPtr(ptr.chars, ptr.index + offset); }
		public static CharPtr operator -(CharPtr ptr, int offset) { return new CharPtr(ptr.chars, ptr.index - offset); }
		public static CharPtr operator +(CharPtr ptr, uint offset) { return new CharPtr(ptr.chars, ptr.index + (int)offset); }
		public static CharPtr operator -(CharPtr ptr, uint offset) { return new CharPtr(ptr.chars, ptr.index - (int)offset); }

		public void inc() { this.index++; }
		public void dec() { this.index--; }
		public CharPtr next() { return new CharPtr(this.chars, this.index + 1); }
		public CharPtr prev() { return new CharPtr(this.chars, this.index - 1); }
		public CharPtr add(int ofs) { return new CharPtr(this.chars, this.index + ofs); }
		public CharPtr sub(int ofs) { return new CharPtr(this.chars, this.index - ofs); }

		public static bool operator ==(CharPtr ptr, char ch) { return ptr[0] == ch; }
		public static bool operator ==(char ch, CharPtr ptr) { return ptr[0] == ch; }
		public static bool operator !=(CharPtr ptr, char ch) { return ptr[0] != ch; }
		public static bool operator !=(char ch, CharPtr ptr) { return ptr[0] != ch; }

		public static CharPtr operator +(CharPtr ptr1, CharPtr ptr2)
		{
			string result = "";
			for (int i = 0; ptr1[i] != '\0'; i++)
				result += ptr1[i];
			for (int i = 0; ptr2[i] != '\0'; i++)
				result += ptr2[i];
			return new CharPtr(result);
		}
		public static int operator -(CharPtr ptr1, CharPtr ptr2)
		{
			Debug.Assert(ptr1.chars == ptr2.chars); return ptr1.index - ptr2.index;
		}
		public static bool operator <(CharPtr ptr1, CharPtr ptr2)
		{
			Debug.Assert(ptr1.chars == ptr2.chars); return ptr1.index < ptr2.index;
		}
		public static bool operator <=(CharPtr ptr1, CharPtr ptr2)
		{
			Debug.Assert(ptr1.chars == ptr2.chars); return ptr1.index <= ptr2.index;
		}
		public static bool operator >(CharPtr ptr1, CharPtr ptr2)
		{
			Debug.Assert(ptr1.chars == ptr2.chars); return ptr1.index > ptr2.index;
		}
		public static bool operator >=(CharPtr ptr1, CharPtr ptr2)
		{
			Debug.Assert(ptr1.chars == ptr2.chars); return ptr1.index >= ptr2.index;
		}
		public static bool operator ==(CharPtr ptr1, CharPtr ptr2)
		{
			object o1 = ptr1 as CharPtr;
			object o2 = ptr2 as CharPtr;
			if ((o1 == null) && (o2 == null)) return true;
			if (o1 == null) return false;
			if (o2 == null) return false;
			return (ptr1.chars == ptr2.chars) && (ptr1.index == ptr2.index);
		}
		public static bool operator !=(CharPtr ptr1, CharPtr ptr2) { return !(ptr1 == ptr2); }

		public override bool Equals(object o)
		{
			return this == (o as CharPtr);
		}

		public override int GetHashCode()
		{
			return 0;
		}
		public override string ToString()
		{
			System.Text.StringBuilder result = new System.Text.StringBuilder();
			for (int i = index; (i < chars.Length) && (chars[i] != '\0'); i++)
				result.Append(chars[i]);

			return result.ToString();
		}

		public string ToString(int length)
		{
			System.Text.StringBuilder result = new System.Text.StringBuilder();
			for (int i = index; (i < chars.Length) && i < (length + index); i++)
				result.Append(chars[i]);
			return result.ToString();
		}
	}

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Settlement of the the rubble foundation walls resulted in significant movement and subsequent closure of large areas of the granite staircase at the front entrance of the Norfolk county courthouse.
An emergency contract for reconstruction was released by the Owner and CSI commenced work in January 2005.
The work entailed removal of the existing granite treads and landings - some weighing in excess of 5 tons - as well as demolition of the rubble walls and excavation to reach a suitable bearing strata prior to pouring new footings and a mass reinforced concrete foundation.
While work on the footings was proceeding all the granite stones were shipped to a stone plant so that all could be carefully cut to ensure that new riser heights complied with current code. The stones were then set on a dry pack layer prior to all joints being finished with mortar.
As part of the restoration process the owner took the opportunity to enhance the overall appearance of the staircase by incorporating new granite planters and the installation of new cast iron ornamental rails.


This post is all about her obsession with floral frocks; nothing looks more vintage than an adorable dress in floral print. In 10 looks, Sade shows us 6 different ways you can wear a print dress. Be inspired!


text:
people of walmart: Of the People, By the People, For the People
Of the People, By the People, For the People
As Americans, we hold these truths to be self-evident: That we will shop. And that when we do, especially at our favorite supercenter, we will wear and do the most bizarre things possible.
From the wildly popular website Peopleofwalmart.com, which has received close to half a billion page views since its inception in August 2009, this collection of Americans in their natural shopping habitat is sure to take the world by storm. Featuring 200 photographs and captions, 70 percent of which are brand new and never before included on the website, plus fan-submitted stories of their most random experiences, People of Walmart presents people of all shapes and sizes, wearing and doing everything imaginable, all in full view of the fellow shopping public.
So welcome to a world where no shoes and no shirt are no obstacles, where parking lots are filled with dead deer, Bengal tigers, and old men in thongs riding bikes. Follow the dominatrix on her quest for Winnie the Pooh Pampers. Peek into the life of the elusive she-mullet. And explore the refrigerated grocery section, where chicken fingers and hairstyles are frozen in time. Once you meet the People of Walmart, you are sure to fall in love…and you might even recognize yourself walking down the aisle, captured in all of your glory.
People of Walmart, Of the People, By the People, For the People
Luke Wherry, Adam Kipple, Andrew Kipple
September 2010, Sourcebooks
978-1-4022-5071-2; 320pgs; $12.99 US / $14.99 CAN; Trade paper, Humor
Interested in learning more about People of Walmart, Of the People, By the People, For the People, or interviewing the Authors?
Luke Wherry
Co-creator, PeopleofWalmart.com
Peopleofwalmart.com is a proud member of the Three Ring Blogs network, www.threeringblogs.com, which is currently home to 25 humorous, time wasting, break-from-your-day blogs. Peopleofwalmart.com was started in August of 2009 by brothers Adam and Andrew Kipple and childhood friend Luke Wherry. Adam, Andrew, and Luke all grew up in the town of Harrison City, Pennsylvania, just outside of Pittsburgh. Adam is a Web designer who graduated from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and currently resides in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, along with Luke Wherry, a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh. Andrew Kipple, a graduate of Xavier University, is currently studying to receive his J.D. from Valparaiso University in Indiana.
Peopleofwalmart.com has been featured in Time, CNN.com , ABCNews.com, JustinTimberlake.com, Huffington Post, Gawker.com, BoingBoing.com, Gizmodo.com, Asylum.com, Salon.com, Maxim Magazine, Comedy Central's Tosh.O, G4's Web Soup, The Today Show, and on The Jay Leno Show.
Asylum.com Review
Bleeding Cool Review
Book Pleasures Review
Dad Of Divas Review
Every Joe Review
Just Add Beer Review
Mashable Review
Pop Culture Guy Review
Seattle PI Review
Simply Stacie Review
Woman's Day Review
Rating: -2 (from 4 votes)
people of walmart: Of the People, By the People, For the People, 7.7 out of 10 based on 15 ratings


text:
Gulbarga Vidhan Sabha seat was one of the seats in Karnataka state assembly in India until 2008 when it was made defunct. It was part of Gulbarga Lok Sabha seat.

Members of Assembly

Gulbarga (Hyderabad State)
 1951: Mohamed Ali Mehtab Ali, Indian National Congress

Gulbarga (Mysore State)
 1957: Mohamed Ali Mehtab Ali, Indian National Congress
 1962: Gangadhar Namoshi, Communist Party of India
 1967: Mohamed Ali Mehtab Ali, Indian National Congress
 1972: Mohamed Ali Mehtab Ali, Indian National Congress

Gulbarga (Karnataka State)
 1978: Qamarul Islam, Independent
 1983: S. K. Kanta, Janata Party
 1985: S. K. Kanta, Janata Party
 1989: Qamarul Islam, Muslim League
 1994: Qamarul Islam, Indian National League
 1996 (By-Poll): Kaiser Mahmood Maniyar, Janata Dal
 1999: Qamarul Islam, Indian National Congress
 2004: Chandrashekar Patil Revoor, Bharatiya Janata Party
 2008 onwards : Seat does not exist

Election results

1967 Assembly Election
 M. A. M. Ali (INC) : 17,694 votes
 G. Namoshi (CPM) : 13,075

2004 Assembly Election
 Chandrashekar D Patil Revoor (BJP) : 78,845 votes
 Qamarul Islam (INC) : 74645

See also
 List of constituencies of Karnataka Legislative Assembly

References

Former assembly constituencies of Karnataka
Kalaburagi


The events of Captain America [The Winter Soldier] will definitely affect the world of Avengers 2. But at the end of the day, I have to make my movie assuming that people will only have seen the first one, or possibly not even seen the first one. I can't assume that everybody went to see Thor [The Dark World], Captain America, and Iron Man 3 in-between. I have to go from one movie to the next and be true to what's happened [in the previous movies], but not be slavish to it. […] The model I'm always trying to build from, or my guiding star, is The Godfather: Part II where a ton has happened in-between and it's a very different movie [from Part I], but you don't need any information. It's there in the film about what's happened since, what's different, and why is this a different film; why is it a different kind of structure, and why is it darker. It's all there, you're in the vernacular of the first movie and you're just ready to pick up in this new place, and hopefully that's what will happen with my movie. Obviously I'm talking about one of the greatest films ever made (The Godfather: Part II)… I hope mine will be good, but that is my guiding star.
It's kind of refreshing to hear a filmmaker talk about using Godfather as a "guiding star" rather than The Empire Strikes Back, but I think Whedon's been perfectly clear regarding his feelings about that kind of sequel-making.
The Avengers: Age of Ultron is in theaters everywhere on May 1, 2014.


text:
Issue 13 - June/July 2012
10 online resources about the ATT
Many of them are websites offering different kinds of reliable and detailed information about the ATT negotiation process. This section contains the 10 we consider to be the most important.
1 - http://www.un.org/disarmament/ATT The United Nations website on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) has been recently updated to increase and improve the resources provided. It contains documents, official speeches, opportunities to contact with UN staff devoted to these issues, information for the media, and an explanation of the general activities carried out by the UNODA, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs. Some documents are available in all official languages of the UN, while others are available only in English.
2 - http://www.controlarms.org/ Control Arms is a civil society campaign comprised of various non-government organisations calling for a strong legally binding ATT. This website offers reports on treaty negotiations, official documents drafted in preparatory committees in recent years, Control Arms Positions Papers on treaty negotiations, and important information about the arms trade.
3 - http://www.armstreaty.org/ 'Mapping the arms treaty' is an initiative of Reaching Critical Will, Control Arms and other organisations to track and categorise states' positions on key issues concerning the ATT through maps indicating states' positions on each point of negotiation. It is a site that will become increasingly more important as treaty negotiations move forward.
4 - http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/legal/att/prepcom2/index.html Website of Reaching Critical Will, a project of the non-profit organisation WILPE. Reaching Critical Will is involved in the Arms Trade Treaty negotiation process as a non-governmental player. It provides all the official documents drafted within the Preparatory Committees and links to other organisations that are important in monitoring and promoting the Treaty. In particular, it contains the daily notes summarising discussions between diplomats in each session.
5 - http://attmonitor.posterous.com/ The Arms Trade Treaty Monitor is an initiative supported by Reaching Critical Will of the Women's International League Peace and Freedom, Global Action to Prevent War, Oxfam, and the International Action Network Against Small Arms (IANSA) which from the first PrepCom in July 2010 has featured independent articles and reports on ATT negotiations. It is a blog with a variety of material that is updated regularly with contributions from different members of civil society throughout the negotiations.
6 - http://armstradetreaty.blogspot.com The Arms Trade Treaty legal blog brings together legal discussions regarding the ATT. Developed by the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, it exhaustively tracks the negotiations and features a regular summary of the various positions of states on the issues addressed and gives solid legal arguments concerning various issues in the framework of the ATT negotiations.
7. http://armerdesarmer.wordpress.com/ For French speakers, we have included a blog in French about the Treaty process. Very active during the days of negotiations, it focuses on different aspects of arms trade, paying special attention to French-speaking players. It is updated frequently, also during July 2012.
8. http://www.es.amnesty.org/actua/acciones/tratado-comercio-armas-2012/ Amnesty International is one of the three pillars of the Control Arms campaign. Here you have the opportunity to sign in favour of the ATT. There are also links to other AI resources worldwide, such as documents, blogs, etc. AI will be in New York with a large team of lobbyists.
9. http://www.intermonoxfam.org/es/campanas/proyectos/comercio-de-armas-sin-control-alza-tu-voz Oxfam is the second pillar of the Control Arms campaign. This Oxfam site features information about arms trading in Spain and links to other international resources. Oxfam will also be in New York with a large team of lobbyists.
10. http://www.fundacioperlapau.org/tca/signa.php The Catalan ONG Fundació per la Pau, as a member of the IANSA (the third pillar of the Control Arms campaign), has long been active in the ATT process and will also be in New York. The website allows visitors to sign in favour of the Treaty in four languages (Catalan, Spanish, French and English) and contains other resources and links.
Lastly, the website of the ICIP is one of the most complete and up-to-date currently on the Internet. It features a summary of the main web pages with resources on the arms trade. It also has a history of national and international news stories related to weapons trading. We have also compiled a collection of related academic material, whether in the form of special issues or journal articles, all of which is available in the ICIP library. Furthermore, the section on the ATT contains the major official documents from the Preparatory Committee of the negotiations, a schedule of activities to stay on top of major developments in this area, as well as a timeline of the entire process.


This 14k gold toned ring is for the fashionista who loves opulence and glam.
With a large blue accent agate stone as the focal point, you'll be adding a bold statement to any outfit.
Blue Agate stone represents tranquility, peace, and clarity.
Click the button below to add the Gold Sodalite ring to your wish list.


In a surprise move overnight, the Chinese central bank has cut its benchmark interest rates.
The cut is part of a wide effort by China to support their economy as its long running expansion slows.
That expansion has now been running for almost 25 years, but a mountain of debt has been built up in the process.
It is their first rate cut in more than two years.
It cut its one-year benchmark lending rates by 40 basis points to 5.6% from 6.0%.
At the same time it cut its one-year benchmark deposit rates by 25 basis points to 2.75% from 3%. The smaller reduction on the savings side is designed to shield savers in some way. Personal bank account savings are enormous in the country partly because the social safety net is not well developed.
The changes take effect from today.
The reduction lines China up with ECB and Bank of Japan in deploying fresh stimulus, and contrasts with the Federal Reserve which has ended its monetary stimulus program.
Until now the Peoples Bank of China had focused on more selective monetary easing and liquidity injections, resisting what it did today.
PBOC officials said they feared a broad rate cut would exacerbate the country's debt problems. But officials in other sections of the government have won out in the face of the growing slowdown and the PBOC now clearly thinks the cuts are worth the risk.
China's total debt reached 251% of GDP in June, up from 234% in 2013 and 160% in 2008.
Initial market reactions show they approve of today's move.