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For Now, Ballistic Missile Defense Is a Tool, Not a Strategy
Posted by Guest Author | Sep 15, 2017
Assurances of protection against North Korea's arsenal are too flimsy to form the bedrock of any deterrence strategy.
The prospect that North Korea could fire missiles at its enemies has, perhaps unsurprisingly, shone a spotlight on the ways in which potential targets could defend themselves. And when it comes to missiles, some say the best defense is more missiles. Ballistic missile defense indeed seems like a natural antidote, and though these systems have been in use for some time – and some have even intercepted their targets – the security they promise could hardly be considered absolute.
Still, South Korea is moving forward with THAAD, the Terminal High-Altitude Air Defense system, shrugging off withering pressure from both domestic constituencies and China. Japan, still toeing the line on its self-imposed ban on offensive military capabilities and well within the range of a number of North Korean missiles, is keen to accelerate the deployment of a sophisticated new version of the U.S. Aegis system. In the U.S., meanwhile, the House of Representatives' version of the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act directed the Pentagon to begin development of "a space-based sensor layer for ballistic missile defense." A bipartisan group of senators wants to triple the scale of a BMD system designed to protect the U.S. mainland.
All this reflects a growing but unpalatable consensus between the U.S. and its allies in Northeast Asia: The U.S. has reached the point where it must decide to either live with the North Korean nuclear threat or do something about it. Doing something about it would be costly, and possibly unacceptably so. At minimum, North Korea has the capability to lay waste to Seoul with the conventional artillery it has amassed along the demilitarized zone, while the threat from its expanding ballistic missile arsenal to South Korea and Japan – along with U.S. assets there – cannot be dismissed. But choosing to live with a nuclear North Korea – particularly one with the ability to strike the U.S. mainland – would put U.S. core imperatives at risk and potentially undermine the U.S. strategic position in the Western Pacific.
Neither option is a good option, hence the surge of interest in BMD – whether as a means to contain the fallout of a North Korean counterattack during a conflict or perhaps even to reduce the need for a conflict in the first place. This raises the question: Could developments in ballistic missile defense expand the set of options available in the North Korea crisis?
The following report explores the value and limits of missile defense, both as a practical deterrent against North Korea and as a factor in U.S. strategy in the region. It makes the case that, ultimately, BMD will not make the choice facing the U.S. any easier. Advancements in BMD could have a major effect on the battlefield and could limit the casualties in a war. But the technology is too limited, expensive, and technically and operationally unproven in combat situations to eliminate the threat posed by North Korea. And so long as there is a reasonable chance of even one nuclear warhead penetrating defenses, the strategic calculations of the U.S. and its allies will be effectively the same as if missile defense didn't exist at all.
Missile Defense Overview
The U.S. began to pour money into missile defense systems as soon as it showed the destructive power of nuclear weapons at the end of World War II. BMD became a fixture of U.S. defense planning throughout the Cold War, with investment peaking under President Ronald Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative during the mid-1980s. Eventually, the amount of money needed to counter advanced arsenals from countries like Russia and China was deemed unsustainable. So after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the focus on missile defense shifted to emerging, more limited threats from so-called rogue states like Iran, Iraq and North Korea. Since 2002, the U.S. has spent between $8 billion and $10 billion annually on research, testing and deployment of BMD systems – almost all of it under the watchful eye of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency.
Today, the U.S. is developing interception capabilities that target both ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. Cruise missiles are self-propelled for the majority of their flight. They generally fly slower than ballistic missiles, but also lower to the ground (potentially evading radar detection) and can be retargeted or accelerated mid-flight. By comparison, ballistic missile fly on a high, arcing and fixed trajectory, with the help of a rocket booster only during the first few minutes of a flight, and return to earth at higher speeds.
Ballistic missile flightpaths can be divided into three stages, each posing unique challenges to interceptors. The first stage after launch is known as the boost phase, when the rocket boosters thrust the missile through the atmosphere and, with longer-range missiles, into space. Missiles in this phase are difficult to intercept; at 3-5 minutes, it is simply too brief a period for defenses to respond in time. (Defenses such as laser-equipped aircraft would have to have already been stationed near the launch site to have a chance in this small window of opportunity, and so would be vulnerable to attack.) As a result, the U.S. is believed to have made only scant progress toward this capability. No boost phase BMD systems are currently deployed, and next-generation boost phase defenses such as solid-state lasers are not expected to be ready for another decade. At this point, "left of launch" measures such as cyber- and electronic warfare capabilities meant to sabotage launches could be considered the United States' first line of missile defense.
A ballistic missile is considerably more vulnerable to interception during the second and longest stage of its flightpath, known as the midcourse phase (a combination of ascent and descent phases). Here, longer-range missiles are flying unpowered through the vacuum of space, simplifying the task for interceptors. Two of the four U.S. missile defense systems currently deployed — the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense system and the Aegis system, each equipped with the SM-3 interceptor – targets this phase of the flight path.
The third stage, when the missile re-enters the Earth's atmosphere, is known as the terminal phase. At this stage, the target country has had the most warning time to prepare its BMD systems. Interception in the terminal phase is tricky, however, given the high speeds — between 3,000 and 15,000 mph (4,800-24,000 kph) — at which the missile is traveling. Generally, the longer-range the missile, the higher its speed on re-entry, making intermediate-range and intercontinental ballistic missiles (the only ones capable of hitting the U.S. mainland) exceedingly difficult to shoot down. Nonetheless, three of the four deployed U.S. systems (including some Aegis variants) target the terminal phase.
Core Missile Defense Systems
The U.S. ballistic missile defense network is built around four systems, each of which has different capabilities and levels of success in testing. To maximize the chances of interception, different systems targeting different phases of the flightpath are often deployed in tandem. Broadly speaking, each works in a similar way. After the trajectory of the launch of an incoming ballistic missile is determined, a volley of interceptor missiles will be fired in response. The size of the volley depends on the system; THAAD batteries, for example, can have as many as 72 interceptors. The interceptors rely on an array of radar, satellite and other sensors – plus sophisticated command-and-control systems – to detect, track and target the incoming missile. Some interceptors are maneuverable and can adjust course during the intercept, an advantage over ballistic missiles flying on a fixed trajectory. Some contain explosives that detonate close to the target. Others will simply collide with the incoming missile, relying on kinetic energy to destroy the target well out of harm's way.
The workhorse of U.S. missile defense is the Patriot system, the only U.S. system to have been used in combat. (An early Patriot variant struggled against Scud missiles in the first Iraq War. Since 2015, however, Patriot Advanced Capability-3, or PAC-3, batteries deployed by Gulf states in Yemen have purportedly performed flawlessly.) The truck-mounted batteries, which target missiles during their terminal phase, are mobile, flexible and relatively inexpensive compared to the other systems. But with a range of around just 12 miles, the system provides a much smaller window of coverage than newer systems. Thus, it is generally used for point defense of relatively small areas such as military bases, airfields, missile launch sites and populated areas. Deployed in tandem with other systems, it can be considered the last line of defense. It is best suited for slower short-range missiles, as well as other aerial threats such as cruise missiles, drones and aircraft.
Patriot systems are deployed around the world, including by many U.S. allies. In a conflict with North Korea, they would be used primarily in concert with other systems to provide two-tiered defense of major populated centers in South Korea and Japan, as well as military installations. They would also be used to protect Guam. Despite its limitations, the system would see the heaviest use, given its ability to defend against more conventional, against short-range North Korean threats launched from just across the border.
THAAD
Like the Patriot system, the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD, targets incoming missiles during the terminal phase using land-based batteries. It is less mobile than the PAC-3, but its powerful radars give it an improved range of 120 miles and high-altitude capabilities, making up for some of Patriot's limitations and allowing it to engage even some exo-atmospheric targets. It has a flawless testing record. Its radars also serve early warning functions and can be used to cue certain Patriot variants. In a conflict with North Korea, it would be used in tandem with the Patriots to provide two-tiered point defense against vulnerable civilian and military targets in South Korea and Guam. (It is not deployed in Japan.) However, it is useless against cruise missiles, drones and aircraft. It also cannot protect the U.S. mainland from ICBM attack because of the high speeds at which such missiles re-enter the atmosphere, and thus is not deployed there.
Trucks are seen carrying parts required to set up the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system that had arrived at the Osan Air Base on March 6, 2017, in South Korea. Photo by United States Forces Korea via Getty Images
The next, most flexible layer of defense is provided by the Aegis BMD system. The system is used with the Standard Missile family of interceptors, each of which has somewhat different capabilities, ranges and ceilings. This makes the system adaptable to address a broad range of threats, whether from short-, medium- or intermediate-range missiles, in either the endo-atmospheric or the exo-atmospheric stage. The newest variant of the SM-3 interceptor, Block IIA, boasts a range of as much as 1,550 miles and is intended to shoot down long-range missiles in the midcourse phase. Other variants target cruise missiles and shorter-range ballistic missiles in the terminal phase.
Most Aegis systems are deployed aboard naval cruisers and destroyers, affording the U.S. and Japan (which has six such warship-based systems) further flexibility to adapt to evolving threat environments. Deploying Aegis on warships has the added benefit of depriving adversaries of a fixed target that they can attack to try to punch holes in the U.S. BMD network, while also allowing the U.S. to avoid the political sensitivities that often come with land-based deployments of missile defense systems on foreign soil. There is, however, a land-based version of the system called Aegis Ashore. The benefits of land-based variants include greater around-the-clock monitoring, while also potentially allowing destroyers to participate in non-missile defense operations if required. Japan is mulling deploying Aegis Ashore.
Ground-Based Midcourse Defense
The fourth, newest and perhaps most ambitious BMD layer is the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense system, which has been in development only since 2003. As the name suggests, this system is fired from fixed, land-based silos and is intended to intercept incoming missiles during the midcourse phase. More than any of the other systems, the long-term hope for the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense system is that it will be capable of targeting longer-range missiles, including ICBMs. In May, it was tested successfully against an ICBM for the first time. The U.S. has deployed 36 Ground-Based Interceptors in Alaska and California, a number that is expected to rise to 44 by the end of the year. There is a movement afoot in the U.S. Congress to triple the size of this deployment. In a conflict with North Korea, the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense system would attempt to mitigate threats from North Korea's newest, longest-range missiles like the Hwasong-12 and Hwasong-14.
Cruise Missile Defenses
North Korea has only a small arsenal of cruise missiles – most of them apparently copies of an old Russian anti-ship model – and it's doubtful that they can yet deliver a nuclear warhead. Cruise missiles do not appear to be a major focus of the country's recent missile programs. The proliferation of cruise missile technology nonetheless poses unique challenges for missile shields. U.S. cruise missile defenses are built around three ship-launched short-range interceptors – the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM), the SM-2 and the SM-6 – and a system involving the PAC-3. Some of these have been used successfully to intercept anti-ship cruise missiles off Yemen. Given the difficulty of detecting and tracking launches, the dependability of interceptors in any conflict will hinge on the ability to be deployed in relatively close proximity to launch sites, thus making defensive systems themselves vulnerable to attack.
Next-Generation Systems
Several other research and development efforts are underway, including on systems featuring lasers and high velocity guns, but these are not yet ready for deployment. In 2012, in fact, the Pentagon canceled several next-generation programs, including ones targeting the boost phase, citing spiraling costs and operational and technical challenges. Still, the future of BMD development is likely to prioritize advanced radars, space-based infrared sensors, airborne boost-phase laser interceptors and more maneuverable vehicles.
Technical Limitations
In theory, the combination of these systems should provide a multilayered, adaptable missile shield capable of addressing a wide range of missile threats. In reality, challenges remain. The system relies on a number of unproven component parts. Steep technical constraints mean the chances of stopping certain missile types are low, at best. (The task at hand, after all, is akin to firing a bullet at another bullet — sometimes in space.) And cost constraints hinder the ability of the U.S. to sufficiently boost the odds of a successful intercept simply by deploying vast numbers of interceptors.
BMD capabilities weaken considerably with longer-range missiles. The extreme speeds at which intermediate-range ballistic missiles (defined by the Pentagon as having a range of 3,000–5,500 kilometers, which is about 1,850-3,400 miles) and intercontinental ballistic missiles (with a range exceeding 5,500 kilometers) re-enter the Earth's atmosphere are simply too fast for current intercept systems. This makes terminal-phase defenses like the Patriot and THAAD all but useless against the very systems the U.S. is concerned with most from North Korea. As a result, neither system is deployed in the U.S. mainland.
Longer-range missiles akin to North Korea's Hwasong-12 and Hwasong-14 missiles (which boast estimated ranges of up to 3,700 miles and 6,200 miles, respectively) can practically be targeted only during the midcourse phase, when they are traveling unpowered on a fixed trajectory through space. Only the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense system is configured to intercept an ICBM. The U.S. has conducted only a single successful test against an ICBM, and the test was conducted in a highly controlled environment to maximize the chances for success. The estimated range of the missile targeted — just over 3,700 miles — was also on the short end of the distance ICBMs can travel. Interception at the ranges believed to be achievable by North Korea's newest missiles is an order of magnitude more difficult.
Compounding matters, interceptor missiles are relatively easy to fool during the midcourse phase with countermeasures. These range from sophisticated jammers and payloads containing multiple warheads to relatively cheap and unsophisticated decoys. For example, ballistic missiles can be packed with self-inflating balloons that, in the vacuum of space, would travel in a cluster. The balloons can be made of material that frustrate the radars and satellites that the interceptors rely on, and carry small heaters in order to mask temperature differences between the empty balloons and the missile containing the warhead. If the interceptor tech is not sophisticated enough to distinguish the decoys from the warhead, the system would devolve to guesswork. According to a 2011 Pentagon report: "If the defense should find itself in a situation where it is shooting at missile junk or decoys, the impact on the regional interceptor inventory would be dramatic and devastating."
Any incoming ballistic missile would likely be targeted with multiple interceptors. The comparatively lower cost of decoys, however, makes it possible to deploy them in numbers sufficient to overwhelm the interceptors, increasing the likelihood of penetration to a degree unacceptable for the country being targeted. In a conflict with North Korea, it may fire hundreds of missiles, each containing a dozen or more decoys. Packing in even relatively lightweight decoys comes at a cost to the range of a missile, thus limiting how much a country like North Korea can rely on them. Still, the math can get ugly.
Decoys aren't a problem in the initial boost phase of a missile's flight, before the decoys would be deployed. But this stage is where missile-defense technology is the least advanced. With most ballistic missiles, there is believed to be a minute or two from when boosting stops and the decoys are deployed, but this window is believed to be too narrow for reliable interception.
Though BMD systems have performed consistently well in flight tests, particularly against shorter-range missiles, these tests are usually set up in ways that maximize chances for success. U.S. authorities are not exactly forthcoming with details about the conditions under which BMD systems are tested — and understandably so. But countermeasures are believed to be used minimally in most such tests, if they are used at all. (In fact, a number of missiles used in BMD tests over the past decade contained homing beacons.) Meanwhile, testers know well in advance the basic trajectory of the incoming flight and a short window during which to expect the launch. Testers can also control for variables such as weather and (with Aegis) sea conditions. Perhaps most important, they are not contending with the myriad unexpected complexities that inevitably will arise in a combat environment. Except for the Patriots, none of the available U.S. BMD systems has been tested in a combat environment.
This isn't to discredit the progress made. There are ample technical questions that can be solved with even a test that has been effectively rigged for success. But the testing success rates touted by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency — not to mention the private firms building these systems — belies deep uncertainties about U.S. ballistic missile defenses and the steep technical and operational challenges that would need to be overcome before building a nuclear deterrence strategy around them.
The Pentagon itself acknowledges these shortcomings. It assesses its ability to defend Pacific Command areas of responsibility against "small numbers" of medium- to intermediate-range ballistic missiles as "limited." Capacity to defend the U.S. homeland against long-range missiles receives the same grade. Against short-range threats, it describes its capabilities as "fair."
Cost Constraints
Even if the technical challenges could be overcome, the cost of providing blanket BMD coverage to the U.S. and its allies would be staggering and poses major operational limitations. Ground-Based Interceptor missiles are believed to run $70 million to $100 million apiece. Next-generation systems may cost even more. According to the National Academy of Sciences, a system of space-based interceptors could run as much as $300 billion — 10 times as much as any other system.
Costs rise considerably when accounting for all the command-and-control and ancillary support systems that must be in place to integrate hundreds of batteries into one network. Costs rise further when considering the demands of keeping such systems deployed and on alert in perpetuity. All told, the U.S. has spent some $190 billion on BMD since 1985, with limited results.
This causes problems in both development and deployment. For example, tests are expensive and thus infrequent, making testers risk-averse, lest unsuccessful tests lead to a loss of funding. It also poses operational constraints, limiting coverage windows and forcing those deploying BMD systems to pre-position assets in anticipation of what North Korea may choose to target.
The United States and its wealthier allies have a lot of money to throw at ballistic missile defense, but not an endless amount. Competing budget priorities and political limitations are institutional realities that cannot be discounted. And every dollar spent on BMD is one not invested in other capabilities more likely to be needed to either contain or combat the North Koreans. In this way, BMD investments can be counterproductive. And the U.S., in any case, tends to obsess over complex and unproven weapons systems.
Setbacks and Disasters
Of course, U.S. BMD technology will improve, and costs could even come down. This is, in part, why the Russians are so agitated about NATO BMD systems deployed in Central and Eastern Europe, and why the Chinese oppose South Korea's deployment of THAAD, a system that can easily be configured to minimize radar penetration into Chinese airspace and that cannot yet stop a Chinese ICBM, anyway. With sufficient technological improvements, U.S. BMD deployments would seriously undermine the Russian and Chinese nuclear deterrents. Their defense planners are preparing for worst-case scenarios.
We can assume that the U.S. will develop more sophisticated capabilities to mitigate countermeasures, along with more sophisticated radars and space-based sensors. But we can also assume technological development by the North Koreans, not to mention a continued buildup of an arsenal more capable of saturating U.S. defenses with sheer numbers. The burden of proof of success is on the defense. For the attacking country, an intercepted missile is a setback. For the country trying to shoot down a nuclear-tipped missile, a middling interception rate spells disaster.
As it stands, U.S. BMD defenses are porous at best, and assurances of protection against even a relatively unsophisticated missile arsenal like that being developed by North Korea are too flimsy to form the bedrock of any deterrence strategy. Nuclear deterrence is a high-stakes game, and BMD cannot be a game-changer until it is fool-proof. The U.S. missile shield is not and is unlikely to be airtight for the foreseeable future.
This reality, compounded by the possibility of North Korea's finding other ways to deliver a nuclear device or to transfer the technology to other U.S. adversaries, means the U.S. choice regarding North Korea's nuclear program will not get easier. BMD development may reduce the risk of living with a nuclear North Korea marginally, but not to a degree that will affect U.S. decision-making in the current crisis. Similarly, the systems deployed on the Korean Peninsula do not provide the level of assurance South Korea would need to wholeheartedly support a U.S. operation that puts Seoul at risk. Japan's calculations will not change even if it pushes through with its new Aegis deployment. These same factors mean BMD certainly won't make North Korea any more inclined to strike a deal.
For the U.S. and its allies, the outcome of the crisis will hinge primarily on familiar variables. The option of doing something about North Korea's nuclear program hinges on whether the U.S. and its allies believe its conventional strike capabilities can mitigate Pyongyang's conventional deterrent. The option of living with a nuclear North Korea hinges on whether the U.S. decides that its traditional nuclear deterrent – mutually assured destruction – would still work. Missile defense may be useful as a tool in either scenario, but it is not a solution. Neither the U.S. nor its allies can wield it as such.
— Ballistic Missile Defense Is a Tool, Not a Strategy originally appeared at Geopolitical Futures.
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Here is the Quick Weight Loss E-zine for June.
This month I want to encourage more people to comment, offer suggestions to other readers, give me feedback and ask questions because one of my goals is to make this site as interactive as possible. As a result, I have decided to run a little competition.
The competition is open to Quick Weight Loss E-zine subscribers only and will run until Monday 8th June.
All I ask you to do is to make a comment on any article you come across on this site, provide a useful suggestion to other visitors, give me feedback or ask me a question.
Then, on Monday I will go through all the responses and decide who the winners are. The first place winner will receive a 30-day supply of XLR8 Thermogenic (Valued at $49.95) and the runner-up will receive a Health Monitor (Valued at $29.95), which is a device that measures body fat percentage, body mass index (BMI) and daily calorie expenditure.
So get to it! Write your comment/ suggestion/ feedback or question and I look forward to hearing from you.
I hope you enjoy these new articles.
If you are looking for exercises to lose weight quickly then there are several criteria you need to consider.
In this article we will examine the best exercises to lose weight fast and how to select the right one(s) so you make exercise a permanent part of your lifestyle.


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ETAuto Originals: BS-IV inventory blues continue as we near the BS-VI deadline
The Supreme Court order has come as the final blow for the automobile industry looking for options to sell its BS-IV stock that is languishing in factories, transit and the dealerships. Apart from the ongoing countrywide lockdown, this unsold stock would be the biggest headache for the sector reeling under a severe slowdown.
Chanchal Pal Chauhan
March 28, 2020, 07:32 IST
7,00,000 two-wheelers lying unsold throughout India.,
15,000 PV's and another 12,000 commercial vehicles are not sold yet.,
1.05 lakh 2Ws, 2,250 cars and around 2,000 CVs sold, but yet to complete their registration at RTOs across India.,
New Delhi: This is quite a mystery. The stock auto companies carry as they edge out the BS-IV vehicles conundrum amid the deepening coronavirus crisis.
Yes, there isn't any official data or information shared by the manufacturers' on the total number of cars, two-wheelers or the pricier commercial vehicles available with the companies yet, as retail sales have turned to a trickle.
So now the industry is groping in the dark over the next week as the deadline approaches and there's no respite. The dealers are the worst lot as they'll be the biggest loser in the entire value chain in terms of financial and overhead losses.
Supreme Court on Friday permitted the auto dealers to sell 10 percent of their unsold BS-IV inventory in the country, for 10 days post the 21-day lockdown period ending April 14.
Companies remain silent on their inventory woes, but there's stock estimated worth over Rs 6,000 crore lying unsold with their dealers. ~
Companies remain silent on their inventory woes, but there's stock estimated worth over Rs 6,000 crore lying unsold with their dealers. Retailers have tried to raise an alarm regularly and their last plea coming up in the Supreme Court on Friday failed to evoke an expected response. But few read their woes. Financial and compounding to their potential customers.
In a petition filed in the Supreme Court the auto dealers' national body Federation of Automobile Dealers' Association, or FADA, stated that there are 7,00,000 two-wheelers lying unsold throughout India, along with 15,000 PV's and another 12,000 commercial vehicles. Besides, another 1.05 lakh two-wheelers, 2,250 cars and around 2,000 CVs though sold, are yet to complete transactions via their registration at the transport offices throughout India.
Also, dealers' woes are not going to end as governments in the centre and states battle on the coronavirus front, grappling with half-baked information and statistics to frame strategies to scramble up desperate measures to contain the spread. The latest of 21-day countrywide lockout submerges all hopes of the industry.
Most companies are now scared of rollover vehicles as all big markets including Delhi-NCR and Mumbai-Maharashtra constituting almost 40 percent of new vehicles sales across India, lie abruptly shut. ~
In such a scenario there's isn't much the auto community can expect much as the deadline approaches. March 31 isn't far. Next Tuesday. So that's not far. While a clear order from the Supreme Court allowing only 10 percent of the residual BS-IV stock to be sold after the lockdown deadline leaves the majority of this inventory unsold, as there will be no extra timelines.
Largely, it's only the passenger car segment leader Maruti Suzuki and the premium bikemaker Royal Enfield along with Bharat Benz, the commercial vehicle subsidiary of Daimler AG, claiming to have exhausted their older almost-irrelevant BS-IV inventory at least ex-factory in their operational chain.
Others haven't come forward to share their stock. There would be many brands reeling under the woes of BS-IV stock and many of these would be European, Japanese and the American. Be it Nissan, Ford Motor, Volkswagen, Tata Motors, Hero MotoCorp, Bajaj Auto or even smaller players like Yamaha Motor all their dealers carry the inventory skeleton in their backyards.
Most companies are now scared of rollover vehicles as all big markets including Delhi-NCR and Mumbai-Maharashtra constituting almost 40 percent of new vehicles sales across India, lie abruptly shut.
And there isn't any other solution in sight, either. Most players are clueless. Be it manufacturers, transporters, dealers or even the last-mile state-led RTO's, who carry the ultimate burden of ending miseries of the customers in terms of seamless ownership.
In the entire melee there's hardly the customer in sight. He who spends all the money to buy these expensive pieces of machines, sometimes burdened by a heavy loan and then there is the lockdown. The entire legacy of today's uncertainty makes owning a vehicle a harrowing experience, as of now. Not to mention the shrinking lifecycle of vehicles and the incessant rise in prices. And the scary rides in public transport means amid these times of fast spreading coronavirus is not something masses can afford in the current situation. So the reliance on private vehicles is only set to intensify.
For an industry that has shrunk by almost 15 percent in the current fiscal hasn't got any stimulus or incentives from the government or any of its departments. There won't be any direct respite from the RBI's interim measures to the automobile industry. It's only a big cheer to the customer who still laps up new purchases and takes the discretion to spend its hard-earned money on new vehicles that are losing both sheen and residual value.
It's time we think about the customers, who would keep the critical automobile industry going from strength to strength, notwithstanding the pandemic of corona or even more miseries stored in the future.
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ETAutoOriginal
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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WEEKNIGHTS 11:35/10:35c
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon is nominated for the 2019 Webby Awards in six categories! It's an honor just to be nominated, but if you like what we've been up to, please vote for the following:
Best Viral Video: Two Goats on a Boat with Jimmy Fallon & Lin-Manuel Miranda VOTE
Best Variety Video Series/Channel - The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon YouTube Channel VOTE
Best Social: Television & Film - The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Social Media & Digital VOTE
Best Variety Video - The Tonight Show Cover Room VOTE
Best Social Video Series - Tonight Show Challenges VOTE
Best Overall Social Presence - The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Social Media & Digital VOTE
Voting is open until Thursday, April 18th.
Jimmy Celebrates The Tonight Show's Six Webby Award Nominations
CLIP 04/02/19


Every year I intend to write 'year in review' posts. Somehow time escapes me, so let's see if this works this year. I plan to write on different topics. First up: bags.
I go through periods of times of buying no bags and then bam! I get a few. I bought a few recently, mostly black bags.
The spendiest purchases were driven by Hedi's takeover of Céline. I couldn't get myself to Europe soon enough, so I managed with duty free shops in Seoul. Prices are comfortably below US prices and the # of stores are somewhat plentiful. I went to 4 duty free boutiques – 3 in Seoul and 1 in the Incheon airport! For the most part, what I purchased is what I have wanted to purchase for years but the opportunity and urgency never arose. I have no regrets with my purchases, although I have yet to use all of them. I have invested in Samorga inserts for most of them.
I am hesitant to buy Céline secondhand online. It's hard to assess the structure of a non-super structured bag on the internet. Or for example, the Trio was quietly redesigned in recent years where the straps that connect to the purse were reinforced. This isn't apparent in most online listings. I wouldn't want to buy an older Trio. I haven't sold any of my Célines, but the resale of some of them look roughly the same as duty free. It's a no lose situation, in my opinion. Some of the classic Phoebe Philo designs are still around but now don the new Celine logo (no accent over the é) and new colors.
(Updated: Can't believe I forgot to include Bao Bao!) My friend Pam got me into Bao Bao Issey Miyake bags. At some point, they were super hard to buy in Asia. Almost everyone and their mom has one, it seems. They are popular with the older crowd. The brand is Japanese, but I found these bags much better stocked in the US and sometimes on sale/discount! I have four of the totes in different sizes (Prism or Lucent) and got the last one when I was in Tokyo. I highly recommend these for its lightweight, low maintenance, easy to pack (flattens), and uncommon style (at least outside of Asia). I think I'm done for now!


Consider the next time you need to inform, or explain, or influence, or persuade. You could be talking to 1 person, or presenting to 1,000.
Why is your audience so distracted?
Your audience—whether one person or many—is flooded with information. More information = less attention.
The average attention span is now 8 seconds (Microsoft research).
So, just because you say something, doesn't mean anyone will actually hear it. Or remember it. Or act on it.
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1) Paul teaches this method directly in three programs—and it can be added to other programs.
2) Individual or team consultations are another option.
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Yes, it's that time of year again, when The Crew celebrate their birthday in style. This Sunday, we commemorate six years of weekly impro comedy – the longest run in Australia – with the annual Impro Rumble! The best of the best comedy improvisers will battle it out for their honour and your entertainment, right there on the stage!
Who will take home the (non-existent) title belt? Will it be last year's defending champion, Janelle Koenig? (The bookies reckon she can.) Or perhaps the Man himself, yours truly? (Unlikely, but fun to think about.) Come cheer on your favourite in this free spectacular event!
When: 5:30pm, this Sunday the 27th of May.


The "Three Rivers" curriculum was designed and developed in partnership between the Yonkers Public Schools and the Sarah Lawrence Center for the Urban River at Beczak (CURB).
The Three Rivers of Yonkers curriculum offers six interdisciplinary units of study that align with the New York State Common Core Learning Standards. This curriculum was created by a team of teachers from Yonkers Public Schools with support and guidance from the District's administration, and staff from the former Beczak Environmental Education Center and the Sarah Lawrence College Center for the Urban River at Beczak.
"Three Rivers" will help stimulate students' interest in science at an early age and will encourage students to become stewards of the Hudson, Bronx, and Saw Mill Rivers. It is hoped that it will also motivate students to develop life-long habits of environmental citizenship.
Of the six units, three are designed to be taught at the end of grade four and three at the beginning of grade five. Each unit is composed of four lessons connected to one another through an "essential question" that directs the themed investigation of the topic. Each lesson integrates English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies as well as the usage of technology and art. Hands on activities, vocabulary, extensions, assessments, and resources are provided for each lesson.
The objectives are to increase student's awareness of the three rivers complex ecology, geology and historical significance and to teach critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making skills. Another objective is to encourage these students to share their enthusiasm and knowledge of the rivers with their fellow classmates, families, and local community.
This curriculum has been distributed to all 31 Yonkers elementary schools and is available for download below. Up to 3,575 students will experience the curriculum in their classrooms.
This project was funded in part by Yonkers Raceway through the resolution of an enforcement action against Yonkers Raceway brought by the New York State Attorney General.


I am thrilled to debut the super cute book trailer for The Mapmaker & The Ghost! Up first, a quick interview with debut author Sarvenaz Tash. Kick back and follow the jump for the book trailer.
What was the working title of MAPMAKER?
Oh, boy. I am notoriously awful at titling things. We went through a list of 72 suggestions before we hit upon The Mapmaker and the Ghost. I will tell you that when I first started writing it, it was called - you'll laugh - Goldenrod Moram and the Spitbubble Master. Yes, that is awful. For a bit of time, it was also called The Legendary Adventures of Goldenrod. Which I do still like, though I think The Mapmaker and the Ghost is really what it was meant to be all along.
When talk of cover art first started, what were your concerns and what did you want most?
You know, I really didn't ever visualize the cover because I knew that it probably wouldn't look like whatever I thought it should in my head so why set myself up for that? I also knew that there were going to be professionals working on it who were infinitely more talented in that department than I was. I was just excited to see what they came up with and I was not in the least bit disappointed. The illustrations by Gerald Guerlais were more beautiful and perfect than anything I could have ever dreamed up.
Can you talk about the two different looks for the book?
So the original cover (the one with 10 characters on it) was revealed in June 2011 and it was a cover I lived with and fawned on and adored for 6 months. Eventually it was decided that it was ultimately too crowded for the cover of the book. So I found out it was changing in December. I admit it was a bit of a shock to have the face of the book change like that. But, ultimately, I think they did an excellent job redesigning and finding space to put the rest of my characters on the back. I've also heard many people say they like the new cover better so obviously they know what they're doing!
Who is behind that awesome British accent in the book trailer?
Oh, I'm so glad you asked! That is one Rachel F. Hirsch. She is an amazing actress and voiceover artist who happens to be a good friend of mine. A while ago we had had a conversation where I told her how I thought she would make a fantastic Disney princess (she is also a phenomenal singer) and she mentioned that's always been a dream of hers. When it came time to do the trailer, I knew right away that she would get the "storybook" feel of the piece. Honestly, I gave her almost zero direction. Its awesomeness is all her.
Yes! I'll be having a launch party on Saturday, April 28th at BookCourt in Brooklyn, NY. There will be cupcakes and me signing things likely while being all nervous and awkward. Doesn't that sound like fun?! Everyone's invited so if you're in the neighborhood, do consider dropping by. Here is the Facebook invite with all the details.
Thank you, Sarvenaz! If I was close to Brooklyn, I would be there! Now, without further ado, I give you.....the debut book trailer for The Mapmaker & The Ghost out April 24th, 2012 from Bloomsbury-Walker.
Super cute, right? I just love the narration and I can definitely hear the humor. I can see why Tash wanted Rachel F. Hirsch to be a part of the trailer. I can't wait to pick this one up, and hope that you do too!
You can find Tash at her website, Facebook, and Twitter.
You can find the Class of 2k12 at their website, Facebook, and Twitter.


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The Jim Crow Car Trials in Georgia
Date(s): 1887 to 1889
Location(s): RICHMOND, Georgia
Tag(s): African-Americans, Law, Migration/Transportation, Race-Relations
Course: "America, 1820-1890 (2007)," Furman University
When Mr. Heard bought his train ticket for Philadelphia to Atlanta, little did he expect the events that would transpire as a result of that trip. In the spring of 1887, William M. Heard, an African American, brought suit against the Georgia Railroad Company after he was obligated to move into a segregated "Jim Crow" car. This action set into motion a series of court cases that specifically dealt with racial segregation in railroad cars and attempted to fight against the general ideology of Jim Crow. Interstate Commerce Laws had been passed by congress in an attempt to deter such segregation, but Jim Crow was strong in the South and growing more powerful every year. Heard was one of the many brave men who attempted to fight the growing and terrible trend of racial segregation.
Purchasing a first-class ticket in Philadelphia, Heard peacefully road the train until it reached the Georgia border at Augusta. The Atlanta Constitution describes how, at this location, Heard was compelled as a black man to vacate his car and ride in another car where "the accommodation[s] were second class and inferior in every way" to those in the first class car that the white passengers occupied. This segregated car to which he was banished was what became known as the "Jim Crow" car. Heard had been involved in a similar incident over a year before which had resulted in a successful suit against the company. The Constitution relates that he decided to bring additional suit against the Georgia Railroad Company in order to obtain further confirmation of the Interstate Commerce Commissioners' opposition to such practices by the railroad companies. The Georgia Railroad Company quickly objected to the suit based on "various grounds" including the "jurisdiction of the courts," said the Constitution. The company quickly responded to Heard's petition by saying that the cars for the "colored passengers [were] equally as safe, comfortable, and clean...as those provided for the whites." The suit was postponed for a significant period and eventually halted at a stalemate. However Heard had done his part in the fight against segregation of railroad cars.
Heard was not the only sufferer who decided to fight back. Another suit was filed to the Interstate Commerce Commission by a man name William H. Councill. According to the May 31 Constitution, Councill was seeking 25,000 worth of damages for being "forcibly ejected from a first-class car after having paid for a first class ticket." He was subsequently subjected to riding in the "Jim Crow" car. The trend had been set, and the Georgia Railroad Company soon found itself mired down with court cases. The ranks against the Georgia Railroad Company and railroad segregation began to swell even more with the key addition of Rev. George C. Rowe of Charleston. The Constitution describes how Rev. Rowe began a nationwide campaign after he and several other colored passengers were forced to ride in the "Jim Crow" car after purchasing first-class tickets. The purpose of Rowe's campaign was to rally support, both moral and financial, with which to bring suit against the Georgia Railroad Company and against racial segregation in general. While the efforts of men such as Heard, Councill, and Rowe may have fallen short in achieving racial equality, their fortitude certainly helped establish precedence for the long and difficult fight against inequality.
Kathleen Ann Clark, Defining Moments: African American Commemoration & Political Culture in the South, 1863-1913 (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2005), 188-228.
"Another 'Jim Crow' Car Case: A Colored Man's Complaint Against the Georgia Railroad," Atlanta Constitution, April 10, 1889.
"Parallel Cases: Two Complaints Before the Railroad Commissioners," Atlanta Constitution, June 1, 1887.
"Jumping Jim Crow: Answer of the Georgia Railroad to Heard, Who Complains of Discrimination," Atlanta Constitution, July 30, 1887.
"The 'Jim Crow' Car: Rowe Asking for Contributions to Enable Him to Sue the Railroad," Atlanta Constitution, Septembr 23, 1889.


You can always increase the use of your android device by having the right apps installed that can organize your work more effectively. And this is the reason why we have a separate section of productivity apps in Google Play Store. However, it could be hard to determine the best and useful productivity apps among so many as all of them seem useful to many of us. So, in order to help you in this selection process, here are the top 5 productivity apps for android that might not be brand new, but these apps are worth downloading if you want to work better on your android device.
Cloud Storage is now a top priority app for all the android users and while there are paid cloud storage services available, the easiest and most reliable cloud service by Google is Google Drive, with 15 GB of free storage that can be extended to unlimited storage at $10/month. You can store and share any kind of file and the real time collaboration helps to work simultaneously on one sheet instead of passing it around the entire day. This app also offers exceptional Gmail integration.
The businessmen and other office workers just love Evernote as it is undoubtedly the best note taking app for android. This productivity app is mega-popular and is so for good reasons. The cross-platform integration within this app and the in-depth note taking capabilities offered, Evernote can simply be used for anything to increase productivity on your android device. Even the commoners use this amazing app for daily-use like making task lists, grocery lists, to-do lists and practically any other note taking requirements.
Stock calendar applications included in android devices feel too basic and are only good for as long you are keeping track of birthdays and scheduled meetings. But with Business Calendar Pro you can do a lot more than just keeping reminders. This calendar app replaces your calendar app and synchronizes with your Google Calendars. The app offers standard views like month or day, agenda, event view and more. You can even customize your calendar accordingly to make your day more organised and to save a lot of time later.
Who can deny the need of a word processor and who can simply suggest any app other than Microsoft's Office app for android platform. With this app you get all the standard Office functionality including Excel, Word and PowerPoint in the mobile format of course. And along with the OneDrive app that is Microsoft's cloud storage service, you can effortlessly sync your PC and mobile and the experience magnifies manifold if you use Microsoft Office on PC as well.
If you are looking for one app for all your voice recording needs, then you can find no app better than Smart Voice Recorder app for android. This app has a very easy and simple user interface and the available settings are very easy to understand as well. The app also includes "skip silence" feature to jump through the dead time on your recording. There are plenty of things you can do with the recordings like renaming, sharing, setting as ringtone or alarm, and lot more. So all you can need from a recorder will be delivered to you by this app.
So these were the top 5 productivity apps for your Android smartphones and tablets according to us. You can get these apps from the links that have been provided above. If you have any other apps in your mind, you can share it with us in comments below.


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HWD Daily
Michelle Obama's Oscar Gift
This month's superhero movie: Hidden Figures.
At a screening and luncheon for Oscar front-runner Moonlight yesterday at Craig's on Melrose, I talked to writer-director Barry Jenkins about doing laundry on the awards trail (please direct coin-op laundromat suggestions to Jenkins's Twitter feed) and met artist Jane Goren, who was sketching Jenkins on a tiny notebook she carries in her purse when attending these kinds of events with her husband, producer Gary Shapiro, who serves on the Academy's foreign-language committee. Fluff-and-fold and art: We're all getting through awards season any way we can, folks.
Hello from L.A., where there's rain(!) in the forecast and your intrepid Hollywood correspondent is stocking up on canned goods, screeners, and ennui.
Sign up to receive Rebecca Keegan's HWD Daily, Hollywood's new must-read, in your inbox.
A FIRST LADY'S ENDORSEMENT
There's a superhero movie of sorts coming out this month—Fox's Hidden Figures, which stars Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe as part of the team of African-American women who performed complex math for NASA in the 1960s, at the height of the space race and the civil-rights movement. Based on the non-fiction book by Margot Lee Shetterly, Hidden Figures notched Golden Globe and SAG Awards nominations this week, and its Oscar hopes are getting a boost today with a White House screening hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama. In a piece on the legacy of the Obama screening room, VF.com's Yohana Desta writes, "White House screenings in the Obama era have ranged from historical fare to animated romps, though their taste definitely tends toward the socially minded, with a particular focus on African-American history."
Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox.
BEAUTIFUL DOWNTOWN BURBANK
Warner Bros. production head Greg Silverman is stepping down, in a shake-up at the studio that will see New Line Cinema's Toby Emmerich taking the creative reins in Burbank. The L.A. Times's Ryan Faughnder reports, "The management change reflects a desire by C.E.O. Kevin Tsujihara to improve the performance of Warner's movie studio, which has been inconsistent at the box office. Though Warner Bros. has been enjoying an upswing this year with surging profits, the studio weathered a difficult box-office run in 2015, with multiple expensive flops during that slate including Pan, Ron Howard's In the Heart of the Sea, Jupiter Ascending, and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Additionally, the studio has endured heavy criticism for its creative stewardship of its key DC Comics franchise, facing dismal reviews for this year's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad.
NEWT GINGRICH CAMEO?
Fox News host Sean Hannity is producing a faith-based movie with Kevin Sorbo, the former star of TV's Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, called Let There Be Light. The Hollywood Reporter's Paul Bond broke the news, noting Sorbo will play "a world-renowned atheist whose beliefs are dramatically challenged. . . . 'It's been likened to Ghost meets Heaven Is for Real, with a dash of God's Not Dead,' Sorbo said of the film, which was made on a $3 million production budget. Sorbo is still working on a distribution deal, but he expects the film to open in November 2017."
TRAILER OF THE DAY: DUNKIRK
Stoic Allied soldiers in undercuts try to stay alive on the gray beaches of France in this trailer for Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk. The summer 2017 movie looks to be a bit of serious-minded counter-programming during popcorn season, with stylish, horrifying battle scenes and stars like Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance, and Kenneth Branagh .
DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN
Remember How I Met Your Dad?, the How I Met Your Mother spin-off that seemed like a no-brainer a couple years ago, but never made it past a pilot? Well, Deadline's Nellie Andreeva broke the news that the concept is getting another shot, reporting, "I hear the new project, titled How I Met Your Father, is an ensemble show that tells the story from a female point of view. It is a brand-new take on the premise with new characters and new writers: This Is Us co-executive producers Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger. The project hails from H.I.M.Y.M. studio 20th TV, where Aptaker and Berger are under an overall deal."
By Jim Smeal/Rex/Shutterstock.
PASSENGERS REVIEWS: STAY IN YOUR HIBERNATION POD
The embargo is up on Passengers, and critics are giving the film a resounding "meh." Sony was never counting on reviews to sell this romantic sci-fi thriller to audiences—it has two of the hottest movie stars in the world for that, Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt. The studio will count on their combined wattage to outshine reviews like T.H.R.'s Sheri Linden writing, "while Passengers offers a few shrewd observations about our increasingly tech-enabled, corporatized lives, its heavy-handed mix of life-or-death exigencies and feel-good bromides finally feels like a case of more being less," and Variety's Owen Gleiberman lamenting the movie "going through the motions of what turns out to be a flavorless and rather predictable fable."
POW! RIGHT IN THE KISSER
Jane Kean, one of the actresses who played Trixie from The Honeymooners, used to live in our house in Toluca Lake. Art Carney drank cocktails in our backyard and our doorbell plays the show theme song. All of this explains my very complicated feelings about the news out this morning that CBS has put into development a modern-day reboot of the TV classic. T.H.R.'s Lesley Goldberg reports, "The multicamera comedy hails from Bob Kushell, who will pen the script and executive produce the CBS Television Studios comedy. The new take centers on two couples—best friends and neighbors like the original—who contend with a new dynamic when one couple remarries after divorcing four years earlier."
Those are our top stories for this cloudy Thursday in L.A. What are you seeing out there? Send tips, comments, and rainboots to rebecca_keegan@condenast.com.
Rebecca Keegan
Rebecca Keegan is a Hollywood Correspondent for Vanity Fair.
See More By Rebecca Keegan »
Award Season
Michelle Yeoh Celebrated Her Watershed Moment at the NBR Gala
"I am so incredibly proud," the Everything Everywhere All at Once star said in her tearful best-actress acceptance speech. The night's other honorees included Steven Spielberg, Janelle Monáe, and more.
By Yohana Desta
SAG Award Nominations 2023: The Biggest Snubs and Surprises
Adam Sandler gets his moment, The Fabelmans has a puzzling victory, and more surprising nomination results.
Golden Globes 2023: How to Watch and What to Know About the Controversy
A rundown on where to stream this year's Golden Globes—and the scandals the awards show must overcome to return in 2024.
GOP Rep. Ronny Jackson Throws Ridiculous Shit Fit Over the Prospect of Losing Gas Stove
"If the maniacs in the White House come for my stove, they can pry it from my cold dead hands," the former White House doctor and Trump stooge declared.
Monica Lewinsky: 25 "Randoms" on the 25th Anniversary of the Bill Clinton Calamity
My name became public 25 years ago this week. What have I observed and learned in the quarter century since? Oh, plenty.
By Monica Lewinsky
Golden Globes 2023: See All the Nominations Here
Everything Everywhere All at Once and The Banshees of Inisherin lead the nominees on the film side, while Wednesdsay and House of the Dragon are among the newer contenders in TV.
Florence Pugh Explains Why "People Didn't Like" Her Relationship with Zach Braff
In a new interview with Vogue, the actor said that the public had a very different idea of who she should be dating.
By Emily Kirkpatrick
Michael J. Fox Praises Nicole Holofcener's You Hurt My Feelings at Sundance
A famous fan emerged from the audience when Fox grabbed the mic to compliment Holofcener's latest film, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, during a post-premiere Q&A.
By Chris Murphy
The Most Deceptively Difficult Scene in Top Gun: Maverick
On this week's Little Gold Men podcast, Joseph Kosinski shares behind-the-scenes stories from the blockbuster that may have just saved Hollywood.
Is Jessica Williams Putting Herself Up for the Daily Show Hosting Gig?
In an interview with People, Williams reveals whether she's interested in replacing Trevor Noah behind the desk: "I really, really love acting."


Sometimes, an actor's presence is powerful enough to unsettle viewers. The sunken eyes of Marcarena Gomez, who plays 'Montse' in Esteban Roel and Juanfer Andres' Shrew's Nest (aka Musaranas, 2014) create that impact. Montse, a victim and victimizer is frail and fierce at the same time. She is mixture of Stephen King's overly pious cringeworthy women and the sadistic Anne Wilkes (Misery). She is the gravitational force of the narrative, which has certain forced as well as implausible elements.
Famous Spanish horror filmmaker Alex de la Iglesia (The Day of the Beast, The Perfect Crime) has endorsed Shrew's Nest. Roel and Andres' story incorporates some of Alex's trademark narrative elements – claustrophobic atmosphere, outlandish horror, dysfunctional family dynamics. Although Shrew's Nest (91 minutes) is a lot grimmer than Alex's darkly comic tone.
The film opens from the perspective of a child, who recalls the atmosphere of dread looming over their home. The child confides that her sister would read horrific stories from a book (which happens to be Bible) while crying a lot. The prologue strongly hints at a dark family secret, few paces away from the child's room. The secret, however, gradually rots the core of family dynamics. The narrative is majorly set in 1950s Spain (memories of civil war violence lingering). The child has now transformed to a beautiful 18-year-old girl, the image of fresh-faced innocence (Nadia de Santiago). Her sanctimonious sister Montse (Marcarena Gomez), once a fragile creature, has now turned to a stern matriarch.
Recommended: The Ultimate Horror Movie List: How Many Have You Seen?
The sisters' father (Luis Tosar) is said to have disappeared 18 years ago, during the Spanish civil war while the mother died after giving birth to Montse's sister. Montse suffers from agoraphobia. She can't take a single step out of the apartment, before succumbing to an anxiety attack. She also often has hallucinations where the oppressive father stirs up her guilt and rage. Montse spends her days in the nest, earning money through excellent dressmaking skills. One of Montse's frequent clients advises her to take treatment, since the younger sister may soon fly away from the nest. Montse is distressed and to her dismay, sees (spying from a window) her beautiful sister speaking to a young man.
Montse later punishes the younger sister (name isn't revealed to the viewers) who hits back at Montse with an iron box and runs outside the home. The thread of violence connecting the sisters seems to be stronger than the superficial expressions of love. A handsome young stranger named Carlos (Hugo Silva) temporarily relieves Montse's worries about a lonely future. Carlos, who lives in the upstairs apartment, lands unconsciously on Montse's apartment after falling from the stairs. From then on, the frail seamstress' craziness and penchant for violence goes overboard.
For those who have seen Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962), The Beguiled (1971) and Misery (1990), the narrative trajectory will seem fairly predictable. In fact, the makers don't try to circumvent genre conventions.
They use religious repression and chauvinism themes to augment tension than for a deep examination.
Some suspension of disbelief is essential to get through the film's second half. The younger sister's behavior, at times, seems more appalling than Montse's craziness. Technically, Shrew's Nest simmers with Gothic atmosphere and pungent mood. The conflict between the sisters is well established before jumping on to bloodletting and gruesome amputations. The carnage may immensely satisfy gore fans.
Smooth camerawork makes you forget that the whole film takes place in a single location. The mechanics of the film do compensate for some of the narrative implausibilities.
Yet, Gomez's performance as Montse is the film's chief attraction. Gomez, best known for her comedy roles, captures Montse's hysteria with vigor. Gomez's self-aware elegy and vulnerability in the initial scenes feel genuine enough to entrap viewers in Montse's world of brutality and agony.
A wickedly entertaining horror/thriller, Shrew's Nest skillfully blends horror and gore-filled violence elements.


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Q: How to pass csv data in postman collection so monitor can pick it I have a situation where I have added my testdata in csv sheet. Moreover, I have created automated tests in js and I am passing this csv data with csv at the time of Collection Runner. It is working fine with postman on my local but when I run these testcases on postman monitor(https://monitor.getpostman.com/) these testcases is failing. Surely because of csv file unavailability. Is there any way I can pass my csv to monitor mode?

A: Unfortunately there is no such functionality in place right now. You can use csv files with collection runs and directly via the newman cli tool as described here.
You can file a feature request for this and look at the current product roadmap here.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


This session is dear to my heart because Claire is one of my beloved 2018 spokesmodels. When we were younger, Claire and I swam for the same summer team, so we knew each other long before my photography days. For her senior shoot, we ventured to the beautiful Shenandoah mountains, found a hike, and photographed our way through the evening. I've done a few sessions in the Shenandoah mountains, but have never hiked a trail during a shoot like Claire and I did. The views at the end were so worth it and I definitely want to shoot in these mountains after hiking again.


The Chairman of the Bahamas Financial Services Board has described the new package of financial services legislation now in force as "very strong and robust".
Importantly, there has been tremendous focus on strengthening the Know Your Customer (KYC) policies as part of the legislative changes. According to Chairman Ian Fair, this has improved The Bahamas' position in achieving Qualified Jurisdiction status under new withholding regulations of the US Internal Revenue Service. IRS approval of a nation's KYC policies is a prerequisite for QJ status.


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RIC Sergeant John Flynn
RIC Sergeant John Flynn (aged 51) from Kildysart, Co. Clare (Ahawadda Cross near Timoleague)
Date of incident: 10 May 1920
Sources: CC, 11 May 1920; CE, 11, 12 May 1920; II, 11 May, 10, 12, 25 Oct. 1920; CWN, 15 May 1920; Weekly Summary of Outrages against the Police, May 1920 (CO 904/148-50, TNA); WS 560 of James O'Mahony et al., 8 (BMH); Michael Coleman's WS 1254, 4-5 (BMH); Denis O'Brien's WS 1306, 3-4 (BMH); James Moloney's WS 1310, 5-6 (BMH); Michael J. Crowley's WS 1603, 5 (BMH); Abbott (2000), 75-76; 'The Irish Rebellion in the 6th Division Area', Irish Sword, 27 (Spring 2010), 135; irishmedals.org (accessed 28 July 2014).
Note: Flynn was mortally wounded in the chest when ambushed at Ahawadda Cross in the midst of a police cycle patrol from the RIC barracks in Timoleague to Dunworly. Flynn had been a member of the RIC for twenty-five years at the time of his death. Much earlier in his life he had been a farmer.
RIC Constable Edward Dunne
RIC Constable William Brick


Why is the Quattro Fusion so good then? What's all the fuss about? Well, what you've got here is an insulated mountaineering jacket that boasts an original and innovative blend of insulating materials – it's not a down jacket or a synthetic jacket, or a simple fleece. It's all of those combined.
Like a group of superheroes coming together to save the world, or in this case, coming together to prevent the wearer of this jacket from being cold up a mountain, the Quattro Fusion combines the very best materials out there. Think two types of Pertex shell fabrics (Quantum Pro with Diamond Fuse and Quantum Air), Polartec Alpha Direct fleece, and goose down with an 800+ fill (the) power (Taylor).
With the help of thermal imaging produced in cold and wet conditions, Montane have body-mapped these various different materials, making sure the right properties are all deployed in the right places.
This properly scientific approach to evolving the jacket from initial concepts through to finished article means there's a reassuring sense of 'attention to detail' woven through it.
We'll start with looking at the benefits of the different types of insulation.
First you've got the down which, with its high fill power, provides thermal efficiency at a light weight plus plenty of comfort as well. Impressively, this has an eco-friendly hydrophobic treatment which will prevent the down from losing its loft.
Then there's the intelligently placed Polartec Alpha Direct fleece across the back, hood, forearms and lower side panels. We've tested plenty of jackets that use this fabric over the last year or so and we can 100 per cent vouch for it. What you get with this is thermal regulation, comfort and decent wicking performance.
On to the face fabrics.
The Polartec fleece insulation is housed within a version of Pertex called Quantum Air. It's a clever fabric that's designed to strike a perfect balance between weather protection and breathability. Basically, it should let hot, moist air escape while blocking out wind and light rain from the outside.
Pertex Quantum Pro houses the down fill. This is a tightly woven version of the fabric, used on plenty of good down jackets these days, that's designed to provide water resistance along with durability to withstand a bit of abrasion.
Aside from the insulation and outer fabrics, there are plenty of nice design details to shout about as well. The helmet compatible hood for instance, which has a stiffened peak to keep the rain off your face; the harness and hipbelt-compatible handwarmer pockets; and the adjustable hem with two-sided drawcords.
Even tiny things like the micro-fleece lining on the chinguard. There are plenty of other small details like that, and they all combine together to make, in our opinion, one hell of a jacket that's ideal for high tempo adventures in cold weather.
"For me staying warm while having mobility is key and this jacket delivers then excels when it comes to this. It keeps me warm in cold, windy conditions, keeps me dry in light rain and also allows my body to breath and stay at a nice working temperature.
"The Polartec lining is super soft and breathable, making the jacket extra comfortable. The pockets are also large and well placed making this a really functional jacket." – Jackson Wardle, cameraman.


Steel "Passivation" refers to the process of chemical removal of iron contaminates left of the surface of stainless steel and other steel parts after machining. Passivation maximizes resistance to corrosion. A number of different passivation methods exists for various types of steel.
improvement of metal resistance to corrosion by passivation of pipe internal surfaces.


Shop new laptops, notebooks & 2 in 1 PCs from the official Dell site. Everyday, performance, ultra thin & gaming laptops. Build and ship yours today!
One way we do this is by analyzing the data we have and understanding how people use our Products. You can learn more about some of our research efforts.
This article presents options for performing a system restore, resetting Windows installation, or restoring Windows to factory condition on a Dell computer.


Cummins reman engine assemblies for sale including the Cummins N14, Cummins ISX, Cummins Signature 600, Cummins ISM and other Cummins reman engine for sale. All Cummins engines for sale by Kustom Truck are complete with OEM Cummins warranty.
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Cummins OEM factory reman engines including the Cummins ISM and other Cummins reman engines are for sale from Kustom Truck. Before you purchase your next replacement Cummmins ISM reman engine, contact Kustom Truck.
OEM factory reman Cummins engines for sale including the Cummins ISX and other Cummins reman engines from Kustom Truck. Before you purchase your next replacement Cummins ISX reman engine, contact Kustom Truck.
Cummins OEM factory reman engines including the Cummins N14 and other Cummins reman engines are for sale from Kustom Truck. Before you purchase your next replacement Cummmins N14 reman engine, contact Kustom Truck.
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To spec and purchase your next Cummins Reman Engine call toll free 1-888-564-8890.
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text:
HANSARD 1803–2005 → 1980s → 1981 → October 1981 → 27 October 1981 → Lords Sitting
COMMONS AMENDMENT
HL Deb 27 October 1981 vol 424 cc985-6 985
§ 63 Insert the following new clause:
§ Provisions supplementary to section (Relaxation of section 42 restrictions for private companies.
§ .—((1) A special resolution required by section (Relexation of section 42 restrictions for private companies) of this Act to be passed by any company approving the giving of any financial assistance must be passed on the date on which the directors of that company made the statutory declaration required by that section in connection with the giving of that assistance or within the week immediately following that date.
§ (2) Where any such special resolution is passed by a company, an application may be made to the court for the cancellation of that resolution—
(a) by the holders of not less in the aggregate than 10 per cent. in nominal value of the company's issued share capital or any class thereof; or
(b) if the company is not limited by shares, by not less than 10 per cent. of the company's members;
but any such application shall not be made by any person who has consented to or voted in favour of the resolution.
§ (3) Subsections (4) to (10) of section 11 of the 1980 Act (provisions as to applications for cancellation of resolutions to which that section applies) shall apply in relation to applications made under this section as they apply in relation to applications made under that.
§ (4) A special resolution passed by a company shall not be effective for the purposes of section (Relaxation of section 42 restrictions for private companies) of this Act—
(a) unless the declaration made in compliance with subsection (7) of that section by the directors of the company, together with the auditors' report annexed thereto, is available for inspection by members of the company at the meeting at which the resolution is passed;
(b) if it is cancelled by the court on an application under this section.
§ (5) Any statutory declaration made by the directors of any company in compliance with section (Relaxation of section 42 restrictions for private companies) (7) of this Act, together with any auditors' report annexed thereto, shall be delivered to the registrar of companies—
(a) together with a copy of any special resolution passed by the company in pursuance of section (Relaxation of section 42 restrictions for private companies) (4) or (5) of this Act and delivered to the registrar in compliance with section 143 of the 1948 Act; or
(b) where no such special resolution is required to be passed, within fifteen days after the making of the declaration.
§ (6) If a company fails to comply with subsection (5) above, the company and every officer of the company who is in default shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or on conviction after continued contravention to a default fine not exceeding one-fiftieth of the statutory maximum.
§ (7) A director of a company who makes a statutory declaration in pursuance of section (Relaxation of 986 section 42 restrictions for private companies) of this Act without having reasonable grounds for the opinion expressed in that declaration shall be liable—
(a) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or a fine, or both; and
(b) on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or both.
§ (8) In section (Relaxation of section 42 restrictions for private companies) of this Act, "financial assistance" and "net assets" have the meaning given by subsections (5) and (5C) of section 42 of this Act respectively.").
§ Lord Mackay of Clashfern
My Lords, I beg to move that this House doth agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 63.
§ Moved, That this House doth agree with the Commons in the said amendment.—(Lord Mackay of Clashfern.)
§ As an amendment to Amendment No. 63:
§ 63A Subsection (6) at end insert ("and every such officer and every director who authorised the giving of the financial assistance shall be jointly and severally liable to indemnify any person who has suffered loss by reason of the contravention of subsection (5) above".).
§ Lord Wedderburn of Charlton
My Lords, I formally beg to move Amendment No. 63A.
§ Moved, That this House doth agree with the Commons in the amendment to the amendment.—(Lord Charlton of Wedderburn.)
§ On Question, amendment to the amendment negatived.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.
Back to COMMONS AMENDMENT
Forward to COMMONS AMENDMENT
Noticed a typo? | Report other issues | © UK Parliament


text:
Welcome to Spectra Psychological & Counseling!
Everybody needs to talk to someone. If you don't have that someone – or if you can't find them at the moment – come see us and let's talk it through together. Spectra Psychological & Counseling (SPC) opened its doors with the intent to serve. There is no need to wait. The time to take care of you is now.
SPC provides mental health and support services for individuals spanning the ages of three years to adult. Services are based on assessment recommendations, treatment plan goals, and are delivered and / or overseen by a licensed clinician.
Spectra Psychological & Counseling has remained open through the pandemic, primarily for telehealth services. Upon our full return to in-person services, general direction and guidance will be provided from the Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and our local health authority (Tri County Health Department). State and local authority guidance and rules will continue to be followed regarding updates and closures.
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General areas of mental health outpatient service:
Treatment modalities used may include approaches such as:
Dialectal behavior therapy
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy
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Domestic violence and criminal offenses
Psychiatric med evaluation
Substance abuse
Services may vary by specialty, expertise, and clinician availability.
Learn about our enrollment requirements for Spectra Psychological & Counseling.
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