Capricorn and Leo figure prominently in the day's activities. Enter every kind of contest you can find! Finding that extra energy you need to make it through the day will be easy. Play the number 6 to win. Romantic feelings should really blossom by the end of the day. Today is your -- LUCKY DAY! -- Your social life tonight could be very rewarding.
Check out your weekly horoscope as well, or read about the characteristics of Libra!


On Monday this week, MEC for finance economic development and tourism, unveiled a new head for the provincial treasury to replace embattled Nombedesho Nkamba who was forced out of the department in October.
In a statement released by the department of provincial treasury announced that MEC for finance and economic development and tourism, Skhumbuzo Kholwane appointed Gugu Mashiteng, as the acting head of provincial treasury.
Mashiteng was the chief financial officer in the department of education.
"The Acting Head Official, Ms Mashiteng will lead an equally motivated team to continue providing expert guidance to departments, public entities and municipalities on resource management and financial governance amongst other responsibilities," said departmental spokesperson, Letshela Jonas.
Little is known about Mashiteng, however, she is not new in the provincial treasury and that she once worked in that department and was recruited to the department of education buy then MEC Mathulare Coleman.
When Kholwane presented the province's provincial adjustment budget speech last month, Nkamba was conspicuous by her absence.
"Currently, she's on sick leave until the 14th December, that's why she's not here," said Kholwane at the time.
Ironically, Nkamba has been achieving clean audits for her department, but that was not enough to save her from the wrath of the militant trade union, National Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU).
The trade union handed over a memorandum to Mpumalanga premier's office in which they are making damning allegations against her, particularly her role in the R70 million Mandela Memorial scandal.
It is unclear what the allegations against Nkamba are in this regard, however, an investigation by Ziwaphi found that former director-general, Nonhlanhla Mkhize, personally issued several instructions to Standard Bank to make payments of over R40 million to Carol Bouwer's company between December 2013 and January 2014.
"You are authorized to transfer R21 416 484.60 (Twenty One Million Four Hundred and Sixteen Thousand Four Hundred and Eighty Four Rand Sixty Cents Only)," reads one of three letters dated 12 December 2013.
Six days later, another letter directed the bank to transfer R18 379 773.40 to the bank account of Carol Bouwer Productions, thus completing the payment of R39 796 258.00.
In a report dated 11 December 2013 from Carol Bouwer, she states that she, in fact needed less money than the R39,7 million.
"Further to the discussions held regarding the cancellation of the last two events due to bad weather predicted, we have done our best to negotiate with suppliers for reduced cancellation fees and where possible non payment at all," reads the report titled "Renegotiated Quote".
In January 2014, however, almost out of the blue, another letter was issued directing Standard Bank to pay R4 500 000.
This was accompanied by an invoice titled "Contingency", this was despite that the R39,7 million included contingency costs amounting to R3 484 935.00.
Mkhize fell out of favour with former premier Mabuza and left the Mpumalanga provincial government unceremoniously before the expiry of her five-year term.
In 2017, Mabuza, told the Mpumalanga provincial legislature that the Public Protector was investigating the alleged corruption linked to the payments, but at the time of publishing, the Public Protector's office had not responded to written questions.
Spokesperson for the Public Protector cited load shedding as the reason they could not get a comprehensive response to the Ziwaphi enquiry.
Another allegation against Nkamba was that she did not have a security clearance, which is a requirement for all senior government officials.
On this allegation, Mkhize said that Nkamba had a security clearance, however, an investigation by Ziwaphi discovered that she in fact underwent a "suitability assessment" which is performed on all candidates shortlisted for a post, whether they are get appointed or not.
According to the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA), heads of department must, individually, undergo an intensive security vetting process, in addition to the suitability checks that Mkhize was referring to.
"Departments are required to conduct personnel suitability checks for all shortlisted candidates, which cover criminal record checks, citizenship verification, financial/ asset record checks, qualification/ study verification, and previous employment verification.
"Once an individual has been appointed, he/she must be subjected to security clearance in accordance with public service regulations, which require security clearance be undertaken only where the duties attached to the post necessitate it," said department of public service administration (DPSA) spokesperson, Dumisani Nkwamba at the time.
When Nkamba's security clearance matter first came to the fore in 2015, she failed to confirm or deny that she has a security clearance.
"I'm in a meeting," she said in an SMS response.


text:
Q: How to take part from input numbers? Sorry still learning and new to code. I don't know if the title is clear or not, I'm trying to get user last and first input digits, I followed some tutorial and changed it to what I need the problem is I get some numbers even if the Edit Text is empty. I don't know if there is another way or not I just followed some topic to get first and last digit. Here is my code .
EditText ca_code = findViewById(R.id.caps_code);
TextView txt_code_out = findViewById(R.id.out_code);
int mutli = 0;

String lst_code = String.valueOf(ca_code);
//char fst = lst_code.charAt(0);
//char snd = lst_code.charAt(1);
char lat = lst_code.charAt(lst_code.length() - 1);
txt_code_out.setText(String.valueOf((int) lat));

for this i get different output if i change length() - 1
for -1 = output = 125 and for -2 =101 , -3=100, -4= 111, -5 =99
Then I changed the code little bit to
EditText capscode = findViewById(R.id.caps_code);
TextView txt_code_out = findViewById(R.id.out_code);

String lst_code = String.valueOf(capscode);
//char fst = lst_code.charAt(0);
//char snd = lst_code.charAt(1);
char lat = lst_code.charAt(lst_code.length() - 1);
txt_code_out.setText(String.valueOf(lat));

The output was }edoc_spac/di:ppa 7 300,,, for -1 to 20

A: Change to:
String lst_code = capscode.getText().toString();

capscode is an EditText not a number or a String.
With getText().toString() you don't need String.valueOf().

A: Change the line
String lst_code = String.valueOf(capscode);

to
String lst_code = capscode.getText().toString();

The variable capscode is of type EditText, which has a method getText() to retrieve its current value. The value is from type Editable again and it provides a toString() method finally.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
How to Make Healthy New Year Goals—and Actually Stick to Them
Set yourself up for success in 2018 by making a plan that works for you.
By Jaime Milan
Every January millions of people make health-related resolutions—such as eating better, exercising more, or quitting a bad habit—but statistically less than 10 percent actually feel successful in achieving their goals.
This makes sense: When you first start out, it feels great to be making a positive change. But when the newness dissipates and temptations abound, your goals may start to lose their luster. It's easy to quit after a few weeks, feeling you have no motivation or sense of direction, or like making a big life change is just impossible.
Struggling to cook healthy? We'll help you prep.
Sign up for our new weekly newsletter, ThePrep, for inspiration and support for all your meal plan struggles.
Whenever I had an "impossible" task in front of me, my dad would ask me the same question: "How do you eat an elephant?" And I would begrudgingly respond, "One bite at a time." It was smart advice. By breaking big projects into smaller "bites," or tasks, it made things more manageable.
It turns out my dad wasn't alone in this thinking (though the elephant metaphor might be all his). Dr. Ron Breazeale, a clinical psychologist, has written about goal-setting for Psychology Today, and he believes there are several key factors that need to be considered whenever you try to make a successful change, if you're going to be successful—and there's a lot you need to do well before you sign up for that diet program, or toss all the snacks out of your cupboard.
Speaking on the phone, Breazeale said, "When you're talking about people changing behaviors, there are stages within that process: Precontemplation, contemplation, and decision-making."
Dr. Breazeale referred me to a paper by Dr. James Prochaska titled "In Search of How People Change." Essentially, it says that people need to weigh the pros and cons of their goals and decide that the pros outweigh the cons if they are going to be effective.
That's the first step. After that, Dr. Breazeale says, "People need to practice self-efficacy, or believe they can make the change. The problem is, most health or diet programs start [down the line] in the action stage, but you first need to make sure your decision is something you're going to actually follow through with."
Dr. Breazeale recommends doing some self-exploration—for example, if your goal is to lose weight, what's prompting that? Do you want to go on a diet because your cholesterol is high and your spouse is bugging you about it, or do you want to make a lasting change so you're able to run around with your kids and not feel winded after a few minutes? Research suggests that there's one thing all successful goals have in common—the reason behind them has to be meaningful to you.
Now that you're ready to set your goals, you should take out a piece of paper and write them down. The first step? Make sure your goals are S.M.A.R.T—this is an acronym that Breazeale uses, that stands for "Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-specific."
Breazeale says, "I think a lot of people fail because they don't set S.M.A.R.T goals and they're not honest with themselves. I see a lot of people who set goals, but they don't pay much attention to [whether] they're specific." For example, saying "I'm going to lose weight", but not determining the amount you want to lose or setting a timeline will only set you up for failure.
It's also important to create goals that are attainable. "[Making goals] attainable is a little more difficult for people," Breazeale says, "because we could accomplish a lot if we put the time, energy, and resources into it." For example, if you quit your job tomorrow and only focused on prepping healthy meals and lifting weights twice a day, you could look like the Hulk in no time.
Breazeale says, "That's where [being] realistic comes in—are you really going to do these things and commit to what you're setting out to do? What days are you going to do it, what time on those days?" If your goal is getting in shape, that might mean looking at your gym's schedule and mapping out days and times you can attend classes.
So putting that all together, if your goal is to lose weight in 2018, the S.M.A.R.T approach would be to come up with something such as, "I want to lose 20 pounds over the course of 4 months. To do this, I will go for a 30-minute run on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and use the Cooking Light Diet as a nutrition tool to eat healthier meals."
This goal works because it's specific (20 pounds), measurable (you can measure weight loss or keep a daily food journal), attainable (healthy weight loss occurs at 1-2 pounds per week), realistic (you're not trying to lose 20 pounds in a week), and time-specific (your goal will be reached in 4 months).
So, the next time you're faced with eating an entire elephant, make a plan. Instead of stopping mid-trunk because you have no sense of direction, you'll have goals and a schedule in place. And, over time, those mini "bites" will translate into major accomplishments.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Billable hours
I really do like boxes and baskets and luggage and back packs and bags and cases and protective cases and brief cases. I don't know why. I do feel weird carrying a brief case around if I don't have anything important to carry in it, I feel like the case lends the contents some dignity. Of course, my brief cases have always tended to be of the "fake aluminum looks like it's either a set of poker chips or possibly nuclear waste" variety. Nobody is mistaking me for a man of class.
In my life, I've been a part of no less then four failing businesses. The first was a restaurant on the prairies, known widely for its delicious home style cooking (it closed within a year of me quitting, replaced by a subway and a 'we proudly brew Starbucks coffee'). I worked in the dish pit and made a passive aggressive comic called "Johnny dish-pit" and the antagonist was whatever section of the staff ticked me off that day (the managers, the servers, the hostesses) and I'd take them to the ice machine. It's really no wonder that one went out of business.
The second was a car dealership- I was the lot attendant (otherwise known as a car washer) and one month I actually managed to sell more cars then the salesmen (it went out of business shortly after I quit- there was a lot of weird stuff that went on, for example, letting the lot attendant sell cars because the sales staff couldn't be bothered, and about a thousand other corporate violations).
The third and fourth failing businesses I was a part of were coffee shops. They went out of business because, as far as I can tell, they were kept open because investors would be wooed, give money, and then it'd dry up.
At a certain point, you start to wonder, am I the common denominator in all of these failed ventures? Nahhhhhh!
Tags case, comic, comic strip, haha, instacokic, instacomic, lawyers, laywer, legaly, terrible joke, webcomic
← Poe Dameron → GENIUS


The season-concluding World Tour finals is set to remain in London until 2020, the men's governing organization ATP announced on Thursday.
ATP World Tour finals moved to London's O2 Arena, formerly known as the Millennium Dome, in 2009 and has been largely successful for the past six years. The event, which features the world's top eight singles and doubles players, has been attended by over two million fans in the time span.
This year's tournament will feature brand new lead sponsors in the form of Japanese firm Nitto Denko Corporation who will replace Barclays. It will be now be known as the Nitto ATP Finals.
"We are delighted to extend our stay in London and to have Nitto come on board as title sponsors over the next four years." said ATP chief Chris Kermode in a statement on Thursday.
London is one of the most popular choice amongst the players, especially since the Paris Masters event precedes the title-deciding London final. In 2016, Britain's Andy Murray claimed the World Number One ranking by defeating Novak Djokovic, the former four time winner of the ATP competition, in the final in London.
When the finals will take place in London, they will become the longest-serving hosts since New York's Madison Square Garden hosted the event for a twelve year stretch between 1977 and 1989. After that it was held in various locations such as Hanover, Lisbon, Houston and Shanghai.
Next articleMourinho to target 3-4 players in summer transfer window.


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Canada Basketball
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Mon Jul 5, 2021, 09:32 AM
guyroch wrote: View Post
Canada is in good company .. Teams like Brazil and Lithuania won't be going . I think only U.S and Argentia are going to the Olympics from FIBA Americas
Bottom line is Canada needs to be close to full strength to get through to the Olympics. We aren't deep enough to go without Murray, SGA and key bigs like Olynyk and Thompson. Like many countries, we aren't deep enough to guarantee advancement with our B or C team.
guyroch
Puffer wrote: View Post
Not sure how this result plays out in the wider context. Will Canada Basketball lose support and credibility for the 20 years of disappointment? Do the better players decide what's the point of putting their health and reputations on the line if they aren't going to show up well? Or do the new crop of young and talented players get embarrassed with Canada's constant poor showing and engage with r=each other and decide it's time to get it done?
There is no doubt it takes years of commitment to the program to be able to field a quality team. This was only a preliminary, and had more NBA players in it than any other country can field in the Olympics outside of the USA. But no continuity of players, no experience playing together. This country needs at least 10 players to commit to continually show up for 4 years. I hope that happens.
Can it be Canada's strengthen is also their downfall ? Next to the U.S they can field 2 or 3 teams that could have more NBA players then any other opponent they face which means the faces change at every major tournament . The last time Canada did qualify Nash and the core played together for many years ..
You want to see Canada's dream team show up . You would have to have the World Championships in Toronto . Heck the only time Rick Fox put on a Canadian jersey was when the tournament was in Toronto .
Last edited by guyroch; Mon Jul 5, 2021, 09:48 AM.
slaw wrote: View Post
Our "B & C" team that played in Victoria already had way more talent than anybody else in that tournament. We're getting our shorts in a knot because 37-year old journeyman, Blake Schilb, had the game of his life? We got 9 NBA players to show up - that's ultra deep enough. Feels like a lot of over-reaction in here.
It's more about how to "peak" for one & done games. Canada came out with no urgency and thought we could turn it on... which we did. But we cut it too close.
But you can't peak playing for 5 days together. The overwhelming firepower would help offset that problem.
Every team is in the same situation, re: peaking for one game. Satoransky joined the team when they landed in Canada. Schilb didn't play on the national until 2 years ago. He didn't even play in the earlier tournament games. How's that for chemistry building?
What you can control is how much urgency and effort you come out with. This game was exactly like the 2019 Raptors vs. Orlando Game 1, when DJ Augustin hit the game winner. IIRC, Nurse ripped into his players after that game to play harder, and the rest is history. Except in FIBA, you don't get a second chance.
Even with Murray & SGA playing ... you come out lackadaisical against an inferior opponent and you're just asking for trouble. It felt like Canada was banking on their talent and depth advantage to pull them though eventually - and it almost did. If the game was 10 minutes longer, I'm pretty sure Canada takes it. If that's a playoff series, then Canada probably wins 4-1.
They needed to come out like it was an NBA Game 7. Maybe that is where the lack of FIBA experience comes into play - not understanding the urgency and 'every possession' counts mentality of FIBA. You don't really experience that in the NBA, other than elimination games.
You put Thompson on that team we win the qualifier no problem. Or just hit the wide open 3s. The chemistry thing is overblown, I didn't see a lack of chemistry, I saw a lack of big men and a lack of hitting wide open 3s. A lack of chemistry would be mean lots of turnovers (we only had 8) or lack of open shots (most of our shots were good open shots). We got out rebounded handedly and shot 24% from 3. That's the game in a nutshell. Chemistry is not the problem.
Peak ? Cory Joseph who had the most experience playing in FIBA on the roster had 3 points vs Czech ( -21 ) 3 Points against vs China and 3 points against Greece . I love Cory Joseph cause he always says yes to Canada but PG is one of the key positions in FIBA competions and by that productivity he must have not came into camp in game shape . We keep saying we started off slow well Cory was starting in every game .
Mon Jul 5, 2021, 12:01 PM
Yeah, I feel bad for CoJo. He's been there for Team Canada through thick & thin. He's the team captain. And Nurse did realize he was sucking, so he only played him 18 minutes.... but that was 18 minutes too many.
I guess the same issue with urgency also applies to the coaches. You don't want to hurt CoJo's feelings, but it's do or die.... kind of like when Casey did the un-thinkable and benched DeMar in game 7 vs. the Pacers; otherwise, we were losing that game in embarrassing fashion.
The Scrubbs died..... for this?
Primer wrote: View Post
Wow what a great point . Please don't blame chemistry or coaching . Nurse drew up a great last play and the player had a great look and he just misses . He missed like it seemed every shot through out the game . We had good looks through out the game and we just stunk up the joint with shooting . These group of guys could have played together for years but if you shoot like how they did then how do you expect to win .
I am sorry but Cojo wasn't in the same continent when camp opened . At the last Worlds I remember till the last moment we didn't know if he was coming until the last moment . He is saying yes but is he taking his obligation seriously . He acts like he is doing Canada basketball a favor for showing up . It is like okay I will come but don't expect anything .
Kevin Pangos would have been a great asset but guys like him are proably saying to themselves now . I am only going to get a invite if all NBA players say no .
Last edited by guyroch; Mon Jul 5, 2021, 12:19 PM.
People have this idea that all these international teams have been playing together every summer since they were kids and everybody shows up for every tournament. And they just pick up where they left off, 2 or 3 years ago, with no-look passes and perfect chemistry. It's not like that.... even more so with Covid disrupting everything the last few years. People are just stunned because we lost while being the overwhelming favorite and now grasping at excuses to rationalize why it's not a big disappointing failure.
It comes down to the specific in-game execution points you listed ... and I'd add, also guarding the 3-pt line better and stop random scrubs from going off for 30. Your defense can't give up interior AND perimeter at the same time, which is what we did.
Thompson would most definitely help us get a few more offensive rebounds, but he wouldn't help us from 3. And he'd kill the spacing, since they packed the paint and also played a lot of zone to stop our drivers. But still, the OREB rebound battle ended up being close, 12-11 for them. We didn't get slaughtered there. Also, a lot of their DREBs were long rebounds from 3-ball misses, which I don't think TT helps that much with - that's more about hustle and energy. Still, Lyles had 11 rebounds... does TT get more than that? Probably. Maybe just enough OREBs with a couple put-backs to win a nail-biter.
Last edited by golden; Mon Jul 5, 2021, 12:26 PM.
This. The lack of bigs was the biggest issue. You put any combination of Birch, Boucher, Olynk, Thompson in there and now we go from being thin to stacked. If everyone who could have played did (no injuries or contract talk) Lyles probably doesn't see much floor time. They didnt show and he ends up taking the last shot. Given that the majority of our players were under 30 and some key guys under 25, I see bright days coming.
Birch, Boucher and Olynyk are easily explainable... they have no guaranteed contract for next year. What's TT's excuse? Hitting up another Kardashian?
Where's Tristan Thompson at..... when you actually NeedTristanThompson
Darn... this post was prophetic.
The program needs reform and consistency. USAB had the same problem, they were underachieving, they created a much more structured, multi-tiered and multi-year program with an emphasis on commitment and continuity (and that started at the top and went all the way down in the program) and it paid off. Started winning golds again. Canadian men's program has to do the same to reach their potential. It's a revolving door from top to bottom the past 20 years.
You can blame individual factors from game to game, but over the past 20 years the program is clearly underachieving and it's a systemic problem. Those silly Czechs? Their program is ranked 12th in FIBA and Canada is 21st. Tossing a few NBA players who have rarely played together onto the same team with a new coach on short notice does not suddenly launch your 15+ spots up the rankings. Program needs commitment and continuity from all involved.


The cab headquarter is in Karlsruhe. cab is also represented with subsidiaries in Sömmerda in Germany, Niedermodern in France, Tyngsboro in the USA, Shanghai and Taipei in Asia, Juárez in Mexico and Johannesburg in South Africa.
In seven countries cab employs altogether more than 300 employees.
There are furthermore 820 distribution partners in more than 80 countries around the globe. They work in close collaboration with the cab sales department the installation of cab products and solutions as well as their support service.


The regulations that govern industrial storm water aren't adequately controlling this pollution. Baykeeper is advocating for tighter regulations and stricter discharge permits to protect San Francisco Bay from industrial runoff pollution.
Most industrial facilities are regulated by a set of guidelines called the Statewide Industrial General Permit—but this permit does not require facilities to meet explicit pollution limits. Instead, facilities must meet water quality standards that are defined in numerous other laws and regulations. This lack of cohesiveness has led to both facilities and regulators disregarding their full legal obligations to control industrial storm water pollution.
The Statewide Industrial General Permit is up for review in 2012, and Baykeeper is advocating that the permit provide strict and comprehensive standards that will require industrial facilities to control industrial storm water pollution.
Large industrial facilities such as refineries are monitored more closely by individual storm water permits—but even these often fail to take into account all the water quality standards that apply to industrial storm water pollution. When these permits come up for renewal, Baykeeper works to tighten limits on these facilities' permitted storm water pollution.
Read about an example of this work—our advocacy to tighten regulations on the Shell Oil Refinery.


Nosy Be means 'big island' and it is the most popular holiday destination in Madagascar. The island developed a trade in tourism long before the mainland and can thus appear more commercialised than anywhere else in Madagascar. That said, it is the perfect island with an almost perfect climate, offering sun, sea and sand as well as lemurs and chameleons. Exotic scents such as ylang ylang and vanilla are in the air, there are local markets selling spices and local handicrafts.
Why visit Nosy Be ?
Nosy Be and especially its surrounding small islands also have several options for real luxury accommodation which is not always easy to find in the rest of Madagascar. The diving around these smaller islands is considered to be amongst the best in Madagascar, especially at Nosy Tanikely which is a marine reserve. The island of Nosy Komba is home to the black lemur, making a fascinating excursion.


text:
Thurgood Marshall stands behind President Lyndon B. Johnson at the White House on June 13, 1967, as LBJ announces he is nominating Marshall to serve on the Supreme Court. | AP Photo
LBJ nominates Thurgood Marshall to Supreme Court, June 13, 1967
By ANDREW GLASS
On this day in 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson nominated Thurgood Marshall to fill the seat of retiring U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Tom Clark. In announcing his choice, Johnson said it was "the right thing to do, the right time to do it, the right man and the right place."
On Aug. 30, the Senate, after a heated debate, confirmed Marshall by a vote of 69-11. Two days later, after being sworn in by Chief Justice Earl Warren, Marshall became the first African-American to sit on the nation's highest court.
As the NAACP's chief counsel from 1938 to 1961, Marshall, the great-grandson of slaves, argued 32 cases before the high tribunal, repeatedly challenging racial segregation, most notably in public education. He won 29 of those cases, including a historic victory in 1954's Brown v. Board of Education decision, when the court, reversing itself, unanimously found that segregated schools violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy had nominated Marshall for a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit. A group of Southern senators, led by James Eastland (D-Miss.), the Judiciary Committee chairman, held up his confirmation, requiring him to serve for the first several months under a recess appointment.
Four years later, he left that bench to become solicitor general in LBJ's Justice Department. As solicitor general, he won 14 of the 19 cases he argued for the federal government.
Supreme Court upholds Ohio voter purges
By JOSH GERSTEIN
Marshall's most frequent ally on the high court was William Brennan, who had been named to the court by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The Marshall-Brennan pair consistently supported abortion rights and opposed imposition of the death penalty.
Marshall's conservative critics noted that he once described his legal philosophy as "you do what you think is right and let the law catch up." It was a sign, they said, of Marshall's embrace of judicial activism.
In a 1987 address marking the 200th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution, Marshall said: "The government [the Framers] devised was defective from the start, requiring several amendments, a civil war and major social transformations to attain the system of constitutional government and its respect for the freedoms and individual rights [that] we hold as fundamental today."
In conclusion, Marshall said: "Some may more quietly commemorate the suffering, struggle and sacrifice that has triumphed over much of what was wrong with the original document, and observe the anniversary with hopes not realized and promises not fulfilled. I plan to celebrate the bicentennial of the Constitution as a living document, including the Bill of Rights and the other amendments protecting individual freedoms and human rights."
After 24 years on the court, Marshall retired in 1991. He died of heart failure in January 1993 at age 84. In 2005, a major airport that serves the region was renamed the Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.
SOURCE: WWW.HISTORY.COM
This Day In Politics
William Brennan


Kyoto Prefectural Botanical Garden is the place you could enjoy throughout the year! Cherry blossoms in spring, autumn leaves in fall, and illuminations in winter.
Enjoy the adult resort atmosphere at Niseko Village ski area in Hokkaido!


text:
J.B.O. - Pink Planet
New single and title track "Planet Pink" released. The pink cherry on top of their (probably also completely pink) cake of absolute nonsense
J.B.O. - Metal Was My First Love
Today J.B.O. is releasing their first single of the upcoming longplayer – "Metal Was My First Love". A fantastic interpretation of the globally famous song "Music" by John Miles.
J.B.O. - "Planet Pink", a brand-new studio record is coming
Yes, it's time again. The Fun-Metal band from Bavaria, better Franconia, prepared a new album and will release a first fresh single on October 15th
J.B.O. release new music video for "Hallo Bier"!
The Oktoberfest is all history now but in Erlangen, the last ones still raise their glasses
The Oktoberfest is all history now but in Erlangen, the last ones still raise their glasses: J.B.O. release their brand new video for "Hallo Bier" today! The pink warriors ride happily together with their beloved hop drink into their cosy tête-à-tête and warm the heart in their usual funny manner even on cold autumn days.
"Hallo Bier" is the fourth single of the latest successful album "Wer lässt die Sau raus?!"
J.B.O. release "Hoffen und Bangen" music video / New album out June 28!
A tribute to the metal heroes of glorious days...
J.B.O.: New album "Wer lässt die Sau raus?!" out now / Official music video online!
Finally, they answered the question of questions and freed the poor animal...
J.B.O. release "Durst"! the first single of the upcoming new album
It is time to start the celebrations...
J.B.O.: New video!
J.B.O. release their new single and video "Du hast dein Smartphone vergessen", taken from the new album "Deutsche Vita". "Deutsche Vita" will be out on March 30th as digipak, ltd. vinyl and ltd. boxset.
J.B.O. : New album "Deutsche Vita" and tour dates announced!
J.B.O., the founders of Comedy Metal return with their 12th studio album "Deutsche Vita" on March 30th 2018!
New Tourdates!
The pink Metal gods J.B.O. will be on tour in Germany, Austria and Switzerland from October 14th on.
Fantastic new video!
J.B.O. release the second single/video "Ich hätt gern mehr", taken from their new album "11", out on July 8th
© 2010 - 2022 AFM Records


text:
@interface FreeHero : NSObject
@property(nonatomic,retain)NSString * cnName;
@property(nonatomic,retain)NSString * enName;
@property(nonatomic,retain)NSString * location;
@property(nonatomic,retain)NSString * title;
@property(nonatomic,retain)NSString * tags;
@property(nonatomic,retain)NSString * price;
@property(nonatomic,retain)NSString * rating;
@property(nonatomic,retain)NSString * presentTimes;
@end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Literature & Culture /
Early Modern & Modern Humanities & Cultures /
The Thinker and the Specialist [Paperback]
Ruggero D'Alessandro(Author)
Series: Sociology
In 1963, Hanna Arendt published Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil . This volume provoked a strong reaction throughout the Jewish community. The accusations that would arise involved Arendt's portrayal of Eichmann, her a... .... Learn More
The Archaeology of Anglo-Jewry in England and Wales 1656–c.1880 [Paperback]
Kenneth Marks(Author)
The Archaeology of Anglo-Jewry in England and Wales 1656–c.1880 is a comprehensive study of the urban topography of Anglo-Jewry in the period before the mass immigration of 1881. The book brings together the evidence for the ... .... Learn More
Targumic Manuscripts in the Cambridge Genizah Collections [Paperback]
Michael Klein(Author)
Series: Genizah Series
This volume, originally published by Cambridge University Press and now reprinted by Archaeopress, is an essential research tool for scholars studying the Jewish Aramaic translations of the Bible. It provides a description for ever... .... Learn More
Art and Ceremony in Jewish Life: Essays in the History of Jewish Art [Hardback]
Vivian B. Mann(Author)
Published by : Pindar Press
Since turning to the field of Jewish art over twenty years ago, Vivian Mann has concentrated on investigating Jewish ceremonial art within the dual contexts of Jewish law, and the history of decorative arts in general, including t... .... Learn More


(October 4, 2017) – There was something for every music lover at the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival, which WorldStage exclusively supported with lighting, LED video and rigging. One of New York City's longest-running, free, outdoor performing arts festivals, Celebrate Brooklyn! attracts more than 200,000 attendees to the Prospect Park Bandshell each summer to see a wide array of artists. This year's lineup included Lake Street Dive, jazz legend Pharaoh Sanders, Senegalese superstar Youssou N'Dour, soul singer Musiq Soulchild, funk act Quantic and indie rockers Whitney.
BRIC, the non-profit arts and media organization, produced the annual festival, which launched in 1979. Celebrate Brooklyn! was an anchor in the revitalization of Prospect Park after years of neglect, and the festival has grown into one of the city's foremost summer cultural attractions.
"Celebrate Brooklyn! has become a staple on the New York summer concert festivals scene, and it's thrilling to work with the fine professional team at BRIC to make every season better than the last," says Alison May, Project Manager at WorldStage.
WorldStage has a long-standing partnership with BRIC providing a lighting rig and video gear versatile enough to adapt to rock and folk artists, world music stars, dancers and even movie nights. Brendon Boyd of Brooklyn's Boyd Design, Inc. handled production management and design for the festival and served as its Lighting Designer. He has an 18-year history with Celebrate Brooklyn! and begins each new festival by compiling a wish list of fixtures he'd like to use.
WorldStage also furnished Chauvet Next NXT-1 LED panels with tilt and rotation capabilities. "We used them primarily as effects lights but they had enough punch for low side lights and were good wash fixtures on the band as well," says Boyd.
GLP Impression X4s were "punchy and powerful" small moving head LEDs. "Their nice pin spot effects just zipped around the stage," he notes.
Martin MAC Auras acted as "workhorses in the plot," Boyd says. "We love them." VARI*LITE 3500s uplit the historic 1939 bandshell. Color Kinetics Color Blast 12-inch fixtures and Color Blaze 6-foot units also served as architectural and effects lighting.
Elation EPARs were scattered throughout the park at entrance portals, in the friends' tents and the kitchen tent. Numerous ETC Source Four fixtures and Par 64 ACLs rounded out the lighting complement.
At BRIC Jack Walsh was the Executive Producer of Celebrate Brooklyn! At Boyd Design Miguel Valderrama was the Lighting Director and Bill Kennedy the Technical Director.


text:
National Park ID, MT, WY
One of more than 150 skulls and skeletal materials in the museum collection from the park's Wolf Project, wolf 007F was released in Yellowstone in 1995 as a Rose Creek pup. She joined 002M from the Crystal Creek pack in 1996 to form the Leopold Pack, the first naturally formed pack of the new era. She was killed by wolves of the Geode Creek pack in 2002.
Yellowstone's museum collection contains more than 720,000 items that, along with the archives and library collection, document the cultural and natural history of the park. The museum collection consists of natural history, archeological, and cultural objects, including obsidian points, skulls from the first wolves reintroduced in the park, Thomas Moran's original watercolor field sketches, William Henry Jackson's photographs, furniture from the historic hotels and other historic structures, and an extensive historic vehicle collection ranging from stagecoaches and wagons, through early buses and automobiles, to fire trucks and a snowmobile.
The collection is used each year by park staff and other researchers looking for background information on Yellowstone history, specific reference material, and illustrations for commercial products, school programs, special events, and adult education. The televised series, "The National Parks: America's Best Idea," by Ken Burns contained hundreds of images from Yellowstone's collections.
While the Heritage and Research Center does have some rotating exhibits in the lobby area, the facility was not designed to be a museum, but rather a research center and a state-of-the-art storage facility. With exception of some restricted collections, such as Thomas Moran's original watercolor field sketches, William Henry Jackson's photographs, and other rare or fragile items, the museum collections are accessible to researchers by appointment only and require at least 24-hours advanced notice.
The Library, Archives, and Museum collections are currently open for research by appointment. Curbside pick-up of library books is available for library card holders with advanced scheduling. Appointments are generally available Monday-Thursday, 9am-4pm, with at least 24 hours notice. Closed federal holidays. Email us for more information.
The building, exhibits, and facility tours remain closed at this time
To access Yellowstone's museum collections, researchers must complete and sign the following forms: Access Policy, Researcher Registration form, and Copyright Waiver. Anyone interested in obtaining reproduction copies in the form of one-time use digital files of historic images from the museum collections, please review the reproduction fee information. You may submit your request information and all forms electronically to Yell_Museum@nps.gov or mail the forms to
Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190
Online CollectionsSelected portions of our records have been digitized and placed online. This is an ongoing project.
Montana Memory Project: Collections include Superintendent's Annual and Monthly reports, maps and drawings, oral histories, and photographs.
Open Parks Network: Historic photographs taken by the Park's official photographers and gathered together into thematic albums in the mid-20th century.
NPS Technical Information Center: Historic maps and architectural drawings, and related construction reports for all parks in the National Park Service. Use the Search Filters button to select Yellowstone.
Historic Slide File: Historic photographs from the museum collection organized by era and then by topic.
Miriam Watson, Supervisory Curator
Yellowstone National Park Archives
Library of Congress has a collection of 25 historic maps of Yellowstone: https://www.loc.gov/collections/national-parks-maps/
United States Geological Society has an extensive collection of William Henry Jackson photographs taken during the 1871 Hayden Expedition which are available digitally: https://library.usgs.gov/photo/#/
Yellowstone Science 12(4), 2004, Heritage and Research Center (2.0 MB PDF): Yellowstone's museum, library, and archival collections finally move into a home worthy of their international significance.
Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190-0168


United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) would have to make a decision on its future in the coming days given the situation risen over the National List and on the forming a National Government, its ally Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) said yesterday.
MEP leader UPFA Leader Dinesh Gunawardane told a news briefing that the National List of the alliance had been submitted without getting the Secretary's approval by UPFA former general secretary Susil Premajayantha, violating the practice of UPFA.
He recalled that the National List slots were decided by UPFA allies during the past years and the procedure was same during this election. But he said it was surprising to see Premajayantha submitting another list, which included defeated candidates as well.
Gunawardane said the 2015 General Elections couldn't be called free and fair, when one considered the manipulation of the National List.
He said the elections ended only when the elected MPs names were gazetted. Therefore he said the electoral process was far from over as the lists were not gazetted yet.
In such circumstances, Gunawardane said one could safely say that the election was far from being free and fair one.
He said the removing of general secretaries of both the UPFA and the SLFP also contributed to unfair nature of the elections as that incident pulled UPFA from a victory, which was imminent.
He said UPFA did not have a mandate to form a National Government as people who had voted for it had endorsed the pledge given by the party during the polls that it would form a government of its own if elected.


I see no better way to launch my new website than a series of articles discussing the four rules of gun safety.
Is it ever okay to break the rules? What about shoulder holster or bra holsters, are they pointing the gun at people around them? So, your sights are on target, should your finger be on the trigger? What about that target and what is beyond?


text:
Q: Replace dots in a float column with nan in Python I have a data frame df like this
df = pd.DataFrame([
    {'Name': 'Chris', 'Item Purchased': 'Sponge', 'Cost': 22.50},
    {'Name': 'Kevyn', 'Item Purchased': 'Kitty Litter', 'Cost': '.........'},
    {'Name': 'Filip', 'Item Purchased': 'Spoon', 'Cost': '...'}],
    index=['Store 1', 'Store 1', 'Store 2'])

I want to replace the missing values in 'Cost' columns to np.nan. So far I have tried:
df['Cost']=df['Cost'].str.replace("\.\.+", np.nan)

and
df['Cost']=re.sub('\.\.+',np.nan,df['Cost'])

but neither of them seem to work properly. Please help.

A: Use DataFrame.replace with the regex=True switch.
df = df.replace('\.+', np.nan, regex=True)
df

         Cost Item Purchased   Name
Store 1  22.5         Sponge  Chris
Store 1   NaN   Kitty Litter  Kevyn
Store 2   NaN          Spoon  Filip

The pattern \.+ specifies one or more dots. You could also use [.]+ as a pattern to the same effect.


text:
S. Jaishankar calls out Pakistan for funding Terrorism, Says Could Have Use Much Harsher Words ...
S. Jaishankar calls out Pakistan for funding Terrorism, Says Could Have Use Much Harsher Words
In an interview in Austria, India's External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar slammed Pakistan's terror funding and recruitment.
By Pulkit Srivastava
In an interview in Austria, India's External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar slammed Pakistan's terror funding and recruitment. Jaishaknar was being questioned whether calling Pakistan an epicenter of terrorism was a diplomatic thing to do to which he said, "I could've used much harsher words than epicenter" to describe Islamabad's role in promoting cross-border terrorism. Believe me, it's a very diplomatic term".
He further said, "This is a country which attacked the Parliament of India some years ago, which attacked the city of Mumbai, which went after hotels and foreign tourists, which sends terrorists across the border every day".
"If terrorist camps operate in broad daylight in cities, with recruitment and financing, can you really tell me that the Pakistani state doesn't know what's going on? Especially if they're being trained in military-level combat tactics?"
During the ZIB2 podcast when the anchor said that Pakistan does not spread terrorism as a country, Mr Jaishankar responded, "If you control your sovereign space, which I believe they do. If terrorist camps operate in broad daylight in cities with recruitment and financing, can you really tell me that the Pakistani state doesn't know what's going on? Especially, they are being trained in military-level, combat tactics."


Bryte Gardens Apartments is a great place to live.
Convenient downtown location...Very large back yard...Quiet and close to schools.
Bryte Gardens is conveniently located near freeways 80, 50, schools and shopping centers. The beautiful grounds feature lush landscaping.


text:
The Agua Caliente Casino and Hotel is a now-defunct resort that operated from 1928 to 1935. Although the casino and hotel were closed, the racetrack continued to operate for many years. The original grandstand structure was destroyed by fire in 1971, but was rebuilt and continues to operate today as the Agua Caliente Racetrack and Casino, a branch of the Casino Caliente chain.

History
The vast and spectacular resort opened on June 22, 1928, outside the Mexican city of Tijuana in Baja California, in what is now the Agua Caliente neighborhood. It was designed by the prominent North American architect Wayne McAllister, who was just 19 years old at the time. Stylistically, it was a blend of Mexican colonial and California mission styles, with significant neo-Moorish elements.

Gambling and horse racing were illegal in neighboring California. And alcohol was illegal throughout the US, due to Prohibition. So, many wealthy Americans and Hollywood celebrities flocked to Agua Caliente, which was just 18 miles south of the San Diego International Airport. Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Louis B. Mayer, the Marx Brothers, Bing Crosby, Charlie Chaplin, Gloria Swanson, and the boxer Jack Dempsey were among the regular visitors. The resort also attracted elites from around the world, including diplomats, royalty, sports stars, politicians, patricians, and nouveau-riche capitalists. Rita Hayworth was discovered there while performing in a show. The films In Caliente and The Champ were filmed on location there. And the resort also attracted gangsters. Al Capone was rumored to have been a regular visitor. And Bugsy Siegel cited Agua Caliente as his inspiration for building the Flamingo Club, on what would become the Las Vegas Strip. The great New Zealand racehorse Phar Lap won the Agua Caliente Handicap in 1932, earning the richest purse in North America. And the thoroughbred champion Seabiscuit raced on the iconic horse track in 1938.

The first stage of the resort was completed in June 1928. It consisted of a 500-room hotel, casino, health spa with Turkish steam bath, minaret tower, and café. The second stage was completed at the end of December 1929. It consisted of an Olympic-size swimming pool, health clinics, 18-hole golf course, putting course, horse racing track, greyhound race track, gardens & tropical aviary, guest bungalows, laundry, and workshop areas. The resort also had its own private radio station and airport facility. The highlight of the opulent casino was the Gold Room, where patrons could only bet using gold chips, with a rumored $500 minimum wager. One Los Angeles Times reporter concluded in 1929 that "there isn't another place on the continent, outside of a U.S. Mint, where you can see so much money piled up before your eyes at one time. Its only rival in the world is Monte Carlo."

The entire Agua Caliente resort cost approximately $10 million to build, which was a huge sum of money for that era. It was built by the Agua Caliente Company, which was formed by North American investors Baron H. Long, Wirt G. Bowman and James N. Crofton. The fourth partner was General Abelardo L. Rodríguez, who was acting Military Commander and Governor of Baja California. Rodríguez would later serve as President of Mexico (1932-1934). Rodríguez owned the land upon which the resort was built. The Agua Caliente Company gave the contract for the construction of the resort to Fernando L. Rodríguez, who was Governor Rodríguez's brother and one of Baron H. Long's business associates. According to Satan's Playground author Paul Vanderwood, Rodríguez used taxpayer money to construct and outfit the enterprise.

Mexican President Lázaro Cárdenas outlawed gambling in 1935 and closed the resort. It became a state-run school, Escuela Preparatoria Federal Lázaro Cárdenas and eventually fell into disrepair. Although most of the original buildings are gone, remnants remain. The blue-tiled minaret has been preserved, and sits on the west side of the grounds near the Plaza Minarete shopping mall. The interior shell of the Spa Building was also preserved, and the Olympic-size swimming pool in the courtyard was restored in the late 2000s. It's now called the Alberca de Agua Caliente (PFLC). Near the pool are the remains of the Fuente Fauno (Faun Fountain). The original guest bungalows are still standing, on the east side of the former complex. The 18-hole golf course is now the Country Club of Tijuana. And a replica of the iconic bell tower (which once stood at the resort entrance) now stands at the beginning of Boulevard Agua Caliente, about two miles west of the old resort.

Bibliography
 Beltran, David Jimenez. The Agua Caliente Story: Remembering Mexico's Legendary Racetrack (2004) Eclipse Press
 Chris Nichols. The Leisure Architecture of Wayne McAllister (Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith) 2007

See also
 In Caliente

References

External links
 Photos of Agua Caliente Casino and Hotel

Resorts in Mexico
Hotels in Mexico
Defunct casinos
History of Tijuana
Agua Caliente, Tijuana
Tourist attractions in Baja California
Buildings and structures in Baja California
Casinos in Mexico
Casino hotels
1928 establishments in Mexico
Hotels established in 1928
Defunct hotels

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: Cyclic queue with full BUFFER capacity #define BUFFER_SIZE 10
typedef {
...
} item;

item buffer[BUFFER_SIZE];
int in = 0;
int out = 0;

buffer is empty when
in == out

buffer is full when
((in+1)%BUFFER_SIZE) == out

This algorithm allows at most BUFFER_SIZE - 1 item in the buffer at the same time.
Is there a solution where BUFFER_SIZE items can be in the buffer at the same time?

A: Use an integer variable counter, initialized to 0. Counter is incremented every time we add a new item to the buffer and is decremented every time we remove one item from the buffer.
Producer -
while (true) {
  /* produce an item in nextProduced */
  while (counter == BUFFER_SIZE)
  ; /* do nothing */
  buffer[in] = nextProduced;
  in = (in + 1) %BUFFER_SIZE;
  counter++;
}

Consumer -
while (true) {
  while (counter == 0)
  ; /* do nothing */
  nextConsumed = buffer[out];
  out = (out + 1) % BUFFER_SIZE;
  counter--;
  /* consume the item in nextConsumed */
}


While there is no way to completely prevent identity theft, the best way to minimize your risk is to utilize an identity theft monitoring service to protect your personal information.
CSID Protector Plus offers multiple layers of protection to ensure the integrity of your identity. Select from one of the following plans to get identity protection coverage that's right for you.
Work with a certified identity theft restoration specialist to restore your ID and let you get on with your life. This service is available for affected individuals even if you do not enroll.
*Child Monitoring is only included in the CSID Protector Plus Family Plan option for $11.99/month.


Undecima is an online browser multiplayer strategy game. Go to village hall and start building facilities. As a reward you'll receive some gold and food. Keep an eye on your profile to see information about your score, rank, level, rewards etc. Go to map to see your location and surroundings. Ongoing tasks section gives you a clue about missions that you should complete. You can also build your own farm, keep, town hall, watchtower, walls etc. Expand your village, upgrade your facilities and keep your village safe.
A new quest is coming to Undecima – Most Wanted, where players will have limited time to find, capture, and deliver Villains, who will be hiding in different locations. There will be nice rewards and as quest will vary in difficulty, the harder it is, the large the bounty will be. But wait, there is more! Players and everybody else can take part in developing this quest and suggest names and descriptions for the Villains that have to be captured – the best and funniest will make it in the Game 🙂 You can check it out in this thread on Undecima Forum: https://forum.undecima.com/FRM-ShowThread.aspx?thrid=2522 and if you feel creative, you can suggest your names in this thread.
Winning the Game round does not affect other players, there are no global restarts or resets in Undecima.
This game is just a copy of Travian.
It's been a bit over a month since Undecima was relaunched, but there are already new updates and improvements. The Mayor now has even more useful features to boost your food and gold upkeep and extend the maximum capacity of your storage. There are some improvements for interface, daily quests, and a new update that will allow pure PvE experience is coming soon.
Just been reset and has great potential. You should really check this game out!
Game has been reset and updated with a lot of new features.
Definitely worth giving it a try!
The Call of Ragnarok is a new feature in Undecima that will allow all (or almost all) active players to take part in the Endgame. It's risky and there is no way back, but if you don't want to miss on the Grand Finale, you can take this opportunity, accept the Call and maybe even win the Game. Read more about it in this thread: http://forum.undecima.com/FRM-ShowThread.aspx?thrid=367.
Another new feature is Voting for Undecima. It has been integrated into the Game and now if you enjoy playing Undecima, you can vote for it right from the Game and you will be rewarded some Coins of the Chronos for your effort as well. Read more about this feature in this thread: http://forum.undecima.com/FRM-ShowThread.aspx?thrid=370.
A new Undecima Video Tutorial (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22oxFOBLrEo) is now available on YouTube. This video covers all new and old concepts of the Game and walks you through the whole Tutorial with explanations and commentaries from the very beginning to the point where you research a Town Class.
There are Time Markers in the description of this video for each step now. So, if you get stuck on a particular step, you don't have watch the whole video (even though it's a nice video), but just directly jump to the place where you got stuck.
A new World of Undecima has just started and it can be your chance to capture the Crown of Ultimate Power and prove that you are a True Ruler of Undecima. With the steel of Might, the power of Magic, the spirit of Nature, or the light of Faith, face your enemies with courage and honour and bring Undecima to its proper glory.
If you tried Undecima some time ago, you will find many new features in the game. You can explore the Ruins of Decima now, your Mayor has many new upgrades to improve the efficiency of your Town, you can hire help to produce more Gold and Food, and even you, yourself can Roll up your Sleeves and help your workers around the Town.
There is also a new Tutorial with Step-by-Step Instructions covering all new and old main concepts of the Game.
Give it a try and if you liked it before, you will like it even more now.
Beautiful and well balanced game, a lot of thought and care went into creating Undecima. If you are looking for something different, something that is new player friendly, then Undecima is for you. If you are tired of getting farmed into the ground. Feeling like all your hard work is wasted to players either in big clans, or who have months of building time ahead of you? Then you should give Undecima a try.
^ This. you should definitely check out this game. Game is updates constantly with new content and the admin listens to what the players want. Give it a try you will like it!


text:
Home » Case studies » WheelPower Volunteer Case Study - Reward & Recognition - Alan Soldini
WheelPower Volunteer Case Study - Reward & Recognition - Alan Soldini
My experience as a volunteer for WheelPower at Stoke Mandeville Stadium
In the beginning:
I first volunteered at Stoke Mandeville at the International Stoke Mandeville Games in 1974. My employer sponsored the games and offered the opportunity to interested employees to volunteer for the week. I was officially there to work on the reception/information desk because I spoke some French and German and it was thought that this might be useful. When I got there I found that most of the teams from Europe spoke English so I didn't need to practice my languages, but I didn't realise until the teams started to arrive that there were literally hundreds of competitors, and they came from every continent, as the ISM Games were the equivalent in non-Olympic years of the Paralympics, so the information desk was always busy and I certainly felt that I made a useful contribution.
However, whatever volunteers' official jobs were, we all tended to help out wherever needed, so my first job was putting up beds in a local school hall. Because there was very little accommodation on site, with no Olympic Village and no Olympic lodge, just a few dorms in the huts, most of the participants were in makeshift dormitories in schools etc. On the way to the school on that first day I thought I would be friendly and introduce myself to the man sitting next to me on the minibus. The conversation took an unanticipated turn when I innocently asked what he did for a living when he wasn't making beds. The answer of "generally I make mailbags" made sense when he explained that he was part of a working party from Springhill prison!
I was soon to learn that there was also a police presence, but they weren't there to keep an eye on the prison working party. October 1973 had seen the Yom Kippur War between a coalition of Arab states and Israel, and the massacre of 11 Israelis in Munich during the 1972 summer Olympics meant that the Israeli team at ISMG had accommodation offsite and isolated from all other teams, and also that armed special branch officers were present throughout the games to provide security for the Israelis. But at those games in July 1974, less than a year after the war, I watched Egypt play Israel at basketball, with both teams following the tradition of swapping badges and other gifts – each knowing that some members of both teams had fought against each other, and I believe some of the badges commemorated this. South Africa sent a team that included both black and white members, although there was an international boycott of South Africa in all other sports because of their apartheid policy. This caused considerable controversy over the years, and they were eventually banned from ISMG in 1985 due to political pressure.
Having spent a week in an environment where everyone was treated equally regardless of whether they used a wheelchair or not, where black and white South Africans spoke to each other, where Israel and Egypt could compete against one another instead of shooting at each other, and "cops and robbers" rubbed shoulders over lunch, it is hardly surprising that when Sir Ludwig Guttmann asked whether I would return, the answer was an unequivocal "yes".
Back then, it wasn't only the Olympic Village and Lodge for accommodation that were missing. The sports hall was half its current size, there were no tennis courts and no bowls centre. But most significantly, there was no athletics track. Wheelchair users weren't expected to be able to push more than a couple of hundred meters in a race, which was fair enough because there were no special sports chairs, so they competed in their day chairs. And the day chairs were primitive by today's standards, old-fashioned "sit up beg" models that seemed to weigh a ton. So, the "track" was a 60-metre stretch of more or less flat tarmac across what is now the car park, with a drop of about five feet a few meters after the finish line! But apart from the short distances, and overall much lower performance standards than today's Paralympians achieve, the competition included many of the wheelchair sports that we are all familiar with, so there was plenty to entertain the volunteers if we got a break from work. The one time we were guaranteed a break was in the evenings, and the evenings meant the beer tent!!! There was a huge marquee roughly where the tennis courts and overflow car park stand today, and it was manned by an army of volunteers from the now-defunct Supporters' Club. Like international sportsmen the world over, most of the competitors trained hard for months building up to their competition, but, once their event was over, they would let their hair down and so the beer tent got progressively busier as the week went on. Over the next few years the social life of the beer tent was supplemented by some regular parties to which the privileged few, like team managers and officials and, most importantly from my viewpoint, reception staff, were always invited. Thursday evenings, the Jordanian Embassy put on a reception for the Jordanian team and their guests. On Friday evenings, at the start of their sabbath, the Israeli team would celebrate Kiddush, and this was followed by a party sponsored by a Jewish group from London (I think) that went on late into the night. Saturday was the last day of the games and the Australian team would raid the local butchers and off licence and put on a "barbie". Before they were banned, the South Africans displayed their traditional rivalry with the Aussies, so instead of the Aussie barbie, in alternate years we would be treated to a South African "braai". There were always some sore heads on Sunday mornings when the teams boarded their busses to take them to the airport.
The next twenty years:
For the next twenty years or so I returned to Stoke Mandeville for a week – actually, it was normally Saturday morning through to the following Sunday evening – every year except Olympic years when the Paralympics were usually held in the Olympic host country for that year. New facilities were built, and the performance levels at the Games at Stoke Mandeville rose. But this also meant that more and more sports developed their own world championships and limited funding meant that teams often had to choose which competitions to enter. As the Paralympic movement grew, Stoke Mandeville began to be overshadowed.
However, this was temporarily reversed in 1984 when the games were scheduled to be held in the USA, as the Olympics were in Los Angeles. At that time, the Paralympics were not typically held in the Olympic host city, and certainly didn't use the same facilities. In 1984, the wheelchair events were planned to be in Champaign, Illinois, while the events for other disabilities were held in New York, under the auspices of a separate organisation. But with only four months' notice, the organisers of the Champaign games pulled out and the Stoke Mandeville team that regularly ran games for three years out of four had to get all hands to the pumps and put on a bigger event than any of them had ever contemplated. As a volunteer, though, it was just like all the others I had been at, except much, much bigger. A few years later, I was queueing to get into my local swimming pool in East Grinstead, wearing a t-shirt from the 1984 games, when an Australian accent from behind the desk said "Were you at Stoke Mandeville in '84? I was team manager with the team from Papua New Guinea!"
1993 saw another change. As well as the regular ISMG games, Stoke Mandeville also hosted Challenge 93 which was organised by British Ex-Forces Wheelchair Sports Association (BEWSA) for disabled ex-service men and women from several countries. It was a forerunner of the Invictus Games and was opened by the late King Hussein of Jordan, but didn't have the regular patronage of anyone with the stature and enthusiasm of Prince Harry, so although the 1993 games were a success, and there were a couple similar events in the next few years, they didn't catch on.
The turn of the century saw massive changes in the volunteering opportunities at Stoke Mandeville for those who want to get really stuck in for days at a time, being fully involved in delivering sporting events, rather than doing a few hours a week in an office to support those the events. Both types of volunteer are valuable, of course, and suit different individuals, but I personally enjoy the hands-on stuff, where I get to meet the people who benefit from the chance to take part in wheelchair sports. The first change was that the last international games took place in 1998; the second was the temporary closure and refurbishment of the stadium. As mentioned earlier, the international games had really outgrown the facilities at Stoke and had been superseded in many sports by individual world championship competitions. 1998 was classed as a "development" games, for up-and-coming athletes who hadn't yet taken part in Paralympics but Stoke hasn't seen this type of event since then. So, since 1999, my volunteering has been confined to domestic games – the Inter Spinal Unit Games (ISUG) which are held every April, and the National Junior Games (NJG) every September/October, and for a few years the National Games, which are no longer held as a multisport meeting. Just as with the internationals, the explosive growth in numbers of people taking part has meant that the focus has switched to national championships for each sport. The NJG were temporarily relocated to Reading and the National Games to Cardiff while the Stadium was out of action, but the NJG and ISUG are still going strong.
In many ways, this has made my volunteering even more enjoyable that it was for the first 25 years, when I was only involved in international quasi-Paralympic events. ISUG sees around 100 participants every year, all of whom have suffered spinal injury within the past 12 months, so all are coming to terms with their disabilities. Their attitude is typically very similar to the guys I used to meet at the Internationals in the 1970s and '80s – they work hard and do their best at whatever sport(s) they choose, but also play hard and make friends and build social contacts in the bar afterwards. It is sobering to realise just how many people suffer traumatic spinal injury every year, but it is heartening to see how many are far less severely paralysed than used to be the case, due to improved first aid and medical techniques and treatments. And, of course, it is fantastic meeting such inspiring people and making new friends. It isn't unusual to see some of the participants are visibly happier and stronger at the end of the four-day games than they were at the start; they smile more easily, they are obviously more confident, and often actually sit higher in their chairs. It's a privilege to think that I might have played a small part in making that happen, whether it's from helping organise the event in general, or coaching in one or more sports – I've always been happy to turn my hand to anything that needs doing to make the event a success.
Why the National Junior Games are so inspiring…
The people at NJG are totally different. This event is for children aged 11 to 18, and although some do use wheelchairs as a result of spinal injury, most have never been able to walk, or have always known that a progressive condition would slowly rob them of this ability. So, the whole atmosphere is completely different from ISUG. Where the people at ISUG are getting used to their new life as wheelchair users, the kids at NJG have had their whole lives to accept their condition, but we give them a chance to compete on equal terms with other kids with similar disabilities. Some of them can rarely do this, especially those in mainstream schools where they might be the only wheelchair user. For the past 15 years or so, apart from generally helping with whatever needs doing, I have been responsible for running Zone Hockey at NJG. This is a highly inclusive game which allows people with many levels of disability to play together as a team and it is extremely popular with the children as well as with the teachers and parents who come with them. It is also popular with an even younger age group when I run it at the one-day Primary Sports Camps that are held a few times a year at Stoke Mandeville and occasionally other venues around the country. Again, it is a great feeling to think that I help the kids learn how to be part of a team, to win or to lose with dignity, and above all, to have fun.
Why volunteering for WheelPower is worth it…
So, I've seen a lot of changes in the 45 years I've been involved, but the job satisfaction is still the same. It comes from seeing the happiness, confidence and strength that sport can bring to wheelchair users. That's why I prefer the type of volunteering I do - the concentrated hands-on, get-stuck-in-for-a-week, get-home-exhausted type, rather than fund-raising, or doing mailshots, or giving talks. I did serve as a trustee on the board for six years, so I do have experience of being more of a "back room" volunteer but, important as the trustee role is, for me that's not a patch on seeing the smile on the face of someone at ISUG when they find out how much they can still do after they have spent six months or so being highly aware of what they haven't been able to do, or watching the Paralympics on TV and thinking "I remember him/her when they were only 12 years old and enjoying playing Zone Hockey with their mates."
'We would like to thank Alan for all his support over the years - you're doing a tremendous job Alan! You are a WheelPower Superstar! You deserve the recognition!'
If you or a friend has volunteered for WheelPower in the past or present time, please do get in touch, we'd love to cover your story, give you the recognition you deserve and show how your hard work has helped a countless number of wheelchair users lead more active and healthier lives! Email press@wheelpower.org.uk
Browse fundraising events Run, ride, jump, dive or just eat to help us raise money
Volunteer We're in need of help nationwide, find opportunities near you
WheelPower Chief Executive awarded an OBE in Queen's New Year's Honours List
WheelPower's Ian Durrant, Physical Activity Advisor supports Thomas Miller at Stoke Mandeville Hospital
Rae cycles from London to Brighton two years after becoming paralysed
Case Study - Benjamin Bryan Norman - Southport Spinal Injuries Unit


GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. (July 14, 2018) – In dominating fashion, Jake Neuman snapped the Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports winning streak in POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League competition. By winning the second night of the Second Annual Thunder in the Valley, Neuman and his family owned team are now one of three different car owners to capture victories throughout 2018 with the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League.
Neuman, hailing from New Berlin, Illinois, took the top spot from early race leader, Holly Shelton on lap 11 and set a blistering pace leaning against the tall Valley Speedway curb. Enduring a handful of yellows on his way to victory, Neuman was never seriously challenged. On the final lap in the final turn, last night's winner, Tucker Klaasmeyer threw a haymaker of a slide job from the second position entering turn three in hopes of possibly cutting of Neuman coming off four, but Neuman's head of steam was too much for the slide job to even threaten his lead. Klaasmeyer ultimately ended up spun around after hard contact with the cushion and finished 16th. Ryan Robinson took second with Holly Shelton in third, while Wesley Smith took fourth. Smith drove to fourth from 17th after taking the semi-feature victory. Kory Schudy completed the top five.


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Enkiant (Enkianthus) – rodzaj roślin należących do rodziny wrzosowatych (Ericaceae). Tworzy klad bazalny w obrębie rodziny. Obejmuje w zależności od ujęcia od ok. 12 do 17 gatunków. Rośliny te występują w Azji Wschodniej na obszarze od Himalajów do Japonii i Półwyspu Indochińskiego. W Chinach rośnie 7 gatunków, w tym cztery endemity. W Japonii dziko występują trzy gatunki rodzime. Rosną w widnych lasach i na terenach skalistych. Ich kwiaty zapylane są przez owady.

Kilka gatunków z tego rodzaju uprawianych jest jako rośliny ozdobne i wyhodowano ich szereg kultywarów. Walorem ich jest obfite kwitnienie i jaskrawe kolory przebarwiających się jesienią liści. W klimacie chłodniejszym (np. w Polsce) w uprawie spotykany jest niemal wyłącznie enkiant dzwonkowaty. Enkiant pięciokwiatowy jest w południowych Chinach popularną ozdobą w okresie noworocznym.

Rodzaj opisany został przez portugalskiego misjonarza jezuickiego – João de Loureiro w 1790 roku, na podstawie badań, które prowadził podczas 30-letniego pobytu w Kochinchinie. Nazwę rodzajową utworzył z greckich słów enkyos (= być brzemienną, w ciąży) i anthos (=kwiat).

Morfologia
 Pokrój Krzewy, rzadko małe drzewa (do 6 m wysokości), zwykle zrzucające liście zimą, rzadziej zimozielone. Charakterystyczne dla tych roślin są okółkowe rozgałęzienia pędów.
 Liście Skrętoległe (często zebrane w nibyokółkach), zwykle skupione na końcach pędów, ogonkowe, blaszka pojedyncza, piłkowane.
 Kwiaty Zebrane w zwisające grona lub baldachogrona na końcach pędów, rzadko pojedyncze lub wyrastające parami. Kwiaty 5-krotne. Płatki zrośnięte, tworzą koronę dzwonkowatą lub dzbanuszkowatą, z krótkimi łatkami. Korona barwy białej, żółtawej, różowej do czerwonej. Pręciki znacznie krótsze od korony, o nitkach spłaszczonych. Pylniki otwierają się podłużnymi pęknięciami rozszerzającymi się ku szczytowi, na końcach wybiegające w ostry różek. Zalążnia górna z kilkoma zalążkami w komorze. Znamię ucięte.
 Owoce Drobne (o średnicy 6–19 mm), suche torebki otwierające się 5 klapami. Nasiona nieliczne lub pojedyncze, drobne, często oskrzydlone.

Systematyka
Jedyny, współczesny gatunek podrodziny Enkianthoideae Kron, Judd & Anderberg w obrębie rodziny wrzosowatych Ericaceae. Rodzina ta ma pozycję bazalną w obrębie rodziny. W obrębie rodzaju wyróżnia się cztery sekcje: Andromedina (E. nudipes, E. subsessilis), Enkiantella (E. chinensis, E. deflexus, E. pauciflorus, E. ruber), Enkianthus (E. perulatus, E. quinqueflorus, E. serotina, E. serrulatus) i Meisteria (E. campanulatus, E. cernuus). Podział na gatunki jest jednak zmienny u różnych autorów i ich liczba waha się od 12 do 17.

 Wykaz gatunków
 Enkianthus campanulatus (Miq.) G.Nicholson – enkiant dzwonkowaty
 Enkianthus cernuus (Siebold & Zucc.) Benth. & Hook.f. ex Makino – enkiant wygiętoszypułkowy
 Enkianthus chinensis Franch.
 Enkianthus deflexus (Griff.) C.K.Schneid.
 Enkianthus nudipes (Honda) Ueno
 Enkianthus pauciflorus E.H.Wilson
 Enkianthus perulatus (Miq.) C.K.Schneid. – enkiant woreczkowaty, e. japoński
 Enkianthus quinqueflorus Lour. – enkiant pięciokwiatowy
 Enkianthus ruber Dop
 Enkianthus serotina Chun & W.P.Fang
 Enkianthus serrulatus (E.H.Wilson) C.K.Schneid.
 Enkianthus sikokianus (Palib.) Ohwi
 Enkianthus subsessilis (Maxim.) Makino

Uprawa
Rośliny te najlepiej rosną w miejscach dobrze nasłonecznionych, ewentualnie w półcieniu. Najlepiej rosną na glebach wilgotnych, kwaśnych i przepuszczalnych. Znoszą okresowe susze, ale w takich przypadkach na stanowiskach nasłonecznionych cierpią od oparzeń.

Rośliny łatwo rozmnażają się z siewu nasion, trudniej z sadzonek. Dla zachowania cech kultywarów konieczne jest rozmnażanie za pomocą sadzonek pozyskiwanych późną wiosną lub na początku lata. Konieczne jest stosowanie ukorzeniaczy.

Przypisy

Wrzosowate


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National Historic Trail CO, KS, MO, NM, OK
Travel the Trail: Map Timeline 1878 - 1880
GIS NPS
Santa Fe tracks reached Trinidad in September 1878. Construction of this line had begun at La Junta in May, following a February confrontation south of Trinidad that resulted in AT&SF crews gaining the right to build over Raton Pass. The Santa Fe's victory at Raton Pass eliminated the Kansas Pacific as a railroad competitor, and the Kansas Pacific route between Kit Carson, Las Animas, and La Junta was abandoned soon afterward. Trail length from Trinidad to Santa Fe = 202 miles.
Santa Fe tracks reached the top of Raton Pass and entered New Mexico on November 30, 1878, and in February 1879 crews extended the tracks to Otero. This impromptu camp, near the old Clifton House stage station (just south of present-day Raton), served as the temporary railhead while construction crews pushed toward Las Vegas. Trail length from Otero to Santa Fe = 176 miles.
Santa Fe railroad tracks reached Las Vegas, New Mexico on July 1, 1879, and the first train entered the city three days later. Las Vegas served as the railhead (and eastern trail terminus) for the last few months that the Santa Fe Trail served as a long-distance route. Trail length from Las Vegas to Santa Fe = 64 miles.
The first Santa Fe railroad train entered Santa Fe, New Mexico on February 9, 1880, via an 18-mile spur track that Santa Fe County voters had funded in an October 1879 bond election. The entire 835-mile Mountain Route of the Santa Fe Trail, from Kansas City to Lamy and on to Santa Fe, could now be traversed by rail. After this date, the Santa Fe Trail either served local needs or fell into disuse.
Table 1. Length of the Santa Fe Trail, 1821-1880
Route Designation Acronyms: (C) = Cimarron Route, (M) = Mountain Route; Railroad Designation Acronyms: AT&SF = Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, D&RG = Denver & Rio Grande, KP = Kansas Pacific, UPED = Union Pacific Eastern Division
Eastern Terminus (Route Used)
Main Trail
Road Miles
1821 Franklin, MO (M) 934 0 934
1822-1828 Franklin, MO (C) 890 0 890
1829-1830 Various (perhaps Lexington, MO) (C) 837 0 837
1831-1845 Independence, MO (C) 800 0 800
1846-1847 Town of Kansas, MO (M) 832 0 832
1848-1860 Town (later City) of Kansas, MO (C) 788 0 788
1861-1864 Fort Leavenworth / Leavenworth City, KS (M) 785 49 834
1865-June 1866 Kansas City, MO (C) 788 0 788
June 1866-June 1867 Junction City, KS (via UPED) – connecting road via Fort Ellsworth,
76 miles, and Fort Zarah, 40 miles (C) 539 116 655
June 1867-Oct. 1867 Fort Harker, KS (via UPED) – connecting road via Fort Zarah (C) 539 40 579
Oct. 1867-June 1868 Hays City, KS (via UPED) – connecting road via Fort Dodge (C) 449 75 524
June 1868-Mar. 1870 Sheridan, KS (via UPED) – connecting road via Fort Lyon (M) 308 120 428
Mar. 1870-July 1873 Kit Carson, CO (via KP) – connecting road via Bent's Old Fort (M) 292 66 358
July 1873-Oct. 1873 Granada, CO (via AT&SF) – connecting road via Fort Union 224 99 323
Oct. 1873-Dec. 1875 Las Animas, CO (via KP in 1873, AT&SF in 1875) (M) 304 0 304
Dec. 1875-Apr. 1876 La Junta, CO (via KP and AT&SF) (M) 285 0 285
Apr. 1876-Sept. 1878 El Moro, CO (via AT&SF - D&RG connection, mail + stage route only) (M) 207 0 207
Sept. 1878-Feb. 1879 Trinidad, CO (via AT&SF) 202 0 202
Feb. 1879-July 1879 Otero, NM (via AT&SF) 176 0 176
July 1879-Feb. 1880 Las Vegas, NM (via AT&SF) 64 0 64
After February 1880 Santa Fe, NM (via AT&SF) 0 0 0
National Trails Office Regions 6|7|8
Santa Fe National Historic Trail
1100 Old Santa Fe Trail
Santa Fe , NM 87505


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Mapping strengths into virtues: the relation of the 24 VIA-strengths to six ubiquitous virtues
Ruch, Willibald; Proyer, Rene T (2015). Mapping strengths into virtues: the relation of the 24 VIA-strengths to six ubiquitous virtues. Frontiers in Psychology:6:460.
The Values-in-Action-classification distinguishes six core virtues and 24 strengths. As the assignment of the strengths to the virtues was done on theoretical grounds it still needs empirical verification. As an alternative to factor analytic investigations the present study utilizes expert judgments. In a pilot study the conceptual overlap among five sources of knowledge (strength's name including synonyms, short definitions, brief descriptions, longer theoretical elaborations, and item content) about a particular strength was examined. The results show that the five sources converged quite well, with the short definitions and the items being slightly different from the other. All strengths exceeded a cut-off value but the convergence was much better for some strengths (e.g., zest) than for others (e.g., perspective). In the main study 70 experts (from psychology, philosophy, theology, etc.) and 41 laypersons rated how prototypical the strengths are for each of the six virtues. The results showed that 10 were very good markers for their virtues, nine were good markers, four were acceptable markers, and only one strength failed to reach the cut-off score for its assigned virtue. However, strengths were often markers for two or even three virtues, and occasionally they marked the other virtue more strongly than the one they were assigned to. The virtue prototypicality ratings were slightly positively correlated with higher coefficients being found for justice and humanity. A factor analysis of the 24 strengths across the ratings yielded the six factors with an only slightly different composition of strengths and double loadings. It is proposed to adjust either the classification (by reassigning strengths and by allowing strengths to be subsumed under more than one virtue) or to change the definition of certain strengths so that they only exemplify one virtue. The results are discussed in the context of factor analytic attempts to verify the structural model.
119 downloads since deposited on 30 Apr 2015
06 Faculty of Arts > Institute of Psychology
150 Psychology
Social Sciences & Humanities > General Psychology
character strengths, virtues, VIA-classification, prototypicality, model testing, positive psychology
Frontiers Research Foundation
Publisher DOI. An embargo period may apply.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00460
Ruch, Willibald* Corresponding author
University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Proyer, Rene T


Throughout high school, Benjamin Alcott had a single goal in mind – to escape a home environment that was anything but loving and supportive. With determination and perseverance, Ben has risen to the top of his class, both academically and athletically. And with careful planning, he has secured scholarships which ensure he has a real chance to see through his goal of becoming a doctor. But beyond that dream, Benjamin also wants a place where he can live freely and openly as the young gay man he is without shame, persecution, or fear.
Cord Robinson also has a dream which he has held close to his heart for years, while he patiently waited for Benjamin to grow up and leave home – for Ben to be his. Cord has already gone through the steps of coming to terms with his sexuality and then coming out to his family and friends. And now that college is over for him and his best friend Branden, who is also Benjamin's brother, Cord is ready to let Ben know that he is interested in a real future with the beautiful young man.
But as Ben prepares for his graduation, the violence at home reaches a breaking point and he flees. When Cord realizes what has been going on behind the Alcott's doors, it's a race against time for him to find Ben and then open his heart to the one other man he wants to build a life and solid foundation with as Benjamin prepares to finally spread his wings and fly.


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Saturday 13 February, 2021
Posted on February 13, 2021 by jjn1
Trinity Hall at night.
"There are three roads to ruin — women, gambling and technicians. The most pleasant is women, the quickest is with gambling, but the surest is with technicians."
President George Pompidou on technocrats.
Musical alternative to the morning's radio news
Schubert | Trio op. 100 | Andante con moto
Three Covid anecdotes and a (tentative) conclusion
From someone who flew from Ireland to Budapest the other day. The plane was packed. Social distancing was therefore non-existent. Almost nobody, except my informant, wore a mask. A young boy sitting in the aisle seat was having an argument with his sister, sitting in the opposite aisle seat. At one point the boy spat at his sister. Nobody batted an eye.
RTE News reports that "A dental practice in Tenerife has stopped taking appointments from Irish patients after it experienced a surge in bookings in the past fortnight, only for some of the patients not to show up. It comes as the Police National Immigration Bureau at Dublin Airport reported that up to 40% of those travelling to sun destinations have letters for dental appointments. Clinica Dental in Southern Tenerife said it has received around five requests per day over the past two weeks from Irish people who were specifically looking for confirmation in writing of their appointments. The surgery's Office Manager, Roberta Beccaris, told RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne programme that she became suspicious when some of these patients, who she said were noticeably younger than their usual Irish customers, subsequently failed to show for the appointments. The national Police Commissioner has now said that "From this morning, we warn people that we do not regard a dentist's appointment as a reasonable excuse to travel and that they may be prosecuted if they carry on with their journey." Speaking on The Late Late Show, he said the €500 fine was not the deterrent the authorities thought it might be but "today we found that people have turned back rather than be prosecuted and risk imprisonment or a suspended sentence".
From an academic colleague currently in Bulgaria, where she has done some teaching at the University of Sofia. She was nonplussed to receive a call from the University offering her an immediate (and unsolicited) appointment for a Covid-19 vaccine jab. Given her relative youth — early 30s, I'd guess — she was surprised, given that priority was being given to older people and she hadn't expected her name to come up for several months at least. So why had the appointment come so soon? The answer turned out to be that many senior professors at the university had refused to be vaccinated. On further investigation, it turns out that anti-vaxx propaganda is rife in Bulgaria and there is little or no central messaging from the government.
Now of course all of this is just anecdotal, but it seems to me that these stories help to explain why our societies are finding it so difficult to suppress the virus to the point where it's under control. There are, I suspect, two main reasons for this:
the first is that many people have no choice but to expose themselves to risk if they are to keep their employment. For example, Irish workers employed as moderators for Facebook have been required to show up at the office every day, but have been forbidden by a Non-Disclosure Agreement from speaking to the Deputy Prime Minister about their working conditions. Millions of other workers have been forced to work in Covid-unsafe conditions either by financial need or bullying by employers.
the other reason is that many people don't give a damn and are not prepared to have their freedoms curtailed by what they see as a nanny state.
Given that democracies have been trying to balance public health with preserving economic activity and some notion of civil liberties (together, perhaps, with fears that the state lacks the capacity for practical and remorseless enforcement of lockdowns), this virus is set to become endemic. And the corollary is that only authoritarian states have the capacity to get it under control.
The Dig – contd.
My naiveté about the Netflix film is a gift that keeps on giving. Anthony Barnett (Whom God Preserve), for example, thought I was too kind to the film.
Ralph Fiennes's performance was marvellous and he had clearly studied the black and white films of Brown. I was willing to accept artistic license on the other characters although I thought (and Sheila Hayman confirms) that it was a lot of stereotyping. But what I thought was unforgivable was (not) showing the actual excavations of the treasure. It was all hauled out in one short sequence. There is a huge audience fascinated by restoration and excavation. We wanted to see the amazing face mask. This was apparently restored from hundreds of pieces. Were they large or tiny, were they together, did they realise what it was when they dug them up? How did they excavate the bracelets etc, we saw Brown himself being excavated – I powerful scene I thought and a metaphor for the film itself seeking to excavate him as the person who did the crucial work – but there wasn't any equivalent on the actual discovery and unearthing of the objects. This is what I was really looking forward to seeing reconstructed and I found myself shouting at the screen in disappointment!
And Sheila Hayman returned to the fray:
Apparently the bike had the wrong kind of brakes, too . Shocking. Even the Spitfire was wrong. Shocking!
Climate change and pandemics – contd.
Further to the research paper I mentioned yesterday on the consequences of human destruction of wildlife habitats, Patrick O'Beirne sent me a link to a piece in Paris Match — and a translation of a relevant extract about the Nipah virus.
In 1998, a forest in Borneo is burnt to plant palm-oil trees, and indigenous bats have to flee from the flame and smoke. They fall back on Malaysia, land on mango trees for food, defecate on pigs raised under trees in an industrial manner. Via the pigs, the workers are contaminated — even in the slaughterhouses located in… Singapore! Result: 105 deaths out of 265 infected people, and the slaughter of more than 1 million pigs to stop the epidemic.
And the moral: Bats are not inherently dangerous; they become dangerous if they are dislodged — which is what humans are doing. It's depressingly obvious, really.
Long Read of the Day
Can Capitalist Democracy Survive?
Good question. Great essay by Bill Janeway.
For two generations after World War II, the constructive coexistence of capitalism and democracy was largely taken for granted in developed countries – including the former Axis powers. This deep-seated complacency was reinforced by the collapse of the Soviet Union. But the 2008 global financial crisis put an end to faith in the supposed inevitability of liberal economics and democratic politics.
To those who were paying attention, signs of an emerging discontinuity between market capitalism and representative democracy were already evident in the later decades of the twentieth-century. The digital revolution had ushered in another wave of globalization, opening and expanding markets in capital, goods, and services – including labor services – while also incrementally transforming the nature of work (like every wave of technological innovation before it). At the same time, China, after 1979, began to demonstrate the effectiveness of an alternative system of authoritarian capitalism.
100 Not Out! — my lockdown diary, is out as a Kindle book. You can get it here
Webinar next Thursday (February 18): Can Democracy Keep Pace with Digital Technology?
Joshua Fairfield on his new book: Runaway Technology: Can Law Keep Up? in conversation with Julia Powles and Simon Deakin
Open to all: Book here.
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