The next Musik Produktiv Fair will take place on the second weekend of November.
Three days of live music and lots of new and interesting musical instruments, electronics, studio and live gear: this is Musik Produktiv's yearly fair in Ibbenburen.
The largest music fair in northern Germany has become an established event in the European music industry and a popular meeting place for producers, musicians and music fans from Germany and neighbouring countries.
The three days of the last Musik Produktiv Fair drew 170 brand name manufacturers in an exhibition area of about 7000 square meters. In addition there were 90 concerts, workshops and clinics for musicians on four stages. The fair attracted some 10.000 visitors.


You've waited all summer to get away, or maybe you took your family holiday early in the season, and it's now such a distant memory you simply have to get away again before the new school year starts. Either way, there's plenty of value to be had in family holidays in August. Sure, this is the busiest holiday month of the year, with crowded airports, sweltering resorts, and high prices, but if you wait until the end of the month, prices fall quite significantly.
For a traditional beach holiday, you simply cannot beat the Mediterranean. For families, booking a private villa on the Greek islands of Corfu, Paxos, Kefalonia or Lefkada is an ideal option. If you're looking for something more remote, you can often get special offers for Meganissi, and there are some beautiful properties at at Pendamodi in rural Crete.
La Manga Club, with its golf courses, spa, and 28-court tennis centre.
In France, you can find great value villas with private pools in the French Vendee. The budget-conscious will also appreciate Siblu, which has a range of villages in France with spacious mobile homes equipped with swimming pools, free children's clubs and sports. Another value option is Le Mas de St Hilaire, a holiday village close to a safe sandy beach on the west coast of France. It is particularly suitable if your children are very young.
Many holidaymakers are put off the idea of long-haul summer travel by the prospect of hurricanes, monsoons, and rainy seasons during our summer, but August is a great time to visit large sections of Asia. The Thai island of Koh Samui shines in our summer, as does Tanjong Jara Resort on the east coast of the Malaysian peninsula. This is also the perfect time of year to visit the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary in Borneo, where you can also enjoy the excitement of an overnight climb of Mount Kinabalu. This is optimum turtle-sighting season too.
On the other side of the Atlantic, experience the majesty of the Canadian Rockies where a drive through the mountains will bring you face to face with some of the most spectacular scenery and wildlife in the world. During August, you'll find the most suitable Canadian regions for a fly-drive holiday are the Eastern provinces of Québec and Ontario.
Summer is when America's natural wonders really shine. Explore the Western seaboard by rental car, touring the Hoover Dam, Yosemite National Park, Bryce Canyon, and San Francisco. And your accommodation need not break the bank: Campsites are remarkably comfortable and well equipped and cater for the whole family. Explore the States on a camping holiday and you can cruise the highways in comfort in an air-conditioned hire car. Take a trip around the Northern Rockies or combine New York and Niagara Falls.


On Monday, the Washington Post was added to the list of news outlets denied press access to GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump's campaign events. The drastic action is seemingly in response to an article implying in the headline that Trump believed there to be a causal relationship between President Obama and the tragic mass shooting that occurred in Orlando, Florida.
Given the Post's reputation and history of journalistic integrity, the move to revoke press credentials is strange but by no means a deviation in behavior, given that Trump has taken similar action against other outlets such as BuzzFeed, Politico, the Daily Beast, Univision, and the Huffington Post. As humorous as coverage of the Trump campaign can be at times alongside the very apparent demonstrations of his thin skin, when it comes to unfavorable media coverage, this retaliatory trend of media censorship has far-reaching implications.
When looking at instances of censorship such as this, it is important to remember those who have struggled and sacrificed for the ability to speak candidly on the world at large and the importance of press freedom. We are fortunate enough to live in a society that values freedom of the press enough to incorporate it into the legislative foundation of the country, but just because a freedom is guaranteed does not mean that it is always exempt from opposition.
What appears on the surface to be an innocuous tantrum targeted at the larger institution of journalism carries the potential to chip away at the integrity of our tradition of press freedom. The protection of free speech and press was written in ink physically in the Constitution, but at times had to be rewritten in blood to remain applicable in the lived life. This is what we cannot forget when it comes to a presidential candidate who threatens such a rich tradition and wields the possibility of political censorship against impartial parties that oppose him.
The ability to speak in favor or against the leaders and potential leaders of this country is a right but also a privilege not shared by the entire world, and when one is accustomed to a certain privilege, the threat of its imminent loss becomes harder to distinguish. The Post and other media outlets that have been barred from Trump's campaign appear to have taken the slight in good humor, with the Huffington Post even tweeting in response to the Post's revocation "@washingtonpostWelcome to the club. #bannedbytrump." However, it is easy to think of Trump's actions as comical, because they do not yet carry the weight to amount to a unilateral censorship of this nation's journalistic institution as whole. The danger is not the individual affronts to specific media outlets but rather an impending confluence of journalistic censorship that may only intensify with the progress of the Trump campaign and growing criticism of said campaign. That said, the Trump campaign appears to have started down a path that could ultimately lead to the dismantling of this country's press freedom.


text:
RIAH Fan Art Contest!
TLCPS – Chapter 8: Fiancée Makes an Appearance
TLCPS – Chapter 2: The Racing god of Mount Akina ...
On-going
Deep in the Act
Fake Slackers
Interstellar Power Couple
No Money to Divorce
Reborn into a Hamster for 233 Days
Records of the Dragon Follower
World Hopping: Avenge Our Love
The Complete Guide to the Use and Care of a Personal Assistant
The Long Chase for the President's Spouse
Urban Tales of Demons and Spirits
Rest in a Demon's Embrace
Rest in a Demon's Embrace Art Page
RIAH – Chapter 40: Toxic, Toxic
Posted by iamfeiii | May 2, 2018 | RIAH | 0 |
Translator: iamfeiii
Editor: Rei
Quality Check: Tezuka
First Published on Chaleuria
Chapter Forty: Toxic, Toxic
Xiao Yu had once attained a very high stage level for this game. Even though he had not touched the game for a while, his experience was undisputable – He could level up very quickly when he played the game again.
Xiao Yu used those few hours of idle time within the day to level up to the lowest rank of the silver stage, not advancing any further, simply waiting for Lin Zhou to 'lead him'.
The players for this game preferred calling it 'Toxic' rather than its original name. That may be due to the similar way of saying it, or perhaps because it was like an addictive drug that made them unable to stop playing it. Who knows.
Xiao Yu picked a very 'suitable' timing to invite Lin Zhou to play Toxic together.
As SI's former chief designer, Xiao Yu knew exactly when the company work hours and break times were. For example, on every Tuesday, the morning meeting would end between nine to eleven a.m. Everyone would be drowsy, but they were left with no choice but to quickly get back to work.
If the morning agenda was not met, then the employees would need to work overtime in the afternoon to make up for that portion. The majority of them would definitely make use of that allocated time – it would be the same case even for a design director like Lin Zhou.
[Fish and Hamster – You Can't Have Both]: I have some free time now. You want a match?
[Lil' Ye-Zhou]: Hold on, I'll get on really quick.
The thought of Lin Zhou's troubled expression made Xiao Yu feel extremely pleased. He reckoned that Lin Zhou was probably puzzled as to why Chairman Yan would have free time at this hour. But no matter how many brain cells he killed, Lin Zhou would never have guessed that the person asking him to play the game was not even Yan Jin, but Xiao Yu, who had become a hamster.
Five minutes later, the two people, oh no, the one human and one hamster entered the game and looked for teammates for the fight.
After the lineup was done, it was time to choose their roles. Lin Zhou sent a message, "You guys choose first, I'll take what's left."
Xiao Yu immediately understood Lin Zhou's plan – to gain a favorable impression in front of Yan Jin.
A bad mood filled his heart, so Xiao Yu immediately chose the archer role.
Xiao Yu's account belonged to the lower ranks while Lin Zhou's account was at a higher rank. The allocated teammates were in between their levels. In other words, they were all ranked higher than Xiao Yu. At first, under this kind of situation of 'being led', Xiao Yu should have chosen a role that could easily absorb experience without much effort put in. Yet he had chosen the archer role that was supposed to be responsible for dealing damage output, and that put his teammates in a difficult situation.
Xiao Yu took a glance at his hero's battle records – Deployed Count: 0, Success Rate: 0 – he couldn't even bear to tell them that.
Even without sending his battle records, it was possible to check from the account's information. The account that Xiao Yu used mainly played Assassin and Mage; the Archer role had not been used for more than ten rounds. Thankfully, their teammates were of high quality and did not quarrel with Xiao Yu when they could not choose the role they wanted.
In the end, there were a mage and an assassin, one warrior in the jungle, with Xiao Yu as the archer and Lin Zhou choosing the veteran tanker. It would be hard to lead the team, but the output looked quite decent.
Then a message came from Lin Zhou on QQ.
[Lil' Ye-Zhou]: Follow me, I'll protect you.
Xiao Yu smirked.
Battle Start.
Xiao Yu ran upfront using displacement shifts that accelerated his speed. Lin Zhou's tanker followed behind Xiao Yu's archer and headed in the direction of the lower routes. At the start of a battle, the basic tactic was for the archer to take the red buff – Xiao Yu knew that, but he simply chose not to take it.
He was a 'newbie' after all. Wasn't it perfectly normal not to know that he should take the red buff?
The archer carried the heavy artillery and ran all the way to the bottom of the tower, pretending not to see the red buff lying by the roadside.
A message promptly appeared on the public channel.
Tank (Lin Zhou): Give red 2 sin.
Even Xiao Yu had to give him a like for his capability to save the situation.
Even though Lin Zhou was harboring ulterior motives.
Xiao Yu conservatively hid himself under the tower as he took in the minions, occasionally fending off the midboss characters. Lin Zhou fulfilled his promise and beautifully 'protected' Xiao Yu. For the first five minutes, it was as if the two of them were playing a two-player game – not synced with the team, no kills, still alive, keeping a 000-battle score.
Then the opposing team's assassin went to the lower routes to face off against Xiao Yu. After a few sound outs, the opposing team launched an attack. Xiao Yu, who had barely appeared, went into hiding underneath the tower again without even scoring any damage. The assassin probably did not expect his opponent to have such cold-feet. After they went so overboard with the attacks that they did not retreat in time, the assassin from the opposing team was dealt with along the way. That was a pleasant surprise. Fifteen minutes later, two towers on the upper route were destroyed, the middle route lost just one tower for each team and Xiao Yu and Lin Zhou's lower route was slightly better – not a single tower lost.
The opposing team did not lose either.
In a normal situation, the archer and tanker's routes would always fare better and could easily take one life count and one tower. Indeed, Lin Zhou's tanker was well-played, as he almost killed off the opponent a few times. However, Xiao Yu's archer would occasionally slip up and drag Lin Zhou down together.
The few times that there were team fights, Xiao Yu did not join in. Lin Zhou did abandon him to join the team fight, so Xiao Yu would quietly tuck himself into the lower route to defend the tower. The opponent's mage-tank did not join the team fight either as he continued to suppress Xiao Yu and make him use up his life bar.
After the team fight, everyone had been killed except for Xiao Yu.
While waiting to be revived, messages began to pop up on the public channel.
Assassin: Archer, you're Buddhist¹?
Xiao Yu clicked open the battle scorecard: Assassin532, 5 deaths with 3 kills and 2 assists.
Then Xiao Yu turned to look at his own battle scores: 001. Emmmm…
Tank: Archer's a newbie, we should guide him a bit.
Assassin: Newbie yet choosing ADC²?
Mage: Stop arguing. If we're not fighting, then let's surrender.
Assassin: wcnm. ³
Tank: Let's focus on a good game. Follow me, I'll start the team fight.
Lin Zhou interrupted the conversation to smooth things over, and their teammates eventually gave in without much complaint and discontinued their argument.
Just then, the opposing team was busy dealing with the dragon and neglected the lower tower. Xiao Yu grabbed this opportunity to focus on the tower. At the twenty minute mark, the archer successfully took down the first tower on the lower route.
Xiao Yu felt that he had kept up appearances for long enough as he began to take things seriously. The archer that he chose was a late bloomer that could be almost as effective as an assassin when it was nurtured well. At first, the damage output was not high enough, yet it was agile, making it possible to safeguard the lower route's tower. Even if the three people in the opposing team came over to attack them, he could successfully finish killing off the minions while running away to safety.
Xiao Yu joined the team fight for the first two-three times, snatching a kill from a supporting character. After that, Xiao Yu went on to the jungle, killing off some wild beasts while nurturing his character and gaining a red buff. Next, he headed back to the lower route, cleaned off the minions, and hid within the bushes. The fragile support from the opposing team made use of their ability to summon one of their teammates to come over to finish things off. However, Xiao Yu eventually hit them with reduced speed and killed them with three shots.
All that happened in less than two seconds – the support did not even manage to have enough time to release his large-scaled attack.
After killing off the opponent's support, Xiao Yu immediately ran to the middle route to attempt a team fight. Lin Zhou's tank was very cooperative, using his large-scale attacks to stop the opponents from attacking their monsters. Xiao Yu quickly ran out from the shelter, killing an opponent with every heavy hit. The weakest mage was the first to be sent off, followed by the assassin who used up his invincible mode. The opponent's archer, who realized that the situation was turning against him, was prepared to escape after he purified his skills set, but ended up slaughtered by the assassin from Xiao Yu's team as he arrived just in time.
The only remaining tank was obviously unable to withstand a five-person attack, and was then killed off by Xiao Yu's ranged attack from the tower after putting up a struggle.
Team Eliminated.
The revival time was about thirty seconds. Without waiting for Xiao Yu's team to charge in from the middle route, their opponents surrendered.
The archer, who acted low-profile in the beginning, ended up with five assists and four kills, earning that battle's MVP, which surprised everyone.
In fact, this bit of surprise could never be compared to if they had known that their archer was just a hamster.
After the battle ended, Xiao Yu heaved a sigh of relief.
This is so tiring, much more tiring than fighting a solo battle.
But it was an essential move to capture a bigger target; for the sake of getting Lin Zhou on the hook, Xiao Yu had no choice but to do this.
Xiao Yu estimated that Lin Zhou was probably feeling very awkward right now. After all, he did not prove to be of any use in battle, which led to his final cumulative score being quite average. His scores were not as good as Xiao Yu's last-minute performance, with four kills that led to their victory. That would mean that Lin Zhou could not use this opportunity to gain favors from him.
However, Xiao Yu really underestimated Lin Zhou's shamelessness.
[Lil' Ye-Zhou]: Chairman Yan's techniques are not too bad. You're just lacking experience. The more you practice, the easier it is to level up.
[Fish and Hamster – You Can't Have Both]: I've played MOBA hand-held games before. I'm just using what I've used before, nothing too special.
[Lil' Ye-Zhou]: You're too humble, Chairman Yan.
[Fish and Hamster – You Can't Have Both]: I've only just started playing this game, so there are some things that I couldn't understand.
[Lil' Ye-Zhou]: You can ask me if there's anything you're unsure about, I will tell you everything without any reserve. We could also play desktop games next time. My skills are quite good. It's just that sometimes it's hard to perform well with teammates who drag us down. Have you played xxx and xxxx before?
[Fish and Hamster – You Can't Have Both]: Played before, but I'm mainly playing Toxic for now.
Xiao Yu didn't dare to invite Lin Zhou to play other games. In his current situation, he could only play games that were available on his iPad. He would be helpless against anything that involved a desktop.
The operating keys for Toxic were fairly simple. Xiao Yu could control the movements with one paw and attack with the other – the effects were not too different from how a human would operate it. In addition, this game was geared more towards testing awareness and relied on the internet's condition. If the internet connection was stable, then the requirements needed would not be too high. Likewise, if the internet connect was bad, then no matter how good a person was at operating the keys, it would be a wasted effort.
Xiao Yu's awareness was obviously able to withstand the tests. He would not have any problems with the internet as well – Chairman Yan's internet speed was so fast that one could fly off on the spot.
But it would be different for a desktop game. It was not that he could not use Yan Jin's desktop, but the fact that he could not control the mouse and the keyboard at the same time was a big issue. With just the keyboard alone, his paws wouldn't even reach all the keys in time. And that was why he would surely not allow Lin Zhou to shift his attention to desktop games.
Lin Zhou used the excuse that he had not brought out his best for this round and invited Xiao Yu to continue with another battle. Xiao Yu immediately agreed – He was not the one wasting his time. Although it was a little tiring to act like a newbie, it was all worth it if he could mess with Lin Zhou.
Such activities continued for three days. Lin Zhou never mentioned about anything else, and just wholeheartedly coached Xiao Yu. Xiao Yu knew that Lin Zhou had ulterior motives, so he gladly accepted all of Lin Zhou's invites for a game.
To be honest, Xiao Yu was quite angry.
He knew that Lin Zhou was a scumbag, but he did not expect him to lack even the simplest professional ethics.
During this period of time, YL was on full force preparing for the Autumn Release Conference. Yan Jin had arrived home later than ten p.m. in the past few days. SI was not far off either, or they probably started their preparations even earlier than YL. And while all the employees were going all-out and working overtime, Lin Zhou, who had one of the highest seniority was actually playing games with him every day?!
The person in-charge of the original jewelry design competition was human Xiao Yu without a doubt. But regardless, Lin Zhou was also responsible for the exhibition display, wasn't he? Xiao Yu recalled his past self, who had worked deep into the night every single day because of the Autumn Release Conference. Compared to Lin Zhou, who seemed to be free all day long, Xiao Yu couldn't help but feel very unfair about it.
His past self would rarely reject any requests from Lin Zhou. And that was probably the reason why Lin Zhou could be gaming while harboring evil intentions right now.
Translator's Note:
I believed that the game [农药] (nóng yào) mentioned in the novel was probably sounds like/homonyms with [王者荣耀 (róng yào) King of Glory gaming app] or maybe it's League of Legends. I don't play those games, so I do apologize in advance if I get any terms wrong. I've chosen to use the term [Toxic] because it's easier to type than [Pesticide]. (Pesticide IS toxic, so it makes sense. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯).
[1] Archer, you're Buddhist? – The assassin is making fun of Xiao Yu for being a saint and not making any kills.
[2] ADC – According to http://leagueoflegends.wikia.com/wiki/ADC : ADC (Attack Damage Carry) is an archaic term used to refer to a champion that deals strong, continuous damage with their basic attacks and scales with attack-related stats – i.e. attack damage, critical strike chance and attack speed.
[3] WCNM – a short abbreviation for the Chinese way of saying motherf**ker.
PreviousRIAH – Chapter 39: New Game
NextRIAH – Chapter 41: Making Trouble Again
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text:
Crocodile enclosure at Mount St John Zoo, 1940s
Crocodile enclosure at Mount St John Zoo, 1940s. St John Robinson was able to observe crocodiles building their nests in this enclosure.
Collection of Townsville City Libraries
Crocodile feeding at Mount St John Zoo, 1957
Crocodile feeding at Mount St John Zoo, 1957. Crowds at the Mount St John Zoo had a close-up view of crocodile feeding time.
Collection of Townsville City Library
Raiding the crocodile's nest, 1943
The Fryer sisters used a boat to retrieve a clutch of crocodile eggs from a nest in the centre of the lagoon at Mount St John Zoo.
Compulsory feeding of crocodile at Taronga Park Zoo, 1934
Compulsory feeding of crocodile at Taronga Park Zoo, 1934.
The Mount St John Zoo was a popular attraction in the Townsville region in the 1930s-40s, widely acclaimed as the largest privately-owned zoological garden in Australia.
Edward River Mission (now Pormpuraaw) crocodile farm, 1990
Edward River Mission (now Pormpuraaw) crocodile farm, 1990. Slides by Marie Hayes. Collection of the Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland
Copyright © Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland, 2013
Captured crocodile, Normanton River, 1973
Crocodile caught near the punt on the Normanton River, trapped by the local police sergeant, Normanton, 1973. Slide by John Hindmarsh.
Crocodile hunting, North Queensland
Crocodile hunting, North Queensland, postcard. Murray Views Collection, Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland
Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland
Crocodile sunbaking on the Daintree River
Crocodile sunbaking on the Daintree River, postcard. Murray Views Collection, Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland
Collection of the Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland
Children's book illustration, 1955
Rene Henri, founder of the Australian Crocodile Shooters' Club, also wrote a children's book featuring crocodile hunting.
Collection of Museum Victoria


text:
How friendly is the Bulgaria-Macedonia Friendship Treaty?
Bitterness escalated after Bulgaria's veto on Macedonia's accession talks due to disputes over history. Yet, a closer look may reveal that the clash between Bulgaria and Macedonia was foreseeable.
When Bulgaria and Macedonia signed their Friendship Treaty in 2017, many politicians, diplomats, and analysts were pleased. EU High Representative Federica Mogherini and Commissioner for EU Enlargement Johannes Hahn defined the document as "an inspiration for the whole region". In an ironic twist, it took only three years for this treaty to promote antagonism instead of good neighborly relations.
Bitterness escalated after Bulgaria's veto on Macedonia's accession talks due to disputes over history which, according to the Bulgarian side, evidenced violations of the treaty. The disappointment spread beyond the borders of the two countries — the same experts welcoming the Bulgaria-Macedonia initiative in 2017 are now upset and are even calling Bulgaria a bully.
Yet, a closer look may reveal that the clash between Bulgaria and Macedonia was foreseeable.
What are friendship treaties for?
Friendship treaties proliferated after WWII. Their scopes vary tremendously — just like their achievements and pitfalls. For instance, the Treaties of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance were instrumental in building bilateral relations between the USSR and other countries in the post-WWII era. Historian Douglas Selvage has concluded, however, that they undermined the sovereignty of other East European states and promoted "exploitative bilateral arrangements to the USSR's benefit". This is unsurprising considering the inequality of bargaining power in these scenarios. The impact of the friendship treaty between China and the USSR has also been questioned by historian Austin Jersild who argues this alliance failed because the Chinese were frustrated with Russia's "imperialism".
Nevertheless, there are success stories, too. In 1963, France and Germany signed the Traité de l'Elysée supposed to enhance cooperation in international affairs, defense, and education. The latter section of the treaty is the most interesting for the two countries had committed to encourage collaboration between research institutions and to offer "all possibilities" for young people to "strengthen the ties that unite them and to reinforce their mutual understanding". During a youth conference in 2003 organized by the Franco-German Youth Office founded because of the Traité de l'Elysée, students asked the German and French governments for a common history textbook — the first one materialized in 2006, but, arguably, it has not gained much popularity because of collisions with curricula.
What is wrong with the Bulgaria-Macedonia friendship treaty, then?
Bulgaria and Macedonia do not have the same bargaining power in the current scenario for the obvious reason that Bulgaria is an EU member which can use its status to promote exploitative arrangements. As early as 2017, it was foreseeable that it would do so. Bulgaria has been governed by a coalition between Boyko Borissov's GERB party and three nationalist parties that check the far-right boxes based on policies and rhetoric. Surely, they would play the patriotism "card" if only to maintain their popularity, especially because the leader of (Bulgarian) VMRO and current Vice PM Krassimir Karakachanov served in Bulgaria's communist secret services as an agent fighting "ideological diversion" by reporting on the so-called "Macedonian question".
More importantly, the friendship treaty is not written in the friendliest of ways, which lends itself to abuse when the bargaining power is unequal. Instead of promoting research collaboration and exchange, which seem to be at the root of success in the Traité de l'Elysée, as explained in literature, it purports to set up a commission which I have already compared to a Ministry of Truth. Article 8(2), which envisages the creation of a Joint Expert Commission for Historical and Education Issues promoting "objective, scientific interpretation of historical events, founded on authentic and evidence-based historical sources", undertakes a rather unrealistic endeavor if we consider the German-French experience.
Source: makfax.com.mk
It took France and Germany, which were archenemies, at least 43 years to be ready and fully committed to have a common history textbook. Meanwhile, it has been asserted that this was possible because of decades of work through which conflicting issues were resolved via dialogue — the new readings of events were progressively introduced in national curricula. Cooperation between these countries in the area of history interpretation had started in the 1930s not because of politicians, but thanks to teachers. Furthermore, scholars have argued that French-German success was possible because the two countries were willing to reach a "negotiated truth" rather than strive for full objectivity — they managed to separate facts from moral issues.
History is elusive
If one is realistic, full objectivity is impossible in history. To illustrate, I will provide trivial examples, which are neutral to both Bulgaria and Macedonia, from my own experience because I have had the chance to take history classes in different countries.
While I do not recall being lost in translation, I vividly remember being lost in context many times. In the US, I learned that they established the EU — a statement which Europeans are likely to contest although it is true that without the support of the US behind the curtain, a Union may not have existed. In France, however, I was told that the origin of the European idea should be sought in the times of Charlemagne and Napoléon because they unified Europe — I am sure that many non-French citizens would vehemently disagree if only because of the violent methods of conquest these leaders relied on. I was also told the EU was established by Germany, France, Italy and the petits pays (small countries). My professor did not even bother mentioning the actual names of the Benelux states. Surely, many would find this derogatory. Moreover, I was rather surprised to learn that France considered itself a victor in WWII — this claim fundamentally clashed with my Bulgarian indoctrination.
Because of these diverse, incompatible narratives, I was confused for a long time until I took a class with Prof. Henry Rousso, a leading historian specialized in WWII. His contributions to knowledge include coining the notion of négationnisme (denial in history, especially vis-à-vis the Holocaust) and criticizing the mythology developed by Charles de Gaulle regarding the French resistance against Fascism during WWII. Prof. Rousso's class exercises and exams were rather unconventional, too. He wanted to teach us to think critically rather than spill out questionable narratives we had learned by heart. For instance, he would give us several different sources pertaining to the same event, such as a news article from the 1940s, an excerpt from a textbook from the 1980s, and the transcript of a political speech, and he would ask us to write a commentary.
The ultimate message I keep from his class is that history textbooks are approved propaganda even in advanced democracies like France, so if you want to find the "historical truth", you need to engage with primary sources. In the Bulgaria-Macedonia case, they may include, but are certainly not limited to, travel accounts from the particular time in question, personal letters such as the correspondence between Todor Aleksandrov and Peyо Yavorov, or the original publications of the songs of the Miladinovi (Miladinovtsi) brothers. It is possible that your truth will be unique too because we all see the world through different eyes.
How is this relevant to the Bulgaria-Macedonia clash?
You do not need to open a Bulgarian or a Macedonian history textbook to make an educated guess about its contents. Textbooks usually promote similar messages — nation X had glorious leaders and triumphant conquerors, once upon a time country X had more territory, country X was wronged so many times by its archenemies/neighbors, etc. Meanwhile, textbooks are silent or overly diplomatic about not so glamorous moments when nation X wronged other people — after all, they deserved it because their ancestors had committed something awful 100 years prior to this. There is always an excuse! Textbooks in small countries are likely to focus on how the Great Powers took detrimental decisions, which resulted in historic injustice, and on freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives, so that we could be what we are today.
However, somebody's glorious leader could be someone else's human rights abuser, and somebody's freedom fighter could be someone else's criminal. That is why, the personalities of tsar Boris III and Tito, who are often mentioned in the Bulgaria-Macedonia controversy, could be seen in a different light depending on one's background, including family history. Conflicting narratives are not surprising — they just prioritize different aspects or promote half-truths. That does not imply we should not reason about what happened in context and learn that every coin has two sides, instead of handling verdicts and attacking each other straight away.
What is further obvious in the Bulgarian-Macedonian conflict is that dual standards prevail. Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva keeps giving strange interviews arguing that she has a treaty in hand with which Macedonia does not comply. In her latest appearance before Die Welt, she made bold claims that celebrating Tito in Skopje was equivalent to celebrating Hitler in Berlin. Even if these exaggerated comparisons are taken at face value, key questions remain: 1) why do so many Bulgarians freely celebrate Bulgarian communist dictator Todor Zhivkov when his regime was extremely violent and the communist regime was declared criminal by a special law?; 2) why was communism included as a mandatory topic in Bulgarian history textbooks only two years ago, not without a series of scandals about interpreting the period?; 3) if Bulgaria has claims about harassment of minorities in former Yugoslavia, why are the abuses against minorities in Zhivkov's Bulgaria not part of the Bulgarian history curriculum? Tomasz Kamusella's Ethnic Cleansing During the Cold War: The Forgotten 1989 Expulsion of Turks from Communist Bulgaria can provide food for thought.
Can we be friends in this toxic political environment?
Research has established that children at an early age have some notion of historical events through their family and community, which is difficult to alter. In some countries, which have experienced recent conflict, such as Northern Ireland, students may have different curricula depending on their Christian denomination. Division can thrive even in the same state over historical matters. Dialogue and patience seem key if living in peace is the goal. But what have Bulgarian and Macedonian politicians aimed at?
The disputes between our countries do not go beyond what Europe has seen before. However, the manner in which the two countries have committed to resolving their differences and the pressure which Bulgaria puts on Macedonia seem morally and legally unjustifiable. Bulgaria should be reminded that, historically, friendship treaties, which failed, have been terminated — because of their nature, they are difficult to enforce in a court of law. For a piece of paper which is intended as proof of political will to promote an environment in which we can coexist despite our differences and wounds, this treaty has inflicted excessive damage because of the short-sightedness and incompetence of our politicians.
There are both bilateral and EU mechanisms, which can facilitate dialogue that depends on goodwill at the end of the day. Would it not be simpler to organize an annual Bulgaria-Macedonia historical conference or a round table, develop partnerships between history faculties, and encourage summer schools for high school and university students? Exchanges and research collaborations are an easier start — we can at least get to know our viewpoints better.
Goran Cherkez: Immunization is just the beginning ...
Lessons from the nation that tested its entire pop...


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Home > Uncategorized > Left Forum freakout continues! Award-winning journalist shreds the "holocaust denial" lies
Left Forum freakout continues! Award-winning journalist shreds the "holocaust denial" lies
June 5, 2017 November 23, 2017 Kevin Barrett
Dave Lindorff, one of America's best investigative journalists, just responded to an absurdly mendacious letter from Stephen Brown concerning the banned panels at the Left Forum. Brown's letter, mass-emailed to many people, is appended below. -Kevin Barrett
Let me start by saying that I am an award-winning investigative jouralist with 43 years' experience (Village Voice, Business Week, Minneapolis Tribune, Los Angeles Daily News, KCET-TV, Mother Jones, WhoWhatWhy, the Nation, etc.). I'm also married (47 years!) to a non-Zionist Jewish woman, and have two kids, one by birth and an adopted Chinese son, both of whom we sent to Jewish school while living in HK, and then to the Philadelphia Jewish Folkshul (purely secular Jewish cultural education). While of German/Irish/Scottish/Native American ancestry myself, I am clearly no anti-semite.
Having established that, let me say that I was on the panel on False Flags. My topic, about which I wrote a number of major investigative articles, was the Boston Marathon bombing. I have no idea what that was all about, but I made the point, with plenty of evidence, that whatever it was, it could not have been the official version of the story, namely that two frustrated Chechin-American Americanized young men decided suddenly to blow up some runners and spectators to protest US military actions against Islamic people. My evidence against this ranges from having bought the exact pressure cooker said to have been their weapon of choice, filled it with nails and some weights equivalent to the black powder and shrapnel they were said to have filled them with, and placed them in two backpacks similar to the ones the two Tsarnaev brothers were filmed wearing. It becomes obvious comparing the images that Dzohkar and Tamerlan could not have been carrying those heavy pots in their backpacks, which hung limply on their coat shoulders. I went on to note that the exploded pack shown by the FBI actually most closely resembled one of the black packs worn by the guys in black who were all over the finish line wearing emblems of Chris Kyle's mercenary outfit, Craft International. I went on to tell how I found that no responsible party — not the race organizers, not the Boston cops, not the state's national guard, and not the FBI, would say they had hired Craft, though when I called the FBI and asked, the woman at the FBI's Boston office said, "Just a minute, and then, through her muffled hand, I heard, "Some reporter from WhoWhatWhy is asking who hired the Craft guys. What should I tell him?" After a pause, she came back on and said, "We don't know anything about that." To which I replied, "Oh, is that what they said you should tell me?"
You might have actually enjoyed my presentation had you attended. It is what I do: present the facts as I find them. I said at the outset that I don't connect dots and come up with a conspiracy theory. I just punch holes where they need to be punched. Others can take it from there if they like.
By the way — I sat through all the four banned — and they were banned and cancelled — it's even in written emails from the co-director of the Left Forum Marcus Graetsch — and was prepared to denounce or call out any anti-semitism I heard — and there was none. None. Nor did anyone "deny the holocaust," though I know at least one speaker, Tony Hall, has been called a denier because he refuses to allow Jews to claim that word as their own property, saying — and as a part Native American I completely agree with him on this — that there have been many holocausts, including a current one of Arab peoples at the hands of the US military and US policymakers, who have also been responsible for a holocaust of Native Americans, a holocaust of Filipinos, a Holocaust of Japanese people, a holocaust of Germans — both residents of firebombed German cities like Bremen, Dresden and Darmstadt (where I lived for a year in 1965 and saw the two mountains outside of town made of the rubble that had been a city of 200,000, burned to the ground in one night's raid), and POWs at the end of the war.
Thankfully, your trashy and ignorant report on the Left Out Forum failed to impact attendance, which was standing room only by the end. There were some obviously Jewish observers at the panels, as evident from their clothing and in one case heir, but in fact, there was nothing for them (or me) to object to during the entire time.
In my considered view, the Left Forum made a huge mistake in banning these panels, which would have been excellent additions to the three-day event. Instead of looking like censorious jerks and chicken shits afraid of losing a few Euros from some group in Germany that threatened a pull-out, the Forum Board would have looked like the true endorsers of open debate and discussion that they claim to be.
I'm frankly disgusted by both the Board and by your poor excuse for a "journalistic" report on the dispute.
The folks who put together the five Deep State panels and the panelists who came in some cases across the continent despite the Left Form's pathetic attempt to shut them down, were in the end far better and bigger people than all of you.
Shande! Shame on you.
Dave Lindorff
founding editor of ThisCantBeHappening.net
Dear Pacifica Supporter —
Yesterday I received an alert from several friends in California and New York claiming that Left Forum 2017 had "banned" 4 panels that dealt with the "deep state."
Wow, banning and censorship! How could the Left Forum do such a thing? But was it true? Well, lots of people were ready to believe it. In fact, later that day, emails suddenly started to appear (some of them from people I knew) condemning the Left Forum for censoring — for banning — 4 "deep state" panels.
But the email writers didn't say where they got their information, or why they beleived it was true. They were just repeating what they heard from their friends. But the emails said that "to learn more," I should go to a site called www.noliesradio.org. But that site only repeated the same charges, without offering any evidence of "banning."
So how did these accusation get such currency? Who was spreading them? I assume the accusations came from those who organized the 4 (allegedly) "banned" panels. And indeed, at the Saturday Left Forum session, they or their representatives were passing out flyers with the headline "Left Forum BANS 4 Panels on the Deep State."
The flyers claimed that the panels were banned because the Left Forum beleived the "speakers are so dangerous [that] … you should be prevented from hearing them" and that "the Left Forum is dictating what ideas you can be exposed to."
The flyer also implied that the 4 panels had been falsely accused of anti-Semitism by "Zionist elements to shut down free speech," and that the Left Forum's cowardly board members had presumably knuckled under to the Zionist demands (which the flyers characterized as "Left Forum capitulation to shadowy pressure [that is] part of a brazen repression of thoughts that challenge official versions of controversial events").
For good measure, the flyers also threw in charges of "neo-McCarthy witch hunts," "thought policing," and "organized meta strategy to oppose any criticism of Israel."
In short, the flyers deployed all the tried and true buzz-words guaranteed to whip honorable knee-jerk free-speech leftie junkies like us into a frenzy of righteous indignation. The flyers did everything but offer us torches and pitchforks (or maybe I missed that paragraph).
I know I sound like I'm sneering at anyone foolish enough to believe that stuff about the Left Forum (the Left Forum, for Pete's sake). But I'm not sneering, really, because, for a while, I wondered if it really might be true. Could the Left Forum have left its principles behind? Many of my friends seemed to think the answer was yes.
To find out, I did something that (I know, I know) must seem pretty naive. I looked for some actual evidence. Doing my best Seymour Hersh impersonation, I buttoholed one of the Left Forum board members, the Marxist economist Richard D Wolff.
I showed him the flyer and asked him if it was true. He was astonished when he saw the flyer. He had not seen it before, or even heard the allegations. He said they were preposterous. Hundreds of panels are proposed every year, and it was impossible to accomodate them all, given the limitations of time and facilities.
As for banning "deep state" discussions, Wolff pointed out that those same 4 panels had been accepted at last year's Left Forum. The board felt there was no need to repeat them, given the large number of new panels asking for time.
When I asked Wolf if someone named Spencer Sunshine had written to accuse the 4 panels of being anti-Semitic, he said yes. The board members had read and considered Sunshine's letters, as they read and consider everything they receive. But Sunshine's letters had nothing at all to do with not accepting those 4 panels for this year's forum.
So it all comes down to whom one believes. For my part, I know the Left Forum, and the principles it espouses. I feel it has always lived up to those principles. I also know Richard Wolff, and I believe what he says.
My personal feeling, therefore, is that the allegations are false. Worse, I think they are the result of sour grapes on the part of the organizers of those 4 panels, who have cynically manufactured a campaign of false news worthy of Roger Stone, Fox News, Hill+Knowlton, or any of the other devious "deep state" twisters of public opinion for private gain.
The 4 panels themselves look interesting. I might have made a point of attending them, since I missed them last year. But on second thought, although the subject of the "deep state" certainly deserves critical attention, I would not trust anything said by the people responsible for the fake news campaign described above.
Uncategorizedcensorship, dave lindorff, deep state, holocaust denial, left forum, stephen brown
Mitchel Cohen on Spencer Sunshine's lies (re: Left Forum)
Debating "free speech persecutee" Alfred Schaefer on Judaism vs. Zionism, white nationalism


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Court of Audit
Reviewing approaches
Annual activity report
The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union
Belgian Constitution (article 180)
Special law of 16 January 1989 organising the financing of the Communities and Regions
The Court of Auditors' organic law of 29 October 1846
Communication policy statement
Legislative levels
Federal State
Flemish Community
German Speaking Community
Walloon Region
Brussels Capital Region
Audit of state owned business entities
Home > Presentation > Vision and values
Mission statement ( French, Dutch )
Code of ethics ( French, Dutch )
In its mission statement (available in French or in Dutch), the Court of Audit presents its vision, the values underlying its activities and the strategies it develops so as to help improving public management by means of its reviews and assessments of public policies.
To encourage practices and behaviours in accordance with its values as defined by its mission statement, the Court of Audit has drawn up a code of ethics (available in French or in Dutch) for its members and personnel. This document reaffirms and details values such as independence, excellence, integrity, impartiality, confidentiality, loyalty and respect that all members and staff of the institution commit themselves to comply with when carrying out their daily duties in order to strengthen the confidence in the institution.
© Cour of Audit Rue de la Régence 2 B-1000 Brussels T +32 2 551 81 11


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Hey MAZDA ! Whats new ?
October 26, 2016 /in General /by SimplyCarBuyers.com
Mazda's MX-5 creations are generally a highlight, unapologetic Miata junkies that we are. This year's cars are just as exciting as the past years', Both SEMA MX-5s were designed and built in-house at Mazda's Irvine design studio.
This year's Speedster is way lighter than it was before. Mazda carved 100 pounds out of it, to make it a staggering 350 pounds less than a production soft top model. It's also been repainted in a color called "White Ether", which looks like the "Blue Ether" paint job on last year's highly reflective Speedster minus the blue tint. Mazda will probably never sell a roofless Miata or anything this lightweight, but maybe it should.
RF Kuro concept, the first RF-based SEMA show car. It doesn't seem terribly extreme! It's wearing a matte charcoal paint, which explains the "Kuro" moniker – kuro means "charcoal" in Japanese. A set of 17-inch RAYS forged wheels and MX-5 Cup suspension, and that's about it.
Of course, both concepts will be fully revealed at the show next month in Las Vegas. Stay tuned for a dose of concept Miata hotness.
https://www.simplycarbuyers.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/2016-Mazda-MX-5-Miata-by-DAMD-1-1132x670.jpg 670 1132 SimplyCarBuyers.com https://www.simplycarbuyers.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/logo@2x.png SimplyCarBuyers.com2016-10-26 11:48:282019-01-26 12:47:02Hey MAZDA ! Whats new ?
Luxury cars: the Tesla uprising BMW looks to the future of motorcycles


Today's guest post comes from Morgan St. Jean, former 09-10 Oregon Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA member, who's currently interning with ServeNext.org. She is a graduate student at American University studying Political Communication.
Yesterday I bought a gift for an angel tree that will be given to a needy family. This is something I try to do every year, in addition to volunteering in other ways. But this December, I added a different kind of service to my holiday routine: advocacy. I contacted my local senators and Representatives to support AmeriCorps, and I urge you to do the same.
Did you know that AmeriCorps and national service is seriously at risk? The House of Representatives has proposed a budget that would cut the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) by 75%. This would eliminate AmeriCorps, the Social Innovation Fund and all other programs except Senior Corps. The Senate has proposed a budget that would keep CNCS at the same funding levels as last year.
In 2009 Congress passed the Kennedy Serve America Act (SAA) that laid out a plan to incrementally increase national service. Under SSA there were supposed to be 140,000 corps positions in 2012. But Congress has not funded the program and instead keeps trying to cut it. Last year national service supporters had to fight tooth and nail to prevent a 100% cut and thanks to their efforts, only 3,000 corps positions were lost.
Why were they successful? Because people like you and me made our voices heard. Congress represents us.
So when we call, write, and tweet, our Representatives listen.
Right now leaders within the House of Representatives and Senate are negotiating a comprise and deciding how much money to allocate to AmeriCorps next year and whether to cut the program completely or keep its 85,000 members.
DC Alums have been working hard to engage Congressional leaders in conversations around the importance of national service. We organized the Fight the Zero with ServeNext, and the event was a huge success.
Now I know one rally or petition will not change leaders minds. But a chorus of voices from across the nation punctuated by rallies and petitions will. Now is the time to tell Congress to fully fund AmeriCorps. We know firsthand the impact AmeriCorps has and we can be the program's strongest advocate, all we have to do is act.
The Save Service Campaign has compiled a list of ways you can make your voice heard. Today, RIGHT NOW, please pick one and show your support for AmeriCorps.
2. Write to Congress. Click here to send an electronic letter asking your legislators to fund the Corporation for National and Community Service.
3. Call your Member of Congress. Use the Save Service hotline 1-855-877-3783 to get automatically connected with your legislators.
December is the time of giving, so let's give back to AmeriCorps by making sure it's not eliminated. Congress has a lot of tough choices to make, let's join together and make sure they choose to support AmeriCorps.


Free £1.25 Krispy Kreme doughnut – Once you're registered for its free 'Friends of Krispy Kreme' loyalty scheme, you'll get a voucher for a free doughnut on sign-up and around your birthday. Valid at Krispy Kreme stores only, not concessions.
Free £5 spend at Body Shop* – By signing up to its 'Love Your Body' loyalty card, you'll get a free £5 voucher on your birthday to be used up to one month after, with no minimum spend. You'll have to have made at least one purchase using the card before your birthday to get the free £5.
Free £6.50ish burrito at Barburrito – Pick up a card and register for the 'La Famillia' loyalty scheme to get a voucher for a free burrito around your birthday. Participating restaurants only, see the full T&Cs.
Free £1ish sweet treat at Greggs – After you've downloaded the Greggs app and register for 'Greggs Rewards', you'll get a voucher for either a cupcake, doughnut or cream cake on your birthday.
Free £4.50ish milkshake at Ed's Diner – If you're signed up to 'Ed's Club', you'll get one free shake around your birthday, sent in a voucher to your email.
Free £2ish Patisserie Valerie cupcake – If you're a member of the Patisserie Valerie 'Cake Club', you'll get sent a voucher for a free cupcake around your birthday.
Free £1.29ish cookie at Millie's – Once you're signed up to the 'Cookie Club' newsletter, you'll get sent a voucher for a free cookie around your birthday.
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Free £11.50 brow wax* – By signing up to the Debenhams 'Beauty Club' loyalty card – and visiting a benefit beauty counter within four weeks of your birthday. Show some ID and your loyalty card to claim. Benefit suggests booking in advance.
With all of these freebies, it's best to sign up at least three months in advance of your birthday to make sure you get them – as signing up last-minute might not guarantee your freebie.
Most of these freebies come in the form of an emailed voucher or in the post – and can be sent up to a week before your actual birthday – so keep your eyes and ears open. For a full run-down of everything you can claim on your big day, see our birthday freebies page.
Have you ever claimed something for free on your birthday? Do you know anyone whose birthday is coming up that could use these? I'd love to know in the comments below, on Twitter @MSE_Deals or on Facebook.


Anybody can profit from real estate. This is only if they take time to learn the basics and how to set themselves apart from their competitors. This information can help anyone that wants to start investing in real estate.
TIP! Once you know that you will be investing in real estate, set up an LLC or something similar. This will allow you to be protected along with any investment you may make.
Try to get an idea of the value of other property in the area. Finding out the average rental rates and mortgage values in a particular area can tell you more about a home's value than the financial statements. You can make better decisions when you think about all of this.
TIP! Think carefully about the form of real estate investing that you are most interested in pursuing. You might be a good fit for real estate flipping.
When negotiations are underway, listen more often than you speak. Sometimes a person will negotiate against himself if you just let him keep on talking. When you listen, you can catch the right moments to position yourself at the price which you desire.
TIP! Network with people who plan on pursuing the same goals. Many people are interested in investing in real estate.
Don't buy extremely cheap properties. You may be attracted to the numbers, but the house might have difficulty selling. Spend a little more to get something prime that will be a sure bet in terms of getting your money back.
TIP! Location is crucial. Some other factors like property conditions are able to be changed.
If you buy a property and you intend to rent it out, be sure to choose your tenants wisely. The individual must be able to afford the rent for the first month as well as the deposit. If they cannot come up with the money, they are likely to have problems paying rent too. Look for a different tenant.
TIP! When investing in real estate, be realistic about the amount of time you will be able to spend on property management. It can be time consuming to deal with tenants.
Do not buy properties that are located in bad or run-down areas. Know the property before you buy it. The importance of research cannot be overstated. A good deal may be because of high levels of drug use or crime. It might be difficult to sell and runs the risk of being vandalized.
TIP! When considering in purchasing property to invest in, be sure to pick something that would increase in value. Purchasing anything near water or close to other businesses will be beneficial to you later on.
Investing in real estate is a great way for you to make quite a bit of money in this day and age. However, you should understand everything involved before beginning. By using the advice written in this article, you can start making money in real estate.


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Email: inquiries@questwatersolutions.com
Jackie McClure
Email: jmcclure@questwatersolutions.com
© 2018 by Quest Water Solutions, Inc.
GLOBAL WATER QUALITY
Safe water and the prevention of waterborne disease are public health priorities in most developed countries, where clean water generally is available for about one-third of the world's population. However, water-related human health problems in developing countries are daunting. Global estimates of the population in developing countries that lack access to safe drinking water range from 750 million to 1.1 billion. The number of people without basic sanitation services is estimated at 2.4 to 2.9 billion.
The consequences of lack of safe water are severe. The United Nations' World Health Organization estimates that more than 3 billion cases of illness and 5 million deaths - the majority children - can be attributed annually to unsafe water. The death rate for children alone is estimated at one every 20 seconds.
Those numbers may rise in the early years of this century. World population surpassed 6 billion in 1999, 7 billion in 2011, and is set to increase to 8 billion by 2028. Most of the increases are expected to be in developing countries, increasing pressure on already inadequate water resources.
Sound environmental management is one of the core values of Quest Water Solutions. The Board of Directors of Quest Water Solutions adopted its corporate environmental policy in 2012. Pollution prevention and conformity to all applicable environmental laws and regulations are the cornerstones of this policy, which applies to Quest Water Solutions' activities, worldwide.


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Trump Sends Message to Judicial Nominees By Chewing Out Bush Judge
Alberto LuperonFeb 6th, 2017, 8:02 am
It's useless trying to read President Donald Trump's mind, but we can still analyze the effect his actions may have. As he tries to blame U.S. District Judge James Robart for a hypothetical terror attack, the federal judiciary is getting a message: Rule my way, or get singled out. And this doesn't just go for people chosen by past presidents. Would-be Trump judges, including Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch, wouldn't be blamed for wondering: What if I cross him?
This may well have a chilling effect on judges, who are supposed to be independent of the executive and legislative branches.
The president has an enviable opportunity. According to a December report from The Washington Post, Trump came into office with the chance to fill 103 federal judge seats. Obama had only 54 when taking office in January 2009. And no doubt, a great many of those future appointees are aware of this string of tweets from late Saturday and early Sunday:
When a country is no longer able to say who can, and who cannot , come in & out, especially for reasons of safety &.security – big trouble!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 4, 2017
Interesting that certain Middle-Eastern countries agree with the ban. They know if certain people are allowed in it's death & destruction!
The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!
What is our country coming to when a judge can halt a Homeland Security travel ban and anyone, even with bad intentions, can come into U.S.?
Because the ban was lifted by a judge, many very bad and dangerous people may be pouring into our country. A terrible decision
Why aren't the lawyers looking at and using the Federal Court decision in Boston, which is at conflict with ridiculous lift ban decision?
The judge opens up our country to potential terrorists and others that do not have our best interests at heart. Bad people are very happy!
Just cannot believe a judge would put our country in such peril. If something happens blame him and court system. People pouring in. Bad!
I have instructed Homeland Security to check people coming into our country VERY CAREFULLY. The courts are making the job very difficult!
There are a lot of choice excerpts from that novella. You're probably already aware of the "so-called" bit, so let's point out two other parts.
1) "If something happens blame him and court system." Wow.
2) "What is our country coming to"? I dunno: maybe an independent judiciary.
This is what Robart, a nominee of the second President Bush, gets for just issuing a temporary restraining order against Trump's Executive Order banning people from seven Muslim-majority nations: emotional manipulation of the first order.
What effect will the president's tweets have on Robart? Nothing much, practically speaking. Federal judges only stop working because of death, resignation, or the very rare impeachment process. Trump can't just walk up to him and say "You're fired."
But it's okay to be cautious about checks and balances, so we have to consider the difference between mere criticism, and outright intimidation. What we have to consider is the ways a president might attempt to tilt the judicial process in their favor, regardless of case law and the Constitution.
Our legal system, at its best, is all about arguing with good faith. Just because judges reached a decision on a "settled matter" doesn't mean they're beyond criticism. Robart—who, again, only issued a temporary restraining order—isn't immune. It is possible and necessary to constructively point out possible flaws in his ruling. This is not a difficult thing to do. It has been done.
There's more to it than that, however. Trump just doesn't just criticize when it comes to public disagreements. Whether it's apparently mocking a reporter's disability, pointing out the nonexistent sex tape of a former Miss Universe, or yes, saying that a Mexican-American judge was biased against him because of his proposed wall, Trump's public lashing of opponents (real and perceived) are built to degrade and embarrass.
Trump wields the bully pulpit like bad dog owners discipline pups who crapped in the dining room: Look at what you've done! Now put your nose in it! This seems to be his practice when he's up against someone over whom he has no direct power. If he cannot fire someone, then he resorts to other methods of ostracization.
So imagine being a judge, or someone with judicial aspirations. Imagine getting a call from the White House. Imagine getting offered a seat on a federal bench. Hell, imagine just getting the honor to be interviewed for that position, one of the greatest jobs in the world. Then imagine opening Twitter, and finding out that the president just tried to shift blame for a hypothetical terror attack onto another judge.
How would you respond if you ever had to decide against the person who nominated you? How would you calculate the possible harm to your personal life if the President of these United States chose to single you out like an enemy? Imagine the possible hate mail from his supporters. Imagine the possible price to your family's well-being. It's one thing to get blow-back from a random protester. It's another when your get it from the most powerful man in the world. Can you still do your job, and handle each case on its merits? I hope know that a great many people would still follow their education and training to act in good faith. But judges simply shouldn't be in that position. They simply shouldn't have to make that choice.
Imagine being Neil Gorsuch. No doubt he'll get questions about those Tweets at his confirmation hearing.
[Screengrab via ABC; Gorsuch on right]
This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.
Donald Trumpjames Robart


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        this.outDir = outDir;
        this.options = (0, (_deepAssign || _load_deepAssign()).deepAssign)({}, this.packager.platformSpecificBuildOptions, this.packager.config.appx);
        if (process.platform !== "darwin" && (process.platform !== "win32" || (0, (_windowsCodeSign || _load_windowsCodeSign()).isOldWin6)())) {
            throw new Error("AppX is supported only on Windows 10 or Windows Server 2012 R2 (version number 6.3+)");
        }
    }
    // https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/uwp/packaging/create-app-package-with-makeappx-tool#mapping-files
    build(appOutDir, arch) {
        var _this = this;

        return (0, (_bluebirdLst || _load_bluebirdLst()).coroutine)(function* () {
            const packager = _this.packager;
            const vendorPath = yield (0, (_windowsCodeSign || _load_windowsCodeSign()).getSignVendorPath)();
            const vm = yield packager.vm.value;
            const stageDir = yield (0, (_targetUtil || _load_targetUtil()).createStageDir)(_this, packager, arch);
            const mappingFile = stageDir.getTempFile("mapping.txt");
            const artifactName = packager.expandArtifactNamePattern(_this.options, "appx", arch);
            const artifactPath = _path.join(_this.outDir, artifactName);
            const makeAppXArgs = ["pack", "/o" /* overwrite the output file if it exists */
            , "/f", vm.toVmFile(mappingFile), "/p", vm.toVmFile(artifactPath)];
            if (packager.compression === "store") {
                makeAppXArgs.push("/nc");
            }
            const mappingList = [];
            mappingList.push((yield (_bluebirdLst2 || _load_bluebirdLst2()).default.map((0, (_fs || _load_fs()).walk)(appOutDir), function (file) {
                let appxPath = file.substring(appOutDir.length + 1);
                if (_path.sep !== "\\") {
                    appxPath = appxPath.replace(/\//g, "\\");
                }
                return `"${vm.toVmFile(file)}" "app\\${appxPath}"`;
            })));
            const userAssetDir = yield _this.packager.getResource(undefined, APPX_ASSETS_DIR_NAME);
            const assetInfo = yield AppXTarget.computeUserAssets(vm, vendorPath, userAssetDir);
            const userAssets = assetInfo.userAssets;
            const manifestFile = stageDir.getTempFile("AppxManifest.xml");
            yield _this.writeManifest((0, (_pathManager || _load_pathManager()).getTemplatePath)("appx"), manifestFile, arch, (yield _this.computePublisherName()), userAssets);
            mappingList.push(assetInfo.mappings);
            mappingList.push([`"${vm.toVmFile(manifestFile)}" "AppxManifest.xml"`]);
            if (isScaledAssetsProvided(userAssets)) {
                const outFile = vm.toVmFile(stageDir.getTempFile("resources.pri"));
                const makePriPath = vm.toVmFile(_path.join(vendorPath, "windows-10", (_builderUtil || _load_builderUtil()).Arch[arch], "makepri.exe"));
                const assetRoot = stageDir.getTempFile("appx/assets");
                yield (0, (_fsExtraP || _load_fsExtraP()).emptyDir)(assetRoot);
                yield (_bluebirdLst2 || _load_bluebirdLst2()).default.map(assetInfo.allAssets, function (it) {
                    return (0, (_fs || _load_fs()).copyOrLinkFile)(it, _path.join(assetRoot, _path.basename(it)));
                });
                yield vm.exec(makePriPath, ["new", "/Overwrite", "/Manifest", vm.toVmFile(manifestFile), "/ProjectRoot", vm.toVmFile(_path.dirname(assetRoot)), "/ConfigXml", vm.toVmFile(_path.join((0, (_pathManager || _load_pathManager()).getTemplatePath)("appx"), "priconfig.xml")), "/OutputFile", outFile]);
                // in addition to resources.pri, resources.scale-140.pri and other such files will be generated
                for (const resourceFile of (yield (0, (_fsExtraP || _load_fsExtraP()).readdir)(stageDir.dir)).filter(function (it) {
                    return it.startsWith("resources.");
                }).sort()) {
                    mappingList.push([`"${vm.toVmFile(stageDir.getTempFile(resourceFile))}" "${resourceFile}"`]);
                }
                makeAppXArgs.push("/l");
            }
            let mapping = "[Files]";
            for (const list of mappingList) {
                mapping += "\r\n" + list.join("\r\n");
            }
            yield (0, (_fsExtraP || _load_fsExtraP()).writeFile)(mappingFile, mapping);
            packager.debugLogger.add("appx.mapping", mapping);
            if (_this.options.makeappxArgs != null) {
                makeAppXArgs.push(..._this.options.makeappxArgs);
            }
            yield vm.exec(vm.toVmFile(_path.join(vendorPath, "windows-10", (_builderUtil || _load_builderUtil()).Arch[arch], "makeappx.exe")), makeAppXArgs);
            yield packager.sign(artifactPath);
            yield stageDir.cleanup();
            packager.info.dispatchArtifactCreated({
                file: artifactPath,
                packager,
                arch,
                safeArtifactName: packager.computeSafeArtifactName(artifactName, "appx"),
                target: _this,
                isWriteUpdateInfo: _this.options.electronUpdaterAware
            });
        })();
    }
    static computeUserAssets(vm, vendorPath, userAssetDir) {
        return (0, (_bluebirdLst || _load_bluebirdLst()).coroutine)(function* () {
            const mappings = [];
            let userAssets;
            const allAssets = [];
            if (userAssetDir == null) {
                userAssets = [];
            } else {
                userAssets = (yield (0, (_fsExtraP || _load_fsExtraP()).readdir)(userAssetDir)).filter(function (it) {
                    return !it.startsWith(".") && !it.endsWith(".db") && it.includes(".");
                });
                for (const name of userAssets) {
                    mappings.push(`"${vm.toVmFile(userAssetDir)}${vm.pathSep}${name}" "assets\\${name}"`);
                    allAssets.push(_path.join(userAssetDir, name));
                }
            }
            for (const defaultAsset of Object.keys(vendorAssetsForDefaultAssets)) {
                if (userAssets.length === 0 || !isDefaultAssetIncluded(userAssets, defaultAsset)) {
                    const file = _path.join(vendorPath, "appxAssets", vendorAssetsForDefaultAssets[defaultAsset]);
                    mappings.push(`"${vm.toVmFile(file)}" "assets\\${defaultAsset}"`);
                    allAssets.push(file);
                }
            }
            // we do not use process.arch to build path to tools, because even if you are on x64, ia32 appx tool must be used if you build appx for ia32
            return { userAssets, mappings, allAssets };
        })();
    }
    // https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder/issues/2108#issuecomment-333200711
    computePublisherName() {
        var _this2 = this;

        return (0, (_bluebirdLst || _load_bluebirdLst()).coroutine)(function* () {
            if ((yield _this2.packager.cscInfo.value) == null) {
                (0, (_builderUtil || _load_builderUtil()).log)("AppX is not signed (Windows Store only build)");
                return _this2.options.publisher || "CN=ms";
            }
            const publisher = yield _this2.packager.computedPublisherSubjectOnWindowsOnly.value;
            if (!publisher) {
                throw new Error("Internal error: cannot compute subject using certificate info");
            }
            return publisher;
        })();
    }
    writeManifest(templatePath, outFile, arch, publisher, userAssets) {
        var _this3 = this;

        return (0, (_bluebirdLst || _load_bluebirdLst()).coroutine)(function* () {
            const appInfo = _this3.packager.appInfo;
            const options = _this3.options;
            const manifest = (yield (0, (_fsExtraP || _load_fsExtraP()).readFile)(_path.join(templatePath, "appxmanifest.xml"), "utf8")).replace(/\$\{([a-zA-Z0-9]+)\}/g, function (match, p1) {
                switch (p1) {
                    case "publisher":
                        return publisher;
                    case "publisherDisplayName":
                        const name = options.publisherDisplayName || appInfo.companyName;
                        if (name == null) {
                            throw new Error(`Please specify "author" in the application package.json — it is required because "appx.publisherDisplayName" is not set.`);
                        }
                        return name;
                    case "version":
                        return appInfo.versionInWeirdWindowsForm;
                    case "applicationId":
                        const result = options.applicationId || options.identityName || appInfo.name;
                        if (!isNaN(parseInt(result[0], 10))) {
                            let message = `AppX Application.Id can't start with numbers: "${result}"`;
                            if (options.applicationId == null) {
                                message += `\nPlease set appx.applicationId (or correct appx.identityName or name)`;
                            }
                            throw new Error(message);
                        }
                        return result;
                    case "identityName":
                        return options.identityName || appInfo.name;
                    case "executable":
                        return `app\\${appInfo.productFilename}.exe`;
                    case "displayName":
                        return options.displayName || appInfo.productName;
                    case "description":
                        return appInfo.description || appInfo.productName;
                    case "backgroundColor":
                        return options.backgroundColor || "#464646";
                    case "logo":
                        return "assets\\StoreLogo.png";
                    case "square150x150Logo":
                        return "assets\\Square150x150Logo.png";
                    case "square44x44Logo":
                        return "assets\\Square44x44Logo.png";
                    case "lockScreen":
                        return lockScreenTag(userAssets);
                    case "defaultTile":
                        return defaultTileTag(userAssets);
                    case "splashScreen":
                        return splashScreenTag(userAssets);
                    case "arch":
                        return arch === (_builderUtil || _load_builderUtil()).Arch.ia32 ? "x86" : "x64";
                    case "resourceLanguages":
                        return resourceLanguageTag((0, (_builderUtil || _load_builderUtil()).asArray)(options.languages));
                    default:
                        throw new Error(`Macro ${p1} is not defined`);
                }
            });
            yield (0, (_fsExtraP || _load_fsExtraP()).writeFile)(outFile, manifest);
        })();
    }
}
exports.default = AppXTarget; // get the resource - language tag, see https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/uwp/globalizing/manage-language-and-region#specify-the-supported-languages-in-the-apps-manifest

function resourceLanguageTag(userLanguages) {
    if (userLanguages == null || userLanguages.length === 0) {
        userLanguages = [DEFAULT_RESOURCE_LANG];
    }
    return userLanguages.map(it => `<Resource Language="${it.replace(/_/g, "-")}" />`).join("\n");
}
function lockScreenTag(userAssets) {
    if (isDefaultAssetIncluded(userAssets, "BadgeLogo.png")) {
        return '<uap:LockScreen Notification="badgeAndTileText" BadgeLogo="assets\\BadgeLogo.png" />';
    } else {
        return "";
    }
}
function defaultTileTag(userAssets) {
    const defaultTiles = ["<uap:DefaultTile", 'Wide310x150Logo="assets\\Wide310x150Logo.png"'];
    if (isDefaultAssetIncluded(userAssets, "LargeTile.png")) {
        defaultTiles.push('Square310x310Logo="assets\\LargeTile.png"');
    }
    if (isDefaultAssetIncluded(userAssets, "SmallTile.png")) {
        defaultTiles.push('Square71x71Logo="assets\\SmallTile.png"');
    }
    defaultTiles.push("/>");
    return defaultTiles.join(" ");
}
function splashScreenTag(userAssets) {
    if (isDefaultAssetIncluded(userAssets, "SplashScreen.png")) {
        return '<uap:SplashScreen Image="assets\\SplashScreen.png" />';
    } else {
        return "";
    }
}
function isDefaultAssetIncluded(userAssets, defaultAsset) {
    const defaultAssetName = defaultAsset.substring(0, defaultAsset.indexOf("."));
    return userAssets.some(it => it.includes(defaultAssetName));
}
function isScaledAssetsProvided(userAssets) {
    return userAssets.some(it => it.includes(".scale-") || it.includes(".targetsize-"));
}
function quoteString(s) {
    if (!s.includes(",") && !s.includes('"')) {
        return s;
    }
    return `"${s.replace(/"/g, '\\"')}"`;
}
//# sourceMappingURL=AppxTarget.js.map

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Gay Man Transition
Gay man lives in an unhealthy environment where they lost their identity and try to be someone they're not just to fit in with the rest "The first, and perhaps major, life transition in the lives of GBTs occurs when their homosexual desire becomes silent and they adopt a homosexuality identity. This usually takes place during adolescence and early adulthood" (Garcia Article). This explains the different stages that gay man goes through, during their early childhood, they try to act the manliest they can for people to not start questioning their sexuality. During this is also when a lot of man fall into depression because of how much bullying they get at school and from their own families. They constantly feel embarrassed by their own family
Social Transition Essay
Transitions may be challenging, confronting, exciting or transformative and can propel individuals into new phases of life and cause transitions in social context for broader society. Ben Haggerty, Mary Lambert and Ryan Lewis' song 'Same Love', explores transitions that result in creating shifts in attitudes and beliefs, deepening understanding of one's choices and changing attitudes of either conforming or resisting the social norm. A proposal of transition is portrayed through the idea of…
Harvey Milk's Fight For Gay Rights
consideration, I have decided to dedicate this space in my application to a man named Harvey Milk, the first openly gay non-incumbent to be elected to a public office in U.S. history. Through his dedication to the LGBT community and the gay rights movement, Harvey Milk overcame many challenges and showed true leadership through his persistence, courage, and focus on making a better future for all. With the help of the gay community and his own determination, Milk was elected to the San Francisco…
Gay Marriage Religion
Religious people may clearly state gay marriage is contrary to the word of God and is incompatible with the beliefs, sacred texts, and traditions of many religious groups. However, many religious leaders and churches support gay marriage and they say it is consistent with scripture. Throughout the years, support for homosexual couples has increased dramatically which in today's society is slowly opening the doors for acceptance and overall prosperity between different people. Over time, the concept…


Custom Truck Lettering is our specialty. Blue Moon Graphics has the knowledge, experience and skill to deliver quality lettering and graphics for your company trucks. From a single truck to an entire fleet, let Blue Moon Graphics handle all your truck lettering needs.


We have had some questions recently from customers about our .TIFF offering and associated pricing, thanks in part to more misleading marketing tactics by DigMyPics. I would like to take a moment to succinctly describe how the offering works.
But first, let me state the following: TIFF is a very high end file format that the vast majority of customers will not use. The ability to store image data in a lossless format makes TIFF files a useful method for professional photographers & hobbyists to archive images. TIFF files can be ten times larger in memory usage than JPEGS and can be cumbersome to work with for the novice. Unlike standard JPEG, TIFF files use lossless compression (or no compression at all) and can be edited and resaved without suffering a compression loss. Because of this "lossless compression", TIFF files scanned at 3000 dpi (our default setting) range in size from 60 to 120 MB per image. This is clearly quite unwieldy and requires a great deal of storage space on your hard drives, lots of RAM and siginificant processing capacity from your computer. For the vast majority of our customers there is no need for TIFF as they simply need a high quality scan of the original image. For most applications, our unmatched pricing of 19 cents for negatives, and 24 cents for slides, both at 3000 dpi, is plenty. Because TIFF is "bulky" and requires additional storage space, we have a surcharge of 9 cents per image when a customer requests TIFF format.
Now, in the past we had a process associated with TIFF in that had a customer ordered TIFF images that exceeded 60GB in size (which equates to over 800 images in TIFF), we required the customer to purchase a 120GB pocket hard drive at cost. This was in lieu of sending the customer what could amount to be 15-20 DVDs (this sort of defeats the purpose of archiving your imagery). This drive can have other images / files added to it by the customer and it literally fits into your pocket. A professional can have his or her entire archive of imagery on this drive and take it with them wherever they go. Customers are actually choosing to order the hard drive for all types of orders because they believe in the utility of such a product. When we rolled out the new website, we removed this requirement so customers are no longer required to buy the hard drive, regardless of how many images they send us or type of format. Of course, we strongly encourage customers who might place an order that would require 20 discs to place an order for the hard drive, simply because it is much easier to manage. But, this is the customer's choice – simple as that.
But to be even more explicit, let me show you an example. Lets say a customer orders 1000 negatives in TIFF format along with an optional 120GB hard drive – the total price of the order would be $399.95 or 39.9 cents per image ([1,000 x $.28] + $119.95). Of course, this assumes the customer purchases everything they send us and I point out that ScanCafe is THE SINGLE COMPANY in this market that allows you to only pay for what you want and discard up to 50% of your order. Now – go to all the "competition" out there and do a price comparison of 1000 negatives, at 3000 dpi, TIFF format, with full post scanning services of color correction, cropping, dust/scratch removal, red eye reduction, etc, etc and see what you come up with. Even w. the hard drive option enacted, you will find that ScanCafe is significantly and materially much more affordable than the "competition" as the charts here show. But as always: I encourage you to investigate the real prices yourself – don't just listen to me, and certainly don't just listen to the paranoid scanning companies out there – do the due diligence yourself, your precious memories deserve it.
For more info and background on TIFF format, check out wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiff. You can always call us or shoot us an email as well.
I plan to keep 100% of what you scan. Why don't you offer a discount if someone keeps 100%?
You let people reject 50% of the scans at no cost to the customer. You already spend labor to scan them in.
So why not offer a discount of someone keeps 100% (which I plan to do on each order).
BTW: I just received my fist order back from you guys. I am impressed.
This is an interesting idea that we haven't honestly discussed internally. The idea has merit, I will bring it up with our marketing guys – seems to me it would be a bit like the "buy it now" service on eBay where you basically get a bonus for acting quickly. This is definitely worth investigating – get back to us in a month or two and we will have a succinct answer for you. Thanks for the question – and thanks for the continued business.
Tiff files for me are sometimes important at the office and I'm sure (along with raw) are quite important to professional photographers. I'm just as happy with .jpg for digitizing the old family negatives I sent to you guys. I don't plan to do any editing of them and will keep the original .jpgs on disk anyway… If I really want a tiff file I'll scan it myself from the negative.
I'm looking forward to checking out my .jpgs soon and hopefully sending along a new batch to you guys in the near future.
You guys focus too much on rebutting. It creates confusion and doubt where there was none previously. Your issue is turn-around, pure and simple. Otherwise I think the service is top notch.
Thanks – I think our new site does very little rebutting – it was necessary in this case because of the blatant mis-information spread by another scanning company. It's important that people, especially pros and hobbyists, fully understand the TIFF offering. Re: turn around time, we are actually within the norms of the industry (perhaps 5 days longer in some cases). You can do some research yourself and call around and ask what the turn around time is for a given order size, I think you will find that the response is 4-6 weeks from the major players in the market. Given the high level of attention and post-scan services received by each image, we feel that our 4-6 turn around time is acceptable. What we don't provide is any sort of expedite service, which I understand can be a problem for some potential customers. Thanks for the post and let us know if you have any other questions.
Thanks for the note. We would prefer not to waste time on such things as you mention. I think that the results of the Money Magazine Field Test along with what the Editor of Popular Photograpy stated pretty much speak for themselves and prove ScanCafe worthy (you can read about those in other blog posts of mine). It's unfortunate that other companies in this industry don't understand the basic dictum "a rising tide raises all boats" meaning that success for one is success for all. Bottom line is, we just ask people to do what you have done: do the research yourself and don't believe the competition (or me either), but do the due diligence to find out for yourself. Kudos to you for doing the research. The web is a powerful tool and when used correctly is a great ally to consumers.
Thanks for taking time to clear up the negative publicity spread by digmypics. My mother & I had confidently placed two gift card orders as Christmas presents for my dad to send in all his slides to have them scanned. I was very impressed with all I had read about scan cafe. He hasn't sent in the order yet, but I ran across digmypics websites and it scared me a bit worrying that I had done the wrong thing. It definitely made be back peddle a bit and do some more research to see if I had made a mistake. Needless to say, it did place some doubt. Its hard to know who to trust in the big world of the internet and everyone wants to run a scam. After doing much more research and reading some independent outside reviews from reputable sources, and your blog, I can now rest assured that I have done the correct thing in using your service. I know you don't necessarily want to get into a debating war with them, but I do think you are right in taking a moment to refute what they are saying about you. Thank you for restoring my confidence and I'm looking forward to seeing all of his photos when they're done.
I noticed that the Pro options don't specify what the bits per pixel are. The Nikons can scan at either 24 or 48 bits for color, and for truly professional scans the additional color information provided by 48 bits can be critical. The dynamic range of film is one area where film is still quite a bit superior to digital cameras.
So, I presume that the scans are done in 24 bit color. Can I ask for (and get) 48 bit color? Adobe Photoshop can handle it.
Lastly, are your DVD's single or double layer?
I had lost over 2000 prints in a flood, but was able to run the negatives through a solution and save them. I am a computer person and have even done large scanning projects for wedding slide shows, but did not look forward to the huge amount of time and energy it would take to scan these in. THANK YOU SO MUCH for helping saving my memories and preserving them so well. I love the service. Now if you can get your web interface to allow the easy movement of pictures from one folder to another, and also once they are organized online provide the DVD's with the same organized files, your service will be out of this world.
Thanks for the post. Our DVD burning process now captures the organization of the customer via the online tool. Also, the latest release of the tool allows for much easier image movement. Thanks for the patience, we are improving every aspect of our game over time. And thanks for your patronage. We are very excited to hear when we have helped people in a meaningful way – am glad to hear that you were able to recover your images.
Good questions: Our current default offering is 24 bit (8 bit per channel RGB). We will offer 48bit very soon. In the interim, when you place an order online, you can request 48bit scans by placing a note in the "Order Notes" section of the order form (which appears when you enter credit card information).
The DMax of the Nikon scanners is highest in the industry for LED-CCD based scanners. Although, nowhere close to the drum scanners which run >$100,000 for a scanner.
Our DVDs are single layer.
You guys have provided great service, but I'm having some trouble with the "organize images" interface. After I drop and drag images to put them in the order I like, very often when I open that folder again later, the images are right back where they were. Is there something I need to do to "save" the order I put them in? Or is this a bug? I need to be certain that the DVD has the images burned in the order I want.
I will have Anjuli our CS Manager contact you immediately re: your issue. You were following the correct process, not sure what the issue is in your case but we will get it fixed for you.
Do you offer a service outside the USA. I'm in UK.
We don't offer the service outside the US – yet. But if you have friends or family in the US you can use their shipping address for the transaction, just make sure you ship/track your photos to them before placing an order on our site.