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Fearless Muckraking
Diego Garcia: The "Unsinkable Carrier" Springs a Leak
by Conn Hallinan
Photograph Source Laurens~commonswiki – Public Domain
The recent decision by the Hague-based International Court of Justice that the Chagos Islands — with its huge U.S. military base at Diego Garcia — are being illegally occupied by the United Kingdom (UK) has the potential to upend the strategic plans of a dozen regional capitals, ranging from Beijing to Riyadh.
For a tiny speck of land measuring only 38 miles in length, Diego Garcia casts a long shadow. Sometimes called Washington's "unsinkable aircraft carrier," planes and warships based on the island played an essential role in the first and second Gulf wars, the invasion of Afghanistan, and the war in Libya. Its strategic location between Africa and Indonesia and 1,000 miles south of India gives the U.S. access to the Middle East, Central and South Asia, and the vast Indian Ocean. No oil tanker, no warship, no aircraft can move without its knowledge.
Most Americans have never heard of Diego Garcia for a good reason: No journalist has been allowed there for more than 30 years, and the Pentagon keeps the base wrapped in a cocoon of national security. Indeed, the UK leased the base to the Americans in 1966 without informing either the British Parliament or the U.S. Congress.
The February 25 Court decision has put a dent in all that by deciding that Great Britain violated United Nations Resolution 1514 prohibiting the division of colonies before independence. The UK broke the Chagos Islands off from Mauritius, a former colony on the southeast coast of Africa that Britain decolonized in 1968. At the time, Mauritius objected, reluctantly agreeing only after Britain threatened to withdraw its offer of independence.
The Court ruled 13-1 that the UK had engaged in a "wrongful act" and must decolonize the Chagos "as rapidly as possible."
"The Great Game" in the Indian Ocean
While the ruling is only "advisory," it comes at a time when the U.S. and its allies are confronting or sanctioning countries for supposedly illegal occupations — Russia in the Crimea and China in the South China Sea.
The suit was brought by Mauritius and some of the 1,500 Chagos islanders who were forcibly removed from the archipelago in 1973. The Americans, calling it "sanitizing" the islands, moved the Chagossians more than 1,000 miles to Mauritius and the Seychelles, where they've languished in poverty ever since.
Diego Garcia is the lynchpin for U.S. strategy in the region. With its enormous runways, it can handle B-52, B-1 and B-2 bombers, and huge C-5M, C-17, and C-130 military cargo planes. The lagoon has been transformed into a naval harbor that can handle an aircraft carrier. The U.S. has built a city — replete with fast food outlets, bars, golf courses and bowling alleys — that hosts some 3,000 to 5,000 military personnel and civilian contractors.
What you can't find are any native Chagossians.
The Indian Ocean has become a major theater of competition between India, the U.S., and Japan on one side, and the growing presence of China on the other. Tensions have flared between India and China over the Maldives and Sri Lanka, specifically China's efforts to use ports on those island nations. India recently joined with Japan and the U.S. in a war game — Malabar 18 — that modeled shutting down the strategic Malacca Straits between Sumatra and Malaysia, through which some 80 percent of China's energy supplies pass each year.
A portion of the exercise involved anti-submarine warfare aimed at detecting Chinese submarines moving from the South China Sea into the Indian Ocean. To Beijing, those submarines are essential for protecting the ring of Chinese-friendly ports that run from southern China to Port Sudan on the east coast of Africa. Much of China's oil and gas supplies are vulnerable, because they transit the narrow Mandeb Strait that guards the entrance to the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz that oversees access to the oil-rich Persian Gulf. The U.S. 5th Fleet controls both straits.
Tensions in the region have increased since the Trump administration shifted the focus of U.S. national security from terrorism to "major power competition" — that is, China and Russia. The U.S. accuses China of muscling its way into the Indian Ocean by taking over ports, like Hambantota in Sri Lanka and Gwadar in Pakistan that are capable of hosting Chinese warships.
India, which has its own issues with China dating back to their 1962 border war, is ramping up its anti-submarine forces and building up its deep-water navy. New Delhi also recently added a long-range Agni-V missile that's designed to strike deep into China, and the right-wing government of Narendra Mori is increasingly chummy with the American military. The Americans even changed their regional military organization from "Pacific Command" to "Indo-Pacific Command" in deference to New Delhi.
The term for these Chinese friendly ports —"string of pearls" — was coined by Pentagon contractor Booz Allen Hamilton and, as such, should be taken with a grain of salt. China is indeed trying to secure its energy supplies and also sees the ports as part of its worldwide Road and Belt Initiative trade strategy. But assuming the "pearls" have a military role, akin to 19th century colonial coaling stations, is a stretch. Most the ports would be indefensible if a war broke out.
An "Historic" Decision
Diego Garcia is central to the U.S. war in Somalia, its air attacks in Iraq and Syria, and its control of the Persian Gulf, and would be essential in any conflict with Iran. If the current hostility by Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the U.S. toward Iran actually translates into war, the island will quite literally be an unsinkable aircraft carrier.
Given the strategic centrality of Diego Garcia, it's hard to imagine the US giving it up — or rather, the British withdrawing their agreement with Washington and de-colonizing the Chagos Islands. In 2016, London extended the Americans' lease for 20 years.
Mauritius wants the Chagos back, but at this point doesn't object to the base. It certainly wants a bigger rent check and the right eventually to take the island group back.
It also wants more control over what goes on at Diego Garcia. For instance, the British government admitted that the Americans were using the island to transit "extraordinary renditions," people seized during the Afghan and Iraq wars between 2002 and 2003, many of whom were tortured. Torture is a violation of international law.
As for the Chagossians, they want to go back.
Diego Garcia is immensely important for U.S. military and intelligence operations in the region, but it's just one of some 800 American military bases on every continent except Antarctica. Those bases form a worldwide network that allows the U.S. military to deploy advisors and Special Forces in some 177 countries across the globe. Those forces create tensions that can turn dangerous at a moment's notice.
For instance, there are currently U.S. military personal in virtually every country surrounding Russia: Norway, Poland, Hungary, Kosovo, Romania, Turkey, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Georgia, Ukraine, and Bulgaria. Added to that is the Mediterranean's 6th Fleet, which regularly sends warships into the Black Sea.
Much the same can be said for China. U.S. military forces are deployed in South Korea, Japan, and Australia, plus numerous islands in the Pacific. The American 7th fleet, based in Hawaii and Yokohama, is the Navy's largest.
In late March, U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships transited the Taiwan Straits, which, while international waters, the Chinese consider an unnecessary provocation. British ships have also sailed close to Chinese-occupied reefs and islands in the South China Sea.
The fight to de-colonize the Chagos Islands will now move to the UN General Assembly. In the end, Britain may ignore the General Assembly and the Court, but it will be hard pressed to make a credible case for doing so. How Great Britain can argue for international law in the Crimea and South China Sea, while ignoring the International Court of Justice on the Chagos, will require some fancy footwork.
In the meantime, Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth calls the Court decision "historic," and one that will eventually allow the 6,000 native Chagossians and their descendants "to return home."
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More articles by:Conn Hallinan
Conn Hallinan can be read at dispatchesfromtheedgeblog.wordpress.com
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The Challenge: Built to Last, the defining management study of the nineties, showed how great companies triumph over time and how long-term sustained performance can be engineered into the DNA of an enterprise from the verybeginning. But what about the company that is not born with great DNA? How can good companies, mediocre companies, even bad companies achieve enduring greatness? The Study: For years, this question preyed on the mind of Jim Collins. Are there companies that defy gravity and convert long-term mediocrity or worse into long-term superiority? And if so, what are the universal distinguishing characteristics that cause a company to go from good to great? The Standards: Using tough benchmarks, Collins and his research team identified a set of elite companies that made the leap to great results and sustained those results for at least fifteen years.


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"This will include how the gold industry contributes to the social fabric of our communities and it will demonstrate the gold industry's importance to Australia," Rebecca said.
The project will be led by Deloitte Access Economics Partner Matt Judkins with key messages to be used throughout the GIG's communications and educational initiatives to be launched in 2017 including the Heart of Gold Discovery Trail and lesson plans for students.
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Australia has the largest known gold resources globally and is the world's second largest gold producer after China. Gold is also the nation's third largest mineral export, worth $16 billion in 2015/16.
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Having failed to convert a front row lock-out into victory in Mexico, Ferrari chief Mattia Binotto's says his team's focus for this weekend's race in Austin is on sharpening the way they operate…
The Prancing Horse put pole-sitter Leclerc on an early two-stop strategy, with teams expecting a benefit from fresh tyres, while leaving Vettel on a one-stop. They didn't cover Hamilton when he pitted for the first and only time, in the hope Vettel could extend his stint and then attack with fresher tyres on the same strategy.
READ MORE: 'Mercedes got a bit lucky with strategy' says Vettel after Ferrari lose out in Mexico
But the tyres generally held up much better than anyone expected, which meant Vettel didn't have a significant advantage over Hamilton, whose tyres were 14 laps over – and as a result, had to settle for second, while Leclerc dropped out of contention for even a podium with his strategy.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I wanted to make this post for people who want to get dreads but might be afraid cuz of the maintenance, well maintenance is really easy and I will answer my most asked questions I have gotten since I got my hair done. These are hair extensions that are braided into hair and does not cause damage to your own hair and you can take them out when ever you wish. At this stage I have them for about month.
The first 3 days when you get them done they will be tight to the head and you might find it harder to tie them back. It will feel weird to sleep on the side for the first 3 days too until you get used to the hair and it softens up but for me personally the dread extensions did not hurt to sleep on as I have had normal hair extensions before and they did hurt.
For me the most comfortable and easiest way to wear them on day to day bases is when I tie them back either with hair tie or I just take 2 pieces of dreads from each side and tie them back that way.
Yes you can wash the hair, with shampoo and water like you do your normal hair just don't use conditioner.The actual extensions dry fast I usually just blow dry the roots. I have few pieces of hair left out for softer look so what I do with those pieces I brush them with hair brush so I would not have knots. Some of them have elastic see trough bands so they hold better if the snap just add new one on you can get 300pc in Penny's for 1,50euro. Other than that this is literally as far as the maintenance goes. They save so much getting ready time in the morning as I don't have to worry about my hair anymore.
Tip: if you don't want the hair to itch much when you go to sleep don't tie back the hair just leave them loose.
I haven't experimented much about the styling of them but I like doing buns, and when the hair loosens up they it is so easy to maneuver around and place the way you want them. You will get little bit of friction because it is synthetic hair so you might get few spots itchy from time to time but it isnt anything to worry about as it is normal. You don't have to have long hair if you want them done as long as it is decent length to be able to braid them in.
Also you can get accessories for the dreads like beads, ribbons, charms etc. to decorate them and have them more interesting, as well as you dont have to get actual full head of the dreads you can add how many pieces you want as decoration to your own hair. The do sell clip in dreads too as well as pony tails.
If you ant to get dreads and have any en-queries click on this link and contact The Dread Shop Dublin https://www.facebook.com/Thedreadshop/?fref=ts Kep an eye out on their page as they do tours around Ireland and go to different cities so if you are not from Dublin you still can get the extensions as well as they post out the clip in and pony tail dread extensions.


This is the first in a series of posts containing a few thoughts on obedience–first as it is exemplified in the Bible, second as we should practice it, and third as we should teach it to our children.
Stop and chew on that a bit. Faith leads to an act of obedience to God's command, even though it entails a great deal of risk. (Though, I must admit, my perspective of risk has changed since reading John Piper's book Don't Waste Your Life–but that's getting a bit off-topic).
True faith clearly involves action, but it is action in direct response to God's commands.


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Regin backdoor used to compromise the GSM Networks
Security experts at Kaspersky Lab issued a detailed paper on the analysis of the backdoor Regin focusing on the attacker's activity against the GSM networks.
The day after the disclosure of the Regin Backdoor by Symantec, which provided the details the new sophisticated cyber espionage tool,the principal security firms published the results of their investigation. As usual, one of the most interesting analysis was conducted by experts at Kaspersky Lab that issued a paper on the results of their investigation.
The primary victims of the Regin campaign include government entities, financial institutions, telecom operators, research organizations, multinational political bodies and individuals involved in advanced mathematical/cryptographical research.
According to the experts, the development of the Regin platform requested a significant effort, its level of complexity led the research to believe that it was a product of a nation-state project. Regin was designed mainly for two objectives, the intelligence gathering and the facilitating other further attacks on the targeted systems.
The Kaspersky Lab team explained that the most interesting aspect regarding their investigation about Regin is an infection of a large GSM operator. The GSM standard is still widely used, the experts at Kaspersky analyzed the activity log of a GSM base station controller and discovered that attackers gained access to the GSM network stealing the credentials that would allow them to control GSM cells of a large operator.
The attackers had access to the overall information about the activity of the targets within cells of the network, the threat actors would also use the access to the network to perform offensive actions against the victims.
"The ability of this group to penetrate and monitor GSM networks is perhaps the most unusual and interesting aspect of these operations. In today's world, we have become too dependent on mobile phone networks which rely on ancient communication protocols with little or no security available for the end user. Although all GSM networks have mechanisms embedded which allow entities such as law enforcement to track suspects, there are other parties which can gain this ability and further abuse them to launch other types of attacks against mobile users." states the post on SecureList.
The experts reported that in April 2008, the threat actors gained access to administrative credentials that would allow them to manipulate a GSM network in a Middle Eastern country. The case reported in the paper represents a case study for the experts which noted a very insidious implementation of the control infrastructure.
"In this specific country, all the victims we identified communicate with each other, forming a peer-to-peer network. The P2P network includes the president's office, a research center,educational institution network and a bank. These victims spread across the country are all interconnected to each other. One of the victims contains a translation drone which has the ability to forward the packets outside of the country, to the C&C in India. This represents a rather interesting command-and-control mechanism, which is guaranteed to raise very little suspicions. For instance, if all commands to the president's office are sent through the bank's network, then all the malicious traffic visible for the president's office sysadmins will be only with the bank, in the same country."
Regin backdoor allowed attackers to issue several commands to the base station controller , including the listing of the current call forwarding settings of the Mobile Station and stopping cells in the GSM network. The list of countries targeted by the Backdoor Regin provided by Kaspersky includes Iran, Germany, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Russia that counted for 28 percent of infections:
The researchers at Symantec hypothesized that the campaign is active at least since 2008 and has been operated continuously until the 2011 when seems to be suspended to resurge form 2013. The investigations are still ongoing, security firms have no clues about the attack vector the hackers used initially to launch the attacks.
"The exact method of the initial compromise remains a mystery, although several theories exist, which include man-in-the-middle attacks with browser zero-day exploits. For some of the victims, we observed tools and modules designed for lateral movement. So far, we have not encountered any exploits. The replication modules are copied to remote computers by using Windows administrative shares and then executed. Obviously, this technique requires administrative privileges inside the victim's network. In several cases, the infected machines were also Windows domain controllers. Targeting of system administrators via web-based exploits is one simple way of achieving immediate administrative access to the entire network." states Kaspersky.
(Security Affairs – Regin Backdoor, cyber espionage)
Backdoor Regincyber espionageGSMKasperskymalwarestate sponsored hackersstate-sponsored malwareSymantec
Hacking RFID payment smart cards with an Android App
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#FBF Our 9 Fave Dance Movies
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est le sixième album de la chanteuse et auteure-compositrice brésilienne Adriana Calcanhotto, sorti en 2002.

L'album a reçu un disque de platine (signifiant que plus de  exemplaires se sont vendus dans le pays).

Liste des titres

Crédits
 Adriana Calcanhotto : guitare acoustique, chant
 Dé Palmeira : basse
 Kassin : basse, guitare acoustique, piano électrique
 Junior Tostoi, Ricardo Palmeira : guitares
 Berna Ceppas : claviers
 Domenico : batterie
 Marcelo Costa : percussions, ganzá
 Daniel Jobim : piano
 Moreno Veloso : violoncelle
 Chico Chagas : accordéon
 Ramiro Musotto : berimbau, pandeiro, tambourin

Notes et références

Liens externes

Album de chanson lusophone
Album d'Adriana Calcanhotto
Album musical sorti en 2002

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


I have listed a new property at 3243 - 3245 FOX ST in Port Coquitlam.
PROPERTY of 3243-3245 Fox St is under subdivision review into tow lots. Each about 4500 Sf (final to be determined) possibly later in 2017. Great location a few steps to Superstore, and a whole host of other amenities, school, shops, banks that are in or close to Coquitlam Centre. Close vicinity to skytrain. Smaller lots are already asking 4799K. Build yourself or have us build for you. Hurry. Too good to miss.


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I have lived and worked in Reston for close to 25 years. After hearing about your needs and your interests, I will be able to help you find the perfect neighborhood and just the right home for you. Be it a 1970's contemporary in South Reston to an estate home in North Reston.
Together we will navigate each step of the process that will lead you to the right home for you today; and as your life changes and your housing needs change I'll continue to be there to offer my assistance and expertise.
For more information about Reston real estate - contact me today! You can also begin your search by checking our my popular Reston real estate categories.


It's been around the block at E3 more times than Sony would care to admit, well and truly wearing out its welcome, but we're still hopeful that Days Gone has the capacity to surprise us. Sony Bend studio has proven itself as a very capable studio over the years, so despite the negative sentiment surrounding Days Gone, we're looking forward to coming at it with fresh eyes. Days Gone is a post-apocalyptic open-world action game featuring zombies-that-aren't-zombies, albeit with a biker gang twist. It's not the freshest of ideas, for sure, but if Days Gone is proficient enough this could be a sleeper hit.
Two years on from its announcement, we're still no closer to knowing what the heck is going on with Death Stranding, but that haze of mystery is what makes it all the more enticing. E3 2018 made Death Stranding look worryingly like a DPD simulator, but this is sure to be but a small portion of the mad end product when Hideo Kojima is let off the leash and allowed to run wild with his creation. For good or bad, Death Stranding is surely going to be one of the most fascinating games to keep an eye on over the next year.
Nathan Drake's pulpy charm seemed a world away when watching the first gameplay from The Last of Us Part II at E3 2018. Stomach-churningly brutal, The Last of Us 2 promises to be a gut-punching and harrowing tale of survival in a world in which the worst human instincts come to pass. The pressure is on for Naughty Dog here. They aren't a studio known for duds so anything less than truly spectacular could only be viewed through a lends of disappointment.
Fingers crossed Ghost of Tsushima even has a hope of arriving in 2019, as what we saw of this game at E3 2018 had us hysterical with excitement. Sucker Punch has been lumbered with the Infamous series for the past decade and we're beyond excited to see what the studio's next step could be. Ghost of Tsushima is a third-person action-stealth game set in a large open-world on Tsushima Island during the Mongol invasion of Japan. There's a whiff of Tenchu to the tense action, but it's the goddamn gorgeous environments that we're keen to explore.
Announced a full five years ago, Dreams feels increasingly like its namesake. Behind-the-scenes though, Media Molecule looks as if it's cooking up something truly special. Little Big Planet dabbled in level creation and sharing, but Dreams is on a whole other level. Pla\yers can manipulate a cursor in 3D space to build anything and everything that could ever, ahem, dream of. Objects and characters can be hand animated, anything can be built, and entire game modes can be designed, all within the confines of Dreams' toolset. Dreams will also support the PSVR, and it's tough to think of a greater selling point for Sony's virtual reality headset than getting lost in someone else's dreams.
We have been waiting for Days Gone for quite a while now… I'm not ever surprise that it's not even close to most anticipated PS4 release.
But, The Last of us 2… That was pretty much expected.
Gotta say, I'm really enjoying my PS4 Pro (which I bought with my bro, hey it rhymes!). 30fps is a bother sometimes, but games like God of War, Spider-Man and Bloodborne make up for it.
Also games like Uncharted 4, Horizon Zero Dawn, Order 1886, Gravity Rush 1 and 2, The last guardian, KNACK 1 and 2 are also amazing.
And the drops don't even matter. They happen when the spiders are spawned if you skip the second phase, so twice as many spiders spawn around Rom and on the watchdog, it happens when it gets angry and fires up, so it's not even close to attacking.
This is one category that I can't pick just one, I'm exited for and buying all of them day one.
Death Stranding, The Last of us II, and Ghost of Tsushima would be my picks.
Dreams also looks interesring, I have to admit, I don't know much about it.
Dreams is pretty much a make your own game. I'm gonna try to make beat'em up on there similar to Guardian Heroes, I hope we can upload our creations.
Seems like a weak PS4 exclusive year to me, since 2015(including) all years have been great for exclusives, but I guess 2019 won't be one.
I think it's strong if all these games come out. Dreams in particular is very interesting for me, as is Ghost of Tsushima. The other three are okay. I'm a big fan of naughty dog but they do have a formula for their gameplay which I know to death now so I'm not expecting TLOU2 to surprise, but I would like it to.
I'm interested in Ghost of Tsushima, Dreams, if I remember correctly, requires motion controllers so it's a pass for me, since I don't like, nor do I own motion controllers. And I was kinda thinking that zombie/zombie-survival games would be dead by now, but I guess I was wrong. After TLOU 1 I have 0 interest in TLOU 2, the gameplay is good, but I'd rather get another uncharted, which won't happen, but oh well.
I'm a Sucker Punch Productions fanboy so it's a pretty easy choice: Ghost of Tsushima. However, I love baseball and will be buying MLB '19 when it is released.
To be honest, I don't see myself buying too many games in the first half of 2019. Kingdom Hearts III, MLB and maybe New Super Mario Bros. Switch.
I just want Last of us 2 now.
I hope Sony got Days Gone delayed so they can put more work into it and bring it to God of War/ Spiderman standards. I'm really excited for it but the gameplay looked underwhelming from many points of view.


After lunch the boys and I went for a ride along the break wall. I took a rod along just in case, and some gear and weed :) There were half a dozen people fishing the T piece, on the southern wall of the river, and looked like the fish were on. I ended up with half a dozen fish, no huge ones, but a bit of a bonus on the first day of a trip after arriving. I also caught a keeper net full of fish after the blokes alongside me lost theirs. It was full of fish and some real crackers as well. I saw it out of the corner of my eye, bit like the scene in Finding Nemo, only thIs time I caught them in a landing net.
All my fish were caught on green weed, the group next to me caught theirs on cabbage and they seemed to be the better class of fish. The Dolphins were feeding really close in to where I was fishing. It really is beautiful up here and a real balm after the hustle and bustle of Sydney and the busy weekly schedule.
Looking forward to flathead fishing tomorrow.


Evaristo Baro, bass; Ray "Mosquito" Romero, Israel Moises "Quique" Travieso, congas; Arsenio Rodriguez, congas, guitar, vocals; "Sabu" L. Martinez, congas, bongos, vocals; Raul "Caesar" Travieso, congas, vocals; Sarah Baro, Willie Capo, vocals.
* Columbia WL 101 Sabu And His Percussion Ensemble - Sorcery!
Gene Allen, oboe, tenor sax; Cecil Payne, baritone sax; Jack Hitchcock, vibes, trombone; Oscar Pettiford, bass; Ray Baretto, Evelio Quintero, Ray Romero, conga drums; Louis "Sabu" Martinez, bongos, timpani; Steve Berrios, timbales; Louis Martinez, conductor; Bob Rolontz, producer, director.
Marty Sheller, trumpet; Bobby Porcelli, alto sax; Arty Jenkins, piano; Bill Salter, bass; Sabu Martinez, congas; Ernie Newsum, Louie Ramirez, percussion.
Rune Gustafsson, guitar; Sture Nordin, bass; Sabu Martinez, congas.
Christer Boustedt, alto sax, flute; Bernt Rosengren, tenor sax, piccolo; Red Mitchell, bass; Ali Lundbohm, Stephen Moller, drums; Per Arne Almeflo, Conny Lundstrom, Johnny Martinez, Bo Osten Svensson, congas; Sabu Martinez, bongos, congas, bukoba, talking drum, timpani, gong, all sound and percussion effects; Peter Perlowsky, extra percussion; Christina Martinez, Margarita Martinez, added chorus.


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Bank Information Center Europe promotes ecological and social justice by ensuring development finance protects and does not harm people and the natural resources they depend upon for their livelihoods.
Is the AIIB living up to its green claims?
AIIB and fossil fuels infographic Download
The world is now united under a single existential threat. We have 12 years left to stop the catastrophic break-down of our climate. This is an extraordinary opportunity for collective action.
We have to nearly halve our total greenhouse gas emissions to stop the global average temperature from exceeding 1.5°C. Bank Information Center Europe is campaigning to shift international financial flows away from from dirty fossil fuels: a vital part of the solution in the next few years. As part of this, we follow the money?—?specifically into the publicly-funded multilateral development banks (MDBs).
There, we have found billions of dollars worth of our money continuing to prop up the fossil fuel industry.
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is the world's first post-Paris Climate Agreement MDB. It began work just a month after the climate pact was agreed in December 2015. Calling itself a 'lean, green and clean' institution, the AIIB is in a strong position to forge a new path and live up to its commitments towards the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the principle underpinning Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), as outlined in its Energy Sector Strategy (ESS).
But the ESS has big loopholes and many have expressed concern that it failed to rule out AIIB supporting coal and for laying such heavy emphasis on harmful gas and large hydro dams. To date, the AIIB has funded several fossil fuel projects, including the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline, the Bhola IPP gas power plant in Bangladesh and the Myingyan gas power project in Myanmar.
At the AIIB's 2017 Annual General Meeting in Korea, civil society welcomed bank President Jin's comments that "there are no coal projects in our pipeline, and we will not consider any proposals if we are concerned about their environmental and reputational impact". Despite this ambition, worryingly the AIIB has also taken its first step into coal.
Through its investment in the IFC Emerging Asia Fund (EAF), the AIIB is indirectly financing increased use of coal, including the expansion of a coal mine, by the Shwe Taung Cement group in Myanmar. The STC example shows how investing through third parties, like infrastructure funds, can result in the AIIB funding coal and other harmful fossil fuels by the back door.
GRAPH 1: TOTAL AIIB PORTFOLIO BY INVESTMENT TYPE
Today BIC Europe and the Big Shift Coalition are releasing a new analysis of the AIIB's portfolio to date. The results are disappointing. After nearly three years of operation, and having approved over US$6 billion in investments, over a quarter of its entire lending portfolio has backed fossil fuels. By comparison, it has only invested just over 9% into renewables?—?and even that mostly into large-scale projects.
Weighing up the AIIB's investments in the energy sector alone is similarly worrying. The bank has invested a staggering 61% into fossil fuels against only 22% for renewables. And this figure does not even include the AIIB's indirect or "hands off" investments through financial intermediaries (FIs), which currently make up over 11 per cent of its total lending portfolio. It is often unclear with this form of lending where the money ends up. However, from BIC Europe's analysis, it is certain that some of the sub-projects the AIIB backs through FIs also involve fossil fuels.
GRAPH 2: AIIB ENERGY SECTOR INVESTMENTS
The AIIB is contradicting its own commitment to help countries move to a low-carbon path. Instead of helping Bangladesh to scale up renewable energy, for example, almost half of the AIIB's total direct investments in this climate-vulnerable country support fossil fuels, including a direct investment in a new greenfield gas power plant. In its FI lending through the EAF, the AIIB is also exposed to Summit Power International. This is the largest independent power producer in Bangladesh, which currently owns and operates 15 power plants in the country. To date, all of its power plants are run on heavy fuel oil or liquefied natural gas, with no renewable energy projects in operation nor in the list of planned projects listed on the company's website.
The AIIB is not living up to its green promises. To help governments make the big shift necessary to avert runaway global warming, the AIIB should immediately clean up its lending. It should stop investing in coal mines and coal power. It needs to match the World Bank's commitment to end upstream financing for oil and gas extraction. It must plan to phase out investment in fossil fuels by 2020. Importantly too, the AIIB should require its FI clients to track and disclose any fossil fuel investments and only back those clients that commit to develop a portfolio decarbonisation plan within a year of investment.
BIC Europe will continue to monitor the AIIB's portfolio on a quarterly basis to track whether it is moving in the right direction.
The Netherlands: nezir@bic-europe.org
UK: kate@bic-europe.org
Sarphatistraat 30, 1018 GL Amsterdam, Netherlands
© BIC Europe - 2017
Bank Information Center
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Runaway is very excited to be the first store where Dina Wakley teaches in 2019 using her new products, which will be coming out in the middle of January!
Dina will be at Runaway on Thursday, Feb. 21, Friday, Feb. 22 and Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. We've worked with Dina to choose 4 wonderful classes for you to choose from. And if you take all of the classes, Christy will have a goodie bag for you to take home on the first day of class.
Supply list for Dina's February 2019 classes.
Basic tool kit: Ranger craft sheet, scissors, baby wipes, paper towels, paper plate or palette paper to use as a palette (or you can just use your craft sheet).
You may also want a small notebook and a pen for taking notes.


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6 Ways We Can Improve the Digital Divide's Impact on Education in 2022
Adiantku January 9, 2022 5 min read
Technology has become a crucial part of our lives today, paving the way for a large window of opportunities for all people. And in recent years, our eyes have opened to its impact on students and schools. Students can now learn, work, research, collaborate, and independently develop knowledge largely because of the advent of the internet and information technology.
However, although technology has offered many benefits, it does come with its problems. In the case of education, that includes the digital divide.
The digital divide refers to the inability of all to have equal access to technology in order to experience learning, where the wealthy have this access, and those from middle- and low-income backgrounds do not. This technology includes hardware such as mobile devices, televisions, and personal computers, as well as connectivity to the internet, such as access to data and Wi-Fi.
It also includes the inequality in being able to use technological equipment and resources in the first place.
Every student is entitled to have adequate access to educational resources and support services to improve their academic performance. Recently, however, the education sector has felt the immensity of the digital divide, with half of the 1.5 billion students affected by the COVID-19 pandemic lacking access to computers and the internet. This is despite a global need to adopt remote learning in order to adhere to social distancing protocols.
As of September 2021, according to UNESCO, about 117 million students were still out of school due to mandated lockdowns. The impact of the digital divide continues to be felt globally, as 1.3 billion school-age children around the world do not have internet at home to access learning resources. This is especially evident in low-income communities, like those in sub-Saharan Africa — where 71% of teachers are unable to access tools, resources, and internet for remote learning and 89% of learners do not have a computer at home.
Students who lack access to digital tools and connectivity are more likely to miss out on up-to-date information from the web, essential education milestones, and access to resources, tools, and edutainment.
This lack of access has the potential to affect children for the rest of their lives, as according to Business Insider, without quality remote education, they will not have the same access to quality jobs.
The increasing gap in the digital divide has significantly undermined access and delivery of education. As we start a new year, here are six initiatives that can help improve — and even possibly eliminate — the technology gaps in education globally.
1. Governments Need to Improve Affordability of Digital Resources
According to the United Nations, governments can become powerful instruments in bridging the digital divide by ensuring affordable, easy-to-use technologies. The high cost of internet connectivity, the price of technological devices, electricity tariffs, and taxes are major contributors to the digital divide for both teachers and students.
With the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting global economies, it is projected that aid to education may drop by an estimated US$2 billion by 2022, according to UNESCO.
In the coming years, based on recommendations from American University's School of Education, educational leaders and policy makers need to continually liaise with governments and big corporations on ways to improve financing to help schools, learners, and teachers afford access to digital technologies for learning. This will help boost the expansion of information technology infrastructures, and reduce the cost of internet access.
2. Digital Skills Acquisition and Empowerment for Schools, Teachers, and Students
With digital competence becoming increasinly intertwined with our lives, an alarmingly high number of people still lack basic level technical skills and competencies, putting them at a disadvantage, according to the Digital Divide Council.
Teachers and students need to be fully trained on how to effectively use what the internet and modern technologies have to offer. The less students can use these tools, the more the digital divide widens. This is why the United Nations is launching a new global initiative focused on improving the digital learning and skills of children and youth — some 3.5 billion by 2030 — in marginalized communities.
Going forward, educational leaders can also actively help by surveying the needs of stakeholders, formulate action plans with policy makers, provide skills acquisition training, connect with potential digital resource partners like telecoms companies, and assign appropriate resources to continuously bridge the gap, according to American University.
3. Digital Literacy Awareness
The general public needs to be enlightened on the economic and social development benefits of integrating technology into the education space. The World Bank reports that there's value in many people seeing a need to become digitally active.
To fully reap fruitful results, governments should also create opportunities for feedback through which the masses can share their views, needs, and opinions about how they wish to see improvements.
Creating more awareness for digital literacy by building user confidence, explaining the benefits of utilization, and understanding security and privacy constraints have a proven positive impact on education outcomes.
4. Inclusion of Local Languages in Education Content Creation
Educational online content creators should aim to make information available in as many languages as possible. According to the World Bank, when users are confident that they can see content in their native or local languages, they are more inclined to use similar tools that provide personalized benefits.
Content creation tools and language translation resources can cushion the language digital divide, and at the same time create opportunities for better and more accountable support to all categories of learners needing it most.
5. Improving Opportunities for Learners With Disabilities
Specially designed assistive and adaptive technologies — such as screen readers, magnifying devices, augmentative, and alternative communication devices that aid persons with difficulties in verbal communication, telecommunication relay devices, interactive white boards, close captioned videos, and more — can boost independence, participation, technology equity, and access to quality education for learners with disabilities.
These technologies make education easily accessible to all categories of learners.
6. Addressing the Gender Digital Divide
According to the World Bank, there is a special need to reduce the gender digital divide in 2022 and beyond. For example, in South Asia, there are 26% more male mobile phone users than women. Barriers and constraints in accessing the internet impede women's and girls' full involvement in the social and economic progress of their communities and countries. In 2021, we witnessed long-standing development gaps between men and women moving online, with about 1.9 billion women not having access to the internet globally.
To achieve definitive success in bridging the gender digital gap, we need a comprehensive action plan to enlighten decision makers about the burdens it poses. And according to the World Bank, systems need to be put in place to analyze available data, implement the results, and measure progress made.
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January 31, 2022 Adiantku
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Q: How do I use OSX's Folder Actions to execute a command in Terminal when a file is added to a folder? How do I use OSX's Folder Actions to execute a command in Terminal when a file is added to a folder? My understanding is that Folder Actions can trigger AppleScripts when files are placed in them. I tried to modify a sample "added to folder" script, but it's not working.
This is the exact Terminal command I'd like to run on any zip files placed in the folder (and I know this syntax is correct):
for file in *.zip; do zip -d "$file" "__MACOSX*"; done; for file in *.zip; do zip -d "$file" "*.DS_Store"; done; unzip -l \*.zip

I tried this code in Script Editor (ver. 2.10), but it's not correct syntax:
on adding folder items to theAttachedFolder after receiving theNewItems
    tell application Terminal
        for file in *.zip; do zip -d "$file" "__MACOSX*"; done; for file in *.zip; do zip -d "$file" "*.DS_Store"; done; unzip -l \*.zip
    end tell
end adding folder items to

Here is what the script looks like in Script Editor if that helps any:

What is the correct syntax? I'm running OSX 10.13.6.
PS: I've seen Run a shell command when a file is added plus several other similar questions, but I'm too new to Folder Actions and AppleScripts to understand how to make them work in my situation.

A: You need to use the syntax:
set currentTab to do script ("[command]")

For example:
tell application "Terminal"
    set currentTab to do script ("ls")
end tell

Would list the current directory. Make sure you also wrap Terminal in quotes: "Terminal"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Making it faster and easier for South Asian women to take businesses online
by Michelle Kovacevic / in Impact story
Ecommerce Women and trade
Recently launched ecommerce training program and portal will help hundreds of women entrepreneurs in South Asian LDCs become part of regional and global supply chains.
It's 1am and Thinley Yangzom has 60 boxes of teabags to pack. Her special superfood blend of ginger and the rare cordyceps fungus had been a hit with the tourists staying at her mother's riverside farmhouse in Paro, Bhutan, but finding time to tend to her new business venture while rearing her eight-month-old son had not been easy.
"My business needs to be able to fit around my responsibilities as a mother, as a daughter and as a wife. This often meant that I was working on my business once everyone else had gone to bed," said Yangzom.
As her business – Bhutan Super Food and Herbs – grew she saw an opportunity to sell her products to customers outside of Bhutan. But for this she would need an online store, and some help to set it up.
"While I am an IT graduate, setting up an online business is more complicated than just creating a website," she said.
"The founder of a women's entrepreneur association invited me to a workshop where other women entrepreneurs like me would be taught the basics of ecommerce. I was excited to learn more about this modern approach to business."
And so, on a cold winter's day in February, Yangzom arrived at the City Hotel in Bhutan's capital ready for a two-day deep dive into the emerging world of ecommerce. Run by the South and South-West Asia Office of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), New Delhi with support from the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF), the national inception workshops are the first step in building an ecommerce training program for women entrepreneurs across South Asia.
Bhutan workshop participants
"We have run workshops in Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan so far with the aim of bringing together policymakers, women entrepreneurs, experts, industry and civil society to better understand and recognize each country's challenges inimplementing ecommerce," said Rajan Sudesh Ratna, Economic Affairs Officer at UNESCAP, New Delhi.
"These insights have helped us to develop tailor-made ecommerce training programs and an ecommerce portal that will assist at least 100 women entrepreneurs across Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to sell their goods and services online and become part of regional and global supply chains."
Covering the basics
Most women in South Asia are employed in informal sectors, where they lack job security and a permanent income. When it comes to entrepreneurship, there is often a lack of societal support for women working outside their home.
"Ecommerce makes flexible working arrangements possible. It's a powerful tool for empowering South Asian women entrepreneurs socially and economically," said Deepali Gotadke, a consultant to the UNESCAP program who was the first ecommerce entrepreneur in her area of North Karnataka, India.
During the national inception workshops, Gotadke ran a session on digital marketing and ecommerce and found many of the women entrepreneurs lacked the technical skills needed to expand their businesses.
"As a result, we decided to offer an introductory course and manual for women entrepreneurs in our program that will cover the basics of ecommerce, social media and digital marketing," she said.
While a taste of the course to come, Gotadke's marketing session has already inspired Yangzom to think more strategically about using social media to market her products.
"We are thinking about getting famous people to review our products, which will help us reach a wider customer base," she said.
Restrictive regulations
Workshop participants also identified policies that are making it challenging for ecommerce to flourish.
"From not allowing online transactions in international currencies, to central bank laws that make it hard for suppliers to offer refunds, it's clear that some regulatory changes are also needed," said Ratna.
"We are encouraging these changes to take place by initiating dialogues with policy makers in parallel with the capacity building program," he said.
One of the ways that UNESCAP is working around such regulatory challenges is to develop an ecommerce portal that will host the online shops of women entrepreneurs participating in the programme.
"The portal will assist women with digitising and cataloguing their goods and services, it will provide a single payment gateway and it will give their businesses international exposure. This is all the more important for women entrepreneurs in this hour of crisis due to COVID-19," Ratna said.
Outside world is waiting
Godatke sees lots of international potential, with the "outside world waiting for the handmade items these women have to offer."
"When we open the portal to international markets, I would expect to see their business revenue doubling within 2-3 years," she said.
After a year, the program will then assess the performance of the women and devise an advanced training course.
"We've had a strong response so far, with 150 women entrepreneurs already registered to take part in the program," Ratna said.
Due to the COVID-19 lockdown and restrictions, the online course and virtual trainings for the women entrepreneurs will start in July 2020.
While COVID-19 has significantly slowed down Bhutan's tourism industry and therefore Yangzom's key customers, she sees ecommerce as a key way for her business to recover.
"Being able to sell online will not only make it possible for me to reach international customers, but it will also make my products more affordable for local people," she said.
"With the support provided by this program, it will be faster and easier to grow my business than if I was to do it alone."
digital trade e-trade ecommerce economic empowerment technology women COVID-19
Header image of students learning computer skills in Bhutan - ©Asian Development Bank via Flickr Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) license.
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Episerver's latest report, titled "Reimagining Commerce: Principles of Standout Digital Shopping Experiences" reinforced, among other things, the importance of complete and correct content. The report states that 98 percent of online shoppers have been deterred from making a purchase because of incomplete or incorrect content. In fact, one quarter of those surveyed by Episerver said such incorrect or incomplete content would always dissuade them from making a purchase.
That is sobering information for those who follow a "as long as the product is there, the rest doesn't matter" approach. To achieve a purchase, not only the product has to be right, the surroundings have to be as well.
The path towards conversion is also obstructed by other issues with which consumers struggle. Some of them stem from the overwhelming choices they face when shopping online. A whopping 46 percent of those surveyed by Episerver said that they had failed to make a purchase in the past because they were stumped by the amount of choices that were put in front of them.
What this means for brands and retailers is that they need to focus more on optimizing the consumer journey, which now often involves more than one viewing of a particular product before the purchase. In fact, 35 percent of online shoppers look at a product three times or more before buying it. This, combined with the fact that only 20 percent of those surveyed said that all their online purchases are pre-planned, underlines the need for guidance, for showing your potential customer the way through your sales funnel.
While some of this sales funnel optimization can be achieved through personalization, there is a caveat. Another key finding of the Episerver study shows the dichotomy of consumers' feelings about personalization, as they are increasingly worried about the usage of their personal data. While 88 percent of those surveyed say that the priority for brands and retailers to personalize sites and content online is equal or higher compared to 2018, 93 percent say it is an equal or higher priority for them to adequately protect the personal data of their users.
As delivering personalized experiences is impossible without the collection and usage of said personal data, this puts retailers and brands in a quandary. What user requirement should they focus their efforts on while also keeping their bottom line in focus? Every E-Commerce player will have to answer that question for themselves while keeping their customers' best interests at heart.
The study also reiterates the significance of using social media on your site. Of those surveyed, 63 percent have stated that they have clicked on a social media ad in the past, while 21 percent made a direct purchase from such a post. If you look at online consumers under the age of 37, those numbers are even higher. In that age group, 78 percent have clicked on a social media ad and 34 percent made a direct purchase from it.
Niteco has years of experience working on E-Commerce sites and Episerver Commerce in particular. If you need a site that leverages the newest insights into user behavior, come to us. We will take your site where you want it to go.
The elite distinction is awarded for exceptional contributions to the Sitecore community.


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Finance package releases green energy potential
Miscanthus is an attractive crop for bioenergy and carbon sequestration – but its up-front costs can be a barrier for new growers, given that it doesn't reach its first harvest for two years. But now growers can access a bespoke finance package which covers almost all the upfront costs for crop establishment, and pay it back interest only for up to two years.
Working in partnership with miscanthus specialist Terravesta, Oxbury Bank developed the new finance package to make it easier for farmers to branch into miscanthus as an alternative, green, income stream. "Agriculture is changing, and it's important that farmers have access to finance and capital for their low carbon initiatives and sustainable growth plans," says Nick Evans, managing director of Oxbury Bank.
Miscanthus sequesters a net 2.35t/ha/year, and according to the Committee on Climate Change, if planting of perennial crops like miscanthus accelerated to at least 30,000ha per year by 2035, this could sequester 2m tonnes of CO2e by 2035 and over 6m tonnes CO2e by 2050.
"By launching this new package we are helping farmers to decarbonise the UK economy with bio-based solutions, while also benefiting their own businesses," explains Mr Evans. "One of the main barriers to entry is the upfront cost of planting miscanthus. Our package ensures a quick release of funds on which they pay interest only for up to two years while the crop is establishing. Thereafter they can pay back the capital over an extended period when the crop is producing an economic return."
Terravesta has also launched a new direct, long-term offtake agreement with end users, with 10-15 year index-linked annual returns ensuring a secure market for producers. Under the new contract, the firm will supply its high-yielding performance hybrids, planting equipment and agronomy throughout the crop's life. Its new planting promise ensures successful crop establishment by committing to a minimum number of plants emerging, and it will record data like carbon sequestration statistics, ensuring farmers can be rewarded for the crop's environmental benefits.
Chief operating officer Alex Robinson says: "The beauty of this new package is that growers have a direct contract with renewable energy power plants, which enables us to provide a finance package with Oxbury, and focus on crop establishment in the UK at a much greater scale to support our net zero targets."
As the UK's only 100% dedicated agricultural bank, Oxbury has similar green aspirations. "We only lend to farmers and the rural economy, and we recently launched a savings account which directs the interest earned to plant trees on British farms," says Mr Evans. "Sustainability is central to everything we do, so we're delighted to be supporting growers who want to diversify into green crops like miscanthus."
For more information: www.oxbury.com or www.terravesta.com/terravesta-assured-biomass.
Tags: arable, Finance, miscanthus
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(ISC)² to Honor the Achievements of Dedicated Cybersecurity Professionals Through Annual Awards Program
Now accepting nominations for 2021 Global Achievement Awards
Clearwater, FL, February 16, 2021 – (ISC)² – the world's largest nonprofit association of certified cybersecurity professionals – today that nominations are now being accepted for the 2021 (ISC)² Global Achievement Awards. This award program recognizes the most outstanding annual achievements in the field of cybersecurity.
Nominations will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. EDT on April 9, 2021. Honorees will be celebrated during the 2021 (ISC)² Security Congress held October 18-20. Recipients will each be presented with an award and will receive a complimentary conference pass for themselves and their nominator.
"It is our great privilege to honor the indelible achievements of our members in the cybersecurity profession as they continue to inspire a safe and secure cyber world," said Elizabeth Paredes, director of member services, (ISC)². "2020 represented a year of sudden change and the need for adaptability, ingenuity and commitment that are the hallmark of cybersecurity professionals around the globe. The Global Achievement Awards give us a vehicle with which to highlight the outstanding work of these dedicated individuals."
Up to one winner from each region (Asia-Pacific, North America/Central America/South America and EMEA) will be recognized in the following categories. Full descriptions of each award are linked in the name.
(ISC)² Senior Professional Award - recognizes an individual who has significantly contributed to the enhancement of the information security workforce by demonstrating a leadership role in an information security workforce improvement initiative, program or project. The nominated project/initiative must have been completed within the last 12 months. This award is given to a senior professional with at least 10 years of work experience directly related to cybersecurity.
(ISC)² Mid-Career Professional Award - recognizes an individual who is at the mid-career stage and has demonstrated commitment and achievement in managing or implementing a vital component of a cyber, information, software, infrastructure program/project. Candidates must have at least six years of work experience directly related to cybersecurity.
(ISC)² Rising Star Professional Award - recognizes the accomplishments and contributions of an up-and-coming professional who has made a significant impact in the information security industry early in his or her career. Candidates must have at least one to three years of work experience in cybersecurity industry.
(ISC)² Government Professional Award - recognizes government information security leaders whose commitment to excellence has helped to improve government information security and advanced an in-demand workforce. The award is given to recognize individuals whose initiatives in the areas of technology improvement, process/policy improvement, workforce improvement has led to significant developments in the security posture of a department, agency, or the entire government. Candidates must have at least three years of work experience, which must be directly related to government cybersecurity. Achievements in workforce improvement, technology improvement, process/policy improvement and community awareness will be considered.
Additionally, the following awards which were previously selected exclusively by the (ISC)² Board of Directors are now open to nominations from a wider range of nominators, details of which can be found on each award's page:
(ISC)² Harold F. Tipton Lifetime Achievement Award
(ISC)² James R. Wade Service Award
Fellow of (ISC)²
(ISC)² F. Lynn McNulty Tribute Award
(ISC)² Diversity Award
The program will also recognize outstanding (ISC)² Chapters from around the world with the (ISC)² Chapter Recognition Awards. These regional awards are presented to official chapters who demonstrate a well-rounded offering of activities and services designed to benefit their members and affiliates, while making a significant contribution to the profession and their local community. Last year, the winners were the Chennai, India Chapter, Nigeria Chapter, Northern Virginia (NOVA) Chapter and the Peru Chapter.
The Center for Cyber Safety and Education will present at least two awards this year as well, including:
Julie Peeler Franz "Do It For The Children" Volunteer Award
Partner of the Year
For more information on the Global Achievement Awards, including requirements and nomination forms, visit https://www.isc2.org/About/Award-Programs/.
(ISC)² is an international nonprofit membership association focused on inspiring a safe and secure cyber world. Best known for the acclaimed Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP®) certification, (ISC)² offers a portfolio of credentials that are part of a holistic, pragmatic approach to security. Our membership, more than 150,000 strong, is made up of certified cyber, information, software and infrastructure security professionals who are making a difference and helping to advance the industry. Our vision is supported by our commitment to educate and reach the general public through our charitable foundation – The Center for Cyber Safety and Education™. For more information on (ISC)², visit www.isc2.org, follow us on Twitter or connect with us on Facebook and LinkedIn.
© 2021, (ISC)² Inc., (ISC)², CISSP, SSCP, CCSP, CAP, CSSLP, HCISPP, CISSP-ISSAP, CISSP-ISSEP, CISSP-ISSMP and CBK are registered marks of (ISC)², Inc.
Brian Alberti
Corporate Public Relations Manager
balberti@isc2.org


text:
Q: How do I get a stack trace in OCaml? The Objective Caml language will only produce stack traces if you ask for them just right - what are the requirements for both bytecode and native code?

A: Because it looks like you can only get traces for exceptions on unix you can fork and throw the exception in the second process. This way the main process can continue:
export OCAMLRUNPARAM=b
# compile with -g

flush_all(); let r = Unix.fork() in if r == 0 then raise Exit

A: Compile with -g and set environment variable OCAMLRUNPARAM=b

A: If you are using Ocamlbuild instead of invoking compiler directly, you can use the debug tag. From the manual:

With OCamlbuild, you can simply add the debug tag to your program's targets, and it will sort out when to insert the -g flag or not.

For example, if you are building a file foo.ml with package bar then your _tags file will have a line:
<foo.ml>: package(bar), debug

This will insert the appropriate -g flags while building bytecode/native files. However, you still need to set the environment variable using export OCAMLRUNPARAM=b as mentioned in the other answers.

A: Some Printexc functions let you do this programmatically.

A: As noted in other answers, you need to compile your project with debugging info and run it with the OCAMLRUNPARAM=b environment variable.
A convenient way to have Ocamlbuild compile an entire project with debugging info but without editing the _tags file is to specify a special debug target. From the manual:

The preferred way of compiling code suitable for debugging with ocamldebug or profiling native code with ocamlprof is to use the appropriate target extensions, .d.byte for debugging or .p.native.

I use this technique for quick compile-run cycles on the command line. For example, to run foo.ml:
export OCAMLRUNPARAM=b

ocamlbuild -no-links foo.d.byte && _build/foo.d.byte


Is smugairle róin é an smugairle róin coiteann nó Aurelia aurita. Ball d'ord na Semaeostomeae atá ann.
Tagtar ar ghéineas na nAurelia i bhfarraigí an domhain uilig nach mór, ó na teochreasa ó thuaidh go dtí domhanleithead 70° Thuaidh agus chomh fada ó dheas le domhanleithead 40 Theas. Tá an speiceas Aurelia aurita féin le fáil feadh chósta Atlantach na hEorpa Thuaidh agus feadh chósta Mheiriceá Thuaidh i Sasana Nua agus oirthear Cheanada. Go ginearálta, is géineas cladaigh é Aurelia ar féidir teacht air in inbhir agus cuanta.
↑ 1.0 1.1 Dawson, M. N. (2005). "Coupled biophysical global ocean model and molecular genetic analyses identify multiple introductions of cryptogenic species". Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 102 (34): 11968–11973. doi:10.1073/pnas.0503811102.
↑ Dawson, M. N. (2003). "Macro-morphological variation among cryptic species of the moon jellyfish, Aurelia (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa)". Marine Biology 143 (2): 369–379. doi:10.1007/s00227-003-1070-3.
Tugadh an leathanach seo cothrom le dáta an 10 Lúnasa 2016 ag 21:13.


text:
Home Modified Bikes Modified Hero Splendor Shows Off Twin Under-seat Exhaust Pipes
Modified Hero Splendor Shows Off Twin Under-seat Exhaust Pipes
Added in: Modified Bikes
Under-seat exhaust pipes used to be all the rage a few years ago and then, like a trend, they just vanished. Of all things though, what took fancy to that era and got something similar for itself is a Hero Splendor. With its matte olive paint and a single seat, it has been made to look like a cafe racer which does remind us of the original. Remember the Splendor Pro Classic?
Also Read: Enduro-Spec Hero Xpulse 200 Spotted
Since it is a basic motorcycle, not much has been changed and it took some backyard fabrication to get those twin pipes installed. But the end result looks pretty neat for what appears to be a DIY job. Other than that, there's a front disc brake and a lot of jute has been wrapped around the crash guard. We'd like to think it's for cosmetic reasons.
Taking about Hero Motocorp, like us, you'd be glad to know that the bike maker is finally going to launch the Hero Xpulse 200 and the Xpule 200T on the 1st of May, 2019. These two much-awaited bikes could be accompanied with a fully-faired version of the Xtreme 200R. Previewed a long time back, the Xpulse 200 will be an on/off-roader, while the 200T will be a road-spec tourer. Both motorcycles will share the motor which powers the Xtreme 200R and cranks out 18.4 PS of power and 17.1 Nm of torque. For its application in these new bikes though, the motor could run a different state-of-tune.
The Xpulse 200 will be equipped with 21-inch rubber up front on spoke-type wheels, with 190 mm of fork travel. The XPulse 200T will get the same design as the XPulse 200, but will be a more street friendly bike, and will get street-spec tyres on 17-inch wheels. All three motorcycles will feature an all-digital display, LED illumination and will be priced in the INR 1 lakh – 1.20 lakh price bracket. The XPulse 200 will take the crown as India's most affordable adventure motorcycle, which the Royal Enfield Himalayan held to for a long time. We'll bring you more updates and a proper review of the new bikes shortly. Stay tuned for the latest from the auto world.
Images: Modified Junction on YouTube


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text:
Home ASEAN Countries
Philippines' Duterte challenges Pacquiao to expose corruption
in ASEAN Countries, ASIA, Emergency, General News, Mortgage-Backed Markets, Old Politics, Philippines, South-East Asia
FILE PHOTO: First shipment of COVID-19 vaccine arrives in Philippines
MANILA (Reuters) – Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday that Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao should name corrupt government offices to prove that the boxer-turned-lawmaker is not just politicking ahead of a presidential election next year.
The comments were the latest chapter in a surprise war of words between the president and Pacquiao who is seen as being among his strongest backers and a possible successor when the single six-year term he is allowed expires next June.
The firebrand Philippine leader said Pacquiao had criticised corruption in his government and threatened to expose the boxing champion as a liar.
"I'm not saying there is no corruption, so expose it," Duterte said in a televised late night national address. "If you don't do that, I will expose you daily as a liar … I know you from way back."
Using an expletive in his strongest language yet against Pacquiao, Duterte said if he did not reveal corruption, he would be "playing politics".
In a statement, Pacquiao said he accepted Duterte's challenge, but said it was disheartening that they were fighting over the issue of corruption.
"I had mistakes in life that I corrected but I can hold on to two things. I am not corrupt and a liar," Pacquiao said on Tuesday.
Pacquiao, 42, has long been among Duterte's strongest supporters, backing his bloody war on drugs and bid to re-introduce the death penalty. The eight-division champion has yet to announce his presidential bid.
Early this month, Duterte criticised Pacquiao's "shallow" foreign policy knowledge, after the senator said he found the leader's stand on the South China Sea as "lacking" and "disheartening".
Duterte remains popular in the Philippines. Political allies are urging him to run as vice president when his term ends. His daughter – a long term aide – is also seen among his possible successors.
(Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by Alison Williams and Ed Davies)
Tags: Global World News
Xi stresses loyalty as Chinese Communist Party prepares for 100th anniversary
Eyeing return as Swedish premier, Lofven says budget can wait


client disconnecting, and propagate that down to the underlying scanner.
previously running query. Effectively this is a method to cancel the query.
Is calling interrupt() on the querying thread (from another thread) enough?


Netgear Router Customer Support +1-844-853-1440 | Netgear Router Support.
If you are searching for a router to purchase, you are very likely looking at a lot of Netgear routers. After all, they are well known for being one of the best brands in networking. Below, Support Service Help will talk about some of the good things about Netgear routers.
1. Netgear Router Customer Support Service.
One of the best things about Netgear is their netgear router customer support service. You will be able to get quick and accurate responses if you ever have trouble with a Netgear product. This alone might make it the best option for a lot of people that are looking for the best home networking setup if you are not entirely familiar with the intricacies of home networking. Having good support that you can contact in a pinch can really allow you to have the best experience as a consumer.
Another good thing that you are going to be able to get with Netgear routers is some of the most innovative technology in networking. Because you will have routers that feature the most innovative technology, it is going to allow you to take advantage of the technology which can improve your results. Case in point, Netgear was one of the first consumer-grade networking companies to offer mesh WiFi devices.
Another good thing that Netgear is well known for is having some of the routers on the market that feature the best-in-class range. You are not going to find a company that offers a much better range than Netgear as a whole. Netgear has a lot of the best routers that have the best range that you will be able to find anywhere. This alone is going to make it so that you are able to find a router that they offer which will provide you with an extended range no matter how big your home is.
Another reason Netgear is such a good option for those that are looking for the ideal router would be the third party support they have with a lot of their routers. Because their routers are so popular, a lot of third-party developers and firmware creators really support their routers. This can add limitless functionality and features to your routers and really help you get a lot of updates without having to buy a completely new router.
Overall, there are plenty of reasons to purchase a Netgear router. It is clearly one of the better companies on the market. Not only do they offer some of the best technology that you will find anywhere in a router, but they also offer some of the best customer support that you will find, as well. This means that you will be able to get questions and issues answered as soon as possible which can keep you from dealing with issues that could impact your ability to use the router you paid for. Netgear is simply one of the best companies in consumer networking and a lot of the routers they sell have an extreme value proposition that makes them worth buying.


Are you new to online marketing? Or are you one of the millions of frustrated website owners watching helplessly as your site fluctuates up and down (even on and off) the search engines?
Is your traffic suffering as you try to stay on top of the most current methods of finding traffic, only to find that they are ineffective for bringing targeted traffic or stop working soon after the search engines catch on?
There is a reason that staying in the search engines is vitally important. The amount of people who are searching for information online is increasing rapidly.
An Ipsos-Reid poll showed that people are starting to rely more heavily on the internet with increases in the frequency of internet usage in North America the UK and Asia. At the time of the poll 72% of Americans were online within the previous month, and that number continues to rise.
How are they finding information on the internet?
According to research published by GVU (Graphic, Visualization and Usability Center), most users – novice, expert, young, old, male and female – find new websites from two main sources: hyperlinks and search engines.
How many of these potential visitors are finding YOUR website? More websites are created each day leading to increased congestion and competition for the top spots in search engine results. How are you able to compete? Well first of all, how do search engines bring you traffic?
Two of the most popular methods of getting traffic from search engines include PPC – Pay Per Click – and SEO – Search Engine Optimization.
Pay Per Click is advertising provided by the search engine providers (Google, Yahoo! and others) where you PAY for top placement. Their strategies for placement differ slightly. Some search engines will give you higher placement if your ad has a higher click-through rate (meaning more people click on your ad in ratio to the amount of times your ad was shown), others give top positions to the highest bidder.
In either case, you PAY. It is a quick way to get listed in the search engines and a smart way to get your traffic flowing – but it is not the cheapest AND you could spend far more than is profitable for your business if you don't know what you're doing.
There are a lot of companies working 'behind the scenes' to help website owners get plenty of traffic from the natural search engine listings. Natural listings mean the search engine has ranked you according to the value it believes your site will offer an individual searching for a specific word or phrase.
Understanding exactly WHAT the search engines want to see when ranking sites requires knowledge of the algorithms. These algorithms change all the time as search engine providers try to outwit the search engine optimizers trying to find loopholes in the ranking system.
Some SEO companies will promise you top spots for a certain cost. Some are honestly creating optimized websites – others may be using techniques that could possibly get your site BANNED from the search engines entirely (once the search engine catches on). However, optimizing your website for better placement in the search engines is a technique that you should become familiar with and use to your advantage.
… continued in part 2.


text:
Microsoft's Xbox One Kinect Adapter is REALLY popular on Amazon right now
Brad Stephenson Email @shuttlecock Nov 11th, 2017 in Latest news
The Kinect Adapter was given to many Xbox One S buyers for free for several weeks after that console's launch but with the arrival of the Xbox One X, gamers have been forced to buy this official accessory themselves if they wish to continue using the Kinect sensor with their new console.
This sudden need to connect the Kinect to Xbox One X consoles, which has been selling incredibly well by all accounts, has led to a surge in demand for the Kinect Adapter and has resulted in it ranking in the top 100 of Amazon's prominent Video Games sales category. At the time of this writing, the Kinect Adapter is currently 80th on the sales list, making it more popular than digital versions of Star Wars Battlefront II and the 1TB model of Sony's PlayStation 4 Slim. It's also currently ranked at #34 in the Video Games Accessories list.
This popularity is particularly notable as the Kinect Adapter has been sold out on Amazon for a while now which means that if more were available, it would likely rank even higher.
The Kinect launched alongside the original Xbox One but the Xbox One S and Xbox One X lacked direct support for the peripheral so the Kinect Adapter is necessary to make it connect and function on the newer consoles.
Microsoft very recently (and quietly) announced that they would be ceasing manufacturing of the Kinect sensor due to an apparent lack of interest in it from Xbox One owners but the obvious popularity of the Kinect Adapter could suggest that the Kinect is more popular than Microsoft could have thought. This popularity has the potential to frustrate new Xbox One S and X buyers who are investing in an Xbox console with the intention of using the Kinect for the many dance and party games it has or even to enjoy the voice commands and Cortana integration. One need only search Twitter to find numerous outraged shoppers who were unaware that they had to buy an extra accessory just to hook the Kinect up to their new console.
@MicrosoftHelps I love using the Kinect on my Xbox One which I have owned since day 1, but I am a little upset that to keep using the Kinect on my One X I have to purchase an adapter that you don't have in stock forcing me to pay a premium from a 3rd party vendor #nothappy
— Greg Harper (@gharp57broncos) November 11, 2017
Dear @XboxSupport, are there plans to make the Kinect adapter more affordable than $40?
Make it $20 and you've got a deal.
I know it's being dropped going forward, but it's a great accessory for those of us with kids.
Not to mention the indoor exercise it provides for all ages!
— Kick Frenzy (@Kick_Frenzy) November 10, 2017
@XboxP3 I have one complaint. If we just paid $500 to update our console (or trade-ins and such), we should not have to pay another $40 to keep our Kinect hooked up. You need to run that free adapter promo again for new X owners. Please.
— Michael Mullis – NLG (@StingerNLG) November 11, 2017
So apparently my fancy new Xbox One X needs a separate $40 adapter to continue to use my Kinect. A separate adapter which is out of stock everywhere. The exciting experience of a system upgrade has now turned into a fucking hassle. Thanks @Microsoft
— Cool Ed (@eddasaurus) November 12, 2017
Yet worse your adapter is half the price of the Kinect itself. You should be ashamed of yourselves for treating loyal customers like this @XboxSupport @xboxuk @Xbox
— Rex Lampier (@thread_puller) November 11, 2017
Do you think Microsoft underestimated how many people use the Kinect with their Xbox One and how much of an incentive it is to buy an Xbox One for many consumers? Should Microsoft make a new Kinect that can connect directly into their newer consoles? Share your thoughts with the community in the comments below.
Edit: Immediately after publishing this article, the Kinect Adapter jumped up to #78 on Amazon's Video Games list.
Further reading: Kinect, Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox One X


Closely observed drawings of potatoes which describe three varieties of this vegetable, made during the winter months when their sprouts naturally grow towards the light.
The artist has taken three or four potatoes and placed them in lines in order to look closely at their forms and colours. She hopes to convey some of her fascination and respect for the vegetable world through her keen observation of their habits. The top drawing shows seed potatoes that have been languishing in a shed for a season - tiny potatoes can be seen growing from last years shoots.


text:
Orlando Massacre: Son's Heartbreaking Texts Reveal Final Moments
Mina Justice was texting with her son, Eddie, who was killed at the besieged nightclub.
Mina Justice.Tamara Lush / AP
June 13, 2016, 12:57 AM UTC / Updated June 13, 2016, 11:39 AM UTC
'I'm Going To Die,' Mom Reads Son's Texts From Inside Orlando Nightclub
June 13, 201600:46
Mina Justice was sound asleep when she received the first text from her son, Eddie Justice, who was inside Orlando's Pulse Nightclub when gunman Omar Mateen opened fire.
Eddie, 30, took refuge in a bathroom as Mateen embarked on his shooting spree. Officials confirmed late Sunday that he was among the dead.
This is the heartbreaking final conversation Mina had with her son over text message.
"Mommy I love you," the first message said. It was 2:06 a.m.
"In club they shooting."
Mina Justice tried calling her 30-year-old son. No answer.
Alarmed and half awake, she tapped out a response.
"U ok"
At 2:07 a.m., he wrote: "Trapp in bathroom."
Justice asked what club, and he responded: "Pulse. Downtown. Call police."
Then at 2:08: "I'm gonna die."
Now wide awake, Justice dialed 911.
She sent a flurry of texts over the next several minutes.
"I'm calling them now."
"U still in there."
"Answer our damn phone."
"Call them."
"Call me."
Orlando massacre survivor shares harrowing tale of shooting, escape
The 911 dispatcher wanted her to stay on the line. She wondered what kind of danger her son was in. He was normally a homebody who liked to eat and work out. He liked to make everyone laugh. He worked as an accountant and lived in a condo in downtown Orlando.
"Lives in a sky house, like the Jeffersons," she would say. "He lives rich."
She knew he was gay and at a club — and all the complications that might entail. Fear surged through her as she waited for his next message.
At 2:39 a.m., he responded:
"Call them mommy."
"Now."
Orlando LGBT Resident: 'Our Community Feels Categorized Because of This Tragedy'
He wrote that he was in the bathroom.
"He's coming."
"I'm gonna die."
Justice asked her son if anyone was hurt and which bathroom he was in.
"Lots. Yes," he responded at 2:42 a.m.
When he didn't text back, she sent several more messages. Was he with police?
"Text me please," she wrote.
"No," he wrote four minutes later. "Still here in bathroom. He has us. They need to come get us."
At 2:49 a.m., she told him the police were there and to let her know when he saw them.
"Hurry," he wrote. "He's in the bathroom with us."
She asked, "Is the man in the bathroom wit u?"
At 2:50 a.m.: "He's a terror."
Then, a final text from her son a minute later: "Yes."
Eyewitness Describes Scenes of Terror Escaping Orlando Nightclub