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Archives For John Steinbeck
Starting "Of Mice and Men" in Song: "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?"
The English I Honors teacher in my department recently suffered a serious concussion; no reading or writing for several weeks. Her classes must go on, however, and the new unit on John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men is next in the curriculum. A long term substitute is scheduled for next week, and the students could easily read the novel before her arrival.
Moreover, there is a packet of information and worksheets in the file cabinet with background information on the 1930s and the author, John Steinbeck. The practice of providing such a lengthy introduction, however, is associated with "over-teaching", a practice now discouraged in the Common Core English Language Arts Standards. In statewide tests students will have to meet the standards of the Common Core, and they will encounter texts from many different sources. The recommendation is that students should practice "close reading" where they can independently mine the language of the text for meaning:
"Students who meet the Standards readily undertake the close, attentive reading that is at the heart of understanding and enjoying complex works of literature. They habitually perform the critical reading necessary to pick carefully through the staggering amount of information available today in print and digitally" (ELA Common Core)
The 9th graders could be staggering indeed; they have just completed a unit on Greek tragedy using Oedipus the King. Some students might suffer whiplash in the jump from 5th Century BCE Ancient Greece to 20th Century California in the Salinas Valley. There needed to be a powerful "bridge" to prepare students for this leap in time and ensuing debate between free will and fate. What could be accomplished without the teacher directed lecture, especially if the teacher is not available? What format could saturate students in an environment of the 1930s?
A few minutes of research on YouTube provided an answer; I could have a substitute show students several versions of the Bing Crosby's song recording of Yip Harburg and Jay Gorney's anthem for the Great Depression, "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?"
The historical accuracy of some of the photos in this first rendition may be questionable, but the message of an average man's struggle to find employment in the early 1930s is made very clear. The second version below is a sing-a-long-version that is particularly good as a karaoke opportunity. After watching the first version, all students sang along, some with more gusto than others, following Crosby's cadence in the second version:
After singing, the students reviewed the lyrics:
"Brother, Can You Spare a Dime"
lyrics by Yip Harburg, music by Jay Gorney (1931)
They used to tell me I was building a dream, and so I followed the mob,
When there was earth to plow, or guns to bear, I was always there right on the job.
They used to tell me I was building a dream, with peace and glory ahead,
Why should I be standing in line, just waiting for bread?
Once I built a railroad, I made it run, made it race against time.
Once I built a railroad; now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime?
Once I built a tower, up to the sun, brick, and rivet, and lime;
Once I built a tower, now it's done.
Brother, can you spare a dime?
Once in khaki suits, gee we looked swell,
Full of that Yankee Doodly Dum,
Half a million boots went slogging through Hell,
And I was the kid with the drum!
Say, don't you remember, they called me Al; it was Al all the time.
Why don't you remember, I'm your pal?
Buddy, can you spare a dime?
Say, don't you remember, I'm your pal?
These lyrics provided students an opportunity to "close read" the context of the Great Depression, particularly in the lyrics "Once in khaki suits, gee we looked swell" and "Half a million boots went slogging through Hell." While they understood that after the stock market crash there were unemployed men who had helped in the building of railroads and towers, more than one student made the connection that there are currently soldiers who have returned from serving in Iraq or Afghanistan who have not found employment either. Their brief discussion was enough to set up Steinbeck's tale of Lennie and George, who share a dream of finding employment to be independent farmers raising rabbits.
Once the background was established, students could then read the novel independently, the way the Common Core recommends in the reading standards. Additionally, the long-term substitute can now complete the leap from classical to contemporary tragedy without having to dwell on historical context. The only downside might be getting rid of "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?"… a song-worm now in their brains!
In 9th Grade, American Literature, Curriculum, Education, Fiction, Reader, Reading, Stories, Story	"Brother Can You Spare a Dime", 9th grade English, Bing Crosby, Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?, close reading, Common Core ELA, ELA CCSS, John Steinbeck, Oedipus the King, Of Mice and Men, students, The Great Depression, Yip Harburg, Yip Harburg and Jay Gorney, Youtube
Location Location Location-Reading Ethan Frome in a Heat Wave
The cold in "Ethan Frome" might be what we need in the long hot summer!
It's 103 degrees here today in Connecticut during one of the numerous heat waves we have had so far this season. Tomorrow's forecast bodes no better news. The garden has been drying up; even the most stalwart perennials are buckling under the sun's intensity. Leaving an air-conditioned home or car means hitting a wall of humidity; my glasses fog over and I am temporarily blinded. A headline on the Reuters website reads, "Heat Wave and Drought Besiege Already Deteriorated US Crops" (July 18, 2012). Suddenly, I have a new appreciation for the heat of Steinbeck's Dust Bowl in The Grapes of Wrath:
People in flight along 66. And the concrete road shone like a mirror under the sun, and in the distance the heat made it seem that there were pools of water in the road. (Ch 12)
They were tired and dusty and hot. Granma had convulsions from the heat, and she was weak when they stopped. (Ch 16)
The sun sank low in the afternoon, but the heat did not seem to decrease. Tom awakened under his willow, and his mouth was parched and his body was wet with sweat, and his head was dissatisfied with his rest. (Ch 18)
While the sun was up, it was a beating, flailing heat, but now the heat came from below, from the earth itself, and the heat was thick and muffling. (Ch 18)
I believe that where a reader has lived or visited contributes to an understanding of a novel's setting. This does not mean that a reader cannot appreciate the descriptions of Mars in Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles or Panem's District 12 in The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins or on the battlefields on the plains of Troy in Homer's Iliad or the Congo River in Conrad's Heart of Darkness. Indeed, the only way for the reader to "visit" and remember these locations is through the vivid descriptions the author writes. However, there is an advantage for a reader in being familiar with the setting of a particular story, especially where setting is a dominant character. Say, for example, the town of Starkfield in Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome.
In the introduction, the narrator of the story explains how his employment has brought him to the aptly named Starkfield-"the least habitable spot", where he "chafed at first, and then, under the hypnotising effect of routine, gradually began to find a grim satisfaction in the life". Grim satisfaction indeed, as the winter weather in Western Massachusetts, where Wharton sets her ficticious Starkfield, can be mind-numbingly bleak.
"When I had been there a little longer, and had seen this phase of [December] crystal clearness followed by long stretches of sunless cold; when the storms of February had pitched their white tents about the. devoted village and the wild cavalry of March winds had charged down to their support; I began to understand why Starkfield emerged from its six months' siege like a starved garrison capitulating without quarter."
My most memorable image of the town was Wharton's description of the graveyard that Ethan and Mattie pass on the night of the dance:
"They turned in at the gate and passed under the shaded knoll where, enclosed in a low fence, the Frome grave-stones slanted at crazy angles through the snow. Ethan looked at them curiously. For years that quiet company had mocked his restlessness, his desire for change and freedom. 'We never got away- how should you?' seemed to be written on every headstone…"(Ch 2)
This closing sentiment to this passage addresses the way I feel every winter when the dismal drizzle of freezing rain turns every trip in the car into heart-pounding sliding near-misses or when crusted mounds of filthy snow makes walking outdoors a life-threatening experience. My mantra becomes, "I've got to get out of this place."
So how does a reader from Southern California really understand Starkfield? Yes, Wharton is genius at explanation, but that visceral understanding of January in New England is limited if the reader is reading her novel poolside on a sunny day, 78 degrees with a light wind blowing. Wharton can only stimulate the reader's imagination to understand the kind of wet grey cold that chills to the bone until June. The memory of physically freezing in Western Massachusetts is an entirely different experience.
Conversely, a case can be made for other authors. How can the Wharton's New England reader really understand the physical and cultural landscape for the characters of Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha County ? How does a student from the plains and mesas of Cather's Death Comes for the Archbishop comprehend the mansions on Fitzgerald's East Egg Long Island? There are so many elements in creating the setting: the temperature and the angle of sunlight during the day, the architecture of the houses or buildings, the landscape and the vegetation, the dialect of the locals, the smell of the foods, and the sounds of the evenings. Each locale has identifying qualities that a great author captures in order to make a setting understandable to a reader. The author's descriptions will resonate even more with a reader who has a first-hand experience in that setting.
Of course, reading Wharton's novel in the in the middle of summer anywhere in the United States might be a form of mental air-conditioning. The mind can be a powerful tool into tricking the readers to feel cooler. Imagine the book display: "Feeling hot? Read Ethan Frome!"
In Curriculum, Education, Silent Sustained Reading -SSR	Edith Wharton, Ethan Frome, John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath
The Grapes of Wrath-Researching the Context
This summer, 11th and 12th grade Advanced Placement students at Wamogo High School are reading The Grapes of Wrath. John Steinbeck developed the novel from a series of articles commissioned in October of 1936 by the San Francisco News under the title "The Harvest Gypsies". The novel was published in 1939, won the Pulitzer Prize for Steinbeck in 1940, and is largely credited for winning Steinbeck the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962.
The novel is centered around the story of the Joads, a family forced by economic hardship and drought to abandon their homestead to seek jobs and a future in California. The book chapters alternates between their story and the stories of others, including the point of view of a turtle watching the diaspora of the "Okies", sharecropper families who fled the Dust Bowl and travelled across the mid-west in search of migrant farm work. Steinbeck's depiction of the treatment of these migrant workers and the migrant camps was controversial, and he was attacked by political and social organizations from the right and the left. Undeterred, Steinbeck wrote, "I want to put a tag of shame on the greedy bastards who are responsible for this [the Great Depression and its effects]."
Advanced Placement Students in grades 11 & 12 will read this American classic and create a digital museum
In order to understand the social and political turmoil that marked the 1930s, we are having the students organize an online museum of digital artifacts from that decade on a wiki, a website that allows for the collaborative creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages via a web browser. Students have been organized in teams of three or more and assigned a particular topic from the time period. Topics include:
Okies
Entertainment of the 1930s-Movies-Radio Shows
Herbert Hoover-The Crash of 1929
Journalism in the 30s-William Randolph Hearst-Dorthea Lange
John Steinbeck-the author
Migrant Workers-Farming in California 1930s
Hoovervilles-Weedpatch-Community Associations within the Camps
Works Project Administration in the 1930s
Woolworth-General Store
Sears Catalog and other Catalogs
Music of the 1930s–1940s
Route 66-Jalopies- Truckstops and Cafes
Click here to see a sample of one of the online museum pages from past years.
In doing this project, students are able to become an "expert" on one of the topics explored in the novel. They scan the Internet looking for primary documents, videos, audio recordings, photos, and art from the 1930s. For example, the Library of Congress website and the Internet Archives website are excellent sources for digital museum artifacts. Members of the team embed these digital items onto a wiki page and make the page attractive for the reader. Each page must have the bibliographic information; links to other web pages are also permitted. Once the topic pages are completed, every team will have a chance to reflect and review their own web page and the other web pages created by other teams. Using wiki software, students are able to build a body of knowledge that helps them better understand the context that created Steinbeck's novel.
We have several copies of The Grapes of Wrath on our library shelves; some editions are newer than others. There was a special 50th anniversary publication published in 1989, and the book received an Oprah "bump" when another Steinbeck classic, East of Eden, was picked for her book club in 2003. I will pick up copies at used book stores that are in very good to excellent condition only. The full text of the book was scanned by Google as part of their efforts to make the world's great books available online, so I can place the link to the text on the same wiki webpages as the online museum. Students can choose to read a hard copy or a digital copy of the text.
This book should only be assigned for summer reading to students who expect to encounter a more challenging text. The alternating narrative points of view and the length of the text can be stumbling blocks to an inexperienced reader. However, there is the opportunity to have students draw connections from the 1930s to today's current economic difficulties and political problems. For example, in Chapter 25, food crops are destroyed in order to keep the prices high. This chapter contains the title phrase, "…and in the eyes of the hungry there is a growing wrath. In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." Steinbeck's biblical allusion to social justice and workers is powerful and current in the light of statistically high unemployment today. He also incorporates environmental complications, issues in immigration and migration, and the role of government in ways that reverberate in the politics of America today.
The novel will be 75 years old in 2014 and celebrate its centennial in 2039. Political issues facing America in the future will differ from today, however, Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath can inform every generation about the clash between the promises of democracy and stark economic realities. Steinbeck himself noted the power of this novel when he said, "I've done my damndest to rip a reader's nerves to rags."
In Advanced Placement Literature	John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath, wiki


Eat, Drink, and Be Married! One of my favorite sayings never looked so good as it does in chalk.
If you are a crafty DIY'er, many of these chalkboard details can be made yourself. I have had my share of late night chalkboard painting parties. Chalkboard paint now comes in a variety of colors which opens the doors to many more creative ideas. However you choose to incorporate these details into your big day know that we will love them.
We love to hear from you! What are your favorite chalkboard details?


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« A Day Raiders fans won't soon forget
Bengals CB Adam "Pacman" Jones done for the season »
College Football's Big Time College Players Of Week 8
October 26th, 2010 Abe Munch Posted in College Football
"Big time players make big time plays in big time games"- Santana Moss
1. Matchup: #6 LSU vs #4 Auburn
Cam Newton, QB, Auburn: For the second week in a row, and fifth time this season, Newton rushed for over 150 yards and added two touchdowns on the ground. It was a crucial win for Auburn's chances to win the Southeastern Conference, and puts Cam Newton atop the Heisman Trophy watch list. He finished the game 10-of-16 passing for 86 yards with 28 carries for 217 yards and two scores.
2. Matchup: #16 Nebraska vs #14 Oklahoma St.
Taylor Martinez, QB, Nebraska: Freshman quarterback Taylor Martinez played like a seasoned veteran on the road against the Oklahoma State Cowboys; making key throws all over the field. He shook off a poor performance from a week prior against Texas, going 23-of-35 for 323 yards and five touchdowns, while adding 112 yards on the ground. Martinez had a stellar performance and reminds me of a more athletic version of former Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie.
3. Matchup: #22 Kansas State vs Baylor
Jay Finley, RB, Baylor: Though this game had little significance in the overall picture, it was a huge win for the Baylor Bears who have become bowl eligible for the first time since 1994. Jay Finley set a school record with 250 yards on 26 carries with a long run of 82 yards and two scores. Teammate and quarterback Robert Griffin also gave a career effort going 26-of-38 with 404 yards and four touchdown throws.
4. Matchup: Iowa State vs #19 Texas
Alexander Robinson, RB, Iowa State: Robinson ran with a purpose all day long against the Texas Longhorns, going for a season high 120 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. The Cyclones had not defeated a ranked team on the road since 1990.
Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn: Fairley's stat line was good, 2.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss, but doesn't tell the whole story. Fairley was unstoppable against the run, drawing constant double teams and holding two gaps inside to clog running lanes for the entire sixty minutes, while adding consistent pressure on both LSU quarterbacks. Extremely impressive.
Honorable Mention: Darron Thomas, QB, Oregon 22-31 308yds 3td. Allen Bailey, DT, Miami 3.5 sacks. Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri, 30-42 308yds 1td,
Tags: Alexander Robinson, Cam Newton, Nebraska, Taylor Martinez

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Q: Downloading a file into Application path so i am using this code to download file
Dim exePath As String = Application.ExecutablePath()
My.Computer.Network.DownloadFile(TextBox2.Text, exePath & "/img.png")

where textbox2 contains url to .png file but i get this error

Note that test.exe is on Desktop.

A: You can do it in this way
My.Computer.Network.DownloadFile(TextBox2.Text, Environment.CurrentDirectory & "/img.png");

Environment.CurrentDirectory Will give you the current working directory.
I hope this will work for you.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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US House readies contempt vote as confrontation with Trump mounts
The US House of Representatives will vote on whether to hold Attorney General William Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in criminal contempt next week, as part of an intensifying Democratic assault on President Donald Trump's stonewalling of congressional probes.
The vote, announced by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is expected on Tuesday in response to the Trump cabinet members' failure to comply with congressional subpoenas involving administration plans to add a citizenship question to the 2020 US Census.
The US Supreme Court last month blocked Trump's initial effort to add the question. He then planned an executive order to add it to the Census but was expected to drop the idea on Thursday and seek answers on citizenship through other means.
News of the House vote surfaced as the House Judiciary Committee authorized subpoenas of a dozen Trump aides and associates, including his son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner, and prepared for public testimony next Wednesday by former US Special Counsel Robert Mueller about his two-year probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
The judiciary panel is also expected to launch a federal lawsuit against White House efforts to block testimony by former Trump aides soon after Mueller appears. Democrats say a court victory in such a case would stop the administration from preventing current and former officials from testifying in Congress under subpoena.
Another panel, the House Oversight and Reform Committee, voted to hold Barr and Ross in contempt last month for defying subpoenas issued as part of an investigation into whether the administration sought to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census to discriminate against racial minorities. "The full House will vote on a resolution of criminal contempt for Attorney General Barr and Secretary Ross so we can enforce our subpoenas and get the facts," Pelosi said at her weekly press conference.


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How Much Does DemolitionRanch Make On Youtube – Net Worth
1 DemolitionRanch Personal Info
2 Information on DemolitionRanch YouTube Channel
3 How Much Money Does DemolitionRanch Make on YouTube?
4 How Much Extra Income Does DemolitionRanch Make?
5 DemolitionRanch Net Worth
6 Further Details on DemolitionRanch
DemolitionRanch is a famous American YouTuber that uploads content surrounding guns. But he is also a professional veterinarian and has a secondary channel dedicated to that. Aside from the crazy number of fans on his main channel, DemolitionRanch also has a stunning net worth value of $6 million. He is extremely successful today because of all the creativity, consistency, and hard work that goes into his content.
He does an array of contents relating to guns, but the most successful one would be shooting guns back in his ranch. His viewers get the chance to witness all the bullets + guns that he has access to.
You will also get to see exciting vlogs on his 3rd channel, where his viewers can connect with him on a more intimate level than before. In no time, DemolitionRanch will have an even bigger net value because of his daily new subs.
DemolitionRanch Personal Info
DemolitionRanch was born as Mathew Lee Carriker in Boerne, Texas, on October 23rd of 1986. He refers to himself as the "King of Demolitia," which he also refers to his fanbase.
DemolitionRanch is not your average gun channel, and his massive audience is a testament to that. His shot to fame and popularity came when he first uploaded a video of himself and his friends shooting guns while recording it with a GoPro camera.
After that very day, his channel started growing, and his fanbase increased. Firearms enthusiasts from all across the world visit his channel for the greatest gun content. Today, his main channel has an insane following of over 9.11 million subscribers and a total view of about 1.5 billion, which is just crazy. Also, his secondary channels are just as successful, with the numbers constantly growing.
Information on DemolitionRanch YouTube Channel
DemolitionRanch created his primary YouTube channel back on January 3rd of 2011. The primary channel boasts a massive 9.11 million subscribers with a combined view of 1.5 billion.
His 2nd channel is called "Vet Ranch," and it was created on January 28th of 2014. The 3rd channel is called "OffTheRanch," and it came into fruition on April 16th of 2007. The main channel does the content on guns, the 2nd channel has content on veterinary-related stuff, and the 3rd channel is all about vlogs.
The channel "Vet Ranch" boasts a good 2.93 million subscribers, while the channel "OffTheRanch" has over 3.89 million subscribers. Their total views are 406 million and 675 million, respectively. The most popular video on his main channel is titled "How Deep into Dirt Will It Go?" with 22 million views, followed by "Is Titanium Bulletproof?" with 21 million views.
How Much Money Does DemolitionRanch Make on YouTube?
DemolitionRanch is obtaining over 3500 subs every day with increasing views. The videos present on his channel can score 950,000 views cumulatively every day on average. It can accumulate an estimated revenue of about $4,800 every day, which amounts to $1.8 million every year. The revenue flows from all the ads present in his videos. The YouTubers receive about $2-$7 for every monetized 1000 views after YouTube garners its share.
The range of monetized views is going to be between 40%-80% of the combined view. Multiple key factors influence the payment, such as the viewer's location, advertisement type, number of watchers skipping the ads, number of ads present in a video, content type, and ad engagement. Plus, an ad view's cost depends on an auction, and it is between the advertisers all based on views.
How Much Extra Income Does DemolitionRanch Make?
He earns extra income through his other YouTube channels. His 2nd channel is called "Vet Ranch," which rocks 2.93 million subscribers and a total view of 406 million. Also, his 3rd channel sports a massive 3.89 million subscribers and a combined view of 675 million.
So, his side earnings are easily flowing every day from these sources. Both the channel combined will receive more than a million views, adding to his rich net value. Matt also has another side income route, which is his profession as a vet.
He is also practicing veterinary medicine back at the veterinary clinic of Fair Oaks Ranch. Here, he is treating sick animals daily, allowing more accumulation of income. DemolitionRanch also features a successful merch line.
His fans are always buying and keeping themselves updated on his latest merchandise. In this way, he is earning secondary income through this route. Plus, as a well-established public figure with many followers, many brands approach him for sponsorships.
DemolitionRanch Net Worth
Matt Carriker has almost 15.93 million subscribers and a total view of more than 2.5 billion views from all the channels combined. And the income from brand sponsorships, merch line, and vet adds to all of that. He is currently sitting at a net value of $6 million, increasing every day. From all the contents on shooting, veterinary machines, and vlogs, DemolitionRanch builds a financial empire.
Gun lovers are a fan of his content, especially the ones with penetration experiments and firearm reviews. Viewers from all age groups are a fan of his works and enjoy what he puts out. As of recent, Matt receives newer daily subs and a wider audience reach, allowing more growth of his net worth value today.
Further Details on DemolitionRanch
Matt's father is also a trained veterinarian. He was raised along with his siblings Mark, Andrew, and Ali back in Texas. Carriker got his degree in Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Texas A&M College.
He graduated in 2008, and he got his veterinary license back in 2012. Also, Matt is both the founder and owner of Bunker Branding Co. Here, manufacturers tend to sell embroidered clothing, apparel clothing, and merch for his YouTube channel, other fellow YouTubers, and multiple businesses.
Carriker is responsible for finding the non-profit organization "Vet Ranch" back in February of 2014. The organization consists of a team of veterinarians, including Karri McCreary, a fellow graduate from Texas A&M College. They treat animals from the street and high-kill shelters. Plus, they raise donations and other advertisements for medical expenses.
in NETWORTH
How Much Money Does Tfue Making Every Year? Net Worth & Earnings
How Much Money Does Ron Swanson Have?


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Trip Maps
River Flow
Meetings & Reports
Michigan House Hears Support For HR 230 From Shiawassee River Water Trail Coalition
posted by Sarah Baker | 273sc
On February 14, 2018 Shiawassee River Water Trail Coalition members appeared before a committee on the Michigan House to voice their support for HR 230, a resolution of support for the Shiawassee River National Water Trail. We are very grateful to Ben Frederick for his advocacy on behalf of the water trail. HR 230 will now go to the full house for approval in the next few weeks, this would show the State of Michigan's supports the effort of the Shiawassee River Water Trail Coalition. "It will be a good way to build further interest in our collective work for the water trail, further engage our partners, and celebrate some good news for the River," said Tom Cook. Below are the testimonials given by David Lossing, Chair of Shiawassee River Water Trail Coalition, and Thomas Cook, President of Friends of the Shiawassee River.
Click Here To View Video
Michigan House of Representatives
Committee on Tourism and Outdoor Recreation
Testimony of David E. Lossing
Chair, Shiawassee River Water Trail Coalition
Dear Chairwoman Hughes and Members of the Committee:
Good afternoon. My name is David Lossing, chair of the Shiawassee River Water Trail Coalition, representing eighteen member organizations of local non-profits, local units of government, and a lake association, who have come together to support the Shiawassee River as a National Water Trail. We support House Resolution 230 that has been introduced by State Representative Ben Fredericks of Owosso, MI.
Our Coalition covers four counties: Oakland, Genesee, Shiawassee and Saginaw and three area codes (248, 810, and 989). Our designation of the Shiawassee River is eighty-eight miles from the headwaters in Holly, MI all the way to Chesaning, MI. Our water trail would be the second longest National Water Trail in Michigan.
The City of Linden, MI initially applied for and received a technical assistance grant from the U.S. National Park Service to assist in developing the application. Numerous key groups were key stakeholders to make this a reality: Headwaters Trail, Inc., Keepers of the Shiawassee, Friends of the Shiawassee River and University Outreach at the University of Michigan-Flint. From late 2015 until the application was submitted in April 2017, over three hundred supporters were engaged in the planning process. For the purpose of the application, the Friends of the Shiawassee River formally submitted the application and have agreed to be the fiduciary agent for the Coalition.
We believe that support of HR 230 by the House Outdoor and Tourism Committee, and the Michigan House of Representatives, will provide the needed support to make our Shiawassee River National Water Trail a reality with the U.S. Department of the Interior.
For the committee's information, I've listed the partner organizations of our Water Trail Coalition as part of my testimony.
Shiawassee River Water Trail Coalition Partner Organizations
Headwaters Trails, Inc.
North Oakland Headwaters Land Conservancy
Village of Holly
Holly Township
Keepers of the Shiawassee
Ponemah, Squaw, Tupper Lake Association
City of Fenton
City of Linden
Argentine Township
Genesee County Parks and Recreation Commission
Friends of the Shiawassee River
Village of Byron Downtown Development Authority
Village of Vernon
City of Corunna
City of Owosso
Village of Oakley
Village of Chesaning
Chesaning Township
Testimony of Thomas Cook
President, Friends of the Shiawassee River
Good afternoon. My name is Tom Cook, President of the Board of the Friends of the Shiawassee River. Our community-based organizations supports House Resolution 230 that has been introduced by State Representative Ben Fredericks of Owosso, MI.
The Friends were established in 1996 with a mission to care, share, and enjoy the Shiawassee River. For the last several years we have worked to establish a National Water Trail on the Shiawassee because it will help us achieve all three goals of our mission. Over the years, we have conducted many river clean-ups, worked to remove obstructions in the River, organized paddling trips, and raised funds and organized volunteers to construct five canoe/kayak launches; we are currently working to install a new launch in Vernon.
We have partnered with local governments and other nonprofits to form the Shiawassee Water Trail Coalition. We have worked to establish a National Water Trail because it will help more people enjoy the recreation offered by the river, will strengthen the communities located on the river, and will help bring us together as a watershed.
We believe that passage of HR 230 by the House Outdoor and Tourism Committee, and the Michigan House of Representatives, will provide the needed support to make our Shiawassee River National Water Trail recognized by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Shiawassee River Water Trail Coalition
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« Where Does Lottery Money Go in Governor Northam's Budget?
Virginia has about thirty thousand people in its prisons, and for each one it spends two dollars and ten cents a day on food.
Now, one inmate is suing, alleging the daily diet puts him at high risk for obesity, cancer and many chronic conditions.
The state says it's a security risk to allow recording in person, so Sandy Hausman spoke with the plaintiff by phone and filed this report.
This entry was posted on March 22, 2018, 4:32 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


Emergen-C is packed with vitamins to help keep you healthy. With every box of Emergen-C sold, a portion of the proceeds go to charity. Vitamins, energy and charity? Sounds like a sweet deal. Vitamin C plays an important role in immune system support. Make sure not to over do it, too much Vitamin C actually has the reverse effect! That's right, over consumption leads to immune suppression. We know they're delicious but try not to have more than 2 packets of Emergen-C per day. Don't forget about zinc. This mineral is also a powerful immune system booster.


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Q: What should I do to completely close the tcpClient connection with mcu? I'm now working on a tcp socket connection to tcp server running in ESP32.
It works fine for the communication, but I failed to close the connection.
After searching for the solution on close/reset tcpClient, it seems that the proper way to close a tcpClient should be:
tcpClient.GetStream().Close();
tcpCLient.Close();

The example in msdn also use this method.
But unforunately, it cannot really close the connection.  As checked in the mcu, the connection has not been closed.  And it will not be closed even I close the application later.  In this case, the mcu's tcp connection cannot be released, it cannot receive other connections.  So, I think this should not be a proper solution to close the tcpClient.
If I did not execute above statement, and close the application directly, it can close the connection successfully.  And the mcu's tcp connection is released.
It seems that the there has something been done in application close which can really close the connection.
In some situation, I need to close the connection after some operation, and reconnect it.  So, I cannot rely on the application close.
I have tried all the following methods in some different combination, but none of them can successfully release the tcpClient connection:
 tcpClient.Close();
 tcpClient.Client.Close();
 tcpClient.GetStream().Close();
 tcpClient.Client.Disconnect(true);
 tcpClient.Client.Disconnect(false);
 tcpClient.Dispose();
 tcpClient.Client.Dispose();
 tcpCLient = null;

Maybe it should be done with some of above commands in a proper sequence.
Does anyone know how I cannot close the connection by myself.
Thanks in advance.

A: After studying the network packet using WireShark, it was found that the problem is due to the delay of sending RST with the code as suggested in MSDN:
tcpClient.GetStream().Close();
tcpCLient.Close();

There has no different even adding
tcpClient.LingerState = new LingerOptions(true, 0);

Because it will send FIN immediately, but not the RST after the Close method, it will be sent around 2 minutes later.  Unfortunately, it won't be sent even you close the application after tcpClient close is issued.

If you close the application before closing the tcpClient, it will send the RST immedicately.

So that it can close the connection in server immediately.
After testing different combination of command, it was found that the following code can really close the connection immediately, but there will have another RST around 40 seconds later.
tcpClient.Client.Close();
tcpClient.Close();

Don't call tcpClient.GetStream().Close();  !!! It will cause the delay of RST.
I don't know if there has any impact closing the connection in this way, but this is the only way I can really close the connection immediately.

A: As you mentioned, this is the correct way to close a TcpClient:
tcpClient.GetStream().Close();
tcpCLient.Close();

Close() will eventually close the connection. Take a look at the documentation for TcpClient.Close()

The Close method marks the instance as disposed and requests that the associated Socket close the TCP connection. Based on the LingerState property, the TCP connection may stay open for some time after the Close method is called when data remains to be sent. There is no notification provided when the underlying connection has completed closing.

You may be able to get the behavior you desire by changing the LingerState property of the TcpClient object.

tcpClient.LingerState = new LingerOptions(true, 0);


text:
Private Placement Closes Upsized
May 14 2021 – Vancouver, Canada – Engineer Gold Mines Ltd. (the "Company") (TSX.V: EAU) The private placement first announced on March 23, 2021 has closed oversubscribed raising total gross proceeds of $1,099,500. The first tranche closed on April 20, 2021 for gross proceeds of $587,000. The second and final tranche closed today for gross proceeds of $512,500. The private placement units ("Unit") are priced at $0.05 per Unit. Each Unit is comprised of one common share and one-half of one share purchase warrant ("Warrant"). Each whole Warrant is exercisable to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of $0.12 per share for a period of 36 months from the dates of closing.
Finder's fees total $63,825 and 1,276,500 finder's warrants. The first tranche Finder's fees were $29,750 and 595,000 finder's warrants. The second and final tranche Finder's fees payable are $34,075 and 681,500 finder's warrants. Finder's Warrants are exercisable to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of $0.09 for a period of 36 months from the dates of closing. The private placement is subject to TSX Venture Exchange final approval and all securities are subject to a four month hold period. The proceeds will be used for the exploration program at the Engineer Gold Mine Property, 32 km west of Atlin in northern BC, and general working capital.
Engineer Gold is focused on the exploration and development of the 100%-owned, 14,020 ha Engineer Gold Mine Property, centered on the Historic high-grade Engineer Gold Mine situated 32 km southwest of Atlin, B.C. Previous work has identified numerous high-grade vein and shear-hosted bulk-tonnage gold exploration targets including Wann River to the southwest and Happy Sullivan to the northeast of the Engineer Gold Mine.
Engineer Gold Mines Ltd.
Corporate Inquiries:
"Andrew H. Rees"
Andrew H. Rees: 604-505-3739
Mr. Andrew H. Rees
Email: andrewhr@engineergoldmines.com
Cautionary Note
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accura


1.	This is an appeal against the decision of First-tier Tribunal Judge Dhaliwal promulgated on 5 January 2018 in which she dismissed the Appellant's appeal on protection grounds against the decision of the Respondent dated 6 November 2017 refusing asylum in the UK.
2.	The Appellant is a national of Afghanistan born on 10 December 1990. He arrived in the United Kingdom clandestinely in October 2007. On 2 December 2010 he made an application for asylum. The application was deemed withdrawn on 15 March 2011 because the Appellant had absconded. It appears that the Appellant subsequently re-emerged and on 28 February 2017 made further submissions in respect of his asylum claim. This resulted in him being interviewed on 18 May 2017. Thereafter, upon due consideration, the Respondent refused the asylum claim for reasons set out in a 'reasons for refusal' letter ('RFRL') dated 6 November 2017.
3.	The Appellant appealed to the Immigration and Asylum Chamber.
4.	The First-tier Tribunal Judge made some findings in favour of the Appellant, but ultimately rejected the claim on the basis that it was reasonable for him to relocate to Kabul.
5.	The Judge made the following favourable findings.
(iv)	as the Appellant was about to be recruited, his mother and maternal uncle arranged for him to leave the country."
"When I take the evidence in the round, I am satisfied that the account given by the Appellant of him being recruited and being trained by the Taliban is reasonably likely to be true."
"As the country guidance is that Baghlan is a province that is controlled by the Taliban and I accept that the father of the Appellant is a commander for the Taliban, I am clear that Baghlan is not a safe location for the Appellant to return to."
6.	Further to the findings of fact, the Judge indicated the framework of consideration of the issue of protection: for example, at paragraph 17 - "I move on to consider whether the Appellant is still at this present time at risk from the Taliban, if so, whether there is sufficiency of protection from the state and whether relocation can mitigate that risk." Further to the finding that there was a risk in Baghlan, the Judge stated: "I therefore go on to consider relocation to Kabul. Internal relocation may be both relevant and reasonable but this will depend on the person's profile and personal circumstances." (paragraph 20). The Judge then referred to elements of the country guidance and country information materials that were before her (paragraphs 21-23) before considering the particular circumstances of the Appellant.
"I am not satisfied that the Appellant has discharged the burden of proof to establish that he is entitled to be granted asylum. Taking into account all of these factors, I have concluded that whilst the core of the Appellant's claim is reliable and he may be at risk from the Taliban in Baghlan, he is able to return and relocate to Kabul where there will be no risk to him. I therefore do not find that it would be unduly harsh in any way for the Appellant to return to Afghanistan." (paragraph 34).
8.	The Judge went on to consider humanitarian protection and human rights outside the scope of the protection claim, before dismissing the appeal on asylum, humanitarian protection, and human rights grounds.
"I find it difficult to reconcile the Judge's acceptance that the Appellant would be in fear of the Taliban in his home area and her decision (in relation to Kabul) that the Taliban have no ongoing interest in him due to the passage of time. I am also concerned that the Judge failed to consider the significance of what was (first) said in PM (Afghanistan)  UKAIT 89 when considering the extent to which the Taliban would be likely to detect the Appellant in Kabul when he came to seek employment or accommodation. Whilst the relevant part of that decision was cited at  of the Judge's decision, it is arguable that she failed to apply that guidance in her subsequent assessment. As contended in the grounds, the Appellant's close family was accepted to have significant links to the Taliban and it is arguable that the Judge failed to consider the country guidance and the more recent background material against that background."
10.	The first matter identified in the grant of permission to appeal is not pursued before me by Mr Samra. In my judgment it was wise of Mr Samra not to rely on it. Indeed, for completeness, I should say that he did not initially refer to it at all in his oral submissions; it was only when Mr Mills mentioned it in his submissions that Mr Samra acknowledged that he was not seeking to rely upon it.
11.	For the avoidance of any doubt: in my judgement there is no difficulty at all in reconciling the notion that the Appellant might be at risk in his home area where he is known, but might not be at risk in Kabul where he is not known. As I note, this point was not pursued any further and I say no more on it.
12.	It follows that the focus of argument before me was in respect of the First-tier Tribunal Judge's evaluation of the reasonableness or otherwise of relocation to Kabul against the framework of country guidance and country information.
13.	Accordingly, in the premises, I invited Mr Samra to take me to the particular materials that provided the relevant framework upon which he would wish to rely in developing the challenge to the decision of the First-tier Tribunal Judge. This was because it was at the core of the grounds of appeal - and the grant of permission to appeal - that the Judge had in some way deviated from guidance either in law or in substantial material fact to an extent that it amounted to error of law.
14.	In this context Mr Samra took me first of all to the Appellant's bundle before the First-tier Tribunal which included case law. My attention was directed to paragraph 130 of PM and Others (Kabul, Hizb-i-Islami) Afghanistan CG  UKAIT 89 - which was referenced in the grant of permission to appeal with the acknowledgement that Judge Dhaliwal had referred to it at paragraph 21 of her decision.
"In PM and Others (Kabul, Hizb-i-Islami) Afghanistan CG  UKAIT 00089 the Tribunal held: (i) Those returned from the United Kingdom will not, without more, be at real risk at the airport or after arrival in Kabul. (ii) Those returned from the United Kingdom are not at real risk, without more, of being suspected by the authorities as insurgents. (iii) The past of an individual seeking accommodation or work in Kabul, or elsewhere, may be discovered and mentioned to the authorities. Similarly, the authorities may become aware of someone newly arrived in an area. That may result in a person being detained for questioning but there is no satisfactory evidence such questioning gives rise to a real risk of serious harm. (iv) Subject to an individual's personal circumstances, it is unlikely to be unduly harsh (or unreasonable) to expect them to relocate to Kabul if they have established a real risk of serious harm in (and restricted to) areas outside Kabul." (paragraph 21).
"We accept that those who fall into the hands of the Taliban, unless considered friendly to them, are likely to be ill-treated."
"The Taliban may be able to find a person who relocates to a different area and that they have been successful in doing so, particularly when targeting their well-known or well-positioned opponents ? the Taliban has shadow governors and military commanders in almost all provinces; communication and information sharing between the command structure is likely, including in efforts to obtain information about a person's background ? it is more difficult to track people who have moved into urban environments but even then the Taliban have spies and members who can gather considerable information."
"It is not difficult to track people down in Afghanistan, although it might take time. Neighbours and landlords will check people's backgrounds, because everyone thinks in terms of security, and so they would want to check a newcomer's background in their home area. Further, messages are sent across the country via chains of communications based on personal contacts, and it would be natural to investigate where someone was from in order to see what role they could play in such a network. The postal service is unreliable and only delivers to the district centres, not to the villages, so that travellers are often used to deliver messages and goods to relatives and friends."
"That extract supported the evidence of the Appellant and his expert witnesses. Outside Kabul, we accept that enquiries would be made about an individual's background and that the rumour mill would wish to satisfy itself as to whether an incoming unknown individual posed a risk to that community. We do not consider that (absent family connections who could provide safety in a particular area) internal relocation outside Kabul would be available to Appellants with difficulties in their home areas."
20.	In my judgement the Tribunal's comments at paragraph 105 of RQ demonstrate that the passage from the UNHCR report was considered to be of particular significance and application for somebody seeking to relocate in a place other than Kabul. To that extent, it is not directly on point in the circumstances of the instant case.
"However, if news of being specifically wanted by a warlord or commander is likely to reach Kabul, we accept that an Appellant's safety in Kabul cannot be satisfactorily assured to the domestic protection standard set in Horvath ?"
"101. However, where an individual was 'wanted' by the Taliban or Hizb-i-Islami, then the evidence was that the situation in Afghanistan remains sufficiently lawless that if he were found, there would be nothing to prevent them dealing with him as they thought fit. A person who was wanted in his home area for a specific reason would be able to show a real risk of persecution (or treatment entitling him to humanitarian protection, as appropriate) in his home area.
102.	The next question was whether such a person could relocate away from the risk and whether it would be unduly harsh to expect him or her to do so. Where there was an individual risk, it would be a question of fact whether internal relocation was an option. In general, for a person with no particular profile, the Tribunal had held that there was no risk in Kabul engaging the international protection Conventions (M v Secretary of State for the Home Department (Afghanistan)  UKIAT 00035)."
"the safety of internal relocation to Kabul is a question of fact based on the particular history of an individual Appellant and of the warlord or faction known to be seeking to harm him."
"Where the risk to a particular Appellant is confined to his home area, internal relocation to Kabul is in general available. It would not be unduly harsh to expect an Appellant with no individual risk factors outside his home area to live in Kabul and assist in the rebuilding of his country."
23.	For completeness, I should note that included in the Appellant's First-tier Tribunal bundle were extracts from the case of ZN (Warlords, CIPU list not comprehensive) Afghanistan  UKIAT 00096. ZN considers the situation where there was what was described as a vendetta by a powerful warlord against an individual. Mr Samra did not seek to place any particular reliance upon it in the context of the submissions advanced before me. I do note, however, that ZN, again, emphasises the fact-sensitive nature of the assessment of any individual case - each case must be decided on its own facts - and that in circumstances where the matter is essentially one of fact-finding for the First-tier Tribunal the Upper Tribunal will be slow to interfere with that evaluation, particularly in the context as here where the initial task is to consider whether there has been an error of law.
"I therefore start this part of my considerations on the basis that the Taliban can find persons that they wish to find as they have the resources to do so and whilst it is more difficult to find persons that have moved into urban areas, it can be done."
25.	Mr Samra acknowledged the substance of Judge Dhaliwal's observation, and accepted that it was an effective summary of the materials cited by the Judge. Moreover and more particularly, he acknowledged that it adequately reflected the substance of the materials to which he had taken me and which I have rehearsed above.
26.	It follows that the Appellant is not able to maintain any argument that the Judge disregarded or misunderstood the nature of the issues in the appeal, the country guidance, or the country information.
27.	Mr Samra otherwise in amplification of the grounds of appeal invited me to consider that notwithstanding the adequacy of the observation at paragraph 24 in the following paragraphs - paragraphs 25-29 - the Judge in substance speculated as to the circumstances of the Appellant on return, and the nature of any interest that the Taliban might have in him.
28.	For the Respondent Mr Mills argued that the Judge had not fallen into any error of law but had made an appropriate evaluation of the particular facts of the individual case. He sought to emphasise the context of the two country guidance cases particularly relied upon before the First-tier Tribunal - PM and RQ. In particular he noted that references to landlords or neighbours checking the background of new arrivals was in the context of seeking to protect against any possible threat the new arrival might pose, not did not therefore relate to the possibility that such persons were concerned about the background of new arrivals with a view to informing the Taliban. PM was concerned with the influx of Pashtuns after an earlier insurgency; in RQ consideration was of the risk to specific individuals who had been in the Afghan National Army and might be targeted by the Taliban because of such membership; these were not cases that were focused upon people with little or no profile. This is reinforced by the references to the Taliban seeking to target individuals who are well-known or well-positioned opponents.
29.	Mr Mills invited me to consider that from paragraph 25 onwards the Judge essentially embarked on a sustainably reasoned evaluation of whether there was reason to consider that the Appellant would be at risk because of some continuing adverse interest such that it would be reasonably likely that the Taliban would expend time, energy and resources in pursuing him.
30.	I agree with the position advanced by Mr Mills. It seems to me clear enough that from paragraph 25 onwards the Judge is considering the individual circumstances of the Appellant against the background summarised at paragraph 24 - a background acknowledged by Mr Samra to be one with which he does not take any dispute.
31.	At paragraph 25 the Judge does little more than observe that it is some considerable time since the Appellant left Afghanistan, having left at the age of 12 or 13, possibly between ten or twelve years previously. That is an indisputable fact and in and of itself cannot be said to indicate any error.
32.	The following paragraphs set out four points which the Judge considered relevant to her assessment of whether or not the Appellant is likely to be pursued in Kabul by the Taliban.
"Firstly, I cannot ignore the fact that the Appellant left Afghanistan a considerable time ago and whilst his father may well have been interested in finding out his whereabouts ten years ago, there is no up-to-date information as to the risk, if any, that may be in existence today. In the absence of any up-to-date information as to whether his father is still in the same locality, holds the same position, holds the same views or indeed, whether he is still alive, I can only surmise based on what is in front of me. I find that if the Appellant's father was unable to locate him ten to twelve years ago, there is not likely to be any interest or expectation that the Appellant will now be found. Any searches that his father may have put in place ten to twelve years ago are likely to have dissipated over time."
34.	I do not accept Mr Samra's suggestion that the Judge was in some way idly speculating as to whether or not the Appellant's father was still alive. It seems to me what the Judge was doing was trying to make an assessment on the available information as to the likelihood or otherwise of there being a continuing interest in identifying and pursuing the Appellant. In substance, the Judge sustainably was taking into account in her overall consideration that the passage of time would mean that any previous search would have dissipated; in substance the Judge was saying that it was not likely that the Appellant would be being actively sought by the Taliban.
35.	At paragraph 27 the Judge comments that the Appellant's appearance will have materially changed since leaving Afghanistan as a child of 12 to 13 years. Mr Samra points out that whilst his appearance might have changed his personal details would remain the same and accordingly, were he to return to Kabul and offer those details up in the process of registering his presence or seeking employment, there was a potential for him to be identified by others.
36.	In the first instance, it seems to me that it was open to the Judge to have made the observation that the Appellant would be "physically unrecognisable". In context this was to identify - unobjectionably in my judgement - that it was not likely that the Appellant would come to the attention of Taliban members inadvertently by, as it were, being seen in the street or 'bumping into' somebody who may have known him from the past.
37.	As regards Mr Samra's submission that the Appellant would still have to use his own identity, such a circumstance only becomes a potential risk factor if he is being actively sought. That is a distinct and different point, addressed in the Judge's overall assessment of whether the Taliban have any continuing interest in the Appellant. Accordingly, I find no substance in the criticism of the Judge's evaluation at paragraph 27.
38.	At paragraph 28 the Judge makes the observation that she accepts that the Appellant has not been in touch with his wider family, including in particular his maternal uncle, and therefore, in the circumstances, there is no reason for the Appellant's father to become aware through family members if the Appellant were to return to Afghanistan. It seems to me this is entirely sustainable. In any event it is not a matter in respect of which any specific criticism is made by Mr Samra.
"Fourthly, it is unlikely that the Taliban themselves would have any interest in finding the Appellant as he is neither well-known nor known to be a well-positioned opponent. They are unlikely to know of the Appellant's existence and his background. Even if they came to know of his identification in a population of almost 5,000,000 in Kabul, which I find unlikely, the passage of time means that there will be no current interest to pursue this Appellant in Kabul city where their assets are limited and their resources are focused on high target individuals."
40.	In my judgement this latter passage reflects the Judge's consideration and application of much of the case law and country information cited above to the particular circumstances of the Appellant. In this regard the Judge offers reasons that are sustainable and open to her. I find no basis for criticising this passage.
41.	Accordingly, I find that the Judge has adequately explained why she considered that the Appellant is not a person who is likely to be actively sought by the Taliban in Kabul if he were returned at the present time, and is not a person who is likely inadvertently to come to their attention by being, as it were, recognised in the street. Even if information were to get back to them as to his identity there is no reason to think that they would perceive him as somebody worthy of chasing down in Kabul.
42.	These matters were essentially matters of fact for the evaluation of the Judge. I am not persuaded that in making that evaluation the Judge has in any way departed from the country guidance or otherwise fallen into error of law. Nor does the Judge's evaluation seem to be remotely inconsistent with the country information cited by the Judge - and I bear in mind that my attention has not been drawn to any contrary evidence that might point in a different direction.
43.	Accordingly, I can identify no error in the approach of the Judge.
"However, the particular circumstances of an individual applicant must be taken into account in the context of conditions in the place of relocation, including a person's age, nature and quality of support network/connections with Kabul/Afghanistan, their physical and mental health, and their language, education and vocational skills when determining whether a person falls within the general position set out above".
The 'general position' being that "it will not, in general be unreasonable or unduly harsh for a single adult male in good health to relocate to Kabul even if he does not have any specific connections or support network in Kabul" (see headnote at (ii)).
45.	I cannot see anything in AS that suggests the Judge reached an erroneous conclusion in the appeal. More particularly AS reinforces the correctness of the substance of the approach taken by the First-tier Tribunal Judge.
46.	For completeness, I note one further point. During the course of submissions Mr Samra sought to argue that the First-tier Tribunal Judge had not given a full and comprehensive consideration to the concept of internal flight with reference to the sort of factors and guidance set out in the decision of Robinson. This was not a point pleaded in the grounds of appeal in support of the application for permission to appeal and was not a point mentioned in the grant of permission to appeal.
47.	In the circumstances I did not permit Mr Samra formally to develop the point. Even had I done so, it seems to me that there is nothing in the background and circumstances of the Appellant that would take him outside the repeated observations in country guidance cases that generally for individuals relocation to Kabul is entirely viable. Insofar as brief reference was made to the most recent country guidance case, there is nothing to suggest other than that the Appellant is a single adult male in good health - indeed Mr Samra acknowledged as much. The only suggested distinguishing feature was that he had left Afghanistan at a very young age and therefore had had no direct experience of living in Afghanistan as an independent adult. That may be so but it is to be noted that the country guidance refers to the possibility of internal relocation even for somebody without any specific connection or support network in Kabul. Further, although the Appellant left at the age of 12 or 13, it was not until some three or four years later in 2007 that he arrived in the United Kingdom: it follows that he has been able to survive in difficult circumstances even whilst a minor. He has also lived for a substantial period of time whilst in the UK as an absconder. As suggested in the RFRL he appears to be an individual who has demonstrated considerable resource. In the circumstances, even if I were to have permitted argument on the internal flight Robinson relocation test, it seems to me that there is nothing that hints that such arguments could possibly avail the Appellant.
48.	The decision of First-tier Tribunal Judge Dhaliwal contained no error of law, and accordingly stands.
49.	The Appellant's appeal remains dismissed.


What computer is best for college? Reviewed by Alexander Lozada on October 5, 2014 .
What computer is best for college?
Fall – my favorite season. It's wonderfully tranquil – unless you're a high-school senior applying to college, or a college student who needs new tech. You're going to make a lot of thoughtful decisions about your education, so why not give the same amount of thought in buying a new computer? Time and thought put into buying a college computer means less time dealing with tech problems at midnight the day a paper is due, and more time put into studying.
If you're a college student in America, money is probably something you're going to have to (unfortunately) worry about for a while. Remember, even if your budget is on the lower end of the spectrum, you can still pick up a nice laptop.
Most kids you see on campus will be carrying laptops around, and there's good reason for that. Laptops are mobile, meaning you can take notes in class, and then work in the library. Laptops are a good choice for those who have limited budgets, as in recent days desktop computers have gotten to be a little more expensive than some laptop choices.
If you already have a desktop computer, bring it! There's nothing better than having a backup computer if your laptop gets buggy for a day. Desktops are also useful for those who require more computer-intensive tasks, like gaming and video production.
This is largely up to you. Unless your professor explicitly asks that you use one over the other (and be sure to ask!) most software should work on either system. And for my design-related friends, Windows is just as good in your field. It's often thought of that Macs are needed for a design major, but that's untrue. The entire Adobe suite will run just as well on a PC.
The biggest decider in this area is you. Macs tend to have better build quality, but are usually much more expensive and have less powerful internals than a PC of a similar price. If you have the budget, love the look and the OS, then buy a Mac. Otherwise, a PC is just fine too.
Wait, what about Linux and Chromebooks?
Okay, okay. Linux is pretty fantastic, but if you're thinking about building your own computer and then (somehow) installing Arch, you probably don't need this guide. But what about ChromeOS? Well, it's Linux – but don't let that word throw you non-techies off. It's actually an operating system developed by Google, and it's designed for simpler computing and less tech-savvy people. ChromeOS has built-in updates, virus protection, and full integration with Google Drive, meaning you can access your reports from any computer. If you only need a computer for updating Facebook, writing reports, and surfing the web, a Chromebook could suit you well. Also – Chromebooks are extremely budget friendly, with most laptops going for about $250. Just keep in mind, ChromeOS can't run more complex programs like Autocad or Adobe Illustrator, but it is gaining support for some Android apps.
Internals are where things get tricky. Processor speeds can vary from computer to computer, and graphics cards can lie to you. While it's impossible to explain every component in detail, a few guidelines can help.
If you're going with a Mac or PC, aim for at least 500 gigabytes of storage. If you're in an area that deals a lot with video, aim for a bit higher, since videos take up a lot of space. If you're looking ataChromebook, don't worry about storage.
Although most Chromebooks have 16 gigabytes of internal storage, they usually come with 200 gigabytes of Drive storage for 2 years, which is more than enough space for writing reports and taking pictures.
Get about 8 gigabytes of RAM for Mac and PC, and more if you're dealing in programs like Adobe Premiere and After Effects. Video programs takes up a lot of memory. If you're planning on getting a Mac, and you're low on cash, 4 gigabytes of RAM should work fine.
Chromebooks don't need as much RAM, but aim for 2-4 gigabytes. The more RAM you have, the more tabs you can open without your computer lagging.
Go forani5ori7 processor if you can. Although they're not an exact standard,i5andi7 processors should be plenty fast enough for your Mac or PC.
Chromebooks can have Intel processors, but sometimes they have the same processors found on Android tablets such as Nvidia Tegra. This doesn't make too much of a difference.
Some computers have discrete graphics processing units, or GPUs. This means there is a separate card in your computer to help with graphics used in gaming and 3D rendering. If you enjoy gaming, but you don't want to spend money on a desktop, look for a laptop with a discrete graphics card. They will generally perform better than laptops with integrated graphics. Additionally, check out some gaming benchmarks for the laptop.
Make sure you have a screen size that's right for you. A 17" screen might seem nice at the time, but lugging around a heavy laptop around campus might get tiresome. Make sure you balance portability and usability.
Above all else, ask your professors what they require, and what students have. Although unlikely, some professors require mac computers, and it's better to ask than spend a grand on a windows laptop you can't even use.
If you're going with a Mac, there aren't too many choices. Try a Macbook Pro for heavy duty work, or a Macbook Air for light use. If you're going the Chromebook route, check out the Acer C720. And if you're set on Windows, well – you're going to have to try them all out and see which one suits you. Just keep the above specifications in mind, and you'll find one that satisfies your needs. I'm currently using a Microsoft Surface Pro 3, which is at the higher end of the spectrum at around $1500, but I recommend it if you have the cash and the need for a high-resolution touchscreen.
Rave Advisory | Candyland, Washed Out, MUST DIE!, Deimos and Gears!
Good write-up. I needed a new laptop a few weeks ago after the one I had been using for about 4 years broke. I was, like you said, a college student on a budget. I have my Desktop in my dorm for the heavy work so I really just needed something for note taking and viewing PowerPoint slides.
I ended up finding that the Bay Trail line of tablets was great for just this. Some of the more popular ones, like the Dell Venue 8, have a pen digitizer for note taking and already come with Office install on a full 32-bit version of windows 8.1. These tablets are cheap too. I found mine, a 64gb Asus Vivotab Note 8, for $200 on Ebay. A few weeks of use later and now I use OneNote in almost all of my classes with the Wacom pen.
There are downsides though. The platform only supports an Atom processor and 2gb of RAM. The connectivity is also limited to a micro USB for charging and external USB devices via OTG cable, but not both at the same time.
Overall it's great for what I use it for.
I would definitely recommend looking into them if you are in need of something like this.
Yeah, I heard the Venue tablets were good. Definitely a tablet more than a laptop, but it'd be good for notetaking and general use.


text:
Home/News/Truckers bring Dublin to a standstill in protest at rising fuel costs
Truckers bring Dublin to a standstill in protest at rising fuel costs
Fry Electronics TeamApril 10, 2022
Irish truckers and hauliers said they would bring Dublin city to a "standstill" next week to protest rising fuel costs and that the demonstration would be "for the history books".
The group People of Ireland Against Fuel Prices has said transport companies are in a "crisis" and companies are struggling to stay afloat.
The group warned participants that the protest "will last at least a couple of days but is expected to be there for a week".
The protesters were previously known as The Irish Trucker and Haulage Association against Fuel Prices. They are not affiliated with the official Irish Road Haulage Association.
Protesters are gathering at locations on the M1, M4, M7 and near the M11/M50 junction at 3am Monday morning.
Pedestrians gather at the GPO on O'Connell Street at 9am Monday to march in protest.
In a post on Facebook, the group said: "We are a group of truck companies struggling to stay afloat and have joined forces with farmers, bus companies, taxis and the general public to fight against the cost of doing business to protest living expenses are not affordable.
"We are all in a crisis. In relation to the protest, Dublin and the surrounding areas of Dublin will come to a standstill and the protest will not just be a one day protest but will be a lengthy process until our demands are met."
The group has condemned the government's plan to introduce a carbon tax on May 1st.
"How are people going to get school or work? How are the elderly and disadvantaged going to pay for these increases? Not only diesel, petrol, but also electricity and gas. It's cruel the situations families find themselves in when they have to choose between food, warmth and transportation.
"It's 2022 in a first world country, we can and must do better," the statement said.
"Our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents did not work hard and pay taxes all their lives so that we live in poverty. The government has the power to help and we need it now."
The group's demands include price caps on petrol, diesel and heating oil, the abolition of the carbon tax and the resignation of Transport Secretary Eamon Ryan.
The group said the protest was "for the people of Ireland" and would "benefit" everyone.
It said the majority of the vehicles will be owned by the company and that this is a "huge financial sacrifice". They urged people to "show respect and support."
"We want a peaceful protest so anyone planning to cause trouble please stay home. We hope you all understand and apologize for the inconvenience caused in advance," the group said.
https://www.independent.ie/news/truckers-to-bring-dublin-to-a-standstill-in-protest-against-rising-fuel-costs-41539255.html Truckers bring Dublin to a standstill in protest at rising fuel costs
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Excellence in Giving is currently looking for talented individuals in the following positions at its headquarters in Colorado Springs. We invite qualified candidates to review the job description and apply.
Send cover letter, resume and salary history and/or requirements to jbocker@excellenceingiving.com.
Interns work closely with the Client Services, Research, and Relationship Management teams to support Excellence in Giving in a variety of ways. This projects-based position allows interns to gain experience in the different departments of our company and make an impact in our office, as well as with clients and nonprofits. Interns will build familiarity with domestic and internationally operating nonprofits, foundations, and philanthropic communities. This is an excellent opportunity for someone interested in learning about philanthropic and nonprofit industries.
Excellence in Giving's office is in downtown Colorado Springs, CO. Change the world during the week and play in the Rockies on the weekend!


text:
<?php

namespace App\Services;

use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Log;
use Grafite\Commerce\Interfaces\LogisticServiceInterface;
use Grafite\Commerce\Services\CustomerProfileService;
use Grafite\Commerce\Services\LogisticService;

class StoreLogistics implements LogisticServiceInterface
{
    public function __construct(
        CustomerProfileService $customerService,
        LogisticService $logistics
    ) {
        $this->customer = $customerService;
        $this->logistics = $logistics;
    }

    /**
     * Calculate the shipping cost.
     *
     * @param user $user
     *
     * @return int
     */
    public function shipping($user)
    {
        $address = $this->customer->shippingAddress();
        $weight = $this->logistics->cartWeight();

        return 0;
    }

    /**
     * Calculate an items shipping cost.
     *
     * @param user $user
     *
     * @return int
     */
    public function singleItemShipping($item, $user)
    {
        return 0;
    }

    /**
     * Calculate the Tax.
     *
     * @return int
     */
    public function getTaxPercent($user)
    {
        $address = $this->customer->billingAddress();

        return 0;
    }

    /*
    |--------------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Purchases & Refunds
    |--------------------------------------------------------------------------
    */

    public function afterPurchase($user, $transaction, $cart, $result)
    {
        Log::info('After purchase');

        if ($result) {
            $cart->emptyCart();

            return redirect('store/complete');
        } else {
            return redirect('store/failed');
        }
    }

    public function afterSubscription($user, $plan)
    {
        // code...
        Log::info('After subscription');

        return true;
    }

    public function afterRefundRequest($transaction)
    {
        // code...
        Log::info('After refund request');

        return true;
    }

    public function afterRefund($transaction)
    {
        // code...
        Log::info('After refund');

        return true;
    }

    public function cancelSubscription($user, $plan)
    {
        // code...
        Log::info('Cancel subscription');

        return true;
    }

    /*
    |--------------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Orders
    |--------------------------------------------------------------------------
    */

    public function afterPlaceOrder($user, $transaction, $cart)
    {
        // places order into orders table
        Log::info('Order was placed');

        return true;
    }

    public function orderCreated($order)
    {
        // sets order to shipped - and does any needed logic
        Log::info('Order was shipped');

        return true;
    }

    public function shipOrder($order)
    {
        // sets order to shipped - and does any needed logic
        Log::info('Order was shipped');

        return true;
    }

    public function cancelOrder($order)
    {
        // sets order to shipped - and does any needed logic
        Log::info('Order was cancelled');

        return true;
    }

    public function afterItemCancelled($orderItem)
    {
        // sets order to shipped - and does any needed logic
        Log::info('Order item was cancelled');

        return true;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Smyyth's virtual credit networks platform yields superior results in the timeliness, quality, and affordability of trade credit decision-making – a group of clients shares its experience in solving a significant finance operation problem with a simple but powerful solution.
South Plainfield, NJ, January 31, 2013 – Smyyth Credit Solutions Group, the world's leading web-based trade credit community that provides unparalleled intelligence on common customers (soon to be rebrandedCredit2B ™), today announced results from a collaborative initiative that paired Smyyth's credit cloud technology with the needs of the Global Technology Distribution Council, a technology distribution group whose members drive more than $100 billion in annual sales of IT products, services, and solutions.
"Establishing A Landmark Credit Group In Europe".
Using patent-pending technology, Credit2B is a platform that empowers peers to exchange trade credit data and share common experiences. Built as a cloud-based application, Credit2B today delivers remarkably high quality and timely information which is validated by a network of trusted connections. Credit2B is simple to join, create connections and access huge amounts of information from peers and third party databases through a high-fidelity experience.
Smyyth provides world class Credit-to-Cash and accounts receivable services that the world's largest companies use to manage risk, and optimize cash flow and profits using best practices for credit, accounts receivable, collections and deduction management. The Smyyth technology platform streamlines operations, slashes costs, and increases profits. Smyyth technology and services are built on Six Sigma principles and are SAS 70 Certified. Please visit www.smyyth.com for more information about Smyyth products and services.


text:
Enjoy the bear market rally while it lasts
Investors seem to think that a weaker US economy will cool inflation and see the Fed relent on interest rate rises. But that optimism may be misplaced, with July's stockmarket gains looking very much like a bear-market rally.
by: Alex Rankine
While US GDP is shrinking, America's unemployment rate is at a 50-year low
© Noam Galai/Getty Images
Recession? What recession? The US economy shrank at an annualised pace of 0.9% between April and June, its second successive quarterly contraction. In many countries that would meet the definition of a recession, but with unemployment close to a 50-year low and two vacancies for every jobseeker in May, the White House has rejected the label. "That doesn't sound like a recession to me," says president Joe Biden.
"The official designation is determined by eight economists" at the National Bureau of Economic Research, who also look at measures of jobs growth, income and spending to make a recession call, say Nicole Goodkind and Tal Yellin for CNN. They don't think this slowdown qualifies.
Beyond the technical arguments, "what's clear to everyone is the economy is slowing, prices are rising at their fastest pace in decades, and the housing market has started cooling as the Fed raises interest rates aggressively", says David Gura on National Public Radio. Around 65% of US voters think the country is already in recession.
Investors are too bullish
That hasn't dampened investors' spirits, however. The S&P 500 plunged 21% in the first six months of the year, but rallied 9.1% in July for its best monthly showing since November 2020, say Kate Duguid and Naomi Rovnick in the Financial Times. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite index gained 12.3%. Last week the US Federal Reserve hiked interest rates another three-quarters of a percentage point to a range between 2.25% and 2.5%. Yet investors increasingly think that a weaker economy will cool inflation and see the Fed relent fairly soon, says John Authers on Bloomberg. "That's an unlikely scenario" that suggests a misplaced confidence in the Fed's ability to manage the inflationary storm without reducing corporate earnings. July's gains look like a bear-market rally, a moment when "it appears that all the selling is over and that it's safe to take risks once more", only for markets subsequently to plunge once again.
Bear-market rallies are not uncommon, says Robert Armstrong in the Financial Times. "I count four or possibly five in the 2007-2009 downturn." There were also "three big ones, all of around 20%, interspersed within the 2000-2003 crash". While this rally principally reflects "a softening of inflation" and interest-rate expectations, investors also appear to think that the US is heading for "either a shallow recession or no recession at all next year".
Wall Street is being unduly optimistic, says Russ Mould of AJ Bell. Analysts are still forecasting increases for overall S&P 500 earnings in 2022 and 2023. That looks a "stretch" given soaring inflation and "sagging growth". Note that "US corporate profits stand at record highs not just in margin and absolute dollar terms, but also as a percentage of GDP", leaving limited room for further progress. While US valuations have come down this year, they still look expensive on the crucial cyclically adjusted price/earnings (CAPE) gauge. "Any time the CAPE ratio has stood at the current level, subsequent ten-year compound returns from US equities have invariably been negative."
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I noticed a certain heuristic I have been using for quite a while now, without realizing it. So today I decided to explore it's applications and, most importantly, give it a name.
I call it the Instance Heuristic.
Whenever I find a bug, I ask myself where else a similar problem might occur. I think of the bug as an instance of a mistake made because of code reuse, improper use of libraries or frameworks, object oriented programming or even object oriented thinking. Then I try to find other instances of the same mistake.
A game developer has been making continuous expansions for its game. Introducing cool new features, creating better immersion and giving players new ways of having fun in the sandbox.
Ability to drag-select instead of shift or control select in certain cases.
Moving information from one tab of info screen to the main part of the info screen.
You get the picture now. Very small changes in the huge game-world. And what happened?
Let's take the same concept from the first part of the article even further.
(or some other random numbers) gives a permission denied error.
So, viewing the edit profile page is not allowed. However, that does not necessarily mean it's not possible to edit anyone's profile information – it just has to be done without without viewing the edit profile page. You're going to need a tool for that.
There is a class of dangerous security issues that can be found by .. just looking around. You don't really need technical knowledge to identify these issues, just the regular exploratory testing skills. Sounds good, right?
Take a look at OWASP Top 10 Application Security risks. Specifically, A8 – Failure to Restrict URL Access.


A U.S. District Court in Pennsylvania ruled that a subcontractor was not bound to its bid in the absence of formal acceptance, and that its bid was no longer in force after the general contractor -- in an attempt to salvage a slipping timeline -- asked the subcontractor to perform part of the work before approving the project in full.
In March, 2006, Concrete Building Systems, Inc. (Concrete) submitted a proposal to precast concrete elements for Neshaminy Constructors, Inc. (Neshaminy). This work constituted a major portion of a project Neshaminy was currently bidding on for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA).
Because Concrete had a production slot open in June 2006, its proposal to Neshaminy stipulated that fabrication work start in June and that the proposal "will be void if not accepted with in [sic] 30 days." Neshaminy understood that this gave it until April 3 to formally accept the offer.


text:
(Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, MP elect, Ladakh, Pic Credits : Wangdu Phuntsok)
Ladakh gives mandate to young BJP leader Jamyang Tsering Namgyal
The Charticle Staff May 26, 2019	Indian Polity, recent post 6,895 Views
Ladakh, India's largest parliamentary seat geographically, enthusiastically elected young dynamic leader Jamyang Tsering Namgyal as its new representative in the Lok Sabha. Namgyal, the incumbent Chief Executive Councilor (CEC) of Leh Council, defeated his rival, Independent candidate Sajjad Hussain Kargili, who was backed by National Conference, PDP and influential Islamia School Kargil (ISK).
Mr. Namgyal has been raising the issues of Ladakh for quite a long time and has established himself as undisputed leader and voice of Ladakhi people this Lok Sabha elections. People voted for Jamyang Tsering Namgyal across religious and ideological lines. Bharatiya Janta Party made inroads into Shia Muslim-dominated Kargil district, where it secured 10,348 votes, as compared to 3,302 votes during the 2014 Lok Sabha poll.
Ladakh seat has been very much important for Bhartiya Janta Party geographically. A grass root organic leader such as Jamyang Tsering Namgyal carved his way to Parliament through hard work and commitment towards Ladakh. He put his best efforts while he was earlier elected as youngest CEC and was always focused to take Ladakh district to a new height of development.
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Mandate for Jamyang Tsering Namgyal also brings a new era of youth in politics with a fresh change. As a party, Bharatiya Janta Party proved once again that it rewards the deserving karyakartas. The young leaders' electoral win is seen as an encouragement to the youth.
"This is a big achievement for BJP, given the margin of victory on a seat having such small number of voters. The issue of Union Territory (UT) for Ladakh was the top priority for me and this election was between the parties favouring UT demand and those against it. People have voted for the UT status because it is the BJP that has always been supporting this demand at regional, state and national level," Namgyal said.
"This election was a one-way traffic as Congress was a divided house in Ladakh while the Independent candidate's influence was limited to a few pockets only," he added.
With young Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, Ladakh will surely discover a new place in national prominence. Hope this new generation of young BJP MPs will bring a positive change in the outlook of youngsters towards the politics.
Tags Bharatiya Janta Party BJP Jammu and Kashmir Jamyang Tsering Namgyal Ladakh Lok Sabha 2019
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