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November 2014: 32nd Festival de Torello Mountain Film
A new edition of the Torelló Mountain Film Festival, one of the most important in the world in this genre
Films related to mountaineering, climbing, skiing and other sports in the mountain have an appointment in Torelló from 14 to 23 November. Comes the 32nd Torelló Mountain Film Festival with a competition that puts the best films of this kind in the world, including the documentaries related to ecology and environmental protection. Also, the festival has a non-competitive section and a series of parallel events as conferences, seminars, round tables, exhibitions and family activities.
This year's highlights are the important role of the films made in Osona which will be responsible for opening and closing the festival. In addition to the 36 movies that will be part of the competition section this year, the festival will honour the climber Jim Bridwell and the film that is considered the first of the mountain genre "Cervino1901" will be screened. Finally, as a novelty, it will start a new section under the name "More extreme" that will project documents hitherto had no place in the official section and will be awarded by popular vote.
Most events are held at the Theatre Cirvianum in different timetables, but parallel activities take place in other spaces such as The Casal Cinema or the Library of Torelló.
Dates: November 14 to 23 2014
More information: http://www.torellomountainfilm.cat/
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SINGULARITY WEEKLY
Vaxxed By Machines, Tracked By Machines: Humanity To Be Augmented One Cell At A Time
joebot.substack.com
Moderna's co-founder created a quantum dot tattoo to track the vaxxed. The company is now using AI to generate endless mRNA jabs. Welcome to Transhumanism, Inc.
mrcorento © 123rf.com
We're living out a sci-fi thriller where unaccountable corporations openly force advanced tech into our bodies. Capitalizing on the current germaphobic frenzy, Moderna's co-founder, Dr. Robert Langer, saw his experimental mRNA vaccines pushed on the American public. Riding that dark wave of corporate and government mandates, Langer became an instant billionaire. But this isn't the only fanged rabbit in his magic top hat.
In 2018, the MIT scientist had developed a quantum dot tattoo—an under-skin nanoparticle QR code, to be scanned by smartphones—in order to track the vaccinated masses and ensure compliance. Like many undignified experiments, this was to begin in the Third World—cuz social justice.
This vaxx & track technology drew the intense personal interest of Bill Gates. That interest naturally translated into millions of dollars in funding. This is in addition to $20 million given to Moderna by the Gates Foundation back in 2016 to develop a new type of vaccine—where bits of injected genetic code would hijack the cell's machinery to produce reams of pathogenic proteins.
Three technologies drive the plot of this story—mRNA gene therapy, tracking tech, and artificial intelligence. Advanced machine learning, used to predict the effects of mRNA mutations in silico, allows for lightning fast vaccine development—including regulatory approval. Additionally, embedded subdermal tracking systems can ensure that every person on planet Earth is up-to-date on their shots.
Taken together, these innovations are rapidly converging on a long sought after goal—an inescapable surveillance state, controlled by corporations, in which the global population is subject to continual medical experimentation.
This is not a new story. Many argue it was first written down by St. John on the island of Patmos, some two thousand years ago. In recent decades, sci-fi pulp novels and paranoid tracts on the subject have piled up to the ceiling. The Internet is flooded with cartoonish depictions of evil, chip-implanting globalists—many of which are remarkably accurate.
Today, in the wake of what appears to be a leaked bioweapon, a subsequent global pandemic, the cynical declaration of a Great Reset, a laughable disinformation campaign by every major media outlet, and the imposition of total digitalization—in which even the human body requires regular genetic software updates to remain viable—we now behold a pale horse.
Connecting the Quantum Dots
The "spiky patch" quantum dot tattoo was developed by MIT scientists Dr. Robert Langer and Dr. Ana Jaklenec. Their research was published in the prestigious Science Translational Medicine. I first wrote about this insidious project for ColdType in an article entitled "Bill Gates: Chipping the Hand of God," published May of 2020, and again last year in my piece "Reaching for the Mark of the Beast."
The quantum dot tattoo is to be administered using a microneedle patch in tandem with any given vaccination. Fluorescent nanoparticles are placed in a specific configuration—a sort of QR code embedded in the flesh—which can be scanned with infrared light on a modified smartphone. Experimentation on lab mice indicates the quantum dot tattoo will last for up to five years. The project's leader openly stated that their goal is "widespread adoption" in humans.
This is not some "laptop conspiracy." It was covered extensively in 2019 by Smithsonian Magazine, Scientific American, Stat News, MIT News, Rice University News, and elsewhere. Despite the widespread coverage, "fact-checkers" across the board have deliberately concealed this reality by focusing on claims that "microchip implants" are being used to track vaccination, often with no mention of the actual quantum dot project. In a CBS interview last year, Bill Gates pretended to know nothing about it—just like he knew nothing about his Microsoft monopoly or any Epstein Island retreats.
Aside from the quantum vaxx tattoos, Microsoft recently patented a different system wherein wearable (or implanted) biosensors will monitor a person's behavior, including eye movements, brain waves, bodily fluids, and attention. In this system, desired activities are to be rewarded with cryptocurrency, like some digital stick-and-carrot routine. By chance, the patent application received the publication number WO/2020/060606.
"Fact-checkers" assure us only a "conspiracy theorist" would notice something so ominous. Apparently, the $319 million that Gates paid out to corporate media outlets was money well spent.
In order to market their quantum dot tattoo, Langer and Jaklenec founded the company Particles For Humanity—in partnership with Dr. Boris Nikolic of Biomatics Capital—with $5 million from the Gates Foundation. Previously, Nikolic served as Bill Gates's chief science advisor, and by pure coincidence, was named as a successor executor in Jeffery Epstein's will. It's also worth noting that both Langer and Nikolic have profiles on the World Economic Forum's website—but of course, anybody who's anybody does.
At a JP Morgan conference in January of 2019, Particles for Humanity presented a bleeding heart case for tagging hapless hut-dwellers with under-skin implants. The implicit rationale is that these societies will never achieve sufficient organization to keep proper vaccine records. Across the Third World, mass vaccination is the white man's burden.
Because technocrats have to know all—and because the unvaxxed in Africa and South Asia hide in the heart of darkness, concealed from the All-Seeing Eye—the MIT scientists proposed "on-patient medical record embedding vaccination information into skin...invisible data only readable by custom, low-cost, mobile technology." In other words, quantum dot tattoos to be scanned with modified smartphones.
As with any vaguely satanic experiment conducted by Ahriman-possessed technocrats, "experts" are sorting out the "ethical concerns." In December of 2019, the MIT team was ready to send interviewers to Malawi, Benin, Kenya, and Bangladesh to survey acceptance in each population. The researchers would ask these simple folk—who still cling to their Bibles and Qur'ans—if they'd be open to getting fluorescent nanotech QR codes tattooed onto their and their children's bodies.
Due to the pandemic, this survey was cut short. Does that mean Particles For Humanity and the Gates Foundation will just go for it?
Here at home, many Americans were adamantly opposed to being lab rats in a mandated mRNA vaxx experiment. And look at us now—trembling test subjects in a TV cage.
Jab 2.0 for Humanity 2.0
This global mRNA vaxx experiment is about to ramp up dramatically. Pulling ahead of the pack, Moderna is currently developing mRNA vaccines for fifteen different diseases, from HIV and tuberculosis to malaria and the common flu. That means an endless array of experimental, barely tested vaccines will soon flood the market. If recent history is any guide, institutional mandates and digital vaxxport updates will follow close behind.
This potential for rapid production and near-instant regulatory approval, reckless as it may be, was celebrated by the transhumanists at Singularity Hub:
[mRNA is] faster, simpler, and more adaptable than any previous vaccine technology. Because they no longer rely on physical target proteins from a virus—rather, just the genetic code for those proteins—designing a vaccine just requires a laptop and some ingenuity. "The era of the digital vaccine is here," wrote a team from GlaxoSmithKline.
This is the Jab 2.0 for Humanity 2.0—where our immune systems require constant software updates by way of alien genetic codes regularly injected into our bodies. Machine learning makes all this possible. The article "Designing Vaccines: The Role of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Health," published by BioProcess International in October of 2021, is equally celebratory:
According to the founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, Klaus Schwab, the fourth industrial revolution...is characterized by an unprecedented development and exponential growth of a high-technology industry transforming society at every level. In particular, healthcare systems are evolving rapidly to adapt to the new reality. [T]he main technologies currently shifting the paradigm of medical research are artificial intelligence and machine learning. ...
From a marketing perspective, experts predict that the global AI healthcare market will grow from US$4.9 billion in 2020 to reach $45.2 billion by 2026.
When citizens are forced to buy a company's potentially dangerous products, either directly or through tax dollars, such staggering wealth accumulation is all but assured. The role of AI in this gold rush is quite simple—machine learning systems can rapidly identify useful molecules before actual testing moves to the biolab. Beginning from basic principles—physics, chemistry, microbiology—a deep learning system can generate and virtually test an enormous variety of drug compounds or mRNA vaccines in silico.
In August of 2020, researchers published "Artificial Intelligence for COVID-19 Drug Discovery and Vaccine Development" in Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence. The authors wrote:
Machine learning enables the creation of models that learn and generalize the patterns within the available data and can make inferences from previously unseen data. With the advent of deep learning, the learning procedure can also include automatic feature extraction from raw data. ... Taking this work together, it is clear that spike protein has been the most popular candidate for virtual vaccine discovery.
Moderna has fully embraced this method. The Big Pharma corporation—co-founded by the creator of the quantum dot vaxx & track technology—is now using AI to generate possible vaccines at incomprehensible speeds. Bits of genetic code can be "dreamed up" by purely digital minds. That bio-information will then be injected in human populations and translated into swarms of novel proteins.
Moderna headquarters | Cambridge, Mass.
Last summer, Moderna's chief data and artificial intelligence officer, Dave Johnson, told MIT Sloan Management Review:
[W]hat we're really trying to do is accelerate the pace of research so that we can get as many drugs in the clinic as quickly as possible. One of the big bottlenecks is having this mRNA for the scientist to run tests on. So, what we did is we put in place a ton of robotic automation, put in place a lot of digital systems and process automation and AI algorithms as well. And we went from maybe about thirty mRNAs manually produced in a given month to a capacity of about a thousand in a month.
Because advanced AI is a black box whose inner workings are mostly unknown, even to its creators, the process of generating entirely new gene sequences unfolds like magic:
We can integrate those into these live systems that we have, so that scientists just press a button and the work is done for them. And they don't know what's going on behind the scenes, but then – poof! – out comes this better sequence for them.
Back in Africa, where quantum dot tattoos may or may not be getting implanted as I type this, Moderna just announced plans for a new mRNA vaccine manufacturing plant. The company is putting up $500 million to build the factory in Kenya, beyond the reach of nosy Western regulators.
Where scrutiny can't be avoided, artificial intelligence will soon be used to speed up the regulatory process—not that it was a huge hurdle to begin with. Adding insult to vaccine injury, Pfizer's vice president and head of information management explains how they'll game the system:
In the future, we believe that AI may help us predict what queries regulators are likely to come back with. We may then be able to improve our submissions by predicting in advance what regulators are likely to ask, and coming prepared with those answers ahead of time.
Welcome to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, where machines create vaccines that are regulated by machines and injected into biomechanoid humans who are tracked by machines.
No End in Sight—Unless We End It
When exploring the otherworldly ideas of transhumanism—and its megalomaniacal counterpart, technocracy—I always ask three questions:
1) What are their stated ambitions?
2) Is the technology even feasible?
3) Will corporations actually sell these products (or alternatively, will governments be able to mandate them)?
First, it's clear that Big Pharma has an open ambition to generate endless mRNA vaccines using artificial intelligence. Going further, technocratic elites like Bill Gates and Robert Langer want human cattle to be tattooed with fluorescent nanoparticles to track their vaxx status, starting with the Third World. It's easy to imagine that the rest of us are next.
What's worse, similar ambitions are held by numerous partners (and competitors) at the World Economic Forum, Silicon Valley, the Chinese Communist Party, and elsewhere. This is not a global conspiracy—these are publicly declared plans.
Second, AI-generated vaccines and subdermal tracking tech already exist, and they are rapidly improving.
Third, the germaphobic masses are now conditioned to submit to any technology deemed "safe and effective." This terrified horde is also primed to insist that you submit, too.
Somehow, against all odds, the human spirit has not been broken. There's a swelling movement to peel back vaccine mandates in the Western world. Unbowed souls have taken to the streets in mass protests. As hard evidence of vaccine injury accumulates, we can expect this battle to move into the courts as well. Schools, private companies, and various governments are yielding to public will and dropping their mandates and restrictions. But this pressure must be relentless if we are to stem the tide.
The transhumanist ambition, implemented through technocratic policies, is to transform humanity through technology. It's a delusional quest for perfection, however approximate—perfect health, perfect cognition, perfect machines. This ambition will never vanish. But like a devil chained up in the underworld, it can be contained.
The first step is public awareness. The second is a bold personal stance. The third is community action. The last, and most enduring, is the institutional protection of our rights, our privacy, and our bodily autonomy.
This struggle against the machine won't end until the last battery fizzles out. Prepare yourself for perpetual warfare. There can be no wishful thinking, but there's only one attitude to take—we will win this.
Special thanks to Beard Vet and Mel for their invaluable tips.
FOLLOW — Twitter: @JOEBOTxyz | — | FOLLOW — Gettr: @JOEBOTxyz
Katalin Szigethy
Mar 30, 2022·edited Mar 30, 2022Liked by Joe Allen
The saddest thing is that brainwashed masses will never even be willing to think about these topics or read such articles to the end. Not just because it is irritatingly over their intellectual capacities to technically comprehend the content but also because they are in auto-defense mode to just dismiss any information against what they have been programmed to trust in. They label everything conspiracy theory even if they die as a result. Masses have been deliberately dumbed on all levels by artificially engineering dangerously degraded standards to become the norm. All delivered by sickening "global" food, media, entertainment and education in the past four decades or so at least. The ones reading articles like this already know all this is true but will be punished for sharing and stoned by the dumb successfully controlled part of society. How can we and the messages of truth still reach these masses currently outnumbering the awakened ones in subtle ways that they do not feel the info is offending their reality. How do we deliver these evidences in a way that they do not immediately instinctively reject it without consideration. Until this happens humanity cannot unite and eliminate these evil bastard soulless junk creatures and their servant puppets. I see this as the biggest obsticle we need to overcome.
Ken MacLean
Writes The Bigger Picture
Mar 29, 2022Liked by Joe Allen
Joe, this is your best article yet. I reposted this to my Facebook. Time to wake up the old fogies in my generation. Thanks so much for your great work.
© 2023 Joe Allen

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This version of the popular Adiboo series helps young children recognize and become familiar with music and musical elements. Children discover repeating rhythm, matching rhyme and melody, different styles of music, and different musical instruments. Note and tone recognition, putting rhythm and melody together, and musical scales can be explored in fun activities.


posted by Mike Pettinella in news, genesee county legislature, Batavia City Council, Town of Darien.
If Genesee County cuts out or reduces the amount of sales tax revenue it distributes to its towns and villages, it likely will result in increased property taxes to those living in those communities.
That's the view of Darien Town Supervisor David Hagelberger as he keeps a watchful eye on the situation while representing the Genesee Association of Municipalities on a committee working with Genesee County and City of Batavia leaders.
-- That the County Legislature has indicated that it will forge separate agreements with the towns and villages based on a fixed dollar amount – and not a percentage that previously applied.
On Monday night, the Batavia City Council moved to vote on its agreement with the county at its next meeting on Sept. 24.
The new 40-year agreement calls for the city to receive its current 16 percent of the county's share (Genesee County gets to keep half of the 8 percent sales tax, with the rest going to the state) through this year with provisions for that amount to grow in future years by a maximum of 2 percent per year.
If future sales tax growth exceeds 2 percent annually, the county will retain the amount above 2 percent, resulting in the city's overall percentage share changing even though the city received additional funds. In any event, the City's share will be no less than 14 percent for the remainder of the 40-year contract.
Meanwhile, towns and villages, which currently split 34 percent of the county's share based on full taxable value of real property, are left out in the cold going forward, said Hagelberger, who reported that legislators on Wednesday night tabled voting on the agreement with the City of Batavia based on new information from the State Comptroller's office.
What this means, according to Hagelberger, is that towns and villages would get the same dollar amount as they received in 2018 for the next 40 years. In the Town of Darien's case, for example, he projects sales tax revenue to exceed $1 million for this year.
Gsell acknowledged that towns and villages may have to look at other revenue streams.
He also said the legislature is prepared to act on its agreement with the City of Batavia at its Sept. 26 meeting, noting that a procedural point brought up by the State Comptroller's office forced the board to table it last night.
Hagelberger said that town supervisors are under a time crunch to submit their preliminary budgets later this month – fiscal plans that include property tax projections.
"We may not know in enough time to properly work up a budget. We have no guarantee if revenue from sales tax will go into the budget. It creates a lot of uncertainty," he said, adding that any sales tax contract has to be approved by the State Comptroller's office and that could impact the accuracy of final budgets which need to be completed by Nov. 28.
Hagelberger said he hopes the county will "clarify its position" soon and expects the issue to be a major part of the next GAM meeting on Sept. 20 at Genesee County Building 2 on West Main Street Road.
If this is allowed to happen I firmly believe that next election cycle every County legislator that voted in favor of it Will be challenged for their reelection and lose that challenge. A 40 year agreement, Even a favorable looking one, is way too long. Anything more than a decade is asking for trouble. Now that I'm no longer a county employee I can say this openly, it's time to find a new county manager.. One that isn't making that kind of money this one is. This county manager believes he is in charge of the legislature not an employee of it.
This is like having a neighbor who spends all his money on lottery tickets and booze, while you're being frugal, knock on your door and pick your pocket for more money to spend on lottery tickets and booze. If sales taxes are expected to increase by at least 4% each year there's no reason the Towns shouldn't share in some percentage of that increase. If the jail is such a big priority, why did the County dump money into the airport? Why does the County lease the Social Services building when so many other County owned buildings have space that could be better utilized? Why is money being spent on the Ellicott Path/Trail if things are so dire? Nobody likes to have their programs cut, but at some point, things will need to be prioritized.
If state mandates are too cumbersome, then run mandated programs at the very minimum or even less. Maybe its time for a hard push on the Two State Solution. I'd much rather have Buffalo idiots running things than Albany idiots, at least they'd be closer idiots.
Forget that "two-state solutioni" - it will never happen.
Do you think that the folks in Idaho, Montana, the Dakotas, Florida, and Texas would agree to have their representation in the US Senate watered down because somebody in Batavia is pissed off? Some folks have the idea that California should be split into four different states... are you willing to let your representation in the US Senate be watered down by giving California eight senators?
Tim is correct for his reason given. There will never be a two-State solution. A viable solution is for every County to have a Representative with one vote in the State Senate and State Assembly. What is good for New York City, is not necessarily good for the rest of the State. It would be an effective way to stop unfunded mandates coming out of Albany. That being said, that is not likely to happen either.
I agree Tim. Sad but true.


Eckman built this new church for the newly combined congregation from Alton and Wolfeboro. In addition to the main sanctuary and choir loft, it has a full kitchen, eight religious education classrooms and a community hall. A bell tower topped by an 81-foot tall spire with a gold leaf cross at the pinnacle graces the building, as do complex exterior brick work and stone arches at the entry and over many windows.
Eckman worked with church officials for one year before construction to help finalize plans and bring the scope within their budget through creative value engineering ideas.


When we visited the Handmade Expo at Ipswich recently, we were thrilled to find out that a vintage steam train was running just nearby.
I didn't even know the Swanbank Vintage Steam Train existed until I was invited by bubbachenille to check out the expo and the train rides.
The train usually operates between Bundamba and Swanbank Stations, but on the day of the expo they offered shorter rides to Box Flat and return, at a reduced price.
Even though the scenery wasn't that exciting for adults (we passed backyards, sports fields, paddocks, unloved buildings, and dumping grounds rather than say, waterfalls and rainforest).
But did the children care? No way! If anything, the scenery made the ride more exciting. Graffiti-d tunnels? Old tires piled up in the middle of nowhere? Horses? It was kiddie heaven.
C. and H. loved exploring the old carriages, looking out the windows and feeling the air hit them in the face, standing outside and breathing in the noise, movement and steam.
As kids do, they made instant friends with whom to share the experience, and there was a really happy, friendly atmosphere on board.
I loved seeing how much the children loved the experience, and for me personally, it was a reminder of how much fun it is to live in the moment and experience life through their eyes.
The ride was educational as well. The kids delighted in trying out the old-fashioned seats, peeking inside the loos, and learning about transportation in the past.
My favourite part was seeing the excitement and enjoyment in their faces. My least favourite part was being asked if this was how I used to travel in the 'olden days'!
They loved the old-fashioned, disgusting loo (which was out of bounds, but curious kids could still sneak a peek).
The Guard kindly retrieved Miss 7's pink beanie after she accidentally dropped it on the tracks while disembarking.
If you go: The Swanbank Vintage Steam Train is operated by the Queensland Pioneer Steam Railway Co-Op Ltd.
The Co-Op is a small group of railway enthusiasts from Ipswich and Brisbane who have worked tirelessly over the years to preserve this iconic part of Queensland history.
It is run entirely by voluntary labour and the support of the community.
For details on dates, prices, times and locations, go to their official website.
Pleased to hear that your children enjoyed it & had heaps of fun it's wonderful to see child(ren) happy.
Our step daughter hasn't had the pleasure yet of riding in a steam train & at $16.00 for an adult ($32.00 for hubby & me) & $9.00 for a child ( a total of $41.00) it's far to dear for us.
Not that she needs to ride in a steam train as she is lucky enough to have pics of her grand-dad (hubby's dad) driving the Flying Scotsman when it came to Australia & have stories told to her by her dad about when he use to work on the railways.
Wow, that sounds like an excellent deal!
Hey if you go on a handmade expo day, the price is $9 for adults, $5 for kids. But the concession price (I am pretty sure that means anyone with a health care card) is only $5, so would be $5 for each of you? I know you then have to get there, but parking is free. You would just have to resist the goodies across the road.
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For a greater understanding of the encultured brain and body…
About Neuroanthropology
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Face recognition training and stereotyping
Posted on April 30, 2008 by gregdowney
Dave Munger has just put of a great post over at Cognitive Daily, one of the sites I read pretty religiously: With a little training, we can recognize other races as well as our own. Dave discusses a recent article in Perception by a team led by Elinor McKone in which subjects were trained to recognize faces from ethnic groups other than their own and then subjected to very difficult recognition tasks. Turns out that people can get pretty good at this task, which many of us don't do very well if we're not 'trained.'
I'm not going to go over the same turf that Munger does (not least of all because I won't do it as well as he does), but I will copy his conclusion:
In other words, memory for different-race faces can be trained to work in the same way it does for same-race faces, even in a difficult peripheral-vision test, in a relatively short period of time. It doesn't take years of immersion in a foreign culture, just an hour or so studying pictures (albeit hundreds and hundreds of them!).
This suggests that humans have a general pattern for recognizing faces that is adaptable even to unfamiliar faces. McKone et al. argue that we recognize same-race faces holistically, instead of feature by feature. Initially when we see a different-race face, we attempt to remember it using individual features, much the same we remember a animal or other object. But after some training, we learn to recognize even different-race faces holistically, which can be more accurate, but which doesn't work as well when faces are upside-down.
Briefly, the research runs against the tendency to see the psychological or neural effects of social conditioning (like living in socially segregated environments) as the cause of social conditions. That is, there's a tendency to want to argue that humans are innately racist, sexist, biased, hostile to those different, hierarchical, or whatever…. This kind of research tends to be essentialist and usually appeals to some sort of 'genetic programming,' but typically with no genetic evidence or even a plausible account of this social attitude might emerge from the genes, neural chemistry or any other biological mechanism.
Instead, this research shows that a very general principle of neural learning — that we become better at doing the tasks our perceptual system is frequently called upon to to and are less get at distinguishing unfamiliar stimuli — applies also in the realm of social perception. I find these sorts of explanations more plausible than the argument that social perception has all sorts of special, pre-programmed faculties although I wouldn't rule this possibility out; I just would want evidence of a special mechanism to allow the existence of a special mechanism as an explanation. Or at least some sort of testable hypothesis to start looking for the evidence…
The research also supports the just-about-universal ethnographic experience of having your informants tell you 'all of you [the ethnographer's folks] look alike.' For me, working in Salvador, Brazil, I frequently had folks tell me that 'all white people look alike,' or saying I looked like some celebrity where I found not even a passing resemblance. My favorite was someone who told me I looked like Tom Cruise; on a good day, I barely look like a less-hairy Robin Williams! On other occasions, my informants asked me if various light-skinned people were my relatives because they saw a resemblance, again where no white American would see a resemblance. In one case, a group asked if a Swiss woman visiting our capoeira group was my sister, when there was no similarity that a person accustomed to seeing European faces would perceive.
The point being simply that my informants were not accustomed to distinguishing white faces, this in spite of living in a mixed-race society and being bombarded with American movies and Brazilian television with disproportionate numbers of light-skinned actors. The experience of living in a segregated society, even with some contact with white people, left them very ill-equipped to distinguish among white faces, just like many Americans, living in what are often very segregated communities, are often not very good at distinguishing faces of people from different ethnic groups. (Most Euro-Australians would be no better, for example, with Aboriginal faces, I'd guess.)
I suspect that a lot of the pretty common human social traits — things like stereotyping and ethnocentricity — depend heavily on these sorts of general neural conditioning principles. That is, stereotyping, in this case, might be exacerbated by a perceptual inability to tell apart faces of people in a different ethnic group using the same holistic recognition abilities that we have for familiar-looking faces. There seems to be a tendency to too quickly impute 'instinctual' or 'innate' tendency to social effects that are likely more of a sum-of-forces, including learned influences, top-down ideological influences, perceptual processes, and perhaps even innate tendencies. For example, racism might be a general label for a host of processes, some of which are very subtle and perceptual (like the one discussed in this article) and some of which are more social-ideological, such as racist media or other influences.
Tying this dynamic social process with different facets all up into a tidy ball and saying 'racism's innate' or 'racism's socially conditioned' is equally unsatisfying. Both misstate the difficulty of change, the origin of 'the problem,' and the steps one might pursue to change a situation.
But this research also reminds me of the need to think of 'culture' as having significant perceptual dimensions, rather than just thinking of enculturation as entailing mostly internalized cognitive schemas, meaning structures, or other more ideational elements (and I'm still agnostic about how to model these things, too). That is, the way in which facial recognition perception is trainable is an example of how the perceptual system, not just interpretive, after-the-sensation mechanisms, might be affected by social training. In my own research, especially my work in sports, I'm confronted with data about how a variety of perceptual systems develop depending upon how they are trained, so this example might be more widespread than we initially think.
One anthropologist who has done a great job of detailing some examples of this kind of perceptual training is Cristina Grasseni (see, for example, Grasseni 2004 or Grasseni, ed. 2007). Her ethnographic work on different ways in which people look — and presumably what they see — would form an excellent foundation for generating all sorts of testable hypotheses for perceptual psychologists. In this realm, although there are some very interesting studies of the visual perception of car enthusiasts, chess masters, and a few other groups, I don't think we've really begun to delve into the many ways that perceptual systems, not just sight, can be trained by specialized demands. Ironically, this research on face recognition might suggest that mechanisms similar to those we use to gain skills are also involved in biased perception of each other.
Grasseni, Cristina. 2004. Skilled vision. An apprenticeship in breeding aesthetics. Social Anthropology 12(1): 41-55. doi:10.1017/S0964028204000035 (abstract)
Grasseni, Cristina, ed. 2007. Skilled Visions: Between Apprenticeship and Standards. Berghahn Books. ISBN:1845452100
(Amazon listing or Google Books sample)
McKone, E., J. L. Brewer, S. MacPherson, G. Rhodes, and W. G. Hayward. 2007. Familiar other-race faces show normal holistic processing and are robust to perceptual stress. Perception 36(2): 224-248. DOI: 10.1068/p5499. (abstract)
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One thought on "Face recognition training and stereotyping"
Simon van Rysewyk says:
Excellent blog. I am probably out of my depth here, but I would like to offer the following quips:
You wrote: 'There seems to be a tendency to too quickly impute 'instinctual' or 'innate' tendency to social effects that are likely more of a sum-of-forces, including learned influences, top-down ideological influences, perceptual processes, and perhaps even innate tendencies. For example, racism might be a general label for a host of processes, some of which are very subtle and perceptual (like the one discussed in this article) and some of which are more social-ideological, such as racist media or other influences'.
I think we see the same 'sum-of-forces' at play in ascriptions of mental phenomena, to offer an analogy to the discussion on face perception. Consider the extreme diversity of behavioral manifestations of the mental. The term 'behavior' includes not just facial expressions and gestures, but also what people do and say, and the circumstances for the use of mental terms. These form a highly complex syndrome. According to Wittgenstein, we can recognize a person's behavior as expressing sadness only if we approach it 'from the point of view of 'sadness'(Philosophical Remarks 89). We do not, accordingly, infer psychologically relevant descriptions of human behavior from austere physical ones. We typically know the conclusions of such inferences without knowing their premises. It is easier to describe a person as 'sad' than to describe (measure?) his facial features in physical terms (similarly, it is mistaken to think that a human being is a body).
You wrote: 'But this research also reminds me of the need to think of 'culture' as having significant perceptual dimensions, rather than just thinking of enculturation as entailing mostly internalized cognitive schemas, meaning structures, or other more ideational elements…the way in which facial recognition perception is trainable is an example of how the perceptual system not just interpretive, after-the-sensation mechanisms, might be affected by social training'.
Here is an idea: social training does not presuppose understanding, but only patterns of perception (primitive reactions?) on the part of the trainee? A child will look in the direction in which one points, while a cat will look at the pointing finger.
Simon van Rysewyk
Neuroanthropology is a collaborative weblog created to encourage exchanges among anthropology, philosophy, social theory, and the brain sciences. We especially hope to explore the implications of new findings in the neurosciences for our understanding of culture, human development, and behaviour. If you would like more information, please contact Greg Downey at Macquarie University greg.downey (at) mq.edu.au (remove spaces).
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Delusions, odd and common: Living in the prodrome, part 2 (originally 10 January 2011)
Florida Governor: Anthropology Not Needed Here (originally 11 October, 2011)
Slipping into psychosis: living in the prodrome (part 1, originally 5 January 2011)
The last free people on the planet (originally 9 Feb, 2011)
The man with 1000 children: the limit of male fertility (Long, slow sexual revolution part 2)
The long, slow sexual revolution (reposted) with nsfw video
Newtown and Violence – No Easy Answers
Human, quadruped: Uner Tan Syndrome, part 1
Human (amphibious model): living in and on the water (originally 3 Feb, 2011)
David Graeber: anthropologist, anarchist, financial analyst* (originally 2011)
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Exit airport on to I-45. Take I-45 South to 610 West. Exit T.C.Jester (exit 13C). Go straight on Loop 610 frontage road through the lights at T.C.Jester, the hotel will be on the right 0.4 miles from intersection.
Exit airport onto I-45. Take I-45 North, pass Loop 610, through downtown to Loop 610 again. Take Loop 610 West. Exit T.C.Jester (Exit 13C). Go straight on the 610 frontage road through the lights at T.C.Jester. The hotel is on the right 0.4 miles from the intersection.


Hip hop superstar Eminem and Caribbean pop icon Rihanna fired things up in their new "I Love The Way You Lie" music video premiere which features cameos from actors Megan Fox and Dominic Monaghan.
Rihanna is seen singing in front of a burning house while Eminem raps the majority of his verses in an open field. The final scene shows both Dominic and Eminem on fire which presumably is symbolism of Eminem seeing his self in the character Dominic plays. The video is powerful and is the perfect completion to the story the lyrics of "Love the Way You Lie" started.


Lee Young-ae (b. January 31, 1971) first appeared on television in 1993, but it wasn't until 1995 that she began acting in many TV dramas and gathering a large fan following. She won various television awards in the mid-1990s, and in 1996 she made her film debut in the poorly-received Inch'Allah. The negative reputation this film garnered may have pushed back her film career several years, but when she did return it was with a bang, in the record-breaking Joint Security Area by Park Chan-wook. At the time it became the best-selling Korean film ever, and it launched Lee Young-ae into undisputed stardom.
In 2001 Lee continued to build on her film career, starring in the popular melodrama Last Present opposite Lee Jung-jae, and also in the second feature by Hur Jin-ho, director of the acclaimed Christmas in August. This film was released in late September to great critical acclaim, and it landed Lee a Best Actress award from the local Blue Dragon awards.
For the next few years, Lee did not appear in any films, but from 2003 she took the lead role in a hugely popular TV drama called Dae Jang-geum, which revived her popularity among ordinary viewers. In 2005 the drama was also screened in Hong Kong, where it became the most successful Korean drama ever to screen in the territory, topping 40% in viewer ratings.
Lee's return to the screen came in summer 2005 in Sympathy For Lady Vengeance, the last film in Park Chan-wook's acclaimed trilogy of revenge films.


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The king of the hook returns: Don Toliver changing the face of melodic hip-hop on 'Life of a Don'
Toliver perfectly balances woozy melodies, oscillating synths and distinct vocals
Toliver released his long-awaited second studio album "Heaven or Hell" in 2020, which spawned hits such as "No Idea," "Can't Feel My Legs," "After Party" and "Had Enough."
Photo by Lexie Gagnon | The Cavalier Daily
By Tanner Rowe
Don Toliver is the king of the hook. The Houston rapper and singer took over the melodic hip-hop scene in 2020 after being featured alongside legends like Stevie Wonder, Frank Ocean, Kid Cudi, The Weeknd, Swae Lee and 21 Savage on "ASTROWORLD," the Grammy-nominated album by Travis Scott. It takes a certain type of performance to steal the spotlight from this list of features and Scott himself, but Toliver succeeded in doing so on the track "CAN'T SAY," which is often regarded as the best feature on the album due to Scott's phenomenal songwriting and melodies.
Three days after the collaboration, Scott signed Toliver to his label Cactus Jack Records and has since molded him into a prominent figure in the contemporary rap scene. Toliver works hard, and his constant procession of attention-grabbing features in addition to Scott's mentorship has aided his rapid rise to fame.
Toliver released his long-awaited second studio album "Heaven or Hell" in 2020, which spawned hits such as "No Idea," "Can't Feel My Legs," "After Party" and "Had Enough." The project was well-received apart from criticisms that Toliver sticks to surface-level themes and struggles to find his own sound, taking too much inspiration from Scott's style. Both Toliver and Scott are esteemed for the psychedelic and melody-driven soundscape they create, and fans hoped Toliver would differentiate himself from his mentor and reach a more personal level lyrically on his third studio album, "Life of a Don," which was released Oct. 8.
"What You Need" works to showcase Toliver's voice and melody writing, while "Drugs N Hella Melodies" features the soft, passionate vocals of Toliver's girlfriend, singer Kali Uchis. These two previously released singles are some of the most intimate moments on the album, as Toliver taps into soundscapes full of woozy synths and melodies influenced by soul and R&B.
Other high points on the album include "5X," produced by the renowned Mike Dean, which balances dynamic drums, clean 808s and Toliver's laid-back vocals. "Way Bigger" comes in with energy and powerful bass as Toliver begins, "I got bass but it hit way bigger." "Swangin' on Westheimer" feels up close and personal and evolves into a slow pop-influenced track.
"Double Standards," is the height of Toliver's lyricism on the album, with introspective lines such as, "It's so hard to be human / It's so hard to just live and learn with all of your mistakes," and "Look at me, I ain't so flawless, had like 20 girls in Austin / It's like three or four a week (Yeah) I'm roundin' up, at least I'm honest."
Toliver contradicts the emotional maturity displayed in his personal reflection with a sense of detachment, singing, "Unlike whatever it is, I don't really need it / That right there, just might hurt you." Toliver also presents this detachment in "Company Pt 2," in which he sings, "She so in love with me / I can't condone it baby."
An eight-minute documentary titled "Behind Don Toliver's 'Life of a Don'" at the end of the album — only available to Apple Music listeners — reflects on several of the project's themes. Toliver discusses his growth since "Heaven or Hell," stating, "I just know it was some things that I really wanted to be able to express, that I couldn't express, that I know for a fact I expressed on this next piece of work."
The outro on "Outerspace (feat. Baby Keem)" closely hints at Scott's influence on Toliver with its guitar solo and chiming chords. Several snippets from the album sound like they could have been tracks on "ASTROWORLD," but this does not come as a surprise considering both artists coexist within the same subgenre — and because Scott holds two features on the project. Toliver and Scott's energies collide inimitably on "You (feat. Travis Scott)." The ebbs and flows of their verses drift naturally into each other. Oscillating synths and earthy bass create a waviness in the sonic atmosphere.
Toliver also discusses on the documentary video how he "didn't want to sound like everybody else" and has worked on "experimenting with my voice, experimenting with what I was saying." His experimentation and unique style can be heard on tracks like "Swangin' On Westheimer," "2AM" and "XSCAPE."
Toliver falters slightly on tracks "2AM," "Smoke (feat. HVN & SoFaygo)" and "Get Throwed" due to their repetitive nature and lack of lyrical substance — cue "got a Spanish bitch on me like a poncho" — however, catchy choruses, carefully crafted melodies and energy redeem him.
Toliver succeeds in reaching the goals he set out to achieve. He reinforces himself as a capable artist, solidifies his style and proves his ability to evolve past overly simple lyricism on several tracks. "Life of a Don" is a bold statement that demands respect.
Students begin a new semester after Nov. 13th shooting
By Avery Donmoyer and Grace Thrush | 12 hours ago


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VARI® CEO JASON MCCANN SITS DOWN WITH DR. ABBIE SHIPP
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Rocked by a global pandemic and an uncertain economy, businesses of all sizes must learn to embrace change in order to position themselves for future success. Vari CEO Jason McCann recently sat down with Dr. Abbie Shipp, a professor and department chair of management and leadership at Texas Christian University's Neeley School of Business, to discuss change management during times of crisis. Based on their conversation, here are some of the main take-aways high-growth business owners and leadership teams need to consider.
"I think every business right now is saying, 'if we don't embrace change, we die,'" says Dr. Shipp. "Change is the only constant." While it can feel tempting to maintain the status quo as a means of self-preservation, sometimes bold action and a new way of thinking are exactly what's needed. Business owners must be willing to think outside the box and put aside arguments of "this is the way we've always done it" in order to brainstorm solutions that may be better suited, both for the present moment and the future. Because 50 to 70% of planned changes fail, Dr. Shipp says leaders must keep an open mind as they come up with new strategies.
Become Comfortable With Ambiguity
As humans, we crave certainty. We long to follow a set of steps in order to guarantee specific results. But when it comes to change, there's no four-step plan businesses can follow to guarantee a certain outcome, in large part because companies are made up of people whose experiences, feelings, and perceptions are ever changing as well.
"I talk a lot about moving from change management to change leadership," says Dr. Shipp. "Change management talks about, 'What do we want to do? What's the structure and the strategy?' Change leadership asks, 'What are people capable of? What are they interested in? What are they passionate about?' Instead of focusing on what to do, you focus on who's doing it and how they're doing it." Studies have shown that it's better to choose a strategy that fits your culture rather than hoping your culture changes to fit your new strategy, because people are such an important part of the change process.
Engage With Your Employees
"Management by walking around is an old technique, but it still works," Dr. Shipp says. She recommends leaders mingle and engage with their employees as much as possible to find out what difficulties they're experiencing and what issues they're dealing with. It's important to cultivate a mindset in your business where taking risks and failing is okay because it means you've tried something new. When you're having a crisis, Dr. Shipp says the first thing you should do is check on your people in order to cultivate an employee-first culture.
Keep the Communication Lines Open
Right now, businesses are still in a crisis because they are dealing with the fallout of COVID-19. "We're not in the first few days of 'how will we do business?' We're in the 'What does this look like?'" Dr. Shipp says. It's imperative during this time to keep communication channels open, answer any questions employees may have and gauge what's working and what's not working. "You almost can't overcommunicate," says Dr. Shipp. "I've never heard employees complain, 'This was too much communication.'"
By embracing change, welcoming ambiguity and communicating with employees, businesses can set themselves up for success—both during COVID-19 and beyond.


How Does Your Direct to Consumer Program Compare to Industry Benchmarks?
How Does Your DTC Program Compare to Industry Benchmarks?
The sixth annual summit on direct marketing and sales is slated for January 24, 2013 at the South San Francisco Conference Center and is presented by, and a fundraiser for, Free the Grapes and Coalition for Free Trade.


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Home Flying Carnival See the Flying Carnival 2020 in Carmona, Cavite
For over two decades, the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, known as "The Weekend of Everything that Flies," has been the most highly anticipated and longest-running sports aviation event in Asia. Over the years, it has stayed true to its longtime objectives: to spark interest in aviation; to instill discipline in young pilots; and to impart a spirit of volunteerism to the whole community.
Continuing to spread this advocacy across the Philippines, the organizers will be launching "The Flying Carnival 2020: A Weekend of Almost Everything that Flies," a 3-day spectacle of hot air balloons, helicopters and air sport events, combined with aviation career seminars, fly markets, food booths and family entertainment! The event will be held at the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite on March 6-8, 2020.
Set in a more comfortable viewing space, spectators will be treated to the sight of early morning balloon flights followed by non-stop flying exhibitions – paragliding, skydiving, helicopter demonstrations, RC control line exhibitions and kite flying.
Visitors can wander through a carnival setting, with food booths and entertainment for the whole family. Aviation souvenirs and unique finds can be bought at the Fly Market, and the weekend evenings will be capped off by a magical hot air balloon nightglow and fireworks display.
Those considering a career in aviation can attend the Aviation Career Seminars to be given by renowned aviators and industry practitioners – Fighter pilots from the Philippine Air Force; Naval Air Group pilots from the Philippine Navy; a female captain from Cebu Pacific Air, and Air Traffic Controller from the Air Traffic Service. They will be joined by FAI World Record holder from Spain, Michel Gordillo; Hot Air Balloon pilot from the United Kingdom, Pete Bish; and Capt. Joy Roa of Asian Air Safari. The seminars will be available to Business Class ticket holders. Seminar attendees will be given a certificate of completion, and can enjoy meals and gain admission to the event.
Those who wish to experience the carnival in comfort can opt to get the First Class Ticket, which allows an all-access pass to the event, including meals, private viewing areas, and access to the aviation seminars and air-conditioned bazaar.
The event is co-presented by Okada Manila, the country's ultra luxury integrated resort, and Rewards Circle. For tickets and other information, visit www.philballoonfest.net or stay up-to-date with event info by following @PIHABF on Facebook, and @philballoonfest on Instagram. 01/25/2020 (The Lifestyle Portal)
Carnival Cavite Event Flying Carnival


Gift Boxes – Love Organic Vital Energy Inc.
L.O.V.E. introduced gift boxes for the 2017 Christmas season to rave reviews. These gift boxes make great ways to thank a client or recognize an employee, celebrate a birthday, mothers' day, fathers' day, new home, wedding or holiday.
Corporate gift givers, please contact us about customizing your gift boxes to include your business card and promotional material at no additional cost.
a locally crafted spice organizer box which has been sized to fit upper cabinets and most kitchen drawers.
gift wrapping, which includes a tasteful, reusable cotton tea towel and a locally crafted wooden ornament on a ribbon, ready for hanging on a Christmas tree. The ornament doubles as a gift tag. You can write a message with a Sharpie such as, "Happy Birthday Chris." It can also be worn as a pendant.
Bakers: (Orange Ribbon…think golden brown, fresh from the oven.) The quintessential collection of baking spices.
Bold and Spicy: (Red Ribbon…think bold and spicy.) A collection of ground peppers welcomed by heat and flavour lovers.
House Warmers: (White Ribbon…think a fresh or clean start.) A collection ideal for the fresh start of a new kitchen, marriage or new home. We also consider it a loving way to let your 28 year old know it is time to move out.
Traditional: (Green Ribbon (shown in picture)…think green leaves…herbs.) A collection of classic culinary herbs. If you are unsure what would be most enjoyed by your gift receiver, this is our recommendation.
Our gift boxes are available at Alderney Saturday Farmers' Market and Le Marché.
We also are happy to prepare custom boxes. Use our contact page to send us an email for a quote.


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Amberley - 'The Pearl of Sussex'
Amberley is a picturesque village set in the South Downs National Park. With its many thatched houses and position by water meadows it appeals to cyclists, walkers, bird watchers, artists, historians or anyone wishing to enjoy a quintessential English village. There are many special qualities that make it such an attractive and vibrant place to live or visit and it is those that the Society stands to protect and enhance.
We offer regular events including talks and exhibitions, an opportunity to join campaign groups and become involved in local initiatives to protect Amberley and its surroundings. Use our site to explore the architecture, history, or wildlife in the area. Become a member and get involved.
Next meeting of Amberley Society TBA
Buildings & Environment
Amberley, with its mix of architectural styles is one of the prettiest villages in England
Art & Activities
Sculpture by Jon Edgar
Amberley Church Tower project
Covid latest
Local infection rate has risen. All are encouraged to have their vaccinations and booster vaccinations
Amberley Society
The Society, along with its partners, has campaigned and achieved many successes since it was founded in 1977.
Surrounded by so much history and precious countryside an important part of what we do is to increase and share our understanding and appreciation of Amberley through regular meetings, talks and walks.
We have at least three meetings each year with interesting, relevant topics which regularly fill the Church Hall to capacity. The meetings are enjoyable, relaxed and sociable.
The Society is respected by and regularly works with other agencies including Amberley Parish Council, Horsham District Council, West Sussex County Council , the South Downs National Park Authority, the Environment Agency and Natural England. Our membership of the South Downs Network has enabled a wide range of partnerships with organisations such as CPRE, the South Downs Society, Sussex Wildlife Trust, RSPB, National Trust and the Ramblers Association. For details of the community issues that the Society have worked on see Campaigns and Projects.
conserving and improving Amberley W Sussex
Past talks
Local area map
Food & Drink & Shops
Amberley History
Maps - historical 1892 - 1914
Amberley Events Calendar
Local History and Architecture
Local Interest Groups C


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The State will see voting for general elections for the first time on 11th April, and the administration is fully prepared.
The State of Telangana will see voting for general elections for the first time on 11th April, 2019.
All the 17 constituencies across the 31 districts of the newly formed State are scheduled to go in for elections in the first phase of the 2019 general elections on Thursday.
Out of the 17 constituencies, three are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) and two for Scheduled Tribes (ST).
As per data sourced from the National Election Planner, the State has a total of 2,95,30,838 electors, of them 1,48,42,582 are men, 1,46,74,217 are women and 2,089 are of the third gender. Further, of the total electors, 10,823 are service electors and 1,127 are overseas Indian electors.
Interestingly, there are 5,99,933 electors in the State who are in the age group of 18-19 years, a number that is significantly higher than the corresponding number for Andhra Pradesh that has 5,39,804 electors in the same category.
As many as 443 candidates from different political parties are in the fray, with Nizamabad along having 185 candidates (plenty of them being farmers). A total of 34,603 polling stations have been set up across the State, and the authorities have made elaborate arrangements for the polling, utilizing the services of 2.80 lakh personnel. Apart from the state police, personnel from five other states and 145 companies of central forces have been deployed to ensure peaceful polling in the State. Additional security measures have been taken in Maoist-affected places in the State.
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Firms that want to use online marketing as a tool are faced with the predicament of picking options that best fit their long term earnings and increase strategies and also their marketing budgets. There are many reviews that project many strategies recommended by experts and advertising analysts but most successful online marketing efforts use a minimum of three choices that are viable. This really is because to make an effective online advertising effort, moderate and SEO St Albans small to big businesses have to be different in thinking and persistent in their use of the strategies.
One significant aspect of online marketing isn't to be taken in by 'free' strategies. Nothing is totally free, as has already been said, there are strings attached. Customer service sites and some database hosting track sell the advice to larger corporations that need marketing and customer databases and IP addresses to monitor customer profiles.
Yet, it truly is relevant to know and understand in depth that takes significant time, which converts into money and what these free on-line marketing efforts offer. It takes very little time and can be a highly effective tool if implemented with some planning and thought when you look at traditional online marketing or advertising.
a) CPC means Cost-Per-Click advertising that will be payment for the number of timed clicks that each viewer spends on your business advertisement. The theory that is proven is that those who use Google are more likely to go with the search results that are thrown up.
b) CPM means Cost-Per-Thousand beliefs. This online marketing tool enables companies or things to buy web space to display ad banners on a specific page or website that is certainly popular and likely to get big hits. Payment is made for a particular amount of times your ad will be shown; this process is the one followed by most of the banner advertisements which are shown on web pages. Likewise, online videos are a great promotion tool particularly on sites like Facebook or YouTube that have a terrific presence.


Fuzzy Feet 'n' Furry Tails Gerbils: Poll Results!!
How many boys/girls are there in the new litter??!?
There are 2 girls and 1 boy. The one like Charlie is the boy, and the one like Chloey and the lighter one are the girls.
Do you like the changes to my blog design?
I was really happy with the way they turned out.


Collective Worship is seen as a central and important part of the education of this school as determined by the Mission Statement.
To encourage all pupils to grow in Christian goodness.
To encourage children to participate in Collective Worship through sharing their own sensitivities and thoughts.
To allow pupils to experience and explore the spirituality of traditional and contemporary prayer.
To provide acts of collective worship in a variety of settings, e.g. classroom, hall, Church as appropriate.
To give pupils experience of traditional and contemporary worship styles.
To allow pupils to experience traditional and contemporary religious music, hymns and songs.
To provide a framework in which stories from Christian and other faith backgrounds can be explored to illustrate moral and spiritual dimensions.
Through silence and meditation, give children the opportunity to reflect upon their thoughts and their relationship with God.
In order to achieve the above aims, all teaching staff, support staff, and parents are expected to set a positive example and to encourage children to fully participate in collective worship.
All children should experience an act of Collective Worship at the start of each day. This may be class based, Key Stage based or whole school.
During the year, services will be arranged in school and Church to celebrate the passage of the Christian Year.
All teaching staff will be expected to attend acts of Collective Worship and lead them as directed by the Headteacher. The school's Vicar will also lead acts of worship, and members of other faiths communities will be invited to share our worship where appropriate.
Collective Worship themes will be run on a three-year cycle. An overall theme will be given to Worship each half-term and acts of worship will follow this theme. The theme will also run alongside each worship theme, allowing links to be made between PHSCE and RE/CW. Special events in the Christian calendar will be celebrated, as will the festivals of other world faiths.
Each school day will normally begin with an Act of Collective Worship between the end of registration (9.05am) and 9.25 am. When special services are arranged, suitable timings will be agreed.


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Corruption Researches
Global Corruption Barometer
National Integrity System
Statement of NGOs on the Ongoing Staff Changes in Rustavi 2 TV
We, the undersigned organizations, want to express our concern about the staff changes in Rustavi 2 TV that were announced and carried out by its new owner. Paata Salia, the new General-Director of Rustavi 2 TV, dismissed Nodar Meladze, the Head of TV's News Department, and TV anchor Nanuka Zhorzholiani. Moreover, Eka Kvesitadze, Giorgi Gabunia and Giorgi Laperashvili, the Deputy General-Director, will be fired as soon as they return from vacation.
Speaking today at an emergency press-conference, the General-Director stated that he is planning to litigate against Giorgi Gabunia, Giorgi Laperashvili and Nodar Meladze for their role in signing in 2015 a "sham contract" with the advertising company Intermedia Plus, through which they allegedly gained a financial benefit. According to Salia, he cannot imagine having to litigate against individuals who are employed as high-ranking staff in the company, so he has to terminate their employment. Meanwhile, Salia noted that the basis for the dismissal of Nanuka Zhorzholiani were the statements she had made against the TV company. As for Eka Kvesitadze, Salia stated that she was fired for her participation in the establishment of a new TV channel.
It is noteworthy to mention the statement made by Nodar Meladze, according to which he was contacted through a middleman with a message from Bidzina Ivanishvili which requested support in changing the editorial policy of Rustavi 2. According to Meladze, him turning down the request was the basis for his dismissal. Nanuka Zhorzholiani's dismissal took her by surprise. According to Zhorzholiani, Salia discussed with her the plans for the upcoming season the day prior to her dismissal. She notes that the General-Director's decision to fire her is politically motivated.
It is known that the TV's new management hasn't even paid Nodar Meladze and Nanuka Zhorzholiani their salaries, which can be considered as an attempt at indirect intimidation.
Local and international organizations have numerously called on the new management of Rustavi 2 TV to avoid interfering in the channel's critical editorial policy. The management, in turn, promised that the critical editorial policy would be preserved.
In spite of this, in a few weeks the new management made unsubstantiated decisions related to the dismissal of Nodar Meladze, the Head of TV's News Department and the host of one of the most popular investigative TV program, TV anchors Eka Kvesitadze and Giorgi Gabunia, and Giorgi Laperashvili, the Deputy General-Director. Nanuka Zhorzholiani, the host of one of the most popular entertainment TV programs, was also dismissed from work.
The new management of Rustavi 2 TV has recently made repeated statements about the dire financial situation of the channel, which has contributed to the fostering of an unsustainable environment for the company and journalists. On the other hand, the new management decided to fire TV anchors that are highly popular in the Georgian media landscape. This further intensifies suspicions about the political motivations of the actions of the new management. Moreover, the critical editorial policy of Rustavi 2 might have served as an additional reason for the management to make such an abrupt decision.
Due to the aforementioned circumstances, it is beyond doubt that the dismissal of leading journalists at Rustavi 2 on vague grounds is actually a change of the editorial policy of the channel.
It is clear that the developments around Rustavi 2 have a negative effect on the media environment in Georgia and that it will also negatively impact the freedom of the press, as well as the democratic development of the country.
Transparency International Georgia
Georgian Democracy Initiative
International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy
Society and Banks
Media Development Foundation
The Economic Policy Research Center
Institute for Development of Freedom of Information
Green Alternative
Center for Research Journalism and Economic Analysis
Georgia's Reforms Associates
Atlantic Council of Georgia
European Initiative - Liberal Academy Tbilisi
Tags: Media
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My brother Jonah and I just want to TALK to the magic mirror — we're not planning on traveling into any fairy tales today. Promise. Except we do wind up going through the mirror, this time into the story of The Frog Prince. The princess, who's supposed to transform the cute little frog back into a handsome prince, turns out to be super rude. Jonah and I decide we don't want — or need — her help. We can take matters into our own hands and turn the frog into a prince ourselves! Can't we?
There's no time to waste — let's hop to it!


Continuing his travels round the world to promote quality European Union (EU) farm products, Phil Hogan, commissioner for agriculture and rural development, is in Saudi Arabia on 7-9 November 2017 and Iran on 10-13 November 2017, accompanied by a delegation of businesses from the EU agri-food sector to facilitate trade relations. The delegation of around a hundred senior representatives of EU companies and associations in the agri-food industry includes participants from around the EU (see the complete lists for Saudi Arabia and Iran).
The delegation members will hold business meetings with their counterparts in the two countries, as well as a number of networking events and visits to food retailers (see draft programmes). The aim is to boost EU trade in food and agricultural products with the two Middle Eastern nations: at present, Saudi Arabia exports around €62m worth of agri-food products to the EU, and imports some €4.5bn; Iran imports EU agri-food products worth around €728m a year, and exports around €468 m of agri-food products to the EU.
Commissioner Hogan's trip comes within the framework of the European Union's promotion policy for agri-food products, designed to help producers sell their EU farm products in an increasingly competitive global marketplace, at the same time as delivering jobs and growth at home. Previous trips for Commissioner Hogan included visits to Canada (1-3 May 2017), Columbia and Mexico (8-12 February 2017), Vietnam and Indonesia (02-09 November 2016) and China and Japan (16-22 April 2016).


Elphinstone, George Keith, and Christopher Lloyd Elphinstone, George Keith, and Christopher Lloyd. The Keith Papers, Volume II The Keith Papers, Volume II (Navy Records Society, Vol. 90). London: Navy Records Society, 1950.
The full index for this resource is available at the Navy Records Society website: https://www.navyrecords.org.uk/the-keith-papers-vol-ii/ The full text is accessible with NRS membership.


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Q: Reverse Proxy Authentication in Internet Explorer I am using IIS ARR as a reverse proxy for Team Foundation Server 2013.
When I use Firefox and Chrome I get prompted for a password, enter it, and gain access to the correct site.  However, when I use Internet Explorer (v11.0.2), when I enter my domain password it prompts for it again and again until I finally get a "Not Authorized" page.
I have tried with and without SSL offloading but I am not sure what else could be causing this - any ideas?

A: In IE add the TFS server as a trusted site. Close IE. Open IE and try to authenticate again. Should work.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Julio Libonatti (ur. 5 lipca 1901 w Rosario, zm. 9 października 1981 tamże) – napastnik argentyński, później naturalizowany we Włoszech.

Urodzony w Rosario Libonatti rozpoczął swą karierę w roku 1917 w klubie Newell's Old Boys. W roku 1925 przeszedł do włoskiego klubu Torino FC. Był to pierwszy znany w historii transfer piłkarza zza oceanu do klubu europejskiego. W Torino (z którym w 1928 roku zdobył mistrzostwo Włoch) rozegrał 284 mecze, w których zdobył 164 bramki. Następnie grał także w Genoi oraz Rimini Calcio. W 1938 roku zakończył karierę jako piłkarz tego klubu.

Libonatti grał zarówno w reprezentacji Argentyny (w której w latach 1917-1925 rozegrał 15 meczów i zdobył 8 bramek), jak i w reprezentacji Włoch (w latach 1926-1931 rozegrał 17 meczów i zdobył 15 bramek). Trzykrotnie wystąpił w turnieju Copa América - w 1920 został wicemistrzem Ameryki Południowej, a w 1921 - mistrzem. Natomiast występ w roku 1922 był dla Argentyny zupełnie nieudany. Z reprezentacją Włoch zdobył brązowy medal olimpijski podczas Igrzysk Olimpijskich w 1928 roku (zagrał tylko jeden mecz z Francją, wygrany przez Włochów 4:3).

Reprezentanci Argentyny w piłce nożnej
Reprezentanci Włoch w piłce nożnej
Uczestnicy Copa América 1920
Uczestnicy Copa América 1921
Uczestnicy Copa América 1922
Medaliści Letnich Igrzysk Olimpijskich 1928
Piłkarze CA Newell's Old Boys
Piłkarze Torino FC
Piłkarze Genoi CFC
Piłkarze Rimini FC
Urodzeni w 1901
Zmarli w 1981
Królowie strzelców Copa América
Zdobywcy Copa América
Ludzie urodzeni w Rosario

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Raptors – Going, going …
Tasmanian Sea Eagle (Haliateets leucogaster)
Image courtesy of John Redeker, Tas
I went to a remote beach this week where you could usually count on seeing the odd Sea Eagle, yet there wasn't a single one to be seen. When I came home and started to read about them, I was shocked to find that 52% of the world's Raptors are in decline and around 18% of them are facing extinction, even in Australia and Tasmania. (Hint: The shorter version at Birdlife.org is easier to read). Half of Australia's 35 native Raptor species are either endangered or listed because they are already extremely rare. In Tasmania, which has 13 species, there are now only around 100 breeding pairs of the mighty Wedge Tailed Eagle, 110 pairs of Grey Goshawks and 200 pairs of White Bellied Sea Eagles.
So what are Raptors and why is this happening?
Raptors are birds of prey, meaning that they hunt small game and eat meat or carrion. They include eagles, vultures, hawks, falcons and owls. Unfortunately, the most species - rich regions such as South and South East Asia and around the tropics in South America and sub-Saharan Africa, are not only experiencing the most rapid decline, but are the least studied. There are thus few baselines for determining trends and Raptors are anyway difficult to study as their numbers are generally small, their range is large and some are migratory as well. Still, it is the more static forest dwellers which continue to be most at risk.
Clearing forests – for timber, for agriculture and for settlement, remains a major cause of Raptor decline. Forest Raptors need tall old trees for nesting. Sea eagle habitat is often lost to coastal development. Just being around humans makes some Raptors skittish. Tasmanian Wedge Tails have been known to abandon nests, eggs and even nestlings if they suspect human interference. Trophy hunting, poaching and the use of Raptor parts in traditional medicine or other cultural practices also contribute to Raptor decline. Farmers often shoot hawks and eagles to protect their flocks, but this idea has its detractors. Simon Cherriman an ornithologist at Murdoch University, who tracks Raptors for a living, maintains that birds of prey often remove other pests such as mice and rabbits and only 'clean up,' larger animals which have been injured or killed already.
Poisoning, accidental, secondary or otherwise is another all too common threat. When the veterinary drug diclofenac was introduced for use on cattle on the Indian sub -Continent in the 1990s, it lost 99% of four species of Old World Vultures in less than a decade. Fortunately, once the drug was banned, the vultures began to recover, but three years ago the same drug was approved for veterinary use in Spain, Italy and Portugal. There are now urgent calls to ban it in Europe as well. Some poisons used to control pests also end up killing the Raptors either directly, or because they feed upon the dead carcasses. Oiling, entanglement, pollution and road accidents are additional concerns. Because Raptors are scavengers, they are often killed themselves while consuming road kill. Lead poisoning from ingested shot is yet another not infrequent cause of death.
Approximately 500 Bald Eagles are killed in the USA each year through contact with power lines, turbines and communications towers
-Image courtesy of Jean Beaufort under CC licence
A more recent cause is the proliferation of electricity pylons, cell towers and windfarms. Although many birds are electrocuted or injured through contact with these - according to one US study, 214,000 -368,00 birds are killed by windfarms, 6.8 million by communications towers, and 3.7 billion by cats, but Raptors still tend to be overrepresented. This is because Raptors prefer high windy places where they can observe their prey, take advantage of wind currents and thermals and stay safe from predators. In the Catalan region near the French- Spanish border, electrocution was the main cause of death of the endangered Bonelli's Eagle and also threatened the Spanish Imperial Eagle. Fortunately new protocols have recently been adopted by the UN to prevent or minimise such events. For example, in the case of pylons, better siting of towers, away from critical flightpaths and equipped with defensive mechanisms has resulted in 70% lower mortality, despite only 6% of the towers having been modified. With respect to windfarms, new turbine designs, deterrence and early warning systems using radar signals used by aircraft, are all showing promise. Still, compared to deaths from other causes such as domestic cats, deaths from windfarms are miniscule and may in the long run reduce deaths due to climate change and pollution.
Climate change presents a new threat to Raptors. According to a 2014 report by the Audubon Society hundreds of birds in the USA, are 'at serious risk from climate change, with the Bald Eagle potentially losing up to 75% of its range.' At this stage there is little data on the likely effects in other regions, but preliminary studies with respect to the Tawny Eagle in the Kalahari Desert indicate that grassland and savannah dwellers will be especially vulnerable. While some species may be able to move further north (or south) as food and or water sources diminish, this has implications for our protected areas which have thus far proven to be one of the more successful strategies in terms of Raptor preservation.
Apart from their intrinsic value, the loss of these awesome creatures has implications for the survival of humans too.
In the first instance, Raptors may be the very large canaries in the coal mine that is our earth. Being at the top of their food chain, they accumulate environmental toxins much more quickly than other species, as was observed in the 1950s by Rachel Carson when she first noticed the decline of Bald Eagles as a consequence of cumulative poisoning by DDT, long before such effects were noticeable in humans.
Secondly, their absence may impact directly on humans in other ways. Since they are uniquely adapted to neutralising pathogens in the diseased and dead creatures they scavenge, they remove these from our environment too. Lesser scavengers, such as dogs and rats are unable to do this and not only contract more diseases themselves, but are more likely to pass them on to humans. Once the Old World Vultures were gone in India and Nepal, the population of feral dogs exploded, leading indirectly to disease outbreaks in humans, especially rabies. Could it be that our own recent seagull explosion where it was found that they were now carrying antibiotic resistant superbugs, is in fact a reflection of this process when top predators are lost?
Raptors are often the keynote species in their ecosystem and their removal can trigger catastrophic knock – on effects in other parts of the system. Wedge Tailed Eagles for example, keep other species in check, so that they do not become pests or deplete the available food supply. Young Raptors, not yet skilled enough for the hunt, tend to eat insects, thereby keeping those populations down. Along with birds in general Raptors also perform a number of other ecological services such as distribution of nutrients and seeds. The Wedge Tailed Eagle itself does not breed in poor seasons.
Next time we'll consider some ways in which we can help to ensure that Raptors will be around for future generations. Meanwhile, I apologise in advance that there are so few pictures. My bird photography has always been cringeworthy!
A Day at the Olive Grove - Community Oil Pressing Day at Freshfield
Olives do surprisingly well here, though yields are smaller
It's olive harvesting season in Tasmania. Yes, olives! I always thought they were only a Mediterranean crop, yet as with cool climate wines, cool climate olives are considered the crème de la crème, though as with cool climate wine, the yields are much smaller. Although Australians are the largest consumers of olive oil outside the Mediterranean, Tasmania accounts for around 1% of the nation's 45,000 tonnes (2013 figures) which has increased by 790% in just two decades. Around 20% of Australia's crop is exported to countries such as China, The USA, New Zealand and even Spain and Italy, with several brands winning medals at international events. Tasmanian olive oils won 20 awards - three gold, eight silver and 9 bronze, at the National Competition in 2017, attesting to the quality of the local product.
Freshfield Olive Grove -between showers
On Sunday I went to Freshfield Grove at Campania (near Richmond) for their Community Olive Pressing Day. Freshfield is run by Fiona and Glenn Maskowski who, though fairly new to the olive business – only since 2014, are already making a name for themselves. They tied for reserve champion in the 2017 national competition. They have around 1000 olive trees, mostly Picual and Manzanillo, which are ideally suited to colder conditions.
Grey skies did not necessarily dampen anyone's enthusiasm
The day didn't look too promising. It was around 11° C and the blustery wind brought intermittent showers. We could have done with a bit of Mediterranean weather, but Tasmania's olive harvest happens in winter -from April to August, so it was not unexpected and there was still much fun to be had. It was for instance, a fine excuse to start with some mulled wine, possibly followed by hot chips and or seafood and for sitting on hay bales around the fire or under an awning if necessary. The wind also made for rapid change. When the clouds parted, more and more people began to arrive bearing buckets and baskets of home grown olives or setting off, often with the whole family in tow - grandmas, children, babies in prams, even the occasional dog on a leash, to relieve groaning olive trees of their burden.
Parting of the clouds
I picked just under a third of a kilo, wishing my tall friend had been with me because the best ones seemed to be at the top, but there was much satisfaction in harvesting anything at all. I then took my bounty for weighing and pressing. It turns out that you need at least a kilo of olives to produce a tiny 250ml bottle, so I just added mine to the communal pool.
At the weigh in
After a tour of the pressing shed with Fiona, I moved on to some oil tasting, comparing oil from early, middle and late pressings. Initially I thought they all tasted a bit green and grassy, even medicinal, but it turns out that the bitterness is actually sought after and a sign of both purity and richness in anti –oxidants and phenols – the health giving components. If you have only tasted run -of -the -mill super market varieties, tasting real virgin olive oil is an eye opener. Terroir, climate, tree variety and processing all play a role and give each a unique character, which is why chefs prefer it. These really brought out the flavour of the sourdough bread and reminded me of the oil I had had at Fico, but it also tells me that with respect to olive oil my palate could do with a bit more education. Correct pairing of oil with food, requires similar expertise to pairing wine. Read more about that here.
Olives ready to go into the press - don't worry, the machine removes all stalks and leaves and washes the olives before they go into the hopper.
Glenn making sure the wheels keep turning
Not all so – called virgin olive oils are created equal. Find out how to tell one from another here. Genuine virgin olive oils are said to have many health benefits including reducing the risk of stroke and heart disease and may even be helpful in the prevention of diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. For more on evidence -based health benefits of real olive oil, click here.
The best thing about the day for me was the communal aspect -friends and neighbours coming together for a common purpose. Neighbours from the Christmas Tree farm up the road, manned the gate and I ran into an old friend from my own long distant back – to - the – land days. With olive oil production having been around for around for about 5,000 years, it also felt as if we were taking part in an age -old ritual.
For other places in Tasmania where you could do some olive harvesting, oil tasting or buying, click here. You taste buds will thank you!
Miss Burlesque 1919
Just a quickie tonight for my friends at Miss Kitty's. Do you love costumes, glamour and a bit of frivolity or are you sad that Dark Mofo is over and are looking for something fun to do? Then go along to The Moonah Arts Centre tomorrow night. In fact, better still, wear your own sequins, victory rolls and red lipstick and join in the fun. There's champagne on tap too.
I bet you didn't know burlesque dancing was a competitive event. I didn't either until I went along to Burlesque Idol a few months ago. I was worried that it might be a bit sleazy but it was clever, witty and hugely creative. Far from being exploitative, many participants say that it's also truly empowering. A bit later I'll write something about the history of burlesque and its recent revival, but that's all I have time for now.
Doors open at 7 pm. Show starts 7.30 and tickets are $20


If ur Lvl 151 or above does Lvl matter any more?. Or jus do everything n to hell with the experience gain?
Ive given up on keeping a low xp gain, i did the normal mode on data ghost and levelled up 10 times, all for my attack dog unit which i call bill and clifford.
All depends on how much you like WD points.
Around 150 might be a good time to start a LLP and start building its economy and collecting free daily units. That way you have something to fall back on if you find your current account is worthless.
It matters if you like being an punching bag in WD while also unable to score much.