A genuine apology consists of a honest acknowledgement of incorrect-undertaking, a clearly show of empathic regret for why you wronged and the damage it induced, and a guarantee of restitution by enhancing ones actions to make issues appropriate. With out the observe-by means of, saying sorry isn't an apology, it is a hollow ploy for forgiveness.
That is the form of "sorry" we're receiving from tech giants — an attempt to quell lousy PR and placate the stricken, usually without the need of the systemic transform needed to avert recurring troubles. From time to time it is sent in a website post. From time to time it is in an executive apology tour of media interviews. But rarely is it in the type of transform to the fundamental constructions of a company that induced the situation.
However, tech enterprise company designs usually conflict with the way we wish they would act. We want additional privacy but they thrive on focusing on and personalization data. We want regulate of our focus but they subsist on thieving as considerably of it as possible with distraction while demonstrating us ads. We want harmless, ethically crafted gadgets that don't spy on us but they make their margins by manufacturing them wherever's low-priced with questionable criteria of labor and oversight. We want groundbreaking systems to be responsibly applied, but juicy govt contracts and the allure of China's tremendous populace compromise their morals. And we want to stick to what we have to have and what is best for us, but they monetize our craving for the latest standing image or content material by means of prepared obsolescence and locking us into their platforms.
The result is that even if their leaders earnestly desired to impart meaningful transform to supply restitution for their wrongs, their hands are tied by entrenched company designs and the short-phrase aim of the quarterly earnings cycle. They apologize and go appropriate back again to problematic actions. The Washington Post recently chronicled a dozen times Fb CEO Mark Zuckerberg has apologized, however the social community keeps encountering fiasco soon after fiasco. Tech giants won't make improvements to adequate on their individual.
The danger of us abandoning ship should theoretically maintain the captains in line. But tech giants have developed into fundamental utilities that lots of have a challenging time imagining dwelling without the need of. How would you join with buddies? Obtain what you needed? Get operate finished? Invest your time? What hardware or software package would you cuddle up with in the moments you really feel lonely? We are living our lives by means of tech, have turn into addicted to its utility, and worry the withdrawal.
If there were being principled options to switch to, maybe we could maintain the giants accountable. But the scalability, community effects, and aggregation of supply by distributors has led to near monopolies in these main utilities. The second-put answer is usually distant. What's the subsequent best social community that serves as an identity and login system that isn't owned by Fb? The subsequent best quality mobile and Laptop maker at the rear of Apple? The subsequent best mobile running process for the building world outside of Google's Android? The subsequent best ecommerce hub which is not Amazon? The subsequent best look for engine? Photo feed? Website internet hosting support? Global chat application? Spreadsheet?
Fb is continue to rising in the US & Canada despite the backlash, proving that tech buyers are not voting with their toes. And if not for a calculation methodology transform, it would have extra one million buyers in Europe this quarter much too.
A person of the number of tech backlashes that led to true flight was #DeleteUber. Workplace discrimination, shady company protocols, exploitative pricing and additional blended to spur the motion to ditch the ridehailing application. But what was diverse below is that US Uber buyers did have a principled choice to switch to without the need of considerably trouble: Lyft. The result was that "Lyft benefitted immensely from Uber's difficulties in 2018" eMarketer's forecasting director Shelleen Shum explained to the United states of america Now in May well. Uber missed eMarketer's projections while Lyft exceeded them, narrowing the hole concerning the automobile companies. And in the meantime, Uber's CEO stepped down as it attempted to overhaul its inner procedures.
But in the absence of feasible options to the giants, leaving these mainstays is inconvenient. Just after all, they're the ones that manufactured us almost allergic to friction. Even soon after significant scandals, data breaches, harmful cultures, and unfair practices, we mostly stick with them to steer clear of the uncertainty of lifestyle without the need of them. Even Fb extra one million monthly buyers in the US and Canada past quarter despite seemingly every possible source of unrest. Tech buyers are not voting with their toes. We've proven we can harbor sick will toward the giants while begrudgingly acquiring and utilizing their merchandise. Our leverage to make improvements to their actions is vastly weakened by our loyalty.
When regulators do step in, their makes an attempt can backfire. GDPR was supposed to support tamp down on the dominance of Google and Fb by limiting how they could obtain consumer data and creating them additional clear. But the superior expense of compliance only hindered smaller players or drove them out of the current market while the giants had sufficient income to shell out on leaping by means of govt hoops. Google essentially gained advert tech current market share and Fb noticed the littlest loss while smaller advert tech corporations lost 20 or 30 % of their company.
Europe's GDPR privacy regulations backfired, reinforcing Google and Facebook's dominance. Chart by using Ghostery, Cliqz, and WhoTracksMe.
Even the Truthful Ads act, which was built to bring political marketing campaign transparency to web platforms pursuing election interference in 2016, has however to be handed even despite support from Fb and Twitter. There's hasn't been meaningful dialogue of blocking social networks from obtaining their competition in the long run, enable by itself essentially breaking Instagram and WhatsApp off of Fb. Governments like the U.K. that just forcibly seized files related to Facebook's machinations bordering the Cambridge Analytica debacle supply some sign of willpower. But clumsy regulation could deepen the moats of the incumbents, and avert disruptors from getting a foothold. We can not count on regulators to adequately guard us from tech giants appropriate now.
The best guess for transform will appear from the rank and file of these monolithic firms. With the war for talent raging, rock star employees able to have huge affect on merchandise, and compensation fees to maintain them about growing, tech giants are susceptible to the viewpoints of their individual team. It is only much too highly-priced and disjointing to have to recruit new superior-skilled personnel to exchange individuals that flee.
Google declined to renew a deal with the govt soon after 4000 employees petitioned and a number of resigned about Task Maven's artificial intelligence remaining applied to goal deadly drone strikes. Change can even movement throughout enterprise traces. Many tech giants which includes Fb and Airbnb have eradicated their compelled arbitration principles for harassment disputes soon after Google did the exact same in response to 20,000 of its employees walking out in protest.
1000's of Google employees protested the company's dealing with of sexual harassment and misconduct allegations on Nov. one.
Fb is desperately pushing an inner communications marketing campaign to reassure staffers it is enhancing in the wake of damning push stories from the New York Instances and other people. TechCrunch published an inner memo from Facebook's outgoing VP of communications Elliot Schrage in which he took the blame for current challenges, inspired employees to steer clear of finger-pointing, and COO Sheryl Sandberg attempted to reassure employees that "I know this has been a distraction at a time when you are all working challenging to close out the year — and I am sorry." These inner apologizes could appear with considerably additional contrition and true transform than individuals paraded for the public.
And so soon after several years of us relying on these tech personnel to construct the product we use every day, we have to now count that will conserve us from them. It is a weighty duty to transfer their skills in which the affect is favourable, or dedicate to standing up against the company imperatives of their employers. We as the public and media have to in turn celebrate when they do what is appropriate for society, even when it lowers value for shareholders. If applications abuse us or unduly rob us of our focus, we have to have to continue to be off of them.
And we have to settle for that shaping the long run for the collective great may possibly be inconvenient for the personal. There's an oppprtunity below not just to complain or wish, but to construct a social motion that holds tech giants accountable for delivering the transform they've promised about and about.


Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the pork chops with seasoned salt and seasoned pepper, then dredge in 3 tablespoons of flour. Shake off any excess flour, and place the chops in the skillet. Cook for a few minutes on each side, until browned.
In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, milk, 1 tablespoon of flour, lemon juice, and honey. Season with a tiny bit of seasoning salt if desired. Pour the sauce over the chops, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until pork is cooked through.


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Essay papers make up one of the categories of academic papers that are used in assessing the students extent of proficiency in a certain field. The essay papers show how well a student may have grasped the content taught in the lectures of accessed in experimental work. The essay papers are the most common mode of assessment used in virtually all kinds of institutions world over. Their simplicity of administration, scoring and time saving nature in most academic assessments makes them preferable for assessment purposes by many tutors.
Proficiency in essay writing is necessary for any student wishing to perform well in any academic set up, because they constitute a large number of continuous assessments administered for virtually all subjects or units of study-it is not strange to even find essay assignments in mathematical subjects. Many students get their essay writing skills from the communication class unit/subject. However, this never suffices because there is a lot to learn whereas; this unit is scheduled for a very short time, many at times once in an academic life. Thus many students leave such lecture rooms while they are half baked.
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The first and foremost is the introduction. This section of an essay paper introduces the main topic covered within the essay. The introduction section is usually brief and constitutes of a paragraph, whose length may depend on the length of the essay paper as well as the complexity or content of topic. This section may also include the thesis statement which usually appears in its last sentence. The thesis statement acts as a tether that determines how far the discussion on the topic is supposed to reach. At times the essay paper has a thesis statement that is set apart from the introduction, but is placed immediately thereafter.
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Therefore, the essay carries the main or major content of the essay paper.The main body is the followed by the conclusion. As the name suggests the conclusion serves the purpose of bringing some form of conclusion to the discussion within the whole paper. In the example of an argumentative essay paper, the conclusion may draw relations and comparisons on points for and against and then come to a conclusion as to whether there is a side that has won in making the argument.


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BSV Quasar Upgrade
The Bitcoin Vision: Episode 6
Jasmine Solana
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A laid back Founding President of the Bitcoin Association Jimmy Nguyen brings us this week's edition of the Bitcoin Vision. But don't let his demeanor fool you—the excitement continues to build in the Bitcoin SV (BSV) ecosystem as more developments are being rolled out on the Bitcoin blockchain.
This week, we dig into the latest scaling developments from the Bitcoin SV node team, Bitgraph, the new Python BSV wallet SDK, a developer documentation series from the Money Button team, and the latest Wright Vision from nChain Chief Scientist Dr. Craig Wright.
"It's amazing to see how rapidly this ecosystem is growing as people around the world collaborate to create the world's new money and global enterprise blockchain," Nguyen said.
The big news on the Bitcoin SV Scaling Test Network (STN) is the successful test of continuous 128MB blocks over a period of 36 hours. The rest ran from midday on March 7 to midnight of March 8, producing 246 blocks of 128MB in size. The blocks, according to BSV Node lead developer Daniel Connolly, contained 89 million transactions with an average size of 354 bytes each, which is equivalent to 700 direct cash transactions per second over the entire test period.
These results are on a test network for now, but lay important groundwork for future testing on the BSV mainnet to achieve similar results.
Meanwhile, recent reporting from Coin.dance showed the steady growth of BSV block sizes since OP_RETURN data size limits were lifted. BSV daily average block sizes surpassed BCHABC two weeks ago, and are catching up to BTC fast.
Speaking of OP_RETURN, the WhatsOnChain team has been tracking statistics about use of the OP_RETURN field, now that it has an increased data size limit. This means that you can now search OP_RETURN transactions and see what services are using OP_RETURN. Check it out here.
Moving on to Bitcoin applications, Bitcoin developer Unwriter recently introduced Bitgraph, an interactive visual graph explorer for Bitcoin. This tool allows users to navigate the entire Bitcoin transaction graph, all the way back to the genesis block.
There's also the impressive new Pythonbsv wallet SDK and a general Bitcoin SV library. It's the latest Bitcoin SV project to be added to the BSV/DEVS directory. It features Python's fastest available implementation, 100x faster than closest library.
Speaking of BSV developer tools, Ryan X. Charles and the Money Button team. Money Button have created a documentation series that details everything you need to know to build apps on Bitcoin SV, with or without Money Button. The first three they rolled out were on Big Numbers, points, and hash functions–another example of the BSV community's commitment to support the growth of BSV, and show that Bitcoin SV is the clear choice for enterprise adoption.
For this week's the Wright Vision, nChain Chief Scientist Dr. Craig Wright wrote about "Profiting from Privacy – Social Media Platforms." He outlines the problems that sites like Facebook and Reddit have with their outdated business model of selling user data as a monetizing strategy.
Watch The Bitcoin Vision: Episode 6.
While you're at it, also check out the previous episodes of The Bitcoin Vision here.
Bitcoin SVBitcoin VisionBitgraphblockchainJimmy NguyenMoney ButtonPythonUnwriter
Unwriter announces Bottle, a Bitcoin browser
Derek Tonin
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There's a new way to browse content on the Bitcoin SV (BSV) blockchain. Anonymous developer Unwriter has announced Bottle, a Bitcoin Browser. Available for Mac, Windows, and also available on GitHub, Bottle allows users to surf content on the Bitcoin network.
Announced in a March 21 tweet, Unwriter notes that Bottle is capable of surfing anything saved to the BSV blockchain, including images, texts, HTML, JSON, Javacript and CSS.
He explains why he built it in the following passages:
"HTTP is the protocol for the old world, the server-client based cloud paradigm.
"By moving away from HTTP and authoring everything in a Bitcoin native way (using Bitcoin transaction ids and content hashes) we can build a completely self-contained network of documents which can exist forever on the blockchain."
Bottle is capable of accessing the B:// and C:// uniform resource identifiers (URIs), which allows it to browse transactions as addresses and content addressed URI schemes based on file contents, respectively.
Much of this can already be accomplished with existing blockchain tools, but Unwriter explains that we need to break away from old mindsets. "Instead of thinking from the old WWW mindset, we should think from a Bitcoin-native mindset," he wrote.
The browser is powered by Electron, so it already has access to powerful BSV features, as well as the typical browser features you would expect.
Unwriter also noted that he released this new browser earlier than he normally would have with his other works, specifically so that it can grow and evolve to the needs to the community. He's welcomed feedback through GitHub, and has already responded to questions and cheered on developments on Twitter.
With this new app, Unwriter is making it easier for developers and users to fully embrace the BSV blockchain, and start walking away from the world wide web. It will still take some time to discover what applications this will prove most useful for, and to see the full potential of what developers can do with it, but getting started down that road is an exciting prospect.
Bitcoin SVblockchainBottleUnwriter
Crypto market daily report – March 22, 2019
Gerald Fenech
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The cryptocurrency markets began a steady decline as of Thursday afternoon with most coins losing a considerable amount of value and the ones that had shown positive movement over the past few days practically erasing all their gains. It seems that the markets are destined to remain stuck for a long period with no real recovery on the horizon. Bitcoin Core (BTC) dropped below the $4,000 mark and was trading at around $3970 at press time on Friday on vastly increased turnover indicating a possible sell off. Bitcoin SV (BSV) was also down by around 1.5% to just over the $65 mark.
Ethereum (ETH) was also down although by just under 3% to the $135 level having dropped even below that mark at press time on Friday after which it staged a small recovery. Other coins also saw declines with Ripple (XRP) finally ceding the $0.31 level and EOS also dropping down by around 4% to the $3.60 mark. One of the few outliers in this sea of red was Cardano (ADA) which saw its stock increase by around 5% to the $0.056 level. Conversely BCHABC was down by around 5% to the $151 level having lost almost 10% over the past few days.
Other larger cap currencies also saw their stock decline with Stellar Lumens (XLM) dropping by another 5% on the back of Thursday's 7% slide to settle at the $0.105 mark. Litecoin (LTC) was down by 3% to the $58 level whilst NEO was down by a similar amount to just below the $9 mark. IOTA also showed positive movement up by around 5% to the $0.311 mark, no doubt on the back of a recent development where the cryptocurrency can be used to pay at major coffee shops.
Smaller market cap currencies had a mixed performance with Ethereum Classic (ETC) continuing a steady rise to the $4.85 level—another 3% increase. Other currencies saw considerable declines with ONT down 9%, FET down 7%, BTT down 5% and ICX down 6% overall.
Bitcoin SVcryptocurrencymarket
Money Button CEO: How to upload large files to Bitcoin SV blockchain
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When Steve Shadders and his team unleashed OP_RETURN, increasing its maximum size to 100KB, the Bitcoin SV (BSV) community took advantage and started uploading a torrent of image files using services like Bitstagram. Even though that has allowed users to do so much already, Money Button CEO Ryan X Charles is now ready to show us how we can upload even better pictures to the BSV blockchain.
On March 21, Charles tweeted that there's now a more reliable method to upload large files, including pictures, to the blockchain. He links to a BitPaste article, which shows 12 examples of large image files uploaded to the blockchain, and a link to a YouTube video that explains how the process works.
The process works by uploading multiple files, which will then be combined to create the larger upload. Each upload to the blockchain incurs a transaction cost. Uploading a 100KB file or image costs roughly $0.07 at the moment, so as Charles explains, a 5MB image or file will cost roughly $3.50.
The Money Button team has created a new tool to accomplish UTXO splits, called 'Raise Speed Limit.' This allows the user to sign hundreds of transactions at once, which will then allow writing to the blockchain. In Charles' demonstration, the tool signs 250 transactions in 45 seconds.
Once the transactions are confirmed and a new block is created on the blockchain, the user can upload their file using the add.bico.media site. After the file is dragged to the screen, money buttons are created, which can be swiped to put each piece of the file on the network.
Then, using bico.media, the user can find their file. The 5MB file that Charles uploaded in his YouTube video can be found here.
The Money Button CEO notes that the BSV blockchain is reserved for high quality images that are worth the cost of uploading, which is an important point to make. The blockchain is immutable, storing files indefinitely, so you want to make sure that whatever you are putting there is worthy of the BSV blockchain, and worth the cost.
It's still not perfect. Charles admits that the user experience could be friendlier, but considering we're only a couple of months into the new age of increased OP_RETURN file sizes, the amount of app development seen has been astounding.
Bitcoin SVMoney ButtonRyan X. Charles
Have BSV, will travel – to Toronto
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CoinGeek's Toronto conference in May is offering an amazing deal. Pay in Bitcoin SV (BSV) and save yourself enough for a night on the town. Yes, there's a discount of more than a third of the price – CAD$150 off the CAD$399 ticket – just for paying in the original Bitcoin.
And CoinGeek has made it easy to pay. Just register your details as you head for the checkout, to take advantage of this special bonus offer. When you're paying, instead of the usual credit card option, just pick the button for BitcoinSV via CoinGate.
When you've agreed to the terms and conditions and clicked Place order, you'll find that, with a little help from our friends at CoinGate, you're given the price in BSV – currently an absolute bargain at only 2.763289 BSV.
Then comes the crypto magic: use the QR code or copy the address to send your payment. It's as simple as that. You're saving money, transaction fees and time – you won't have to wait for your next credit card statement.
The Toronto conference will be celebrating the achievements and the incredible potential of Bitcoin SV, so it wouldn't make sense for its organisers not to "eat their own dog food", as they used to say in the world of Internet startups.
So whether you're a BSV newbie or an old hand, take advantage of your access to BSV, to save some money – and prepare yourself for the future.
Bitcoin SVCoinGeek ConferenceCoinGeek Toronto
Sydney Bitcoin SV meetup goes international
Erik Gibbs
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The second Bitcoin SV (BSV) meetup in Sydney, Australia, was held on March 17 to a backdrop of extreme rain. The weather kept some from attending, but overall it was a successful event, according to its organizer, Jeff Guy. Guy took the opportunity to introduce a new idea to BSV meetups and he is hopeful that it gain traction with similar meetups around the world.
Guy has created a #BitcoinBuddy system between different BSV meetups through which different meetups team up, much the same way certain cities have "sister cities." I reached out to Guy to get more details and this is what he shared.
The "Sydney Bitcoin SV meetup (Australia) group & Haarlem Bitcoin SV meetup (Netherlands) group are the first to team up to be motivational and inspirational for each other and the whole Bitcoin ecosystem."
Guy adds, "I first posted on Twitter a business (Bar Wolkers)/in the Netherlands was accepting BSV & then others in the Bitcoin space saw this & decided to go there for coffee. Eric (@eolio76) & Donald (@disco_donald) & Alex (@alex_fauvel) then formed the Haarlem Bitcoin SV meetup (@BSV_Haarlem), I proposed the system to them & it went from there."
The Sydney BSV meetup is relatively young—only two meetings have been held so far. Both have been successful, despite the foul weather at the most recently-organized meeting. However, the idea is grabbing hold around the world and new BSV meetup groups are constantly being introduced. There are now a number of cities where the meetups are held and the #BitcoinBuddy system would be a great way for all of them to interact and spread the BSV message even further.
At both meetups, the HandCash POP payment device, a mobile solution that facilitates BSV payment transactions, was on hand and was put to good use. Guy explains, "The POP system is still in development but works smoothly and transactions are instant from the customer via the device to the default HandCash wallet set up on the device."
Guy maintains a blog at www.bitcoinmeetup.net/sydney so interested BSV fans in the area can see what's going on and make plans to attend future meetups. They meetups are a great way to understand what is going on in the BSV ecosystem and see what new and exciting developments are being introduced.
Bitcoin SVBSVmeetup
IPayYou embraces Bitcoin SV
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While many retailers are still reluctant to embrace cryptocurrencies directly, there are a number of methods that allow crypto fans to use their holdings to make purchases. One of these is IPayYou, which facilitates the purchase of gift cards with merchants such as Amazon through crypto and the platform announced earlier this week that it has now added support for Bitcoin SV (BSV).
In a tweet from March 18, the company announced the support, stating, "@iPayYouWallet is the first and only #BitcoinSV wallet that allows you to transfer your #BSV value to http://Amazon.com with a simple, easy click-of-a-button. Brought to you by the former executive of http://Amazon.com – https://wallet.iPayYou.io/bsv/direct #MakingBitcoinSimple."
Users can add funds to their IPayYou wallet and use the funds to purchase gift cards to retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy, Starbucks, eBay and more. There is also an option to purchase a Virtual Private Network (VPN) for added security when traveling on the Internet.
Users can also earn money by purchasing gift cards and selling them to the site. Additionally, the company will eagerly purchase any unused gift cards currently in someone's possession. IPayYou announced last week that it "just added a new option to monetize your Amazon gift-card balance with Earn Bitcoin – *Physical Cards*! You may now send us Physical or Digital gift-cards and we pay you #BTC #BCH #BSV – same day! Same terrific service with fast payments. https://wallet.iPayYou.io/earn."
According to the company's website, it offers the first crypto wallet with an integrated shopping feature. It explains, "iPayYou is the first digital currency wallet that has integrated shopping in order to make your Bitcoin useful to you. Bitcoin is meant to be earned and then spent in ways that improves your life. We help you accomplish both. No more looking throughout the web to find merchants that accept Bitcoin. No more trying to figure out how to copy-and-paste addresses and amounts. We make shopping easy and fun – the way Bitcoin was designed to be spent."
Only Bitcoin Core (BTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCHABC) and BSV are supported. The inclusion of BSV shows its increased popularity and continued position as the true legitimate Bitcoin. It is the only digital currency that still follows the original Satoshi Vision and complies with all the criteria to be rightfully considered as a digital alternative to fiat.
AmazonBitcoin SVipayyou
The cryptocurrency markets remained on a relatively stable footing on Thursday morning at press time, although there were a few notable exceptions. Bitcoin Core (BTC) was constant at just over the $4,000 mark and seemed to be holding well at that level. Ethereum (ETH) was also up by around 1% and was close to the $139 mark, appearing to make a push towards the psychologically significant $140 price range where it could be in for another substantial increase.
Other coins with larger market caps also had relatively positive trading over the past 24 hours. Ripple (XRP) was minutely up to the $0.316 level having even gone over the $0.32 mark at one point on Wednesday afternoon, but the price did not hold and it slipped back once again. EOS was stable at the $3.70 mark, whilst Litecoin (LTC) once again started flirting with the $60 level having gained around 1.5% to trade at $59.80 at press time.
Cardano (ADA) was up by 3.6% to the $0.532 level and appears to have consolidated considerably at that mark as it was looking to begin attacking the $0.06 level—a price not seen in months. Stellar (XLM) was basically the only negative mover in the top 10 as it was down by 1.5% to just below the $0.11 level. NEO was up by 2.5% to the $9.28 mark, whilst IOTA rose a small 0.6% to the $0.296 level.
Bitcoin SV (BSV) was stable at the $66 price level, whilst BCHABC was slightly up to the $158 level. Of those currencies with smaller market caps, there was a huge jump on the part of ONT which rose by a massive 25% to the $1.36 level on the back of a considerable rise in turnover. Other coins which also saw considerable jumps included ONG, which was up by 6%; VET was up by 4.5% and Ethereum Classic (ETC) which saw a more modest 2.5% increase to the $4.71 level. WAVES, BAT and NULS were also up by around 2-3% overall.
Michael Hudson: Money is just a measure of someone's time and skill
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Michael Hudson says he founded Bitstocks in 2014 to help the "everyday investor" understand cryptocurrencies. That meant trying to "get rid of all these nerdy, geeky terms" and offering advice to people who want to gain access to crypto markets.
This year he's launching Gravity, Bitstocks' own "holistic ecosystem", which is the company's next step in making the crypto world easy to use for experts and non-specialists alike. Gravity is "a modern interpretation of what banking should look like in a new Bitcoin world."
Michael has thought deeply about the theory of money – the intellectual framework through which the power of crypto can be explained: "money is just a measure of someone's time and their skill. The more skill someone has, the less time it takes to perform a task. The more money you have, the more people you can hire with the skill, reducing the time. Money is a time measurement: the more you have, the more you condense time".
Having been in crypto for five years – an eternity! – Bitstocks has experienced the rollercoaster ride of successive bull and bear markets. But Michael admits that the current downturn, stretching all the way back to the start of 2018, is different.
That's because for the first time, there's a level of "regulatory oversight" that's never been part of the crypto world before. With more than 4000 cryptocurrencies out there, Michael predicts that "99 per cent of them are going to fall on the wrong side of regulation. So we see this as massively clearing up the market".
In fact, Michael thinks that when it comes to the various competing cryptocurrencies, eventually "it's inevitable that there's only going to be one" – and Michael believes that will be Bitcoin SV (BSV). Success for BSV is all about encouraging more transactions, or "building density" in order to strengthen the network. BSV's commitment to a stable protocol makes it the best candidate for that leading role: "you have to lock down the foundation, and then I'll build my house on it". All the other blockchains are "built on quicksand".
Michael's hopes for cryptocurrency extend way beyond London's financial sector, and into the developing world: "Africa is a huge agenda for us here at Bitstocks". Despite Western preconceptions, Michael says, African countries already have "the necessary prerequisites that allow them to step into modern banking". For instance, with smartphones, you have "the hive mind of the world in the palm of your hand".
The unique value of crypto as the basis of an economy is that "in crypto, there's nobody to distort the value." That's partly because of the limited supply, for instance on the Bitcoin blockchain. That means that "as long as I'm measuring and weighting my time and skill in Bitcoin, over time, I know I'm always going to get a better return – because the value that I took initially, will be worth more four years down the road".
Listen to more from Michael Hudson on this week's CoinGeek Conversations podcast:
Please subscribe to CoinGeek Conversations – this is episode 9 of a weekly podcast series. Just search for "CoinGeek Conversations" wherever you get your podcasts, subscribe on iTunes, listen on Spotify or visit the CoinGeek Conversations website.
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Coincheck to sell BSV holdings, pay users in Japanese yen
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Japan-based cryptocurrency exchange Coincheck has decided that it won't support Bitcoin SV (BSV). The platform first made the announcement after the Bitcoin Cash (BCH) hard fork last year, but is now moving forward with payouts of any BSV holdings. Those payouts will be made in Japanese yen.
According to a statement by the company, "Regarding the date and time of the planned event, there is a possibility that the [BSV] market price may be subject to manipulation, so we do not make a public date announcement." It added that it will make a report on payments after they have been made.
The move by the exchange indicates that all users who held BSV in their Coincheck accounts at the time of the hard fork—November 16, 2018—will see those assets automatically converted to yen. Coincheck adds that users who held BCH in their "trading account" or "lending virtual currency account" will not see any conversion, and that the amount of yen delivered might be lower than the market price of the coin. Coincheck also expects to assess a fee for any yen withdrawals.
The decision has already caused friction in the crypto community. "PaidSockPuppet" said on Reddit, "So, they're either selling the BSV on the market and then giving the customers fiat, which means the exchange is deciding when and how to sell their customer's property, or they are buying up their customer's BSV with no chance for the customers to choose. Either way, it sounds like a pretty shitty deal for the customers. They should get to choose."
On Twitter, "Mitsuki Yoshizawa" offered, "I feel that there is no credibility of Coincheck anywhere to dispose of human property."
Coincheck hasn't had what could be considered a solid history with the crypto community. It was hacked in January 2018, losing 523 million NEM tokens in the process. That made it the largest exchange hack at the time, even bigger than the Mt. Gox scandal. It also decided late last year to remove Dash, Zcash, Monero and Augur from the platform, even though these assets have remained popular. It also reported significant losses in the third quarter of last year and, despite receiving approval by Japan's Financial Services Agency (FSA) for an operating license, has still struggled to stabilize its operations. The decision to remove support for yet another digital asset won't do much to improve the company's image.
Bitcoin SVCoincheckcryptocurrencyexchangeJapan
The cryptocurrency markets entered into their third successive day of stability with some slight upward movement in the Bitcoin Core (BTC) price that pushed it over the $4,000 mark for the first time this month. Turnover was up considerably over the past 24 hours and reached the $84 million level on Binance, although it was still way below the highs of around $200 million that were seen over the last few months.
Ethereum (ETH) remained stuck at the $138 level and there does not seem to be much momentum either way with the second largest cryptocurrency by market cap remaining at this level for over a week now. Ripple (XRP) was also stuck at the $0.31 level and the third largest cryptocurrency seems to have settled at this level now without any hopes of any major upwards movement. After the last few days surge, Bitcoin Cash (BCHABC) seems to have settled at the $158 level with very little movement either way although it was down on 24-hour volume.
Of the other currencies with large market caps, Litecoin (LTC) remained static at the $59 mark, whilst EOS saw a slight decline where it dropped below the $3.70 level albeit with minuscule movement overall. Cardano (ADA) was the only currency which showed some positive shift where it rose by around 5% to well over the $0.0511 level. Stellar Lumens (XLM) continued shedding the gains it made over the past week where it was down by 2.6% to the $0.111 mark.
Currencies with smaller market caps also had somewhat mixed fortunes with the notable exception of Ethereum Classic (ETC) which was up by a considerable 6% to the $4.60 level, whilst NEO was also up although by a much more conservative 1% to the $9.09 level. Bitcoin SV (BSV) also showed some positive movement and inched towards the $66 level, whilst TRON remained basically static at the $0.0226 level or a rise of $0.5%. ONT, VET, HOT, ZIL and XMR also saw positive movements ranging from 2% to 4%.
Swiss online retail giant Digitec now accepting Bitcoin SV, other cryptos
Ed Drake
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Swiss online retail giant Digitec Galaxus has enabled cryptocurrency payments through its platforms, including Bitcoin SV (BSV).
The retailer, which owns Switzerland's most prominent online store, digitec.ch, announced the decision on Tuesday. Customers will now be able to pay for transactions over CHF200 (approximately $200) in cryptocurrency like BSV, in addition to the range of other payment methods supported by the retailer.
The decision comes in response to growing customer demand for crypto payment options, and will enable consumers in Switzerland to purchase everything from "shoehorns to wheat beer to gaming PCs" with Bitcoin. Other accepted cryptos include Bitcoin Core (BTC), Bitcoin Cash ABC (BCHABC), Ethereum (ETH), Ripple (XRP), Binance Coin (BNB), Litecoin (LTC), TRON, NEO, and OmiseGO.
The new payments facility was developed in partnership with Swiss payments firm Datatrans and crypto payments company Coinify. Customers are provided with a 15-minute timeframe after checkout to complete payment, with fees of just 1.5% charged for transactions through the facility.
As part of the move, Digitec has also incorporated a crypto wallet into its platforms, which will allow customers to keep track of the transactions and available balances.
Despite the vote of confidence in Bitcoin, Chief Innovation Officer at Digitec Oliver Herren said he doesn't yet appreciate the transformative power of blockchain technology, admitting he may not fully understand the technology.
In a blog post, Herren noted, "…maybe I just haven't invested enough time in fully understanding how the blockchain ecosystem works."
Nevertheless, in response to strong demand from its customers, the $261-million revenue retailer confirmed crypto support would be effective immediately.
The onboarding is the latest example of a retailer announcing support for BSV. With fast processing times and low transactions costs, BSV is perfectly suited to consumer payments, as intended in the original bitcoin whitepaper.
Other retailers have taken similar steps towards onboarding crypto payments, including Overstock, while Rakuten and Canadian platform Bunz Trading Zone have gone a stage further in introducing their own platform-specific tokens.
It comes at a time of increasing adoption of cryptocurrencies like BSV among consumers globally, as digital currency continues to challenges card and cash payments as a more efficient, cost-effective payment method.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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require 'spaceship/portal/app'
require 'spaceship/portal/website_push'
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require 'spaceship/portal/provisioning_profile'
require 'spaceship/portal/portal_client'
require 'spaceship/portal/persons'
require 'spaceship/portal/person'

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
L.A. Dance Project – Harbor Me, 3 Marth Graham duets, Helix, On the Other Side – New York
Marina Harss
Stephanie Amuro in Helix.
© Rose Eichenbaum. (Click image for larger version)
L.A. Dance Project
Harbor Me, Marth Graham duets (White, Star, Moon), Helix, On the Other Side
★★★✰✰
New York, Joyce Theater
www.ladanceproject.com
www.joyce.org
Since his quick exit from the Paris Opera Ballet, the choreographer and former director Benjamin Millepied has recommitted himself to the small Los-Angeles-based company he founded in 2012, L.A. Dance Project. The ensemble, which has been busy creating relationships with arts foundations and commercial entities like Van Cleef & Arpels, is now in New York, performing at the Joyce. With all the hoopla over Millepied, it's sometimes easy to gloss over the company itself. Is it good? Is it producing interesting work? Is it worthy of its international profile?
The answer, based on the program at the Joyce, is mixed. One thing is sure: the dancers are very, very good. Even more, they are interesting. Each has a distinct personality, an individualized approach to the steps. All are intensely musical, versatile and indefaticable. The program, filled with highly physical, fast-paced, energetic works, was a killer; they sailed through with impressive élan, even joy. The repertory truly belongs to them; they have shaped it.
Aaron Carr, Morgan Lugo and Robbie Moore in Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui's Harbor Me.
What of the works themselves? Well, here comes the "mixed" part. There is the inevitable dash of trendiness, the hat tip to a certain vein of feel-good semi-philosophical contemporary dance. In this case, the slot was filled by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui's Harbor Me, a piece for three men that is as handsome and tasteful as a moving Rodin sculpture, but which goes absolutely nowhere. (The music, by Park Woojae Geomungo, is melifulous and bland, a kind of world-music easy-listening.) Then, a surprising choice: a triptych of Martha Graham duets (the company has also performed Cunningham). And finally, what feels like something of a company signature: a duo of energetic, stylish, high-spirited pieces with a strong ballet backbone, by Justin Peck and Mr. Millepied.
Did I mention the dancers' versatility? The Martha Graham duets ("White," "Star," and "Moon") may not have looked very much like Graham as performed by the Graham Company – these dancers don't have the tautness or the attack – but there is something tremendously refreshing about seeing them out of context, without the Graham baggage. The choreography stands up, and how. Graham's use of stillness, of shape and muscle and the contrast between male and female energy made them perhaps the most striking works of the night, particularly when set against the busy-ness of the Peck and Millepied works that followed.
The choreography, less self-consciously dramatic than that of the "signature" Graham works, looks wise and pure; these qualities are further emphasized by the reimagined costumes, simple, elegant unisex tights and tunics by Janie Taylor, and the minimal score. The three duets are drawn from longer works, but were placed side by side in a 1957 documentary about Graham, with an original score by Cameron McCosh. They work well together as subtle meditations on the relationships between two people. The third duet, "Moon," an excerpt from the 1952 work Canticle for Innocent Comedians, displays an almost galactic calm, reminiscent of the mood in Frederick Ashton's Monotones. Anthony Bryant and Stephanie Amurao danced with quiet intensity, like planets on intersecting orbits.
Nathan Makolandra and Rachelle Rafailedes in Helix.
Peck's Helix, an exploration of partnering for three couples built around furious coiling and spinning movements, is a rather breathless tour de force. Why walk when you can run? The technique is mainly ballet, fast, clean, brilliant, athletic. The costumes, again by Taylor, consist of gray unitards and blue socks. The partnering, though based in a ballet vocabulary (promenades, finger turns), is refreshingly gender-neutral. As usual with Peck, the stage space is deftly used; dancers appear and disappear, running backwards at warp speed; patterns suddenly emerge, only to dissolve a moment later. Peck has a mathematical mind. But also an intensely musical one: one of the pleasure of his work is watching a movement morph from a drawn out legato into high speed, then reel itself back in again. The music, by Esa-Pekka Salonen, swells and soars, like early Stravinsky; in recording, however, it is greatly diminished. Millepied, who is musically sophisticated, should take this into account in his repertory choices: what will sound good in this or that venue? Helix needs an orchestra.
The evening closed with Millepied's On the other Side, a work that closes his recent "Gems" trilogy, made in collaboration with Van Cleef & Arpels – shades of George Balanchine's Jewels. However, there's nothing particularly jewel-like about On the Other Side, except for the designs: a beautiful, colorful backdrop by the LA-based artist Mark Bradford that looks like a cross between a map of Venice and a piece of marbled Venetian paper, all dribs and drabs that respond gorgeously to the shifting light (lighting by Lucy Carter.) The costumes, too, are gorgeous, flowing jersey cotton pants and tops and summer dresses. Like Helix, it's furiously busy, though it lacks that work's excitement. The theme seems to be the dynamics within a group of young people: the connections between dancers, the affection and mutual support that flows between them. Everyone watches everyone else with concern. It's a common theme for young, American ballet choreographers today, a legacy of Robbins perhaps. Troy Shumacher, Myles Thatcher and even Peck come to mind. It's become a bit of a cliché. The Philip Glass score, too, feels like throwback.
Stephanie Amurao in Benjamin Millepied's On the Other Side.
The real problem with On the Other Side, though, is that it drags on. Genuinely brilliant passages, like a skittering, flickering, happy-go-lucky solo for Lila Rúriksdóttir, and interesting lifts involving multiple dancers, simply get lost in the profusion. It's a seldom-remarked-upon problem with Glass: his pieces tend to be long and repetitive, and choreographers end up marking time by piling on the steps.
It's clear, though, that Millepied has built a strong and promising ensemble of dancers. With his mix of smarts and connections, he may yet develop it into something really interesting.
TagsAnthony Bryant Benjamin Millepied Cameron McCosh Canticle for Innocent Comedians Esa-Pekka Salonen Frederick Ashton George Balanchine Harbor Me Helix Janie Taylor Jewels Joyce Theater Justin Peck L.A. Dance Project Lila Ruriksdottir Lucy Carter Mark Bradford Marth Graham duets Martha Graham Merce Cunningham Monotones Moon duet Myles Thatcher New York On the Other Side Paris Opera Ballet Park Woojae Geomungo Philip Glass Rodin Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui Star duet Stephanie Amurao Troy Shumacher Van Cleef and Arpels White duet
Marina Harss is a free-lance dance writer and translator in New York. Her dance writing has appeared in the New Yorker, The Nation, Playbill, The Faster Times, DanceView, The Forward, Pointe, and Ballet Review. Her translations, which include Irène Némirovsky's "The Mirador," Dino Buzzati's "Poem Strip," and Pasolini's "Stories from the City of God" have been published by FSG, Other Press, and New York Review Books. You can check her updates on Twitter at: @MarinaHarss
"without the Graham baggage"? We should all be so burdened to look like Yuriko in the final duet. What a fatuous comment. The dancers struck decorative poses without a hint of tension, stakes, or without the Graham baggage.. Physically versatile yes, but stylistically in the only work of significant tone difference (Graham) they sank. You clearly do not have the qualifications to assess Graham if this glib response is your take away. Shame.
Fall For Dance Festival at City Center – Programs 1 and 2 – New York
New York City Ballet – Apollo, Orpheus, Agon – New York
Ballet v6.0 Festival – Whim W'Him, BalletCollective and Jessica Lang Dance – New York
Ballet de Lorraine – Devoted, HOK Solo Pour Ensemble, Sounddance – New York
American Ballet Theatre – Souvenir d'un Lieu Cher, I Feel the Earth Move, Daphnis and Chloe – New York


J. & P. Coats Mercerized Crochet, 16 balls of any color, or 12 balls of White or Ecru.
Measurements: Bust—34 inches. Length from top of shoulder—20 inches. Length of sleeve, underarm seam—4 inches.
Gauge: 9 loops make 2 inches; 9 rows of loops make 1 inch.
Back. Starting at bottom, ch 218 (to measure about 18 inches). 1st row: S c in 8th ch from hook, * ch 4, skip 2 ch, s c in next ch. Repeat from * across (71 loops), Ch 5, turn. 2nd row: S c in 1st loop, * ch 4, s c in next loop. Repeat from * across. Ch 3, turn. 3rd row: Into s c just made, make: 1 d c, 2 tr, and 1 d c (a shell). S c in 1st loop, * ch 4, s c in next loop, ch 4, s c in next loop; in next s c (of previous row—between the 2 loops) make a shell as before; s c in next loop. Repeat from * across, ending row with 1 loop after the last shell (24 shells). Ch 5, turn. 4th row: S c in 1st loop, * ch 4, s c between 2 tr of shell, ch 4, s c in next loop, ch 4, s c in next loop. Repeat from * across (71 loops). Ch 5, turn. The last 3 rows (2nd to 4th rows incl.) constitute the pattern. Repeat these 3 rows until piece measures 6½ inches. Then inc. 1 loop at both ends of next row and every 8th row thereafter until there are 81 loops in the row. Work straight until piece measures 11½ inches. Break off.
To Shape Armholes: 1st row: Attach thread to 4th loop and work in pattern across to within 4 loops from end of row. Ch 5, turn. 2nd row: Work in pattern to within last loop (or last shell, as the case may be), thus decreasing 1 loop at end of row. Ch 5, turn. Repeat the 2nd row, decreasing 1 loop at end of each row until 60 loops remain. Work straight until piece measures 7 inches from 1st row of armhole shaping. To shape shoulders, dec. 2 loops (or 1 shell, and 1 loop, as the case may be), at armhole edge every other row until 28 loops remain. Break off.
Front. Work in pattern as for Back until piece measures 6½ inches (71 loops). Then inc. 1 loop at both ends of next row and of one row every 1¼ inches thereafter until there are 79 loops in the row. Work straight until piece measures 13 inches in all. Break off.
To Shape Armholes: Attach thread to 5th loop and work in pattern across to within 5 loops from end of row. Ch 5, turn. Hereafter dec. 1 loop (or 1 shell) at end of each row until 56 loops remain. Work straight until piece measures 2½ inches from 1st row of armhole shaping. On next row work in pattern across 1st 28 loops, turn (thus starting center front opening). Work over these 28 loops only until piece measures 6 inches from 1st row of armhole shaping. Then, on next row, dec. 4 loops at center front edge, and 1 loop every other row thereafter until 12 loops in all are decreased at front edge but, when piece measures 7 inches from 1st row of armhole shaping, shape shoulder by decreasing 2 loops at shoulder edge each row until all loops are worked off. Break off. Attach thread at base of opening and work opposite side to correspond.
Sleeves. Starting at bottom, ch 170 (to measure about 13 inches), and work in pattern until piece measures 4 inches (55 loops). To shape top of sleeve, dec. 1 loop at both ends of next row and every 3rd row thereafter 5 times in all. Then dec. 1 loop at both ends of every 4th row until 23 loops remain. Break off.
Collar. Starting at neck edge, ch 206 (to measure about 15½ inches), and work in pattern, increasing 7 loops on the 4th, 8th, 13th, 16th and 19th rows at equal distances apart, but do not have increases fall directly over those of previous increase row. Work straight until piece measures 2¾ inches. Break off. Sew up underarm seams, easing in the extra fullness of Front 1½ inches down from armhole shaping. Sew up shoulder seams. Make an inverted pleat, about 2 inches long and deep enough to fit the arm of individual, at bottom of each sleeve. Sew up sleeve seams and sew sleeves in, easing in the extra fullness of sleeves across the center 3 inches at top. Sew collar all around neck edge. Sew 3 buttons along each side of front opening, and fasten with chain-loops, as in illustration.


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LG Electronics is taking the home entertainment experience to new heights with the introduction of its latest flagship TVs with ThinQ AI at CES 2019. Powered by the company's second-generation α (Alpha) 9 Gen 2 intelligent processor and deep learning algorithm, the new models offer a higher level of AI picture and sound experience quality. Thanks to the new algorithm, LG's TVs will offer enhanced picture and sound by analyzing source content as well as optimized content by recognizing ambient conditions.


text:
Your vacation starts here
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Read about our own adventures through Provence.
Carpentras and a visit to the oldest synagogue in France
It is not unusual to find us headed to Carpentras on Friday morning's for the weekly market or shopping for kid's clothes. Carpentras is a short 25 minute ride down the D-7 from Sablet. As we get near, we see Notre-Dame de l'Observance Church towering over Carpentras.
Carpentras is located along the banks of the Auzon River. Carpentras was a commercial site used by Greek merchants in ancient times, and known to Romans, first as Carpentoracte Meminorum, mentioned by Pliny, then renamed Forum Neronis ("Forum of Nero").
Pope Clement V took up residence in Carpentras at the beginning of the Avignon Papacy, along with the Roman Curia, in 1313. It was his successor Pope John XXII who settled definitively in Avignon. Nowadays, Carpentras is a commercial center for Comtat Venaissin and is famous for the black truffle market that takes place every Friday morning during the winter months.
The 14th-century Porte d'Orange, ("Orange entrance"), is a massive fortified gateway on the north side of historic Carpentras. This is all that remains of the defensive wall which consisted of 32 towers and 4 gates. This last tower stands proud and tall at 78 feet high. This tower was saved from destruction during a major urban renewal project which took place in the late 19th century.
As you wander around Carpentras, you will come upon Saint-Siffrein Cathedral which was built on top of two previous churches; traces of one, a 13th century Romanesque church can be seen on the northern side of the apse. The cathedral was constructed in Gothic style by order of Pope Benedict XIII. The work lasted for more then a century, from 1404 to 1519. One of the cathedral's most unusual features is the south doorway known as the Porte Juive (Jews' Gate). This ornate Gothic doorway was designed as an entrance for Jews who wished to be baptized.
The interior of the cathedral testifies to the great artistic fervor during the papal presence in the Comtat Venaissin. Painted panels of the Crowning of the Virgin, 15th century stained glass windows, precious Genoan marble altarpieces, gilded wood sculptures by the Bernus family, outstanding wrought iron work by the Mille family, paintings signed by G.E. Grève, N. Mignard, E. Parrocel and Carpentras artist J.S. Duplessis.
Founded in 1585, the Brotherhood of White Penitents installed themselves near Saint-Jean-du-Bourg Church. Their chapel seen below was consecrated in 1661. The chapel was rebuilt in 1705 and 1779.
Chapelle des Penitents Blancs (White Penitents Chapel)
Street art on wall in Carpentras
The city of Carpentras has hosted Jews since at least February 28, 1276, according to tax rolls from that time. Expelled from France by Philipple le Bel, the Jews took refuge in the Papal lands where they were safe and enjoyed freedom of worship. Along with Avignon, Cavaillon and L'Isle sur la Sorgue, Carpentras was home to a large Jewish community in a neighborhood that did not become a ghetto until the end of the sixteenth century.
The synagogue in Carpentras is the oldest Jewish house of worship in existence in France today. The synagogue, built in 1367, has a Baroque-style interior and a gold-ornamented hall with a blue domed ceiling.
The synagogue is housed within a larger building that once functioned as a Jewish community center. The building boasts spectacular facilities, including a 30-foot-deep ritual bath, fed by turquoise waters from a natural spring, another heated bath, a kosher abattoir and two communal bakeries. The 18th century sanctuary is on the first floor.
Interior of Synagogue
A mikvah is a ritual bath used for ablution, which is necessary for rites of purity of Jewish women. It has to be dug to ground level and supplied with a natural source of water. The first mikvah for this synagogue was the small bath of 4 feet 3 inches deep shown below. It had a staircase of seven steps, and included a hand pump system for bringing heated water into the adjoining tub.
First ritual bath (Mikvah)
The second ritual bath was dug in the rock to a depth of 32 feet and 9 inches. It is fed with spring water. On our tour, the guide indicated that the source for the spring water may be the Fontaine de Vaucluse, that I told you about here.
Second ritual bath (Mikvah)
Among the Biblical prescriptions observed by Jews are ritual rules for food. The synagogue has two bakeries to meet these requirements. The one shown below is reserved to bake Shabbat's bread and for the ordinary days. The cupola oven is still intact.
Cupola oven
The other bakery shown below is reserved for the manufacture of unleavened bread called "coudoles" in Provence or what we know as Matzos. These are the only permissible loaves during the eight days of the Jewish Passover.
The kneading table
You enter the synagogue at street level and climb a grand if plainly made staircase to reach the sanctuary. Neither the spare facade (decreed by the Catholic Church, which forbade elaborate exterior decoration) nor the stairs prepares you for the explosion of color and craftsmanship that distinguish this spacious room, which is arranged on two levels and decorated in Louis XV style.
During our visit to the sanctuary, we were treated to the music of an Israeli violinist who was practicing for a concert he was to give in the sanctuary.
Striking colored home on the way to Chez Serge Restaurant
Tricia Jornada June 20, 2019
A quick note about this blog...
Chez Serge, Carpentras France
Tricia Jornada March 31, 2019 Carpentras, Chez Serge
20 GRAND RUE
Sablet, France 84110
chcmichel@aol.com


text:
With water and labour dwindling, Punjab and Haryana urge farmers against paddy
Paddy is both water and labour-intensive
By Aayush Goel May 21, 2020 21:46 IST
Accounting for almost 15 per cent of the country's entire paddy cultivation, the 'Basmati' rice bowls of Punjab and Haryana are out for a major agricultural shift. After suffering acute groundwater shortages, the states are diverting from growing farmland staples of almost five decades—wheat and rice—by asking farmers to try crop diversification.
The farmers are being directed and offered incentives to replace water-guzzling paddy with the likes of maize, cotton or pulses. The Haryana government has decided to shift 1 lakh hectares of paddy-sowing area for other crops—primarily maize. The state has identified 'dark zones'—where water resources have been overexploited—and has banned paddy sowing in panchayat lands with water table below 35 meters.
It has rolled out incentive-linked massive crop diversification plans 'Mera Pani Meri Virasat' wherein the state government will buy maize and pulses at MSP and will also provide an incentive of Rs 7,000 per acre for farmers switching to alternate crops.
According to the state government, the groundwater table depletes at a rate of about one meter every year due to non-stop sowing of paddy. While rice requires 40-45 irrigation cycles, alternate crops like maize require only four. The state produces an average of 68 lakh metric tonnes of paddy across 32 lakh acres of land.
"36 blocks of state has become dark zones where the water table has depleted almost by double in the last 20 years. While eleven of these blocks have already shin paddy sowing its eight blocks which the scheme is primarily targeted for. It's high time that farmers switch from paddy to other crops or generation to come may face aqua doom", said CM Manohar Lal Khattar.
The diversification idea has however left the opposition up in arms, as former CM and senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the farmers were not ready to accept the diversification. "Instead of imposing restrictions on farmers, the state government needs to have better water resource management. It took us decades to make this arid region the rice bowl and all this cannot be negated", Hooda told THE WEEK.
Meanwhile, Punjab—which has been trying for years to get farmers to shift from paddy to cotton—seems to be making the switch already due to the shortage of farm labour. The majority of paddy farmers are either opting for the direct-sowing method or switching to cotton. The state expects an increase of 1.5 lakh hectares in the area under cotton cultivation. It may be noted that non-stop paddy cultivation had been held responsible for the depletion of ground-water in 80 per cent of the state. The number of tube-wells has increased by 200 per cent in last 30 years and as of March, 109 out of 138 blocks were placed in the over-exploited category—where, despite availability and access to irrigation, the majority of farmers opt for digging their own tube-wells to water the fields.
Various blocks in districts like Mansa, Sangrur, Ludhiana, Bathinda, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Moga, Pathankot and Patiala have recorded depletion below 50 meters. Interestingly while the Captain Amarinder Singh-led state government is emphasising in a shift to cotton, various agriculture experts have urged the government to follow Haryana and prioritise maize cultivation. They have highlighted that paddy not only requires more water than maize or pulses but is also cash-intensive, besides being unpredictable in terms of produce and procurement.
Punjab farm subsidy row: Akali leader says country moving to 'presidential' govt
India's wheat exports to treble this financial year
20 lakh undeserving beneficiaries got Rs 1,364 crore under PM-KISAN scheme
Evolving luxury


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Upcoming SCOTUS Cases Can Help in the War Against Patent Trolls
By William Peacock, Esq. on October 11, 2013 1:25 PM
Patent trolls are a rising problem in this country. These non-practicing entities purchase patents, attempt to enforce rights by threatening litigation, even over the most questionable of claims, and they often profit, as settlements are paid out to avoid the cost of litigation. Even when they do file litigation, there is little downside for the trolls, because many of them are attorneys. The high cost of litigating is mitigated by handling the legal work themselves.
Earlier this year, the White House proposed a list of reforms meant to fight patent trolling. A few days later, Chief Judge Randall Rader, of the Federal Circuit, penned an op-ed supporting one of the reforms, fee-shifting, though he noted that fee-shifting is already authorized by Section 285 of the Patent Act, as well as Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
MORE COVERAGE:
Ineffective Assistance in a Plea: Lafler Redux? (6th Cir.)
SCOTUS to Review Regulation of Abortion-Inducing Drugs (10th Cir.)
Supreme Court to Hear Child Porn Restitution Case (5th Cir.)
How to Get Sworn In to the U.S. Supreme Court (Greedy Associates)
Three Ways to Stay Up to Date With Supreme Court News (Technologist)
All Circuit Court Coverage (LP Blogs)
Despite the authority to shift fees, Judge Rader noted that these provisions were only used in 20 out of nearly 3,000 patent cases filed in 2011, and that in 2012, the majority of all patent suits were by non-practicing entities. While he urged more frequent use of fee-shifting, could the reason for courts' reluctance lie in his own court's jurisprudence?
The Supreme Court, last week, granted certiorari in two Federal Circuit cases involving fee-shifting. (We'll have an in-depth look at both cases on our Federal Circuit blog later today.) Depending on how the court rules, the outcome could make it significantly easier for lower courts to award fees, and more difficult for the Federal Circuit to disturb those rulings.
In Highmark Inc. v. Allcare Health Management Systems Inc., the Federal Circuit employed a deference-free review standard when reversing a lower court's award of attorney's fees. The district court had awarded fees after six years of litigation on, what it felt, was a meritless claim.
One might argue that they are in a better position to determine the merits of a claim, as they are the trial court, and as such, their decision deserves deference. Indeed, every other circuit and the Supreme Court employs a deferential standard in these scenarios. After SCOTUS hears the case, the Federal Circuit might be forced to do the same.
The other case, Octane Fitness LLC v. Icon Health & Fitness Inc. will review the Federal Circuit's own "rigid and exclusive two-part test" for making fee-shifting determinations. Because the test is so strict, the question the Supreme Court will be addressing is whether such a rigid test eliminates judicial discretion, and whether it contradicts Congressional intent and Supreme Court precedent.
If both of these rulings come out in favor of flexibility in fee-shifting, Judge Rader's proposal might become a reality. As is, his own court's rulings are likely playing a part in courts' reluctance to punish frivolous patent litigation.
State of Vermont Sues Patent Troll (FindLaw's In House Blog)
Fed. Cir. Clarifies Newegg Opinion, Crushes Patent Troll (FindLaw's Federal Circuit Blog)
Confessions of a Patent Troll (FindLaw's Greedy Associates Blog)


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McKnight has ended four program areas: Education, Region & Communities, Mississippi River, and Southeast Asia
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Community Focus Areas
In September 2019, the McKnight Foundation announced a new community-focused program to advance equity and inclusion in Minnesota. The goal: Build a vibrant future for all Minnesotans with shared power, prosperity, and participation. To build this vibrant future, this new program will honor and build upon what we've learned from the work we've supported in the community over many years while making space for new ideas. Through this new program, we will harness the potential of Minnesotans across race, culture, ethnicity, income, geography, and other differences to make our state one that works for every community and its residents.
In a time when Minnesota consistently ranks as one of the worst in the nation for racial disparities, we envision a future where people of color and Indigenous people—who today must navigate institutional and systemic barriers—can gain and exercise power, prosper culturally and economically, and participate fully in civic life.
Our new program focuses on advancing economic mobility, equitable development, and civic engagement.
We see these three focus areas as systems-change work that intersect and seek to help all Minnesotans thrive in different ways. Economic mobility aims to make an impact for individuals; equitable development aims to make an impact for communities and places across Minnesota; and civic engagement aims to inspire broader advocacy and engagement that leverage our diversity as an asset. Our strategies for this work are still emerging; we describe below our early thinking and approach to these three focus areas.
Equitable Development
McKnight believes that all Minnesotans will do better if we close our racially based economic gaps. In focusing on economic mobility, we aim to ensure that low-wealth communities, Indigenous people, and communities of color participate and share in our state's social, cultural, and economic assets, while also strengthening Minnesota's economic competitiveness. To accomplish this, we will work to eliminate racial and other gaps in income, housing, education, and wealth. Specific projects may include growing new jobs that support families, building a more skilled workforce, investing in a strong base of entrepreneurs and small business owners, and increasing equitable access to education.
For much of Minnesota's history, policies and practices have led to inequities by disinvesting in low-wealth communities, Indigenous people, and communities of color. Achieving equitable development would mean that all Minnesotans have an opportunity to:
live in healthy, safe communities;
connect to economic, social, and cultural opportunities; and
use their voice to influence decisions that shape where they live.
Advancing equitable development may include efforts to preserve and produce affordable housing; to ensure low-wealth, Indigenous, immigrant communities, and communities of color have influence over local decisions; and to embed equitable practices within public infrastructure investments.
As communities across Minnesota continue to change, residents are seeking ways to connect with one another, build bridges across lines of difference, solve problems, and create opportunities to address inequality and foster prosperity. While Minnesota has many innovative initiatives that address racial and economic inequality, these efforts have typically taken place in isolation. To make real progress, we need multigenerational, multiracial, multi-sector, and multi-issue civic leaders who can coordinate efforts to build shared power, prosperity, and participation across Minnesota.
A strong civic infrastructure would support communities in coming together around common values and interests. Such civic engagement would enable communities to define, act upon, and achieve shared purpose. It could also support a more inclusive and representative democracy; a new generation of public leaders; and stronger, values-based narratives that elevate our communities' common interests.
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http://impacteffectnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/10-LEIF-COCKS-PODCAST.lite_.mp3
Host: Tom Eddington
Guest: Leif Cocks
Quick Show Description:
Leif Cocks says if we are born with the same genes and in the same circumstances, we will all do the same things. No one should feel criticism or superiority. Eventually, Leif hopes to create a world where conservation organizations are no longer needed. Leif speaks about what he learned about working with orangutans closely. Orangutans are actually entirely independent and confident. Our genetics and culture have given us the ability to destroy ourselves. Leif says we need to reform ourselves before we can work on reforming the planet.
[00:30] Meet Leif Cocks. He's a zoologist by trade and started a mission to save the orangutans. Along the way, he has discovered a lot about humanity. Leif gives his definition of conscious leadership.
[03:00] How Leif shows up in the corporate setting and utilizes conscious leadership in a conservation organization.
[05:55] When you meet and become close friends with an orangutan, you will see the humanity in their eyes. Orangutans are far more independent, confident, and self-assured.
[08:00] The problems that our planet faces.
[14:40] Reform yourself before you and try and reform the world. Take time to become active in expressing compassion in an intelligent way.
The organization becomes subservient to the cause. We cannot lose sight of what we are there to achieve.
If we are happy, then we can't help but make other people happy.
The problem our society faces is cognitive dissonance.
Reform yourself before you try and reform the world.
2 Quotes:
"Conscious leadership is about expressing the love within ourselves through our work."
"I want to create a world where conservation organizations are superfluous."
Resources/links mentioned in show:
The Orangutan Project: https://www.theorangutanproject.org/about-us/leif-cocks/
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMBZGn2tMFg
Book: Finding Our Humanity: An inner journey towards understanding ourselves and our way forward
Book: Orangutans My Cousins, My Friends: A journey to understand and save the person of the forest
Meet Leif Cocks
The Orangutan Project was established in 1998 by founder and world-renowned orangutan expert, Leif Cocks, as a result of his almost 30 year career working with orangutans. Leif is a passionate campaigner for orangutans and has been the President of The Orangutan Project since its inception. Join Tom as he explores Leif's passionate commitment to Orangutans.
The Orangutan Project
© All rights reserved. The Impact Effect Network
1016 Lincoln Bvd. Suite 222, San Francisco, CA 94129


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Low-carbon support through the energy transition is happening.
Upholding everyday electricity supply and the continued electrification of society
Nuclear power is a low-carbon source of electricity that plays a key role in the energy transition that is underway. It supports everyday electricity supply and the continued electrification of society with fossil-free power. For decades to come, long-term nuclear operations will continue to play an important role in Sweden as a climate-neutral, cost-effective source of baseload electricity.
Forsmark nuclear power plant in Sweden.
Vattenfall is a major owner of nuclear power in Northern Europe with vast experience of nuclear operations, decommissioning and management of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. Nuclear safety is the overriding priority in everything we do.
Vattenfall owns ten nuclear reactors, five of which are in commercial operation. Seven reactors are located in Sweden (four at Ringhals, three at Forsmark), and three in Germany (Brunsbüttel, Krümmel and a minority stake in Brokdorf). The German government has made the decision to phase out nuclear power and Vattenfall's nuclear assets in Germany will be wound down in accordance with this decision.
In 2015, Vattenfall decided to close the two oldest reactors at the nuclear power plant Ringhals – Ringhals 2 in 2019 and Ringhals 1 in 2020. Ringhals 2 was decommissioned according to plans at the end of 2019 and Ringhals 1 at the end of 2020. Over a period of ten years, Vattenfall has invested in extensive modernisation programmes so that Ringhals 3 and 4 and Forsmark 1, 2 and 3 are well prepared to operate for decades ahead.
In 2020, nuclear generation represented around 30% of Sweden's electricity production. Vattenfall's Ringhals and Forsmark nuclear reactors produced 39,3 TWh of Vattenfall's total electricity generation at 112,8 TWh.
What are the biggest environmental threats from nuclear power?
Is nuclear power a bad energy source?
High-level, long-life radioactive waste, primarily consisting of spent nuclear fuel, must be carefully shielded during handling and transportation. It takes approximately 100,000 years for the radioactivity to decline to the level that is found in the uranium ore from which the fuel was originally extracted. Waste generated during the operation of a nuclear power plant is classified as radioactive, if it was contaminated or activated in the process.
Nuclear waste management in Sweden
Radioactive waste in Sweden is classified in four levels and depending on the radionuclide content in the waste it is also classified as long-lived or short-lived waste. The Swedish system of waste management was developed by SKB, the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company, which is a company owned by the Swedish nuclear operators. The system consists of several facilities for final disposal of the waste depending on its activity and lifetime. The Swedish national authorities supervise the process for the final storage of spent nuclear fuel.
The safety work at Vattenfall's plants in Sweden is supervised by the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority.
Nuclear waste management in Germany
In 2016, the German Bundestag passed a law under which responsibility for the intermediate and final storage of nuclear waste was transferred to the state. In return, the nuclear operators made payments to a public fund.
So far, there is neither a final repository for low and medium-level radioactive waste nor for spent nuclear fuel. A final repository for low and medium-level radioactive waste is being built in a former iron ore mine (Schacht Konrad) and is expected to be available in 2027. Until then, the waste is stored in interim storages at the nuclear power plant sites. At our Brunsbüttel nuclear power plant a special storage facility has been built and is scheduled to go into operation in 2022. It will then be handed over to the federally owned BGZ (Gesellschaft für Zwischenlagerung) which is responsible for operating all interim storage facilities for radioactive waste in Germany. A similar storage facility is being built at our Krümmel nuclear power plant.
The site finding procedure for a final repository for spent nuclear fuel is ongoing. Until such a storage facility is available, the spent nuclear fuel is stored in interim facilities that exist at all nuclear power plant sites.
The safety work at Vattenfall's plants in Germany is supervised by the Social Ministry of Schleswig-Holstein.
Nuclear waste authorities
SKB, Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company
Swedish Radiation Safety Authority
Social Ministry of Schleswig-Holstein
Our power plants
Find out more about Vattenfall's power plants and facts about how much electricity and heat we are producing.
Explore our power plants
Nuclear power and the environment
Nuclear power emits low levels of CO2 throughout its entire life cycle. The management of high-level waste such as spent nuclear fuel requires storage in secure facilities for an extremely long time. The facilities must meet the requirements for radiation protection for up to 100,000 years. It is the operator's responsibility to have reliable solutions for managing nuclear waste.
Mining of uranium for the manufacturing of nuclear fuel has an impact on nature. Modern mining methods allow for the landscape to be restored once mining operations have finished. The construction of new nuclear power plants requires the use of energy-intensive materials, such as metal and concrete, but once a nuclear power plant is up and running it emits exceptionally low amounts of CO2.
To get a comprehensive overview of the total emissions in relation to nuclear power, we have carried out an Environmental Product Declaration, EPD. EPDs are updated on a regular basis and they help us identify where we should focus our future efforts to keep reducing our emissions even further.
Vattenfall has established the Business Unit Nuclear Decommissioning to perform a safe and efficient decommissioning of reactors in Germany and Sweden. The licensing of a Swedish final repository for spent nuclear fuel is progressing as planned. The next step is the government's approval of the application made by SKB. This application involves both the site for future storage in Forsmark and the so-called KBS-3 method that is setting an international benchmark for final storage of nuclear waste. The method is the result of more than 30 years of research & demonstration carried out by SKB.
Nuclear sourcing
Vattenfall aims to set and maintain high standards on its fuel sourcing. This is a long-term endeavour with continuous improvement at its core. Different fuels present different challenges but we always act systemically with our long-term goals in mind.
Issues relating to uranium include:
Mine worker health and safety
Local ground water impacts
Indigenous peoples' rights
Site remediation
Uranium supplies are, over time, equally spread among Namibia,
Canada, Australia, Kazakhstan and Russia
Nuclear fuel suppliers are screened and approved by Vattenfall before they deliver. The approval process contains several steps such as actual on-site audits to verify that the supplier takes proper consideration of matters such as quality, environment, working conditions, human rights, and local community impact.
The approval process also includes regular screening activities, including evaluation of country (i.e. the location of the production facility) and industry specific risks and supplier policies and their communication on the implementation of practices. Furthermore, all nuclear fuel–related contracts signed after 2008 include a clause on the UN Global Compact principles.
Vattenfall is an active member of the World Nuclear Association initiative "Corporate Social Responsibility at Mining and Other Fuel Cycle Facilities".
Learn about our strategic and financial targets.
We have a responsibility for our environmental and social impacts.