Shio-Mgvime Monastery is a medieval monastic complex in Georgia, near the town of Mtskheta. It is located in a narrow limestone canyon on the northern bank of the river Mtkvari. According to a historic tradition, the first monastic community at this place was founded by the 6th-century monk Shio, one of the Thirteen Assyrian Fathers who came to Georgia as Christian missionaries. St. Shio is said to have spent his last years as a hermit in a deep cave near Mtskheta subsequently named Shiomghvime ("the Cave of Shio") after him. Shio-Mgvime was the largest monastic community in Georgia and by the end of the 6th century it was populated by 2,000 monks. It was a vibrant center of cultural and religious activities.
Mtskheta is one of the oldest cities of Georgia, it is located approximately 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Tbilisi. As the birthplace and one of the most vibrant centers of Christianity in Georgia, Mtskheta was declared as the "Holy City" by the Georgian Orthodox Church in 2014. Due to its historical significance and several cultural monuments, the "Historical Monuments of Mtskheta" became a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site. Mtskheta was founded in the 5th century.
The Svetitskhoveli Cathedral ( literally the Cathedral of the Living Pillar) is an Eastern Orthodox cathedral located in Mtskheta. A masterpiece of the Early Middle Ages, Svetitskhoveli is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It is currently the second largest church building in Georgia, after the Holy Trinity Cathedral. Known as the burial site of Christ's mantle, Svetitskhoveli has long been one of the principal Georgian Orthodox churches and is among the most venerated places of worship in the region. It was built in the early fourth century. According to Georgian hagiography, in the 1st century AD a Georgian Jew from Mtskheta named Elias was in Jerusalem when Jesus was crucified. Elias bought Jesus' robe from a Roman soldier at Golgotha and brought it back to Georgia. Returning to his native city, he was met by his sister Sidonia who upon touching the robe immediately died from the emotions engendered by the sacred object. The robe could not be removed from her grasp, so she was buried with it.The place where Sidonia is buried with Christ's robe is preserved in the Cathedral. Later, from her grave grew an enormous cedar tree. Ordering the cedar chopped down to build the church, St. Nino had seven columns made from it for the church's foundation. The seventh column, however, had magical properties and rose by itself into the air. It returned to earth after St. Nino prayed the whole night. It was further said that from the magical seventh column a sacred liquid flowed that cured people of all diseases.In Georgian sveti means "pillar" and tskhoveli means "life-giving" or "living", hence the name of the cathedral. An icon portraying this event can be seen on the second column on the right-hand from the entrance. Reproduced widely throughout Georgia, it shows Sidonia with an angel lifting the column in heaven.
Jvari Monastery is a sixth century Georgian Orthodox monastery near Mtskheta, eastern Georgia. Along with other historic structures of Mtskheta, it is listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. Jvari means cross in English. Jvari Monastery stands on the rocky mountaintop at the confluence of the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers, overlooking the town of Mtskheta. According to traditional accounts, on this location in the early 4th century Saint Nino, a female evangelist credited with converting King Mirian III of Iberia to Christianity, erected a large wooden cross on the site of a pagan temple. The cross was reportedly able to work miracles and therefore drew pilgrims from all over the Caucasus. The importance of Jvari complex increased over time and attracted many pilgrims. In the late Middle Ages, the complex was fortified by a stone wall and gate, remnants of which still survive.
Samtavro Transfiguration Orthodox Church and Nunnery of St. Nino in Mtskheta. It was built in the 4th century. The famous Georgian monk Gabriel is buried in the yard of Samtavro Church.Eastwards of the Church there is a small early medieval church of St. Nino. Its mural paintings are dated to 19th century. On the North of the Church there is a three storied bell tower of 15-16th centuries. A cylindrical tower of 18th century is preserved in the wall of the monastery that was restored in 19th century. Samtavro convent, together with other historical monuments of Mtskheta has been inscribed upon the World Heritage List of the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage since 1994. The first Christian royal couple – King Mirian and Qween Nana are buried here.
The Shio-Mgvime monastery is a medieval monastic complex in Georgia, near the town of Mtskheta. It is located in a narrow limestone canyon on the northern bank of the river Mtkvari. According to a historic tradition, the first monastic community at this place was founded by the 6th-century monk Shio, one of the Thirteen Assyrian Fathers who came to Georgia as Christian missionaries. St. Shio is said to have spent his last years as a hermit in a deep cave near Mtskheta subsequently named Shiomghvime ("the Cave of Shio") after him. Shio-Mgvime was the largest monastic community in Georgia and by the end of the 6th century it was populated by 2,000 monks. It was a vibrant center of cultural and religious activities.


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MRS TRUMP BLAMES THE JEWS
by Ralph Medoff, May 20, 2015
(Dr. Rafael Medoff is founding director of The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies and author of 16 books about Jewish history.)
Melania Trump, the wife of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, says that a Jewish journalist "provoked" anti-Semitic harassment by writing an unflattering article about her. In doing so, Mrs. Trump has joined a small but notorious group of public figures who, instead of confronting anti-Semitism, have preferred to blame the victim.
Julia Ioffe's recent article about Melania, in GQ Magazine, disclosed that Mrs. Trump has a half-brother whose existence their father has never acknowledged. As a result, Ioffe received numerous threats to her life from self-described Donald Trump supporters. Some of the harassing telephone calls included recordings of speeches by Adolf Hitler. Ioffe has filed a complaint with the police.
In an interview with Du Jour Magazine, the would-be First Lady was asked about the anti-Semitic harassment of Ms. Ioffe. Melania replied: "I don't control my fans, but I don't agree with what they're doing…but there are people out there who maybe went too far. She provoked them."
Donald Trump is well known for his reluctance to distance himself from his more extreme supporters, and for his tendency to blame others for "provoking" unruly behavior by his admirers. Some critics might say that Melania is following in her husband's footsteps by depicting her more vicious "fans" as the ones who were unfairly "provoked" by Ms. Ioffe.
Mrs. Trump, however, is not the first public figure to blame Jewish behavior for the actions of anti-Semites.
One infamous outburst along these lines came from British Foreign Minister Ernest Bevin, in 1945. Annoyed by the growing pressure to admit Holocaust survivors to Mandatory Palestine, Bevin warned that if "the Jews" tried "to get too much to the head of the queue, you have the danger of another anti-Semitic reaction through it all." Zionist leader Chaim Weizmann memorably responded that just a few months earlier, "the Jews had the highest priority in the queues which led to the crematoria of Auschwitz and Treblinka."
The following summer, another prominent European public figure invoked the blame-the-Jews theme. After pogromists murdered 46 Jews in the Polish town of Kielce in 1946, the highest church official in Poland, Cardinal August Hlond, declared that the attackers were simply responding to the (alleged) presence of many Jewish officials in the country's new Communist regime. These Jews were "attempting to impose forms of government completely rejected by the great majority of people," the cardinal insisted; therefore, the responsibility for the violence in Kielce "is borne to a great extent by Jews."
It is even more troubling that such sentiments have been privately voiced by several presidents.
Consider, for example, the February 21, 1973 telephone conversation between then-President Richard Nixon and evangelist Billy Graham. (The transcript was released by the Nixon Presidential Library in 2009.) Nixon told Graham that Jewish opposition to Christian evangelism would "stir up" anti-Semitism. "It happened in Spain, it happened in Germany, it's happening--and now it's going to happen in America if these people don't start behaving," the president asserted. "It may be they have a death wish," Nixon added. "You know that's been the problem with our Jewish friends for centuries." Even "a lot of reasonable people…are getting awfully sick of" Jewish behavior, he said.
Unfortunately, such attitudes sometimes can be found on both sides of the political aisle. In 1968, the U.S. government published a transcript of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's January 17, 1943 meeting with local officials in Casablanca. Discussing the status of Jews in Allied-liberated North Africa, FDR said that quotas should be used to ensure that Jews "would not overcrowd the professions." The transcript continued: "The President stated that his plan would further eliminate the specific and understandable complaints which the Germans bore towards the Jews in Germany, namely, that while they represented a small part of the population, over fifty percent of the lawyers, doctors, school teachers, college professors, etc, in Germany, were Jews." (Those statistics were wild exaggerations, of course.)
While doing research at the Central Zionist Archives in Jerusalem several years ago, I came across another Roosevelt statement in this vein. The document contained the notes of Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, the most prominent American Jewish leader of that era, from a meeting he had with President Roosevelt on January 22, 1938. When Wise referred to the mistreatment of Jews in Poland, FDR responded with an anecdote alleging that "the Jewish grain dealer and the Jewish shoe dealer and the Jewish shopkeeper" were dominating the Polish economy, and that was what provoked local Christians to start saying "the Jew should go."
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Elizabeth Farren, Countess of Derby (* um 1759 in Cork; † 23. April 1829, Lancashire) war eine irische Schauspielerin.

Leben
Elizabeth "Eliza" Farren war die Tochter des irischen Chirurgen und Apothekers George Farren aus Cork. Aufgrund seiner Trinkgewohnheiten starb er jung, seine Witwe ging zurück in ihre Heimatstadt Liverpool. Um sich und ihre Töchter zu versorgen, arbeitete sie als Schauspielerin. Elizabeth stand schon in jungen Jahren auf der Bühne, das erste Mal 1774 zusammen mit ihrer Mutter und ihren Schwestern in Wakefield, sie spielte und sang Colombina. Im Alter von 15 Jahren agierte sie in Love in a Village als Rosetta. Ihre bekannteste Rolle wurde Lady Townly in The Provoked Husband von Colley Cibber.

Durch ihren Manager in Liverpool kam sie an ein Engagement in London unter George Coleman. Am 9. Juni 1777 hatte sie ihren ersten Auftritt als Miss Hardcastle im Theatre Royal Haymarket. Ihr Schauspiel wurde positiv wahrgenommen. Sie wurde als Maria in Citizen von Murphy und in Bon Ton von Garricks besetzt. Daraufhin gab ihr Coleman die Rolle als Rosina in seiner Adaption von Der Barbier von Sevilla von Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais, in dem Stück trat sie auch im Nachspiel auf.

Ebenfalls unter Coleman spielte sie Nancy Lovel in Suicide, zum ersten Mal am 11. Juli 1778. Für die Rolle war ihre Körperbau allerdings ungeeignet, und sie wurde Opfer der Satire von Charles James Fox, der sie zuvor verehrte. Ihr Schauspieltalent konnte sie erneut als Lady Townly in Provoked Husband zeigen ebenso in Provoked Wife als Lady Fanciful. Im September 1778 trat sie zum ersten Mal im Theatre Royal Drury Lane, als Charlotte Rusport in West Indian, auf. Am 15. Oktober 1778 agierte Farren als Lady Sash im Camp an der Drury Lane. Sie trat in der Folgezeit immer wieder in beiden Theatern auf, tourte aber auch gelegentlich durchs Land und spielte öfter am Royal Opera House in Covent Garden.

In Colemans Separate Maintenance spielte Farren am 31. August 1779 Mrs. Sullen. Etwa ein Jahr später war sie am Haymarket Theater als Cecilia in Harriet Lees Chapter of Accidents zu sehen. 1782 verließ die bisher bekannteste Schauspielerin Frances Abington das Drury Lane Theater, Farren wurde zu ihrer Nachfolgerin und für ihre Leistungen gefeiert. In den Theatern der Drury Lane und am Haymarket trat sie bis zu ihrem Rücktritt regelmäßig auf.

Farren hatte über 100 Rollen in ihrem Repertoire, außerdem hat sie selbst ein paar Charaktere kreiert. Sie agierte als Heldin in vielen verschiedenen Komödien und Dramen. Farren hatte nie ernst zu nehmende Konkurrentinnen, außer Abington, mit der sie oft verglichen wurde. Sie hatte eine zarte Statur, ihr Gesicht war ausdrucksstark und lebhaft, dazu hatte sie blaue Augen und eine kultivierte Stimme.

Das letzte Mal auf der Bühne stand sie am 8. April 1797, sie spielte Lady Teazle in The School for Scandal. Ihr Auftritt fand großes Interesse und viel Publikum. Nachdem Farren ihre Darstellung beendet hatte, brach sie in Tränen aus.

Am 1. Mai desselben Jahres heiratete sie Edward Smith-Stanley, 12. Earl of Derby. Dessen erste Frau war erst im März zuvor gestorben. Mit ihm hatte sie zwei Töchter und einen Sohn. Vor ihrem Ehemann hatte Farren kaum eine nennenswerte Beziehung geführt, die einzig bekannte war mit John Palmer, die allerdings von kurzer Dauer war.

Berichten zufolge behandelte Lord Derby seine Ehefrau mit viel Respekt und führte sie in seine Kreise ein, so dass sie schnell Freundschaften schloss. Im Haus des Dukes of Richmond leitete sie eine Reihe von Amateurvorstellungen.

Farren starb am 23. April 1829 im englischen Lancashire. Ihr Ehemann starb im Oktober 1834.

Es gibt Gerüchte über eine angebliche lesbische Beziehung zur englischen Bildhauerin Anne Seymour Damer. 2004 erschien von der irisch-stämmigen kanadischen Schriftstellerin Emma Donoghue der Roman Life Mask. Die drei Hauptcharaktere in ihrem vierten Roman sind Anne Seymour Damer, Eliza Farren und ihr Ehemann Edward Smith-Stanley, 12. Earl of Derby.

Literatur
 John Joseph Knight: Farren, Elizabeth. In: Dictionary of National Biography. Band 18, Smith, Elder & Co., London 1889, S. 230 f.

Weblinks

 Elizabeth Farren auf historyandotherthoughts.blogspot.com (englisch)

Einzelnachweise

Theaterschauspieler
Britischer Adliger
⚭Elizabeth Farren, Countess Of Derby
Ire
Brite
Geboren im 18. Jahrhundert
Gestorben 1829
Frau

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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To stay on WhatsApp or to join Telegram
11 Jan 2021 LIFESTYLE
The recent policy update by WhatsApp has caused concern among users around the world. The messenger app owned by Facebook announced that it will start sharing user data with other Facebook businesses as part of their policy change.
With 2 billion monthly active users, WhatsApp is currently the world's largest messaging service, closely followed by another Facebook-owned chat app, Facebook Messenger with 1.3 billion users. The third biggest app with 1 billion users is WeChat, which is mainly popular in China 1 billion. At just 400 million users, Telegram trails far behind the Big 3.
A video detailing what the new WhatsApp policy means has been making the rounds on social media:
Also Read: How DBN Gogo is related to President Ramaphosa(Opens in a new browser tab)
For WhatsApp users, the policy change has caused a huge storm with a many exploring their options and threatening to leave the app to join rivals such as Telegram. Telegram seems to be loving the backlash WhatsApp is getting, with the messaging service recently sharing a meme of two SpiderMen bearing the Facebook and WhatsApp icons.
Tweeps also reacted to the new policy change:
We took a look at some interesting Telegram features that make it better than WhatsApp.
Unlimited bandwidth on a cloud
Unlimited storage is provided by Telegram. In other words, all your text messages, photos, media files and documents will be stored on your cloud.
Compression of the Media
Users can choose whether to compress or send an uncompressed version of an image or video.
Capacity of group member numbers
Telegram's standard community capacity is 200. But when this is reached, the group evolves into a 5000-capacity Super Group.
Username feature
Even if you do not have the contact number of anyone, you can connect with someone by Telegram. This secures the protection of the phone number of the user.
Secret Chat
Secret Chat is a kind of encrypted end-to-end chat in which you can set a timer for the message to self-destruct. When the timer stops, the messages will be immediately deleted.
Support for Multi-Platform
Telegram is available for Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Windows PC, Mac OS, Linux OS and any browser.
Are you going to ditch WhatsApp for Telegram? Tweet us @kayafm95dot9 and let us know.
Also Read:Biden wins – experts on what it means for race relations, US foreign policy and the Supreme Court(Opens in a new browser tab)
Are you going to ditch WhatsApp for Telegram?, Tech, To stay on WhatsApp or to join Telegram


How do I control which network interfaces are used for data transfer to the TapeServer?
Web-based Administrative UI (Configure->NDMP page, DATA PATHS section).
Command line interface command, ndmp data_path.
When the TapeServer generates the list of interfaces available for use in backup sessions, it lists the fastest interfaces first, followed by the slower interfaces. If multiple interfaces are connected at the same link speed, the TapeServer round robins the order of the interfaces in the list to balance the network load. For example, a 4-port TapeServer with net0 and net1 at 100Mb/sec will respond to the first request with net0, net1, net2 and net3. The response to the next request will be net1, net0, net3, net2.


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Home » DOJ Directive May Squeeze the Life Out of Supplemental Environmental Projects
DOJ Directive May Squeeze the Life Out of Supplemental Environmental Projects
By J. Tom Boer & Todd S. Mikolop on June 8, 2017
Posted in EPA, Policy
A new policy directive issued earlier this week by the Department of Justice (Justice) has raised concern among regulated industry that the availability of Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs) in civil settlements could be severely reduced, or even largely eliminated. If the directive is applied to restrict the availability of SEPs, it would remove a useful, and at times powerful, tool routinely used by the regulated community to negotiate acceptable settlement agreements in civil enforcement actions. It could also eliminate tens of millions of dollars of annual funding of such projects—which typically benefit local communities or address niche environmental issues—currently provided through the use of SEPs in consent decrees. Because applicable policies preclude Justice from requiring parties to include SEPs in settlements, it is difficult to identify any upside in any potential narrowing or elimination of SEPs as an optional tool to assist in the resolution of civil environmental enforcement actions.
On June 5, Attorney General Sessions issued a memorandum—Prohibition on Settlement Payments to Third Parties—to all component heads and US Attorneys at Justice, including the Environment and Natural Resources Division (the June 5 Memo). The June 5 Memo includes the following directive to all Justice attorneys:
It has come to [the Attorney General's] attention that certain previous settlement agreements involving the Department included payments to various non-governmental, third-party organizations as condition of settlement with the United States. These third-party organizations were neither victims nor parties to the lawsuits.
The Department will no longer engage in this practice. Effective immediately, Department attorneys may not enter into any agreement on behalf of the United States in settlement of federal claims or charges, including agreements settling civil litigation … that directs or provides for a payment or loan to any non-governmental person or entity that is not a party to the dispute.
This directive applies to settlements (including civil settlement agreements, deferred prosecution agreements, nonprosecution agreements and plea agreements) across the spectrum of federal law enforcement. In the environmental enforcement context the directive, at a minimum, appears to narrow the scope of acceptable SEPs in civil settlement agreements negotiated by Justice. However, depending on how broadly the June 5 Memo is interpreted and implemented by ENRD, it could largely terminate the option of using SEPs to reduce civil penalties in judicial settlements.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued formal guidance in February 1991 allowing for the use of SEPs in the settlement of civil environmental actions. EPA has taken the position that SEPs further the federal goal of protecting and enhancing public health and the environment. The policy has been updated several times, most recently in 2015 when EPA issued a memo titled Issuance of the 2015 Update to the 1998 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Supplemental Environmental Projects Policy (SEP Policy). ENRD attorneys at Justice have generally followed the SEP Policy in negotiating settlements in civil environmental enforcement actions.
Under the SEP Policy, an alleged violator could voluntarily agree to undertake an environmentally beneficial project—provided it was related to the alleged violation—in exchange for mitigation of the penalty to be paid. The amount of penalty mitigation available via the use of SEPs varies depending upon the circumstances, but generally the use of an SEP can significantly reduce the amount of a penalty paid to the US Treasury (although, the cost of settlement goes up for the alleged violator because payments for SEPs do not translate—dollar for dollar—into penalty mitigation). In fiscal year 2016, EPA civil settlements included approximately $32 million in commitments for the performance of SEPs.
The SEP Policy already prohibits penalty mitigation credit for "[c]ash donations to community groups, environmental organizations, state/local/federal entities, or any other third party" because such payments risked the appearance of a diversion of penalty funds in violation of the Miscellaneous Receipts Act, 33 U.S.C. § 3302(b). Therefore, the June 5 Memo does not change the already existing prohibition on making donations to third-party groups in return for penalty mitigation.
If, however, the June 5 Memo's prohibition on "directing or providing" payment to any third-party entity not a party to the enforcement action is interpreted by ENRD to extend to the performance of work on a third party's behalf or to a third party's benefit, the use of SEPs would largely be foreclosed in settling civil environmental cases. Under such an interpretation, the scope of acceptable SEPs would be severely limited. Under this scenario, it would appear that the only SEPs that would still be acceptable would be those that involve payments to, or projects for, government entities (including local and state entities) or projects conducted at an alleged violator's own facilities above and beyond existing environmental compliance requirements.
Even without a broad interpretation, the June 5 Memo appears likely to preclude a number of SEPs that would previously have been acceptable. Some SEPs previously adopted in consent decrees or provided as illustrations of acceptable SEPs in EPA's SEP Policy (and other EPA publications) would appear to run afoul of the June 5 Memo because they require cash payments to uninvolved third parties:
Purchasing renewable energy credits (RECs) from power providers or green tag brokers;
Purchasing and managing a watershed area (from a private third party) to protect a drinking water supply;
Paying third parties to remove or mitigate contaminated materials, such as asbestos and lead-based paints, from third-party-owned properties;
Providing funding to moderate- and low-income residential property owners to repair privately owned sewer pipes; and
Funding a community air monitoring project, if implemented by nongovernmental organizations.
As illustrated above, it is not unusual for an SEP to require an alleged violator to fund environmental projects to be performed by third parties or to use funds to purchase credits or make other similar environmentally beneficial investments. Absent further guidance from Justice, the June 5 Memo appears to prohibit SEPs with these characteristics.
Within days of the Attorney General's issuance of the June 5 Memo, interested parties have already reached out to the Acting Assistant Attorney General of ENRD asking for detailed guidance on how the new policy will impact the use of SEPs in the settlement of civil environmental enforcement matters. Until such guidance is issued, or future illustrative settlements incorporating acceptable SEPs are approved by Justice, parties should be aware that the use of SEPs in civil settlements may face new scrutiny and additional limitations.
Tags: Department of Justice, mitigation, SEPs, settlements
Expanded Produced Water Discharge Options – On the Horizon?
EPA Determines Revisions to Federal Regulation of E&P Wastes Unwarranted
Environmental Groups Sue EPA to Develop Worst-Case Hazardous Substance Spill Rules
The Role of "Cost" Consideration in Regulatory Proceedings
Clean Water Act Section 401: Balancing States' Rights and the Nation's Need for Energy Infrastructure


A native of Los Angeles, Spencer Daniels began acting professionally at the age of 10. Daniels' film credits include the upcoming thrillers "The Midnight Game," "Last Kind Words" and "Leashed." In addition to acting, Daniels enjoys writing and playing baseball and basketball.
Blake Garrett Rosenthal has been acting since the age of 5, when he booked a role in a pilot on his first audition. Rosenthal has appeared in the films "Bridesmaids" and "Crazy Eyes." His television credits include a recurring role on "New Girl," "The Office" and "The Farm," a spinoff of "The Office." Rosenthal will next be seen in the independent feature "Finding Harmony" coming this year.
Christy is determined to take things slow in her relationship with Adam.
Anna Faris and Allison Janney star in the new comedy "Mom".
Meet the cast of the new comedy, "Mom"
Anna Faris and Emmy® winner Allison Janney star in this hilarious and often heart wrenching series from executive producer Chuck Lorre (The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, Mike & Molly). After years of questionable choices, Christy, a single mom, is sober and trying to get her life on track. It's challenging especially because she lives with her mother, Bonnie, who Christy still considers the root of her troubles despite the fact that she has also gotten sober. Now mother and daughter are working to overcome their past mistakes and build a better future for their family. Christy has gone back to school and is pursuing her dream of becoming a lawyer, while Bonnie attempts to have a healthy romantic relationship and figure out what she wants to be when she grows up. Through all of this, Christy and Bonnie rely on their support system from AA, including wise Marjorie, the wealthy and sometimes misguided Jill, and the overly emotional Wendy. Together they help each other stay sober and face whatever life throws at them.


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Places to go / Dordogne Valley /
The 5-minute essential guide to the truffle
By Ingrid Bernard , Published: 23 December 2019, 18:17
© Adobe Stock / Grafvision — The black truffle
Just about worth its weight in gold and enjoyed especially at the end-of-year festivities: truffles are little black treasures offered by the earth. Where are they found? How do we spot them? How much do they cost? Find out everything you need to know about truffles, right here.
Over 100 varieties of truffles
© Adobe Stock / chanelle — Black truffles from Vaucluse, in Provence.
The truffle is a species of mushroom that grows underground, in symbiosis with a "truffle tree," like the oak, hazel, pine or lime tree. To grow, it therefore needs the interdependence of three elements: the soil, the climate and the host tree. There are not just one, two, or three varieties of truffles—there are more than a hundred! Only a dozen varieties reveal a real culinary interest, starting with the Périgord black truffle, also called "tuber melanosporum," which is eaten during the holidays. A rarer species, much appreciated by gourmets, is the white truffle, called "tuber magnatum," which grows at the foot of certain truffle trees, like the hazel.
France, the world champion of truffles
© Adobe Stock / JAG IMAGES — Black truffles in the market of Lalbenque, in the valley of the Dordogne.
France currently has nearly 20,000 truffle farmers. This country produces almost 30% of world production, making it one of the largest producers of truffles in the world. The largest truffle area is in the Southeast, mainly Drôme, Vaucluse and the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, though those of the Southwest, particularly Périgord, are the most well-known. They are also found in Occitanie as well as in Charente, Burgundy, Lorraine and Champagne-Ardenne.
The "black diamond" truffle
© Adobe Stock / JLPfeifer — The truffle also known as "black diamond."
Known as the "black diamond," this famous truffle has always been clouded in mystery, especially regarding its life cycle. After a fast growth at the end of the 19th century, truffle cultivation dropped by the 1970s. The cause: the two World Wars, but also intensive farming. If truffles are so expensive today, it is because they have not reached the previous production rate. Climate change could also be one of the explanations.
Sniffing out truffles
© Adobe Stock / francescodemarco — Truffle digging with a truffle dog.
But then where and how are truffles collected? There are truffle patches, but you can also go "wild." Trained since birth, truffle dogs are major allies to collect truffles. Used to locating them thanks to their sense of smell, they tell their masters where to dig so that they can find the precious mushroom.
Truffle hunting pigs
© Adobe Stock / Jessica Blanc — Truffle digging with the help of a pig.
In some regions, dogs are replaced by truffle pigs. Unlike dogs, pigs don't need to be trained. They detect truffles by their smell when they are very ripe, and therefore of better quality. The hard part is preventing them from munching on the truffles once they detect them! Truffle flies can also be a good indicator of the presence of these fungi—they usually lay their eggs right next to the mushrooms.
Full of vitamins!
© Adobe Stock / snaptitude — The truffle, rich in vitamins.
It is not a necessarily well-known fact, but truffles are very low in calories. They are mainly made of water and dietary fiber. These black beauties are rich in potassium as well as vitamins A, D and K, which are beneficial for the functioning of our body, contributing to bone health, eye health and the protection of our immune system.
And on the plate?
© Adobe Stock / sugar0607 — Thin slices of truffles to accompany starters, dishes or desserts.
Did you know? The truffle is very sensitive to heat: cooking it makes the mushroom lose its incredible aroma! Therefore, it is strongly advised that you add it at the last minute to your dish, for example, grated. Conversely, some products can actually enhance its taste. This is particularly the case with potatoes, pasta or even eggs. Combining it with foie gras or in sweet and savory dishes is also a delicious marriage. For a touch of originality, you can mix truffles with desserts such as sabayon, ice cream, pears or, like the three-star Chef Pierre Gagnaire does, with lychee, coconut milk and some lime zest.
A luxury product
© Adobe Stock / Marina — The price of truffles often exceeds €1,000 per kilo.
Depending on the species of truffle and the volume of production, the price of truffles varies from year to year. In the largest truffle markets in France, the price is fixed. To give you an idea, in specialized markets in the Southwest you can generally find black truffles around €800 (about $884) per kilo (a little over two pounds). However, in specialized stores in major cities, it will cost you between €1,000 ($1,100) and €1,200 ($1,327) per kilo. As for the white truffle, it can climb up to €4,500 ($4976) per kilo depending on the year. The summer truffle, for its part, is the most accessible one, at €300 ($331) per kilo.
Prepare your trip to the Dordogne Valley (External link)
Prepare your trip to Occitanie (External link)
Prepare your trip to Provence (External link)
Also read: Cabbage stuffed with truffles, by Michelin starred chef Stéphane Chambon and 6 gastronomic addresses where the flavours of autumn simmer in Provence
A weekend in Dordogne (External link)
By Ingrid Bernard
As a journalist, I am a born curious person who thrives on discoveries and encounters.
Country Kids: a very special family retreat
In search of truffles, the black gold from the Perigord
In the sunshine
Take in the southern air at Galeries Lafayette this summer!
5 little secrets about pastis
Traveling with the family
Strolls in Provence that are perfect for all ages


Kate became sick after getting a blockage in her abdomen. The local doctor in the small Greek town that Kate was visiting referred her to the hospital. Unfortunately, medical facilities can be scarce in rural parts of Greece and patients may face long transfers to better-equipped hospitals. In this case, the nearest hospital was over an hour away. An ambulance slowly transferred Kate along poorly maintained roads, and when she finally arrived she quickly received surgery. Fortunately, Kate had emergency medical cover as part of her travel insurance and was reimbursed for her medical bills and the lengthy ambulance trip.


Ichnofamily - arcuate or hook-shaped imprints occurring isolated or clustered.
Knaust, D.; Neumann, C. (2016). Asteriacites von Schlotheim, 1820 – the oldest valid ichnogenus name – and other asterozoan-produced trace fossils. Earth-Science Reviews. 157: 111-120.


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News News Bharat
gurudwaras have stepped up to even provide oxygen langars — helping thousands daily.
Author Team HW
The story of Sikhism, suffering and service This year marks the 400th birth anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, the ninth Sikh Guru, whose supreme sacrifice for the rights of adherents of another faith has no parallel in history. Indeed, for many, he was the initiator of the idea of human rights and the right of people to follow their own religious beliefs.
During his life, he displayed exemplary courage as a warrior along with the art of skilled negotiations, helping iron out differences among warring rajas in North India and Assam. He was also an avid follower of music, composing ragas and bani for the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs.
Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji was martyred on November 11, 1675, in Delhi's Chandni Chowk, on the orders of Aurangzeb. Gurudwara Sis Ganj stands at that spot.
Immediately after the martyrdom, a huge storm engulfed the area, allowing an ardent disciple to take his body to his home near Raisina village, in what is today New Delhi, and cremate it by burning his own house. Gurudwara Rakab Ganj stands at that site today. The head was spirited to Anandpur Sahib by another disciple and cremated with honours by his son, who thereafter became the 10th Guru taking the name, Guru Gobind Singh Ji. He also decreed that after him, Sikhs would only follow the Guru Granth Sahib as their Guru.
Gurudwara Rakab Ganj is just a stone's throw from another historic Sikh gurudwara in Delhi — Gurudwara Bangla Sahib and, in today's time of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is worth recalling its connection with the alleviation of suffering.
Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji was the youngest son of the sixth Sikh Guru, Guru Hargobind Ji. The Guruship, however, passed from Guru Hargobind Ji to his grandson, Guru Har Rai Ji, who initiated the concept of Miri and Piri (temporal power and spiritual authority — symbolised by the two swords) in Sikhism and built the Akal Takht at the Durbar Sahib complex (Golden Temple) in Amritsar.
On the demise of Guru Har Rai Ji, the Guruship passed to his younger son, Guru Harkrishen Ji, who was only five years old at that time. A possible reason was that the elder son of Guru Har Rai Ji had betrayed the faith to the Mughal emperor and was excommunicated.
Guru Harkrishen Ji, the eighth Sikh Guru, was invited to Delhi by the Mughal court a few years later and stayed at the bungla (bungalow) of Raja Jai Singh. This is where Gurudwara Bangla Sahib stands today. During his sojourn in Delhi in 1664, the city saw a tremendous outbreak of smallpox and cholera with death all around. At the tender age of seven, Guru Harkrishen Ji, setting aside prevalent prejudices in society, stepped out and offered solace and comfort to all and allowed everyone to use the well in his bungalow to draw water. He contracted smallpox and died even before he could attain the age of eight, laying the foundation of service (sewa) by the Sikhs. Even today, thousands visit Gurudwara Bangla Sahib daily and carry home the Amrit as a cure for disease and suffering in their families.
On his death bed, Guru Harkrishen Ji intimated that the next Guru would be found in the village of Baba Bakala in Punjab. And it turned out to be Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, the youngest son of Guru Har Gobind ji, who was, in fact, in terms of the family relationship, the grandfather of Guru Harkrishen Ji.
The tradition of sewa, now ingrained in the Sikh faith, has been visible with the Sikh community doing everything within its capabilities in providing langar (hot food sewa) to all, without discrimination, through the pandemic. And this beautiful Sikh tradition has also been carried forward by the Sikh community all over the world. In Delhi, now, with its dire need for oxygen, gurudwaras have stepped up to even provide oxygen langars — helping thousands daily.
Many have wondered how it is the Sikh community which is often the first to mobilise to serve in times of need — the answer lies in the nature of the faith and the teachings of the Gurus. And in Delhi, this history of service goes back close to four centuries.
Source : dailyhunt.in
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Active kiddos? This is the place!
The fun begins. Younger children can enjoy this place more than 8+, but still things to keep them busy as well. Snack bar is geared to kids!
Very nice, all ages will enjoy to some extent!
We're happy you enjoyed your visit and the end-of-day parade. Come back and see us again soon.
This is our second visit to the Amazeum and was on the top of the kids list of things to do. They have so many different areas for kids to explore, learn, and burn off energy.
Had a great exhibit by engineering students at University of Arkansas Fayetteville. The Science exhibit was very cool. The kids loved it. They always like the climbing tree and outside area.
Grand kids had a blast with all of the interactive exhibits, running from one to another, they would love to go back.
should not be missed. Bucket list item 1. Easily accessed. If traveling through Arkansas, the drive to Northwest. Arkamsas is undeniably the best opportunity for culture, extraordinary experiences, and entertainment.
Get quick answers from Scott Family Amazeum staff and past visitors.
Are both my children (9 and 2) going to find this place entertaining?
Is the food good at the cafe ?
We didn't eat there as I have Celiac and the gluten-free options were limited. What they had looked fresh and tasty, just not for me.
How long can I expect to spend here?
2 to 3 hours minimum. Fun place with lots to see and do.


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text:
Why LIV Golf doesn't have world ranking points. And why it's all so complicated
By: Sean Zak September 21, 2022
Greg Norman poses with Cameron Smith following the latest LIV Golf event in Illinois.
There is never a dull week when it comes to LIV Golf. Even while the PGA Tour takes center stage again with its Presidents Cup, LIV Golf has once again sent a letter.
By LIV Golf, in this instance, we mean the group of 50 players who have led that tour this summer. From Phil Mickelson to Phachara Khongwatmai. Fifty players signed a letter this week which was sent to Peter Dawson, chairman of the Official World Golf Ranking. Their main gripe is clear: they want world ranking points dished out at LIV Golf events, which is currently not the case, but is being considered by the OWGR board. One side is being patient; the other is running out of patience.
"An OWGR without LIV would be incomplete and inaccurate," the letter reads, "the equivalent of leaving the Big 10 or the SEC out of the U.S. college football rankings, or leaving Belgium, Argentina, and England out of the FIFA rankings."
For those of you new to this scene, world ranking points have been a simmering issue all summer long. LIV Golf has hosted five tournaments, each of them 54 holes in length, and each generally with a stronger field than the preceding one. LIV has added talent to its fields each step of the way, but no ranking points have been issued. The reasons why are myriad and complex, so before you rush to choose sides in this "should they" or "shouldn't they" debate, take the time to hear every point below.
Why LIV's case is complicated
LIV Golf has launched itself into pro golf's ecosystem in as brash a way as possible. Paying massive sums of guaranteed money to some of the best players in the world to convince them to play your tour despite threats of suspension by the PGA Tour is a brazen move. It is a completely legal maneuver and it's entirely the players' right to play where they prefer.
Will LIV Golf be validated by the Official World Golf Ranking? It's an essential, if thorny, question
In the process of doing so, LIV applied to be recognized as a sanctioned tour by the OWGR, the process of which is arduous and the timeline lengthy. That seems fitting for what is ultimately a very complex system. There are currently 23 sanctioned men's pro golf tours, and LIV wanted to be the 24th. Why? Because the world ranking holds significant weight for entry into the sport's four biggest events: the major championships, each of which are governed by different entities (Augusta National, the PGA of America, the USGA and the R&A), which all hold a seat on the 7-person board of directors.
The Simple Discourse
Below is the most boiled down communication sequence of events that matter:
LIV Golf in early July: Here's our application. Please give us points.
OWGR: We have a process. It's detailed and it takes time. At least two years.
LIV last week: We don't agree with that process, given everything we've detailed. You're slow-playing us.
LIV players' letter: Also, some bodies on your board of governors represent a conflict of interest.
It make seem like LIV and its players are making a simple case, but nothing about the ranking is simple. There are obviously important criteria to be considered. Things like the ability for pro golfers to qualify onto said tour. A qualifying school or something like it is a stipulation for acceptance. Or other stipulations such as the tour must administer events using the Rules of Golf. Another suggested piece of the puzzle is an average of 75 players or more competing in your tour's events. That is an example of a flaw in LIV Golf's system. It's not bulletproof. Cam Smith beating a field of 47 others where only 20 or 30 would be good enough to sustain membership on, say, the PGA Tour is one thing. In the eyes of the OWGR board, adding 40 more golfers to that field makes it all the more substantial. For an even more in-depth look at the important criteria, click here. Exemptions can be made by the OWGR, both in timetable and various criteria, but that is at the sole discretion of the board of directors.
To take the side of LIV Golf and its players, or to take the side of the OWGR — which, to be fair, is not directly in opposition to LIV — might be easy. Just know that each has various implied meanings.
LIV Golf Chicago yet another reminder of radical, unsettling changes to pro golf
To tell the OWGR that LIV tournaments should earn points (both now and retroactively) is to say one or more of the following things, but not necessarily all:
1. The best players in the world are clear to us. When they play events, they should be eligible to earn points.
2. Fifty-four holes is a sufficient length of a pro golf event; perhaps all golf events.
3. Having a mid-tournament cut is not necessary to determine the OWGR points that should be issued.
4. If the best players in the world are playing good golf against some of the other best in the world, the current ranking itself is flawed to disclude that.
To tell LIV golfers they do not yet deserve points is to say one or more of the following things, but not necessarily all:
1. Rules are rules, be patient.
2. You knew this was the case, and you knew the consequences of your actions.
3. Fifty-four holes are not enough to consistently constitute a pro golf tournament.
4. There is no cut in your events, thus no clear way to cut off who should get points.
5. I support the PGA Tour in this civil war and don't stand for LIV's inclusion.
Dizzy yet?
Hopefully it's clear that OWGR points is one of a number of complicated issues that LIV Golf has ushered into the ecosystem. That list includes perhaps the biggest lawsuit in the history of the PGA Tour's existence. That's not to say that anything LIV has done is legally wrong. The term "independent contractor" is and has long been used to describe the precious freedom pro golfers employ. Joining LIV was their right.
Ultimately, LIV Golf and its contracted players are bound to find out that there are rules. Are the rules fair? We're not going to tell you they're the fairest rules in all of sport. But they are the rules, both in the OWGR and on the PGA Tour. Rules in the same way it seems unfair to stand at the corner of a still intersection simply waiting for a walk symbol. There are no cars, it's safe! But jay-walking is a violation of public code put in place to keep people safe. It is what it is.
The OWGR has operated like this for decades to uphold an unimpeachable level of integrity. There's a reason why when the OWGR's algorithms needed an update last summer, a 12-month holding period of the old system was maintained until those changes were initiated last month. Nothing about the OWGR moves fast. But nothing about LIV Golf has been normal.
Sean Zak
Zak is a writer and host for various GOLF.com video properties and podcasts. Check out his travels on Destination Golf and his latest thoughts on the Drop Zone Podcast:
Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart | PodBean
Phil Mickelson wants to move on, but will golf fans let him?
Tour Confidential: Max Homa's jump, Rory McIlroy and Patrick Reed controversy
Days after LIV Golf board shakeup, executive turnover continues
By: James Colgan
A LIV player on top? Tee time drama? Dubai wildness continues
A Rory McIlroy-Patrick Reed pairing? LIV leaders? Dubai event gets spicy
Report: LIV golfers banned from exclusive pro-am event. Here's why
'Their tour is meaningless': Nick Faldo rips LIV Golf, their ratings, Greg Norman
The PGA Tour just shook up its LIV Golf lawsuit in a major way. Will the strategy pay off?
LIV Golf leadership shook up — and Rory McIlroy has a Greg Norman take


You can find this game in Mahjongs, Puzzles, Kids games sections, where also located a number of similar free online games. Read how to play, rules and features below and get ready to start.
Elephants, pigs, hippos, octopuses, ostriches, owls, whales, and even snail — this is not a complete list of animals Pikachu 11, inhabiting the puzzles of this game. All you need to do is to look for pairs of identical animals and alternately clicking on them. Selecting a couple, she connected the line and will disappear from the field.
The Game continues as long as the table still has puzzles. For connecting pairs requires one condition. Chips have to be open to each other. This means that between them there should be other chips that prevent their direct connection or a broken line of not more than 3 segments. If you do not understand what was going on, start playing and questions will disappear by themselves.
You can play the game CONNECT A PAIR OF PIKACHU: 11 online 24 hours a day for free. It is no need to download and install it on your computer, and it is also not required you to be the registered user. Just ckick and enjoy. See also a set of related games below on that you might be interested to look.


Be'chol Lashon International Think Tank The Be'chol Lashon International Think Tank was an invitation-only conference for leaders of Jewish communities around the world: Africa, Asia, Latin America, Australia, Europe, Israel & the United States. It was lively forum for conversation, creative thinking, and developing new approaches to communal growth that was convened from 2002-2013. Many Jewish communities exist in isolation, separated from one another by history, geography, knowledge, culture and experience. The Think Tank allowed for the exchange of information, projects (planned or envisioned), and the opportunity to develop networks and groups that work together throughout the year.


Studying for the bar exam is a marathon, not a sprint. To get you into condition to achieve your best performance, new lawyers who successfully prepared for and passed their bar exams will share tips in this 30 Tips in 30 Minutes webinar on bar prep.
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My book is a signed copy of Just One Day by Gayle Forman that I won from the author's giveaway. I finished it recently and oh my I must live under a rock because Forman's writing is absolutely beautiful. Just One Day is filled with a lot of meaningful messages and inspirations that made me want to try different things, to go out of my comfort zone and to explore all the possibilities of life.
Great pick! Have a nice Friday! Old Follower.
Another sad contemporary. Does it have a lot of angst? I prefer my contemporaries to have the said tone.
I've never heard of that one before. But I have heard of the author! Have a great weekend.
I have never heard about this book before, not usually my sort of genre however it does sound interesting :0) Thank you very much for sharing.


text:
Category: Fresh
Botanists fight dirty.
July 16, 2012 July 13, 2012 G. Derek AdamsLeave a comment
[One of my first Story on Demand offerings. I have to fess up, I totally ripped the style and tone completely from Bill Watterson/Calvin & Hobbes for the style and tone. This is a female Tracer Bullet, completely.]
Her overcoat was stiff with congealed agar and the shattered glass of a dozen Erlenmeyer flasks. She slid her battered arms into the sleeves, and tried to ignore the bullet wound in her leg. A pair of pipettes were still lodged in the right sleeve of the jacket, as well as some tissue cultures from the family Malvaceae. The battered gumshoe shook the detritus from her coat sleeve, and reached into her pockets — finding her two best friends right where they belonged.
A pair of ugly Colt revolvers, with worn pearl handles. Watson and Crick — the only partners she'd ever needed in this dirty job.
It had been quite a dust-up in the back offices of ECO-RICH, the multi-national botany conglomerate. She'd been called in on the case, when a pair of their top researchers had turned to whistleblowers–setting up interviews with dozens of prominent science and home gardening blogs. Then they'd turned up dead. Both researchers had simultaneous heart-attacks during a purported sex romp in a jury-rigged jacuzzi powered by eighteen Bunsen burners.
But then the autopsy reports had come back: Baby carrots.
Baby carrots lodged in their aortas.
A contact on the force, Overstreet, had sent her the tip — and she'd made her way down to the offices of ECO-RICH to do a little snooping.
A brace of white-coat goons had been working late, and before she could spool up an alibi — things had gotten frisky.
An ethno-biologist with arms like a steel trap got the drop on her, grabbing her from behind and pinning her arms to the side. Without hesitation she kicked off hard from the face of an approaching zoologist, propelling her captor into a nearby Spectrograph. A weasely ginger had pulled a snub-nose out of his pocket protector and gotten a shot off, grazing her leg — while the other researchers tossed Petri dishes and glassware like a tipsy housewife when she finds a collar with the wrong lipstick in the wash.
Crossing through the test tube hailstorm, she'd headbutted the ginger sap — the sound of his nasal cartilage snapping was sweet music, and a pair of electron microscopes ripped off a nearby table helped her finish the symphony on the rest of the jolly green thugs.
The gumshoe reached down, and riffled through the pockets of the closest researcher. She pulled open their Twitter account, and banged out a warning.
— Just got the chloroform forcibly removed from my cell wall's chloroplasts by a punitive ass-kicking. #ECO-RICH #MURDER #SCIENCE SLEUTH #WATCHOUT
She tossed the device aside, and walked back out into the late night rain.
She was on the case, and had a very promising beginning to the data field required for the x-axis of her perspective bar graph.
A bar graph of justice, and a chart of pain.
[For Jargon Journalist. Take some time and go fondle her comment section.]
January 17, 2012 G. Derek Adams1 Comment
The black halls of Iax stretched on out of view, sunflower torches seeming to absorb more light then they cast. Simon pressed himself hard against a column, and waited for the quiet footfalls of the patrol to pass him by.
He breathed shallowly, and tried to ignore the condensation sliding down the inside of his goggles. Their
Realm of the Forest King by `lone-momo
tourmaline lenses magnified the ambient light, allowing him to move easily in the near-abyss of Iax – but the leather strap was itchy, the sweat pouring down his forehead abominable. Simon desperately wanted to rip them off, wipe the lenses and mop his forehead with a free sleeve – but the movement would instantly alert the Tyr-Elves of the passing patrol. Their eyes glowed a clammy blue in the distance. He leaned his head back against the pillar, and felt the sharp edges of the stone.
Then he thought of her.
Really, Simon? Now? You are four miles below the earth, tangling with Shadow elves –show some decorum.
Simon grinned. A magic grin with a broken piece in it.
He turned his head slowly away from the patrol, so they wouldn't see the shine of his teeth, or the light in his eyes.
January 8, 2012 G. Derek Adams5 Comments
Arm's Reach
January 5, 2012 January 5, 2012 G. Derek AdamsLeave a comment
"It was…necessary." he replied. "Many strange paths, many dark days — all for necessity."
The Browncloak coughed fiercely, sending more purple phlegm across his chest. At the end it turned into weak laughter.
"Listen to me, getting a little maudlin and drippy. I always get a little choked up when I talk about child-murder. Ah, so many happy memories…." the villain leered at the paladin.
"Ah, Gentle Sir Knight, with your wide cow-eyes. I think you will soon understand a tiny part of what I mean — about necessity. Because now the great game truly begins." Izus flopped a wounded hand off his chest onto the floor between he and the others. With battered fingers, he slowly began to draw crude figures in the strange ichor that was his blood.
"The board, Kythera." he drew a wide oval. "The pieces – a key, a shield, and a girl."
Three crude drawings slowly appeared inside the oval.
"Now the key has been removed, but the game still moves on." Izus wiped away the crude picture of the Crimson Key. "And the girl is also out of your hands."
He smudged out the picture of Talitha. The Browncloak was beginning to pant with exertion.
"The only piece that remains is the Shield — and whatever knowledge you've brought with you, or can discover in the Unbroken City." he concluded.
The villain laid his palm flat on the floor, covering the picture of the shield.
"Ah….but you don't control the Shield. I do. " his voice became thin with exertion. " And if I die, you'll never find it. "
Izus coughed again, regaining some strength to his voice.
"That's what I mean about necessity, Sir. If I die, you'll never save her — you have to keep me alive to give yourself any chance at all. Keep me alive, knowing what I am." Izus leered again, the flesh of his face cracking horribly. " Keep me alive, knowing that I'll kill the girl as soon as I have her in arm's reach."
Ring of Silver
January 3, 2012 G. Derek AdamsLeave a comment
Material Plane/Lodestar
"Look!" Alice interrupts with a hushed whisper, pointing towards a gash on the Browncloak's leg.
At the edges of the wound, the flesh was beginning to blacken like the charred edges of a fireplace log.
The princess immediately resumed binding his wounds with scraps of fabric, tying quick knots with a spool of twine. The black corruption was obvious on several of his other wounds. She spoke hurriedly as she worked.
"I'm not familiar with the energy of the floatstone — but my magic is aligned to the plane of Light. I'm afraid that any similar energy will only harm this….person? Demon?"
Her hands stopped moving momentarily, and she looked across Izus' body at the assembled crew.
"Should we really be trying to save him, then?" she said stricken.
Spirit World/Lodestar
Careful — careful! Don't you think we should return to the World of the Living now, pet? The Ianu stone whispered.
Echo ignored the stone's pleas and pushed towards the shining man. She felt the heat on her face, and smelled sulfur in the back of her nose.
At the center of the man was a hole. The golden light radiated from the opening, glowing white-hot at the center — like a ring of candle-flame.
The druid leaned forward, and peered down into the chasm.
She saw a ring. A silver ring, pitted and worn — no more than a handspan across.
Bound to the ring, with cords of gold were five black hearts.
Five black flames.
The ring spun slowly, as the black flames pulled and fought. Sometimes at each other, sometimes at their bonds — always straining against the circle of silver.
There was something more. Something in the center of the ring, but the erratic spinning of the ring made it impossible to make out.
Time to go, pet. Leave that alone.
The Cost X
December 30, 2011 G. Derek AdamsLeave a comment
Izus Torossian walked through the empty streets, with a bundle in his arms. The raw sound of a baby crying battered at the air.
The dark things – the once-men stayed far away from him, he strode across the wet cobblestones unopposed.
Izus wished something would attack. Something he could fight.
The inside of him felt wide and vast, as if he had stumbled through a door in his house and discovered a vast concert hall; the orchestra tuning their instruments and waiting for the maestro's baton.
He was smarter, faster, more. He was more.
Izus looked down at last to the crying child in his arms. The rain had slowed, but a few drops still fell on the babe's unprotected face. He pulled the edge of his cloak up, and covered her carefully.
"Shhhh, little one. Everything's going to be okay."
The child stopped crying at the sound of his voice, and dropped off into an uneasy sleep — rocked by the motion of his strides.
"Everything's going to be okay." he said again, and found no comfort in the words.
The Cost IX
He felt his ribs shatter, leaving his heart exposed. A breath of cool air on his beating heart.
"Ah, yes – plenty of room. Room for five." Fairchild purred.
Blood poured out of the squire's empty eyes and his fingers slid along the stone. His body arched backward, and there was pain.
There was so much pain.
Then he saw them.
A hound with blue eyes.
A snake with green scales.
A knight with brown armor.
A lady in white.
A crow with yellow talons.
They were gone, but they weren't.
Fairchild slid a long green hand down his chest, and the wound closed. A jet of purple and green fire cauterized the wound, and left the flesh smooth and unbroken. The green creature cocked his head, and laid an appraising finger aside of his pursed lips. He nodded with satisfaction.
" There…we're done! Now get up." he stood and moved back towards the throne. "You have lots and lots of work to do."
The man stood up. He realized that his hands were clenched in the folds of his brown cloak. The fingers slowly released, and he saw they were coated thick with blood. On the floor surrounding him was a wide pool of blood.
It's mine. The thought seemed to echo inside the wide cavern of his mind, like a marble dropped in a basin. The last blood that I will ever shed.
"And now — the name!" Fairchild clapped his hands like a stage magician. "It has waited for you here — for so long. Hovering at the end of your road, waiting for you to wear it like a crown. The name whispered in the dark. The name promised. Oh…you don't seem very excited…"
The creature actually managed to sound petulant. The man said nothing.
"Very well, then. You are Izus Torossian. Take your payment and go."
The Cost VIII
December 29, 2011 December 29, 2011 G. Derek AdamsLeave a comment
The creature's green fingers closed around the blade.
"I shall make you…"
The blade was falling, it fell again and again.
"…make you …"
Jonas let go of the blade and it fell.
"…make you…"
Green fingers closed around the blade, and Fairchild looked up. His eyes were nothing.
"I shall make you of power and gold."
The squire let go of the blade, and it fell.
"I shall make you of…"
A squire stumbled through the dark and rain.
"…power and gold."
Green fingers closed.
"…and gold."
A boy said good bye to his friend. He left in the rain.
He let go of the sword. His eyes were nothing.
The Cost VII
A chessboard. A battlefield. Another time.
Think it through, boy. Think about all the moves, the avenues of attack, the consequences. What are your options? What tools do you have?
"Oh…oh my. You're actually considering it." Fairchild chortled. " I can see it in your eyes. Just as was foretold – but I must admit I'm actually shocked. That it could be so simple to sway you."
No, Jonas. No! You're not thinking far enough ahead – don't just think about this move, think about the fifth move from now. Take your damn hand off that piece, boy — and think!
"Thousands of corpses litter the city around us, but one mewling child has worth to you? Amazing." the creature said.
Is that really the move you want to make, squire? Are you certain? Bone-certain?
"Every life has worth." Jonas said. " And dead, I'm no good to anyone."
The squire gave up trying to push his sword tip towards his enemy. Instead, he pulled the sword back to his side. Fairchild seemed to allow this movement, his face that was not rapt with curiosity. Jonas set the point of the blade in front of him, and closed his hands around the hilt and crossguard. He leaned on the sword for a moment, feeling the good steel beneath his fingertips.
"For the child's life, I will give you my sword. "
Are you certain? Bone-certain?
"Well, about that…" Fairchild smirked. "One day she must die, ever leaf and stem of the tree must be cut. Every drop of blood spilled on the dry sand."
"Then promise me — only I can do it. When I've hunted down every single one of the others, she will die by my hand. By my hand, or by none. And then I'll be the last blood of Gilead, and you can do what you wish with me." the squire said.
The words came out of his mouth steadily, with no emotion. Jonas heard the words, but couldn't remember thinking them. It was quick thinking, logical and clean — not the way his mind usually worked.
"Your blood won't be an issue, my friend. Entering my service is going to change you a great deal." Fairchild laid the child down on the empty throne, and came slowly down the steps. "For the better, of course. A marked improvement upon your current state. I accept your terms. Are we agreed.?"
Fairchild kneeled, the illusion dropping away. Green and gaunt, he spread his hands on either side of the squire's blade — fingers splayed wide, palms up.
Is that really the move you want to make, squire?
Jonas took his hand off the piece, and the sword tumbled forward into Fairchild's waiting hands.
"We are." he said.
The Cost VI
"This child is the last. The last beating heart in all of Gilead. Except for yours, of course." Fairchild smiled.
The bundle hung, inches from the squire's nose. Jonas stared.
The baby appeared healthy, a patch of yellow fuzz on its head, dried tears and mucus covering the face. Jonas felt a sudden desire to reach into his pocket and find a clean hanky. The sudden image of standing in this room of green fire , piled high with corpses in a city of death — wiping the snot off of a baby's face; the image slid through his battered mind, and he found himself grinning. A quiet huh left his lips as he almost-chuckled.
Alone by Chris Polasko
The tip of his sword moved two inches along the floor. He was still held by the power of the creature Fairchild, but he felt looser. Like a frog in a child's palm, he couldn't escape but had room to wriggle.
"Do you know this child? I found her in the back of a baker's shop, just popped her in my pocket like a day-old muffin, and brought her here." Fairchild pulled the child close into the crook of his left arm, and waved towards Jonas with his right.
The squire found he could speak. " No. I don't know who she is. "
"No matter. Princess or pauper, whoreson or maid. You. Her. It doesn't really matter. It's the blood. The blood, you see?" Fairchild sat down again on the mound of corpses, cradling the child to his breast.
"..understand? That doesn't matter, either." the man who was not waggled a long finger. "You came here to find out what had happened to your people, to learn the truth — to save them? Quite a grand quest, I applaud you — or would. I don't want to drop the baby!"
Shattersteel-laughter rang in the throne room. Jonas glimpsed again Fairchild's true form — gaunt flesh stretched on a tall frame – naked, green and merry.
"I came here to purge this world of Gilead's blood, and I've succeeded. Almost." the creature rose. "There is still you, and this child — and a few wandering remnants scattered across the world."
Jonas felt a sudden heat in his heart. This creature was right, there were others out there – the Legion, travellers, families that had settled elsewhere. Gilead could live on, an army could gather and make justice for the fallen.
"Ah, hope. A foolish thing, there flickering in your eyes." Fairchild idly ran his thumb across the baby's cheek.
The child screamed as if his touch was acid.
"My time is limited, so let us speak plain. I need an..agent. Someone to hunt down your remaining kinsmen. It is going to be you. But, I need you to consent. So, enter my service or…." Fairchild held out the crying child. "…or I kill this child. Right here. Right now. And then you."


I'm not sure if it's possible to use the AppStore for the first time But I'm not sure if the app is working on my own device. All apps were tested with the iPhone 4. Similarly, the setup does not claim to be complete, it is just those apps which were recommended to me and with which I experimented.
Directly ready for use without any installation is the app, which Apple gives the iPhone. For each photo the recording location is recorded in the EXIF data of the photo and an HDR recording is also made on request . The video recording can be activated with a small sliding switch. Photos are recorded with five megapixels, videos in small HD format (1280×720).The flash can be switched between Automatic, On and Off. To change between the two cameras, just tap the appropriate symbol with your finger. Also with only one tip can be defined which range is focused. More is not actually to say, because attitudes you could change, there is none.
What is missing are invisible help lines to the iPhone before the recording as straight as possible. Also a "picture stabilizer" as the following apps offer partial.
My current favorite, which has been improved with the last update. Particularly noteworthy are the various insertable help lines, the storage of the recording coordinates in the EXIF data of the photo and the "image stabilizer". No one in the usual sense, but one takes over its function. For this, ProCamera (and the other apps) uses the internal sensors and triggers the recording only when the iPhone is quiet enough. The sensitivity can be adjusted in the settings in three steps. The app offers many other features, but you want to be discovered first. Unfortunately, there is no free base version available until a few weeks ago, so a test before the purchase is not possible.
Just like Apple's camera app, ProCamera is also suitable for snapshots, since it can be started right after the start. After successful recording, you will be asked if you want to save it. In the settings, however, the automatic saving can be activated, then you save this query and can continue to take pictures instead. The recordings are stored in the background.
In this normal mode, the flash can be triggered automatically and switched on or off. It is also possible to switch between the two cameras. The lower toolbar has access to the menu, the shutter button for direct recording, and the timer for recording a timer. The menu allows you to display various aids for camera alignment, switch to video recording, access the editing functions for photos and the settings. In these, as already mentioned, the strength of the "image stabilizer" and the time for the timer can be set, the expert mode (provides separately separately adjustable fields for the focus and exposure and a white balance), the automatic save in the photo app, full screen Zoom, zoom buttons and calibrate the virtual horizon.Furthermore, the user manual, tips & tricks, the possibility to contact customer service by mail and subscribe to the newsletter can be found in the menu.
Here too, the usual view of the main window: flash cut, change camera, zoom control, access to stored photos (can be on Facebook, Flicker, Twitter post and send it by e-mail), effects convert (in black / white , Trimming, and rotating. The menu bar is used to enable anti-shake protection, enable/disable the flash, turn on/off timer, trigger capture anywhere on the touchscreen, search images in bing, purchase the Pro version and access the settings. These are limited to the timer setting and automatic saving in the photo app.
The Pro version provides additional tools, such as the recording location in the photos, tags for the photos, video recording, many effects for the photos, etc. Just take a look at the App Store, there are all The advantages to see well in the screenshots.
The app is, if not directly visible, but snapshot-compatible. You can see in the front menu a virtual SLR camera and can use their shutter to take a photo. The picture is shown in the camera viewfinder. If "Take photos" is selected in this screen, you will be taken to the full screen with known elements: flashover, camera change, zoom, photo trigger, camera shake and film roll. In this the recordings are stored temporarily and can be transferred from there into the photo app. The settings allow you to turn on sound, zoom, and help lines that capture access data for distributing the photos (facebook, twitter, and flickr), setting the memory quality-full or optimized (1200×1200) resolution. The latter for faster working with the app.
Currently, Camera + is not available in the AppStore, because the app enabled the buttons of the volume control to trigger a recording and was removed from Apple.
as a commercial measure for the GorillaPad tripods . In addition to normal photo shoots, it offers a special feature: interval shooting – positioning the camera, setting the time interval and taking one photo at a time-to 10,000 shots and a maximum interval of 120 seconds.
With the small circle on the left, you get to the settings, from the first three settings (Self-timer, Time-lapse and Anti-shake) only one mode can be selected. This is subsequently displayed as a second symbol in the toolbar and allows further settings for this mode.
Self-timer-Delay time between 3 and 90 seconds. The last seconds are signaled acoustically.
Time-lapse – Time-lapse recordings. The number of recordings (three to a maximum of 10,000) and the interval (between one and 120 seconds) are set using the dial.
Anti-shake-anti-shake (with the help of the internal sensors)-adjustable in three steps. An indicator helps in orientation-red=to restless hand.
Bubble Level-water scale, which is always displayed at the top edge of the screen. This can be calibrated in the settings.
Grid-there are help lines for the"Golden Section".
Press Anywhere recording anywhere on the touch screen (fingerprint in "Menu bar").
3 Shot burst-three shots at a time (three points in "Menu bar").
On the far right is a symbol with a grid which gives access to the recordings. After selection, a photo can be sent by mail. EXIF data are not supported by this app, so the coordinates of the recording location are not stored. Similarly, no video can be recorded or switched between the two cameras.
Like GorillaCam, iZeitraffer also allows time-lapse recording and is optimized for this purpose. The advantage is that the recordings directly in the app can be combined into a film. Since pictures say more than 1000 words, I save this and bind a video instead;-).
Since iOS4 there is also HDR photography on the iPhone. While the camera app generates the HDR photo without affecting the user, Pro HDR offers almost too much of it. Even before the actual recordings, the app analyzes the environment in dark and light places, then each takes a dark and a bright recording and computes this to form an HDR image. By the measurements before the actual recordings the app is not just snapshot fit and a steady hand is in demand. The following video illustrates this well. The result can still be "finetunen" and its own taste. Perhaps there is still an author, who would like to illuminate the topic of HDR somewhat more in detail.


Much like the English Premier League the overall league was decided last week as short price picks confirmed the top five places. The champion is Matt Britcliffe with an excellent total of 9.09. Runner up was Hannah Cook over 2.5 behind followed by Craig the sheepdip and Craig the ram the top league winner.
Alan Blackley had the pick of the week with the 2.25 Rotherham away win at Aldershot and this secured him promotion into the Dickov League. Four people spotted the excellent odds of the Valencia v Tenerife home win - Martyn Cornwell, Dave Entwistle helping him escape relegation, Dougal Kerr and Daniel Cook guaranteeing him promotion. Bill Imrie also had a 1.30 home win with Swindon beating Charlton and bagging him promotion to the Maradona League.
Simon Callan's 1.20 pick of Dag & Red to beat Morecambe emphatically came in to pip Matthew Gibbons to promotion to the top flight. That is two seasons in a row where Gibbo has been caught in the last week and he will be anxiously looking for dropouts in the league above.
So that's the end of the season and we will be back in August for the new Premier league season. Lets hope England do the business this summer and if you are interested in World Cup predicting you should try The Football Pools.


Ate soooo much in Poland - this is just from the first couple of days.
Manbacon's mother presented us with this wonderful meal as soon as we arrived home in Stalowa Wola - freshly made breaded pork and warm, buttered new potatoes with dill, as well as the obligatory plate of pickles. The perfect meal for two tired travelers on a rainy afternoon.
I got hungry during a walk around the neighbourhood, so we headed in to Ekspres Bistro for a pick-me-up meal of pierogi, served with a garnish of crispy fried lard.
Delicious homebaked goodies (again, made by Manbacon's mum) - raspberry cake with a jelly layer on top, as well as Polish-style apple cake-pie.
Oh, and bread from a street stall in Krakow - it was so deliciously chewy I forgot to document it until very nearly the last bite. You'll see little old ladies selling these behind blue metal and glass carts all over Krakow. Did I mention I went to Krakow too? Well, I did.


text:
Why Was the Red Fort Left Unguarded When Delhi Was on 'High Alert'?
It is difficult not to conclude that there was, indeed, a deep conspiracy to malign the farmers' movement.
Protesters at the Red Fort on Republic Day. Photo: PTI
N.D. Jayaprakash
For several years now, a few days prior to Republic Day, a state of "high alert" regarding security threats is invariably declared over the entire city of Delhi. This year too, a "high alert" was proclaimed on January 17, 2021 by the Delhi Police through a circular. According to the above ABP News Bureau report:
"Delhi Police is on high alert regarding the farmer protesters sitting at the borders. Ahead of Republic Day celebration, Delhi Police has posted posters of Khalistan terrorists in all the crowded areas, which they are looking for. The police suspect that these terrorist organizations can carry out a big conspiracy." (Circulars issued by the Delhi Police in January 2021 are inaccessible; they have not been uploaded on its web portal.)
Yet, despite such a state of "high alert", Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu and his companions easily managed to barge into the Red Fort premises through its main entrance on Republic Day! When the Delhi Police had sounded an alarm about likely terrorist threats that Delhi could face ahead of the Republic Day, how and why was a key national monument like the Red Fort so easy to access on January 26, 2021?
It is a known fact that the Red Fort has been a target of terrorist attacks on several occasions in the past:
On December 22, 2000, one such attack resulted in the deaths of two security guards and a civilian.
On October 12, 2016, it faced another terrorist threat.
In February and May 2017, explosives were recovered from wells within its premises.
Therefore, the question of downgrading security requirements for guarding Red Fort could not have been entertained. On the contrary, as per even the controversial MoU signed with Dalmia Bharat Limited on April 13, 2018, regarding the maintenance of the heritage site, its security was to be upgraded by installing "[a]dvanced surveillance systems (Like PTZ based CCTV cameras".
In fact, since independence, the monument has remained under the control of the Indian Army, protected by military guards. After the Army handed over the heritage site to the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) in 2003, the Red Fort has been under the protection of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), which fall directly under the control of the Union government's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Then how did Deep Sidhu and his companions manage to reach the ramparts of the Red Fort unhindered? Could it be that the security forces actually allowed them in?
The provocative acts perpetrated at the Red Fort on January 26, 2021 by Deep Sidhu and his accomplices were unprecedented. Later, when some farmers who had accompanied Sidhu to the Red Fort realised that they had been duped, they were ready to take him to task. To save himself, Sidhu fled from the spot on a motorbike and has gone underground since.
Deep Sidhu. Photo: Facebook/imdeepsidhu
The question is, can anyone just barge into the Red Fort unhindered and unfurl any flag on its ramparts at any time of his or her choice? If not, then:
Who facilitated their unchecked entry into the historic Fort through its main entrance?
How did Deep Sidhu and his accomplices manage to stay put on the ramparts and keep the Sikh religious flag, the Nishan Sahib, fluttering for a considerable duration; and
How did they escape from the Red Fort unscathed when they should have been arrested on the spot?
These questions point to a larger question – what are the kind of political connections that an agent-provocateur like Deep Sidhu has to give him such a charmed life. The answer is revealing – Sidhu was the election agent of BJP candidate Sunny Deol in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. That he was probably considered a person of high utility is signalled by the fact that special meetings were arranged for him with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah. No wonder the fact that Sidhu and his accomplices entered through the main gate of the Red Fort with such ease on a day when the monument was officially closed to the public until January 31, begs the question – could they have done this unaided?
Watch: Bullet or Accident: How Did Farm Law Protester Navreet Singh Die?
It is important to point out that there are no indications, or allegations, that the solid iron grill gate at the main entrance to the Red Fort was forced open. This can only mean that they were let in. Since the monument is under the protection of the CRPF, are we then to understand that they let Sidhu and his accomplices into the Red Fort? If so, the resulting dereliction of duty constitutes a serious breach of security for which none other than the MHA should be held accountable.
While sedition charges under Section 124A of IPC have been registered (presumably against those who had illegally entered the monument), apparently no inquiry has been instituted so far to unravel who had directed the CRPF to permit the illegal entry of unauthorised persons into the Red Fort on a day when entry to the monument was officially closed to the public.
The double standards adopted by the Central government in investigating two similar security breaches are glaring. While the Delhi Police has constituted a Special Cell to investigate the security breach near the Israeli Embassy that was unable to prevent a low intensity explosion on January 29, no such inquiry has been instituted so far to investigate the security breach at the Red Fort on January 26.
The bulk of the mainstream media too has been less than even-handed – even as ample coverage is accorded to the blast near the Israeli Embassy, news about the Red Fort security breach has been practically swept under the carpet.
Flagging the motive
What exactly was the purpose of unfurling the Sikh religious flag on the ramparts of the Red Fort on January 26 when no flag other than the National Flag was permitted to be hoisted on the national monument after Independence? The pretext that it was to uphold the cause of the farmers does not hold; on the contrary, it is more likely that the devious move was hatched to provoke outrage and actually denigrate the farmers' movement.
There certainly is ground for expressing deep indignation at what transpired. However, from the highly sensational manner in which the Hindutva Rightwing and sections of the media propagating their agenda played up the incident – claiming that the national flag had been replaced by a "Khalistani" flag on the Red Fort ramparts by the farmers – it was difficult not to believe that there was a scripted element to the sequence of events.
Moreover, Deep Sidhu's histrionics can in no way be compared to the organised events of March 08-09, 2014 (and subsequent ones) which was to commemorate the 'Fateh Diwas' – a historical event as an article in The Wire by Kanika Singh titled "In 2014, the Sikh Flag Flew at the Red Fort – And the Hindu Rightwing Had No Complaints" argues. From the photograph of the 'Fateh Diwas' of 2016 published along with the said article, it is evident that the Sikh flags (the Nishan Sahib) were flown in the grounds outside the Red Fort and not on its ramparts. As far as it can be gathered, as per the protocol instituted after independence, there is no scope for unfurling any flag other than the national flag on the ramparts of the Red Fort.
Farmers hoist flags at the Red Fort during the Kisan Gantantra Parade on January 26. Photo: PTI
As videos of the turn of events at the Red Fort on Republic Day show, there were instances of brutal attacks on the police on the edge of the moat in front of the monument. While the footage of the mindless attack on the police that was recorded from a vantage point is heart-rending, the question is what was the farmers' movement supposed to gain by viciously attacking the police when these farmers had already reached the Red Fort?
Why did the police "fail" to stop the tractors at the barricades?
The truth is that the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), which is spearheading the farmers' movement, had no plans to go anywhere near the Red Fort on January 26, 2021. Therefore, the concerted attempt by the powers that be to hold the SKM responsible for all the unruly events at the Red Fort on January 26, 2021, reeks of a calculated conspiracy to malign the SKM.
On its part, the MHA may have slapped UAPA and sedition charges on the SKM leadership as a show of prompt action, but in reality, it is the home ministry which needs to explain to the people of India how hundreds of tractor-riding farmers not only managed to cross the supposedly heavily barricaded entry points into the city centre but also succeeded in breaching the tight security at the entrance to the Red Fort, climbing on to its ramparts to plant the Sikh religious flag there unhindered.
As per the agreement arrived between the farmers' unions associated with the SKM and the Delhi Police on January 24, 2021, three specific routes near the border areas of Delhi (which were roughly about 20 to 30 kms away from the city centre) were chosen for holding the Tractor Parade by farmers on Republic Day.
However, some sections of farmers who were not associated with the SKM had made a public announcement on January 25, 2021, that they would not abide by the said agreement between the SKM and the Delhi Police. Instead, they took a decision to proceed east from the scheduled turning point on NH-44 (just ahead of Mukarba Chowk) on to the Outer Ring Road, which would have led further into the city centre and directly to Red Fort situated about 20 kms away. This was contrary to the decision to turn away from the city in the north-west direction. Similarly, a section of farmers at the Ghazipur border (in East Delhi) too had decided to proceed to the Red Fort in defiance of the SKM-Police agreement regarding the Tractor Parade route.
Also read: The New Ruling Elite Will Still Face Defiance
On the same evening, while leaders of the SKM were busy making plans for the scheduled Tractor Parade the following day, some miscreants – in the absence of the SKM leadership – occupied the stage at the Singhu border protest site to sow confusion regarding the manner of holding the Tractor Parade. According to The Indian Express:
"For about six hours, from 6 pm to midnight, a group of youths hijacked the stage to oppose the route agreed upon between SKM leaders and Delhi Police. Their protest was webcast live on some Punjabi web channels as well as some individual social media accounts. Initially, it was some unknown faces, demanding that SKM leaders come on the stage and answer their questions regarding the route decided for the tractor parade. But later, some known faces, like Lakhbir Singh Sidhana alias Lakha Sidhana (40), gangster-turned-politician and president of the Malwa Youth Federation, and Punjabi film actor Deep Sidhu, who campaigned for the BJP's Sunny Deol in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, addressed the crowd…. 'Thousand of youths want to take the Ring Road. The Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee has already decided to take the Ring Road. They are protesting ahead of us, so our tractors will be behind them. So if anyone wants to go on Ring Road, they can follow the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee…' Sidhana told the gathering."
Satnam Singh Pannu of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) has also confirmed that KMSC had taken a decision in advance to oppose the SKM-Police agreement regarding the route of the Tractor Parade. According to a NDTV report:
"Mr Pannu said the change of route was not unannounced. 'We had declared at the outset that we would take the Outer Ring Road.'"
In this regard, BKU president Balbir Singh Rajewal has expressed apprehensions about the reported meeting between KMSC members and the police: "We got to know that police also held a meeting with the [KMS]committee members on January 25 night. What was the meeting all about?" While the Delhi Police were fully aware of the attempts by some farmers to violate the SKM-Police agreement on the Tractor Parade route, it appears that they refrained from taking adequate preventive steps to thwart attempts by some sections of farmers to deviate from the agreed route.
Since the SKM did not insist on a written undertaking from the Delhi Police that the police would not permit anyone to deviate from the agreed route, the loophole seems to have been conveniently exploited. All that they needed to do was to keep the barricades at various entry points to the city such as Mukarba Chowk, Nangloi Chowk and Ghazipur border porous and to merely pretend to resist those who sought to break the barricades.
That is precisely what had happened. According to a report in The Tribune:
"Despite being shunned by farmer unions at various stages of the ongoing anti-farm law agitation, Deep Sidhu has been attempting to take a leadership role in the movement for the past several months…. On Monday evening, Deep Sidhu took over the main stage at Singhu, and along with gangster-turned-social activist Lakha Sidhana, announced they would hold the march 'inside Delhi'…. They had a plan ready by Tuesday morning. First, they started a march of their own much before the official march of the farmer unions, and positioned their 'henchmen' in large numbers at a road turning towards central Delhi. From there they directed other tractors towards the Red Fort instead of the agreed route. At one point of time, volunteers of farmer unions tried to intervene in this, but they were outnumbered by the Deep Sidhu and Lakha Sidhana group.
At Mukarba Chowk, the police did not even make a pretence of preventing sections of farmers led by Deep Sidhu and KMSC – who set off from the Singhu border much before the agreed time – from moving on to the Outer Ring Road. The police actually left the by-pass from NH-44 to the eastern-side of the Outer Ring Road almost un-barricaded, which was no hindrance to the free movement of tractors towards Red Fort.
According to a report in The Times of India: "Containers blocking the road near Balswa landfill [Mukarba Chowk] removed by farmers using tractors, cranes and earthmovers." While farmers were travelling on tractors, it is most unlikely they had brought cranes and earthmovers with them. Should we not ask one simple question – how is it that cranes and earthmovers were conveniently left at the spot by the police while purportedly barricading the spot, which the farmers who came there readily made use of.
Farmers march during their tractor rally to protest against Centres farm reform laws, amid the 72nd Republic Day celebrations, at GT Karnal road in New Delhi, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021. Photo: PTI/Shahbaz Khan
At the same time, farmers, who had missed the designated right turn from NH-44 towards SGT Nagar (in the north-west direction away from the city) and had proceeded ahead, were entrapped at Mukarba Chowk when the police prevented them taking a U-turn towards SGT Nagar.
The mishandling of the situation by the police resulted in an unwarranted clash between the aggrieved farmers who had lost their way but were intent on going towards SGT Nagar. As per available reports from some participants, the police also tried to misguide farmers by prodding them to move towards Red Fort via Outer Ring Road and G.T. Karnal Road instead of directing them towards SGT Nagar – the designated route. The happenings at the Ghazipur border and Nangloi Chowk were almost similar.
Did the Delhi Police not have the wherewithal and the competence to effectively block the movement of tractors and farmers towards Red Fort? That does not appear to be the case. Expressing his views on the matter in an article in The Quint, Dr.N.C.Asthana (former Director General of Police, Kerala, and Additional Director General of the CRPF and BSF for a long time) said:
"First, there are non-lethal ways of preventing people from entering a certain area…. Second, a whole science of physical barriers has been developed; the devices range from Caltrops, Shallow-Mounted Wedge Barriers, to heavy Bollards. Even caltrops could have been deployed very quickly to stop tractors. Shallow-Mounted Wedge Barriers are also effective devices to stop vehicles."
Asthana was very critical about the insipid manner in which the Delhi Police had mishandled the matter. According to him:
"…they should have put up 'effective barricades' in several layers. The barricading used was not effective." [Emphasis added]
The failure to use effective barricading was the underlying reason that resulted in hundreds of tractors and farmers moving 20 km inside the city to reach Red Fort unhindered. Therefore, it would not be wrong to say that the Delhi Police were merely pretending that they did not have the means or the ability to stop tractors and farmers at the designated points using non-lethal means. The police are in fact guilty of creating unnecessary chaos.
Also read: As Support for Farmers' Agitation Swells, Is the State Crackdown Backfiring?
The truth is that the police were never serious in executing the agreement with the farmers' unions. On the contrary, it does seem that the police aided and abetted the movement of farmers led by Deep Sidhu and KMSC towards the Red Fort. Of course, the police may have been acting under instructions from above. That there was a conscious attempt to sabotage the peaceful conduct of the Tractor Parade is very apparent.
It is also a fact that while agent-provocateurs enacted their assigned roles to perfection by attacking the police to provoke them and create mayhem at ITO and the Red Fort, the vast majority of farmers who strayed away from the designated Tractor Parade route by mistake remained peaceful and conducted themselves in an exemplary fashion. There are also reports from local volunteers that on the Tikri-Nangloi route, some miscreants had attacked the Tractor Parade disguised as policemen.
It is difficult not to conclude that there was, indeed, a deep conspiracy to malign the farmers' movement. Therefore, it is all the more necessary to conduct a full-fledged inquiry into how and why the Red Fort was left unguarded on January 26, 2021 and why the Delhi Police miserably failed to effectively barricade the three entry points into the city at Mukarba Chowk, Ghazipur border and at Nangloi Chowk.
N.D. Jayaprakash is Joint Secretary, Delhi Science Forum & Member, Nation for Farmers.


Which Bus lines stop near Peaton Road, Ardpeaton?
These Bus lines stop near Peaton Road, Ardpeaton: 316.
Which public transportation lines pass through Peaton Road, Ardpeaton in Argyll And Bute, United Kingdom and stops near me?
Want to see other transit options? Bus, Train, Lightrail or Ferry are possible transit options that you may use to get to Peaton Road, Ardpeaton. Choose from this list of lines that pass close to your destination - Bus: 316.
You can also find live directions to Peaton Road, Ardpeaton or see the closest bus stop or Bus, Train, Lightrail or Ferry stations near me by downloading the Moovit App.