text:
Moto3 rider penalties to be harder in 2020 – Webb
MotoGP Race Director Mike Webb says the Stewards "can more or less do anything they want" on harder rider penalties in measures to resolve the touring trend in practice and qualifying.
MotoGP Race Director Mike Webb says its Stewards Freddie Spencer and Bill Cumbow "can more or less do anything they want" when it comes to harder rider penalties in measures to resolve the touring trend which has grown in practice and qualifying.
Over recent seasons Moto3 riders have frequently caused problems for MotoGP's race direction team by going slowly on either an out lap or first timed lap when looking to gain a tow from other riders to ultimately find lap time improvements. The problem originated in qualifying but has since spread to practice sessions with combined free practice times now counting towards the top 14 riders securing automatic entry into Q2.
Measures to halt the trend were introduced with stricter qualifying grid place penalties but the problem has still persisted, often resulting in embarrassing situations where the majority of the Moto3 field has grid penalties going into a race.
For 2020, FIM MotoGP Stewards Cumbow and Spencer held special meetings with all Moto3 riders on the eve of the Qatar opening round about the issue and laid out the stricter rules which will come into action this season. The Stewards also held an extra meeting with all Moto3 team managers on the same topic on the Friday of the Qatar Grand Prix as they looked to work with the teams to stop the problem.
"The message is always the same. The Stewards have every sanction available to them, they can more or less do anything they want but they want to tell the riders what to expect," Webb said.
"It has changed a little this year, it isn't so much reliant on grid penalties which in this class don't really mean so much."
Webb has explained the Stewards will rely on more video evidence and punish riders who disturb others on track rather than riders just going slow on track.
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"Also, specifically looking at much more video evidence to see who the rider at fault is and not necessarily looking at riders who are just a little bit slow, rather if they are disturbing another rider, which is the key," he explained.
"They will rely on video and if a rider is found to be at fault for disturbing other riders for causing a problem the penalties will immediately be a bit stronger.
"They can be suspended from a complete practice session and they can have penalties given during the race like a Long Lap, so the penalties are harder but the checking is a little bit different."
Three-time world champion Spencer was appointed Chairman of the FIM MotoGP Stewards from the start of the 2019 season and has been integrating the role to work with both riders and teams to gain greater understanding on why on-track issues occur.
"Freddie Spencer was new last year and spent a lot of time understanding the riders, what they are doing and why," Webb explained. "Then teaching them how to be a better rider, how they can do about avoiding the problems and also going about improving their own race performance.
"We saw a big improvement during last year from the riders' behaviours. A lot of riders are learning and understanding what Freddie is there to tell them based on his experience.
"This year is a continuation of that. We say to the riders you can improve your own performance and you can help us by getting into trouble less and the teams can help by working with their riders."
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Following an initial term of twelve months, the contract can be terminated by providing ninety days written notice to KYC, or such other term as may be set out in your SaaS agreement with us.
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Any investigations into jurisdictions not covered under your plan or investigations above your plan limit will be billed retrospectively. During our quarterly review, Know Your Customer will suggest a more suitable plan based on usage levels and domiciliation of corporates.
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台灣是大航海時代版圖上一處重要據點,淡蘭古道承載北台灣開發歷史、與世界連結的文化路徑,清朝時期北部「淡水廳」至東部「噶瑪蘭廳」間往來的路徑,是北台灣最早東西向通行的重要動線命脈,是重新串起歷史與時代的長距離步道。新北市政府觀光旅遊局特別邀請國際設計大師蕭青陽擔任製作人,執導《淡蘭古道》系列形象影片,《淡蘭古道》影片在眾多國家中脫穎而出,榮獲首屆世界步道大會影展片! The Tamsui-Kavalan Historical and Cultural Trails (TKT) dates back 200 years when it was the network connecting the "Tamsui Subprefecture" in the north with the "Kavalan Subprefecture"in the east in the early Qing Dynasty. The trail was an essential transportation lifeline crossing the east and the west that has witnessed our ancestors' migration, industrial development, and town settlements. It is a long-distance mountain trail that has collected rich memories throughout history.


This post is about IT professionals, vendors, compliance, communication, changes in service levels, assumptions, problem-solving, and the bigger picture. I am not an IT professional, nor do I play one on TV. But I do work with IT groups on outsourcing, problem-solving, and techniques for managing vendors. My career has been focused on helping new managers become skilled and effective. And I have worked in the technology field for 20 years.
Suppose you are an IT professional in a US-based company that outsources a data center and applications development. The data center is located in London, but applications development is being done in-house.
The data center agreement was set up two years earlier, with a lead time of one year from first putting out an RFP. Some incremental provision was made in the terms of the agreement for 10% increase in bandwidth per year to handle the increase in data traffic.
With emerging mobile technologies, increasing emphasis on Social Networking, and greater ease of creating and deploying video, your company adopts a video-rich approach to knowledge management internally, Customer Support embraces this and makes extensive use of this to help agents handle user calls in real time, and Marketing makes greater use of mobile video in product and services training around the country.
This creates an exponential increase in bandwidth requirements, much beyond was was allowed for in the data center, and expansion in the UK at the new rate becomes an expensive proposition. Delivery times increase and effective data rate served per user drops below what was agree in service levels.
This level of expansion is not reflected in the agreement, and the vendor providing the data center contends that the failure to meet service levels is not their fault. As the program manager for this particular vendor, you look to see if funding is available to allow for the extra cost of expansion, which the vendor has put forward in a request for a change order.
But, when you seek an increase in funding for the project, you find that IT expenditures have been capped for the remaining nine months of the company financial year, and the pressure is on you to come up with a solution.
Source a new vendor with the needed capacity and scope to expand, and transition the work to them.
Vendor managers are held accountable for ensuring the vendor meets the service levels, but it is important to go back and look at the written or documented assumptions upon which the agreement, service levels and pricing were based. The vendor manager can only be responsible for those things within his or her control.
It is essential for those working out the scope of work with the vendor to document these assumptions in the first place, and include them in the agreement, or as an appendix.
Clear procedures for program governance within the company need to be in place and followed for situations such as this. It is OK for a vendor manager to use his or her own internal connections to liaise with other departments and get day-to-day problems solved, but this scenario outlined here requires a more high level and strategic resolution.
There needs to be an effective escalation path for raising red flags when the metrics start showing problematic changes.
For the vendor manager, being able to clearly show large discrepancies between the present requirements and the assumptions on which the service levels and terms were based, is the strongest lever to begin getting attention and raising this to the level where the broader picture is addressed.
Another factor that needs to be considered is how this complies with labor laws, and whether the increased volume of work or expenditure goes beyond mandated thresholds for local worker percentages.
Changes in any company programs that utilize the services need to be looked at in a total picture. Individually, any one initiative may not be a problem, but three unrelated new initiatives deploying at the same time may create the perfect storm. And the front-line interface with the vendor, the program manager, needs to be part of that review process.
In future posts I will explore more what these competencies are, and how an IT professional can acquire this expertise. You can also subscribe to my audio podcast, Managing Vendors, on iTunes, or at http://think180.com, where you will find the full series of podcasts and transcripts as PDFs.


"MPI understands the groundswell of concern following recent announcements regarding third party commission cuts. We have nearly 3,000 third party meeting planners and small business owners within our global community, and since MPI was established 45 years ago, we have consistently provided this group with relevant, unparalleled education and networking opportunities to assist with their career advancement and business growth.
Our association remains focused on providing value to all of our members and all professionals in the industry, including this important group. Accordingly, we recently developed a new special interest group, MPI's Independent and Small Business Owners (ISBO) Community. We also enhanced the member benefits we offer to include the new ISBO MyMPI Online discussion group and new MPI Academy Virtual Small Business Summits – all of which support them in navigating and planning for success, especially in the current business environment.
In addition, thanks to support from MGM Resorts International, we are offering a special discount for third party planners on registration for our 2018 World Education Congress (WEC18). MPI is offering independent third party planners a special rate on Preferred Planner Membership as well.


For many years, Israel has suffered at the hands of hostile Arab neighbors. At first, the Israelis fought back and smote the Arabs mightily and survived.
For the last 30 years, the big neighbors have left Israel pretty much alone. Two have have even signed peace treaties with Israel.
Arab aggression has changed. It is no longer threatening. What Hamas is doing is not good, but it does not endanger Israel's existence.
How is Israel responding? The same old way - with airplanes, helicopters, tanks and massive amounts of explosives. It's not effective against the Hamas rocket throwers and their elusive bosses.
Scroll down to the section entitled: "A Domestic and Global Marshall Plan—Starting with Israel/Palestine."
"We haven't got the man we had when we began"


This is a quick solution to the problem of hosting services on a roaming laptop that need to be semi-reliable and available. When switching connections from wired to wireless (or vice versa), services like ssh need to remain available and active connections should remain connected (albeit with maybe a brief disruption). The solution is to transfer an assigned static IP to some secondary interface (e.g. wlan0) whenever the primary interface (e.g. eth0) becomes disconnected.
And configure a few values in /etc/network/connection-delegation. Note that this solution only works when both primary and secondary interfaces are on the same subnet.


I think we, many, I have become addicted to watching. I think the tendency must be innate to the human psyche. I think it all started simple enough, our cave man ancestors saw another cave man ancestor being chased by a sabertooth tiger and couldn't take their eyes of the ensuing mayhem. Back then though there was no form of media to share the event – hieroglyphics just didn't cut it as a tweet. A few thousand years later some smart people figured this out – you know, what is old is new again. No sabertooth tigers any more, maybe it started more gently in our civilized world. Perhaps someone was driving one day and was stuck in crazy traffic only to eventually find out that there was a minor fender bender ahead and everyone was "rubber necking" as it was called. Then the idea came – people love to watch a wreck. Fast forward a few years and we find ourselves inundated with news that focuses on the tragedy, failure or crisis of the day, or at least that's how they portray it to us.
Endless hours of reality tv showing us the likes of hoarders, spoiled brides, people running naked on a island, teen moms and the Kardashians. And just like the rubberneckers of yesterday, we pause and turn our gaze to the wreck. Somehow it's satisfying, like some sort of drug. We see more and more, we crave more and more, and we've become hooked – fast forward again, and some, many, I have become addicts. Ok stop reading here – I just suggested you might be an addict, ridiculous right! Offensive! Ok I understand, but I promise if you keep reading there is a really good wreck at the end. Anyway I digress, like addicts the high wears off over time so they (who ever you allow them to be) need to ramp up the severity or perceived severity of the wrecks. We don't have news, we now have War Rooms, it's not weather anymore, it's Severe Storm Centers – snow, rain, wind, hell puppies KILL today, and it goes on and on and on. We have been so immersed in this addiction we can't even recognize it and like any other addict we are in unbelievable denial.
If we couple our addiction with the behavior the digital era has introduced us to – oh baby have you got an amazingly toxic mix. An ever growing addiction to wrecks and an attention span of 30 seconds or less. Now we must get the elevated dosage of our fix and get it FAST. We need bigger wrecks, more insanely amped storms, Snowmageddon (literally a headline for a news channel last year) and yes we need those puppies, but now they're zombie puppies. We need to be told there is crisis everywhere, we need to be shown everyday happenings through the lens of the extreme and this must be injected into our system quickly because we need our high and if we don't get it right this second we might look somewhere else. We don't care about right and wrong, truth or fiction, just get me my fix man – hook me up! Stay with me, the wreck is just ahead.
So now we find ourselves trained into seeing everything in the extreme and now we get it 140 characters or less. Yet even the most ardent of addicts eventually burn out. When they do they often lose touch with what little grip they have on reality, they become numb, numb to the things happening around them, and worse they just don't care anymore, especially about other people. They just want to be left alone so they can exist in their own little world. Does any of this sound familiar? It's just around the bend now.
I think this is the state we, many, I find myself in right now. We are becoming burned out watchers. We don't recognize right from wrong as clearly as we used to and even when we do, we don't stand up like we used to. We don't really care about others like we used to either, we just want to have what we have and be left alone, not bothered. We have become so desensitized with made up crises we don't get outraged when we are actually in one. We have accepted the lies we were told about everything, buy now don't wait, supplies are running out, that "amazing new trick others don't want you to know about", or the next storm of the century that is coming, and yes those damn cute, evil zombie puppies. We have lost our perspective on so many things, truth, and right and wrong are mauled, blooded casualties. A little gore there huh? That's just a sample of what's next man.
Oh. Wow look at that. I guess we are here, the scene of the accident! Where is the wreck you ask? You don't see it do you? Truthfully I didn't either for a long time, until for some reason, all of sudden it appeared right before my clearing eyes. How you ask? Well, I have watched my children almost every day for years, but I never saw it. Then just like a that I took a look into my childrens' eyes and I saw the tragedy. The wreck is the legacy I, we, many, are leaving them. The lessons we have taught or allowed them to learn while silently standing by, the damage we have caused my not acting, and the fog that surrounds them because the reality they live in is so blurred. Now that's a wreck my friend, an arma-gory-Kardash-zombian wreck! Wait. What was that? Look over there did you see that?! Are those demon puppies with guns!? More to come…..
So I find myself moved to share a thank you to our men and women in the armed forces. Especially those deployed in combat situations. What precipitated this feeling is really not important. What is important, is to consider right now as I am writing this, or you are reading this, somewhere in the world soldiers are on patrol, executing a mission and in harms way. Sometimes I think we forget the gravity of what they do.
In my case I'm a businessman, I also know all sorts of other people in other professions and nothing we collectively do could ever compare to the job that these deployed soldiers do. Our definition of risk is quite different from theirs, our definition of commitment is wildly different then theirs and sadly our definition of reward is different as well.
I often wonder why they do what they do, why they take on such risk? I realize for some it is a job, some thing they didn't choose for love of country but rather as a means to make a living. For others it is a family tradition or a sense of obligation to our country, our way of life – you and me. Regardless of the reason, at times these men and women are called on to do amazingly risky things and each and ever time they step up. I recall a line from the Toby Keith song, American Soldier, "You can bet that I stand ready when the wolf growls at the door".
I ask if you read this, and feel moved as well, please show your respects with an action. Pause a moment and thank a passing soldier for their service. If you see them at your local Starbucks or whatever coffee shop you fancy, buy them a cup. Take a moment and just talk to them – share the most valuable thing we all have – our time. Despite the term oil in the world and in our own country, most of these men and women are the embodiment of honor and courage, and they are due our humble gratitude.


text:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

namespace ConsoleApplication213
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            //input
            decimal side = decimal.Parse(Console.ReadLine());
            string formula = Console.ReadLine();

            //invoke GetCubeFormulas
            if (formula == "face")
            {
                Console.WriteLine("{0:f2}", GetCubeFace(side));
            }
            else if (formula == "space")
            {
                Console.WriteLine("{0:f2}", GetCubeSpace(side));
            }
            else if (formula == "volume")
            {
                Console.WriteLine("{0:f2}", GetCubeVolume(side));
            }
            else if (formula == "area")
            {
                Console.WriteLine("{0:f2}", GetCubeArea(side));
            }
        }

        static decimal GetCubeFace(decimal side)
        {
            decimal face = (decimal)Math.Sqrt(2 * (double)side * (double)side);
            return face;

        }

        static decimal GetCubeSpace(decimal side)
        {
            decimal space = (decimal)Math.Sqrt(3 * (double)side * (double)side);
            return space;
        }

        static decimal GetCubeVolume(decimal side)
        {
            decimal volume = side * side * side;
            return volume;
        }

        static decimal GetCubeArea(decimal side)
        {
            decimal area = 6 * side * side;
            return area;
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


BRIGHT and cheerful benches are popping up at schools around Scone reminding students to look out for each other. The 'Friendship Seats' were donated by the Lions Club of Scone late last year and built, painted and delivered by the Upper Hunter Men's Shed. The engraved plaques on the seats were generously paid for by a donation from the owners of the Scone Sports Store. Upper Hunter Men's Shed's John Pratley said it wasn't the first time they had made the seats for local schools but the latest delivery included two brand new seats at Scone Grammar School and two at St Mary's Primary School. "We also made some for the public school a few years ago," he said. "They were very pleased with their ones." He said the seats were a great initiative designed to help reduce bullying and create friendly and caring school environments. "We are even making a few for the Arts and Crafts Centre," he said. The seats were first designed under the The Alannah & Madeline Foundation's Better Buddies program. The foundation's mission is keeping children safe from violence and the seats, designed for younger children, serve as a safe place for students to sit on when they find themselves with no one to play with on their lunch break. By sitting on the seat, the students alert teachers and other students, who will then be encouraged to reach out or include the student in their lunchtime activities. They have been very well received by the schools, who are already requesting more benches.
FRIENDSHIP: Upper Hunter Men's Shed's John Pratley and Warren Richards with the Lion Club of Scone's Maria and John Musumeci with St Mary's Primary School Scone students Myles and Amelia.
BRIGHT and cheerful benches are popping up at schools around Scone reminding students to look out for each other.
The 'Friendship Seats' were donated by the Lions Club of Scone late last year and built, painted and delivered by the Upper Hunter Men's Shed.
The engraved plaques on the seats were generously paid for by a donation from the owners of the Scone Sports Store.
Upper Hunter Men's Shed's John Pratley said it wasn't the first time they had made the seats for local schools but the latest delivery included two brand new seats at Scone Grammar School and two at St Mary's Primary School.
Scone Grammar School students Erin, Pip and Cobin with Upper Hunter Men's Shed's John Pratley and Warren Richards and the Lion Club of Scone's Maria and John Musumeci.
He said the seats were a great initiative designed to help reduce bullying and create friendly and caring school environments.
"We are even making a few for the Arts and Crafts Centre," he said.
The seats were first designed under the The Alannah & Madeline Foundation's Better Buddies program.
The foundation's mission is keeping children safe from violence and the seats, designed for younger children, serve as a safe place for students to sit on when they find themselves with no one to play with on their lunch break.
By sitting on the seat, the students alert teachers and other students, who will then be encouraged to reach out or include the student in their lunchtime activities.
They have been very well received by the schools, who are already requesting more benches.
Discuss "Benches reminding students to look out for each other"


You are currently browsing the archive for the Naked Man Running category.
I think it was John Maxwell that said, "Everything rises or falls on leadership." The group I was a part of (The Vineyard), drilled into us the need to 'raise up leaders.' Some experts have even told pastors that your church will only grow as large as your base of leaders. I'm not sure that's always true, but it might be close enough.
The smaller the church, the less the pastor needs leaders and the more the pastor needs helpers.
Now let there be no mistake about it, leaders will come from your team of helpers. Of those who are helping you, someone will stand out and catch your attention. Chances are, this could be a future leader.
The smaller your church, the more likely it will be that you have more, sometimes way more, helpers than you have leaders. You see, if you are searching for leaders, you are probably looking for a degree of maturity and commitment to Jesus and the church. You may, or may not have such a person. But if you are looking for helpers, the bar is a little lower, and you will have more to choose from. Besides, it's better to wait until you have the right kind of person to call a leader, than it is to put someone in leadership prematurely and later regret it.
Once you call someone a 'leader' everything changes. Calling someone a leader changes their relationship with you and your relationship with them. Calling someone a leader changes the way your church thinks of the person. And, sorry to say this, sometimes people change, and not always for the better, once you start calling them a leader. For example, they might think this (calling them a leader) means more than you intended it to mean. I suggest that you hold off calling anyone a leader until you've had enough time to know if they are 'leading' in the way you want a leader to lead.
Do you need leaders or do you only need helpers?
If you think you need a leader, what is it specifically that they need to lead?
What concrete reasons do you have for thinking they would be a good leader of (fill in the blank)?
Do you need to call them a leader or could you call them something else?
Who among your helpers stands out the most?
Who among your helpers comes in at second place?
Pray over these people and ask the Father to show you if he regards them as potential leaders.
Begin to pour your time into them.
At some point, but only if you think you have a future leader on your hands, let them know that you think they have potential.
Almost all leaders started out as helpers. Know who your helpers are, and you will eventually know who some of your future leaders will be.
In Junior High I was one of those skinny kids (you'd never believe it if you saw me now) who wasn't into sports, was self-conscious, and lived in fear of being beaten up by a bully. I was very aware of who the bullies were and where they hung out. My life-preserving strategy was simple, avoid the bullies, and you won't get beaten up. Apparently it worked because I made it through Junior High without ever getting pounded.
Pastor Jim (not his real name) had a problem on his hands, and he wanted to process it with me during one of our coaching calls. Bubba (not his real name but I thought that was a good name for a bully) had been a church board member, had taken a year off according to the church by-laws, and now was letting everyone know that when his break was over he intended to return to his position on the board, pending nomination and approval by the congregation.
"He's really difficult to work with. Bubba is a big guy, boisterous, and he uses his size and words to intimidate others. People in the church are uncomfortable around him, and some have even shared that they are afraid of him. But he's been in the church for a long time, and he has a lot of influence, even if it's bad influence.
Church bullies come in all shapes and sizes. They might not look exactly like Bubba, but they are just as much a bully. Church bullies intimidate and threaten, overtly or covertly, consciously or unconsciously. They might use their influence or money or ministry position to pressure you and others to do what they want. Some have been known to actually threaten the pastor.
The only way to deal with a bully is to walk right up to them and smack them good and hard in the nose.
No…not really, I'm kidding…kind of.
Church bullies won't stop until someone stops them. You get what you tolerate. Do you have a church bully who needs to hear, "STOP IT"?
Confronting a bully is scary and risky. It can be dangerous, but not as dangerous as letting the bully continue to bully. It's not uncommon for me to find a pastor who is intimidated by one or two people in their church and those one or two make life miserable for the pastor and can put a damper on the over all ministry of the church.
Do you have a bully on your hands? If so, might I suggest a few steps, none of which involves slugging them in the nose?
Devote some time in prayer to make sure that you are really dealing with a bully and not something else. If timing isn't everything, it's close enough. Is the Father releasing you to confront the person now or later?
Find a couple wise, mature, trusted people in your church who have the same concerns about this person that you have, who will accompany you to a meeting with this person.
Send a well-crafted letter to this person stating that you and a couple of others would like to meet with them to discuss some concerns you have about their behavior. I like the 'letter first' approach because it gives the person some time to think about things and because nobody likes being surprised.
At the meeting get right to the point. Don't bother buttering them up and then dropping the bomb. Give specific examples of the behavior that is unacceptable and why it's unacceptable. Communicate to them that you are for them and would love to meet with them on a regular basis to help them grow in these areas. But be firm and clear that their behavior will no longer be tolerated.
This is scary. This is risky. They might blow out of the church and take their money and their friends with them. They might lead a campaign to get you fired. You might get fired. But there are many churches across this nation of ours that are being influenced by bullies rather than godly, humble leaders.
I'm into my eleventh year of coaching pastors. That's a long time to be listening to, encouraging, and resourcing pastors and church leaders. But I'm telling you, if I had twenty bucks for every time I've spoken to a pastor who is dealing with someone in their church that is a gossip, I'd be a rich man. Well, maybe not rich, but I would have a significant amount of discretionary fun-money in my wallet. My point is, if you have a church, you will have gossip. Everybody has to deal with it at some time. You might be dealing with it right now. Gossip (and it's cousin Slander) are two of the most dangerous sicknesses to infect a church.
Review the verses on your list and the definitions you came up with. Using a scale of one to ten (one being lowest) score the degree of problem you have in your church or with a specific individual.
Are you willing to get bloody over this? You probably will. Gossips and Slanderers usually don't repent, stop, or leave the church without putting up a fight. If the one doing the gossip has a great deal of influence in the church, you could get in trouble at best, and lose your job at worst.
You might be surprised to hear me say this, but my experience in working with pastors is that they fail to deal with gossip early on, and this results in the problem growing and growing until they have a much more serious situation on their hands than when gossip originally raised its ugly head.
A church, left to itself, will not naturally gravitate towards being outward focused. A church, left to itself, naturally gravitates towards being inward focused. It's the job of the pastor not to let the church be left to itself. This can be the hardest job a pastor has. If the pastor values outreach and personal evangelism they will need to pound this value into the hearts and minds of their people.
Here are six steps to motivate your people to share their faith.
Model. The pastor has to model this value. It's great when the pastor has stories to tell of his or her personal experiences in sharing their faith with others. The problem with this is that parishioners expect the pastor to be sharing their faith (that's their job), so testimonies like this have less of an effect than we would hope for.
Define. A while ago George Barna did a study and discovered that an alarmingly high percentage of churchgoers were unable to define the 'Gospel.' Don't assume your people know what you mean when you use words like: outreach, evangelism, sharing your faith, etc.
Demystify. I believe we need to help people see how evangelism can happen naturally throughout their week. Often when people think of evangelism they think of an 'Evangelist,' or walking up to a complete stranger and telling them about Jesus, or knocking on a stranger's door. Being 'light and salt' should be a lifestyle rather than an event.
Equip. Train your people how to explain the gospel in one to three minutes. Give your people ideas on how to recognize opportunities that present themselves to share their faith. Give them examples of how to initiate a conversation about spiritual things.
Celebrate. As your people begin to step out and share, they will have stories to tell. Give them an opportunity to share these stories on Sunday morning.
Celebrate any opportunity someone had to represent Jesus to someone. Remember the principle: Celebrate what you want to reproduce.
Repeat. This process never ends. You keep doing it and doing it and doing it because a church left to itself naturally gravitates away from, rather than towards, an outward focus.
I have to admit that there does seem to be more talk these days about church health along with church growth. However, sometimes church health is secretly the focus one employs to achieve what they are really after…Church growth. The easy way to spot this is if you hear the person promoting church health make some comment like, "Church health will lead to church growth. A healthy church will be a growing church." Sometimes this is true, but not always. You can have a healthy church that is not growing, and you can have a growing church that is not healthy. Numbers are not necessarily an indication of health or lack thereof. How then can we measure church health?
A church is healthy if there is a growing percentage of its members involved in things like small groups, serving in ministries, personal evangelism, personal devotions, tithing, etc. For example, a church with an attendance of 100 that has 35% of its members participating in outreach activities would be healthier (at least in the area of outreach) than a church of 1000 that only has 20% involvement. A church of 200 with 40% involvement in small groups and a church of 3000 with 40% involvement would be equally healthy in the area of small groups.
The Pareto principle (also known as the 80-20 rule, or the law of the vital few and the principle of factor sparseness) states that, for many phenomena, 80% of the consequences stem from 20% of the causes. Business management thinker Joseph M. Juran suggested the principle and named it after Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who observed that 80% of income in Italy went to 20% of the population. It is a common rule of thumb in business; e.g., 80% of your sales come from 20% of your clients.
If the Pareto principle is true in business, it is certainly true in most churches. Doesn't it seem like 80% of your giving comes from 20% of your people? Don't 20% of your people do 80% of the work? Therefore, 20% involvement in personal devotions would be normal (not necessarily good, but normal) and anything above that is movement up the church health scale.
Draw up a list of things you would hope your members would participate in, things that you think are healthy for Christians, i.e., small groups, serving in ministries, etc.
Figure out what percentage of your adult members are participating in each of the areas you identified.
Determine a way to track these percentages so that six months from now you can see if the percentages have grown, remained the same, or declined.
Score each area based on the Pareto principle. Below 20% is below normal. 20% is normal. Above 20% is better than normal. The higher the percentage, the higher degree of health.
Sometimes smaller churches are healthier than they realize. We must discover ways to determine health, ways other than merely looking at attendance. 'Percentages' is an objective and accurate way to measure the health of your church.
Smaller churches lack the resources of larger churches. This does not mean they will not be able to provide meaningful ministry to their members and community, but it does mean they will have to be more selective in what they offer.
In 1948 the first In-N-Out Burger was founded by Harry and Esther Snyder in Baldwin Park, California. Harry's idea of a drive-thru hamburger stand where customers could order through a two-way speaker box was unique. In that era, it was common to see car hops serving those who wanted to order food from their car. Harry's idea caught on, and California's first drive-thru hamburger stand was born.
The Snyder's business philosophy was simple: "Give customers the freshest, highest quality foods you can buy and provide them with friendly service in a sparkling clean environment." These principles have worked so well over the years that they are still the company's fundamental philosophy.
In-N-Out Burger has three items on their menus: burgers, fries, and drinks. There are no salads, no burritos, no chicken sandwiches. Think of the huge variety most other fast food chains offer. You would think In-N-Out made a mistake in limiting what they offer, but they continue to be one of the most popular food chains in California, Nevada, and Arizona.
What do you have the resources to do? By adding more ministries prematurely are you running the risk of providing a poor product, and equally as bad, burned out workers? It would be better to do a few things well than a bunch of things half-baked that wear your volunteers out.
If you can't do multimedia well, don't do multi-media.
If you don't have the human resources to do a full-on children's ministry program, don't do one.
If there are no resources and interest for doing small groups, let it go and wait until the time is right.
To be honest with you, and please don't burn me at the stake for heresy, I'm not sure such statements are always true.
One reason why we experience frustration and disappointment in the ministry is due to unrealistic expectations. You can have unrealistic expectations for your people, and you can have unrealistic expectations for God. Let's start with God.
If you want to grow your church, so you need to focus on _____ or _____ or_____.
I kind of believe those statements, but the problem is that such statements revolve around formulas and numbers. Formulas don't always work. Numbers don't always indicate church health.
There are more ways for a church to grow than merely by numbers. A church might grow in numbers but very, very slowly. I haven't heard of a church that has successfully "reached its city for Jesus." Why is it that "great things" are seldom "small things?" If formulas work, then why are there so many churches that have implemented the formulas and still are not experiencing numerical growth?
What are you believing God for? What are you expecting Him to do for you? What are you basing that on? If you are convinced that your expectations are based on the scriptures then fine, hold on to those promises. But if not, rethink your expectations.
And what about the expectations we have for our people?
If you expect your people to be as 'into it' as you are, then you are setting yourself up for disappointment. If by raising the bar of commitment, you have seen your people leap up and over that bar like Superwoman (or man), then good for you, congratulations, you've accomplished something most pastors never experience. I'm not exactly suggesting that we lower our expectations…but maybe I am.
Don't stop praying and planning to reach new people for Jesus. Ask God to do great things with your church, just be careful how you define 'great.' Be content without becoming complacent. If you want to have more peace, discover those unrealistic expectations you have with God and your people, and adjust them accordingly.
A while ago I gave up the fight and made an appointment to see an optometrist. As much as I hated to admit it, it was time for me to get some real glasses instead of those cheap reading glasses I had relied on for the past few years.
I found the whole experience interesting. The doctor checked my vision far and near. He checked out my peripheral vision and the general health of my eye. And then he checked me for blind spots, which, to my surprise, he found. One tiny blind spot in each eye. He assured me that this was normal and almost all people have these tiny blind spots. They are just so small that you never notice them unless you're an optometrist. I would never have known that I had these blind spots unless my doctor had told me. But then again, that's the nature of blind spots; you don't see them.
We all have blind spots. Blind spots, left undetected, can be one explanation for relationship-breakdown and ineffectiveness in some areas of our ministries. It's essential that we become aware of any blind spots we might have.
The answers you get may be a bit hard to hear, but they will be worth it. Never underestimate the likelihood of personal blind spots, and for those blind spots to sabotage your relationships and ministry.
Pastors are always making decisions. Some decisions are minor, "Should we offer donuts or bagels or both on Sunday mornings?" Some decisions are major, "Should I ask Bob to become a board member?" Whether the issue is big or small, minor or major, pastors are faced with decisions. Learning how to make great decisions is a skill. I've discovered five essentials for making great decisions.
Great decisions are preceded by great thinking. Leadership guru John Maxwell believes that the hardest thing to get people to do is, "…to think, and to do things in order of importance." My experience in working with leaders would cause me to agree. Thinking must precede decisions.
Thinking needs to be thought of as a spiritual discipline. For me, thinking is not simply some mental exercise, but a spiritual exercise. When we sit down to think, we need to invite the Holy Spirit to come and help us think.
Time must be set apart for thinking. Usually, we do our thinking on the run or in the midst of distraction. This is not an entirely useless way to think, but it will not result in the best thinking. We need to set apart specific time for the sole purpose of thinking. Think-time should be scheduled into our week and show up in our calendar like any other appointment.
We must make sure we are thinking about what we should be thinking about. This is where the Holy Spirit comes in. We set apart thinking time, but we don't rush into it. We pause, we wait, we pray, "Holy Spirit, I think I know what I need to think about, but I wait upon You. Show me what I need to be thinking about." This cautious and reflective approach will often lead us into areas of thinking we might not have anticipated.
1) What am I looking for in a board member?
2) How did I come up with these criteria?
3) Why do I feel Bob is a good fit?
These are great questions that will result in a great decision.
Let me challenge you to write into your calendar think-time. Find a place relatively free from distraction. Bring along a yellow-pad or whatever you use to jot down notes and ideas. Sit down and pray; invite the Holy Spirit to invade your thinking. Ask questions; write down the answers that come to you.
If you follow these five simple essentials, you'll find yourself making great decisions.


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text:
Ohio State Buckeyes ranked No. 2 in AP poll
Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) throws a pass, pressured by Michigan defensive end Taylor Upshaw (91), in the fourth quarter in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Saturday, Nov. 27. (AP Photo/Tony Ding)(Tony Ding | AP)
By Chris Dellecese
Published: Aug. 15, 2022 at 3:18 PM EDT
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - The Ohio State Buckeyes, ranked No. 2 in the first AP poll of the season, will be tested right away by No. 5 Notre Dame in the season opener Sept. 3.
BREAKING: Who's No. 1? Alabama tops the preseason AP Top 25 for the 9th time but there are familiar foes lurking in the top five.
See the whole poll presented by @RegionsBank: https://t.co/7dTTUiSC1j pic.twitter.com/XOimkiHXuj
— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) August 15, 2022
#⃣2⃣, @OhioStateFB
🔗: https://t.co/CGOqgyUTxR pic.twitter.com/Z6JctQ3B5p
— Ohio State Buckeyes 🌰 (@OhioStAthletics) August 15, 2022
Before Monday's rankings were released, Ohio State was No. 1 all-time for most weeks spent in the AP Poll with 950. The next closest program was Michigan with 887.
Monday was also Ohio State's final practice open to media before the season kicks off.
Check out what Coach Wilson and the Tight Ends had to say about camp.
🗣: https://t.co/0Av5VZAIKF pic.twitter.com/PmoHM0xjE2

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
You are at:Home»Companion Animals»The Demand for Wolfdogs and Other Exotic Pets Harms Animals
The Demand for Wolfdogs and Other Exotic Pets Harms Animals
By Shy Wolf Sanctuary on	 December 18, 2019 Companion Animals, North America, Opinions, Wild Animals, Zoos & Aquariums
Treasure and Jewel are two of Shy Wolf Sanctuary's 70 resident animals. Image credit Shy Wolf Sanctuary.
There is no way to accurately estimate how many captive wolves and wolfdogs live in the United States today. People commonly acquire these animals out of a fascination with wolves or desire to connect with nature. Each state regulates exotic animals, and many require permits or even have complete bans on ownership.
Wolfdogs are mixes of captive-bred wolves with domesticated Alaskan Malamutes, Siberian Huskies, or German Shepherds. Most wolfdogs are several generations removed from their pure wolf ancestors. These breeds are chosen due to a certain desired look; however, the dog breeds on their own have high drives and can be difficult to manage in an average home. Combining them with the intelligence and determination of wolf genes can result in a very challenging animal, especially for unprepared owners.
Every single day Shy Wolf Sanctuary gets calls, emails, and social media outreach asking if we have any wolfdog puppies for adoption. Unfortunately, we get a similar number of pleas for help from people surrendering captive-bred exotic pets.
In the United States, we don't have enough homes for our domesticated dogs and cats. Roughly two million domestic animals surrendered each year are euthanized.
The consequences of abandonment are even graver for captive-bred exotic animals. Domestic animal shelters are unprepared to house or screen potential homes. Animals kept as pets are un-releasable, so rehabilitators can not help. Zoos strictly regulate where their animals come from and where they go. Sanctuaries like Shy Wolf are the only option for most of these animals.
Wolfdogs are not the same to care for as dogs, and many end up surrendered by unprepared owners. Image credit Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Shy Wolf does not buy, sell, or breed, just as any sanctuary should not. We rescue and re-home wolfdogs and other exotic pets. Homes are carefully screened prior to adoption and we match up the right animal with the right home to ensure greater success. Any animal adopted through our sanctuary has a 100% commitment from us for the life of the animal. Whether it's training advice, veterinary expenses, or life changes that require the adopter to surrender the animal, Shy Wolf will always be there as a safety net for the owner and the animal we rescued.
Shy Wolf has seen the worst and best of humanity. The worst is that many animals have come to us totally neglected. They have been emaciated, as much as 40 pounds underweight, collars grown into the skin on their necks, toenails so long they are curled into the pads of their feet, and teeth in such poor condition that they had to have nine teeth pulled and were lucky to survive an infection that had traveled up through the sinus cavities.
The best of humanity is in the volunteers who step up to go on rescues, knowing they will see animals in horrendous conditions that will likely cause nightmares. These amazing people do it for the sake of the animals they are saving, risking injury and committing to the long hard road ahead to earn that animal's trust through the healing process.
Adopting through a sanctuary or rescue does another important thing. It opens a spot for that rescue to pull an animal out of a shelter situation. Animals behave differently inside and outside of a shelter environment. Animals in rescues or sanctuaries have had the opportunity to be evaluated for containment needs and behavioral issues that might not show up in a shelter. A dog in a kennel can't demonstrate separation anxiety as readily as they could in a foster situation, where furniture and other objects are readily available to be chewed and destroyed. Rescues and sanctuaries are able to evaluate animals for adoptability and the type of home or training they will be need for successful placement.
If you are considering a new family member, we recommend thoroughly researching the breed or species. While a wolf may only live six to eight years in the wild, a wolfdog may live over 15 years in captivity and some exotic animals can live 40 years or more. Volunteer at a sanctuary or foster for a rescue before committing. You can avoid surrendering an animal when you find one that fits your personality and lifestyle. We work hard to make perfect matches and ensure their ongoing success by standing behind every animal we rehome.
Featured image: a wolfdog at a sanctuary. Image credit kookykrys, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Shy Wolf Sanctuary
Shy Wolf Sanctuary provides education and advocacy to protect the lives of captive-bred exotic and unreleasable wild animals. If your civic or educational organization would like to learn more about our residents and interact with one of our ambassador animals, please visit our website to contact us. Click to see author's profile.


text:
using namespace llvm;
using namespace xray;

Optional<int32_t> InstrumentationMap::getFunctionId(uint64_t Addr) const {
  auto I = FunctionIds.find(Addr);
  if (I != FunctionIds.end())
    return I->second;
  return None;
}

Optional<uint64_t> InstrumentationMap::getFunctionAddr(int32_t FuncId) const {
  auto I = FunctionAddresses.find(FuncId);
  if (I != FunctionAddresses.end())
    return I->second;
  return None;
}

using RelocMap = DenseMap<uint64_t, uint64_t>;

static Error
loadObj(StringRef Filename, object::OwningBinary<object::ObjectFile> &ObjFile,
          InstrumentationMap::SledContainer &Sleds,
          InstrumentationMap::FunctionAddressMap &FunctionAddresses,
          InstrumentationMap::FunctionAddressReverseMap &FunctionIds) {
  InstrumentationMap Map;

  // Find the section named "xray_instr_map".
  if ((!ObjFile.getBinary()->isELF() && !ObjFile.getBinary()->isMachO()) ||
      !(ObjFile.getBinary()->getArch() == Triple::x86_64 ||
        ObjFile.getBinary()->getArch() == Triple::ppc64le))
    return make_error<StringError>(
        "File format not supported (only does ELF and Mach-O little endian 64-bit).",
        std::make_error_code(std::errc::not_supported));

  StringRef Contents = "";
  const auto &Sections = ObjFile.getBinary()->sections();
  auto I = llvm::find_if(Sections, [&](object::SectionRef Section) {
    StringRef Name = "";
    if (Section.getName(Name))
      return false;
    return Name == "xray_instr_map";
  });

  if (I == Sections.end())
    return make_error<StringError>(
        "Failed to find XRay instrumentation map.",
        std::make_error_code(std::errc::executable_format_error));

  if (Expected<StringRef> E = I->getContents())
    Contents = *E;
  else
    return E.takeError();

  RelocMap Relocs;
  if (ObjFile.getBinary()->isELF()) {
    uint32_t RelativeRelocation = [](object::ObjectFile *ObjFile) {
      if (const auto *ELFObj = dyn_cast<object::ELF32LEObjectFile>(ObjFile))
        return ELFObj->getELFFile()->getRelativeRelocationType();
      else if (const auto *ELFObj = dyn_cast<object::ELF32BEObjectFile>(ObjFile))
        return ELFObj->getELFFile()->getRelativeRelocationType();
      else if (const auto *ELFObj = dyn_cast<object::ELF64LEObjectFile>(ObjFile))
        return ELFObj->getELFFile()->getRelativeRelocationType();
      else if (const auto *ELFObj = dyn_cast<object::ELF64BEObjectFile>(ObjFile))
        return ELFObj->getELFFile()->getRelativeRelocationType();
      else
        return static_cast<uint32_t>(0);
    }(ObjFile.getBinary());

    for (const object::SectionRef &Section : Sections) {
      for (const object::RelocationRef &Reloc : Section.relocations()) {
        if (Reloc.getType() != RelativeRelocation)
          continue;
        if (auto AddendOrErr = object::ELFRelocationRef(Reloc).getAddend())
          Relocs.insert({Reloc.getOffset(), *AddendOrErr});
      }
    }
  }

  // Copy the instrumentation map data into the Sleds data structure.
  auto C = Contents.bytes_begin();
  static constexpr size_t ELF64SledEntrySize = 32;

  if ((C - Contents.bytes_end()) % ELF64SledEntrySize != 0)
    return make_error<StringError>(
        Twine("Instrumentation map entries not evenly divisible by size of "
              "an XRay sled entry in ELF64."),
        std::make_error_code(std::errc::executable_format_error));

  auto RelocateOrElse = [&](uint64_t Offset, uint64_t Address) {
    if (!Address) {
      uint64_t A = I->getAddress() + C - Contents.bytes_begin() + Offset;
      RelocMap::const_iterator R = Relocs.find(A);
      if (R != Relocs.end())
        return R->second;
    }
    return Address;
  };

  int32_t FuncId = 1;
  uint64_t CurFn = 0;
  for (; C != Contents.bytes_end(); C += ELF64SledEntrySize) {
    DataExtractor Extractor(
        StringRef(reinterpret_cast<const char *>(C), ELF64SledEntrySize), true,
        8);
    Sleds.push_back({});
    auto &Entry = Sleds.back();
    uint64_t OffsetPtr = 0;
    uint64_t AddrOff = OffsetPtr;
    Entry.Address = RelocateOrElse(AddrOff, Extractor.getU64(&OffsetPtr));
    uint64_t FuncOff = OffsetPtr;
    Entry.Function = RelocateOrElse(FuncOff, Extractor.getU64(&OffsetPtr));
    auto Kind = Extractor.getU8(&OffsetPtr);
    static constexpr SledEntry::FunctionKinds Kinds[] = {
        SledEntry::FunctionKinds::ENTRY, SledEntry::FunctionKinds::EXIT,
        SledEntry::FunctionKinds::TAIL,
        SledEntry::FunctionKinds::LOG_ARGS_ENTER,
        SledEntry::FunctionKinds::CUSTOM_EVENT};
    if (Kind >= sizeof(Kinds))
      return errorCodeToError(
          std::make_error_code(std::errc::executable_format_error));
    Entry.Kind = Kinds[Kind];
    Entry.AlwaysInstrument = Extractor.getU8(&OffsetPtr) != 0;

    // We do replicate the function id generation scheme implemented in the
    // XRay runtime.
    // FIXME: Figure out how to keep this consistent with the XRay runtime.
    if (CurFn == 0) {
      CurFn = Entry.Function;
      FunctionAddresses[FuncId] = Entry.Function;
      FunctionIds[Entry.Function] = FuncId;
    }
    if (Entry.Function != CurFn) {
      ++FuncId;
      CurFn = Entry.Function;
      FunctionAddresses[FuncId] = Entry.Function;
      FunctionIds[Entry.Function] = FuncId;
    }
  }
  return Error::success();
}

static Error
loadYAML(int Fd, size_t FileSize, StringRef Filename,
         InstrumentationMap::SledContainer &Sleds,
         InstrumentationMap::FunctionAddressMap &FunctionAddresses,
         InstrumentationMap::FunctionAddressReverseMap &FunctionIds) {
  std::error_code EC;
  sys::fs::mapped_file_region MappedFile(
      Fd, sys::fs::mapped_file_region::mapmode::readonly, FileSize, 0, EC);
  if (EC)
    return make_error<StringError>(
        Twine("Failed memory-mapping file '") + Filename + "'.", EC);

  std::vector<YAMLXRaySledEntry> YAMLSleds;
  yaml::Input In(StringRef(MappedFile.data(), MappedFile.size()));
  In >> YAMLSleds;
  if (In.error())
    return make_error<StringError>(
        Twine("Failed loading YAML document from '") + Filename + "'.",
        In.error());

  Sleds.reserve(YAMLSleds.size());
  for (const auto &Y : YAMLSleds) {
    FunctionAddresses[Y.FuncId] = Y.Function;
    FunctionIds[Y.Function] = Y.FuncId;
    Sleds.push_back(
        SledEntry{Y.Address, Y.Function, Y.Kind, Y.AlwaysInstrument});
  }
  return Error::success();
}

// FIXME: Create error types that encapsulate a bit more information than what
// StringError instances contain.
Expected<InstrumentationMap>
llvm::xray::loadInstrumentationMap(StringRef Filename) {
  // At this point we assume the file is an object file -- and if that doesn't
  // work, we treat it as YAML.
  // FIXME: Extend to support non-ELF and non-x86_64 binaries.

  InstrumentationMap Map;
  auto ObjectFileOrError = object::ObjectFile::createObjectFile(Filename);
  if (!ObjectFileOrError) {
    auto E = ObjectFileOrError.takeError();
    // We try to load it as YAML if the ELF load didn't work.
    int Fd;
    if (sys::fs::openFileForRead(Filename, Fd))
      return std::move(E);

    uint64_t FileSize;
    if (sys::fs::file_size(Filename, FileSize))
      return std::move(E);

    // If the file is empty, we return the original error.
    if (FileSize == 0)
      return std::move(E);

    // From this point on the errors will be only for the YAML parts, so we
    // consume the errors at this point.
    consumeError(std::move(E));
    if (auto E = loadYAML(Fd, FileSize, Filename, Map.Sleds,
                          Map.FunctionAddresses, Map.FunctionIds))
      return std::move(E);
  } else if (auto E = loadObj(Filename, *ObjectFileOrError, Map.Sleds,
                                Map.FunctionAddresses, Map.FunctionIds)) {
    return std::move(E);
  }
  return Map;
}


There are two things about this picture that show that it was posed by models, trainees or amateurs. So what does it show that wouldn't happen in a real recording session?
This picture comes from the front cover of the second edition of Sound Engineering Explained by Michael Talbot-Smith. There's nothing wrong with the book, but I have to wonder how this photo made it through the editorial process (I suspect the author was unaware, and probably horrified when he first saw it).
The picture is plainly posed either by models, trainee engineers or amateurs. The singer is obviously giving a spirited performance, but he is holding the microphone stand! There is never any reason to hold the mic stand in the studio. It will lead to significant low frequency noise coming through that will be very difficult to filter out later.
There is only one exception to the rule of not holding the mic stand, and that is in live sound where the singer is using the stand as a 'prop' to aid his or her performance.
There are only two reasons to hold the mic itself without a stand, one is in live performance so that the performer can be mobile, the second is in the studio where rap performers feel more comfortable holding the mic and therefore do their job better.
Otherwise the mic and stand should be inviolable.
The other problem with this picture is a little more subtle. Take a look at the engineer. She is partially hidden by what seems to be a monitor so she is probably less completely covered up than she appears to be. In normal life, this would not be a problem of any kind - she'll look good and presumably attract the kind of attention she wants.
But in the recording studio she could easily find herself working with a female artist. One of the golden rules of studio etiquette is that you should never compete with the artist - you are never more talented, never more clever, never more witty and certainly never more cool.
And when it comes to dress sense, it's good studio etiquette just to tone things down. The rules of everyday life do not apply in the recording studio. An awareness and acceptance of studio etiquette is something that every studio manager prizes most highly in their employees.


text:
IAEA to investigate Syrian nukes
The U.N. atomic agency announced it would investigate whether Syria has a secret nuclear program.
The U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency's announcement came Friday, a day after the Bush administration released photographic evidence it said demonstrated that the site Israel bombed in Syria last Sept. 6 was a nascent nuclear reactor.
After the photographs were released, Syria accused the United States of possible involvement in the Israeli strike on the facility.
In a statement issued Thursday by the Syrian embassy in Washington rejecting the Bush administration's claims, "The government of the Syrian Arab Republic regrets and denounces the campaign of false allegations that the current United States administration continually launches against Syria claiming the presence of nuclear activity," the statement said. "And while Syria utterly denies these allegations, it also stresses that this campaign aims primarily to misguide the U.S. Congress and international public opinion in order to justify the Israeli raid in September of 2007, which the current U.S. administration may have helped execute. It has become obvious that this maneuver on the part of this administration comes within the framework of the North Korean nuclear negotiations."
In its statement, the Bush administration accused the Syrians of building "a covert nuclear reactor in its eastern desert capable of producing plutonium. We are convinced, based on a variety of information, that North Korea assisted Syria's covert nuclear activities. We have good reason to believe that reactor, which was damaged beyond repair on Sept. 6 of last year, was not intended for peaceful purposes."
Senior intelligence officials later told reporters the United States did not have advance knowledge of the strike.
The revelations came after months of behind-the-scenes wrangling between hawks in Congress and the Bush administration, who want to further isolate Syria and North Korea, and Israeli officials, who want to keep peace-talks avenues open to Syria and who bridle at revelations of Israeli military operations.
When a photographer trains her lens on her Jewish family, the personal gets political
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By Julia Gergely November 15, 2021 2:01 pm
Polish soccer referee sends antisemitic rant to group fighting antisemitism
By Cnaan Liphshiz November 10, 2021 12:37 pm
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By Mik Moore June 25, 2021 10:44 am


text:
Q: When are the local remote-tracking branches created in Git? In the local Git repository this folder contains the HEAD file just after a clone:
.git\refs\remotes\origin\

When I create a local branch from a remote-tracking branch that branch will be created in:
.git\refs\heads

When I push changes on that local branch to the remote repository a new copy of that branch is created in:
.git\refs\remotes\origin\

So are remote-tracking branches first created in the above folder when they are initially pushed to the remote repository?

A: You should not care where branches are stored (as you should use the "advertised" interfaces, git branch, git for-each-ref, and so on).  The when question is more interesting though.
A remote-tracking branch is simply a reference in the refs/remotes name-space.  Normally there's one more level added to this, specifically the name of the remote itself, so that for the remote named origin, the branches will all fall into refs/remotes/origin.
The git clone command creates a remote configuration entry in your local git configuration file (for that repository).  This configuration entry will, assuming you tell git clone to use the default origin name, read in part:
[remote "origin"]
    fetch = +refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*

This is where the name-space comes from: the fetch line(s) in the remote.origin configuration entry, i.e., the stuff from:
$ git config --get-all remote.origin.fetch

The actual remote-tracking branch creation occurs in several places.
The most obvious is when fetch (or the initial clone step, which includes a slight variation on fetch) or git remote update runs.  These commands ask the remote about its references.  Those that match one or more fetch lines are copied over and modified based on the right-hand side of each refspec.
This means that, during git clone, git fetch origin, or git remote origin update, if the remote has a refs/heads/foo (branch foo), your own local repository acquires a corresponding refs/remotes/origin/foo.  If you did not have one before, this creates a (local) remote-tracking branch.
(If you run git fetch such that you prevent it from fetching branch foo, though, the tracking-branch does not get created.  For instance if you run git fetch origin refs/heads/bar:refs/temp_bar, this fetch brings over only refs/heads/bar.  Different versions of git will or will not create or update refs/remotes/origin/bar at this time: pre-1.8.4 won't, but newer gits will.  All this assumes the normal fetch configuration.)
A less-obvious case occurs during git push.  In this case, when your local git successfully delivers a reference to the remote's refs/heads name-space, your local git will also create or update a remote-tracking branch using the same refspec mapping as git fetch.  Hence, with the default settings, pushing refs/heads/new such that it creates branch foo on remote origin also creates a (local) remote-tracking branch refs/remotes/origin/new.  (I put this in bold because I think it's the answer to the question I think you're asking.)
If you add --prune to a git fetch or git remote update command, it will also remove remote-tracking branches at that time, if they are now missing on the remote—they can tell because they get all references from the remote.  (Keep in mind that this is very different from git push's --prune option, which is meant for deleting branches on the remote, a la git push --delete or git push :dst.)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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text:
Andy Gotts
world music, jazz, popular music
Elvis Costello Solo in Concert
24 October 2014, Friday
Looking back at his 40-year career so far, it is no coincidence that Elvis Costello is regarded as one of the most influential performers and songwriters of recent decades. His provocative attitude and debut album linked him to England's punk rock movement, but with his backing band The Attractions - and in collaboration with other performers - he has also made important contributions in the genres of pub rock, ska, country, pop, soul, jazz and hip-hop. To date, he has released more than 30 albu...ms, and has worked with big names such as Paul McCartney, Bill Frisell, Burt Bacharach and The Roots.
Presented by: Palace of Arts
Magidom: Near-Life Experience
A Celebration of Folk Music - from dance house to world music
2022. january 29. | 7:30 pm
Tamás Molnár - SZÍV UTCA
Dulce Pontes
Tigran Hamasyan Trio
2022. may 20. | 8 pm


text:
Język tagish – wymarły język z grupy atapaskańskiej używany w Jukonie w Kanadzie. Jest blisko spokrewniony z językiem kaska i tahltan. W 2001 r. mówiła nim jedna osoba: Lucy Wren, która zmarła w 2008 r.

Przypisy

Języki na-dene
Języki autochtoniczne Ameryki
Języki Kanady
Języki wymarłe w Ameryce Północnej

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text:
We are professionally trained carpenters and installers.
961 Skippack Pike Blue Bell, Pennsylvania 19422
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Shingle Roofs
Copyright © 2018. Gomez General Contracting Inc.
Roofing Repair and Installation Company in Milford, Square, PA, 18935 Call (215) 543-7661
Roofing in Bucks County
The Best Roofing Repair and Installation in Milford, Square, PA
Gomez Custom Builders, Inc. performs high-quality, cost-efficient roofing repair and installation. In Milford Square, we have put up hundreds of roofs on residences, apartments, commercial buildings, and other structures. From everyday 'why is my ceiling stained?' jobs to the consecutive 7-day weeks we put in helping the victims of Hurricane Sandy, GGC has been there keeping the folks of Bucks County stay warm, dry, and safe for over a decade.
Warrantied Work
It was only ten years ago that the industry standard for warranties on roofing workmanship was a single year. The shingles were guaranteed for 20 years or more, but if something went wrong with your roof and it was determined to be the fault of the workers who installed it more than a year ago…you were out of luck.
We decided that there was a problem when a customer could pay for 30 or 50 year roofing, and then end up paying all over again just 366 days later — which is why Gomez General Contracting offers a standard 15-year warranty on all of our work, including roofing.
When you look at your work through the lens of a 15-year warranty, you start to think of it a little differently. According to the National Association of Home Builders, the average American homeowner changes homes every 13 years — which means when we do your roof, we expect you to sell your home before we have to come visit again. So we do our work not just to meet your immediate needs, but with the understanding that at some point down the line, it's going to have to stand up to a home inspector. Will any other roofing repair and installation in Milford, Square, PA pass that test?
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We also service these cities in Bucks County
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Serving Southeastern PA for over 20 years.
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Phoenixville Office: 610-298-1450


That's it! Maybe if we start thinking of warmer weather the temperature will magically increase. This Givenchy Medium Nightingale Satchel is the perfect shade of blue, which reminds me of springtime and all of the pretty colors.
Purchase this satchel at Barney's for $2,020.


text:
Interview with John Otte
By: Morgan Busse In: Interview
Please join me in welcoming John Otte, one of the authors here at Enclave Publishing. John is a life-long writer. He started with badly drawn comic books in the fifth grade. When he realized that he was a lousy artist, he moved on to badly written novels in middle school. He's tried his hand at screenplays (don't ask), stage plays (a little better), fanfic, teen mysteries, and religious fiction. But his first love has always been speculative fiction.
His debut novel, Failstate, was published by Marcher Lord Press in April of 2012, and was a finalist for the Christy Awards in 2013. He has gone on to publish three more novels with Marcher Lord Press, one of which, Numb, was a finalist for the Christy Awards in 2014.
And now onto our interview!
1) Everyone seems to have a "how I got published" story. What is yours?
For as long as I can remember, I've been writing. I produced badly drawn comic books when I was in elementary school. I wrote horrible novels when I was in junior high. I churned out tons of what can only be called sophomoric fan fiction in high school. The funny thing is, I always wanted everything that I wrote to be published.
But I didn't get serious about getting published until I was in my mid-twenties. I had written a Christian science fiction trilogy that I was really proud of. Since I didn't know the nuts and bolts of the publishing world, I joined American Christian Fiction Writers in the hope that they'd show me the way.
And they did, just not the way I expected. That sci fi trilogy? Still unpublished (and it may never be; it has issues). But thanks to ACFW, I was inspired to keep writing. I produced more manuscripts and eventually, at one conference, I was able to find both an agent (Amanda Luedeke) and a publishing home (Marcher Lord Press) for my debut novel, Failstate.
2) Tell us a little about your books.
So far, I have four published books and a fifth on the way. I have my Failstate trilogy, which follows the adventures of a teenage superhero and his rise to become an officially licensed vigilante.
My other two books, Numb and The Hive are space operas set in the future. The former is the story about an assassin who can't feel pain or fear, but then, he's ordered to kill the one person who is able to make him feel anything. He doesn't want to murder her, but he also believes that if he doesn't, he'll be condemned for all eternity. So what does he do?
As for The Hive, well, more on that in a bit.
3) What is the one author, living or dead, who you would like to co-write a book with someday, and why?
Ah, man, do I have to pick just one? Okay, if I have to, then there's only one person: Brandon Sanderson. Hands down. I was introduced to Sanderson's writings by Jill Williamson and since then, I've pretty much devoured anything I can my hands on. I love the intricate world building that he does, and I think it would be a blast to write a story with him.
Of course, I don't know how much I'd be able to contribute. If anything, I'd probably be a drag on the story. But it'd still be a blast to work with him.
4) What are your hopes for your future as an author?
You know, I have a lot of dreams as an author: to someday hit the bestseller list, to write something that will be adapted into a Hollywood movie (maybe something that fills Hall H at San Diego's Comic Con?), that sort of thing. But I know those are dreams. My hope is that I can keep telling fun stories that entertain my readers and maybe give them some new thoughts to chew on.
5) What inspired you to write?
That is a really good question. The best way I can explain it is that I have a biological need to tell stories. I get these ideas that start rattling around in my head. Sometimes, those ideas go away. But other times, they start to gain momentum and size until I realize that I have to tell the story, if only to free up some space in my brain.
I think it also helped that I was a voracious reader when I was a kid. My family was the terror of our local library. We would show up with crates filled with books, all of which we had read. And then we'd check out another crate or two. There's definitely a connection between reading and writing.
6) What can you tell us about any future releases you have planned?
I've got a new book releasing with Enclave Publishing in just a few weeks, and I'm really stoked for everyone to see it. People still say "stoked," right?
The Hive is my "pregnant teenage cyborg" book. Zain is a teenage member of the Hive, a cyborg collective. One day, she is separated from the Hive and discovers that she's pregnant. This makes no sense to her. She's an engineering drone, not a breeder. So she sets out to find the person responsible for her condition, hoping that he'll be able to get her home again. The problem is, powerful forces want her baby and so soon, she's on the run.
7) Star Wars or Star Trek?
This is kind of wishy-washy, but I'm going to say both. I know they're both uber-popular and there's a lot of supposedly bad blood between the two fandoms. But it's really an apples/oranges type of comparison. Star Trek is space opera with a toe in the science fiction camp. Star Wars is more space fantasy.
I've been a major fan of both at various times. When I was in high school and college, I read dozens of Star Trek novels and even tried writing some. Several years ago, I read a lot of Star Wars novels and I'd still like to write one of those someday. It just depends on what kind of a mood I'm in.
8) Favorite place to vacation?
I haven't been on many family vacations, but one of my absolute favorites was going to Australia with my wife a year after we had gotten married. We had a lot of fun on that trip and we said afterwards that someday we'd go back.
But I'm also looking forward to two trips in the future. When we were in Australia, we met a father and son from America. Apparently they had a tradition where the two of them would go on these big trips, and they had been to just about every continent except for Antarctica. I decided that, when my boys are old enough, they'll each get to plan a big trip that we'll go on, just the two of us, when they're sixteen.
9) Do you have a particular drink or food you consume when you write? Like cocoa, raspberry tea, chocolate?
My poison of choice is Coke. That's not just for writing, it's for life in general. But I usually will have a can or bottle sitting next to me while I'm writing.
10) Favorite color?
Purple, and that's not just because I'm a long-suffering fan of the Minnesota Vikings.
11) Do you have a favorite Bible verse?
Waaaaaay too many to list here, and I usually like chunks of verses instead of just one. But two of my absolute favorites are Romans 8:28-39 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-58. The reminder that I can never be separated from the love of God is helpful, and I just love to remind myself of the coming resurrection.
12) Do you listen to music while you write? If so what are some examples?
I do, but I make sure to limit my choices. I read an article once that said that it's a bad idea to write while listening to music that has lyrics. The part of your brain that deals with language will engage with the music instead of the story you're trying to write. So I'll listen to soundtracks or other music that doesn't have words to it.
So here's some of what I listen to: there's a guy named Erock on YouTube who does heavy metal covers of different songs. I have a bunch of those to listen to. I also listen to an Epic Soundtrack playlist on Spotify that I learned about from Brandon Sanderson. Those sorts of things.
13) Does anyone else in your family have musical/writing/artistic skills?
Well, my brother and brother-in-law have both tried their hand at writing. And I come from a very musical family. My dad studied organ in college and is very talented, and my siblings and I used to play in a brass quartet in worship from time to time.
In my immediate family, my older son is turning into quite the artist. He's just blossomed lately with his free-hand drawing. It's a lot of fun to watch him get to work, creating his own stories and comic books. He's written close to a dozen of them at this point.
One of my son's drawings
14) How would you like to be remembered?
As a faithful servant. I mean, it'd be nice to be remembered as a teller of enthralling tales, but fame can be fleeting. So I'd be happy to just be remembered as someone who lived out his faith.
15) Who would you most like to thank for their involvement in your writing career?
Two people in particular: Amanda Luedeke and Jeff Gerke. Both of them took a chance on me and I am so grateful that they did. I hope they never regret it.
About Morgan Busse
Morgan L. Busse is a writer by day and a mother by night. She is the author of the Follower of the Word series, the award-winning Soul Chronicles, and the Ravenwood Saga, a new fantasy series releasing from Bethany House in 2018. Her debut novel, Daughter of Light, was a Christy and Carol Award finalist. During her spare time she enjoys playing games, taking long walks, and dreaming about her next novel.
Posts by Morgan Busse


I climbed Lone Peak with a group from SummitPost last Saturday, almost exactly a year after I climbed the east ridge of the Pfeifferhorn with a group from the site last year, and a little over two years after I climbed Lone Peak in the summer with my friend Hyrum. Lone Peak sits right on the border of Utah and Salt Lake Counties, and last weekend's clear weather offered amazing views of the valleys all the way from Ogden to Nephi.
The climb was a 13-hour, 6.5-mile (one way) snowshoe hike, with a technical snow and rock ridge climb at the end. Thankfully, we joined up with a group from the Wasatch Mountain Club early in our hike, so there were lots of people available to take turns breaking trail. We were making fresh tracks through deep snow the whole way.
We faced high winds on several sections of the ridge that we climbed. The blowing snow and sun made for some beautiful pictures, but my face and neck felt like they had been sandblasted by the time I got back to the trailhead.
The knife-edge ridge at the top was the most fun part of the hike. We crossed on a narrow band of snow punctuated by two large rocks, and topped off by a rock chimney. On one side was a sheer face of snow, and on the other was a 50-foot section of 40º snow terminated by sheer rock cliffs. A mistake on the ridge would have had drastic consequences, so we all (except for one crazy guy...) carried ice axes for self-belay while climbing, and for self arrest in case of a fall.
In one section we had to climb up over a big rock and then jump down four or five feet onto a narrow band of snow that sank a little every time someone jumped down onto it. That section proved to be pretty tricky to get back over on the way back, requiring a partner assist.
I got a little over three hours of sleep the night before the climb. I left Provo around 4 a.m., and we left the trailhead in Draper around 6 a.m. By the time I got back down to the trailhead around 7 p.m., I was completely exhausted. Thankfully, I carpooled with another climber, so I didn't have to drive back to Provo. I hit the sack soon after I got back to my apartment and didn't wake up for 13 hours. That's the longest I've slept in a long time.
Bruce, I'll be as active as possible this winter and spring, so if you ever need partners just contact me through SP or my blog. I plan on doing Lone Peak again in January--how about you?
I'll be moving to California in January, so I won't be climbing much around here next year. I may do a climb or two in early January, though.


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Live: The Besnard Lakes & Tango With Lions @ Six D.O.G.S (Athens, June 1st, 2017)
Last week we had the opportunity to check out the first ever show in Athens by Montreal's atmospheric rockers The Besnard Lakes along with local indie-pop hopefuls Tango With Lions and today we have for you sights and sounds from the front row of this epic performance!
The Canadian five-piece led by the husband and wife team of Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas (who had the chance to practice her Greek at this gig!) played a powerful two-hour set, presenting in the first part some of the best tracks from their last 3 albums as well as recent EP "The Besnard Lakes Are the Divine Wind", while for "part deux" they presented in whole their second album "The Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse" in celebration of its tenth anniversary.
A few technical glitches at the beginning of the set could not stop the momentum of the group who played with enthusiasm and abundant pathos, raising the levels of the decibels and adding plenty of punk rock energy to their usually melodic, shoegaze influenced compositions.
The breathless, marathon set of The Besnard Lakes was both a crash course in the band's rich history as well as a showcase of their latest musical achievements and as such left their fans thoroughly satisfied. Here's what they played on the stage of Six D.O.G.S last Thursday:
Pressure of Our Plans, And This Is What We Call Progress, Golden Lion, The Specter, Laura Lee, Necronomicon, The Divine Wind, Albatross, Nightingale, Tungsten 4: The Refugee, Disaster, For Agent 13, And You Lied to Me, Devastation, Because Tonight, Rides the Rails, On Bedford And Grand, Cedric's War, Like The Ocean, Like The Innocent Pt. 1: The Ocean.
The Besnard Lakes - Tungsten 4: The Refugee (live @ Six D.O.G.S, Athens)
Tango With Lions, live @ Six D.O.G.S
The opening set by Tango With Lions reminded us that their last album, 2013's "A Long Walk", was one of the best productions of the local scene in recent years and also served as a sneak preview of their new songs. On the basis of this low-key but thoroughly satisfying performance, it looks hopeful that they will be able to continue exactly where they left off three years ago. Let's wait and see.
Labels: Live, Tango With Lions, The Besnard Lakes, Video
Live: Ejekt Festival with The Killers, The Kills, ...
Killer Tracks: The 2017 Playlist Vol.2
Live: The Besnard Lakes & Tango With Lions @ Six D...
New Releases: May 2017
Travis Barker suffers nasty injury during Blink-182 tour rehearsals
Οι Daughter μιλούν για τον εθισμό στο αλκοόλ στο νέο τους single με τίτλο "Party"


FRAMINGHAM, MA – JUNE 16, 2004 -The Department of Homeland Defense is funding a number of novel DNA analysis technologies to provide a network of early warning biodetectors able to detect a broad array of harmful bioagents. Some of these technologies are more likely to succeed than others, according to a new study by Life Science Insights, an IDC company.
Zachary Zimmerman, Ph.D., Senior Research Analyst at Life Science Insights states, "First generation biodetection devices requiring time-consuming DNA amplification and a priori knowledge of pathogens within a sample will not be the most rapid and flexible tools for early warning biodetection devices. In this study, we highlight the next generation devices utilizing novel DNA interrogation technologies that will provide rapid and accurate information required for an actionable network of early warning biodetectors."
As the bioterrorism threat increases, so too grows the need for early warning devices utilizing a secure information technology infrastructure. Current biodetection systems using DNA analysis technologies are complex, costly and time consuming, thereby, inhibiting widespread adoption.
Novel early warning biodetection technologies include single molecule DNA interrogation as well as ultra high-throughput DNA sequencing. Systems utilizing these technologies are expected to provide rapid and accurate results more efficiently thus enabling widespread adoption.
Information technology infrastructure is pivotal to the success of an interconnected web of early warning biodetection devices. Life Science Insights' study, Biodefense: Novel DNA Analysis Technologies for Next-Generation Early Warning Biodetection Systems and Their IT Implications, illustrates that a network of devices distributed throughout post offices, airports, schools and shopping malls will have significant implications for IT infrastructure, requiring plug-in adaptability, speed, accuracy, as well as security and storage.
Although short-term IT requirements for biosurveillance represent only an incremental opportunity, Life Science Insights expects that next generation biodetection devices will provide a strong growth market for high-end IT infrastructure.
This study will be of interest to executives in IT and technology vendors with responsibility for developing strategies in biodefense markets. It also provides key insights for government agencies and the life science investment community. It is one of a series of market studies available to Life Science Insights clients, which present research and analysis on technology and market developments in life science markets.
For a complementary briefing on this report or more details on any of Life Science Insight's information services for business executives, please contact Paul Hands at 508.988.6751.
Life Science Insights, an IDC Company, provides market research, analysis and consulting services to decision makers in life science markets. Clients include pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, contract research organizations (CROs), government research organizations and technology vendors. Life Science Insight's team of specialist analysts and consultants provide intelligence and advice on technology trends, key market drivers, and end-user intentions. Founded in January 2004, Life Science Insights is headquartered in Framingham, MA. Visit www.life-science-insights.com for more information. IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world's leading IT, media, research and exposition company.


We're huge fans of nutritious energy-boosting snacks.
Sometimes it can be difficult finding healthy vegan snacks on the go (apart from fresh fruit!), so every now and then we'll make a big batch of protein balls and energy bars to take with us when we're out and about.
For these recipes, we turned to our friend Jason from Rawsome Hackney who makes the most ridiculously tasty vegan protein bites. Follow Jason on Instagram to find out more about his delicious snacks.
He popped into the So Vegan kitchen and showed us how to create his legendary lemon cashew coconut, almond-butter brownie and 'Beet! It' bites.
They're super easy and they'll even last for a couple of weeks in the fridge.
Add the cashews to a food processor and process until they reach a coarse texture.
Add the protein powder, raisins, desiccated coconut, poppy seeds, millet, medjool dates, dried apricots, juice from the whole lemon and the zest from half the lemon to the blender, and blend until the mixture begins to clump together. Add a splash of water to bring the mixture together if it's too dry.
Roll the mixture into balls approximately 50g in weight.
Pour a small amount of desiccated coconut, poppy seeds and grate the remaining zest from the lemon onto separate plates, then roll the balls in each topping.
Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Transfer the pitted medjool dates to a small bowl and cover with hot water from the kettle. Leave to soak for 5 minutes, then drain and set to one side.
Add the almonds and walnuts to food processor and process until they reach a coarse texture.
Add the protein powder, cacao powder, medjool dates, vanilla extract and salt to the processor, and process until the mixture begins to clump together. Add a splash of water to bring the mixture together if it's too dry.
Pour a little cacao powder onto a plate and roll each ball in the powder until they're completely coated.
Add the cashews, almonds and walnuts to a food processor and process until they reach a coarse texture.
Add the cacao powder, protein powder, salt, beetroot powder, cinnamon, beetroot, medjool dates, pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate and vanilla extract, and process until the mixture begins to clump together. Add a splash of water to bring the mixture together if it's too dry.
Dust each bite with some beetroot powder to finish.


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Roisin Murphy's debut solo album is to be pre-released as a series of three strictly limited edition EPs early this year, ahead of its more formal emergence on cd in the spring. Beginning with Sequins1 in the first week of January, each of these lavishly packaged, heavy-weight vinyl, 12-inch-only releases will take four of the tunes from the record and make them available at six-week intervals leading up the album's release in June.
All the tracks on the Sequins series are the results of Roisin's new fruitful collaboration with producer Matthew Herbert, who she met as a result of his remix work for her band Moloko. This is the first time the highly-revered electronic pioneer Herbert has produced an album for another artist, aside from his wife Dani Siciliano. Here the significant ground covered on Sequins 1 by Roisin and Herbert indicates what to expect from the broader scope of the pair's collaboration on the forthcoming album.
"Having worked on several Moloko remixes from as early as 1996 Roisin's voice had become a familiar friend ," says Herbert ." I had always loved the ease with which it sat in the textures of the sounds I work with. To work on her solo record struck me as the perfect place to try and mix proper musical charisma with noises not often heard on the radio."
The first Sequins EP commences with the agenda-setting Ruby Blue , which begins with an ear-catching meld of distorted funk and Andrews Sisters harmonies. It slides around like a languid and sinuous eel, all finger-pops and syncopated handclaps, before busting out with a too-loud fuzz guitar and Roisin's provocative kitten purr.
Off On It, which follows, has a percussive track that sounds like a steam train pulling slowly out of a siding, while Roisin delightfully slurs her way through a miasma of flirtatious signs and signifiers.
Third up, Night Of the Dancing Flame is like a lost classic number featuring either the elephants on parade from the Jungle Book (tremendous muted trumpet blasts) or Josephine Baker in all her Parisian glory. As it lollops along with cartoonish gait, Roisin tells more tales of sexual abandon in not entirely private places, and you realise that between them her and Herbert might have hit upon a long untapped resource of Cab Calloway-influenced pop music. It's crazy and not a little infectious.
'Sequins 1' is completed by the magical warmth of Through Time , which in its hazier moments approaches the gentle feel of one of the great ballads off a good Stevie Wonder record.
The Sequins EPs will also introduce another powerfully creative collaboration with the artist Simon Henwood, who has painted a number of large-scale portraits of Roisin, which are to be exhibited at the Hospital in London in March 2005, and will be reproduced one at a time as the sleeves to 'Sequins 1 – 3'.
source: roisinmurphy.co.uk