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Is Arab support for Obama fading?
Obama's move to distance himself from Middle East issues has disillusioned Arabs.
Alaa Bayoumi
Obama's image has been damaged in the eyes of many Arabs [EPA]
It is no secret that many people in the Arab world looked at Barack Obama, the Democratic US presidential candidate, as someone who, if elected president, could bring positive change to US foreign policy in the Middle East.
Such an attitude seemed strong during the presidential primaries, but since Obama's victory in the primaries last June over Hillary Clinton, the former first lady and Obama's rival for the Democratic nomination, Arab support for the Illinois senator appears to have faded away.
The main reason is Obama himself.
He has carefully distanced himself from Arab and Muslim issues in the US and abroad over the last six months.
The Democrat has been fighting against a tough negative campaign that has tried to highlight his Muslim roots, foreign name and brief political history to portray him as a "hidden Muslim" who is part of a conspiracy to destroy America from within by electing a Muslim as president.
As part of the campaign, Obama was portrayed as a "closet" Muslim, a pro-Arab and anti-Israeli candidate.
Americans were told that Obama was willing to sit and negotiate unconditionally with America's worst enemies, such as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, and that he could not be trusted with the security of the US, nor Israel.
Rumours circulated
In response, Obama has caved inward and systematically distanced himself from anything Arab or Muslim.
His outreach co-ordinator to American Muslims resigned a few days after his appointment in early August after rumours were circulated in attempts to link him to Muslim extremism.
Meanwhile, the Obama campaign refused to let female Muslims supporters, who were wearing headscarves, appear in the same photograph as the Democratic candidate, fearing that their appearance would hurt Obama's image.
Out of the same fear, the Obama campaign has also failed to organise any serious outreach efforts to Arab or Muslim Americans despite a well-publicised effort to reach out to other minorities, new voters and voting blocs.
On a policy level, the Illinois senator announced his support for Jerusalem as the "undivided" capital for Israel before the powerful Israeli lobby group, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), last June.
Obama has also tried to reduce the emphasis on his pro-dialogue approach toward countries such as Iran and Syria and instead assert his willingness to use force in places such Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Senator Joe Biden, Obama's chioce for vice president, is a self-described "Zionist," who believes that there can only be progress in the Middle East when "the Arab nations have known that there is no daylight between us [the United States] and Israel".
Realistic and militaristic
The more realistic, militaristic and pro-Israel Obama has been a disappointment for many Arabs, who hesitantly supported Obama during the primaries due to his different background and rhetorical emphasis on hope, dialogue and "change".
But, at the end of the day, many Arabs gave up on America and American politics a long time ago.
A poll of Arab public opinion conducted by Zogby international earlier this year found that 70 per cent of the Arab public have no confidence in the US.
It also found that 18 per cent believed that Barack Obama had the best chance of advancing peace in the Middle East, compared with 13 per cent for Hillary Clinton and just four per cent for John McCain.
A Pew survey found that there was "little enthusiasm" for either of the two main presidential candidates in the Muslim world compared with places like Europe.
In Egypt for instance, only 31 per cent have confidence in Obama and 23 per cent in McCain.
Both surveys were conducted in the spring of 2008 and since then Arabs have became more aware of the positions of Obama and McCain toward the major issues that most interest them such as Iraq, the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and Middle East democracy.
Such awareness may have deepened fears that neither candidate is daring enough to transform Washington's Middle East policy.
Dialogue and diplomacy
Obama generally seems more willing to use dialogue and diplomacy, push the peace process forward and refrain from using force and confrontation than his Republican counterpart.
But Obama's views on the Middle East are not radically different from his opponent and predecessor.
The Democrat's plan for Iraq does not put a specific date for the withdrawal of all US forces from Iraq.
Instead, Obama says he will keep an undetermined number of troops in Iraq for an undetermined period of time to "protect" US interests there – a plan vague enough to keep the door open for a prolonged American presence in Iraq.
On the peace process, he has opposed Palestinian democracy and does not seem to support internal Palestinian dialogue and efforts to encourage unity.
Obama also appears to lack a clear plan for promoting Arab democracy.
He seems opposed to changing Arab governments by force and also seems disinterested in promoting democracy in the region.
He appears willing to support the status quo in exchange for gaining the support of Arab governments in stabilising Iraq and confronting Iran.
Obama has clearly moved right on Arab issues since becoming the Democratic party's presidential candidate.
No better choice
This is not to say that McCain is a better choice for Arabs than Obama.
McCain appears to be more of a neo-conservative toward the Arab world than George Bush, the incumbent US president.
On Iraq, McCain had been calling for the removal of the government of Saddam Hussein, the former Iraqi president, since 1998 – five years before the actual US invasion of the country.
McCain also does not seem to have any interest in moving the Israeli-Palestinian peace process forward and seems to want to empower Israel and to help isolate it from its neighbours, by force if necessary.
This is why McCain quickly supported the isolationist policies adopted by Ariel Sharon, the former Israeli prime minister, such as the construction of the separation barrier and disengagement from the peace process.
This means that neither Obama or McCain seem to be the right candidate for Arabs.
But some Arab idealists will still support Obama out of hope he may improve and out of fear that a McCain presidency could end up bringing more harm to the region than even the Bush administration.


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A clear sky. Low 19F. SSW winds at 5 to 10 mph, increasing to 15 to 25 mph..
A clear sky. Low 19F. SSW winds at 5 to 10 mph, increasing to 15 to 25 mph.
Capitol Assault Was Act Of Terrorism, USD Prof Says
BY RANDY DOCKENDORF randy.dockendorf@yankton.net
VERMILLION — This week's violence at the U.S. Capitol represented terrorism with more battles ahead for the nation, a University of South Dakota professor says.
Tim Schorn teaches political science, specializing on the subjects of international relations and terrorism. He said, as he watched Wednesday's unfolding events in Washington, he viewed the scene as something found in a foreign country.
"It was a shock to see the attack on the United States Capitol, while at the same time not being completely surprising," he said. "We have been building to this for the last 4-1/2 years. President (Donald) Trump has consistently attacked the democratic process and has encouraged his supporters to doubt the veracity of election outcomes."
Wednesday's breach of the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters represented terrorism, even if many Americans didn't recognize it as such, Schorn said. He pointed to the 1995 bombing of the federal Murrah Building in Oklahoma City, which was committed by a white man who was an American citizen.
"It was another case of domestic terrorism that we as a country have managed to largely forget in favor of thinking only about foreign attacks on us," Schorn said.
Americans need to realize the intent of those engaged in the action, Schorn said.
"When we talk about political terrorism, we are talking about individuals or groups who use force or the threat of force to reach a political goal," he said. "We saw the mob attack the Capitol building in order to intimidate the members of the House and Senate, to stop the certification of the Electoral College vote in order to prevent President-elect (Joe) Biden from taking office and retaining President Trump, and to subvert the democratic process and the will of the people. This was terrorism."
Social media quickly drew a flood of responses from those defending the Capitol activities and condemning the damage during this summer's riots in the midst of racial tensions. They linked those uprisings around the nation to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement and to Antifa, an anti-fascist collection of groups.
Schorn made a distinction between the two situations.
"BLM and Antifa never tried to overthrow the democratic process and Constitution," he said. "BLM has been largely peaceful, and Antifa never represented any threat to the government. The (U.S. Capitol) participants were insurrectionists and terrorists."
The violence may continue even after Trump leaves office, Schorn predicted.
REPAIRING THE NATION
The nation's leaders must repair the divide that has torn the country apart, Schorn said. "President-elect Biden and the leaders of the House and Senate have a long, difficult road ahead of them," he said.
Schorn listed three areas in which national leaders must restore the nation both at home and abroad.
"First, they have to reassure Americans that our election system does work and that the American government can do the people's work," he said. "Second, President-elect Biden and his team will have to repair relations with our allies and the doubts that they now have about the stability and trustworthiness of the U.S.
"Finally, people who attacked the Capitol and those who encouraged them, including President Trump and folks like Senators (Josh) Hawley and (Ted) Cruz, need to be held accountable. In some cases, that will mean criminal prosecution and in others official censure."
The South Dakota congressional delegation — Sens. John Thune and Mike Rounds and Rep. Dusty Johnson, all Republicans — helped create the situation leading up to Wednesday's violence, Schorn said.
"(The three lawmakers) were very aware of what President Trump and some of his followers were capable of," Schorn said. "They needed to begin speaking out loudly and clearly months ago when President Trump began calling into question voting and vote-counting in America and sending signals to his followers.
"By remaining as quiet as they were, and only rarely speaking out, they enabled the president and allowed the lies to be spread and accepted much too easily."
The current situation rings similar to the Watergate era in the 1970s, Schorn said.
"It reminds me of the period when President (Richard) Nixon was being investigated and losing his support, there was real concern within the White House about someone who was evidencing signs of instability still having the nuclear codes," the professor said. "I don't expect (Trump) to launch the weapons, but there are many actions he can take that will do lasting damage to the nation."
In terms of foreign relations, this week's violence at the Capitol undermined the United States' standing in the world, Schorn said. The nation has proven itself "divided, unstable and potentially immobilized by crisis," he added.
"Our allies were horrified by what they saw," he said. "How can this supposed model of democracy and constitutional governance find itself in a position like this where people storm the capitol and the president attempts to overturn election results? Our 'enemies,' like Russia and China, have to be dancing with glee."
Schorn expects many Trump followers will remain loyal after he leaves office. Trump will try to remain part of the national discussion, but his broad influence will quickly fade, the professor predicted.
"He will continue, though, to lob figurative grenades that continue to diminish the reputation of the Republican Party," Schorn said. "The question becomes will the Trumpians like Cruz, Hawley and others become the face and leadership of the party, or will more moderate voices like Senators (Mitt) Romney, (Lisa) Murkowski and (Ben) Sasse become the leaders of the party."
Follow @RDockendorf on Twitter.
buzz Jan 8, 2021 7:18am
Apparently I missed the professor's article speaking of all the terroristic "peaceful protests" that attacked police stations and court houses around the country prior to the election. I in no way condone the actions of ANY group that attacks government facilities. If one group is to be prosecuted for these actions then ALL the groups should be prosecuted. Be a little less party biased professor!
rogermeyersd Jan 8, 2021 10:45am
The professor was correct in the first part of the article describing the invasion of the Capitol as a terrorist act. HOwevefr he then lets his bias show as he defends the BLM and Antifa riots of the past summer. For some reason those are justified and not terrorism. He further goes on to state that just about anyone who not only voted for Trump but simply did not speak out is guilty of treason and terrorist activities as well. That makes 75 million terorists. He is definitely showing his left side.
Alikat Jan 8, 2021 4:35pm
I am really disappointed on your views about what happened In DC the other day. If I had a child ready to go to college i would strongly discourage them not to go but to look at a trade school. Our colleges are making socialists out of so many young Americans . Your personal views should not be conveyed to the students as the way to go. Sorry professor I do not agree with anything you said about Pres Trump. There were terrorists there but they were not the Trump supporters and if you believe that they were, I feel sorry for you.
tilliesunshine Jan 10, 2021 1:04am
I am very disgusted with the one-sided viewpoints that this professor and Randy Dockendorf point out. Randy may have only reported what the professor said during an interview, but it is quite obvious of his own viewpoints when reading his posts on his Facebook page, even when he reports on sporting events such as the 4th of July baseball game versus Crofton and Wynot.
The professor states that , "BLM has been largely peaceful, and Antifa never represented any threat to the government..." Correct me if I am wrong, but I do remember this summer when a federal courthouse in Portland was being targeted and vandalized on a nightly basis by BLM and Antifa members. Is that not an attack on the government?
As far as the nation being divided. The professor or at least the reporting never mentions how Nancy Pelosi and her counterparts helped create the division that has taken over our nation. Nancy Pelosi tearing up the speech after the President made last year's STOTUA was a blatant stab at trying to send a signal that the left was not willing to work with the President or the right in the upcoming year. There are numerous other examples I could point out, but I will spare you the time and angst. My point is, this division was not created by one man. It was not even created by one party and it hasn't happened overnight. The election results over the past 2 decades have signaled great division and at those times, President Trump was not even in politics. So, please take that into consideration. This has been a disaster in the making for quite some time!
This was a biased attempt to try and make a statement on Randy Dockendorf's part. South Dakota is very much a red leaning state, and this was such a ridiculous piece of propaganda.
2 Bedroom, Between the 50s, 8th & Dakota, Yankton. Rent
Graco- CNC Machinist
Local Lawmakers Respond To Noem Address

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Crassus: The First Tycoon (Ancient Lives) (Hardcover)
By Peter Stothard
(HIST-ANCIENT)
The story of Rome's richest man, who died a humiliating desert death in search of military glory
"A perfectly paced biography."—Tom Holland, Times Literary Supplement
Marcus Licinius Crassus (115–53 BCE) was a modern man in an ancient world, a pioneer disrupter of finance and politics, and the richest man of the last years of the Roman republic. Without his catastrophic ambition, this trailblazing tycoon might have quietly entered history as Rome's first modern political financier. Instead, Crassus and his son led an army on an unprovoked campaign against Parthia into what are now the borderlands of Turkey, Syria, and Iraq, losing a battle at Carrhae which scarred Roman minds for generations.
After Crassus was killed, historians told many stories of his demise. Some said that his open mouth, shriveled by desert air, had been filled with molten gold as testament to his lifetime of greed. His story, skillfully told by Peter Stothard, poses both immediate and lasting questions about the intertwining of money, ambition, and power.
Peter Stothard is an author, journalist, and critic. He is a former editor of The Times of London and of the Times Literary Supplement. His latest book is The Last Assassin: The Hunt for the Killers of Julius Caesar.
"It is a remarkable and fascinating story and Stothard has done his subject proud."—Roger Alton, Daily Mail
"In this short volume of 158 pages, Stothard gives just about enough background for those unversed in Roman history to follow the tale. But his aim is not to paint a picture of SPQR. It is to focus on a man who will be barely known to most readers. And also worryingly familiar. That he has done—and done well."—Stefan Wagstyl, Financial Times
"Brings Crassus to life (and death) adeptly. . . . Stothard tells the story of this campaign vividly and skilfully."—Patrick Kidd, The Times
"The pages of this short book turn quickly. The Parthian campaign, in particular, is narrated with a gripping verve and brio. . . . One of the strengths of Stothard's writing is that he shows rather than tells: anecdote is preferred to adjectives."—Christopher White, Daily Telegraph
"A perfectly paced biography: one that provides a novel perspective on a period of Roman history that, although often narrated, can always bear another retelling."—Tom Holland, Times Literary Supplement
"Crassus until now has not been the subject of a popular biography. For the many fans of this period of Roman history, Stothard offers a fascinating story, both well told and well worth the telling."—Anthony Spawforth, Literary Review
"A concise, smoothly written, often witty account of Crassus's career, by a serious journalist. . . . Crassus, whatever his other attainments, has gone down in history as less than a great man. This may well be true, but that doesn't mean he wasn't an extraordinary one."—Joseph Epstein, National Review
"[Stothard] manages to bring us Crassus's life and times in amazing detail. There's barely a wasted line in the book. . . . Every sentence hits where it needs to, and the book comes together beautifully. . . . A gem."—Gil Roth on The Virtual Memories Show
"An obscenely wealthy oligarch seeks new prestige by invading a neighbouring country whose resilience he doesn't appreciate—and meets with catastrophe. This is a superb life of an ancient Roman whose experiences horrifically echo our own time."—Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny
"Peter Stothard is a master of modern writing about ancient Rome. Here he cleverly explores the life of one of the most puzzling and elusive 'big men' in the history of Rome, and why it matters."—Mary Beard
Series: Ancient Lives
Biography & Autobiography / Historical
History / Ancient / Rome
Biography & Autobiography / Political


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https://www.theintelligencer.com/news/article/Madison-County-Transit-suspend-fares-15139040.php
Madison County Transit suspend fares
Published 9:00 pm CDT, Tuesday, March 17, 2020
PONTOON BEACH — The Madison County Transit board on Tuesday afternoon approved suspending fares on its fixed-route and paratransit services in response to the coronavirus.
At an emergency meeting, the board approved the temporary fare suspension which will take effect Wednesday, March 18, and remain in place until further notice. Suspending fares will eliminate the passing of cash, tokens and bus passes between passengers and drivers.
The board also granted Interim Managing Director SJ Morrison authority to make future fixed-route service reductions on a temporary emergency basis. MCT currently is not proposing any service reductions.
The board approved closing the MCT Base of Operations to the public and closing all MCT Transfer Stations in Alton, Collinsville, Edwardsville, Granite City and Wood River. The stations will continue to serve as transfer points, but buildings will be closed to the public.
"The health and safety of our passengers, patrons and the communities we serve is our top priority," Morrison said. "We know that MCT provides critical transportation to the community and that thousands of individuals depend on our services each day."
Morrison urged people to follow the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's protocols: exercise social distancing and hand washing, limit time away from home and avoid contact with regularly used public surfaces.
"We understand that residents still need to reach grocery stores, social services, and loved ones by riding MCT," Morrison said. "We take this responsibility very seriously and are making every effort to protect both our employees and the people we serve."
He said MCT also has taken other actions out of COVID-19 concerns:
• Cleaning and disinfect buses each night, especially commonly used surfaces.
• Adding staff to disinfect surfaces at the MCT Base of Operations.
• Distributing disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer and gloves to employees.
• Increasing efforts to disinfect the inside of driver relief vehicles.
• Removing timetables and other paper materials from buses. All schedules are online at www.mct.org.
For updates, visit www.mct.org and sign-up for MCT Text Alerts and/or MCT E-News; call 618-797-INFO (4636); or e-mail info@mct.org.
il info@mct.org.


Welcome to the latest edition of EntreWorks Insights, a quarterly newsletter that reports on business trends, policy developments, and other issues affecting the business of economic and workforce development. You're receiving this note because you've asked to subscribe or because you have some previous interest in the work of EntreWorks Consulting. If you wish to subscribe or be removed from this list, please send an email to info (at) entreworks.net. If you're interested in the newsletter, please read on. Please feel free to share with friends, family, colleagues, and other loved ones. Comments and constructive criticism (and praise) are also welcome. You are also encouraged to visit and comment on the EntreWorks blog at http://entreworks.net/blog. Thanks for your interest.
What's Next for Manufacturing Policy?
What's New at EntreWorks Consulting?
Donald Trump's election campaign and first month in office have been predicated in part on his plans to "make America great again" via economic policies that support key US industries like manufacturing. He has repeatedly contended that he and his team will bring manufacturing jobs back to America, and turn American industry into the envy of the world. Of course, the devil is in the details, and this edition of EntreWorks Insights digs into these details, attempting the challenging task of assessing what's likely to happen (and what should happen) with manufacturing policy in the coming years.
Before discussing policy options, we should look at the current state of play. Manufacturing has had a tough couple of decades, but it's hardly the "American carnage" claimed by President Trump.
The decline in manufacturing jobs is a widely told story. Since 2000, US manufacturing jobs have declined by 29%, even at a time where overall US employment grew by nearly ten percent. As recent research from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) notes, these depressing numbers hide an even more sobering reality. Manufacturing output is also declining at a rapid pace. Between 1999 and 2015, overall manufacturing output jumped 27percent. But, if one fast growing sector—computer related manufacturing---is removed from the data, overall output improvement rates decline to roughly seven percent.
So, manufacturing jobs and output are stagnant, but there is some cause for optimism. The US's significant cost disadvantages have disappeared, and it is now cheaper to manufacture in the US than in many parts of China. While this level playing field is good news, it would be preferable for US firms to compete on quality as opposed to low cost. Moreover, other countries like Mexico will still enjoy cost advantages when compared to US manufacturing.
Better news comes from the fact that US manufacturers are poised to benefit from what researchers are calling Industry 4.0 or the Next Production Revolution. These terms refer to the combination of manufacturing and new digital technologies, such as robotics, sensors, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing. The Internet of Things is simply the first iteration of this ongoing industrial transformation. McKinsey Global Institute research suggests that this revolution in automation could boost global productivity rates by as much as 1.4 percent per year.
American manufacturers are investing big time in these new capabilities, and are expected to double their investment levels (up to $350 billion) in the next few years. And, the face of manufacturing is already being transformed. According to a recent PwC survey, 59% of surveyed US manufacturers already deploy robotics technology and about 2/3 are already using 3D printing tools for prototyping, production, and other purposes.
The rise of Industry 4.0 is very good news, but there's no guarantee that the US can capture this opportunity or effectively support workers who may be displaced in this economic transition. That's where policy comes in. Using the Presidential bully pulpit to "save jobs," as in the recent Carrier deal, is not necessarily a bad thing. But, it does not constitute an effective and impactful manufacturing strategy. To fully capture this opportunity, and to build a sustainable US manufacturing base, some new policy directions will be needed. Read on for my take on what should happen!
While the media has focused on manufacturing job loss, worker shortages are the reality for many manufacturers. And, this labor shortage is likely to persist into the future, even as automation hits the factory floor. Talent development has long been a priority concern for large manufacturers and groups like the National Association of Manufacturers. But, it is now a pressing concern for smaller firms as well. A recent survey of small manufacturers from the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST-MEP) program finds that nearly 47% of firms identify employee recruitment as a top challenge. In 2009, only 19% cited this challenge.
US manufacturers and policy makers will need to prepare for an extended period of worker shortages. From the policy side, we need to think about how to build stronger talent pipelines to get workers prepared for Industry 4.0 jobs. From the industry side, managers will need to rethink how they hire, train, and deploy workers. Workers who combine digital and engineering capabilities will be in especially high demand.
New workers cannot be the only focus for talent development. Reskilling and upskilling current manufacturing workers and managers will also be required. In fact, surveyed manufacturers now report that the lack of digital culture and training is the Number 1 challenge impeding adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies and practices.
Succeeding in Industry 4.0 will depend on the ability of US manufacturers to remain at the leading edge of innovation. This will not occur in industry alone; it will depend on a robust role for government as well. Leading manufacturing nations, such as China, Germany, and Japan, all rely on extensive public support. Continued and expanded public innovation investments are needed here as well.
These investments can take multiple forms, but two programs are especially important. The Manufacturing USA program is just gaining traction, and started to show important results in building stronger ecosystems for advanced manufacturing. Similarly, the NIST-MEP program, which provides technical assistance to smaller manufacturers, should be continued and expanded.
A dynamic US manufacturing sector should also be a place that is welcoming and supportive of start-up and scale-up entrepreneurial ventures. We need more manufacturing start-ups, and we need to do a better job of supporting them.
Few manufacturing analysts comment on the small manufacturing revolution that is already underway across the US in the form of breweries, distilleries, food production, and other "makers." These folks are artisans, but they are manufacturers as well. Small scale manufacturers are starting to transform many urban areas, and we need to do more to support them. Local entrepreneurship efforts can help, but we also need to encourage the development of specialized real estate like maker spaces, shared kitchens, and the like.
Programs like the NIST-MEP can also help, and there's good news on this front. In a late 2016 surprise move, Congress passed a new version of the COMPETES Act which changes current cost sharing rules related to NIST-MEP consulting services. This shift will make it easier for new and small firms to get sophisticated consulting services that will help them retool, grow, and capture new markets.
Having more entrepreneurs—in manufacturing and elsewhere—is a good thing its own right. But, it can also help rebuild the industrial commons, i.e., the "R&D and manufacturing infrastructure, know-how, process-development skills, and engineering capabilities" that are essential to modern manufacturing. New firms can help introduce new process, product, and service innovations and help bring new manufacturing opportunities back home.
US manufacturers face many global headwinds. President Trump and others point to trade pacts like NAFTA as key factors in US job loss. Yet, these trade impacts are likely dwarfed by the effects of a strong dollar which has appreciated more than 25% since 2013. While the strong dollar makes imports cheaper, it creates big challenges for US exporters. Many analysts predict that the continued strong dollar will have a pronounced negative effect on manufacturing employment.
Some researchers advocate direct action to realign the dollar's value vis-à-vis currencies in China and other major US trading partners. While this prospect may be unlikely, we do need to recognize that the strong dollar is a more important factor than trade deals in terms of reducing US exports.
Most of the issues highlighted in this essay are forward-looking, i.e. they assess how to build a stronger US manufacturing future. However, we must not forget the past. The rise of Industry 4.0 will not be smooth and seamless. Many workers and communities will face displacement as automation and new ways of working change the face of US manufacturing. Smarter policies to support and retrain displaced workers must be part of any effective manufacturing policy program.
The US needs to completely rethink how it supports displaced manufacturing workers. At a minimum, we likely need to spend more on these activities. Currently, the average OECD country spends twice as much as the US in labor market and retraining programs. But, we also need to do things differently. New policies should include: better early warning systems to be aware of potential job loss or firm closings, new employment approaches like job sharing and job rotations that can help reduce full-time job loss, and robust investments in training, apprenticeships, and job-to-job transition assistance. These types of programs are the right and just thing to do, but they can also help address the talent development challenges noted earlier in this essay.
Life at EntreWorks HQ remains busy and rewarding. We are in the midst of two major long-term efforts: 1) A research project (on behalf of the Appalachian Regional Commission) assessing the development of entrepreneurial ecosystems in Appalachia and, 2) Providing continued support to the Office of Economic Adjustment's Defense Industry Adjustment program. We are also supporting engagements with the Administrative Office of the US Courts, the University of Pittsburgh, the National Association of Counties, and the University of Texas-Arlington.
We also have numerous upcoming speaking engagements, including a panel at the March 2017 annual meeting of the National Association of Workforce Boards and at upcoming National Association of Counties and National Association of Development Organizations' events in the DC region. We also continue to provide more regular news and updates at the EntreWorks blog at http://entreworks.net/blog. Recent posts have discussed America's poor track record on worker retraining, new thinking on clusters, and rural wealth creation. You can also access blog updates at our Facebook and LinkedIn pages and on Google Plus.


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17 There are 17 comments on this article.
Swiss experts downplay Assange asylum chances
This content was published on December 6, 2010 6:53 PM Dec 6, 2010 - 18:53
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange at a press conference in London in October 2010
Swiss asylum experts have cast doubt over the success of the possible request for political asylum revealed by Julian Assange, the embattled founder of Wikileaks.
In separate developments, the Swiss Pirate Party, which registered the new Wikileaks.ch domain name earlier this year, said the Swiss registrar had confirmed it would not block the site. PostFinance, the financial services arm of Swiss Post, said it was closing Assange's account.
On November 4 the Australian founder of Wikileaks told the Swiss French-language television news that he was considering seeking political asylum in Switzerland. The Federal Migration Office refuses to comment, but observers suggest he will have a difficult task gaining political asylum.
"We believe that Assange is unlikely to receive political asylum in Switzerland, due to the necessary procedures needed," Manon Schick, spokeswoman for Amnesty Switzerland, told swissinfo.ch.
Assange, who is reportedly staying in Britain, has come under growing pressure from politicians in the United States and around the world after his whistleblower site started publishing excerpts from a cache of 250,000 American diplomatic cables last week.
He told El Pais newspaper on Sunday that he faced "hundreds of death threats," including some targeting his lawyers and children, in addition to the pressure from prosecutors in the US and other countries.
"However, it is the specific calls from the elites of US society for our assassination, kidnapping and execution that is more concerning," he told the Spanish paper.
Schick said she knew nothing about these threats, nor of his condition, which are important to prove during asylum requests, but those from the US would not be sufficient.
"Swiss authorities will check any asylum request, but Assange has to prove that there is a politically motivated case against him and that Australia cannot protect him," added Adrian Hauser, head of communications at the Swiss Refugee Council.
Australia's attorney general, Robert McCelland, said on Sunday that Australia would provide consular assistance to Assange if he returned there.
But it emerged at the weekend that Australian police are investigating whether Assange has broken any of the country's laws which would make him liable to prosecution.
Less than a month ago, Assange was hoping to settle in Sweden, but his residence request was rejected. Swedish prosecutors have since sent an international arrest warrant to the British Metropolitan police, seeking the extradition of Assange for questioning on allegations – which he strongly denies – of rape, sexual molestation and unlawful coercion.
Schick said any indications that Assange had been in Sweden but had only applied for a residence permit "would be a sufficient argument" for Switzerland to drop the case.
On Sunday the US ambassador to Switzerland, Donald Beyer, entered the fray when he told the newspaper NZZ am Sonntag that Switzerland "should very carefully consider whether to provide shelter to someone who is on the run from the law."
Swiss pirates, ahoy!
Before revealing that he was interested in seeking sanctuary in Switzerland, Assange met members of the Swiss Pirate Party, a group that formed two years ago to campaign for freedom of information.
"We contacted Assange to see how we could help," party vice-president Pascal Gloor explained to swissinfo.ch. "Our president worked at the Federal Migration Office for a while so knows the procedures and migrants' rights."
On December 3 the whistleblower's site was forced to switch domain names to Wikileaks.ch after the US host of its main website, WikiLeaks.org, pulled the plug.
Six months earlier the Swiss Pirate Party had registered the Wikileaks.ch domain name with the Swiss registrar, Switch, a non-profit registrar set up by the Swiss government for all 1.5 million Swiss .ch domain names.
Over recent days as major internet companies cut off services to WikiLeaks, activists have also created hundreds of "mirrors" of the WikiLeaks site on their own servers.
Swiss account closed
The risk of Wikileaks.ch having to close are limited, said Gloor.
"Domain names can be taken down in Switzerland but that has to come after a decision by a judge. Switch told us that it had no intention of taking it down," he said.
The Federal Communication Office confirmed to swissinfo.ch that under existing Swiss telecommunication laws it was not possible to close the domain name.
Up until Monday the site also showed Assange had begun accepting direct donations into a Swiss bank account at the Swiss postal service, PostFinance, under his name, while also using a Swiss-Icelandic credit card processing centre and other accounts in Iceland and Germany.
But late Monday afternoon the Swiss Post announced that it had closed Assange's PostFinance account because of "false indications regarding his place of residence"; Assange had declared Geneva his place of residence.
A foreigner holding a Postfinance account must either reside in Switzerland or near the Swiss border, have Swiss business dealings or own Swiss property.
Postfinance will now try to contact Assange to find out the name of an account to which it can transfer the money, a spokesman told the Swiss news agency.
If it cannot be transferred, it will be placed in a blocked account until claimed by someone with a legal right to it. This will make it harder for Wikileaks to access the donations.
US embassy cables
The whistle-blowing website Wikileaks has released a cache of 250,000 secret messages sent by US diplomatic staff.
So far, Wikileaks has published on its site 931 US "cables"; it has given the files in full to five media groups, including the New York Times and Guardian newspapers.
About 700 of the classified documents published by the online whistleblower came from the US embassy in Bern and the US mission in Geneva.
Most of the cables emanating from Bern were sent between the end of 2005 and February 2010 – more than half from 2009 (89) and 2008 (66).
The Swiss cabinet was not yet aware of the content of these cables and therefore would not issue a statement, a government spokesman said on Monday.
The more explosive issues among the thousands of leaked cables presented so far concern Iran, spying on United Nations officials, Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Afghanistan, drones in Yemen, Pakistan and the Guantanamo Bay detention centre.
The leaks also disclosed bluntly candid impressions from both diplomats and other world leaders about America's allies and foes.
There are 17 comments on this article.
Swiss experts downplay Assange asylum chances Simon Bradley Dec 6, 2010 - 18:53 Swiss asylum experts have cast doubt over the success of the possible request for political asylum revealed by Julian Assange, the embattled founder of Wikileaks. In separate developments, the Swiss Pirate Party, which registered the new Wikileaks.ch domain name earlier this year, said the Swiss registrar had confirmed it would not block the site. PostFinance, the financial services arm of Swiss Post, said it was closing Assange's account. On November 4 the Australian founder of Wikileaks told the Swiss French-language television news that he was considering seeking political asylum in Switzerland. The Federal Migration Office refuses to comment, but observers suggest he will have a difficult task gaining political asylum. "We believe that Assange is unlikely to receive political asylum in Switzerland, due to the necessary procedures needed," Manon Schick, spokeswoman for Amnesty Switzerland, told swissinfo.ch. Assange, who is reportedly staying in Britain, has come under growing pressure from politicians in the United States and around the world after his whistleblower site started publishing excerpts from a cache of 250,000 American diplomatic cables last week. He told El Pais newspaper on Sunday that he faced "hundreds of death threats," including some targeting his lawyers and children, in addition to the pressure from prosecutors in the US and other countries. "However, it is the specific calls from the elites of US society for our assassination, kidnapping and execution that is more concerning," he told the Spanish paper. Schick said she knew nothing about these threats, nor of his condition, which are important to prove during asylum requests, but those from the US would not be sufficient. "Swiss authorities will check any asylum request, but Assange has to prove that there is a politically motivated case against him and that Australia cannot protect him," added Adrian Hauser, head of communications at the Swiss Refugee Council. Down under Australia's attorney general, Robert McCelland, said on Sunday that Australia would provide consular assistance to Assange if he returned there. But it emerged at the weekend that Australian police are investigating whether Assange has broken any of the country's laws which would make him liable to prosecution. Less than a month ago, Assange was hoping to settle in Sweden, but his residence request was rejected. Swedish prosecutors have since sent an international arrest warrant to the British Metropolitan police, seeking the extradition of Assange for questioning on allegations – which he strongly denies – of rape, sexual molestation and unlawful coercion. Schick said any indications that Assange had been in Sweden but had only applied for a residence permit "would be a sufficient argument" for Switzerland to drop the case. On Sunday the US ambassador to Switzerland, Donald Beyer, entered the fray when he told the newspaper NZZ am Sonntag that Switzerland "should very carefully consider whether to provide shelter to someone who is on the run from the law." Swiss pirates, ahoy! Before revealing that he was interested in seeking sanctuary in Switzerland, Assange met members of the Swiss Pirate Party, a group that formed two years ago to campaign for freedom of information. "We contacted Assange to see how we could help," party vice-president Pascal Gloor explained to swissinfo.ch. "Our president worked at the Federal Migration Office for a while so knows the procedures and migrants' rights." On December 3 the whistleblower's site was forced to switch domain names to Wikileaks.ch after the US host of its main website, WikiLeaks.org, pulled the plug. Six months earlier the Swiss Pirate Party had registered the Wikileaks.ch domain name with the Swiss registrar, Switch, a non-profit registrar set up by the Swiss government for all 1.5 million Swiss .ch domain names. Over recent days as major internet companies cut off services to WikiLeaks, activists have also created hundreds of "mirrors" of the WikiLeaks site on their own servers. Swiss account closed The risk of Wikileaks.ch having to close are limited, said Gloor. "Domain names can be taken down in Switzerland but that has to come after a decision by a judge. Switch told us that it had no intention of taking it down," he said. The Federal Communication Office confirmed to swissinfo.ch that under existing Swiss telecommunication laws it was not possible to close the domain name. Up until Monday the site also showed Assange had begun accepting direct donations into a Swiss bank account at the Swiss postal service, PostFinance, under his name, while also using a Swiss-Icelandic credit card processing centre and other accounts in Iceland and Germany. But late Monday afternoon the Swiss Post announced that it had closed Assange's PostFinance account because of "false indications regarding his place of residence"; Assange had declared Geneva his place of residence. A foreigner holding a Postfinance account must either reside in Switzerland or near the Swiss border, have Swiss business dealings or own Swiss property. Postfinance will now try to contact Assange to find out the name of an account to which it can transfer the money, a spokesman told the Swiss news agency. If it cannot be transferred, it will be placed in a blocked account until claimed by someone with a legal right to it. This will make it harder for Wikileaks to access the donations. US embassy cables The whistle-blowing website Wikileaks has released a cache of 250,000 secret messages sent by US diplomatic staff. So far, Wikileaks has published on its site 931 US "cables"; it has given the files in full to five media groups, including the New York Times and Guardian newspapers. About 700 of the classified documents published by the online whistleblower came from the US embassy in Bern and the US mission in Geneva. Most of the cables emanating from Bern were sent between the end of 2005 and February 2010 – more than half from 2009 (89) and 2008 (66). The Swiss cabinet was not yet aware of the content of these cables and therefore would not issue a statement, a government spokesman said on Monday. The more explosive issues among the thousands of leaked cables presented so far concern Iran, spying on United Nations officials, Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Afghanistan, drones in Yemen, Pakistan and the Guantanamo Bay detention centre. The leaks also disclosed bluntly candid impressions from both diplomats and other world leaders about America's allies and foes.
"Society needs whistle-blowers"
Rudolf Elmer, a Swiss whistle-blower, talks to swissinfo.ch about Wikileaks and the role of such organisations "in a media-manipulated world". ...
By Alexander Thoele
US cable leak has "sabotaged" diplomatic work
Former Swiss diplomats say the huge release of diplomatic cables by Wikileaks undermines their work, ruining confidence and risks limiting the ...
By Andreas Keiser
Wikileaks founder takes US to task over abuses
The Wikileaks founder has urged the United States to examine alleged rights abuses in Afghanistan and Iraq and to stop an "aggressive ...
Putting faces to abstract concepts. Images from "The Face of Human Rights" (Lars Müller Publishers, 2004; Baden, Switzerland).
Life after Guantanamo Two former prison camp detainees settle in Switzerland
Two brothers, who were resettled in Switzerland after their release from the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay, are said to be doing well. The ...


Marco Da Silva has become an international brand as a commercial dancer and choreographer through collaborations with major artists including Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue, Ricky Martin, Nicki Minaj, Christina Aguilera, Avril Lavigne, Mariah Carey, George Michael. He served as a judge for So You Think You Can Dance in both Germany and Israel in 2009.
Listen in as he and I sat down and talk about his success as a professional dancer to becoming a global DJ and how he is now setting his sights on acting.


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I hope this article help you perform fix lever faucet. In the next article you can learn how fix spinning or key on the keyboard.


These cutfiles are for the Kev's Lounge Paper Minis set "League of Scoundrels".
These cutfiles are for the Kev's Lounge Paper Minis set "League of Scoundrels". They were created with Silhouette Studio version 3.4.436 by Kevin Richard John Berry.


On behalf of Greenberg, Walden & Grossman, LLC posted in Drunk Driving Accidents on Friday, November 17, 2017.
For years, bartenders and police officers have been noticing a trend: There are lot of people who get absolutely blitzed on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.
Alcohol-related highway deaths surge during the Thanksgiving weekend. The entire year sees about 30 percent of highway deaths related to alcohol. On Thanksgiving weekend, 40 percent of highway deaths are related to alcohol.
The only holiday that's worse for alcohol-related deaths on the road is New Year's.
Between "Blackout Wednesday" and New Year's Day, around 1,200 people will die on the nation's roads due to alcohol-related crashes. Around another 25,000 will be injured.
About 30 percent of people who are on monitoring or required to avoid alcohol will violate the terms of their probation or parole during Thanksgiving weekend.
When you factor those pieces of information in with the fact that around 38 million people will take to the roads sometime over the Thanksgiving holiday, it quickly becomes apparent why there's cause for concern. That's a lot of families on the road — and a lot of potentially drunk drivers at the same time.
If you might be drinking the night before Thanksgiving, plan ahead. Arrange for a friend who is sober to go with you or pick you up. Call a cab or call an Uber if you don't have any other options. Otherwise, you run the risk of being involved in an accident that could have serious long-term consequences for both yourself and others.
If you're involved in an accident with drunk driver (or a hungover one) this Thanksgiving weekend, make certain that you explore all your available legal options before you settle with the insurance company.


text:
Auraiya (district), een district van de Indiase staat Uttar Pradesh
 Auraiya (India), een stad in het Indiase district Auraiya
 Auraiya (Nepal), een plaats in het zuidoosten van Nepal

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
#import <XCTest/XCTest.h>
#import <WebKit/WebKit.h>
#import "PrebidMobile/PrebidMobile.h"

@interface AdViewUtilsObjCTests : XCTestCase

@end

@implementation AdViewUtilsObjCTests

- (void)setUp {
    // Put setup code here. This method is called before the invocation of each test method in the class.
}

- (void)tearDown {
    // Put teardown code here. This method is called after the invocation of each test method in the class.
}

- (void)testFindPrebidCreativeSize {
    WKWebView *wkWebView = [[WKWebView alloc] init];
    [AdViewUtils findPrebidCreativeSize:wkWebView success:^(CGSize size) {

    } failure:^(NSError * _Nonnull error) {

    }];
}

@end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: **kwargs.pop(x) versus defining x as a function parameter Lets say you're writing a child class that has a constructor that passes its unused kwargs up to the parent constructor, but your class has the argument x that it needs to store that shouldn't be passed to the parent.
I have seen two different approaches to this:
def __init__(self, **kwargs):
    self.x = kwargs.pop('x', 'default')
    super().__init__(**kwargs)

and
def __init__(self, x='default', **kwargs):
    self.x = x
    super().__init__(**kwargs)

Is there every any functional difference between these two constructors? Is there any reason to use one over the other?
The only difference I can see is that the second form, which defines x in the signature, allows the user to better see it as a possible argument, or an IDE to offer it as an autocomplete option. Or in Python 3.5+, you could add a type annotation to x. Does that make the first form objectively worse?

A: As already mentionned by Giacomo Alzetta in a comment, the second version allow to pass x as a positional argument when the first only allow named arguments, IOW with the second form you can use both Child(x=2) AND Child(2), while the first only supports Child(x=2).
Also, when using inspection to check the method's signature, the second form will clearly mention the existance of the x param, while the first won't.
And finally, the second version will yield a slightly clearer exception if x is not passed.
And that's for the functional differences.

Is there any reason to use one over the other?

Well... As a general rule, it's cleaner (best practice) to use explicit arguments whenever possible, even if only for readability, and from experience it does usually make maintenance easier indeed. So from this point of view, the second form can be seen as "objectively better" than the first.
This being said, when the parent method has dozens of mostly optional and rarely used arguments (django.forms.Form, I'm lookig at you) AND you also want to preserve positional arguments order, it can be convenient to just use the generic *args, **kwargs signature for the child and force the additional param(s) to be passed as kwargs. Assuming you clearly document this in the docstring, it's still explicit enough (as far as I'm concerned, YMMV), and also avoids a lot of clutter (you can have a look at django.forms.Form for a concrete example of what I mean here).
So as always with "best practices" and other golden rules, you have to understand and weight the pros and cons wrt/ the concrete case at hand.
PS: just to make things clear, django's Form class signature makes perfect sense so I'm not ranting here - it's just one of those cases where there's no "beautiful" solution to the problem, period.

A: Aside obvious differences in code clarity, there might be a little difference in speed of calling the function, in this case method init().
If you can, define all necessary arguments with default values if you have some, in both methods, and pass them classically, and exclude ones you do not wish.
In this way you make the code clear and speed of calls stays the same.
If you need some micro-optimization, then use timeit to check what works faster.
I expect that one with the "x" added as an argument will perhaps be a winner.
Because getting to its value directly from local variables will be faster and kwargs dict() is smaller.
When you use "normal" arguments, they are automatically inserted into the functions local variables dictionary.
When you use *args and/or **kwargs they are additional tuple() and/or dict() added as new local variables. They are first created from the arguments you passed into the function call.
When you are passing them to a next function, they are extracted
to match that function's call signature. In both operations you lose a tiny bit of speed.
 If you add removing something from the kwargs dictionary, ( x = kwargs.pop("x") ), you also lose some speed.
By observing both codes, it seems that their call speed would be equal. But you should check. If you do not need an extra 0.000001 seconds when initializing your instances, then both options are fine and just choose what you like most.
But again, if you are free to do it, and if it will not greatly impair the code's maintenance, define all arguments and their default values and pass them on one-by-one.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


RRB JE admit card 2014 - Download Railway Junior Engineer Call lette rRelease date - around 26-30 November 2014.
Below is the list of RRB websites.
Official website of RailwaysThe hall ticket will be available for download around the date given above. Railway Recruitment Board will release call letter for written test two weeks before. Candidates can download their RRB Junior Engineer ( JE ) Admit card 2014 from the direct link provided above once they are released. Huge number of candidates had applied for these posts. Also note that no hard copy of call letter will be sent to any candidate by the board. They have to download it from official website. The direct link for downloading is given above. Candidates will be notified by this page after release.
How to download RRB Junior Engineer ( JE ) admit card 2014After the call letter gets released, candidates can download them by visiting the direct link given above. On that page, candidate need to find RRB JE Admit Card download link. After the admit cards will be uploaded to the official website, you will see that link. Then, You have to enter registration details and then you will be able to download it. Aspirants will find all details regarding exam centre, roll number etc. mentioned in that.
The written test for Railway Recruitment Board's Junior Engineers will have questions based on General Intelligence and reasoning, General Awareness, Arithmetic, General Science and Technical Ability which are all objective type . The test paper will have 150 questions out of which 90 will be from General Science and Technical Ability section. For appearing in this test, aspirants need to have RRB JE 2014 Admit Card.
As far as the selection Procedure is concerned, it consists of single stage exam. Candidates will be selected on merit in written exam. There will be no interview for these posts. Qualified eligible candidates will be selected for the posts after document verification.
After they gets released around 01 December 2014, candidates can download their RRB JE Admit Card 2014 from above link.


Let's say, for the sake of argument, that I have enough money to produce a low-budget movie.
And, let's say my lawyers have told me that as long as it's made "as a parody," and I don't try to make money off of it, I can violate any copyright I want.
Now....for this thread, we try to pitch the best low-budget MTG movie we can.
Pitch me something better. Maybe with some characters and some character growth?
White has a pretty strong hold on indestructible too see recent cards like Make a Stand, Survive the Night, Built to Last and any version of Gideon. I don't recall many indestructible artifacts that aren't made of darksteel.
Ok...here's a few more ideas...if you go full 4 of Ongoing Investigation, then add in 4 Whirler Rogue. He comes with 2 extra bodies, potentially 3 Clue tokens each attack eventually guaranteed clue tokens by making things unblockable. Also, to consider Lodestone Myr, and Broodstar or Qumulox.
Then, I remembered Precursor Golem, who copies a spell for each golem, and could quickly get a lot of clue tokens with Confront the Unknown or Jace's Scrutiny. This can go bonkers when paired with Mechanized Production, because the way its worded, it doesn't even need to be attached to the artifact that causes you to win. So, put it on a Precursor Golem, upkeep makes a second Precursor Golem, then cast something like Survive the Night, copy it twice for each Golem, a total of 12 Clue tokens; win on upkeep because of Clues.
I know a whole bunch of Clue tokens with Ghirapur AEther Grid could take over a game. When thinking of other things clue tokens can do, I thought Throne of Geth is one of the more unique effects that sacrifices artifacts, and having lots of proliferation of poison/loyalty/energy counters would make it interesting. But, I realized this is likely too slow.
I also thought of Clock of Omens, but I don't know what artifact you'd want to be untapping repeatedly in a turn.
I always thought that Precursor Golem would be more amusing when paired with cards like Survive the Night, Confront the Unknown, Heat Shimmer, and Soul's Fire.
Perhaps to make it Golem Tribal with other golem creatures, like Keeper of the Lens, Solemn Simulacrum, Glassdust Hulk? From sacrificing Clue tokens, Salvage Titan should be free to cast.
So due to being less than thrilled with my Bant Token deck, I was thinking about rejigging it to be a voltron deck since my commander; Ishai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker is pretty good at powering themselves up since I often play multiple opponents in my local magic group, and was considering of changing it to a new theme.
I For control and disruption I have plenty of control cards like Convolute, Counterspell, Simic Charm, Spell Rupture, etc... Disruption includes Divine Reckoning, Pacifism, Diminish, Paralyzing Grasp, Rapid Hybridization, Defang, Cage of Hands As well as stuff that trashes enchantments and Artifacts.
For powering up my commander my Artifact pool is less than ideal, had to work with what I got. They include Trailblazer's Boots, Fireshrieker, Skyblinder Staff, Ring of Evos Isle, Grafted Exoskeleton, and Livewire Lash.
Mana Ramp: Assume all of my mana rocks in the bant deck are going to be cannibalized.
Creatures: I don't have the good stuff to do a true one man voltron, but I can use walls like Angelic Wall, Fog Bank, Wall of Frost for protecting myself and the effects of creatures like Fan Bearer, Mistmeadow Witch, New Prahv Guildmage, to aid my commander so they can swing in for lethal damage.
Think this is something that I can/should pull off? Any Budget recommendations?
Note that you can cast Survive the Night pre combat to give all your creatures indestructible until end of turn IF Odric, Lunarch Marshal is out.
I suggest to cut Ulvenwald Mysteries, which only hekps in very long, grindy games and Neglected Heirloom Flip despite its synergy with Avacynian Missionaries Flip. Save it for the werewolf tribe, they have no trouble flipping it.


text:
Sep 24, 2015 2:11PM EDT
Aldo Men's Shoes Launches Online-Only Premium Collection
By Barbara Schneider-Levy
Barbara Schneider-Levy
More Stories By Barbara
How Wolverine Worldwide's Blake Krueger Built a Legendary Career in Footwear
Why Soles4Souls Embarked on the Most Ambitious Charitable Project in Its 15-Year History
As the Need for Aid Grows, Two Ten Footwear Foundation Is Becoming Faster and More Efficient
Aldo's Walburg chukka from its Premium men's collection.
CREDIT: Courtesy of brand.
Aldo men's footwear is trading up. The company has launched its Premium collection for men, a series of higher-end Italian-made styles available on Aldoshoes.com.
The online-exclusive line features elevated styling and premium materials. Each pair is hand-polished and top-stitched by artisans in Italy to reveal the leather's unique character.
Included in the offering are three classic looks — the Walburg, a chukka; the Nalla, a laceup in black and brown; and the Legienia, in black and brown. Retail prices range from $250 to $275.
While the Premium collection is geared to men, there are initiatives in place that target female consumers at the company's retail stores. Aldo is testing a customer-facing technology in 22 pilot stores this fall in the U.S. and Canada that will allow customers to request shoes to try on, then virtually see what outfits the shoes can coordinate with. The company plans to fully roll out the technology in 2016.
Aldo says the idea came about because many apparel retailers now offer footwear, allowing women to coordinate shoes with their clothing choices on the spot. The new Aldo virtual technology will allow consumers to do the same.
The company currently has 475 Aldo and Call It Spring stores in the U.S. The Aldo brand is also available at DSW, Nordstrom, Amazon and JCPenney, where Aldo has shop-in-shops in select stores.


text:
Dave Urbanski
Anti-abortion movie 'Unplanned' gets R-rating; MPAA claims decision isn't politically motivated
The filmmakers say there's no profanity, nudity, violence, drug abuse, or anything typically associated with an R-rating
Image source: YouTube screenshot
In the wake of anti-abortion movie "Unplanned" receiving an R-rating — which the Motion Picture Association of America said was not politically motivated — the filmmakers are disputing the decision, The Hollywood Reporter said.
"Unplanned" — the true story of Abby Johnson, a renowned pro-life activist who once worked for Planned Parenthood — would be the first R-rated movie from distributor Pure Flix Entertainment, known for faith-based and family-friendly films such as "God's Not Dead," the outlet said. "Unplanned" is set for a March 29 release.
The MPAA told The Hollywood Reporter that the "Unplanned" R-rating was for "some disturbing/bloody images" — and informed the filmmakers that all the abortion scenes must be removed or altered or else the R-rating stays.
"We have three scenes in the film which directly address abortion, and the MPAA objected to all three," Cary Solomon, the movie's co-writer and co-director, told the outlet. "They specifically made mention of objection to grainy, black-and-white sonogram images that were part of one of the scenes. It was clear that any meaningful treatment of the issue was going to be objectionable."
More from The Hollywood Reporter:
The MPAA told Pure Flix that the most problematic scene featured a doctor gazing at a computer screen that shows the image of a fetus as the abortion is completed. The doctor in the scene is real-life Dr. Anthony Levatino, who says he has performed about 1,200 abortions over the years.
"The portrayal of a live, moving fetus disappearing is very accurate," Levatino said. "You're watching an abortion. It's an accurate view of what's happening. It's disturbing if you recognize it's a human life."
An R-rating means those under 17 years of age can't watch "Unplanned" without a parent or adult guardian, and the filmmakers and Pure Flix told the outlet there's no profanity, nudity, violence, drug abuse, or anything typically associated with an R-rating.
"A 15-year old girl can get an abortion without her parent's permission, but she can't see this movie without adult supervision? That's sad," Ken Rather, Pure Flix executive vice president, told the outlet.
The Hollywood Reporter said the MPAA's ratings process involves a board of about 10 people from all walks of life — all of whom have children — voting and debating until they come to a majority agreement.
"Any film submitter who objects to the given rating can choose to go through the appeals process. To date, the distributor has chosen not to," an MPAA spokesperson told the outlet regarding the "Unplanned" R-rating. "Our rules provide a detailed timeline for the appeals process. There was sufficient time for it to be completed in advance of the film's March 29 release."
How did the filmmakers react?
The MPAA's R-rating prompted "Unplanned" filmmakers to complain to MPAA CEO Charles Rivkin, The Hollywood Reporter said.
"We consider the MPAA's current standards to be deeply flawed, insofar as they allow scenes of remarkably graphic sex, violence, degradation, murder and mayhem to have a PG-13 rating, whereas our film, highlighting the grave dangers of abortion in a straightforward manner, is considered dangerous for the American people to view," Solomon and fellow co-writer and co-director Chuck Konzelman wrote in a letter to Rivkin, the outlet added.
But the filmmakers aren't changing a thing, The Hollywood Reporter noted, and Pure Flix won't appeal the R-rating due to concern that such a process — which rarely works out for petitioners — would delay distribution.
"This story needs to be told, and the message needed to be delivered," PureFlix president Michael Scott told the outlet. "It is our calling as Christians to tell the story about the moral implications of abortion that the mainstream media refuses to acknowledge."
Here's how TheBlaze's Steve Deace responded:
<br>
Check out this trailer for "Unplanned":
Related articles around the web
New Pro-Life Movie 'Unplanned' Gets R Rating ›
Pro-life film 'Unplanned' given surprise R-rating by Motion Picture ... ›
MPAA's R-Rating for Anti-Abortion Film Disputed by Distributor Pure ... ›
MPAA Gives Controversial Anti-Abortion Film an R Rating | Fortune ›


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Over the years, the demand for Halal certified products has increased dramatically. In order to meet this demand, companies throughout the world are seeking authentic Halal certification to gain consumer confidence, expand their existing market and enhance sales strategies. Many companies continue to choose the HMA Halal certification and are enjoying the marketing privileges this certification offers. The HMA Halal symbol can open new marketing avenues never before accessed.
With the establishment of high standards and consumer confidence in HMA certified Halal, business organisations gain access to the vast marketing potential of Halal consumers on a global scale. HMA recognition also provides export opportunities to the global Halal market comprising of approximately 1.6 billion Halal consumers.
HMA monitoring imposes stringent private sanitation requirements in addition to manufacturing premise hygiene practices.
The unique HMA certification mark affixed on all certified products is a means of greater promotion and marketing purposes.
The assistance of the Halal Monitoring Authority by providing ongoing support and effective Halal marketing strategy.
The discharge of your responsibility in investigating and providing assurance of genuine Halal to the consumers in the era of excessive deceit and false labelling of Halal.
HMA certified products would be unanimously acceptable by all Muslims as stringent standards are implemented in its certification procedures including manual non-stunned or moritored slaughter.
Accreditation and certification is provided whilst maintaining the confidentiality of company trade and product details.
Canadian owned and operated non profit service.


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Movies like Blue Murder at St. Trinian's
Top 10 awesome movies like Blue Murder at St. Trinian's that you will enjoy watching
You just finished watching Blue Murder at St. Trinian's and you can't get over how good this movie was. Now you want to watch more of such masterpieces. We have curated a list of similar movies which are created by the likes of Frank Launder, Terry-Thomas and George Cole . Here goes the list -
The Pure Hell of St. Trinian's
Marriage a la Mode
The Prisoner of Second Avenue
Top of the Form
Say It in French
Up Goes Maisie
A Coming-Out Party
Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?
My Life with Caroline
The hellions of St. Trinians are recruited to a sheik's harem. Little does he know what he's letting himself in for.
This movie, created by Frank Launder, Cecil Parker and George Cole, scores 6.2 on IMDb.
Charles Hathaway (Sir Rex Harrison) wakes up in West Wales with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. With the help of a Cardiff specialist, he traces his life back to his gorgeous wife and their large London house, so all seems well with the world. But more detective work starts to uncover an alarming chain of further stunning wives and a way of going on that the new Charles finds pretty unacceptable.
This movie, created by Sidney Gilliat, Rex Harrison and Cecil Parker, scores 6.4 on IMDb.
In 1905, Lord Henry Loam, his family and his servants are shipwrecked on a deserted island where the survival of the fittest renders the rigid class system irrelevant.
This movie, created by Lewis Gilbert, Kenneth More and Diane Cilento, scores 7.0 on IMDb.
A suddenly unemployed ex-executive suffers a nervous breakdown.
This movie, created by Melvin Frank, Jack Lemmon and Anne Bancroft, scores 6.7 on IMDb.
You can watch this on Youtube, Vudu, Fandangonow, Amazon Video and Google Play Movies.
Some trouble with gambling forces con man Fortescue to hide out in a boys' school, posing as a professor. When the undisciplined and lazy boys have to pass a few tests, cheating becomes the only option.
This movie, created by John Paddy Carstairs, Ronald Shiner and Harry Fowler, scores 5.3 on IMDb.
In this farcical comedy, a couple with money woes arrange a financially motivated marriage between their golf-pro son and a wealthy heiress. Little do they know, their son has already been wed while playing a tournament in France.
This movie, created by Andrew L. Stone, Ray Milland and Olympe Bradna, scores 6.8 on IMDb.
After graduating college Maisie becomes involved both professionally and personally Joe Morton, who's just developed a revolutionary helicopter.
This movie, created by Harry Beaumont, Ann Sothern and George Murphy, scores 6.4 on IMDb.
You can watch this on Youtube, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies and Apple Itunes.
A somewhat happy-go-lucky bunch of Brits in a German POW camp find their new acerbic fellow prisoner is a key officer who must be got out at all cost.
This movie, created by Ken Annakin, James Robertson Justice and Leslie Phillips, scores 6.8 on IMDb.
During a blackout, a New York executive crosses paths with a Broadway actress and her husband.
This movie, created by Hy Averback, Doris Day and Robert Morse, scores 5.9 on IMDb.
Caroline Mason, on vacation with her father Mr. Bliss in Idaho, has fallen in love with gaucho Paco Del Valle, the two who plan to get married. The problem is is that she's already married, for five years, to New York publisher Anthony Mason, who couldn't go along on this trip since he had to work. Caroline admits that she loves Anthony, but she believes she is no longer in love with him. Conversely, Anthony still loves his wife and he believes she truly still is in love with him. This situation is somewhat déjà vu, as rather than follow the old adage "Absence makes the heart grow fonder", Caroline tends to forget easily those with who she has lost contact, including Anthony. This situation is reminiscent of one two years earlier when on vacation in Florida with her father, Caroline was ready to marry Paul Martindale. But Anthony, who had more than a sneaking suspicion of what Caroline was up to, decided to come to Florida to outmaneuver the game that Caroline and Paul had concocted to tell him to get what they wanted without rancor. The problem for Caroline and Paul in that situation was that they had no idea that they were indeed embroiled in a game with Anthony until it was all over. But will this situation with Paco be any different?
This movie, created by Lewis Milestone, Ronald Colman and Anna Lee, scores 5.8 on IMDb.


It's Only Love - TV Time!
What better way to get acquainted with each couple than by being able to watch their relationships evolve on screen right before our eyes!
We toured the Internet uncovering video excerpts that highlight what we consider to be some of the greatest romantic storylines of our time, and much more. Now, what you get to do is to make a selection, view, talk back (if you would like to) and Enjoy!


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Ferritslev er en mindre by på det centrale Fyn med , beliggende i Rolfsted Sogn. Byen ligger i Faaborg-Midtfyn Kommune og tilhører Region Syddanmark.

I byen ligger blandt andet FJ Industries A/S (tidligere Ferritslev Jernvarefabrik), som med sine 150 ansatte er én af byens helt store arbejdspladser.

Ferritslev blev omtalt første gang omtalt i 1474 som "Færessløff". Antallet af gårde har svinget meget; der var i perioden 1610-1844 16-19 gårde i landsbyen.

Ferritslev var tidligere beliggende i den nord-østlige del af Årslev Kommune, og er i dag absolut et ydrepunkt af Faaborg Midtfyns kommune, som strækker sig hele vejen til Faaborg og Bøjden.

Ferritslev råder over en række erhvervsdrivende, en Superbrugs, en Fakta, et moderne lægehus med unge læger, en hæveautomat (Arbejdernes Landsbank), en køreskole, en grillbar, et pizzeria, et fritids- og kulturhus, en friskole, to børnehaver og et plejecenter.

I Ferritslev har man hovedsædet for Marius Pedersen A/S, som er grundlagt netop her.

Ferritslev er et populært bosætningsområde for børnefamilier pga. byens centrale placering tæt på motorvejen og Odense, lave huspriser og mange tilbud. Ferritslev ligger meget tæt på naturperlen Tarup-Davinde, som er et stort aktiv for området med en masse muligheder for fritidsaktiviteter.
Byen ligger 15-20 min kørsel fra Odense bymidte.

Kilder

Byer i Faaborg-Midtfyn Kommune


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Osama bin Laden: Inside his Pakistan Compound
When he was killed Sunday, Osama bin Laden was hiding in plain sight—in a small town next to Pakistan's military academy. David A. Graham on the clues that gave him away, and how the U.S. Navy practiced for the raid.
David A. Graham
Updated Apr. 24, 2017 3:36PM ET / Published May. 02, 2011 12:19PM ET
When the end came, it wasn't in the desolate cave of popular imagination, and it wasn't in a remote, rocky moonscape but in a picturesque military town. Months of work by U.S. intelligence agencies, beginning with a tip in August 2010, eventually led a team of Navy SEALs to a huge compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, where they found—and killed—Osama bin Laden Monday night.
Photos: Inside Osama bin Laden's Hideout
The location came as a surprise to many: Abbottabad is the center of Pakistan's military training, and it's just over 30 miles from Islamabad, the nation's capital, as the crow flies: at first glance, an unlikely location for a wanted fugitive. But the compound where bin Laden was found offered some key clues as to who might be inhabiting it.
It was largest home around, and its inhabitants reportedly kept to themselves and kept the house incredibly well fortified. American intelligence officials were shocked to discover the compound's elaborate security. Photos reveal a drab, boxy white house, but one surrounded by high walls, ranging from 12 to 18 feet tall and topped with barbed wire. The mansion was valued at around $1 million, but had no telephone or Internet service—although it did have a large satellite dish. Besides the building itself, a large perimeter was marked off with high walls. In one part of the yard, residents reportedly burned their trash, presumably to avoid detection, while neighbors set theirs out for curbside collection.
Those living nearby expressed shock at learning who their famous neighbor was. One, Zahoor Ahmed, told Reuters that an old man who never mixed much and "kept a low profile" had lived at the compound for 10 years
The mansion, now ravaged and partly burnt, is relatively new, having been built in 2005. Despite the precautions the residents had taken, its size immediately led U.S. officials to conclude that it had been built as a haven for a high-profile target—perhaps specifically for bin Laden himself. "We were shocked by what we saw: an extraordinarily unique compound, that sits on a large plot of land, relatively secluded, and which is eight times larger than other homes in area," one official told Yahoo News.
There are around a dozen homes nearby, but it was by far the largest and tallest, with its three stories sticking up for some distance amid a landscape of wheat and vegetable fields. None of its windows faced the street, and there was even a privacy wall around a terrace.
It's still not entirely clear how the whole operation went down. American forces swept in after midnight Sunday, under cover of darkness. The U.S. government offered a dramatic account: as the SEALs arrived, their helicopter malfunctioned. They were able to get off but had to blow up the craft, cutting off—at least temporarily—their escape route. The ensuing firefight, administration official say, lasted around 40 minutes and ended with five people, including bin Laden, dead, and 17 captured. Other accounts suggest a longer battle, perhaps as much as 80 minutes long. There were reportedly two or three helicopters involved. ABC released graphic footage of a blood-spattered room where bin Laden was killed, apparently the first one inside the house.
The elite team of soldiers who carried out the raid were acting under intense pressure, but they had some idea what they would find when they arrived. The Naval Special Warfare Development Group built a full-scale model of the one-acre compound at their base in Dam Neck, Va., just south of Virginia Beach, where they practiced the raid. The government had satellite photos of the site before and after construction, and also released a schematic diagram of the compound.
Those living nearby expressed shock at learning who their famous neighbor was. One, Zahoor Ahmed, told Reuters that an old man who never mixed much and "kept a low profile" had lived at the compound for 10 years, although the timeline conflicts with the building's more recent construction. Another said, "It's hard to believe bin Laden was there. We never saw any extraordinary movements."
In addition to its size, the compound's proximity to the Pakistan Military Academy has raised eyebrows. The two complexes are just a couple miles apart, and CNN reported that just a week ago Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, chief of the Pakistani Army, had told graduating cadets that the "back of terrorism" in the country had been broken. It's a stunning juxtaposition—analogous to one of America's most wanted criminals hiding out minutes from West Point. Although its scenic location in Pakistan hills has made it something of a domestic tourist destination, Abbottabad is and always has been a military town, tracing its name to Maj. James Abbott, a British officer who founded the town in 1853.
Experts in the region have already begun pointing fingers at Pakistan, which the U.S. government has described as a key ally in the war on terrorism but has also accused of sheltering terrorists and funneling arms and money to the Taliban and related groups. How could anyone, much less the world's most wanted terrorist, have escaped notice while living in a huge house in a heavily militarized town of little more than 100,000 people? "Abbottabad is essentially a military cantonment city in Pakistan, in the hills to the north of the capital of Islamabad, in an area where much of the land is controlled or owned by the Pakistan Army and retired army officers," wrote Steve Coll, a New Yorker reporter who penned the definitive Ghost Wars, a chronicle of American involvement with bin Laden and Afghanistan. "It stretches credulity to think that a mansion of that scale could have been built and occupied by bin Laden for six years without it coming to the attention of anyone in Pakistan's Army."
Pakistani officials were not informed before or during the raid, the U.S. government says, and President Ali Asif Zardari learned of bin Laden's death during a phone call with President Obama. Pakistani officials initially indicated they had been involved in the raid, but then retracted their claim, saying simply that Pakistani intelligence had contributed to the discovery of bin Laden's location. Now, Pakistani soldiers have secured the compound and are controlling the area and keeping out curious or spurious visitors. The question Zardari, Kayani, and others will have to answer in the coming days and months is why they're only getting around to that now.
David Graham is a reporter for Newsweek covering politics, national affairs, and business. His writing has also appeared in The Wall Street Journal and The National in Abu Dhabi.


In order to strengthen our positions to the east, we start up a partnership with the Turkish company S.P.A.C. Consulting.
S.P.A.C. is a consulting firm that provides methods and application solutions on a global scale, related to Process Management and Process Perfection, especially in the area of Lean Production.


New Delhi: Gitanjali Gems today posted nearly three-fold jump in consolidated net profit to Rs 57.40 crore during the first quarter of the current fiscal on higher income.
It had clocked net profit of Rs 19.91 crore in the same period of the 2015-16 fiscal..
In a BSE filing, it said its net income increased to Rs 3,710.43 crore in the April-June period of 2016-17, from Rs 2,845.10 crore in the year-ago period.
Gitanjali's revenue from its jewellery business rose to Rs 2,949.50 crore during the quarter under review, from Rs 2,164.61 crore a year ago, while the income from diamond segment declined marginally to Rs 834.82 crore from Rs 848.67 crore.
Its finance cost reduced to Rs 137.42 crore from Rs 194.38 crore in the said period.
The company has more than 4,000 points of sale in India. It also has stores in the US, China and Japan, along with presence in Europe and West Asia.


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Home » Tactical » Gear » Hunting Camp in Michigan Evacuated by Wildfire
Hunting Camp in Michigan Evacuated by Wildfire
byKeegan Sentner
Over 2,200 acres burned in the fire. Click On Detroit / Twitter
A wildfire in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan has prompted evacuations of 13 individuals in a local hunting camp. The fire, which was first reported on Friday, is estimated to have burned roughly 2,200 acres as of Monday morning. Turkey season in the U.P. runs until May 31.
The Blue Lakes Fire in the northern portion of Michigan's lower peninsula is now 75% contained, according to the DNR. https://t.co/dpVttYTKye
— Local 4 WDIV Detroit (@Local4News) May 16, 2022
Officials estimate the Blue Lakes Fire was started last Wednesday due to a lightning strike from recent storms in the region. The fire is currently 75 percent contained, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
The wildfire is burning in two counties in Michigan's lower peninsula—Cheboygan and Montmorency counties.
"We are grateful to report no life-threatening injuries and no serious property damage, as everyone on the scene gives their best effort to suppress this fire," said DNR public information officer Kerry Heckman.
Thirteen individuals were evacuated from a hunting and fishing camp at Black River Ranch, just northeast of the fire lines. In addition, fire officials evacuated a local private ranch, kayaking camp, and have worked to protect several structures in the region.
The fire was initially reported at 2,700 acres on Sunday and 60 percent contained, but favorable conditions and better on the ground technology helped officials make a formal estimate of the fire's size on Monday, downgrading it to the current total of 2,200 acres at 75 percent containment.
"The containment doesn't necessarily mean the fire is out, but it does mean it is unlikely to spread beyond containment lines," said Heckman in a press release. "There may still be hot spots within the contained area."
One firefighter was involved in a minor injury related to the fire. No other injuries or concerns have been reported. Roughly 32 firefighters are working with local law enforcement teams to contain the burn, according to the DNR.
Northern Michigan is known for its sprawling hardwood forests which includes a variety of maple, beech, and mixed oak species. The lower peninsula accounts for roughly 37 percent of forested land in the state and is home to a large swath of the state's wilderness.
The lower peninsula is home to a variety of big game, including elk, which were recently estimated to have increased by 5 percent over the past three years. The Blue Lakes Fires joins the list of other fires currently causing concern around the country, including several fires in the Southwest portion of the United States, including New Mexico and Arizona.
Read Next: Utah, Wyoming, and Oregon Are Cutting Big Game Tags Due to Drought Conditions. Will Other States Follow?
Occurrences of wildfire continue to increase nationwide and with high levels of drought plaguing many states, officials are preparing for the possibility of a long and challenging wildfire season.
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