text:
Valeroso vs. People
Uploaded by Kay Ann J Gempis
saveSave Valeroso vs. People For Later
w - dna and genetics tok statements dou
BPI v Reyes PDF
170863-2015-People v. Mercado y Sarmiento
RTJ-15-2435
Archie K. Case v. New York Central Railroad Company, 329 F.2d 936, 2d Cir. (1964)
mocktrial09
Evidence Law- I
Digest - PEOPLE vs Rex Canlas
102: Josephine Jazmines Tan vs. Judge Sibanah E. Usman, A.M. No. Rtj-14-2390, August 13, 2014
227. People vs. Yap 229 SCRA 787 , February 09, 1994.docx
lingen discovering america unit plan ltm 622
Respone to HW Objection - Mitchell Trial
eqffrere
Rules of Court (2014)
People v Usman Gr No. 200358
reflection paper class 8 alyssa lee
(Digest) People v. Alcantara
PT Cerna and Saguid Case Digests
Republic of the Philippines Supreme Court Manila THIRD DIVISION SR. INSP. JERRY C. VALEROSO, Petitioner, G.R. No.
164815 Present: YNARES-SANTIAGO, J., - versus airperson, AUSTRIA-MARTINEZ, CHICO-NAZARIO, NACHURA, and REYES, JJ. Ch
THE PEOPLE OF THE Promulgated: PHILIPPINES, Respondent. February 22, 2008 x--------------------------------------------------x DECISION REYES, R.T., J .: THE law looks forward, never backward. Lex prospicit, non respicit. A new law has a prospective, not retroactive, effect.[1] However, penal laws that favor a guilty person, who is not a habitual criminal, shall be given retroactive effect.1-a These are the rule, the exception and exception to the exception on effectivity of laws. Ang batas ay tumitingin sa hinaharap, hindi sa nakaraan. Gayunpaman, ang parusa ng bagong batas ay iiral kung ito ay pabor sa taong nagkasala na hindi pusakal na kriminal. We apply the exception rather than the rule in this petition for review on certiorari of the decision of the Court of Appeals (CA), affirming with modification
that of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Quezon City, finding petitioner liable for illegal possession of a firearm. The Facts On July 10, 1996, at around 9:30 a.m., SPO2 Antonio M. Disuanco of the Criminal Investigation Division, Central Police District Command, received a dispatch order[2] from the desk officer.[3] The order directed him and three (3) other policemen to serve a warrant of arrest[4] issued by Judge Ignacio Salvador against petitioner Sr. Insp. Jerry C. Valeroso in a case for kidnapping with ransom.[5] After a briefing, the team conducted the necessary surveillance on petitioner, checking his hideouts in Cavite, Caloocan, and Bulacan.[6] Eventually, the team proceeded to the Integrated National Police (INP) Central Station at Culiat, Quezon City, where they saw petitioner as he was about to board a tricycle.[7] SPO2 Disuanco and his team approached petitioner.[8] They put him under arrest, informed him of his constitutional rights, and bodily searched him.[9] Found tucked in his waist[10] was a Charter Arms, bearing Serial Number 52315[11] with five (5) live ammunition.[12] Petitioner was then brought to the police station for questioning.[13] A verification of the subject firearm at the Firearms and Explosives Division at Camp Crame revealed that it was not issued to petitioner but to a certain Raul Palencia Salvatierra of Sampaloc, Manila.[14] Epifanio Deriquito, the records verifier, presented a certification[15] to that effect signed by Edwin C. Roque, chief records officer of the Firearms and Explosive Division.[16] Petitioner was then charged with illegal possession of firearm and ammunition under Presidential Decree (P.D.) No. 1866,[17] as amended. The Information read: That on or about the 10th day of July, 1996, in Quezon City, Philippines, the said accused without any authority of law, did then and there willfully, unlawfully and knowingly have in his/her possession and under his/her custody and control One (1) cal. 38 Charter Arms revolver bearing Serial No. 52315 with five (5) live ammo.
without first having secured the necessary license/permit issued by the proper authorities. CONTRARY TO LAW.
Quezon City, Philippines, July 15, 1996. (Sgd.) GLORIA VICTORIA City
C. YAP
Assistant Prosecutor[18]
With the assistance of his counsel de parte, Atty. Oscar Pagulayan, petitioner pleaded not guilty when arraigned on October 9, 1996.[19] Trial on the merits ensued. SPO2 Disuanco and Deriquito testified for the prosecution in the manner stated above. Upon the other hand, the defense version was supplied by the combined testimonies of petitioner Sr. Insp. Jerry C. Valeroso, SPO3 Agustin R. Timbol, Jr. and Adrian Yuson. Petitioner recounted that on July 10, 1996, he was fast asleep in the boarding house of his children located at Sagana Homes, Barangay New Era, Quezon City.[20] He was roused from his slumber when four (4) heavily armed men in civilian clothes bolted the room.[21] They trained their guns at him[22] and pulled him out of the room. They then tied his hands and placed him near the faucet.[23] The raiding team went back inside and searched and ransacked the room.[24] SPO2 Disuanco stood guard outside with him.[25] Moments later, an operative came out of the room and exclaimed, Hoy, may nakuha akong baril sa loob![26] Petitioner was told by SPO2 Disuanco that we are authorized to shoot you because theres a shoot to kill order against you, so if you are planning do so something, do it right now.[27] He was also told that there was a standing warrant
for his arrest.[28] However, he was not shown any proof when he asked for it.[29] Neither was the raiding group armed with a valid search warrant.[30] According to petitioner, the search done in the boarding house was illegal. The gun seized from him was duly licensed and covered by necessary permits. He was, however, unable to present the documentation relative to the firearm because it was confiscated by the police. Petitioner further lamented that when he was incarcerated, he was not allowed to engage the services of a counsel. Neither was he allowed to see or talk to his family.[31] Petitioner contended that the police had an axe to grind against him. While still with the Narcotics Command, he turned down a request of Col. Romulo Sales to white-wash a drug-related investigation involving friends of the said police officer. Col. Sales was likewise subject of a complaint filed with the Ombudsman by his wife. Col. Sales was later on appointed as the head of the unit that conducted the search in his boarding house.[32] SPO3 Timbol, Jr. of the Narcotics Command testified that he issued to petitioner a Memorandum Receipt dated July 1, 1993[33] covering the subject firearm and its ammunition. This was upon the verbal instruction of Col. Angelito Moreno. SPO3 Timbol identified his signature[34] on the said receipt.[35] Adrian Yuson, an occupant of the room adjacent to where petitioner was arrested, testified that on July 10, 1996, two (2) policemen suddenly entered his room as he was preparing for school.[36] They grabbed his shoulder and led him out.[37] During all those times, a gun was poked at him.[38] He was asked where petitioner was staying. Fearing for his life, he pointed to petitioners room.[39] Four (4) policemen then entered the room.[40] He witnessed how they pointed a gun at petitioner, who was clad only in his underwear.[41] He also witnessed how they forcibly brought petitioner out of his room.[42] While a policeman remained near the faucet to guard petitioner, three (3) others went back inside the room.[43] They began searching the whole place. They forcibly opened his locker,[44] which yielded the subject firearm.[45] RTC and CA Dispositions On May 6, 1998, the trial court found petitioner guilty as charged, disposing as follows: WHEREFORE, the Court hereby finds the accused guilty
beyond reasonable doubt of Violation of Section 1 of Presidential Decree No. 1866 as amended by Republic Act No. 8294 and hereby sentences him to suffer the penalty of prision correccional in its maximum period or from 4 years, 2 months and 1 day as minimum to 6 years as maximum and to pay the fine in the amount of Fifteen Thousand Pesos (P15,000.00). The gun subject of this case is hereby ordered confiscated in favor of the government. Let the same be put in trust in the hands of the Chief of the PNP. SO ORDERED.[46]
Petitioner moved to reconsider[47] but his motion was denied on August 27, 1998.[48] He appealed to the CA. On May 4, 2004, the appellate court affirmed with modification the RTC disposition. The fallo of the CA decision reads: Verily, the penalty imposed by the trial court upon the accused-appellant is modified to 4 years and 2 months as minimum up to 6 years as maximum. WHEREFORE, with the foregoing MODIFICATION as to the penalty, the decision appealed from is hereby AFFIRMED in all other respects. SO ORDERED.[49] His motion for reconsideration[50] having been denied through a Resolution dated August 3, 2004,[51] petitioner resorted to the present petition under Rule 45. Issues Petitioner raises the following issues for Our consideration: I. THE HONORABLE COURT OF APPEALS COMMITTED SERIOUS ERRORS OF LAW IN AFFIRMING THE
CONVICTION OF PETITIONER DESPITE THE ABSENCE OF PROOF BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT. II. THE HONORABLE COURT OF APPEALS COMMITTED SERIOUS ERRORS OF FACT AND LAW IN SUSTAINING THE LEGALITY OF THE SEARCH AND THE VALIDITY AND ADMISSIBILITY OF THE EVIDENCE OBTAINED THEREFROM DESPITE THE OVERWHELMING PROOF THAT THE SAME IS THE FRUIT OF THE POISONOUS TREE.
III. THE HONORABLE COURT OF APPEALS COMMITTED SERIOUS ERRORS OF LAW IN NOT UPHOLDING THE REGULARITY AND VALIDITY SURROUNDING THE ISSUANCE OF THE MEMORANDUM RECEIPTS (SIC) IN FAVOR OF PETITIONER WHICH PROVES HIS INNOCENCE OF THE CRIME CHARGE (SIC).[52] (Underscoring supplied) Our Ruling In illegal possession of firearm and ammunition, the prosecution has the burden of proving the twin elements of (1) the existence of the subject firearm and ammunition, and (2) the fact that the accused who possessed or owned the same does not have the corresponding license for it.[53] The prosecution was able to discharge its burden. The existence of the subject firearm and its ammunition was established through the testimony of SPO2 Disuanco.[54] Defense witness Yuson also identified the firearm.[55] Its existence was likewise admitted by no less than petitioner himself.[56] As for petitioners lack of authority to possess the firearm, Deriquito testified that a verification of the Charter Arms Caliber .38 bearing Serial No. 52315 with the Firearms and Explosives Division at Camp Crame revealed that the seized pistol was not issued to petitioner. It was registered in the name of a certain Raul Palencia Salvatierra of Sampaloc, Manila.[57] As proof, Deriquito presented a certification signed by Roque, the chief records officer of the same office.[58]
The Court on several occasions ruled that either the testimony of a representative of, or a certification from, the Philippine National Police (PNP) Firearms and Explosive Office attesting that a person is not a licensee of any firearm would suffice to prove beyond reasonable doubt the second element of possession of illegal firearms.[59] The prosecution more than complied when it presented both. The certification is outside the scope of the hearsay rule. The general rule is that a witness can testify only to those facts which he knows of his personal knowledge; that is, which are derived from his own perception.[60] Otherwise, the testimony is objectionable for being hearsay.[61] On this score, the certification from the Firearms and Explosives Division is an exception to the hearsay rule by virtue of Rule 130, Section 44 of the Rules of Court which provides: Sec. 44. Entries in official records. Entries in official records made in the performance of his official duty by a public officer of the Philippines, or by a person in the performance of a duty specifically enjoined by law, are prima facie evidence of the facts therein stated. It may be true that the contents of said certification are only prima facie evidence of the facts stated there. However, the failure of petitioner to present controverting evidence makes the presumption unrebutted. Thus, the presumption stands. Petitioner, however, raises several points which he says entitles him to no less than an acquittal. The assessment of credibility of witnesses lies with the trial court. First, petitioner says that the seizure of the subject firearm was invalid. The search was conducted after his arrest and after he was taken out of the room he was occupying.[62] This contention deserves scant consideration.
Petitioners version of the manner and place of his arrest goes into the factual findings made by the trial court and its calibration of the credibility of witnesses. However, as aptly put by Justice Ynares-Santiago in People v. Rivera:[63] x x x the manner of assigning values to declarations of witnesses on the witness stand is best and most competently performed by the trial judge who had the unmatched opportunity to observe the witnesses and assess their credibility by the various indicia available but not reflected on record. The demeanor of the person on the stand can draw the line between fact and fancy or evince if the witness is telling the truth or lying through his teeth. We have consistently ruled that when the question arises as to which of the conflicting versions of the prosecution and the defense is worthy of belief, the assessment of the trial courts are generally viewed as correct and entitled to great weight. Furthermore, in an appeal, where the culpability or innocence of the accused depends on the issue of credibility of witnesses and the veracity of their testimonies, findings of the trial court are given the highest degree of respect if not finality.[64] (Underscoring supplied) The trial court found the prosecution version worthy of credence and belief. We find no compelling reason not to accept its observation on this score. Worth noting is the fact that petitioner is a ranking police officer who not only claims to be highly decorated,[65] but have effected a number of successful arrests[66] as well. Common sense would dictate that he must necessarily be authorized to carry a gun. We thus agree with the Office of the Solicitor General that framing up petitioner would have been a very risky proposition. Had the arresting officers really intended to cause the damnation of petitioner by framing him up, they could have easily planted a more incriminating evidence rather than a gun. That would have made their nefarious scheme easier, assuming that there indeed was one. The pieces of evidence show that petitioner is not legally authorized to possess the subject firearm and its five (5) ammunition. Second, petitioner insists that he is legally authorized to possess the subject
firearm and its ammunition on the basis of the Memorandum Receipt issued to him by the PNP Narcotics Command.[67] Although petitioner is correct in his submission that public officers like policemen are accorded presumption of regularity in the performance of their official duties,[68] it is only a presumption; it may be overthrown by evidence to the contrary. The prosecution was able to rebut the presumption when it proved that the issuance to petitioner of the Memorandum Receipt was anything but regular. SPO3 Timbol, Jr. testified that he issued the Memorandum Receipt to petitioner based on the verbal instruction of his immediate superior, Col. Moreno.[69] However, a reading of Timbols testimony on cross-examination[70] would reveal that there was an unusual facility by which said receipt was issued to petitioner. Its issuance utterly lacked the usual necessary bureaucratic constraints. Clearly, it was issued to petitioner under questionable circumstances. Failure to offer an unlicensed firearm as evidence is not fatal provided there is competent testimony as to its existence. Third, petitioner claims that the subject firearm and ammunition should have been excluded as evidence because they were not formally offered by the prosecution[71] in violation of Section 34, Rule 132 of the Rules of Court.[72] We note that petitioner contradicted himself when he argued for the validity of the Memorandum Receipt and, at the same time, for the exclusion in evidence of the subject firearm and its ammunition. Petitioners act may result to an absurd situation where the Memorandum Receipt is declared valid, while the subject firearm and its ammunition which are supposedly covered by the Memorandum Receipt are excluded as evidence. That would have made the Memorandum Receipt useless. In any case, petitioners contention has no leg to stand on. Contrary to petitioners claim, the subject firearm[73] and its five (5) live ammunition[74] were offered in evidence by the prosecution.[75] Even assuming arguendo that they were not offered, petitioners stance must still fail. The existence of an unlicensed firearm may be established by testimony, even without its presentation at trial. In People v. Orehuela,[76] the non-presentation of the pistol did not prevent the conviction of the accused.
The doctrine was affirmed in the recent case of People v. Malinao.[77] As previously stated, the existence of the subject firearm and its five (5) live ammunition were established through the testimony of SPO2 Disuanco.[78] Yuson also identified said firearm.[79] Petitioner even admitted its existence.[80] We hasten to add that there may also be conviction where an unlicensed firearm is presented during trial but through inadvertence, negligence, or fortuitous event (for example, if it is lost), it is not offered in evidence, as long as there is competent testimony as to its existence. Penal and civil liabilities Petitioner was charged with the crime of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition under the first paragraph of Section 1 of P.D. No. 1866, as amended. It provides that [t]he penalty of reclusion temporal in its maximum period to reclusion perpetua shall be imposed upon any person who shall unlawfully manufacture, deal in, acquire, dispose, or possess any firearm, part of firearm, ammunition or machinery, tool or instrument used or intended to be used in the manufacture of any firearm or ammunition. P.D. No. 1866, as amended, was the governing law at the time petitioner committed the offense on July 10, 1996. However, R.A. No. 8294 amended P.D. No. 1866 on July 6, 1997,[81] during the pendency of the case with the trial court. The present law now states: SECTION 1. Unlawful Manufacture, Sale, Acquisition, Disposition or Possession of Firearms or Ammunition or Instruments Used or Intended to be Used in the Manufacture of Firearms or Ammunition. The penalty of prision correccional in its maximum period and a fine of not less than Fifteen Thousand Pesos (P15,000) shall be imposed upon any person who shall unlawfully manufacture, deal in, acquire, dispose, or possess any low-powered firearm, such as rimfire handgun, .380 or .32 and other firearm of similar firepower, part of firearm, ammunition, or machinery, tool or instrument used or intended to be used in the manufacture of any firearm or ammunition: Provided, That no other crime was committed. (Underscoring supplied) As a general rule, penal laws should not have retroactive application, lest they acquire the character of an ex post facto law.[82] An exception to this rule, however, is
when the law is advantageous to the accused. According to Mr. Chief Justice Araullo, this is not as a right of the offender, but founded on the very principles on which the right of the State to punish and the commination of the penalty are based, and regards it not as an exception based on political considerations, but as a rule founded on principles of strict justice.[83] Although an additional fine of P15,000.00 is imposed by R.A. No. 8294, the same is still advantageous to the accused, considering that the imprisonment is lowered to prision correccional in its maximum period[84] from reclusion temporal in its maximum period to reclusion perpetua[85] under P.D. No. 1866. Applying the Indeterminate Sentence Law, prision correccional maximum which ranges from four (4) years, two (2) months and one (1) day to six (6) years, is the prescribed penalty and will form the maximum term of the indeterminate sentence. The minimum term shall be one degree lower, which is prision correccional in its medium period (two [2] years, four [4] months and one [1] day to four [4] years and two [2] months).[86] Hence, the penalty imposed by the CA is correct. The penalty of four (4) years and two (2) months of prision correccional medium, as minimum term, to six (6) years of prision correccional maximum, as maximum term, is in consonance with the Courts ruling in Gonzales v. Court of Appeals[87] and Barredo v. Vinarao.[88] As to the subject firearm and its five (5) live ammunition, their proper disposition should be made under Article 45 of the Revised Penal Code[89] which provides, among others, that the proceeds and instruments or tools of the crime shall be confiscated and forfeited in favor of the government. WHEREFORE, the Decision of the Court of Appeals dated May 4, 2004 is AFFIRMED in full. SO ORDERED.
RUBEN T. REYES Associate Justice WE CONCUR:
CONSUELO YNARES-SANTIAGO Associate Justice Chairperson
MA. ALICIA AUSTRIA-MARTINEZ NAZARIO Associate Justice
MINITA
CHICO-
Associate Justice
ANTONIO EDUARDO B. NACHURA Associate Justice
ATTESTATION I attest that the conclusions in the above Decision had been reached in consultation before the case was assigned to the writer of the opinion of the Courts Division.
CERTIFICATION Pursuant to Section 13, Article VIII of the Constitution and the Division Chairpersons Attestation, I certify that the conclusions in the above Decision had been reached in consultation before the case was assigned to the writer of the opinion of the Courts Division.
REYNATO S. PUNO Chief Justice
Ex Post Facto Law
Evidence (Law)
Burden Of Proof (Law)
Documents Similar To Valeroso vs. People
Maryann Lorraine M. Legaspi
Christian Layug Villar
Mariel Marasigan
Himayush Sechomekjoba Chopda
Kevin Kho
Iris Mendiola
HaroldDeLeon
Ben Winslow
Igor Strobilius
Ateneo Student Judicial Court
Joseph Radovan
Randal's Case
Arrow Pabiona
Aices Salvador
Baltimore PoliceDept
76 - People vs Caranto.doc
Anonymous CWcXthhZgx
Evidence Cases for Feb. 05
Gregorio R. Alenton III
65. People vs Tuangco
BenBulac
Cases 17 - 24
15_Marubeni v. Lirag
Stefan Henry P. Rodriguez
United States v. Keith Darnell Wilson, United States of America v. Elvin Porter, 14 F.3d 598, 4th Cir. (1993)
The Supreme Court Public Information Office
Practice Court 1 October 30
Buenavista Mae Bautista
Syllabus Evidence
Aiko Eleni
Green v. Speedy Interrogatories
samijiries
More From Kay Ann J Gempis
2011 NLRC Procedure (as Amended) Flowchart
Shine Billones
RA-10963-RRD TRAIN LAW.pdf
Kay Ann J Gempis
Legal Forms Manual
Joseph Rinoza Plazo
Limos vs. Odones
Atlantic vs. CA
Frianela vs. Banayad
rulesofprocedues_sena.pdf
Free Patent for Residential Lot
Ting vs. Lirio
Manalo vs CA
Tan vs. People
Gabatan vs. CA
SEC Membership Book
Republic vs. Cojuangco
2. Kida v. Senate 2011
National Fed to Woodbridge
procunier
Us vs. Balsys
Policies Case Digest
BOCEA vs. Teves
Boys Scout vs. Coa
2. Quirog v. Aumentado
Salvador vs. Mapa
8. Talaga v. Comelec
Disini vs. Sandiganbayan
Abundo vs. COMELEC disqualification due to 3-term limit.pdf
PeterD'Rock WithJason D'Argonaut
Popular in Burden Of Proof (Law)
Tomita v Nintendo
Investigation of former Savannah-Chatham police chief Willie Lovett
savannahnow.com
Shurts v. Shurts, Ariz. Ct. App. (2015)
People.vs.Cruz.2014
James R. Velasco Jr.
Interim Order Harry B. Scheeler, Jr. v City of Cape May
opracrusades
Torts Midterms
Kristelle Briones
Vera Sama, A076 581 488 (BIA July 17, 2015)
Immigrant & Refugee Appellate Center, LLC
Department of Labor: 04 056
Robert Ross Dulay
Case of a.k. v. Liechtenstein
mrbtdf
F1iii- 2 Gov_t of Hongkong v. Olalia.docx
Aaron Ariston
People vs Francisco - Crim
Threes See
Swiss Civil Code
delphictrans
People vs. Cardenas
Marivic Escueta
1-31-16 u.s.a. v a. Bundy Et Al - Ammon Bundy's Motion for Revocation of Pretrial Detention Order
Elias Casiano Statement Of Facts
Emily Babay
Don Scioli v., 3rd Cir. (2014)
Crozier Appeal Denied
The Valley Indy
Albert Perez v. Frank Irwin, Superintendent, Wende Correctional Facility, 963 F.2d 499, 2d Cir. (1992)
FAQs Anti Wiretapping Law
jane_caraig
R-R-M-, AXXX XXX 256 (BIA May 24, 2017)
10. Saad Agro-Industries Inc. v. Republic
Katherine Alombro
Case of John Murray v. the United Kingdom
Radu Bgd
People vs. Bugalao (G.R. No. 184757. October 5, 2011) Insanity. Ft
Richard Michael
Closing Statement Rae Concha
Cobra115
Evidence Hearsay
Myra De Guzman
Webb vs de Leon
Lawyers Should Be Lawyers but What Does That Mean a Response to Aiken n Wizner n Smith by Katherine R. Kruse
Charlton Butler
Law on Transportation
Pauline Mae Araneta
Lip Cases (Patents)
Doris Moriel Tampis


Students in Manvel attend schools in the Alvin Independent School District.
E.C. Mason Elementary School, Don Jeter Elementary School, Mary Marek Elementary School, Manvel Junior High School at Rodeo Palms and Manvel High School serve the city of Manvel. Manvel was served by Alvin High School (in the nearby city of Alvin) until fall 2006. With the passage of a local bond, several new schools, including an additional high school, will be constructed in coming years.
Manvel is served by the Alvin Community College system, with limited evening and weekend courses being offered at Manvel High School during the Fall and Spring terms.
Manvel is also within commuting distance of several larger colleges including the University of Houston, Rice University, Texas A&M Galveston, University of St. Thomas, Houston Community College, Texas Southern University, Baylor College of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch and Houston Baptist University.
The Manvel Library at 20025 Morris Ave. #B is a part of the Brazoria County Library System.
SELLING YOUR HOME IN MANVEL? CLICK HERE. Johnna Johnson with RE/MAX Top Realty is the right Realtor to get yours SOLD!


If you are new to barefoot shoes or to Freet, here's what you need to know first.
Barefoot shoes simply help you move a little more like nature intended. We all like to kick our shoes off when we get home, barefoot shoes just allow you to have this great feeling whatever you are up to – day to day activities or sport, walking or running.
Roomy, foot-shaped forefoot which allows your toes to spread. Traditional shoes squeeze the toes at the front. Toe spread is important to improve balance and overall foot flexibility/foot function especially around the big toe joint. This can impact on ankle/knee/hip/back alignment.
Flat soles ('zero-drop' from heel to toe). By having no heel height differential, posture improves. We were not designed to move wearing a shoe with a heel. Even traditional trainers have 8-12mm heel height. Adapting to this 'zero-drop' can take a while as your foot and lower leg 're-learns'. The achilles tendon and calf in particular can feel a little strain as they work a longer range of motion in the flat shoe, having grown use to the heel.
Fully flexible upper to allow natural foot movement. A good barefoot shoe should be able to be rolled into a ball. In this way, you can be sure they will affect your biomechanics (ie the way you move) as little as possible, allowing the foot to condition and strengthen naturally.
Flexible 'thinner' outsoles provide grip whilst allowing the foot to 'connect' with the ground. We are designed to receive feedback from the surfaces on which we move. This helps our balance and reaction to changes in the surface. Our feet have 200,000 nerve endings to help this but traditional shoes with thick, stiff outsoles prevent this working effectively.
We make 2 styles of shoes, 4+1 'split-toe' and 5in1 'toes together'. Our 4+1 split toe shoes have a separate pocket for the big toe which gives a little more 'glove-like' feel, whilst our 5in1 shoes have all toes together, like traditional shoes. Both styles will achieve the same 'barefoot-like' result and tend to be worn interchangeably. Largely it's a matter of personal preference!
Sometimes we might want or need to move on a harder suface or for a longer time/distance and for this we use a thin layer of advanced shock absorbing material such as PORON. This does not affect the 'barefoot-like' nature of the shoe, but can prevent the foot soreness which you can get with such harder use.


text:
Jurisdiction - China
Reports and Analysis
China – Employment Law Update: January 2015.
Legal News & Analysis – Asia Pacific – China – Labour & Employment
No Fees For Personnel Files Of "Floating" Personnel In 2015
In China, every employee has an official personnel file, which contains information such as the employee's education and employment history. The term "floating" personnel in China refers to people who have not attained permanent residency ("hukou") in the place in which they are residing. Personnel files for "floating" personnel must be held by government service agencies in charge of public employment and human resources.
On 10 December 2014, Five Departments (the Central Organization Department, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, and the National Archive Bureau) jointly issued the Notice on Further Strengthening Management and Services for Personnel Files of "Floating" Personnel ("Notice"). According to the Notice, all fees such as management fees, access fees, certification fees and transfer fees for personnel files will be waived from 1 January 2015, and government service agencies in charge of public employment and human resources shall provide "floating" personnel with basic services for personnel files free of charge.
Draft Measures Provide Equal Rights for Residence Permit Holders
On 4 December 2014, the Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council released Draft Measures for the Administration of Residence Permits ("Draft Measures") for public comments. According to the Draft Measures, migrant citizens (i.e. Chinese citizens who have resided in cities other than their permanent residence) may apply for residence permits that will enable them to enjoy the same basic rights and benefits as permanent residents.
To be eligible to apply for a residence permit, migrant citizens must have resided in the city to which they wish their rights and benefits to apply for over six months. They must also have a stable job, or a stable home or be in continuous education in that city.
Before the Draft Measures, migrant citizens could only apply for temporary residence permits, which do not offer many of the rights or benefits enjoyed by permanent residents. In Beijing, for example, holders of temporary residence permits are generally not entitled to receive free compulsory education or take the college entrance exam in Beijing. Under the Draft Measures however, holders of residence permits will be able to enjoy these rights, and will gradually be entitled to further benefits, including the right to receive vocational training, employment assistance, housing support, social welfare, social assistance, and the right for children of residence permit holders to participate in local high school and college entrance exams.
Furthermore, subject to meeting the requirements of the local government, the Draft Measures will allow holders of residence permits to apply for permanent residency (hukou) for themselves, their spouse, minor children and parents.
Dongguan Intermediate Court Defends Nokia's Termination Of Former Workers Who Staged A Strike
In November 2014, nearly 3,000 workers at the Nokia factory in Dongguan, Guangdong, staged a series of strikes and protests relating to concerns arising from Nokia's decision to sell its mobile phone business to Microsoft. Over 200 employees were dismissed for failing to return to work in breach of the company regulations. Some of these employees issued claims against Nokia for illegal dismissal and sought reinstatement. However, as detailed in one recently publicised judgment, the Dongguan Intermediate Court upheld the decision of the district court of first instance that the dismissals had been lawful.
In its decision, the court gave consideration to the company's Employee Handbook, stating that it had been properly formulated and announced to the employees in accordance with the law. The court also held that the provisions contained within the Handbook, specifically that which stipulates that an employee's absence for 3 consecutive days without prior authorisation amounts to a serious violation of company regulations and shall be cause for immediate termination without compensation, are not contrary to any legal requirements and therefore are lawful and valid. As such, since the employee's conduct (i.e. absence from work for 3 consecutive days without authorisation due to participating in the strike) constituted a serious violation under the terms of the Handbook, the company was entitled to terminate her employment without compensation.
Labour Disputes Ranked No. 1 Source Of Social Conflict In China
According to an article from China News Service, a report issued by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences on 24 December 2014 states that labour disputes remain the number one source of social conflict in China.
The report indicates that 522,000 labour arbitration cases involving 721,000 workers were handled in the first three quarters of 2014, representing increases of 5.6% and 11.1% respectively, on the corresponding period in 2013. According to the report, mass protests that stemmed from labour disputes have also been on the increase. These protests mainly related to disputes over unpaid wages, mass layoffs/redundancies and economic compensation, taxi operation, and social insurance and benefits. The report noted in particular that 52 protests in the first three quarters of 2014 involved more than 1,000 workers each, indicating an increase not only in the frequency of large-scale protests, but also in the number of workers participating.
Pádraig Walsh, Partner, Bird & Bird
Leslie Maclou, Partner, Bird & Bird
Ying Wang, Partner, Bird & Bird
Susan de Silva, Partner, Bird & Bird
Homegrown Labour & Employment Law Firms in China
International Labour & Employment Law Firms in China

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Staff A - Z
Estb. 1882
Language en ur
Our History Our Pride
Chancellor's Message
Vice Chancellor's Message
Ph.D Programs
HEC Approved Supervisors
Doctoral Programme Coordination Committee
Research websites and free resources
Admission Information 2020-21
Main Page > Quaid-i-Azam > Behavioral and Social Sciences > Department of Political Science > Dr. Hasan Askari Rizvi
Schedule for foreign students
Examination News
Sample Papers for Online Assessment
Dr. Hasan Askari Rizvi
Designation:- Professor Emeritus
PhD (USA)
CV of Dr. Hasan Askari Rizvi
Publication of Dr. Hasan Askari Rizvi
Over 35 years of teaching and research experience at the post-Graduate level. Taught the Master level courses in the universities in Pakistan, Germany and the U.S. on South Asian Affairs, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Pakistan domestic and foreign policy, civil-military relations and the Middle East and the Gulf region.
Supervised M.A. and PhD theses.
Phone Number: 92-42 - 99231229
E-mail Address: -
Copyright © 2021 University of the Punjab. All rights reserved


text:
Paramount Announces Star Trek Beyond Fan Event
There's no doubt that Star Trek fans are amongst the most dedicated and loyal a franchise could hope to have. A full 50 years on from the debut of the U.S.S. Enterprise's journey to boldly go where no man has gone before still finds fans as eager as ever to immerse themselves in the rich sci-fi adventures of Star Trek.
Of course, there have been changes over the years – ups and downs that have come along with no small amount of controversy amongst the die-hards - yet for the most part, fans have been willing to give new additions to the franchise the benefit of the doubt. And that includes the effort to cast a wider net with Justin Lin's upcoming Star Trek Beyond.
As recently reported, Lin did not showcase a new Star Trek Beyond trailer at Paramount's CinemaCon in Las Vegas. Instead, the studio promised a special event would be held in which fans could be the first to see the new trailer themselves. The specifics of this event were uncertain until now, as Paramount has issued a press release that reveals the event will be held May 20, 2016 and will take place in Los Angeles on Paramount's studio lot.
"The one-time only special event, taking place at the historic Paramount Pictures studio lot, will include the premiere of the newest "Star Trek Beyond" trailer, an exclusive first-look of never before seen footage from the upcoming film, a Q&A with Lin and the cast and crew, special guests appearances, and other surprises. The Q&A will be streamed via Facebook Live."
As previously suspected, the event is being held in conjunction with the celebration of Star Trek's 50th anniversary and director Justin Lin is expected to announce how fans can win tickets in the coming days. It's a great gesture on the part of Paramount and Lin was also quick to emphasize his own love for Star Trek, as well as the importance of doing something to both give back to the fans and join them in celebrating this milestone. Lin had this to say on the matter:
"As a lifelong fan of Trek, we wanted to do something special for the fans and we couldn't think of a better way to do that than creating an event dedicated to them in the year that we also come together to celebrate the series' amazing 50th year."
The event is another example of fan engagement that studios have increasingly been putting their biggest releases in the middle of, as a way of encouraging feedback and stoking the flames of already passionate audiences. Paramount's Star Trek event has the added advantage of taking place during a milestone year for the franchise and the visibility of this level of fan outreach could do wonders for the film's profile in a way the simple release of a second trailer could not.
The event will also provide Lin the opportunity to showcase what both he and Simon Pegg insist lies at the heart of the film – a Star Trek adventure that remains true to the spirit of the original series and has much to offer both die-hard fans as well as newcomers to the franchise.
Star Trek Beyond will open in theaters July 22, 2016.
Source: Paramount Pictures
Tags: star trek 3


Imagine you are casually scrolling through your Facebook page, before an image of an accomplished looking person standing at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, with an incredible sunset of gorgeous shades of red behind them. You certainly recognize it as an incredibly beautiful photo, but the person positing it is a friend of a friend you met two years ago, and to publicly acknowledge the picture's beauty by tapping the like button simply feels awkward. Since you barely know the person, you continue scrolling down your newsfeed, soon to forget about both the picture and its owner, despite it being so attractive as to once capture your attention.
What's critical to understand from this commonly occurring scenario, is that the lack of an emotional connection between you and the person positing the picture trumped how beautiful and amazing you found it. Despite the picture's inherent appeal to you, you still opted not to like or share it as a result of your unfamiliarity with the person behind it, and thus, the picture did not meet its full outreach potential. No matter how incredible that picture is, your relationship with the person in it deeply affects your willingness to endorse it.
Advertising, especially in the form of videos, vastly parallels this scenario. Consumers, as with all people, respond most effectively to advertising when the producers focus on providing insight toward the personalities and human aspects behind their branding. The value of care is an extremely strong influencer in all aspects of life, and media producers must recognize this if they are to maximise their earning potential with those who view their productions.
What makes people care, and how can one use video to promote personalities behind their brand?
Caring is an emotional response triggered by feelings of affection, relatability, or protectiveness. It is frequently associated with a sense of family, which while commonly thought of in a normative sense can extend further to other things, including corporations and their products. Brand loyalty is a terrific example of this, where consumers may feel a sense of pride by wearing clothing products specific to a particular company for a variety of reasons, usually supported by values shared by the consumer and the producer.
In order to develop a caring relationship with their video viewers, it is recommended that producers focus on promoting the most relatable aspects of their branding. A company's mission statement or code of ethics is a terrific place to start, as they usually rest on broad values with an inherently positive nature, that all, regardless of their unique background, can find relatable on a personal level. Compassion, acceptance, integrity, friendship- all of these foundational values can be used to create genuine connections with viewers, thereby increasing the odds of them responding to the advertising in a desirable way. It is guaranteed that in cases where producers succeed in establishing a caring relationship with their consumers, they experience higher profit margins and an improved social standing in the court of public opinion.
Next, it is important to personify these values and provide legitimate examples of where they occur within aspects of your brand. Video is an exceptionally effective in this regard, as it uses visual and auditory stimulation that can effectively generate emotional responses from, and establish caring relationships with, thousands of viewers. Advertising campaigns that showcase true employee testimonials or interactions with the public are terrific examples of ways that video can be used to make people care about your brand on an emotional level. While some people may find that the brand speaking as a whole is enough to make them care beyond the surface level of a traditional consumer-producer relationship, many more are likely to appreciate the brand even further if they have an opportunity to learn more about the individuals who make it function as it does. Therefore, employee testimonials and "Day in the life" type videos can have huge results in attracting consumers, especially those who may not be overly familiar with the products, services, or culture supported by and surrounding the brand.
Furthermore, video is an excellent tool to display the reasons behind why your company does what it does. In addition to employee testimonials, it can be highly effective to showcase you're the commitment of your brand to contemporary social or environmental issues, such as climate change and gender equality. By highlighting your brand's commitment to solving these plaguing issues within a creative visual, video form, you will immediately attract a new audience who will thereby associate your product or service with a corporate responsibility to positive change. Numerous existing examples of such marketing techniques exist, and have proven incredibly successful in promoting brands, and developing sentiments of care and brand loyalty between consumers and producers.
As such, it is clear that by giving consumers the opportunity to peer into the internal operations of your brand, they will develop an increased level of trust and appreciation toward its components. Most large companies spend extraordinary sums of money on researching their target audience in order to appeal directly to their needs, so why would consumers not enjoy the chance to do the same of them? Brands are built upon and strengthened by tight-knight, trusting relationships with those who support them, and by using video to promote the human aspects of your company, you are fortifying your presence by building a caring, transparent, and personalized consumer-producer relationship. Unlike the scenario where you skipped over a barely know acquaintances Facebook post, your viewers will be proud to publicly show their support for your brand by sharing it with others.


text:
Q: create p2p-network with "save-option" in python I need an implementation of network with nodes (<100) in python. Nodes can send response on all nodes and on two neighbor-nodes. Nodes can save small data. Does anyone know of such library?
I use btpeer http://cs.berry.edu/~nhamid/p2p/framework-python.html, but there is no "save-data"-option.

A: You may find doozerd an interesting concept. I am not sure about consistency guarantees it provides though.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: Segmentation fault caused by simple c++ code Absolute beginner here. I'm trying to solve this but get a segmentation fault. I tried searching for a solution but couldn't find the reason why this doesn't work.
To reproduce the error simply copy the code below and paste it into the editor under the link above.
#include <cmath>
#include <cstdio>
#include <vector>
#include <iostream>
#include <sstream>
#include <algorithm>
//using namespace std;

int main() {
    int n, q;
    std::cin >> n >> q;

    std::vector<std::vector<int>> arr;

    // handle n lines representing the arrays
    for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
        std::vector<int> numbers;
        std::string line;
        getline(std::cin, line);
        std::istringstream iss(line);
        int enterNumber;
        while (iss >> enterNumber)
        {
            numbers.push_back(enterNumber);
        }

        arr.push_back(numbers);
    }

    // handle q lines representing i, j
    int x, y;
    for (int i = 0; i < q; i++) {
        std::cin >> x >> y;
        std::cout << arr[x][y];
    }

    return 0;
}

What am I missing? Why doesn't it work?
Input that causes the segmentation fault:
2 2
3 1 5 4
5 1 2 8 9 3
0 1
1 3

Expected output:
5
9

A: 1) getline(std::cin, line); . Line contains space and numbers.
2) Handle spaces in lines
3) Handle first int in line for array length. (You tried to add array length in array itself)
Here is working code for reference. (Passed all test cases)
#include <vector>
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main() {
    int n, q;
    cin >> n >> q;
    vector< vector<int> > arr;

    int temp, array_count;
    for(int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
        vector<int> numbers;
        cin>>array_count;
        for(int j = 0; j < array_count; j++) {
            cin>>temp;
            numbers.push_back(temp);
        }
        arr.push_back(numbers);
        numbers.clear();
    }

    // handle q lines representing i, j
    int x, y;
    for (int i = 0; i < q; i++) {
        cin >> x >> y;
        cout << arr[x][y]<<"\n";
    }

    return 0;
}

A: To fix the segmentation fault simply add std::cin.get(); after the first std::cin(third line in your main function).
The segmentation fault happened because getline(std::cin, line);returned an empty string during the first iteration of the for loop. See this.
Note that even after fixing the segmentation fault issue your code is still wrong (doesn't solve the challenge) :p
Try this:
#include <cmath>
#include <cstdio>
#include <vector>
#include <iostream>
#include <sstream>
#include <algorithm>
//using namespace std;

int main() {
    int n, q;
    std::cin >> n >> q;
    std::cin.get();

    std::vector<std::vector<int>> arr;

    // handle n lines representing the arrays
    for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
        std::vector<int> numbers;
        std::string line;
        getline(std::cin, line);
        std::istringstream iss(line);
        int enterNumber;
        while (iss >> enterNumber)
        {
            numbers.push_back(enterNumber);
        }

        numbers.erase(numbers.begin());  // because first value is k
        arr.push_back(numbers);
    }

    // handle q lines representing i, j
    int x, y;
    for (int i = 0; i < q; i++) {
        std::cin >> x >> y;
        std::cout << arr[x][y] << std::endl;
    }

    return 0;
}


text:
Singer James Ingram Dead At 66
The world of R&B is mourning the loss of singer/songwriter James Ingram. Ingram died at age 66 after an undisclosed illness. Born and raised in Akron, Ohio, Ingram began his career as a member of the R&B group Revelation Funk. He received his big break in 1980 after a demo of the Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil composition "Just Once" was delivered to songwriter/arranger/producer Quincy Jones. Jones liked the song and Ingram's voice and invited Ingram to provide vocals on "Just Once" and "One Hundred Ways." Both appeared on Jones' landmark album "The Dude." Ingram released his debut album 'It's Your Night" in 1983, which featured the single "Ya Mo Be There", a duet with Michael McDonald. Over the course of a decade, Ingram became known for collaborations with other artists, including Patti Austin ("Baby Come To Me", "How Do You Keep The Music Playing"), Linda Ronstadt ("Somewhere Out There"), "Kenny Rogers and Kim Carnes ("What About Me"), Dolly Parton ("The Day I Fell In Love") and El DeBarge, Barry White and Al B. Sure! ("Secret Garden"). In 1990, Ingram took the Tom Bell produced ballad "I Don't Have The Heart" to #1, but never had another major hit. Following a six year hiatus, Ingram released the album "The Best Of James Ingram." He devoted much of the 21st century to his family. He remained active as a writer, and he along with actress/dancer Debbie Allen created several plays, including "Brothers Of The Night." Ingram continued to tour, but reportedly struggled with cognitive issues over the past few years, which prevented him from reaching as many fans as his illustrious career would have warranted. He performed his final concert a year ago. He released the albums "It's Your Night" (1983), "Never Felt So Good" (1986), "It's Real" (1989), "Always You" (1993) and "Stand" (2008). My introduction to James Ingram came via "Just Once." I didn't know much about him at the time, but I knew I loved what I heard. James Ingram was an incredible singer/songwriter/musician who created timeless music that will be embraced generations to come. I don't have a favorite James Ingram song. There are too many hits to narrow down just one. He was the epitome of what an artist should be and he will be missed. My thoughts and prayers are with the Ingram family at this difficult time.
Posted by luevernoncross | Filed under allmusicnotescom.wordpress
Remembering singer Marvin Junior (January 31, 1936-May 29, 2013-The Dells)
Singer/songwriter/producer/musician Harry Wayne "KC" Casey (KC & The Sunshine Band) 68
Throwback Thursday Hip Hop: Rebel Without A Pause-Public Enemy
This song is the property of Def Jam Recordings.
Public Enemy is an American hip hop group from Long Island, New York. The group was formed in the mid 1980s by Carlton "Chuck D" Ridenhour and William "Flavor Flav" Drayton when both were students at Adelphi University. The group, then billed as Chuck D and Spectrum City, recorded the single "Check Out The Radio/Lies", a social commentary which would influence Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys. Chuck D released a tape to promote WBAU, where he worked at the time, and to fend off an MC who wanted to battle him. He titled the tape "Public Enemy #1" because he felt he was being persecuted by people in the local scene. The song was assembled with the assistance of Flavor Flav before Public Enemy was formed. Public Enemy was signed to Def Jam Records in 1986. Chuck D recruited Hank Shocklee, Keith Shocklee and Eric "Vietam" Sadler to form the production team the Bomb Squad. Another Spectrum City partner, Richard "Professor Griff" Griffin, along with William "Flavor Flav" Drayton and mobile DJ Norman "Terminator X" Rogers became Public Enemy. They released their debut album "Yo! Bum Rush The Show" to critical acclaim in 1987. They opened for the Beastie Boys shortly thereafter. In 1988, they released the album "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back", which sold better than their previous effort and featured the singles "Don't Believe The Hype" and "Bring The Noise." They also released the albums "Fear Of A Black Planet" (1990), "Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black" (1991), "Muse Sick-n-Hour Mess Age" (1994), "He Got Game" (1998), "There's A Poison Going On" (1999), "Revolverlution" (2002), "New Whirl Odor" (2005), "Rebirth Of A Nation" (2006), "How You Sell Your Soul To A Souless People Who Sold Their Soul?" (2007), "Most Of My Heroes Don't Appear On No Stamp" (2012), "The Evil Empire Of Everything" (2012), "Man Plans God Laughs" (2015) and "Nothing Is Quick In The Desert" (2017).
Throwback Thursday R&B: Rock The Boat-The Hues Corporation
This song is the property of Rodeo Media.
The Hues Corporation are an American Pop/Soul trio from Santa Monica, CA. They are remembered for their 1974 single "Rock The Boat", which sold over 2 million copies. Before achieving mainstream success, they opened for Frank Sinatra, Milton Berle, Nancy Sinatra and Glenn Campbell. The group's original lineup consisted of three singers and three sidemen. The sidemen were Joey Rivera, Monit Lawston and Bob "Bullet" Bailey. Lawston left the band to form Goodstuff. The group's name was a pun on the Howard Hughes Corporation, with "hue" being a nod to the group's African heritage. The band's lineup at the time of their first album consisted of St. Clair Lee, Fleming Williams and Hubert Ann Kelly. The original choice for their name was the Children of Howard Hughes, which their record label turned down. The group was formed in 1969 by songwriter Wally Holmes and St. Clair Lee. Singer Hubert Ann Kelly was discovered at a talent show in Los Angeles. They recorded the single "Goodfootin/We're Keepin Our Business" for the Liberty label in 1970. It made no impact on the charts. With Karl Russell, the group's break came in 1972 when they appeared in the blaxploitation film "Blacula." They were also asked to record the songs "There He Is Again", "What The World Knows" and "I'm Gonna Catch You" for the film's soundtrack. Shortly thereafter, Karl Russell was replaced by Fleming Williams and the group signed with RCA Records. Their second single for the label, "Freedom For The Stallion", taken from the album of the same name, was a moderate hit. The album's third single, "Rock The Boat", reached #1 on the Billboard chart, and became the group's signature song. The Hues Corporation charted with the singles "Rockin Soul", "Love Corporation" and "I Caught Your Act", but couldn't duplicate the success of their earlier hits and disbanded in 1980. They released the albums "Freedom For The Stallion" (1973), "Rockin Soul" (1974), "Love Corporation" (1975), "I Caught Your Act" (1977), "Your Place Or Mine" (1978), "Boogie Me, Move Me" (1980).
The Manhattans Return With Get It Ready
This song is the property of Gerald Austin/Curtis Dukes.
Veteran R&B group the Manhattans return after a fifteen year hiatus with their new single "Get It Ready." The group has experienced the loss of Edward "Sonny" Bivins, Kenneth "Wally" Kelly and Winfred "Blue" Lovett, but lead singer Gerald Austin has soldiered on with David Tyson and Troy May. "Get It Ready" is a midtempo number about a man who has decided to cancel his other plans and spend time with his significant other instead. It has the classic sound fans have come to expect, with Austin's tenor at the forefront. The group has issued a video for the song as well. It's great to see and hear the Manhattans again after their long absence.
Singer Charlie Wilson (The Gap Band) 66
Singer Bettye LaVette 73
Singer Amy Stewart 63
Remembering musician James Jamerson Jr. (January 29, 1936-August 02, 1983)
Hip Hop Pick Of The Week: Tony Tone-A$AP Rocky
This song is the property of A$AP Worldwide/Polo Grounds Music/RCA Records.
Rakim Mayers, known professionally as A$AP Rocky, is an American rapper/songwriter/producer/actor from New York City. Mayers began rapping at age 9, shortly after moving to Harrisburg, PA. He learned to rap from an older brother, whose hairstyle he later adopted. In 2007, Mayers joined the A$AP Mob crew, a group of rappers, music producers, music video directors, fashion designers and bikers who shared similar interests in music, fashion, style and art. As a solo artist, Mayers released his debut single "Peso" in August 2011. The song was leaked online and within weeks received airplay on New York radio station Hot 97. July 2011, Mayers released the single "Purple Swag", which became a street anthem. On Janaury 15, 2013, Mayers released his debut album "Long Live A$AP." His sophomore effort, "At Long Last A$AP", was released on May 26, 2015. The album "Testing" came in 2018.
R&B Pick Of The Week: Summertime-Daron Jones
This song is the property of DPS Productions LLC.
Daron Jones is an American singer/songwriter/producer from Atlanta, GA. In addition to being a member of the R&B quartet 112, Jones has written and produced songs for Keyshia Cole, Pink, Kelly Price, The Isley Brothers, Usher and The Notorious B.I.G. among others. He released his debut solo album "Uncensored" in December 2010. He later went on to release the EPs "The Unofficial Diary Of Daron Jones Vol. 1" and "The Unofficial Diary Of Daron Jones Vol. 2." The album "Human" is due out February 2019.
Hip Hop Spotlight: Pull Up-Lil Duval Ft. Ty Dolla $ign
This song is the property of Rich Broke Entertainment, LLC/Empire.
Lil Duval and Ty Dolla $ign join forces on the single "Pull Up." The beat and rhymes fit like a hand and glove.
R&B Spotlight: Sauce-Dawn Richard
This song is the property of Dawn Richard.
Dawn Richard is an American singer/songwriter/actress/animator from New Orleans, LA. She began her career as a member of the all-female Pop/R&B quintet Danity Kane. Danity Kane disbanded in 2009. As a solo artist, Richard has worked with Sean "Diddy" Combs and Cassie among others. She has released the albums "Been A While" (2005), "Goldenheart" (2013), "Blackheart" (2015), "Redemptionheart" (2016) and "New Breed" (2019).


Peoria Go Fit for Life!
710 West Percy Baker Ave.
The Heart of Illinois United Way brings the people and resources of central Illinois together to address critical health and human care needs in our community.


Beautiful Selena. . Images in the Selena Gomez club tagged: selena gomez beautiful selena 2011 hq.
This Selena Gomez icon contains portrait, headshot, and closeup. There might also be overgarment, outer garment, shirtwaist, shirtwaister, well dressed person, suit, pants suit, and pantsuit.


As a long time realtor in Austin, I have had to stay up on technology to help tech-saavy buyers and sellers. When my system went down, I tried several quick fixes–but they did not last and I ended up losing business. I called AllCity Technology and their response was quick and the problem was fixed. They recommended an upgrade for a reasonable price and the results of that upgrade made such a difference in performance and saved time. I consider my whole experience with them a "money saver." Thanks Tex!
I've contracted the services of AllCity Technology for 5 years. Whether my company had 40 pcs or 4, multiple servers or 1 server, AllCity Technology is essential to my success. AllCity's TECHMERGENCY team serves as my IT department with highly trained personnel who anticipate problems before they could happen. I wouldn't think of operating a small or medium sized company without AllCity Technology.
AllCity Technology's staff is reliable, reasonable and friendly. Furthermore, they have patiently worked with our company during growth spurts which required tremendous flexibility and commitment on their part. We continue to use AllCity and consider them a core part of our team. I would highly recommend AllCity Technology's managed IT services to anyone.
AllCity Technology has a highly qualified expert staff in maintaining and repairing network and IT systems.
AllCity Technology is a valuable resource regarding information security for government agencies and regulated industries. They stay well informed as to the latest business information security threats and about government regulations for regulated industries. I have no hesitation as far as referring clients because of the excellent emergency and managed IT services which AllCity Technology provides.


There are 44 investment property hard money lenders operating in Signal Mountain, TN. The mean loan amount is $287,500. The mean rate for loans in Signal Mountain is 10.0%. 16 months is the mean length for loans made in the city. The average points added to the loans is 2.9%. Lenders in Signal Mountain average a 78% loan-to-value on their deals.
Angel wants to purchase an investment property in Signal Mountain, TN which costs $350,000. Since she is short on cash for the acquisition and cannot get a loan from a bank, she takes out a hard money loan from Smith Lending Group . The lender decides to loan Angel 70% of the list price of the investment property (LTV), so she will have to fund the other 30%. The loan additionally specifies a 3 year note with interest-only payments at 11%, and an origination fee of 2%. By this scenario, Angel will have to fund $105,000 of her own cash into the deal in addition to the $4,900 origination fee (2% x $245,000 principle amount). She will then have to make interest payments of $2,246 per month.
Uptown Funding Company issues a private money loan to Noreen , a local investor in Signal Mountain, TN who wishes to acquire a $210,000 rental house. The lender decides to loan Noreen 65% of the sales price of the property (LTV), so she will be required to pay the other 35%. They also agree to a 3 year, interest-only note at a 11% rate of interest, with a 3 point origination fee charged at the closing. According to the parameters of the loan, Noreen 's payments will be $1,251 monthly. Also, she will be required to pay $73,500 in cash to closing plus the $4,095 origination fee. Upon expiration of the loan, she will have to pay back the $136,500 principle in a balloon payment.


If you don't have medical insurance to cover the pregnancy, labor and delivery, don't worry! You still have options when looking for medical insurance. Prenatal care is important, and we are happy to help you find the right coverage. Adopting parents will cover your out of pocket costs for co-pays and deductibles. Here's how it works.
With the affordable care act medical insurance is easier to get.
You may be eligible for an affordable plan now that you are pregnant.
Review the policies available to pregnant women in your state of residence.
Apply online for coverage in your state.
Many women who were not eligible for Medicaid before pregnancy may become eligible with a pregnancy. Don't overlook this possibility. It can offer significant savings.
Research the Medicaid eligibility requirements in your state to find out what the options are.
You might also be eligible for Women Infants and Children (WIC) plan. This includes nutrition guidance, food, breastfeeding support and other benefits.
Explore all coverage options for the birth mother.
You may be eligible under your parents' private health insurance plan.
If your parents know you're pregnant, getting medical insurance is fairly straightforward.
If they do not know you're pregnant, you can still try to get on the policy. Consider using an alternate mailing address to protect your privacy.
Expenses coverage continues about six weeks after vaginal delivery or eight weeks post c-section.
During this time other living expenses can also be covered. Rules vary from state to state.
I am happy to talk with you about medical insurance options. I can also help you get the right coverage. Contact me today if you have questions about medical insurance or any questions at all about adoption.


We are coming up on the 100th anniversary of national woman suffrage in 2020. Before the passage and ratification of the 19th amendment of the United States Constitution, which granted all American women the right to vote, women could vote in relatively few states. While working toward a national constitutional amendment, women and many men were also working at the state level to amend constitutions of the individual states to allow women to vote.
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts voters would each have a question on their fall 1915 ballots whether their state constitution should be amended to give woman the vote in their state. The Pennsylvania Woman Suffrage Association and county committees were very organized, hosting local, state and national speakers; attending fairs; organizing entertainment; and spreading the word of the injustice of denying half of its citizens having a say in how they were governed. Anna Dill Gamble, an extraordinary organizer, was called upon to head the York County Committee. I will be sharing more on the varied 1914 and 1915 activities in York County in the future. In the meantime, my recent York Sunday News column below tells the story of the Justice Bell, its role in the woman suffrage campaign and the bell's tour 2015 of York County.
The fight for Woman Suffrage ramped up in 1914. Women all over Pennsylvania, including York County, were mobilizing in anticipation of the November 2, 1915 election. The number one question on that ballot would be whether the Pennsylvania Constitution should be amended to give Pennsylvania women the right to vote, a right already fully enjoyed by women in 11 states, mostly in the western part of the country. Voters in New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts had similar resolutions on their ballots in the fall of 1915.
Since only men would be voting, women had to find ways to make the case to persuade the men who were against the amendment or were undecided. Pennsylvania women quickly organized. Under the auspices of the National American Woman Suffrage Association and the Pennsylvania Woman Suffrage Association (PWSA), a chairman was sought for each county. York County chose well in the formidable Anna Dill Gamble. Contemporary newspaper articles, as well as her correspondence at the York County History Center Library/Archives attest to Gamble's superior organizational skills.
Her papers tell of the impressive efforts of local women in the towns and rural areas of York County as well as the city. I will be writing more about them in the future, but now I am concentrating on the visit of the Justice Bell to the county a few weeks before the November 2015 election.
Katharine Wentworth Ruschenberger of Chester County is credited with the idea, and with funding, the creation of a 2,000 pound replica of the Liberty Bell that could be transported to every county in Pennsylvania as a symbol of the suffrage movement. The only difference, besides no crack, was the addition of the words "establish justice" to the top line of the inscription. The clapper was chained to the side of the bell, with the vow that it would not be rung until women won the vote. The Justice Bell was picked up with ceremony at the Meneely Foundry in New York, by the truck that would carry it over 5,000 miles in the next four months to be viewed by hundreds of thousands of people.
Gamble's York County Woman Suffrage Party (YCWSP) managed to get the bell for five days in October 2015, so that it could not only tour many county towns but also be on hand for the biggest day of York County's prime attraction, the York Fair. The bell was accompanied by several speakers from the state organization, with local people also taking part. The YCWSP took care of securing a venue for each stop, putting together programs and arranging for food and lodging for the speakers accompanying the bell.
Local newspapers gave the Justice Bell plenty of press, detailing the packed schedule and reporting on its reception. The bell truck arrived at Hanover on Tuesday, October 5. On Wednesday it travelled to New Oxford, Abbottstown, Spring Grove and on to York. After spending all day Thursday at the York Fair, it journeyed to Loganville, Shrewsbury, Stewartstown, Winterstown, Red Lion and Dallastown on Friday, returning to York for the night. Saturday morning the bell party left the Royal engine house, stopping at Hallam and Wrightsville before crossing the river to Columbia, and then on to Lancaster. Each stop was tightly scheduled, with most from 15 minutes to an hour, more if lunch or dinner was involved.
About 5,000 people greeted the bell in York on the sixth. A parade was staged from the Central School building on West King Street to the courthouse with the York City band, cars with suffragists and speakers, two young men carrying large flags and 18 girls "drawing" the truck with yellow streamers (the symbolic color of the suffrage movement). Local men who spoke in favor of suffrage were Robert C. Bair, Jesse Gitt, A.A. Holden and Charles Hawkins.
Thursday, traditionally the fair's best day with a usual attendance of 75,000, was cold and rainy, but still drew 60,000. The Justice Bell was reportedly a big draw, once the truck got unstuck from mud at the entrance. The bell was warmly received all over the county. At Shrewsbury, Mrs. Mary H. Eberhart, who was in her eighties, was ill and could not read the poem herself she had composed for the occasion, so the bell truck detoured by her home so that she could see it from her bedroom window.
In spite of the efforts of Pennsylvania women, as well as many men, including those who belonged to the Pennsylvania Men's League for Woman Suffrage, approval of amending the Pennsylvania Constitution was defeated November 2. Other concerns, such as those leading to the United States entry into World War I a year and a half later, came to the forefront, but women didn't give up their quest for equal suffrage. Focus shifted from individual states to an amendment to the United States Constitution. Congress passed the 19th Amendment for Woman Suffrage in June 1919. It required approval of 36 states, reached by Tennessee's ratification in August 1920. (Pennsylvania had quickly ratified on June 24, 1919, only 20 days after Congress passed the amendment.) Finally, on November 2, 1920, women all over the nation could vote. The Justice Bell had continued as a powerful symbol until it was finally rung for the first time in a great celebratory ceremony at Independence Square in Philadelphia on September 25, 1920.
The Pennsylvania Woman Suffrage Association and Mrs. Ruschenberger had a disagreement in 1915 about her turning the bell over to the PWSA, as outlined in a confidential letter from the state association to Anna Dill Gamble prior to the York visit. So after the 1920 celebration the bell resided in the Ruschenberger yard until it was given to the Washington Memorial Chapel at Valley Forge in 1943. "There it sat, in a chicken-wire cage in the woods, for almost five decades." It was finally brought inside and installed in the carillon rotunda at the chapel, with fundraising help of the Pennsylvania League of Women Voters, by Rev. Richard Lyon Stinson after he became the new rector in 1991. It can be seen there today.
The story does not end there. According to the Justice Bell Foundation website (www.justicebell.org), plans are presently afoot to fund and produce a documentary telling the story of the Justice Bell in time for the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment in 2020.


I am creating new records in a pop up, and I want to use a Save and New button to create a second record. When I save my first record and create a new row in my model, the context id doesn't get re-passed to my new record.
Can someone tell me the syntax of the snippet I need that simulates a click of my Create Record button? I don't want to use a 2nd "new record" model. We are trying to simplify the page and eliminate necessary model querying.
Did this a couple weeks back.
Perfect!!! Day made... thanks, Pat!


Having my own home office is my definition of goals. The other day I imagined having the white victorian farmhouse of my dreams (yes, I can dream). Complete with a wrap around porch. I imagine there being a round room off to the side of the home (like this or this) with large tall windows. The room has wood flooring with beautiful white curtains and in the middle of the room is a desk. A beautiful desk just for me. To write, create… browse on Pinterest. And the windows are open, the tree branches nearby are home to birds who are happily singing, and the whole things is just… GOALS. Okay, enough daydreaming.


text:
Arkansas panel OKs projects for Pulaski Co. roads
Submitted by Amy Geswein, Community Web Producer
Wednesday, April 23rd, 2014, 9:34am
MAUMELLE, Ark. (AP) - The Arkansas State Highway Commission has approved bids for improvements to two busy roadways in central Arkansas.
The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department announced Tuesday that the commission awarded a $2.1 million contract to resurface 6.2 miles of Maumelle Boulevard in Maumelle. The work will extend west from Interstate 430 to Murphy Drive.
The commission also awarded a $267,000 contract to resurface nearly 1 mile of McCain Boulevard in North Little Rock. The work will extend east from North Hills Boulevard to U.S. 67.
Work on both projects is expected to begin in the next two to four weeks. The North Little Rock project is expected to be complete this spring with the Maumelle project wrapping up this fall.
One lane on Hwy 60 across Toad Suck Dam to close until April 21
Wednesday, April 16th, 2014, 3:43pm
CONWAY, Ark. (ACE) - The Army Corps of Engineers Little Rock District is closing one lane of Highway 60 across Toad Suck Lock and Dam from 7 a.m. till 5 p.m. April 21 to allow personnel to inspect the bridge.
Officials regret any inconvenience this may cause, and asks for the public's cooperation until the work is complete. The closure is being coordinated with emergency services and law enforcement agencies. Corps officials ask travelers to plan alternate routes and allow extra time to reach their destinations.
News and recreation information can be found at www.about.me/usacelittlerock.
(Source: Army Corps of Engineers Little Rock District)
AHTD suspends some projects due to uncertainty in funding
Thursday, March 20th, 2014, 3:59pm
LITTLE ROCK (AHTD) – The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) has withdrawn ten construction projects from its planned list of projects scheduled for award in April as a result of the uncertainty of Federal-aid reimbursements available from the Federal Highway Trust Fund.
The United State Department of Transportation has projected that the Federal Highway Trust Fund will run short of funds as early as July of this year without Congressional action. Because of this uncertainty, the AHTD has evaluated State and Federal funding that will be available and reduced the number of construction projects planned because of the possible inability of the Federal Highway Trust Fund to provide timely and full reimbursements to Arkansas.
The ten Federal-aid projects that have been pulled from the Department's April bid letting total approximately $60 million and include:
Chicot – Hwy 165; Rehabilitation of 4.3 miles
AHTD: Lanes will temporarily close on I-40 through Pope County
Friday, February 21st, 2014, 2:53pm
LITTLE ROCK (2-21) – Inspections will require lane closures on Interstate 40 east and west of Russellville, according to Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) officials.
Two crews will be inspecting pavement markers along Interstate 40. The work will extend from the Johnson/Franklin County line to exit 125 in Faulkner County. The work will require very short rolling lane closures affecting the outside lanes of eastbound and westbound traffic.
The lane closures will be Monday, February 24th through Friday, February 28th, between 7:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., weather permitting. Traffic will be controlled using trucks with flashing lights and warning signs.
Pulaski, Faulkner Counties will be affected by lane closures starting Jan. 28
Friday, January 24th, 2014, 5:13pm
LITTLE ROCK (AHTD) – Improvements to Interstate 40 will require night lane closures in Faulkner and Pulaski Counties, according to Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) officials.
Crews are preparing to widen Interstate 40 between Palarm Creek, which is located near the Pulaski/Faulkner County line and Highway 365, which is located near the Morgan/Maumelle exit. This work will require the installation of a temporary concrete wall. During the installation time, traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction.
Arkansas drivers urged to use IDriveArkansas.com for travel information
Thursday, November 28th, 2013, 12:33am
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AHTD) - The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) reminds drivers to visit IDriveArkansas.com before hitting the road this Thanksgiving holiday.
Extensive highway improvements are underway in the state. With those improvements come work zones. To aid in your holiday travel, AHTD has been working hard to open as many lanes as possible.
Still, with many ongoing improvements, travelers will likely face work zones and possible delays due to an increased volume of traffic.
Drivers are urged to plan ahead by visiting IDriveArkansas.com for the latest travel information. The new website includes live traffic flow, weather information, and details on construction zones. Travelers can also follow us on Twitter @AHTD.
Public Meeting Invitation
Friday, June 21st, 2013, 10:12am
LITTLE ROCK (6-20) - The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) will hold a Public Involvement Meeting in Mayflower to discuss plans for constructing a new Union Pacific Railroad overpass on Highway 89 (Miller Street/Arkansas River Trail) in Mayflower. The work could result in a realignment of Highway 89 near the overpass, according to AHTD officials.
The meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 25th, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., at Mayflower Elementary School, in the Cafeteria. The school is located at 4 Grove Street in Mayflower.
The public is invited to visit anytime during the scheduled hours to view displays, ask questions and offer comments. For more information, contact the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department's Environmental Division at 501-569-2281.


text:
'use strict';

var fs = require('fs');

var _buildMap = function(grunt, opts){
  var hashedAssets = grunt.file.expand(opts.src),
      assetMap = {},
      prefixPath = opts.prefixPath || "";

  for(var assetIndex in hashedAssets) {
      var asset = prefixPath+hashedAssets[assetIndex].replace(opts.stripPath, "");
      var splitAsset = asset.split('.');
      if(splitAsset.length >= 2) {
          splitAsset.splice(splitAsset.length-2, 1);
          var unhashedName = splitAsset.join(".");
          assetMap[unhashedName] = asset;
      }
  }
  return JSON.stringify(assetMap);
}

module.exports = function(grunt) {

  grunt.registerMultiTask('assets_map', 'Creates a map of assets to versioned assets', function(target){

      var opts = this.options(this.data);
      var fileName = opts.fileName || 'asset-hash-map.json';

      if(!opts.async){
        fs.writeFileSync(fileName, _buildMap(grunt, opts));
        grunt.log.writeln("Asset map written to '"+fileName+"' successfully");
      }
      else{
        var done = this.async();
        fs.writeFile(fileName, _buildMap(grunt, opts), function(err){
          if(err) throw err;
          grunt.log.writeln("Asset map written to '"+fileName+"' successfully");
          done();
        });
      }

  });
};

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Perfect for this colder weather.
Yes, breakfast (time to think outside the cereal box) - why not? It has protein, fibre, complex carbohydrates, clean ingredients and cleansing lemon juice.
*The original recipe is here - in purple are the adjustments I made.
Made it tonight. Perfectly delicious.
But this looks good! Okay- you talked me into it.
Made it on Sunday. Super yummy, really easy and good for me. Yay! I'll be making it again soon. PS: Followed the recipe with all the adjustments.
Hahaha! Laughed out loud at the comment about eating it for breakfast. I'm notorious for eating leftovers/ non-breakfast foods in the am. Sounds super yummy, besides the cilantro (ick). I'll use parsley. Adding to my list.
Do you use dried red lentils or canned?


Mojave Max officially emerged from his burrow Saturday, March 30, 2019 at 1:28 pm. The earliest he has emerged was Feb. 14, 2005, at 11:55 a.m. The latest he has emerged is April 17, 2012, at 12:41 pm.
As part of the 20th annual Mojave Max Emergence Contest, students from Clark County, Nevada have been studying Mojave Desert weather, temperatures and conditions to scientifically estimate when they believed Mojave Max would emerge from his burrow in 2019. They entered their guesses online at www.mojavemax.com. The entries are being tabulated and the official winner of the Mojave Max Emergence Contest will be announced soon. The winning student will receive prizes including an "America the Beautiful" year-long pass to National Parks and Federal Recreation areas, a year-long family pass to Springs Preserve and a laptop computer. The winner's entire class will receive a field trip, with a pizza party, to Mojave Max's habitat, Mojave Max Olympic-style medals and T-shirts, while the winner's teacher will receive a laptop computer.
The Emergence Contest has taken place every year since 2000. Over 7,000 emergence contest guesses were received during this year's Emergence Contest.


text:
Q: How would you create a code using Python using the following information? When bakers get together for a party, they like to eat pastries. A bakers' party is successful when
the number of pastries is between 40 and 60, inclusive. Unless it is the weekend, in which case
there is no upper bound on the number of pastries. Use the function design recipe to develop a
function named bakers_party. The function takes two arguments. The first argument is the
number of pastries (an integer). The second argument is True if it's the weekend, False if the
day is a weekday. The function returns True if a party with the given arguments is successful,
otherwise it will return False.

A: def bakers_party(no_pastr,weekend):
    """ <Return whether the baker's party will be successful.>
    @type no_pastr : int, weekend : bool
    @rtype bool
    """
    if not weekend and no_pastr >= 40 and <= 60:
        return True
    elif weekend and no_pastr >= 40:
        return True
    else:
        return False

There you go. Hope you get a good grade.


text:
Home > LMAA Arbitration success for IY LEGAL and its Shipowner client
IY LEGAL has recently won a LMAA Arbitration for a Shipowner and recovered significant damages, interest and costs. The case involved the wrongful cancellation of a voyage charterparty by a Charterer, very shortly after the fixture was concluded, were the lost fixture was well above the market rate. The case also involved a claim for damages under the MTM Hong Kong principles.
The disputes between the Owner and the Charterer concerned the extent of the Owner's obligation to mitigate its loss by securing a replacement market price fixture; whether that duty could be discharged by the Owner (which is also a commodity trader) fixing the vessel to perform an 'in house' voyage; and whether the Owner was able to recover damages for lost 'knock-on' business as a result of the vessel being out of position at the end of the mitigation voyage?
The Charterer argued that there was better replacement business available that the Owner could have secured if it had tried harder to do so; that the in-house fixture was contrived and therefore illegitimate; and that no loss was suffered by the Owner beyond loss of profit from the cancelled voyage – which the Charterer argued was negligible, anyway, as the market was generally rising. The Tribunal found in the Owner's favour on all of these points, rejecting the Charterers' various arguments.
The Tribunal found that the Owner had acted reasonably by fixing the vessel to perform an in-house voyage at about the prevailing market rate for such vessels at the time, based upon expert evidence of comparable freight rates. Notably, the Owner was not required to search out the very best replacement fixture in the market or undertake a completely different geographical range voyage from that intended. It was enough to re-fix the vessel at about the prevailing market rate, with the Owner being given some 'benefit of the doubt' leeway. The Tribunal found that there was nothing wrong with re-fixing 'in-house' on that basis.
The Tribunal also accepted the Owner's case that because the mitigation voyage ended in the Eastern Mediterranean rather than in Morocco (under the cancelled fixture), the vessel was 'out of position' and was thereby delayed rotating back to the US Gulf to load her next expected profitable cargo. The Owner was entitled to the lost profit it would have earned on the vessel's intended subsequent USG – Med voyage. This head of damages follows the 2016 decision of the Commercial Court in the MTM Hong Kong, where it was held that an owner is, subject to certain qualifications, entitled to be compensated as well for a different kind of loss other than just for loss of profit from the cancelled fixture; including losses sustained as a result of the vessel completing the substitute voyage at a port some distance from the discharge port under the cancelled fixture. The MTM Hong Kong decision recognises that the end of voyage location of the vessel is a central part of the bargain agreed by an owner when fixing, so that if an owner can prove losses from disruption caused to the vessel's future trading pattern, as a result of the vessel ending up somewhere else, which are adequately predictable, then these are recoverable in principle.
IY LEGAL represented the successful Owner in the Arbitration, without Counsel.
If you would like more information on this area of the law, please contact Andrew Iyer on: +44 207 1007714, or by email to: andrew@iylegal.com.


text:
Connect with CP&DR
Legal Digest
Single Purchase Store
You are here: Home » Blogs » Sometimes Civic Ambition Should Aim Lower
Sometimes Civic Ambition Should Aim Lower
Josh Stephens on
Downtowns, San Jose, Sprawl
At some point when you're reading this piece you're going to say to yourself, "What about the Eiffel Tower?!"
I'll get to that. First, let's talk about San Jose.
Over 1 million people live in San Jose. It's the tenth-largest city in the United States and the home of the richest industry western civilization has ever known. It's also basically an enormous suburb. Its aesthetic varies between generic suburbia and generic office parks, some of which are laughably unattractive, especially considering the rents they command. San Jose's 180 square miles have less character than do single city blocks in nearby San Francisco or Oakland (the latter of which outgrew its "there's no there there" derision long ago).
Maybe I'm being harsh, but I don't think I'm saying anything that residents and businesses in San Jose aren't already aware of. It's the anti-San Francisco, and it has quietly, and impressively, developed according to the norms of its time and place.
Recently, though, a group called the San Jose Light Tower Corp. proposed the erection of a landmark tower—a yet-to-be-designed $150 million beacon, of indeterminate height, that would advertise San Jose to its neighbors and the world. It would, in the words of its promoters, be a "powerful and enduring icon will be the place every visitor must see when coming to Silicon Valley." This enormity was borne out of the idea that a major world city—which San Jose is, at least economically—needs to be more recognizable and that the tech industry needs to be celebrated, as if it has any trouble celebrating itself already. Bits, bytes, and stock options are all well and good, but you can't gaze up at them in awe.
I happen to think that this plan has about as much chance of getting built as MySpace does of making a comeback. But it's still worthy of discussion. Even as a thought experiment, it can help us think about what we should build and not build.
The tower proposal represents all that is wrong with urbanism today. I use "today" loosely, since the idea owes itself more to the 20th century sprawl mentality than to current planning trends. But that mentality dies hard. I don't know what $150 million buys you these days. But, whatever the cost and however high it might reach, the tower wouldn't solve any of San Jose's actual problems. It wouldn't make it less sprawling. It wouldn't make its neighborhoods more walkable or its boulevards any less massive. It wouldn't make it easier to get around or more pleasant. It wouldn't reduce the gap between poverty and ultra-wealth. It just would just make San Jose more noticeable—in the most superficial way possible.
The San Jose tower falls into the all-too-common trap of mistaking a skyline for a city. As I wrote recently in Common Edge, skylines are discrete and identifiable and therefore appealing. They are convenient signifiers to put on postcards or in the backdrop of local newscasts. They are images that, in many cases, have come to be synonymous with their respective cities.
The problem is, as much as we might like to gasp at downtown skyscrapers (or, in the case of San Jose, squat corporate superblocks), no one lives in a skyline. They have little to do with the daily, human-scale experience of a city. They reveal nothing about a city's character, economy, or culture. Take a look at San Jose's skyline and, say, Little Rock's and see if you can tell what it's like to live, love, work, and commune in either place.
A monumental tower pretends that a soaring, bootless structure will, instantly, make San Jose a city worthy of attention. If only it was that easy. I submit that, however much attention a tower would garner, it will most certainly not make San Jose a better city. It will, in fact, distract San Jose from the process of improving itself.
San Jose already has plenty of things going for it. Urbanism is not one of them. What San Jose needs to do with its wealth and status is not advertise that wealth and status but rather invest it in the types of design, infrastructure, and private and public developments that will make it more urban and break it out of its Vietnam Era mold. Like many other postwar American cities, regardless of whether or not they are considering odd PR stunts, San Jose can and must reinvent itself. The proposed competition to design the tower would be a bonanza for architects. But so would commissions to update San Jose's sidewalks, street furniture, signage, mobility patterns, and urban design guidelines. San Jose must figure out how to promote density, intrigue, and interaction. It must develop the sort of dense, multi-use streetscapes that characterize truly great cities.
I am, of course, essentially describing San Francisco. Must San Jose emulate San Francisco? That wouldn't be a bad thing. Then again, maybe San Jose can put its wealth and brainpower to the task of coming up with new, dare I say innovative, approaches to 21st century urbanism. San Jose should figure out how to retrofit itself, creating a denser, more pleasant 2.0 rather than just sticking a weird piece of new hardware a city whose layout shares more in common with vacuum tubes than touch screens. If it's smart about it, Google might actually pull this off with its forthcoming mixed-use village in downtown San Jose. Surely other civic boosters can do the same.
Back to Paris.
I know. Everyone hatedhatedhated the Eiffel Tower when it was built. And look at it now: it's one of the most famous, beloved structures in the world, symbolizing one of the most famous, beloved cities in the world.
The Eiffel Tower is the exception that proves the rule.
Paris already was a lovely, dense, horizontal city before the tower. It already had the grandeur of the Champs Elysees, the romance of the Marais, the history of the Ille de la Cite, the bold interventions of Hausmann, and cafe after cafe after cafe. Paris didn't need a tower to advertise itself. Eiffel was lucky that Paris allowed it to be built. Its genius derives from the contrast between the tower's verticality, modernism, and engineering skill and the city's preexisting charm, history, and scale. (Oddly, the "Light Tower Corporation" is named after a 237-foot tall 1880s structure that stood in San Jose which, the company's website claims, inspired Gustav Eiffel.)
The original, 1880s-era San Jose Electric Light Tower.
I could say much the same for New York before the Empire State Building, St. Louis before the arch, Chicago before the Sears Tower, and, yes, San Francisco before the Transamerica Pyramid. Meanwhile, look no further than the plodding, overtall Salesforce Tower for a cautionary tale. It dominates the San Francisco skyline like its namesake dominates customer relationship management. As John Branch asked recently in the New York Times, "Will the San Francisco skyline ever be as beautiful as it was before the Salesforce Tower rose like a middle finger to the city's low-slung aesthetic…?"
I reckon it won't.
San Jose would also do well to consider California's ultimate midair bauble. Fittingly enough for a city that trades on image and fakery, Los Angeles's most famous structure isn't even as substantial as a tower. It's a meaningless, two-dimensional advertisement that has, somehow, remained beloved even as the city became scarred over the decades by freeways, dingbats, mini-malls, and Angelyne billboards. I'm not immune to the charms of the Hollywood Sign. I've hiked near it and I get a thrill when I view it from the 10 Freeway, knowing that I'm looking upon a landmark that has inspired so many dreams of stardom. But a sign doesn't put a roof over anyone's head.
I don't oppose monuments, and I'm not against fun. But I'm against eating cake before you've had your peas and potatoes. I'm against displays of wealth that loom over people who struggle to pay rent. San Jose, like almost every other California city, has a lot of work to do -- especially as housing prices rise, congestion worsens, and the natural environment degrades further. And it, like many other California cities, is headed in the right direction. It's planning on building more housing and has developed a nice light-rail system. The next generation of development will be governed by new policies like Sustainable Communities Strategies, vehicles miles traveled metrics, concern for equity and ecology, and a general awareness and embrace of higher-quality urbanism. Improving a city's streets is a far better way to put a city on the map.
Again, this thing isn't getting built in our lifetime. But something—many things, in fact—will get built as San Jose's economy will likely keep booming and its population is expected to surge by another 300,000 in the next two decades. Many other low-density, high-prosperity American cities can expect the same.
The kind of urbanism those people are going to need requires us to keep our feet on the ground and our heads out of the clouds. If we really want a nice tower, we'll always have Paris.
Click for prior CP&DR coverage of San Jose.
A version of this piece appears on Common Edge Collaborative.
Downtown San Jose photo courtesy of Ben Loomis via Flickr; vintage Light Tower photo courtesy of Saratoga Historical Society and Ninian Reid via Flickr.
Position Available, City of San Bernardino
Position Available, Riverside Transit Agency
- (place your job ad here!)
From our Authors: