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Playbill – June 2007
Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, creators of such legendary musicals as Les Misérables, Miss Saigon, Martin Guerre and the current Pirate Queen, are the subjects of an excellent new biography by Margaret Vermette … Vermette has not only written a fascinating biography of these two artists but also includes an invaluable “Fact File” of all their musicals. It is a must-have record of their world-wide achievements in the field of musical theatre.
Musical Stages – Summer 2007
Having been closely involved in 15 different productions of Les Misérables from 1985 to 2003 and having “retired” from working on it in 2004, I approached this book with great interest. Margaret Vermette has wisely decided to let the composers speak for themselves rather than draw her own conclusions on the subject of writing musicals.
After a brief appreciation by Colm Wilkinson, Vermette opens the book with an introduction to the composers. The first chapter is a biographical account of the personal and historical background of the two gentlemen in a lengthy series of interesting observations regarding their work. As well as the witty and succinct views of the two writers, there are superb contributions from nearly all the major personalities who have been responsible for the realisation of their musicals from La Révolution Française to their latest work The Pirate Queen. Their work receives a thorough and detailed analysis from early concept to rehearsals and production.
This is one of the most interesting and informative books on modern Musical Theatre. There are fascinating stories from Trevor Nunn and John Caird as well as Conall Morrison and Cameron Mackintosh. Even though I knew most of the history of the making of their three major shows, Les Misérables, Miss Saigon and Martin Guerre, new facts and figures are continually revealed. The book wisely avoids too much revelatory inside gossip (I could write a separate book on that!). The text concentrates on the technical and theoretical aspects of Musical Theatre writing and composition. All the twists and turns in getting a show “right” are aired and discussed frankly and honestly giving the reader a real insight into the process.
This is an immensely enjoyable and informative book, which will be of major interest to both professionals and to the public who love and admire the work of Boublil and Schönberg.
American Theater Web – May 2007
What’s really remarkable about the book, in fact, is how much of it is simply transcripts of conversations that Vermette has had with these artists. Instead of getting a cut-and-dry recounting of the works – several of which I imagine we all know by heart – you get a really personal view of what went into making them happen … from the moment when Boublil and Schönberg first conceived of them all the way through their opening nights.
The conversations with the artists aren’t all you’ll find in “Musical World”. There are some truly stunning photographs of the productions that help to illustrate what the artists are describing and then there are truly comprehensive indices that provide synopses for the shows, song lists, credits for major productions, etc. This book is a must for all die-hard fans and may even convert a few non-fans.
Amateur Stage – July 2007
It has got to be one of the most reasonably priced theatre books of modern times, given its subject matter, its dramatically mesmerising content, with 382 pages including a remarkably fascinating amalgam of 48 full colour and 45 black and white photographs scattered through its compelling text, that is described by Sir Cameron Mackintosh as “A fascinating glimpse behind the barricade of Boublil and Schönberg” … the theatre book that will surely prove the most un-put-downable since Sheridan Morley and Ruth Leon’s Hey Mr Producer! … This is the first book to offer a comprehensive look behind the closed doors of these intensely private musical theatre giants as they take centre stage and talk openly about their methods and the creative processes involved in writing the book, the music and the lyrics of their shows.
What’s on Stage – October 2007
Here’s a chance to peek into the intensely private world of the two Frenchmen behind Les Misérables, Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg. Author Margaret Vermette has persuaded them to talk candidly about the creative processes involved in writing the book, music and lyrics to Les Mis, Miss Saigon, and Martin Guerre and she also speaks to their directors, including Trevor Nunn. With hindsight, the team’s high hopes for The Pirate Queen make fascinating reading, as the show flopped on Broadway … this book is a must have for any musical theatre fan.
Playbill – May 2007
The Musical World of Boublil and Schönberg is Margaret Vermette’s fabulous, fascinating investigation of two international tunesmiths who are anything but les misérables, and it is being released by Applause Books just as the duo launches The Pirate Queen on Broadway.
The Stage – 25 October 2007-11-22
It may seem a moot point, but when Les Misérables opened at the Barbican in 1985, it garnered generally dismal critical reviews. Twenty-two years on, it is still playing to packed houses in London, on Broadway and around the world. To call it a phenomenon may smack of hyperbole, but the fact remains that more than 54 million people have seen the show, which has been produced in 38 countries and has been translated into 21 languages. For all this success Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg remain intensely private people and Margaret Vermette’s book aims to shed a little light on the authors and, in doing so, discover a little about the creative processes they use.
This book is a valuable addition for fans, featuring dozens of interviews with the writers and the people who have worked with them, including Cameron Mackintosh, Nicholas Hytner, Trevor Nunn and Richard Maltby Jr. While much of the book concentrates on the processes that led to Les Misérables, equal measure is given to their other great success, Miss Saigon, as well as a fascinating insight into the birth, death and re-birth of Martin Guerre and insight into their most recent collaboration on Broadway, The Pirate Queen.
For reference, the Fact File in the book’s final chapter is full of fascinating tit-bits of information, from Jude Dench’s one night only appearance on the barricades in Les Misérables, to how much water the cast and crew drank per week during Miss Saigon. Vermette has laced together an interesting network of interviews that goes some way to explaining not only the writing process, but the collaboration involving all the artistic team.
Library Journal – May 2007
In this first comprehensive study of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, British journalist Vermette presents their in-depth discussions of writing the books, music, and lyrics and the creative process of bringing a musical drama to completion … Lovers of theater will enjoy the behind-the-scenes stories, such as when Judi Dench appeared in May 2004 as Madame La Farge in Les Misérables; she was starring in the theater next door in All’s Well That Ends Well, and Madame La Farge’s short appearance coincided with Dench’s time off the stage in her play. For each musical, Vermette has created a “Fact on File” section complete with international productions, recordings, and who starred when, among other interesting tidbits. Fans and students of musical theater will welcome this book. Recommended for large public libraries, academic libraries, and all theater collections.
SUSAN L. PETERS
Broadway Baby – May 2007
One of the chief criticisms levelled against the sung through musicals of Boublil and Schönberg (Les Misérables, Miss Saigon and Martin Guerre) is their use of recitative
instead of spoken dialogue and the repetitive nature of many of their songs. But as we learn in The Musical World of Boublil and Schönberg, they not only know what they are doing but believe their approach is the only way to go. Author Margaret Vermette does an outstanding job here of presenting interviews with these two immensely private writers, who talk openly about their methods and the creative processes involved in writing the book, music and lyrics.
Nytheatre.com – June 2007
Margaret Vermette’s comprehensive biography of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg is a real treat for musical theatre lovers. The Musical World of Boublil and Schönberg chronicles the duo’s beginnings and traces their rise to theatre stardom. Told largely as an oral history, the book contains a massive amount of information straight from the mouths of not only Boublil and Schönberg themselves, but many of their significant artistic partners as well, including Cameron Mackintosh, Trevor Nunn, John Caird, and Nicholas Hytner. There’s even a chapter on their newest endeavour, The Pirate Queen, a Fact File appendix with information about all of the pair’s London, New York, and international, productions, and a lot of sweet photos.
John Timperley (London) 12 April 2009 *****
A Musical Theatre Bible. As a lyricist and playwright, I have read many books about the staging of dramatic works.
None of these previous works have come near to the levels of competence, interest and sheer enjoyment of this book.
Margaret Vermette has secured access and cooperation from the most talented group of theatre professionals ever gathered in one place. They have all expressed themselves fully, generously and informatively. An outsider would have to spend a lifetime skulking in the shadows to obtain such intimate, and expert disclosures.
Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg bring welcome insights into their unique collaborative methods. They never write a word, or a single note, until the detailed skeleton of the work has been structured. Thereafter, in discussion with other members of the creative team, they can set their egos aside to bring finality to their staged masterpieces, until they get audience reactions! At which stage the polishing continues.
In my humble opinion, LES MISERABLES is the finest musical of all time. I have seen it many times, and I attended the magnificent 10th Anniversary Concert at the Albert Hall on 8th October 1995, when artists gathered from all over the world, to create an unforgettable experience.
This book revives those memories and creates many new ones .
Karen Chandler (Shaftesbury) 1 May 2008 *****
A Musical Theatre Treasure! What an exceptional book this is! I haven’t been able to put it down. Without a doubt it’s the best exposition of musical theatre creation that I’ve ever read – and I’ve read many! Not only does it tell you about the amazing lives of the two Frenchmen who wrote Les Misérables but, with a series of exclusive personal interviews, it details exactly how they did it. Not just Les Mis but all their shows, and there’s long interviews too with all their co-writers, directors and producers. Vermette’s skill in presentation is magnified many times by her ability to pull nuggets of wisdom out of such talented and diverse people as Trevor Nunn, Cameron Mackintosh and Herbert Kretzmer as well of course as Boublil and Schönberg themselves. It’s a tour de force of form and substance and a fascinating read.
Julie Hayden (Dorset) 28 January 2008 *****
This is such an amazing book. I didn’t know anything about Boublil and Schonberg before, but this gives a fascinating account of their early lives and how they came to meet. It even tells about their first lunch with Cameron Mackintosh at a fashionable Paris restaurant, when Claude-Michel pretended he couldn’t speak English so as to size Cameron up! It’s given me such an insight into how their shows are created with lots of interviews with them and their collaborators. It’s packed with colour pictures and is fantastic value for such a comprehensive book. If you love their shows you’ll love this.
D.B. Smith (England) 24 July 2007 *****
This is not just a book that sits on your coffee table to impress your friends, it is so much more. If you have been lucky enough to have seen Les Misérables, Miss Saigon or Martin Guerre, you will be fascinated by “The Musical World of Boublil and Schönberg”. It’s a journey into the musical world of theatre; from the first chapter to the last you will be fascinated by how musicals are created and produced. I loved reading about the lives of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, the interviews with producers, musical directors, actors and singers, all in their own words and so informative. Also the photos bring each chapter alive. If you are studying theatre in any form this book will be invaluable, or if, like me, you just love musicals, then it’s an enjoyable read, I couldn’t put it down.
LBWheels457 (Milwaukee,WI) 10 April,2007 *****
This is a wonderfully insightful book to some of my favourite musicals! I really enjoyed the background information as to how some of the musicals came to be, the processes that were followed … everything! I highly recommend this book!
Tina Fowler (London) 1 April 2007 *****
This 408 page book takes you on an amazing journey into that fascinating world of musical theatre. I was intrigued to read about the lives of the two Frenchmen who have given us Les Misérables, Miss Saigon and Martin Guerre. The interviews give you a great insight to how these productions have been created. There is so much information and the great colour photos and song lines tell the story of each musical. This is such a good read if you are “into musical theatre” and invaluable if you are studying theatre in any form. P.S. I loved the trivia and gossipy bits at the end!


- Compatible with AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT 2000 and newer
- 10 megabytes of available disc space required
Single user license – $60.00
2 to 10 user licenses – $45.00 each
Unlimited user license – $445.00
After You Place Your Order
This software is a product of CAD Tools On-Line and will be provided and supported by them. SoftDraft LLC only provides limited support for the installation of this product. You will be receiving an email with the download links for the software products from CAD Tools On-Line. If you do not see the email in your in-box, you may need to check your Spam folder. Please allow 2-4 hours to receive your email with the download links.


text: For centuries the Chinese have consulted the I Ching both as an oracle and as a means of self-understanding. The moral and psychological depth of its wisdom has been celebrated by its scholars, psychologists, poets, and scientists. In this clear, immensely readable interpretation, Sam Reifler eliminates the obscure and dated references of previous translations to provide an accurate and accessible version of the ancient Chinese classic for the contemporary seeker. With easy-to-follow instructions for using both the yarrow stick and the coin toss method, this new interpretation of the I Ching reveals the hidden forces at work in our relationships, our careers, and our emotional lives - and suggests new directions and choices for the future. Used book in good condition. Minimal Damage.

domain: literature


text:
How to Minimize Risk Exposure
When a company maintains a fleet of vehicles for daily use by their employees, that company assumes full liability for the vehicle. This means that there is no distinction made between business and personal use in the case of an accident claim. Moreover, this liability stands, even in cases where the vehicle may be operated by someone who is not an employee of that organization. That is why the optimal way to reduce risk exposure with a company vehicle program is to migrate toward reimbursement.
A vehicle reimbursement plan is intended to reimburse mobile employees for expenses associated with driving a vehicle that they provide, for the purposes of company business. Reimbursement is comprised of two components:
The Base Fixed Rate
The base rate reflects the hard costs associated with purchasing and owning a vehicle, such as insurance, licensing, etc. The monthly fixed rate is non-taxable when IRS compliant.
The Operating Variable Rate
The ongoing variable rate takes the ongoing costs of operating a vehicle into consideration. This rate is denominated as cents-per-mile.
By migrating away from fleet management and adopting a vehicle reimbursement plan, organizations can significantly minimize risk exposure. A VRP uses the driver’s own vehicle, which means that driving for non-work-related purposes releases the organization from any liability, should an accident occur. The same can be said for any driving done by individuals other than the employee.
While fleet programs were once extremely common in corporations throughout North America, more and more corporate stakeholders have begun to see them as fiscally inappropriate. It is simply far too great of a risk to assume responsibility for employee driving habits and possible deficiencies, not to mention those of others in their household.
A Fair Option for Corporations and Their Employees
In addition to reducing liability, adopting a VRP allows corporations to provide fair and accurate vehicle reimbursements. A reimbursement model that combines allowance and reimbursement is the most optimal. This plan recognizes the fact that some vehicle expenses are fixed, while other are variable, and payments are made accordingly.
To learn more about the different types of reimbursement programs, please contact CarData by phone at 1-866-550-5188 or via email to firstname.lastname@example.org.

domain: finance


From Chuck Hawk's:
"I hope your self-defense .45 Colt is a good double-action design like the Smith & Wesson Model 25 and not some single-action hunting gun. Load your revolver with the Cor-Bon 200 grain JHP. The Federal 225 grain Lead Semi-Wadcutter Hollowpoint (C45LCA) or Winchester 225 grain Silvertip JHP (X45CSHP2) are also good." LINK
If I had a shotshell handgun, I'd also use 45 Long Colt instead of shotshells. OTOH, you've got 2 big challenges: 1. Availability of ammo. 2. Does your Governor ACCURATELY shoot conventional handgun rounds? As bapple mentioned in a different thread, the majority of Governors and Judges aren't very accurate w/ conventional loads. If you haven't alerady done it, I'd shoot some 45 Long Colt rounds in your gun and see how accurate it is.


Leaders of Himachal Students’ Union (HIMSU) on Thursday declared their extensive panel for the upcoming Panjab University Campus Students Council (PUCSC) elections.
Declaring its list of panelists, party chairman Anshul Naini said, “We have a very strong team this year and together we will work not only for the students from Himachal, but for the welfare of all students in the university.”
The party declared Kush Sharma as its chief patron, with Aman Thakur as their president and Anshul Naini as the chairman. Preeti Negi was declared the vice-president for HIMSU, with Rajat Sharma as the general secretary. Vinay Sharma will be the party president and Chinmay Abbhi will serve as the joint secretary for HIMSU. The party is now expected to release its agenda in the next few days.
HIMSU was started in 2001 at DAV College, and for the past two years, the party has been contesting the PUCSC elections in alliance with the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI). According to the party members, as of now the party has not made any decision about forming an alliance this year. “We will weigh our options and make a decision about forming an alliance accordingly,” Anshul added.
Stressing the need for more women representation in the student elections at Panjab University (PU), HIMSU vice-president Preeti Negi said, “Majority of the students at PU are women. So, we believe that more women should be involved in the decision making process. From the very beginning, we have believed in having a strong women representation in the party.”
Members of Students Association of Punjab (SAP) also announced their list of office bearers for the upcoming elections at Students Centre in Panjab University on Thursday. The party started contesting the elections at DAV College in 2007 and is set to contest independently for the first time this year. During the PUCSC elections in 2014, the party had formed an alliance with Panjab University Students Union (PUSU).
Maninder Cheema was declared the party president and Simar Sandhu the vice-president. Janta Virk was announced as the party’s president for DAV College. The party is going to release more of its panelists in the next few days.
Stressing the need for clean politics and student welfare, party president Maninder Cheema said, “Our party is not at all politically motivated and our only aim is to work to solve the problems that students face inside the university campus and across other colleges. If elected in the students council this year, we will not fail to deliver on our promises.”


If you want that your vehicle’s tires last lengthy and also maintain running successfully, then giving them proper check is quiet necessary. Installing brand-new tires is not easy as they need large investment, so it is quite important to have a mechanic check. Whenever we consider the maintenance of tires, the first thing that enters mind is tire balance beads – Tire balance beads.
You must examine your vehicle’s tires for stabilizing at routine period to guarantee its lengthy life. Whenever you examine the tires for balancing, make certain that the walk is putting on evenly.
Sometimes, we additionally pick up shaking chassis while driving. These vibrations are the outcome of inequality developed in the tires. When your car obtains unbalanced, it gets lighter in one location than another which might lead to resonances.
Apart from creating vibrations, tire unbalancing can create serious problems. Tire unbalancing lead to resonances and unsuitable driving conditions that lead to premature using of the front-end component. In addition to that, it likewise develops stress and anxiety on reduced ball joints, axles and also other crucial parts.
Out of balance tires also lead to excessive sped up putting on. To make up for the discrepancy produced, the tires start using from the sides.
If you are experiencing any type of such concern, I recommend you to call a proficient auto mechanic. The alignment issue ought to be taken seriously or else it can lead to some serious concerns. Moreover, it is not a problem can be solved itself.


text:
Kevin George Travel Photography
back to gallery
This images can be used as general travel photos or as backgrounds for articles or projects. These images include tram tracks, cafe tables, boats and canals as well as urban nature shots. Many of these images are included in other galleries.
all images © Kevin George Travel Photography
For more information, please contact me at

domain: artistic


text:
PETMAKER House Beds for Indoor Cats with Removable Foam Cushion Pet Tent for Kittens or Small Dogs up to 16 Lbs
Your favorite feline sleeps on average twice as much as you- so give them the soft comfort, support, and protection of this Cat Bed Igloo with Cushion Pad by Pet maker. The super soft plush fabric is pillow-soft and warm, while the removable foam mat liner gives enhanced support for your fur baby. The enclosed tent shape of this cat bed is designed to cradle your kitty and achieve maximum privacy and comforting security- for both cats and kittens!
IMPORTANT: Avoid buying counterfeit products and transacting with unauthorized sellers. Look for our logo on the packaging for every one of our products. PETMAKER is committed to providing the consumer with the absolute best price and value on all of our products, which we ensure by applying a rigorous Quality Control process. PETMAKER is a registered trademark protected by U.S. Trademark law and will be vigorously defended.

domain: pet


Impact of the Global Economy: Increased Unemployment Rate in Australia. The Australian government expects the unemployment rate to rise after being at its lowest level in the last 48 years due to rising interest rates and a global economic slowdown. Currently, in the midst of high inflation, the unemployment rate in May 2023 is moving down to a level of 3.6 percent while economists predict it will stabilize at 3.7 percent.
Impact of the Global Economy. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) previously stated that the unemployment rate would rise to a level of 4.5 percent. This figure is still below pre-pandemic levels.
Prior to attending a meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors of G20 member countries in India, Chalmers said the unemployment rate in Australia was expected to increase slightly, in line with the economic slowdown as a result of rising interest rates and global uncertainty.
The RBA this month decided to maintain its cash rate at its 11-year high of 4.10 percent. The central bank is known to have raised interest rates by 400 bps since May 2022 and expressed the possibility of further tightening. The decision was taken after June 2023 data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that the Australian economy in the last quarter was at its slowest pace in 1.5 years.


Im having trouble with my Dell Notebook. It's been randomly slowing down, jerky performance, unresponsive UI, etc, for long periods, then seemingly without warning will suddenly begin to work snappily. This is seemingly independent of how many and what types of program/processes are open.
Restarting does not fix the problem, if the computer was going slow, it continues to go slow, if it was snappy, it continues to be snappy.
It seems to be relate to CPU usage, as times when the computer are snappy, the CPU usage is typically very low, and vice versa. However, as Istated, it doesn't seem to be any particualr program which is hogging the cpu, its more OS dependent processes which seem to be using most of the CPU, normal like notepad can take up an incredible amount of CPU at these "slow" times as well.
I'm wondering about the possible problems that could cause this, how to diagnose which it is, and then how to go about fixing it.


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Italy’s historic hosiery brand Pierre Mantoux launches their first sustainable line. The 85 year old company whose hosiery has graced British royals from Lady D to Kate Middleton set out to develop a sustainable line “dedicated to women conscious of the fact that real luxury is being respectful of the environment”, says a Pierre Mantoux representative.
The new winter hosiery line focuses on technology with thermo insulating yarn derived from coffee, which is able to capture and preserve the body’s natural heat. The collection of tights, leggings and knee-highs come in Fall 2019 trendy neon colors. And also includes festive holiday patterns.
Pierre Mantoux is available online and in most high end department stores including Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus.

domain: news


Coining the term ‘FLOP’ (Folk-Loopy pop, ‘loopy’ – as in ‘mad’, Not loop-pedalling!), Rosco Brain has been a shadowy figure in the Manly and Northern Beaches music scene for a number of years.
Generally making other musos laugh at his mad antics and awful jokes, or playing wee-hour dirt-folk, when everyone else is too tired to play anymore. He has occasionally utilised available microphones for guest vocals, or squeezed in single songs between sets (amongst the likes of Aaron Huston, Jeff Stanley and Mark Budd), and has been asked by some, for a, ‘sticky-beak’ at his song-book.
Though often playing songs about love and heartbreak, he’ll sing about anything from magical lands to a much used old tent.


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Abdulmohsen Abdullah Ibrahim al-Sharekh, Abdulrahman al-Zafer al-Dabidi al-Jahani, Abu Mohammad al-Adnani, Al Qaeda in Syria, Bashar al-Jaafari, Conspiracy, Crimes against humanity, Daesh, Hajjaj Bin Fahed al-Ajami, Hamed Hamad Hamed al-Ali, ISIL, ISIS, Jabhat al-Nusra, Plots, Saeed Arif, Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Army, Syrian Patriots, Syrian People, Syrian Resistance, takfiri, Takfiri movements, Terrorism By Proxy, Terrorisme, Terrorists, Terrorists Gangs, Wahhabi terrorists, War Against Terrorism, War by Proxy, War crimes, War Criminals, War on Syria, Zihad, Zihadists, Zionist conspiracy, Zionist jihad
New York, SANA – The Security Council on Friday evening adopted resolution no. 2170 on preventing the supporting, funding, and arming of the terrorists of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Jabhat al-Nusra and preventing the flow of terrorists to Syria and Iraq.
The Council urged all UN member countries to take steps to prevent the flow of terrorists and bringing them to justice, in addition to address the issue of individuals who may be at risk of being recruited in order to prevent them from traveling to Syria and Iraq.
The resolution prohibits the direct or indirect sale of weapons and related items to ISIS, Jabhat al-Nusra, and individuals associated with them, listing six individuals affiliated with terrorist groups on the list of sanctions that affect Al Qaeda, asserting readiness to consider listing individuals, groups, establishments, and entities that support the two aforementioned organizations in the list, and this covers those who fund, arm, plan, recruit, and who are members in them through information technology.
The six individuals in question are Abdulrahman al-Zafer al-Dabidi al-Jahani, Hajjaj Bin Fahed al-Ajami, Abu Mohammad al-Adnani, Saeed Arif, Abdulmohsen Abdullah Ibrahim al-Sharekh, and Hamed Hamad Hamed al-Ali.
The Council voiced concern over the impact of the violent ideology and extremist acts of these two organizations on locals and on their role in causing sectarian tension, noting that ISIS members have been carrying out lethal attacks in Iraq and Syria during the past two weeks.
The Council denounced the terrorist acts of ISIS, describing it as a splinter group from Al Qaeda, in addition to voicing concern over the fact that the oil fields and associated infrastructure being controlled by ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra provide them with income, which supports their recruitment efforts and ability to carry out terrorist attacks.
The resolution stipulates that freezing assets, prohibiting travel, and weapons embargo apply to ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra members and all individuals, groups, establishments, and entities associated with Al Qaeda.
The Council instructed the team in charge of monitoring breaches in the sanctions on terrorist groups to report within 90 days on threats in areas where ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra are active and provide recommendations to deal with this threat.
In a statement during the Security Council session, Syria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Dr. Bashar al-Jaafari, said that this resolution is important and hotly-anticipated, particularly by Syria, due to the growing threat represented by ISI, Jabhat al-Nusra, and Al Qaeda-affiliated terrorist organizations which adopt violent and extremist ideals.
Al-Jaafari said that Syria had been fighting a grueling war against takfiri terrorist groups single-handedly on behalf of humanity, with the Syrian government making painstaking efforts to draw the UN members’ attention to the threat these organizations pose.
He pointed out that a number of influential countries in the Arab, regional, and international arenas exerted great efforts to cover up the truth of what is happening in Syria, and these countries continued to support, arm, harbor, fund, and provide media cover for terrorist groups, trying to pass them off either as moderate armed opposition or jihadist opposition.
Al-Jaafari noted that the Syrian government sent the Security Council and other UN bodies hundreds of letters, documents, pictures, videos, and names related to the crimes committed by terrorist groups like ISIS, Jabhat al-Nusra, the Islamic Front, and others, showing the horrifying acts of murder, torture, and terrorizing committed by these groups against innocent Syrian civilians, as well as the genocide-like attacks on certain parts of the Syrian and Iraqi societies, their methodical vandalism of infrastructure in Syria, and their theft and smuggling of petroleum which is sold abroad via Turkish and European brokers.
Syria’s Representative demanded to know who is buying Syrian petroleum from ISIS, and how this stolen petroleum is reaching Europe from Turkey, and how come Security Council members failed to address Syria’s constant complaints that were filed throughout the past three years on the exportation of weapons and terrorists from Libya to Syria via Turkey and Lebanon.
He said that all documents sent by Syria regarding this issue have been ignored deliberately, and that had they been considered and had the Security Council counterterrorism resolutions been applied, then the situation would not have reached the point it is at today.
Al-Jaafari hoped that the new resolution will be implemented optimally without discrimination or selectiveness, and that it will not infringe upon the relevant countries’ sovereignty, territorial integrity, or independence.
He asserted that counterterrorism is a priority for the Syrian government, which had often demanded that the Security Council take its concerns regarding this issue into considerations, urging the Council to hold dialogue among relevant and concerned countries before adopting such resolutions in the future.
Syria’s representatives said the Security Council must call on the countries that adopt and support extremist ideologies to issue official statements denouncing takfiri mentality, adding that the resolution should have referenced the destructive role played by channels broadcasting from Arab Gulf and Western countries and by takfiri websites, and that these channels and sites should be dealt with.
In a press conference following the session, al-Jaafari pointed out that the West’s considerations have shifted because its own security is at risk, as opposed to when terrorists were only killing Syrians, at which point the Western capitals were promoting them as proponents of freedom and democracy or as moderate opposition.
“When those terrorists began returning to their capitals, and when social media began revealing their reprehensible crimes, the West awoke to this tragedy,” he said, noting that Syria requested that the Islamic Front be listed among terrorism-sponsoring entities, but Western countries continue to refuse that, despite that this organizations commits heinous crimes like ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra.
Al-Jaafari said the new resolution is positive, even if it came too late, and that it also overlooks Israel’s role in smuggling terrorists from Jordan to the disengagement zone in the occupied Syrian Golan, from which they enter Syria to commit their crimes, adding that the resolution also overlooks the role of Saudi Arabia and Turkey in supporting, arming, funding, and sending terrorists to Syria.
He said that the resolution mainly seeks to justify the West’s behavior and policies in the region, with them claiming to fight terrorism when they actually don’t want a resolution that really combats terrorism; rather they want absolution from terrorism and to be seen as being against ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra.
Al-Jaafari also criticized the British representative who was chairing the meeting and who interrupted him and Iraq’s representative during their statements because “he sensed that we were going to say things that he doesn’t want the Western and Arab public opinion to hear.”
the real SyrianFreePress NETwork reloaded at
strange that the god man is touring “south Korea” preaching lofty ideals and says nothing about his western imperialist nefarious ideology
Sir the decent world knows what obomba and his pimps are doing slaughtering INNOCENTS while each barbarian plays their hideous part!
“THEY PULLED ME BACK IN”
By Eric Margolis
August 16, 2014 “ICH” – Armed humanitarianism 2.0. That’s our new western version of old-fashioned 19th century imperialism, now feminized by President Barack Obama’s lady advisors, painted pink and accompanied by the kind of soft piano music you hear in ads for women’s products.
Last week, the Obama administration latched onto the plight of Iraq’s Yazidis who were being persecuted by those awful ISIS folks – just in jolly good time to divert attention from the massacre in Gaza.
How handy. All three US networks and the increasingly shackled BBC were ordered to drop Gaza reporting and refocus their camera teams on the suffering Yazidis and, all of a sudden, Iraq’s fleeing Christians.
This was a brilliant media ploy. The world, which was furious at the US for enabling Israel’s savaging of Gaza and killing of almost 2,000 Palestinians, switched its attention to the hitherto unknown Yazidis, and to Iraqi Christians. No one in the US had ever heard of Yazidis but that was ok. Uncle Sam to the rescue.
No mention was made that Iraq’s Christians had been safe and sound under President Saddam Hussein – even privileged – until President George Bush invaded and destroyed Iraq. We can expect the same fate for Syria’s Christians if the protection of the Assad regime is torn away by the US-engineered uprising. We will then shed crocodile tears for Syria’s Christians.
The US and Europe suddenly cheered the ostensible US-French-British `rescue mission.’ Interestingly, those old colonialists, the French and British, were so quick to get involved in oil-rich Iraq: the Brits sent in some of Her Majesty’s Killers, the renowned Special Air Service, or SAS. France and Britain are sending arms to the Kurdish militia known as `pesh merga.’ Australia, now under a hard right government, may follow suit.
Around 1900, Imperial Britain, France and Russia all claimed the right to intervene in the Levant to supposedly protect its Christians. Such a useful excuse.
America thrilled to see the US Air Force dropped food and water to Yazidi refugees. Even this cynical writer was cheered to see US military power helping the oppressed.
But what of the 1.8 million oppressed Palestinians in Gaza, cut off by Israel and Egypt from food, water, medical supplies and power? What about the millions of refugees in Syria created by western attempts to overthrow its Assad dynasty for backing Iran? What of millions of internal refugees from the Afghan and Iraq Wars?
Well, Washington did just announced a temporary halt in resupplying deadly US-made Hellfire air to ground missiles to Israel, which has used up its once large supply blowing apart Palestinians in Gaza. Like the fake arms-delivery suspension by the US to Egypt’s brutish regime, it will soon be lifted when public attention has turned elsewhere.
There are 5.5 million Palestinian refugees. What are a handful of Yazidis compared to this sea of homeless? The number and plight of those Yazidi refugees were wildly exaggerated by the western powers to justify their re-intervention in Iraq.
Lurid reports of ISIS cruelty may well be true, but this old cynic suspects they are being used and exaggerated to justify intervention. After all, we saw the similar untruths about Saddam’s regime and al-Qaida’s “threat to the entire globe.”
This kind of stuff, much loved by the British, goes back to bogus stories from 1914 of German soldiers spiking Belgian babies on their bayonets. Or, remember the baloney about Kuwaiti babies thrown from their incubators by beastly Iraqis?
Now, the biggest dolts in the US Republican Party like John McCain, Lindsey Graham and my hometown’s own Peter King, claim the US homeland is threatened by pipsqueak ISIS while they try to provoke a real war with Russia over Ukraine.
To show just how bizarre US Mideast policy has become: US warplanes are dropping aid to Iraq’s Yazidis (considered devil worshippers by many Iraqi), while they bomb Zaidi tribesmen in northern Yemen who are battling its US-installed military junta in Sa’ana. Yazidis, Zaidis, it’s all very confusing, like those pesky Slovaks and Slovenes.
Meanwhile, the White House has ousted its Shia sock puppet in Baghdad, Nuri al-Maliki, in favor of a newer, even more obedient satrap. Maliki was foolish enough to actually believe he was prime minister of Iraq and refused to allow US troops to stay there indefinitely.
Big mistake, Nuri. But shed no tears for him: his vicious death squads murdered and tortured large numbers of Sunni. One of their favorite interrogation tools was an electric drill applied to the kneecap. US generals in Iraq used Shia death squads (patterned on those of El Salvador, a war I covered) to crush Sunni resistance. Now, it’s payback for the Sunnis.
Iraq’s next leader is another CIA-blessed politician who will be expected to make his nation safe for western oil companies. We see the same process in Afghanistan where CIA central casting has produced two ‘candidates’ for president.
As for de facto autonomous Kurds, they have been a western protectorate since 2003 and would be fully independent today were not for fear of a violent reaction by the irritable Turks. Israel has supplied the Kurds with arms since 1970.
Interestingly, the Kurds are now exporting oil directly to Israel though a Turkish pipeline and tanker while the regime in Baghdad, cut out of payments, fumes. There’s long been talk of an Israeli air base in Kurdistan.
“Just when I though I was out, they pulled me back in.” Michael Corleone’s plaintive line from the “Godfather” is Obama’s tune today. He’s only returning to Iraq for purely humanitarian reasons, a story that markets well to female (mainly Democratic) voters. And because the ISIS Saracens will overrun the Bible Belt soon unless Obama acts.
Never mind that the US armed and trained ISIS in Jordan to overthrow Syria’s regime. Now they have gone rogue and must be stopped by a new humanitarian crusade.
So back go American troops into the hellhole of Iraq, an act that defies both military and political logic. But US elections are on the horizon and Hillary Clinton is out there blasting Obama for having left Iraq in the first place. Hillary has just fully aligned herself with Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu and asserts US troops should have stayed in Iraq…..she who is married to a notorious wartime draft dodger. Republicans are beating the same drum.
Remember the ‘tar baby’ from Uncle Remus’s slave stories of the Deep South. All who touch him get stuck. Well, that’s Iraq for you – in spades. Instead of tar, it’s sticky oil. Obama should have stayed out of Iraq. But politics forced him back in.
Copyright Eric S. Margolis 2014
this is what is needed to make the “bastard scum pay for their TERRORISM” in our Ummah.
we advised the Iraqi government that they should take this kind of action. 1% for the terrorist BP/Exon Mobile/ENI/Total is just an insult to the injury we the people suffered/suffer. we asked them to put the amount to 5%/barrel and every time their illegal SQUATTER Terrorist state thinks that they will have one of their monthly/yearly/biennial/ ……….. butchering necrophilic ORGY increase the penalty for US/UK/EU TERRORISM to 10%
that is how you will break the “shitty bastards”. WE ASSURE YOU THEY WILL START SQUIRMING like slimy rotting worms without having cadavers to feast on
What if America loses its Ukraine gamble
“Russia can justly require its EU customers to pay in gold or non-dollar currencies adding a “Ukrainian refugee surcharge” of 1% to every therm they deliver.”
“The truth about Malaysian Airlines is starting to leak out:
No sign of a missile anywhere.
No blast damage to the plane, no missile fragments on the ground, no answers to Russia’s 10 questions.
The evidence points to cannon fire from a government fighter.
If Malaysia goes public with that evidence it will be worse than WMD for our wretched media and the remaining credibility of our governments.”
we have warned the Malaysian gov
“not to settle for 40 pieces of worthless “arms” and in any case Malaysia has to decide to be a “harem boy” or HONEST man.
WE SAY USE BRAIN – the most powerful weapon
Sir, Mr Bashar Al-Jaafari
you are absolutely right and we strongly SUPPORT the TITLE
you are right to state that out loud: there are some extremely egoist nations WHO SHOULD BE INFORMED OF THE PRICE OUR SYRIANS ARE PAYING
and we would go fo far as to say that “ALL this IS, ISIS, ISIL – alphabet soups of US/UK/fr/de TERRORIST goons are responsible as it is they US/UK/EU who are fueling the WAR CRIMES in our Iraq/Syria/Palestine


text:
Calibration standard solution
Standard solution for viscometer calibration
In order to measure viscosity correctly, it is necessary to calibrate the viscometer with a standard viscosity material.
We handle the standard solution for viscometer calibration, which is the only JIS product manufactured by Nippon Grease Co., Ltd. and has been calibrated by JCSS.
Types of standard solution (standard values and approximate values in JIS Z 8809)
About SDS (formerly MSDS): Go to “View” page of Nippon Grease Co., Ltd.

domain: chemistry


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The rain did not dampen the spirits of many in attendance, most notably the congressman and his wife, Judy, who as usual walked the route, bringing good cheer and candy to children at the curb.
At least two high school bands chose to stay on their buses, rather than march. The Mark Twain Elementary School Band, without a bus, marched and even played, much to the delight of the smattering of moms, dads and children at the curb.
Others marching included members of the Garfield Ridge Neighborhood Watch (who will be on patrol throughout the night, into the wee hours Sunday, November 1), local schools, Scout troops and everything that makes Garfield Ridge one of the best neighborhoods in Chicago.
Here are a handful of photos, in the order we shot them.
Thanks to all who came out!
# # #


text:
WORK 1-piece cast models are lightweight and are available in a variety of styles. Widths and offsets are limited to popular options but like most of the range, PCDs are still customisable.
Construction: The barrel and disc is constructed as a unit, usually referred to as a monoblock construction.
Advantages: The disc and barrel is molded together creating a 1-piece wheel unit giving it long-lasting rigidity. The 1-piece wheel is also simple and easy to manufacture, making it a cost efficient choice.

domain: design


text:
The ENACTUS team from BYU-Hawaii walked away with a giant trophy and $10,000 in prize money.
“These kids are so inspiring. They are entrepreneurial. They are socially conscious. I mean, they are future,” Sabrina Wiewel with Hallmark said.
The students came to Kansas City for the annual Enactus U.S. National Exposition. Enactus is a global nonprofit organization that challenges college students to come up with service projects that both create jobs and pave the way for a better future.
“We’re actually trying to change economies and lives,” said Rachael Jarosh, CEO of Enactus Global. “We’re trying to create livelihoods and create sustainable solutions to problems, like the BYU team did in their project.”
The BYU-Hawaii students took first prize in the national competition for their sustainable farming project called “Rice Up.” It’s a program to expand farming opportunities, and a food source, for communities in the Philippines and Hawaii.
“We also worked with the state of Hawaii because Hawaii has a problem in the food supply,” said Elvin Laceda, a junior at BYU Hawaii. “We are working with the state government to be able to have sustainable agriculture on the island.”
Next up for the BYU-Hawaii team? The Enactus World Cup in San Jose, California, in October.


text:
@mstern68: Public bathrooms are why parkour was invented.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
@stephenjmolloy: Chief cop: "This might be racially motivated." Ian: "Hate crime?" Chief cop: "We all hate crime, Ian. That's why we are cops."
@OneFunnyMummy: The only thing worse than thinking of what to make for dinner is then having to cook it.

domain: sociology


text:
Stray Indianapolis cats are very social cat. It can be adopted. Stray cat enjoy living with people. Stray cat can live separate
from its group. Stray cats are very friendly to human being and they like living with human. If you find a stray
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Their faces look like the faces of other cats such as feral Indiana cat but they can be distinguished from stray cats because
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Mostly stray Indianapolis cats come outside at night because cats don't want to show themselves in day light. Stray cats can be found
outside homes in neighborhood in streets. They like living with human being. Stray cat can be a very good pet animal. But
it's very hard to take care of it. Stray cats live in rear ways and lawns, they are around, and you need to draw in them by
putting out canned feline sustenance or meat, something that they can smell. On the off chance that your folks won't take you,
ride your bicycle or get your companions folks to take you.
If you have stray Indiana cats in your home then they will choose any place of your home to live in. they might select porch or garden
to live. Stray cats may be very easily caught by a disease because they are usually not vaccinated as the other pet animals.
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A great many people see stray Indianapolis cats and little cats outside every now and then. What a great many people don't know is that
there are numerous more stray felines living outside than they understand. Frequently felines appear to be strays however
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lost. A feline that is sticking around searching for nourishment, or attempting to get into your Indiana home may have a home not
far away, so you should make sure they are truly destitute before expecting they are stray and either taking it to home or
To learn more about our services, visit the Indianapolis wildlife removal home page.


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Pasture underpins our agricultural economy, earning 40% of export revenue. However, pastures are not performing to their potential, and must evolve to support changing sector expectations.
As it is 10 years since the very successful Pasture Persistence Symposium this event will be a great chance to both review progress and challenge future research direction.
Registrations are open at https://www.grassland.org.nz/eventregister.php?eventnum=38
In the event that the country, or any region, goes to Level 2 or above this LIVE event will be postponed or cancelled. Please be aware that this may be at very short notice as we will endeavour to wait as long as practicable in case of Level changes.
Notification will be via the website and email.

domain: agronomy


text:
The University of Adelaide Business School. Adelaide, Australia
© Islamic Finance Today
The commercialisation of the Islamic financial system in the 1970s was greeted with both hope and scepticism. More than three decades later the system is widely accepted and practiced worldwide. But the future of Islamic finance remains shrouded with uncertainty due to the lack of uniformity in the system’s application. One such area of uncertainty relates to Shari’ah (Islamic religious law) supervision and implementation by Islamic financial institutions.
Islamic financial institutions are guided by a legitimate control body known as the Shari’ah Supervisory Board (SSB), which consists of a number of Shari’ah advisors. The purpose of the SSB is to ensure that the financial institutions operate in conformity with Shari’ah and are usually made up of a number of jurists who provide clarification in regards to any Shari’ah related questions that the financial institutions may have. These SSBs are hired by the financial institutions and act as an internal control body in the organisation, therefore, enhancing the credibility of the bank in the eyes of its customers, and bolstering its Islamic credentials.
The role of the SSB is thus seen as being similar to that of company auditors. Even though, the financial institution compensates them, the SSB members are expected to retain their independence. And just like auditors, SSBs certify at the end of the year whether the financial institutions operations were in conformity with Shari’ah. This task includes reviewing products and policies of the financial institution, and deciding on whether a new financial instrument introduced by the organisation is religiously acceptable.
Theoretically if the SSB refuses to endorse a product, the financial institution should automatically remove that product from their portfolio. Also in theory, the SSB would perform a religious audit of all accounts. The reality however is more complicated. Surveys conducted by researchers in Islamic financial institutions has revealed that in many cases the review is treated as a routine matter, with boards approving decisions already made by the bank’s management.
The Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) has tried to regulate the role of the Shari’ah advisors by setting standards for appointment and composition of SSBs. According to the standards, the authority to appoint SSB members should be vested in the annual general meeting of all shareholders of the institution. The justification for such action is that SSBs members will be free from any undue pressure from the management board if they do not have the power to appoint or dismiss them. The AAOIFI standards also specify the presence of three Shari’ah advisors as the minimum number required in a SSB.
The AAOIFI regulatory framework and guidelines are yet to be applied by institutions worldwide and variations in Shari’ah governance still exist. A review of the Shari’ah governance and supervision models used by financial institutions reveals inconsistencies between national models of governance. There are five countries that follow their own Shari’ah governance regulations. These countries are Bahrain, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, and Pakistan. A review of these national models of governance reveals that contrary to AAOIFI regulations, not all Islamic financial institutions utilise the services of SSBs. In Malaysia and Pakistan financial institutions only require one Shari’ah advisor, while Iran does not require institutions to have their own SSBs or advisors.
Another concern expressed by consumers and critics relates to the Shari’ah advisors’ potential conflict of interest. The advisors are employees of the financial institution and perform their duties relating to Shari’ah implementation and supervision. But unlike other staff members, Shari’ah advisors in some countries are permitted to be employed by more than one financial institution. As these advisors are seen as internal Shari’ah auditors rather than external auditors, being employed by more than one institution is seen as a direct conflict of interest.
The variation in the number of advisors in financial institutions and the permission to act as Shari’ah advisor for more than one financial institution is related to the limited pool of qualified Shari’ah advisors available worldwide. A look at the global situation reveals the extent of this problem. In Britain, the most active European market in the Islamic banking sector, the Financial Services Authority watchdog in November 2007 highlighted possible “significant” conflicts of interest in that concentration of expertise. The agency reported that the shortage of appropriately qualified scholars raised concerns over the ability of SSBs to provide rigorous supervision.
One of the world’s most respected scholars, Sheikh Nizam Yaquby, in a recent interview described the challenge of having a very limited pool of Shari’ah advisors. According to Sheikh Yaquby there are about 60 scholars in the world qualified to advise banks involved in Islamic finance. This number is not even sufficient to fill the demand in the Middle East. Therefore, one way banks are overcoming this shortage is by hiring scholars and advisors who are already performing their duties in other organisations.
This shortage of qualified scholars leads to the obvious question of training of Shari’ah advisors. There are various opinions on what qualifications are required for an individual to be prepared for the duties of a Shari’ah advisor. In countries like Pakistan, the central bank (State Bank of Pakistan) requires financial institutions to only hire those individuals who meet the specified “Fit and Proper Criteria”. These requirements specify that the individual be trained in religious education (Dars-e-Nizami curriculum offered by Madrasas). Since this education requires schooling through Madrassas, one would expect that the training of Shari’ah advisors would take 11 years or more. Considering the fact that many of those educated in religious education, may not be too well-versed in banking and finance knowledge, the advisors may require additional training time for such education, and this would add to the overall training time. The amount of time required for training means that the shortage of Shari’ah advisors will continue to be an issue for the industry for some time.
Another issue faced by the industry is the lack of educational infrastructure. As stated earlier, the training of advisors in religious education is no longer sufficient in the commercial world. Therefore, understanding the application of Shari’ah rules in the banking and finance industry is an area that future Shari’ah advisors need to be trained in. Unfortunately, the industry has lagged behind in setting up appropriate institutions that would help bridge this educational and training gap.
In the past, any Shari’ah advisors were trained in a handful of institutions in countries like Pakistan, Malaysia and Bahrain. This lack of educational infrastructure has further added to the limited number of qualified Shari’ah advisors that are available worldwide. While some action has been taken to address this (like the opening of a dedicated university in Malaysia), the number of institutions operating are not enough to meet the growing demand of the industry. The Islamic finance sector needs to address these concerns to ensure that the system remains viable in the long run and does not compromise on issues related to transparency and quality of Shari’ah supervision. There are a number of steps that the industry and governments of Muslim countries can take to address the shortage of qualified advisors. The financial institutions and governments can jointly invest in the establishment of further training institutions. These institutions would not only help train the students in religious education, but with the involvement of financial institutions, the students would also get trained in the practice of Islamic banking and finance. The AAOIFI regulation of a minimum of three Shari’ah advisors serving on a SSB should also be implemented. The regulation though should require that at least one member of the SSB be a junior advisor. This requirement would give junior Shari’ah advisors the opportunity to work with experienced advisors and would act as a means of getting ‘on the job’ training for the junior staff. If implemented, this requirement would help overcome some of the issues related to the lack of trained and qualified Shari’ah advisors, and would help improve the quality of Shari’ah supervision.
As the world’s economy struggles through one of its more difficult periods, many businesses are looking at the Islamic financial sector as a legitimate alternative to the current financial system. To be able to take advantage of these emerging opportunities, the Islamic finance sector has to prepare for the associated growth. Through the combined efforts of governments and financial institutions in the Islamic finance sector, the training of more Shari’ah scholars can be further improved. This in turn would ensure that Islamic financing remains a viable option in the long run.
Abbas, M. (2008), “Shortage Of Scholars Troubles Islamic Banks,” International Herald Tribune, January 22.
Rammal, H.G. (2004), “Financing Through Musharaka: Principles And Application,” Business Quest, Online, available at: http://www.westga.edu/~bquest/2004/musharaka.htm
Rammal, H.G. and R. Zurbruegg (2007), “Awareness Of Islamic Banking Products Among Muslims: The Case Of Australia,” Journal of Financial Services Marketing, Vol. 12(1), 65-74.
Warde, I. (1998), The Role Of Shari’ah Boards: A Survey. San Francisco: IBPC Working Papers.

domain: economics


text:
Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, reportedly participated in a concealed 24-hour music festival over the weekend, notably without the presence of her husband, Prince William.
In a move seemingly akin to her sister-in-law Meghan Markle, who recently attended a Taylor Swift concert without her spouse Prince Harry, Kate Middleton’s attendance marked a noteworthy departure from her typical engagements.
The Princess of Wales discreetly attended an upscale 24-hour music festival hosted at the Norfolk estate of her friend Rose Hanbury, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley.
Sources disclosed that Kate’s decision to partake in the festival stemmed from encouragement from friends during a dinner gathering. Despite initial reservations, she decided to attend, accompanied by a substantial security detail. Notably, Prince William was absent from the event.
The Duchess of Cambridge’s participation underscores her willingness to explore new experiences, as observed in her attendance at the exclusive music festival.

domain: entertainment


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It feels like a critical year for R.B.I Baseball 21.
The smaller annual series put forth by developer MLB Advanced Media not only gets a first chance to tackle a new console generation this year, it no longer has the luxury of being the lone baseball game releasing on multiple consoles—MLB The Show, formerly a PlayStation exclusive, is going multi-platform.
Not that R.B.I Baseball 21 really wants to compete with the heavyweights. It's a smaller, arcade-based series slowly incorporating big-ticket items from other games. But as that happens, it leaves niche territory and heads for bigger things.
That includes this year, where a number of notable upgrades attempt to lure new and returning players alike.
MLB Advanced Media really hit one out of the park (sorry) at the right time with this series.
While the real sport was trying to grasp at ways to keep onlookers interested and capture a younger audience, R.B.I Baseball got revived and offered quick-hitting gameplay that had a ton of pick-up-and-play potential and was simply a blast.
It's more of the same this year for the series, now one year removed from revamping pitching and batting.
The options in the batter's box to gun for quality contact or to throw it all into power and hope for a home run is still a fun, arcadey way to work the timing-based experience. Actually hitting a homer still feels a little limp, but overall, it's almost akin to an enjoyable stress-relieving exercise to take part in the offensive side of things.
Picking from a variety of pitches before winding up and letting it go toward home plate is in again and feels great amid the arcade backdrop. With the modern controls, it's a nice touch to have an effort system that broadens where a pitch could end up over the plate, making for a fun risk-reward sort of minigame.
Luckily for players old or new, player agency is one of the big-ticket themes of this year's release. There are a handful of batting controls and camera angles players can choose from before or during a game. That doesn't sound like much for modern sports games, of course, but it's notable here because the individual can tailor the experience to their liking, which only makes the gameplay better.
Besides pitching and hitting, gameplay in general again feels great for what it is. Pickoff attempts remain an entertaining timing-based minigame, the pace of games is fast enough that fielding doesn't feel like a chore, and while hiccups like a limited number of animations to make every player feel the same persist, some of the smooth presentation upgrades make any negatives small by comparison.
Graphics and Presentation
R.B.I Baseball isn't going to rival The Show in terms of broadcast prowess in the presentation department by any means.
Yet it's clear upping this area is a point of emphasis for MLB Advanced Media. And now that some of these advancements to the series have gone live, it's obvious it was the right decision.
The first big-ticket item is play-by-play commentary from Fran Charles of MLB Network. It's not perfect, just like any announcer in video games aren't, but it does bring some much-needed realism, if not levity, to the action. The calls often come in by the pitch to provide context, and while generic at times, they brighten the experience.
Another fun step forward for the series is time of day finally arriving. Stadiums have always been well-done compared to their real-life counterparts, and now we get to see them progress with realistic time-of-day happenings like sunsets, for example.
The series didn't totally ignore player-model woes from past games, either. While they can still all start to look samey after a while, there was clearly some work put in to upgrade the presentation. It's never going to rival a bigger sports game's ability to implement those little individual things superstar players do, but doing a side-by-side comparison to last year's game is notable.
A nice touch this year is leaving camera angles in the hands of players. Add in a solid soundtrack and it's clear the series continues to make strides in all areas, not just in gameplay. Newcomers to the series might knock it for not having more of a big-budget broadcast feel with sideline reporters, extensive intros and outros and more, but R.B.I Baseball 21 does enough for what it's trying to accomplish—and it should be interesting in future years to see how much it keeps pushing in this area.
Franchise and More
R.B.I Baseball implemented franchise a while ago now, and it remains the most appealing part of the series.
While it does have its limitations if players compare it to a bigger sports game, the franchise mode here retains the smooth pick-up-and-play feel in the bigger confines of a full season and postseason. Players can choose how many games make up each season, play the free-agent market and strike trades with teams among other general things expected of the mode.
Elsewhere, the full list of modes isn't as intimidating as it is in other sports games. Players can organise an exhibition, take part in a home run derby or even take their talents online to spar with fellow players.
These are all fun side activities that retain the feel of the base game and make for strong multiplayer sessions, either on the couch locally or online.
More interesting might be some of the extras going on behind the scenes. Outside of picking modern or classical control schemes and camera angles, the game also offers modern-feeling gameplay sliders found in other games. This lets players control minutiae like fielder speed, for example, and lets each player dictate how the game feels—and in the worst-case scenario could address problems with the A.I. before awaiting a patch.
An uptick in customization was a natural, organic way for the series to turn with some necessary details like franchise locked into the experience.
That makes create-a-player a big-ticket item this year, and it's a little more robust than some might expect. There are a wealth of things to customize, right down to the gear—such as bat color and bat-grip color— though it can be a bit shallow at the same time (there are only 10 facial hair options, for example).
As hinted, R.B.I Baseball 21 takes some natural steps forward for the franchise. More ways to fine-tune the experience for each individual is a nice way to go atop an already sound gameplay experience. Painting in broad strokes, the series continues to mark big items off the checklist and continues to do so in a strong manner.
It's safe to tab R.B.I Baseball 21 as the best game in the series to date.
While individual player expectations will still shape overall reception, this arcade-based experience only continues to improve as more modern items like customization, gameplay tuning and better presentation creep their way into the series.
A year removed from key on-field boosts, this year's game offers organic-feeling upgrades to key areas. Yes, other games did them first, but the overarching package creates the perfect environment for onboarding new players to the series and presents a good ceiling for veterans, too.

domain: hobby


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Alumni may use the library free of charge for reference only purposes or you can choose to take up a discounted
- Free reference only access includes use of a designated PC with a range of electronic databases covering the majority of subject areas delivered within the University. It does not include access to some e-resources which have licence restrictions
- Paid Associate Members of the library can borrow up to six items for a period of six weeks. Paid Associate membership normally involves a fee of £60.00 per annum but as a graduate of Plymouth University you are entitled to a 50 per cent discount on annual membership.
At Plymouth University we recognise that the library is a valuable tool to help progress your personal development, and research after you graduate, in the words of one Plymouth Alumnus Mr Han Ozturk
“I have had an opportunity to access the library resources at Plymouth after many years, as I was seeking specific information in the area of maritime logistics and terminals in the course of my business and further research I am currently undertaking. I found the opportunity invaluable as it is difficult to come across such literature elsewhere.”

domain: library


SPOTLIGHT: Durand Jones Hits Home with ‘Wait Til I Get Over’
Photo by Rahim Fortune
EDITOR’S NOTE: Durand Jones is No Depression’s Spotlight artist for May 2023. Look for more about him and his new album, Wait Til I Get Over, out May 5 on Dead Oceans, all month long.
If you thought you knew Durand Jones as an artist, think again.
For the past decade, the singer has carved out a role as co-lead singer of soul/R&B outfit Durand Jones and the Indications, serving as the rougher-hewn vocal counterpart to the saccharine falsetto of drummer Aaron Frazer. While Jones is fantastic in that capacity, he’s ready to show the world the full range of his skills and creativity on his solo debut.
Jones is releasing Wait Til I Get Over on May 5 via his and the Indications’ longtime label Dead Oceans. It’s an album that in terms of writing and recording is the culmination of nearly 10 years of thought and work. From an existential standpoint, it’s been a lifetime in the making.
Wait Til I Get Over tells the story of Jones’ hometown of Hillaryville, Louisiana, from its start as a community formed by eight former slaves who were given the land as reparations to its present-day sociopolitical travails. To bring this history and his own place in it to life, Jones broadened his sonic palette, pulling together soul, blues, jazz, hip-hop, and classical music to tell a cohesive, beautiful narrative.
“With doing a solo project, I wanted to try things I always wanted to, but never had the opportunity to do,” says Jones. “I knew that with this record I wanted to personally tell a story that was reflective of my own musical journey and express it in a way that’s not a cliché, but is cohesive.
“Honestly, all my life experiences ultimately led me to this moment. Each song, in one way or the other, really tackles a point in my life. I wanted to use the record in a way that could peel back the issues and traumas within myself that were weighing me down. Now that I’ve released them, I feel free.”
Getting It Right
The fulcrum on which Wait Til I Get Over pivots is defined by the album’s second track, a spoken word interlude titled “The Place You’d Most Want to Live.” Jones says:
“If you follow the Mississippi River as she swivels and turns tightly — unable to move freely because of the levy, you’ll find Hillaryville. A small place in Louisiana’s Atchafalaya basin. This place was founded by eight slaves who received it as a form of reparations after the American Civil War. Most visitors are still greeted by the tall, sprite green, green sugar cane basking in the presence of the sun. When asking my Gran ‘What was it like’ when she first moved to Hillaryville, her reply was always the same:
“The place you’d most want to live.”
Gran’s Hillaryville was much different than that of Jones’ childhood and the present day. Growing up, he experienced the community’s change from rural, Black Southern idyll to a place where history and tradition were falling to the wayside.
“Lord Have Mercy” is the visceral lead single on Wait Til I Get Over. Recorded in the studio with a live band, it’s an explosive blues-gospel hybrid that immediately follows “The Place You’d Most Want to Live” and serves as a way to contrast the varying generational experiences of living in the town.
“‘Lord Have Mercy’ is raw, raucous,” Jones explains. “I really wanted to lean in on the hardness of my vocals to highlight the difference between her generation and what it became: a place you wanted to escape. Oftentimes when I go home now, dudes tell me, ‘Yo, n—-, you got out!’ And I hate that so much.”
While he can reconcile the changes to Hillaryville now, that discrepancy was hard to live through as a kid.
“Growing up in Hillaryville, it was in a way tranquil and in other ways really raw. I love to call it ‘country ’hood,’” he says. “You’d see a Cadillac with 20-inch speakers blasting Master P, then you’d see someone riding down the road on a horse. I felt like I really got to see the elders, my grandma’s generation and the traditions they held being met with new traditions: technology, hip-hop. Being in the middle of that made me so anxious. I felt like seeing that, just the way the old and new go up against each other like that, made me want to leave even more.
“It took leaving to find myself. When I came back after leaving, I was more assured of myself,” Jones notes.
Leaving Hillaryville for college at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, allowed for two things to happen. First, he met his Indications bandmates. Just as importantly, it gave him the necessary space to think about Hillaryville and its historical and personal significance.
There aren’t many places in America with the backstory of Hillaryville and its status as a form of reparations. It made Jones think about its trajectory since its inception and how it went from a flourishing agricultural community to a struggling small town.
“I think Hillaryville’s legacy is living through the context of the place. It was given to eight formerly enslaved men as reparations after the Civil War; you rarely hear cases about (Black people) receiving reparations,” Jones says. “The first thing they did was create a community, built a school, church, restaurant, general store. It became self-sustaining.
“Most of the sugar cane is gone now, and there’s subdivisions. People don’t know the history and legacy of Hillaryville, or see it as a nuisance and want to wipe it down and put a development on top,” he continues. “Things changed so much in the community and I wanted to reflect that through the record by telling the story of Hillaryville and telling my story about how it made me who I am. My duty, part of my legacy, is to shed light on this place and show that America got it right with these eight men.”
Points of Reference
Finding the right opportunity to tell those stories took some time. In 2015, Jones and the Indications were picked up by Colemine Records, and they hooked up with Dead Oceans a couple years after that. Between 2016 and 2021, the group released three well-received records, with the latter two (American Love Song and Private Space) cracking the top 20 on the Billboard Indie chart and top five on the Heat chart.
That type of upward career arc and the group dynamic put Jones’ passion project on the backburner. Despite that, the ideas continued to percolate.
“The reason I waited, kept it in my back pocket, was that I was in deep with the Indications. We made three records, and I didn’t have the time and space to tell my own story,” he says. “At the time, I wasn’t necessarily writing with the purpose of creating a record. We tried a couple of the songs with the Indications but they didn’t really work. But the songs were building up and building up, so when the time came, I didn’t have to start from scratch.”
After the release of Private Space in July 2021 and its ensuing tour, the members of the Indications got to work on their own individual projects. Drummer Aaron Frazer commenced activity on a second solo album, which should be released this year, and keyboard player Steve Okonski released a Frazer-produced jazz record titled Magnolia in February.
Jones, who now lives in San Antonio, was able to pursue what became Wait Til I Get Over. The song ideas came together fast, and he used this time to mix it up a bit and pursue an eclectic sonic palette that touched on the full range of his musical tastes and college studies in classical music.
“Honestly, all of the songs really came easily. I feel like they found me in some ways,” he says. “Because it’s so personal and everything came from experience and was so fresh and raw at the time, I was in a good place to be creative and workshop.
“It was really varied for me, a lot of going to the piano, hearing chords, and figuring out what fit with them,” Jones continues. “Otis Redding, The Beatles, Wilson Pickett, Donny Hathaway were really influential.”
But his biggest creative influences weren’t musical at all. Jones drew inspiration from literature, namely Sula by Toni Morrison, Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward, and Just Above My Head by James Baldwin. These novels trace the history of relationships and community and, in the case of the Baldwin novel, focus on queer identity, ideas that are crucial components in Wait Til I Get Over.
In the studio, Jones drew on other non-musical reference points, from photos of Hillaryville that he and photographer Rahim Fortune worked together on to artwork he found moving. The goal was to stoke his and his band’s creativity.
“Once I was given a chance to create this record, I revisited all those novels and writers. They were really influential because I wanted this to be a musical novel, my musical memoir,” he says. “Even more in the studio, working with [album co-producer] Drake Ritter, we drew on other influences. I held up a picture of this painting by Anna Buckner and said, ‘I want a groove as amorphous, as cool as this painting is.’
“It got super abstract. Not too many musicians are into hearing weird-ass shit like, ‘That was too purple, I need more red,’” Jones adds with a laugh.
Unpacking and Elevating
There’s a lyric in the album’s title track where Jones sings, “Wait ’til I get over, I’m gonna lay my burdens down.” It’s an apt metaphor for the emotional release he felt in completing the record.
“‘Burdens’ is a perfect word; there was a big feeling of letting these emotions wash away and lifting myself free of them,” he says. “It was a therapeutic process where I was able to unpack so much trauma, there was this sense of elevation from having never been this vulnerable before and finding strength.”
That vulnerability is most heartrendingly expressed by the song “That Feeling.” The ballad is a first for Jones. He’s written and sang love songs before, but never ones about himself, about one of his relationships and his identity as a queer man.
“Whenever I write love songs, I try to be as ambiguous as possible because I want people to feel comfortable singing along. So many songs I love, I could tell they weren’t intended for me to sing,” he says. “But with this being so personal, I needed to not be ambiguous and be straightforward.
“I wanted to highlight important love stories in my life — ‘Gerri Marie,’ ‘Sadie’ — I needed to put ‘That Feeling’ on the record.”
Now that Wait Til I Get Over is out in the world, Jones is touring behind it with the Bloomington-based musicians who played on it. He warns listeners “don’t expect an Indications show,” but to be ready for one helluva time.
“I want to blow their minds, like Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. I want riots in the streets,” he says lightheartedly.
He’s also looking ahead to his next solo endeavor. Jones says he would like to explore classical and jazz composition and further “encapsulate who I am musically.”
Also on his mind is a proper sequel to Wait Til I Get Over. He doesn’t necessarily have anything written for it, but Jones understands what he wants it to sound like and what the overarching concept would be.
“I fit into my town because the town made me who I am, and I really tried to show that sonically,” he says. “I’ve been thinking about a part two because this record is the sense of longing for your home. The next one, I want to actually be home.
“I want to play with all my Louisiana friends that I haven’t played with in forever. I want it to feel like Louisiana.”


The Project for the Advancement of Our Common Humanity (PACH) and 20 other NYC organizations are having a love rally in Washington Square Park on April 10th from 2pm-4pm. Please join them! They will have over 35 world leaders, activists, interfaith leaders, youth groups, a gospel choir, musical groups, spoken word poets, and many others joining together to celebrate love for our common humanity. The rally is in response to the radical hate that is consuming our political conversations and our daily lives. PACH wants to show the world, as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is doing, that there is another way to respond to hate and violence than simply more hate and violence. Join them as they come together as a community of New Yorkers to fight radical hate with radical love.
Here is a link for a promo video by Sweet Honey in the Rock for the Rally. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCnWKnHUcP0&feature=youtu.be
Carol Maillard, from Sweet Honey in the Rock, will be welcoming the crowd and their songs, recorded for the Love Rally, will be aired on the video screen.
For more information, check out the Facebook event page below:


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John Williamson & Michael Chong: If the coronavirus emergency legislation is any indication, Parliament must remain open | Macleans
Michael Chong and John Williamson: Ottawa’s pandemic response plan requires ongoing public scrutiny to ensure that government is doing the best job it can. That can only happen if Parliament is playing its essential, constitutional role.
Leader of the Government in the House of Commons Pablo Rodriguez rises to ask for an extension of the sitting day in the House of Commons Parliament in the House of Commons on Mar. 24, 2020 in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/CP)
To sit or not to sit? This is the questions parliamentarians are asking with Canada facing a twin shock unprecedented for our generation—a simultaneous pandemic and economic crisis. In response to these shocks, the Trudeau government is dramatically ramping up spending and aid programs to help working families and struggling businesses.
Some say we cannot sit and risk spreading COVID-19, yet hundreds of thousands of Canadians are working daily to keep essential services operating. Parliament must also do its part to pass the government’s essential wage subsidy bill. The proposed assistance will not get out the door if it isn’t sanctioned by the House of Commons and Senate. Others suggest establishing a virtual Parliament. But we lack both the technological ability to run Parliament from afar, and our rules, which can only be changed with a sitting, don’t permit it. And others want a blitz session to pass the wage subsidy bill and whatever else the government wants. Yet this would mean Members of Parliament fulfilling only half their twin-responsibilities—approving government spending but neglecting to seek answers on program design and delivery.
What matters most to Canadians is not the billions of dollars spent, but a successful delivery of Ottawa’s relief package. As such, Parliament, with appropriate social distancing measures, should continue to sit throughout the duration of the coronavirus pandemic.
No political party has a monopoly on good ideas. Evidence and experience say the best public policy outcomes are realized by testing and scrutinizing proposals up front, not weeks or months from now. It’s no exaggeration to say every aid program the Liberals announced has subsequently been improved with direct input from Conservative, NDP, Green and Bloc MPs. And when the federal government overreached, it was opposition MPs that corrected its course.
Several weeks ago, the federal government gave notice it needed Parliament to pass emergency legislation, allowing the implementation of sweeping measures to respond to the pandemic and to assist millions of Canadians who have lost their livelihoods. MPs of all parties responded by signalling their readiness to work collaboratively and get the job done.
When the House of Commons met with some 30 MPs (a tenth the usual number for social distancing purposes), the objective was to rapidly approve emergency legislation (Bill C-13) to implement the government’s previously announced aid for Canadians. It would be large, it would allow the government to act, and it would have accountability oversight from Canada’s elected representatives. With lives in danger and the economy in deep trouble, politics as usual was shelved.
Or so some of us thought. Yes, the legislation proposed by the Trudeau government included pandemic measures and a relief package for Canadians, but the legislation also gave the government unprecedented authoritarian powers that went well beyond the pandemic. The legislation proposed to suspend Parliament’s authority to approve taxation and spending for almost two years, until the end of 2021, giving immense power to the PMO.
In response, opposition MPs said, “no.” The government was told to get back to the drawing board. After hours of negotiation, the government relented, removing the offending parts of the legislation, and Parliament passed a better law.
So, what happened within those frantic 18 hours? Minutes after its noon opening on Mar. 24, Liberals quickly moved to suspend the House of Commons realizing they didn’t have the votes to proceed. For the legislation to pass in one sitting, the House of Commons needed the unanimous consent of MPs present to suspend its usual procedures. That meant every lawmaker had significant input on the government’s final relief package.
Government and opposition leaders dug in to negotiate wording; entire sections of the government bill were dropped. At the same time, Conservative MPs were outlining their bottom line in texts, emails or in hallway conversations to our parliamentary leadership. When MPs were finally summoned backed to the House of Commons at 3 a.m. on Mar. 25, the Liberal government had come to its senses, backed down, and tabled a radically amended bill.
On taxes, opposition MPs preserved Parliament’s privilege over taxation and removed the government’s ability to raise taxes without parliamentary approval. But this reversal was only the opening act. MPs also affirmed parliamentary oversight of new spending by curtailing the government push for unlimited spending powers. Instead of unlimited spending power to the end of 2021, the government will now have the power to spend on measures related to the pandemic and economic fallout until the end of September.
In addition, any spending under these measures will be scrutinized by the public accounts, finance committees and the Auditor General. The finance committee also gains the ability to recall the Commons within 48 hours if anything egregious is found. And the health committee with be meeting regularly to scrutinize the government’s activities with respect to COVID-19.
Opposition MPs also were able to get measures included in the legislation to clarify the purpose of the government’s spending. The government wanted a blank cheque. Instead, it was forced to spell out what it needed. The government wanted unlimited powers to the end of 2021. Oppositions MPs refused and put a sunset clause on every new government power under this bill. They will expire on September 30, 2020.
So, all in all a good day. The government’s massively improved bill finally won approval from MPs 18 hours after the House of Commons began sitting. The government was given the tools to act quickly and its aid relief package passed on division, meaning MPs allowed the legislation to pass quickly but with dissent from the Conservative bench.
The emergency legislation, Bill C-13, is not perfect. Despite many improvements, the federal government still has extraordinary spending power until the end of September. The first bit of evidence surfaced within hours of Bill C-13 passing. Initially, the government had announced $82-billion in economic measures, yet within hours of the bill’s passage, the Prime Minister added another $25 billion, bringing the government’s total package to $107 billion. This amount is increasing daily and parliamentary review is needed. Today’s blockbuster deficit spending in response to the pandemic could mean higher taxes, added debt-interest payments and less spending capacity in the future. New spending must achieve its objectives with as little waste as possible.
Perhaps more worrisome is the provision in Bill C-13 that allows a minister to bypass Parliament and change a law—the Employment Insurance Act—by ministerial order. This is deeply worrying. It also opens the door to the introduction of a permanent guaranteed annual income without any scrutiny from Parliament or endorsement from Canadian voters in a general election. Given the urgent need to help Canadians quickly, it’s a risk the country will accept, for now. These are challenges MPs need to resolve when the pandemic has passed.
Parliament still has more work to do. Ottawa’s pandemic response and relief plan requires ongoing public scrutiny, to ensure accountability and to ensure that government is doing the best job it can. That can only happen if Parliament is playing its essential, constitutional role.
For the government to do a better job—to save lives and livelihoods—the opposition must be able to hold it accountable. Parliament must remain open.
Originally Published in Maclean's Magazine
Michael Chong and John Williamson are Conservative Members of Parliament for Wellington—Halton Hills and New Brunswick Southwest, respectively. Mr. Chong is the opposition democratic institutions critic and Mr. Williamson is the labour critic.


I have a 1996 Chevy Blazer, 137,000 miles, 4.7l engine, auto trans, 4wd and am experiencing a fuel line leak. One of the lines has already been replaced, prior to my purchase, and there is another leak. I am looking for a diagram that shows me which line is which running along the frame. I need to replace another line and want to make sure I am replacing the right one. Any help or advice would be appreciated.
I have a 2000 4.3 litre 4x4 and also had a fuel leak. It was coming from the line that runs from the tank, and behind the rear driver side wheel well. The line is steel and it rusted. I only saw the leak when the truck was running. The pressure made the gas spray out.