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SOUL SEARCHING: Trump and the GOP leave Democrats searching for answers.
Democrats also hoped to picked off as many as six or seven GOP Senate seats, but once again it appears that every close race — with the exception of the election to replace outgoing Minority Leader Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) — went to the Republicans. And they might end up losing only the seat belonging to incumbent Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) — although incumbent Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) remains locked in a too-close-to-call battle with Democratic challenger Gov. Maggie Hassan. Ayotte was clinging to a narrow lead in the early morning hours Wednesday. It also appears, stunningly, that Republicans may have held serve or better in the House, where Democrats were hoping to pick up between 10 and 20 seats.
Democrats were so confident of victory — at least in the presidential race — that they appear to have engaged in absolutely no contingency planning for a Trump victory. Texas Democratic Rep. Marc Veasey brashly stated last week that a Trump victory was “never talked about in much depth or detail” among Democrats: “[T]he guy is such a joke. We can’t fathom it and therefore are not planning for it.” Team Clinton is already producing spin suggesting that they saw this defeat coming, but even if that is true, most Democrats are waking up this morning to a sobering reality: Their party has a major problem connecting with American voters. Worse, the problem is so acute that they lost to a candidate who seemed, in so many ways, to be a poor caricature of the worst qualities of their partisan opposition.
It wasn’t supposed to be this way for the Democrats.
It’s worse than even all that.
The wave elections of 2010 and 2014, and now the Trump-GOP victories of last night, have left the Democrat bench so depleted that… Tim Kaine might be the closest thing they have to a standard-bearer. Kaine, who could barely get three Democrats to stand in line to shake his hand.
Who picks up the Democrats’ banner tomorrow? And which other Democrat will steal it away from them for not being Progressive/Liberal/Angry/Minority/Whatever enough? The torch must be passed, but there’s no one holding it and no one to pass it off to. Lots of Dems are going to get burned trying to pick it up.
The GOP underwent similar antics after the previous two presidential contests, and an ongoing civil war since Trump started scoring primary wins. Trump’s GOP, for better and for worse, is not the Old GOP — and its painful evolution isn’t complete.
The Democrats are going to have to go through the same wrenching processes, but from an even weaker position politically than the GOP was in from 2009-2011.
Complete list of States where the Democrats could pick up Senate seats in 2018:
Not a lot of easy targets.
— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) November 9, 2016
As another tweeter added, Democrats “also have to defend Indiana, Montana, Missouri, North Dakota, and West Virginia. Simply put, they’re screwed.”
The magnitude of their loss, their precarious future, is dawning on them now, if it hasn’t already. West Virginia Democrat Senator Jim Manchin knows — he knew last night — and is rumored to be considering switching parties.
And yet things for the Dems are worse than even all that, too.
Barack Obama will remain beloved by the rank-and-file, but party leaders and would-be party leaders understand that he has done more damage to a party’s brand, structure, and standing than any American politician since Herbert Hoover. The GOP took decades to recover from Hoover’s debacle.
Conservatives not only had electoral tailwinds going into 2010, they also enjoyed the organic rise of the Tea Party to bolster spirits and provide the electoral shock troops necessary for winning back the House after just one election cycle. The Democrats have tried for seven years now to create a similar movement, and failed. Remember the “Coffee Party”? No? You’re not alone.
The closest thing Democrats managed to a grassroots success came in the form of an aging socialist named Bernie Sanders — who likely would have faired even worse in the general election than Clinton did. Even Sanders has dropped his short-lived party membership, although he will still caucus with the shrinking party which not only spurned him, but that lied and cheated to do so.
All of that, just to nominate the worst campaigner since Dukakis, and the dirtiest politician since Nixon. A political party doesn’t just say “Oh well!” and get on with life, not with so much money and power in the balance, and so many giant egos fighting over a smaller share of the spoils.
The Democrats control the bulk of the media and our educational institutions, but those proved no good to them last night. I expect the coming frenzy will engulf them too, if to a lesser degree.
For now then the Democratic Party is a wounded beast, and it will lash out ferociously. The interior fights will be ugly; the desperate attacks on the GOP will be uglier.
Try not to get too near.
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A court in Uruguay has for the first time recognized the legal marriage of a gay couple.
Judge Eduardo Martinez recognized on appeal the legality of a marriage entered into in Spain, where Socialists legalized marriage equality in 2005.
The binational couple lives in both Uruguay and Spain, El Pais reported.
Attorney Michelle Suarez, a legal adviser to the gay rights group Ovejas Negras (Black Sheep), intervened to represent the couple. She is considered the nation’s first openly transgender person to practice law.
“This ruling turns the jurisprudence that has existed in Uruguay in the last 40 years,” she told the paper.
The couple now has all the rights and responsibilities of marriage, Suarez explained.
“This ruling opens a paradox because a gay couple cannot marry in Uruguay but, for example, they travel and marry in Argentina that marriage could be legalized in our country,” she said.
Gay rights group Ovejas Negras described the ruling as “historic” in a statement posted on its website.
Currently, Uruguay recognizes gay and lesbian couples with civil unions. After a couple has lived in a “stable relationship” for 5 years they may petition the government for recognition.
by On Top Magazine Staff
Source – On Top Magazine


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JK Rowling British author of best sellers Harry Potter series denied US supreme civilian honor. Members of administration supposed author encouraged witchcraft.
Officials feared her stories about a teenage wizard might encourage children in US to turn away from God and drive themselves to dark side or dark evils. Due to this reason, JK Rowling name was not included amongst those receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This award salutes contribution to US national interest, world peace, or cultural events. John Steinbeck and Harper Lee are amongst the one to receive this award in past literary works. Twitter largely was saddened, aggravated, and puzzled because of Bush administration. There are reports saying Bush gave award to people who helped him to start the war in Iraq such as ex British Prime Minister Tony Blair, ex CIA director George Tenet, and the head of Coalition Provisional Authority Paul Bremer. US President Barack Obama in recent times bequeath honor on physicist Stephen Hawking.
Umm cough BULLSHIT cough! ? It’s so damn ridiculous I have response.
What do you think?

domain: news


- Made of 100% rib-knit cotton
- Note: for child's safety, garment should fit snugly. This garment is not flame resistant. Loose fitting garment is more likely to catch fire.
- Rib-knit crew neck and banded sleeve cuffs
- Bat eyes graphic design at front glows in the dark
- For best glow effect, expose to light before wearing
- Pants have pull-on elasticized waistband
- Allover bat print
- Banded leg cuffs


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Katie Price has vowed to give up alcohol following reports she behaved badly at a company’s Christmas party after a few too many drinks.
The former glamour model attended EnergySave’s festive celebration with her ex-boyfriend Dane Bowers this week where she declared him “the love of my life” despite being married to Kieran Hayler.
Businesswoman Katie, who dated Dane from 1998 to 2000, arrived in a Rolls Royce with the singer and DJ as husband Kieran was nowhere to be seen.
At the bash, she was said to be “very touchy-feely” with him before getting up in front of the crowded room, exclaiming she was going to “f**king sing” and attempting Whitney Houston’s I Have Nothing.
The reality star was then said to have stripped off in the toilets as she groped fellow party guests and called the other women there “s**ts”.
It has also been claimed Katie brought her disabled son into her drunken rant, saying: “I love all my kids, though Harvey… Whatever.”
Katie has since insisted she is usually very well behaved but admitted she has finally realised that drinking too much doesn’t bring out her best side.
She said during an appearance Loose Women: “Lately there have been stories in the press that have made me out to be a rowdy drunk.
“It just doesn’t agree with me… Because I’m small it affects me too much.
“I’m not going to drink for the whole year. I’m not just going to do a dry January, I’m going to do the whole year.”
Her decision comes after EnergySave’s Jason Rowan said he wanted the £13,000 he paid for her to appear at his party back.
He told the Daily Mirror: “She was drunk when she arrived and as the evening went on she just got worse and worse. She was a total nightmare…
“It was so embarrassing. She made a terrible remark to a woman with short hair about cancer and then stripped off in the ladies’ loo in front of several women including my 16-year-old daughter who she swore at.
“Everybody couldn’t wait to see the back of her. I want a refund because she spoiled the party rather than enhanced it. But I don’t suppose in reality I will see a penny of it.”
The generous businessman spent a whopping £100,000 on the party for his 180 staff.
Since the event, Katie has been posting pictures of her children on her social media pages in a bid to project a wholesome image.
And her ex Dane stood up for her, insisting it wasn’t necessarily Katie who was in the wrong.
He tweeted: “Still amazes me how ‘classless’ people can be when they sell stories to the papers… irony in its best form.
“Really makes me giggle when those ‘classy’ people of the world are really proud they made the front page with a story full of rubbish #companygoals.”
A message on the business’s Twitter page read: “@danebowers Still amazes me how classless people can ruin an event that took a lot of hard work to put on. Meeting you on the other hand was a pleasure.
“@danebowers The company’s goal was to expect a professional job for a sizeable fee. The video evidence kind of backs up the story. #zlistcelebritygoals.”

domain: celebrity


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Kovilpatti Venkateswara Hospitals
- Instructional Course: Orthopaedic Spine Surgery 11th Ulm Spine week – 16th-21st March, 2003
- Practising Observer , Oberer Eselsberg, Ulm, Germany – 22nd March-7th April
- Clinical Attachment- Orthopaedics, Traumatology, Joint Replacement, Calderdale & Hudderfield NHS Trust – 08th – 28th April, 2003
- Clinical/Surgical Attachment- National Spinal Injuries Centre, Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Ayelsbury, UK Cadaveric Advanced Arthroplasty Course, CheingMai, Thailand
- Fellowship in Endospine surgery with Dr. Jean Destandau, Bordeaux,France. Fellowship In Transforaminal Endoscopic Spine Surgery -28th April – 9th May 2003
- Advanced Trauma management Course & Workshop, SRMC&RI -October, 1999
- Live demo, hands on workshop in Spinal surgery & UMEX External Fixator -October, 1999
- CME-Geriatric Orthopaedics, IOA -December, 1999
- CME- Recent Advances / hands on workshop on Illizarov -April, 2000
- CME/ Hands on workshop on Illizarov GRH, Chennai -October, 2000
- Current Instrumentation in Spine, IOA -November, 2000
- Trauma Symposium & Workshop, SRMC -January, 2001
- POSICON workshop on Orthofix -March, 2001
- CME-Limb lengthening equalization & hands on Illizarov & Orthofix -October, 2001
- Madras Ortho Course -January, 2002
- Indian Arthroscopy Academy -April, 2002
- CME Primary Uncemented THR – February, 2003
- Workshop On Krypton Spinal Instrumentation -February, 2003
- AO Spine Seminar LVDP -March, 2007
- Masters Course on Minimally Invasive Spine surgery -October, 2008
- Primary THA, IOA -December, 2008
- Various other Instructional courses, CMEs, Workshops
- Indian Orthopaedic Association.
- Tamilnadu Orthopaedic Association.
- Spinal Cord Society of India.
- Indo-German Orthopaedic Foundation.
- Association Of Spine Surgeons Of India.
- AO Spine .
- Worked with Dr.M.Srinivasan, Orthopaedic surgeon par excellence from 1992 till 2003.
- Worked as Orthopaedic, Spine, Trauma Surgeon at Appasamy Hospital, Chennai from 1999 to 2003.
- During the period had operated upon around 134 cases of post polio residual paralysis / cerebral palsy deformities.
- Practiced with renowned Spine surgeon Dr.Prasath Kekre during the above period visiting various hospitals in and around Chennai.
- Practicing as Orthopaedic, Spine, Joint Replacement, Trauma Surgeon at Kovilpatti Venkateswara Hospitals, Kovilpatti.

domain: medical


Linux as a Backup E-mail Server
Setting up a fall-back e-mail server using a Linux system running on older hardware is an excellent tool to preserve incoming e-mail in the event of a disaster on your primary server. While I am backing up a Microsoft Exchange server, the same technique can be used to back up an SMTP server from any vendor. Setting up the fall-back server costs nearly nothing other than the time required for configuration. Having a very stable system completely independent of the rest of our network has also proven useful. Since I first configured bartleby, I have set up a collection of relatively simple scripts to watch other services on our network and page me in the event of an irregularity.
A fall-back e-mail system is a good way to sneak Linux into a low profile but “mission-critical” application in your organization. Once you've proven Linux is a “real” operating system to any skeptical decision maker, you can begin to utilize it in higher-profile roles.
Free DevOps eBooks, Videos, and more!
Regardless of where you are in your DevOps process, Linux Journal can help!
We offer here the DEFINITIVE DevOps for Dummies, a mobile Application Development Primer, and advice & help from the expert sources like:
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- Localhost DNS Cache
- Real-Time Rogue Wireless Access Point Detection with the Raspberry Pi
- Days Between Dates: the Counting
- You're the Boss with UBOS
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When life handed Meghan Trainor lemons...
She made a hit song out of it.
Meghan Trainor wrote the catchy cute single after doctors ordered her to cancel her tour and cease using her voice for four months. She opted for vocal surgery and didn't speak for two weeks afterwards, and the result is "Better When I’m Dancin'" from The Peanuts Movie.
The film's director, Steve Martino, asked Trainor to create a song for the film that exudes confidence. “They wanted a song about confidence and knew I was good at writing those. I feel better when I’m onstage dancing and having fun, so I wrote about that,” Trainor said in July. “I feel better when I’m on stage, dancing and distracted. So that’s what I wrote about: feeling better when you’re dancing and having fun and forgetting about everything else.”
The music video for the song drops today (Oct. 14) via Apple Music, and that confidence Trainor mentioned can be seen throughout her scenes of cookie-cutter choreography and black & white to color cuts. Whether she's all about that bass in a red dress or giving her best duck face as a '50s diner waitress, Trainor knows how to turn a frown upside down.
Watch the music video below then enjoy some behind-the-scenes clips:
Trainor gave her first television interview since her vocal surgery on The Ellen DeGeneres Show today.
"The phone is how I spoke to people," she explains. "I had an app that texts to speech where you can type in stuff and you can speak like a robot."
Watch that plus her performance of "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" with John Legend:


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If you want to know if the School of Nursing Anua-Uyo admission form 2024/2025 academic session is out, then you are on the right page. We will show you how to apply for Uyo School of Nursing form 2024 successfully via the Uyo School of Nursing portal.
Read on to see how to register for admission successfully, the entry requirements for the basic nursing program, the application process, the scheduled date for the entrance examination, the cost of Anua-Uyo School of Nursing form 2024, School of Nursing Uyo form closing date 2024, and other information concerning the admission exercise.
See the admission requirements and how to apply for the Anua-Uyo School of Nursing admission form 2024 below.
Anua-Uyo School of Nursing Form 2024/2025
If you want to apply for admission to Akwa Ibom State School of Nursing and Midwifery, Uyo, for the Basic Nursing and Midwifery program for the 2024/2025 academic session, then we will show you everything you need to know about the admission processes.
These include the registration deadline for the School of Nursing Anua-Uyo application form, entry requirements, qualifications, and how to access the Akwa Ibom State School of Nursing Uyo admission form 2024/2025.
See the entry requirements and how to apply for the Uyo School of Nursing admission form 2024 below.
Requirements for School of Nursing Uyo Form 2024/2025
Candidates for admission into School of Nursing and Midwifery, Anua-Uyo must prepare for the school entrance examination.
Also, to apply for School of Nursing and Midwifery Uyo admission form, interested applicants must not be below the age of sixteen (16) years at the time of application.
Also, candidates must have their WAEC, NECO, or GCE with at least FIVE CREDIT passes including Biology, English Language, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics at not more than two sittings.
The Akwa Ibom State School of Nursing Uyo admission form costs N12,500 (Twelve Thousand Five Hundred Naira Only).
Now that you know the requirements and the cost of the Uyo School of Nursing form, let’s see how to apply for admission. See how to apply for the School of Nursing Uyo form 2024 below.
How to Apply for Akwa Ibom State School of Nursing Uyo Admission Form 2024/2025
We strongly advise you to download the school entrance exam past questions and answers in order to prepare for the school entrance examination. Download here: School of Nursing Uyo Past Questions and Answers.
Candidates interested in the admission exercise are to visit the school premises in order to participate in the registration exercise.
Registration commences from Monday – Friday between the hours of 8:30 am – 3:00 pm daily except for public holidays and weekends at the Nursing Services Directorate, Ministry of Health headquarters, Idongesit Nkanga Secretariat, Uyo.
- Registration fee – N5,000.00
- Processing fee – N7,000.00
- Nursing and Midwifery Committee – N200.00
- Customized file – N300.00
The entrance examination date for Uyo School of Nursing has not yet been announced. We will update this page once the Akwa Ibom State School of Nursing Uyo entrance examination date is announced.
Hope you have taken note of the entry requirements for School of Nursing Uyo form, and how to apply for the 2024/2025 Uyo School of Nursing admission form. We wish you Good luck and hope you gain admission this year!


About the Talk
May 23, 2011 10:20 AM
Bergen, NorwayBergen, Norway
Until now Web 2.0 has successfully sprinkled our favourite websites with a decent amount of Ajax Goodness. These sites are still just that though, websites mostly reliant upon the traditional HTTP request-response cycle, but where an increasing number of requests are now XHR. On the other hand the need for Internet applications that have a desktop-like feel have started to become a customer requirement. For this to be a reality, powerful frameworks to power the development of these Internet applications are necessary.
Enter SproutCore and Cappuccino, two frameworks with a promise to change the way we design, build and deploy Internet applications. This talk will go through the benefits of putting the business logic where it belongs - in the client - in contrast to the more traditional rich web-frameworks like JavaServer Faces, Wicket or even JQuery.


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Board games have always been a popular pastime for people of all ages. Whether you’re a child or an adult, there’s something about sitting around a table with friends and family, strategizing and competing, that brings out the inner gamer in all of us. If you’re looking for some new games to add to your collection, or if you’re a board game enthusiast searching for your next favorite, we’ve got you covered. Here are 10 fun and exciting board games that are sure to bring hours of laughter and entertainment to your game nights.
1. Settlers of Catan: The Classic Game of Strategy and Negotiation
Settlers of Catan is a game that has taken the board game world by storm. In this game, players take on the role of settlers trying to build and develop their own civilizations on the island of Catan. The game combines strategy, negotiation, and a little bit of luck, making it an engaging and dynamic experience for players of all skill levels. With multiple expansions and variations available, Settlers of Catan offers endless replayability and is a must-have for any board game enthusiast.
2. Pandemic: Work Together to Save the World
In Pandemic, players work together as a team of specialists trying to stop the spread of deadly diseases across the globe. Each player has a unique role and special abilities, and teamwork is crucial to successfully contain and cure the diseases before they escalate into a global pandemic. With its cooperative gameplay and challenging objectives, Pandemic is a thrilling and immersive game that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
3. Codenames: Test Your Spycraft and Deduction Skills
Codenames is a word association game that puts players in the shoes of secret agents trying to decipher the code names of their fellow operatives. Using clever wordplay and deduction, players must give and guess one-word clues to identify the correct code names while avoiding the enemy agents. With its simple rules and endless possibilities, Codenames is a game that will have you coming back for more.
4. Ticket to Ride: Embark on an Epic Train Adventure
Ticket to Ride is a game that combines strategy and luck as players compete to build the best train network across North America. Collecting and playing train cards, claiming routes, and completing destination tickets are all part of the gameplay, and every decision counts. With its beautiful artwork and easy-to-learn rules, Ticket to Ride is a game that will captivate both new and experienced players.
5. Carcassonne: Build a Medieval Landscape
Carcassonne is a tile-placement game where players create a medieval landscape by placing tiles with various features like cities, roads, and fields. As the game progresses, players strategically place their meeples on the tiles to claim cities, roads, and farms, earning points along the way. With its simple yet deep gameplay, Carcassonne is a game that will keep you engaged from start to finish.
6. Splendor: Become a Renaissance Merchant
Splendor is a game of gem-collecting and card-buying set in the Renaissance period. Players take on the role of merchants trying to acquire the most prestigious gem mines, transportation methods, and artisans to create the most impressive jewelry collection. With its elegant gameplay and beautiful components, Splendor is a game that will make you feel like a true Renaissance merchant.
7. Dixit: Unleash Your Imagination
Dixit is a game of storytelling and visual interpretation. Each round, one player takes on the role of the storyteller and provides a clue based on a beautifully illustrated card. The other players then choose cards from their hand that they think best match the clue, and everyone tries to guess which card belongs to the storyteller. With its whimsical artwork and open-ended gameplay, Dixit is a game that sparks creativity and imagination.
8. Azul: Create a Stunning Mosaic
Azul is a game of tile-drafting and pattern-building inspired by the art of Moorish design. Players take turns drafting and placing colored tiles onto their personal player board, aiming to create the most visually pleasing and strategically advantageous mosaic. With its stunning components and elegant gameplay, Azul is a game that combines beauty and strategy in a unique way.
9. 7 Wonders: Build the Greatest Civilization
7 Wonders is a game of civilization-building where players take on the role of ancient leaders trying to create the most impressive civilization in history. Through drafting cards, managing resources, and constructing wonders, players must make strategic decisions to outmaneuver their opponents and secure victory. With its deep gameplay and multiple paths to victory, 7 Wonders is a game that will challenge even the most seasoned strategists.
10. King of Tokyo: Battle for Monster Supremacy
King of Tokyo is a game of monstrous mayhem where players take on the role of giant monsters vying for control of Tokyo. With dice rolling and card playing, players attack, heal, and gain victory points to become the ultimate King of Tokyo. With its fast-paced gameplay and interactive elements, King of Tokyo is a game that will bring out the competitive side in everyone.
So there you have it, 10 fun and exciting board games to add to your collection. Whether you’re a fan of strategy, cooperation, wordplay, or just good old-fashioned competition, there’s a game on this list for everyone. So gather your friends and family, clear the table, and get ready for hours of laughter and entertainment with these fantastic board games.

domain: game


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Born from a love of design and making, Miss Ginger's sells fabric, haberdashery and crafting products. Huge range of cotton fabric from Liberty of to London, Alexander Henry, Makower, Michael Miller, Robert Kaufman to name a few. Dressmaking and quilting patterns and books on sale. Machine hire available plus classes coming soon.
More shops and stalls

domain: hobby


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I remember – with an admittedly nostalgic reflection – those days of my childhood when digital distractions were not present in my life. Many probably see this developing habit of saying how great the past was as a sign that I am getting older, but I have serious reasons to believe this is not yet the case!
The days in the “carefree past of my youth” are somehow an index of how today’s digital and multimedia technology has affected our ability to be focused, or mindful or conscious or alert, with a clear mind and thought processes; choose the term you wish, it’s all the same problem really.
So, back in those “carefree” days, a person had more time to contemplate, simply because she wasn’t so easily tempted by the digital world that exists today. No tablets, smartphones, video games, internet games, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, chatrooms, online streaming movies, you name it. Back in those days, a child had to employ her/his creativity in order to play with simple toys, like dolls, or cars, or water colours, or even read a book.
In the summers, the afternoon siesta was almost a law, and children knew that even if they stayed awake, they had to be extra quiet in order to respect the other family members’ sleep. During these silent afternoons, children were developing strategies to pass the time, until the moment they would play again. They would read, draw or invent stories using the shadows on the walls created by the sunny rays inside the closed curtains. They would observe the foraging of an ant in search for food, or they would play with their sticker, stamp or coin collection.
These hours of peace and quiet were a great way to allow not only children, but people of all ages to unleash their imagination and their innovative spirit. These moments strengthened their ability for patience, focus on a mental project, their discipline and their ability to pass big moments of the day without the unnecessary excitation that a digital amusement provides.
Today, we have quite naively relied on all these “gifts” which technology bore to us and have stopped using a very vital property of our human behaviour, the one that really justifies our “humanness”. This is our ability to be conscious, or as the trend lately terms it, to be mindful.
All of our daily life is strongly intertwined with the digital gadgets of modern technology, most of which carry a SCREEN that entirely absorbs – or even more accurately devours – our attention, particularly our visual attention. TV sets, computers, tablets, smartphones, smartwatches, you name it, are here to demand from us most of our attention and override our procedure of thinking and reasoning with an overabundance of information and noise. As a result, modern humans are used to a new way of life, where at any moment they are conditioned to automatically search for a noisy thought to preoccupy their mind. Such “brain noise”, as I call it, comes from a variety of sources, everything from music, news and TV shows to YouTube, Facebook and so on. Furthermore the urban environments, where the majority of the population lives, contain numerous additional noises, which are the products of technology. Big avenues and little streets full of moaning cars, klaxons, industrial sites, machines of all kinds, construction sites, alarms, ambulance or police sirens – all of these work to create a constant condition of environmental noises that more or less attract the humans’ mind and partly – at least – contribute to the absent-mindedness that people living in big cities experience.
Little by little, following this way of behaviour, we forget to be mindful during our daily activities. This brain noise, which we are constantly exposed to, has led us to alter some of our more innate behaviours and has forced us to follow a new non-conscious lifestyle.
Some may wonder why this bothers me and why, if this noise is so much a part of our world today, is it worth mentioning? A shift in human behaviour is my answer. I can’t help but notice the devastating side effects noise brings about in human behaviour. Most of these behaviours are so well embedded into our daily culture that we don’t even realise they are not a natural part of who we are as humans. But the truth is, these distractions are not promoting the best possible condition of human life and thus they are counterproductive for us.
Let’s take a look at some of these imperceptibly present, “mind-less” habits we have subconsciously adopted and some simple solutions to overcome them.
We have developed very sloppy eating habits since technology has become a part of our world. We eat in front of the TV or the laptop or the smart phone, and thus we don’t even realise the quality and quantity of the food we consume.
Most of us live in an environment where food exists in abundance; culinary temptations surround us every moment of the day, and very often we succumb to their callings with negative results for our health. Surrounded by the distractions of technology, we have lost the ability to mindfully eat. Oftentimes, we don’t even take the time to enjoy our food. Many food disorders derive from this attitude. Obesity, anorexia, bulimia, diabetes mellitus, cholesterol, hypertension, and diseases linked with malnutrition are often correlated with mindless eating.
A mindful solution: Let’s adopt some of the old habits of eating together (at least during the weekend), as a family or with our friends, in a “screen-less” environment, with peace and calmness and an openness to those around us. When we eat it is important to give all of our senses to this culinary experience; our vision processing the image of the food, the olfaction processing the smell of the food, the tactile senses processing the texture of the food, the taste buds processing the flavours of the food. It has been proven that when we mindfully eat, we tend to eat without excess and we enjoy our food more. Keeping mindful about the quantity of food we eat allows us to listen to our bodies and not eat more than our system necessitates. Also, we are more careful about the quality of food we choose, and we avoid the unhealthy and processed ingredients.
More and more individuals complain today about sleep problems. The modern ways of life force us to stay awake more hours of the day on a daily basis. Before the introduction of electricity into human life, humans used to sleep more than eight hours, and they were in bed around 9 o’clock every night. Ever since the introduction of electricity into modern societies, we tend to go to sleep later, even after midnight on working days. Though the urban legend used to defend the idea that 8 hours of sleep is enough for the human body, new evidence shows that this is not the case. Even so, a large majority of modern humans don’t even get to sleep this “ideal” 8-hours. Many people are so busy with work and commuting they are forced to sleep less than 6 hours daily.
Furthermore, we tend to bring into bed all the new technological gadgets that keep our brains awake, from TV to laptops, smartphones and tablets. More and more people spend the last hour before sleep using these devices. Neuroscientists claim that their use causes serious interferences in the brain that evoke symptoms such as hyperactivity, insomnia, lack of concentration, memory loss, and general irritation.
A mindful solution: Let’s reinstate a sleeping ritual to our daily habits. During this ritual, let’s make sure we go to bed around 11 o’clock, (even earlier if possible). Dim the lights and make sure there are no screens on (pads, tablets, laptops, TV). In some cases, having very relaxing music on quietly in the background can be a good idea to start the bedtime ritual. Before slipping into bed, make sure the room is the right temperature (preferably cool) and that adequate blankets will provide the right amount of warmth to meet your comfort level. Position the body in a supine position with hands a bit open at each side. Let the body muscles relax in this position, with the eyes closed and the attention of the mind concentrating on the breathing procedure, simply by observing it, and letting it occur naturally. It is very essential to focus on the breath in – breath out procedure and in the gradual relaxation of the body from head to toes. If we repeat this sleeping ritual every night, in a few weeks we will have our sleep returned to normal rates and satisfactory sleeping habits will be in place to give us the restful nights we require to live more energised and focused lives.
Spending Money & Consumption Habits
From the moment paying and buying methods were “upgraded” we have become more compulsive and mindless in our consuming behaviour. In the past, we only had the cash option and we used to buy stuff we needed only when we had the money to do it and after careful thought. But then credit cards came into the world, bringing with them false joy and lots of stress. All you had to do was walk by a store, see something you liked, show your precious credit card and buy it, without even thinking about your current budget, whether you could handle the debt or even if you needed the item in the first place. Then, thanks to web-shopping, we started buying without even leaving our house. We just pick what we like from an endless list of choices around the global net and then we give our card number and voilà! We can buy whatever we like! The only problem is that all this ease leads people to compulsive and addictive consumerism. Many individuals report feeling deeply sad when they have nothing to buy for about a week. Others claim their favourite way to spend spare time is to head to the mall or the downtown market and shop till physical or credit-limit exhaustion sends them home! In light of this preoccupation with shopping, many studies have reported that the more people buy the more they feel sad or distressed.
A mindful solution: Keep a record of your monthly standard expenses and income, preferably in a traditional notebook with real paper and pen. This helps you be more mindful about the entire procedure. Check how much money you have left after calculating your balance. Be really mindful of what extras you desire to buy and bring to your consciousness the reasons why you want those items. For modestly priced items you can withdraw the money from a cash machine and buy the desired article in cash. It helps a lot to see real money exchanged for items that you want, as it makes you think more about your purchase. For internet buys, be sure to have a prepaid card charged with a moderate amount of funds and pay only with that card. Make sure you do not charge it more often than once per month. If you want to train yourself even more you can play a little mind “game”: challenge yourself to pursue extra buys only during the odd months and stay “shopping-sober” all the even months, or vice versa. Also, set aside a small amount of money each month to donate to charities. Donating has been proven to fill humans with very positive emotions and makes them feel less attached to the consuming habit.
Very often I hear people complain about their daily life, about how routine is unpleasant and that nothing they do or that “happens” to them provides them with pleasure and happiness. Furthermore, I rarely hear them praising these moments of their life that are agreeable and happy. It would be such an extreme scenario to spot not even one positive event in our daily life, so why then do people seem to be unable to find at least one thing to be happy about?
Maybe it is because we forget – or we are rarely taught – that in order to enjoy the unique experience of life, we need to raise a degree of consciousness in our actions. This calls for us to develop our awareness about everything that occurs in our lives so as to deal with each moment with serenity, peace, a visionary perspective, happiness, loving-kindness and pleasure. This is the best and most complete way to ensure we will be able to positively assess our lives.
The modern way of living encourages people more and more to live void from these principles. Especially nowadays, when almost everyone walks by with a smart-phone in hand and gets absorbed by its “virtual reality”. The moments we miss are uncountable.
Being “busy” and “hurrying-up” has unfortunately become the current “ethos” of modern lifestyle. Everything occurs in fast track, not allowing our awareness to develop and assess the moments of our lives. We rarely take the time to slowly walk in a park and enjoy the view or the beauty of a flower and feel ecstatic about it. A simple walk could be a happy moment in our life, but we disregard it. We rarely realise how great it is to spend time with our friends and appreciate the moments shared with them. We even are often mind-less about the moments we spend with close family members – only realising how much we value them when it is too late and they are gone.
A mindful solution: Start using our senses again to perceive the reality around us. Let’s take our time in order to observe the environment we interact with. See everything around us and let our focus rest on one object at a time, observe it intensively and examine its visual properties. Smell the air and detect the different odours and perfumes in a mindful way. In the springtime, for example, the smell of the trees and the flowers is so invigorating. Take time to enjoy the beautiful olfactive experiences that are a part of our every day. Sit in a quiet and pleasant place, and take a book we would like to read. Before we start reading take a good look at the cover, of what it depicts, feel the book with our hands, smell its pages and then begin our reading as mindfully as we can.
Stop receiving notifications from our smartphones. We can set a rule that we will consult our phone every hour to check for any new update. Otherwise, if we are checking them more often, we are enslaved to their function. Even to push it further, decide to have some hours or a day per month free from phones, TVs and other electronic devices and instead just take a long walk in nature.
The general key of enjoying our life in a fulfilled way is whatever we do, to be mindful doing it. That means being aware of what we do the moment we do it, while at the same time we are also aware of our emotions while we do it. Mindfulness will always play a key role in bringing us harmony and multiplying our positive emotions. Thus, we can ensure a better quality of life if we simply commit to being more mindful. As far as we know, we only get one chance at this life. Let us enjoy it, let us upgrade it, by understanding and appreciating at every given moment what this life is all about.
If you are keen to adopt this new behavior, give your career a great boost and get your goals been realized, you can contact me via email:
email@example.com and claim your Free Business Breakthrough Coaching Session with me TODAY!
Last modified: April 7, 2021

domain: psychology


THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Danielle Giunta, Community Superintendent District 26
Contacting the District Office
Here are the many ways you can reach out to the District Team:
call the District 26 Office
send us an email
call our Family Support Team
(between the hours of 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM)
One by one, SO presidents speak about their own rewarding journeys--from inception, to creation, to delivery--of gifting student-made cards to community groups on Valentine’s Day. Staff liaisons are listening, silently delighting in the deep satisfaction their students have found in spreading joy throughout the District 26 community. Our young leaders describe how fulfilling it feels to prioritize love for their community and express gratitude to firefighters, school cafeteria staff, nursing home residents, etc. Everyone agrees that this opportunity to convey heartfelt appreciation to members of their own neighborhoods has strengthened social bonds and inspired more acts of kindness among their classmates. As we leave the call, students excitedly begin discussing plans for spring projects at their schools.
Superintendent Hiring Process Town Hall
Now let’s log onto a Zoom call on a Wednesday night at the end of May. Parent leaders from District 26’s Community Education Council and Presidents’ Council are welcoming our entire community to a Town Hall for the superintendent hiring process. Nearly 200 parents, students, principals, teachers, parent coordinators, other school staff, and local elected officials have prioritized their time to be here tonight. They are deeply committed to show their unwavering support for our very own Superintendent Danielle Giunta.
District 26 Team
* * *
Visit US! Follow us on Social Media!
District 26 Office
61-15 Oceania Street
Bayside, NY 11364
Located inside of Nathaniel Hawthorne Middle School (M.S. 74).


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UTICA >> Touting his proposal to consolidate local governments in order to cut property taxes, Gov. Andrew Cuomo visited Mohawk Valley Community College Tuesday morning.
The two-year plan is supposed to provide a tax credit to families whose local governments comply with a 2 percent cap in the first year, resulting in a 2 percent tax credit for homeowners. In the second year, the local government must stay under the tax cap and submit a shared services plan with neighboring local governments that achieves savings equal to 1 percent of the combined tax levy in year one, 2 percent in year two and 3 percent by year three of implementation. The tax credit plan will be in place for five years.
The freeze will generate an estimated $1 billion in tax relief for homeowners.
“Sky-high property taxes have been driving families and businesses out of upstate New York for far too long; but this year, we have an opportunity to change the dynamic,” Cuomo said. “Thanks to three years of responsible fiscal management, we now have an opportunity to cut property taxes, incentivize local governments to reduce costs, and provide more than $1 billion in real tax relief to millions of New Yorkers. In order for this to happen, the Legislature must pass our property tax cut proposal this year.”
Cuomo was optimistic about getting the 2015 budget passed on April 1, which would make the fourth year in a row that New York has passed its budget on time. If the budget is passed, the plan can begin next year.
With more than 10,500 local governments, Cuomo said New York is the highest taxed state, and some county taxes are the highest in the country.
There are 175 elected New York officials who support the plan.
Oneida County has 350 local governments. Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente supports Cuomo’s plan for consolidation.
“The governor is right,” Picente said. “This plan is about restructuring and helping the homeowner, which is right where it starts.”
Oneida County has been working on consolidation since 2011. In 2012, it consolidated its 911 services by combining both the Utica and New Hartford call centers with the county’s, creating one large call center and reducing the cost to tax payers.
“This is not an insurmountable task; it’s just getting people to work together and share services,” Cuomo said. “I’m talking about sharing things like purchasing, insurance, maintenance of vehicles -- it’s common sense.”
Cuomo says he has heard a lot of backlash from communities that do not want to consolidate because “they wish to do everything their own way.”
“I understand this is difficult; change is hard,” Cuomo said. “The answer can’t always be more money. Many local governments just raise their taxes to avoid having to do anything and the tax rate is driving people out of the state.”
Cuomo also said many families have had to “tighten their belt” in these hard economic times, and that it is time for government to do the same.
For more information on the tax cut plan, visit: cutpropertytaxes.ny.gov.

domain: finance


Out-Law News | 17 Mar 2014 | 2:47 pm |
Osborne announced the plans yesterday on BBC's Andrew Marr show ahead of his Budget 2014 speech on Wednesday this week. He said that Ebbsfleet, which has a station on the High Speed 1 rail line, had been chosen because of its infrastructure capacity and to contribute to the high housing needs in the South East.
The scheme will be supported by the creation of an urban development corporation which will help drive the development through the planning system and be granted compulsory purchase powers to acquire the land needed for the scheme.
"We're going to create an urban development corporation so we're going to create the instrument that allows this kind of thing to go ahead and cuts through a lot of the obstacles that often happen when you want to build these homes," Osborne told the BBC.
"There are already some homes being built on the site, so progress was under way, but it was on a much, much smaller scale and with much less ambition than what I'm setting out today," he added.
The site had previously been subject to plans for a 22,000-home scheme.


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Fully vaccinated people can now ditch their masks at work in Orange County and throughout the Golden State following updates to jobsite pandemic policies by the state’s workplace regulatory board.
Unvaccinated workers will have to wear masks and employers must verify who’s vaccinated through a self-attestation process.
California’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards (CalOSHA) board members adopted the updated guidelines Thursday, voting 6-1 following pressure from Gov. Gavin Newsom, the state health officer and numerous business advocacy groups to revise workplace standards to match general guidance from the California Department of Public Health.
The health department’s guidelines allow fully vaccinated people to drop masks in nearly every setting — regardless of who they’re next to — except nursing homes, hospitals and public transportation.
During CalOSHA’s Thursday board meeting, numerous business advocacy groups said requiring unvaccinated people to keep wearing masks while case rates are low undermines confidence in the vaccine and the statewide reopening in general.
Labor groups, like unions, countered and said they would like to keep masks for everyone — for now — because their frontline employees have been hit the hardest throughout the pandemic and the state is nowhere near herd immunity yet.
“While I understand the proposal in front of us today is extremely controversial … Now, I think, is not the time to let our guards down,” said board member David Harrison during Thursday’s meeting.
The seven-member board, appointed by Newsom, is responsible for helping shape and vote on statewide workplace safety policies.
Normally, workplace policy changes would have to go through an administrative law review.
But within 30 minutes after the board voted, Newsom signed an executive order speeding up those changes.
“Governor Gavin Newsom today signed an executive order enabling the revisions to take effect without the normal 10-day review period by the Office of Administrative Law – providing clarity and consistency for employers and employees as California fully reopens its economy,” reads a statement from Newsom’s office.
One board member expressed concerns about the honor system when it comes to businesses verifying their workers are vaccinated.
“We are now putting most of our eggs in a basket around vaccines. And if the vaccine is our primary strategy here, it is critical to ensure and verify who is vaccinated and who isn’t,” said board member Laura Stock.
Stock was the only dissenting vote.
“This has real consequences that people can get sick and die due to exposure in the workplace,” she said.
Stock also reminded her colleagues of who’s been hit the hardest during the pandemic.
“We can’t forget the disproportionate impact on certain workers — people of color, low-income and immigrants,” Stock said. “These workers not only dealt with higher rates of infections, but also the abuse and stress from the public of trying to enforce these restrictions.”
Newsom has hinted at state officials deploying a vaccine verification program for businesses who opt in.
“I worry about some of the illegal activity happening with vaccination cards where people are illegally forging vaccination cards,” Newsom said at a news conference last Friday. “As it relates to technology … there are opportunities to make available different strategies to provide a more secure, safe and transparent form of verification.”
He said officials won’t mandate it.
“Again, this is voluntary,” Newsom said. “There’s no mandates, no requirement, no passports in that respect.”
The Orange County Health Care Agency was looking into creating a digital vaccine documentation program, but the idea was ultimately shelved when the county Board of Supervisors shot down that proposal following hundreds of people railing against it.
Stock said she doesn’t think the honor system will work for vaccine verification at workplaces.
CalOSHA board chairman David Thomas said part of the reason they took out mandatory vaccine verifications is because people weren’t told to keep their cards. He also said the board’s subcommittee will further study the issue.
“Some of the reason for that is because people were never really told, ‘hey. you need to keep these because you might need to show someone at some point,’” he said.
Spencer Custodio is a Voice of OC staff reporter. You can reach him at email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerCustodio

domain: law


text:
As of Monday European citizens have more freedom when it comes to the use of online shops as a new EU regulation came into force about unjustified geo-blocking practices, removing needless barriers for e-commerce. European Liberals and Democrats have pushed the Commission to adopt a strong single regulation to end artificial borders between member states for both goods and services.
Customers will no longer have to worry about online platforms blocking their access or redirecting them to their national version just because they are in another Member State. Until now, private parties were still putting inconsistent obstacles with internal market freedoms, further affecting the relatively low level of cross-border commercial transactions within the Union.
ALDE MEP Dita Charanzová, Vice Chair of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, said: “All EU online consumers should be treated in the same way, without discrimination, no matter where they call home and today we take a step closer to making this a reality. This new regulation will boost e-commerce and trade all over Europe. After roaming and portability, we are finally getting closer to a real digital internal market.”
No more country restrictions for online shopping in the EU. From today Europe has more freedom when it comes to the use of online shops abroad as a new law on unjustified geo-blocking comes into force. Read more here: https://t.co/ugHbIVumfZ pic.twitter.com/uI1Prprhss
Yes, good news from Europe! Starting from today, we can all shop online without borders! Europe puts an end to #geoblocking, the next step in creating a #DigitalSingleMarket @ALDEgroup pic.twitter.com/Xgr7IpGCdf


Office of the President of the Republic > Press centre
Letter to the Prime Minister concerning environmental pollution in Zasavje
Ljubljana, 01/05/2007 | press release
President of the Republic Dr. Janez Drnovšek today sent Prime Minister Janez Janša and Minister of the Environment Janez Podobnik a letter in which he advocatesn a in-depth, integral study of the claims of the inhabitants of Zasavje and EKO KROG in connection with the environmental effects of Lafarge Cementarne d. d. in Trbovlje. We publish the letter in full below:
"The inhabitants of Zasavje and EKO KROG – Society for Nature Conservation and Environmental Protection, from Zagorje ob Savi, have drawn my attention several times recently to the effects of the release of pollution into the atmosphere from the cement works, Lafarge Cementarne d. d. Trbovlje. The inhabitants of Zasavje are very disturbed and express concern about the negative impact of many years of pollution on sustainable development in Zasavje. The inhabitants are concerned about living conditions for current and future generations. We expect systematic monitoring to be established in the near future, of all pollution affecting all aspects of the environment in all segents (air, soil, plants, animals, water sources, people) and a proposal made of specific measures for eliminating sources of pollution.
I have been informed in more detail with the position of EKO KROG which, in the spirit of the Aarhus Convention, is committed to the ending of various forms of illegal pollution and proposes the introduction, or public disclosure, of the results of regular monitoring of releases of pollution at Lafarge cement works and publication of the findings of inspections of the measurement system. EKO KROG is committed to the introduction (and public disclosure) of official supervision for ensuring the application of environmental consent, which the use of black coal as a production energy source at Lafarge cement works requires.
I welcome the founding of a Working Group for Improving Air Quality in Zasavje, within the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning. I am sure that with constant professional dialogue and cooperation among the interested partners in the search for a solution on the basis of comparable public records of emissions of harmful substances in Zasavje, it can significantly contribute to ascertaining the actual situation and ending illegal pollution.
Esteemed Prime Minister,
I ask you to be personally committed to an in-depth, integral study of claims in connection with the environmental impact of Lafarge Cementarne d. d. in Trbovlje, in order to seek a compromise in this way as soon as possible, between people's existential interests, the balance of nature and the development needs of Zasavje."


text:
→ TIP: To search for an exact phrase, put quotes around it. For example, "quotes on gratitude".
The Book of Courage - Matthew Kelly BOOK REVIEWS AND MORE - February 10, 2016 ... courage in our lives. This is the origin of The Book of Courage." So it is basically a collection of quotes with a very short introduction. However that being said there are some incredible quotes that Matthew Kelly has collected. As I was reading it a number of times I shared quotes with specific people, and they often asked for a copy so they could be reminded of the truth presented. Matthew in the introduction states: "Courage is not the ...http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BookReviewsAndMore/~3/vs-qkyOQBow/the-book-of-courage-matthew-kelly.html
Seven Principles for Living With Deep Intention THE WILD REED - February 3, 2016 ... insights, quotes, prayers and ideas that have helped me to draw closer to God. It is a chronicle of my personal reflection and of my quest to find the heart of love and the gift – in each moment – within each person – and in each experience. This is a part of my life's journey in the search of truth , hope , stillness , and love ." Seven Principles for Living with Deep Intention 1. I commit to finding moments each day for silence and solitude, to make space ...http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2016/02/seven-principles-for-living-with-deep.html

domain: literature


text:
Domestic violence and abuse is a pattern of coercive behavior that is used by a person against family or household members or dating partners to gain power or control over the other party in a relationship. This behavior may include any of the following: physical violence, sexual abuse, emotional and psychological intimidation, verbal abuse and threats, stalking, isolation from friends and family, economic control, destruction of personal property and animal cruelty. Domestic violence occurs between people of all racial, economic, educational and religious backgrounds. It occurs in heterosexual and same-sex relationships, between married and unmarried partners, between current and former partners and between other family and household members.
Domestic Violence affects every community across the country, regardless of ethnicity, culture, or background. People of all ages, income levels, faiths, sexual orientations, genders, and education levels experience domestic violence.
Domestic violence isolates the person being abused and can rob them of inner strength, feelings of self-worth and the ability to make personal choices. Often people experiencing abuse begin to feel responsible for the abuse.
Domestic Violence is not a private matter, a family problem, a domestic “squabble” or a “fight.” It is not a momentary loss of temper or the abuse of drugs and alcohol. Abusers choose to use tactics of violence repeatedly to gain power and control.
Exposure to domestic violence traumatizes children and can destroy their ability to feel safe in the world as well as cause them to feel responsible for the abuse.
Physical and sexual violence against a family member or intimate partner is a crime and perpetrators can be arrested and prosecuted.
Ending domestic violence requires a social, political, and economic environment that ensures all people affected by domestic abuse and violence are supported and batterers are held accountable. Everyone must be part of the solution.
Myths: Why Does Battering Happen?
Out of control - The abuser is actually in control. The abuser decides who to abuse, when and where, the parts of the body to batter, and the length and severity of the episode. The abuser may remove rings or a belt as a signal, or threaten that s/he is “going to do something” and when.
Poor anger control – This feeds into the belief that battering is a crime of passion. In fact, many batterers admit to calmly planning violent incidents. Additionally, most batterers are able to control their emotions when on the job, with friends, in court, or when dealing with police.
Stress – Batterers do not experience more stress than non-batterers do. They choose to deal with stress violently. Batterers believe they have the right to control and get their way.
Low self-esteem – Batterers do not differ from non-batterers in their level of self-esteem. The difference lies in the batterer’s belief system regarding women and children. The problem is not how batterers feel about themselves; it is the permission they give themselves to control and hurt other people.
Substance abuse causes the abuse – Getting sober and into a program does not stop the abuse or the violence. In addition, being a “recovering addict or alcoholic” may be used to sidestep responsibility for abusive behavior. Substance abuse is another way for an abuser not to be held accountable. Getting sober is just the first step in dealing with the underlying issues of power and control.
History of abuse from childhood - Many batterers were abused as children. Many others were abused growing up and chose not to abuse. Statistics show that men who have witnessed their father abusing their mother are more likely to batter than those who have been physically abused themselves. Both are big risk factors.
Poor communication skills – This myth is grounded in the belief that the abuser wouldn’t abuse if their needs were met. It is a form of victim blaming. Abusers demand that their needs be met before the needs of all others. For their safety, victims learn to read subtle, non-verbal communications well. Even when victims meet the needs of abusers, that abuser continues to abuse.
Battering is provoked or enjoyed by the victim - Battering and other abuses are degrading and humiliating. No behavior on the part of the victim ever justifies battering. No behavior on the part of the victim can change the abuser’s decision to batter.
Batterers need to learn non-violence – Batterers know non-violence. The problem is not their inability to resolve conflict non-violently, but their unwillingness to do so.
Adapted from Maine Child Welfare Training Institute/ University of Southern Maine


text:
The Philippines became an independent country in 1946.
The Philippines had been a U.S. territory since 1898, when the Spanish gave the islands to the United States at the end of the Spanish-American War.
Spain had ruled the islands for the previous 300 years.
The Philippines consists of more than 7,000 islands, but its people live on only about 1,000 of them.
There are 175 individual languages in the Philippines, and 4 of them no longer have any known speakers.
Filipino and English are the official languages in the Philippines.
Filipino is a version of Tagalog, and is spoken mainly in urban regions.
The Philippines has a population of about 92 million people, and is the world’s 12th most populous country.

domain: geography


text:
The MicroWave Handwarmer Pogies from Immersion Research are a well-thought-out design for those looking to keep their hands comfortable and warm while paddling during a cold weather or cold water season. How is the user experience of the Immersion Research MicroWave Handwarmer Pogies (MSRP $40)? Well, first things first, I have general criteria that any cold weather hand protection must have.
Kyle’s Cold Weather Hand Protection Criteria
- Comfortable: It should offer a better experience while wearing it than not.
- Warm: Just right. Not too hot. Not too cold.
- Dexterity: I need to perform all essential paddling skills with relative ease.
Kyle’s take on the Microwave Handwarmers
Locations used: Green River Narrows (NC), Cheoah River (NC), Big Creek (TN), Tellico River (TN), Chattooga River (GA/SC), Isle of Skye (Scotland), and so much more.
A variety of designs exist to protect my hands from cold water while paddling. Gloves, mitts, and pogies. At the beginning of my paddling career, I spent more time in paddling gloves, but as years have passed, I have become fonder of pogies. With pogies, I am able to maintain close contact with the paddle shaft surface while maintaining a comfortable temperature. If conditions get unbearably cold, I can easily layer pogies and gloves.
The design approach to pogies is relatively simple: an attachment point with each pogie and paddle shaft, and an enclosed area for a paddler to grip the paddle shaft while minimizing expose to cold weather. Popular designs are constructed with a specific variation of neoprene in a long-cuff or short-cuff structure. Easy enough, right?
The short-cuff of the MicroWave Handwarmer Pogies is designed with intent, and after only a few paddling excursions, I had a clear understanding of why this choice was made. While paddling on many of the creeks in the southeast, I frequently toggled between being engaged and disengaged from a pogie. Whether it is stiff-arming a rock, making an adjustment to my sprayskirt, or performing an on-water rescue, the short-cuff demonstrated a distinct advantage over long-cuff models. The short-cuff was noticeably quicker to disengage from as well as re-engage with. With a comparable long-cuff design, there were several instances where I would disengage from the pogie to stiff-arm a rock, and would remain disengaged from the pogie for the remainder of the rapid, due to difficulty with re-engaging with the pogie.
But long-cuff pogies are warmer. Correct? This hypothesis did not hold valid during my side-by-side comparisons. My comparable long-cuff design deflected water and wind to the forearm, which was protected from the elements by drysuit sleeves. The short-cuff of the Immersion Research MicroWave Handwarmer pogies deflected water and wind to the base of the wrist, which was also protected from the elements by drysuit sleeves, and blocked water and wind from sneaking its way onto my hands with neoprene shields at the access point of each pogie. The short-cuff and long-cuff designs were well insulating while upright and effectively warmed my hands after a quick roll.
There were a few other features that stood out about the MicroWave Handwarmer Pogies. The heavy-duty, abrasion resistant neoprene can withstand a significant amount of punishment! Also, the Velcro attaching each pogie to the paddle shaft is strong as well as easy to trust. Encounters with rocks, trees, and portage routes can be catastrophic for a piece of gear, but this product maintains the same standard seen with Immersion Research’s line of sprayskirts: reliable and durable construction for the most aggressive of environments and users. The Velcro stays in place and holds reliably after several iterations of clumsily attaching and ripping the Velcro apart.
All things considered, I recommend the Immersion Research MicroWave Handwarmer Pogies for those looking for warm hands on the river or creek while maintaining dexterity and comfort. This design has been effective on straight or bent paddle shafts, in whitewater conditions, and while sea kayaking on the coast. I am currently testing other cold weather gear from Immersion Research, so keep on the lookout for those reviews.
Words by Kyle Thomas

domain: design


PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (WHTM) – The Philadelphia Flyers have signed 18-year-old defenseman Oliver Bonk to a three-year entry-level contract after selecting him as the 22nd overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft.
Bonk spent last season with the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) where he posted 10 goals and 30 assists across 67 games. The Ottawa, Ontario native set career high in goals, assists, points, power-play goals and shorthanded goals with his performance.
The Knights reached the OHL finals and Bonk helped them on their run with 11 assists across 21 playoff appearances.
The 6-foot-2, 180-pounder goes back to the London Knights this season for at least one more year of junior hockey, however there is the potential for a two-season stint.


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DXLI (F XV, 19)
C. CASSIUS LONGINUS TO CICERO (AT ROME)If you are well, I am glad. There is nothing, by Hercules, that I more like doing on this tour of mine than writing to you: for I seem to be talking and joking with you in person. Nor does this Come to pass owing to Catius's "images" : 1 for which expression I will in my next retort on you by quoting such a number of ill-educated Stoics, that you will acknowledge Catius to have been a true-born Athenian. That our friend Pansa left the city in military array with such expressions of goodwill from everybody, I rejoice both for his own sake and also, by Hercules, for the sake of all our party. For I hope that people will understand how odious cruelty is to everybody, and how attractive honesty and clemency: and that the objects which bad men seek and desire above everything come spontaneously to the good. For it is difficult to persuade men that "the good is desirable for its own sake": but that "pleasure" and "peace of mind" 2 are obtained by virtue, justice, and "the good" is both true and convincing. In fact, Epicurus himself says-from whom all your Catiuses and Amafiniuses, those poor translators of his words, proceed—"to live pleasantly is impossible without living well and justly." So it is that Pansa, whose summum bonum is "pleasure," keeps his virtue; and those too who are called by you "pleasure-lovers" are "lovers of the good" and "lovers of the just," 3 and practise and maintain all the virtues. Accordingly Sulla, whose judgment we are bound to respect, seeing that philosophers disagreed, did not ask what was good, but bought up all goods indifferently: whose death, by Hercules, I have borne with some fortitude! Nor will Caesar, after all, allow us to feel his loss very long: for he has plenty of condemned persons to restore for us in his place, nor will he be without some one to bid at his auctions as long as Sulla's son is in his sight. Now for public affairs. Write and tell me what is going on in Spain. Upon my life I feel anxious, and prefer to have our old and merciful master rather than a new and bloodthirsty one. You know what a fool Gnaeus is: you know how he thinks cruelty is courage: you know how he always thinks that we laugh at him. I am afraid he will want to retort the joke in rustic fashion with a blow of the sword. If you love me, write and say what is happening. Dear, dear, how I wish I knew whether you read this with an anxious or a quiet mind! For then I should at the same time know what it becomes me to do. Not to be too wearisome, I will say good-bye. Love me as ever. If Caesar has conquered, expect me with all speed.


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The World Flying Disc Federation (“WFDF”) announces that its Congress has approved the Ultimate Burundi Federation (UBF) as its newest Member, increasing WFDF’s membership to 103 member National Federations.
“Despite the impact of the pandemic on our competition schedule and the level of Flying Disc activity in many countries around the world, the successful application of Burundi as WFDF member nation 103 demonstrates that interest in the development of the sport continues,” commented WFDF President Robert “Nob” Rauch. “The organic growth across the African continent is a testament to the attractiveness of the sport in the developing world and again proves the effectiveness of our ongoing grassroots development program, working in close cooperation with our continental associations in Africa (AAFDF), the Americas (PAFDF), Asia-Oceania (AOFDF), and Europe (EFDF).”
“We also are excited to be kicking off our busy World Championship schedule of events with the WFDF World Masters Ultimate Championship next week in Limerick, Ireland, to be closely followed over the next two months by The World Games, WFDF World Ultimate Club Championships, World Juniors Ultimate Championships, and World Team Disc Golf Championships. Our athletes from around the globe are excited to come together again after the two-year lock-down due to the pandemic. There is nothing like competition to make things feel normal again!”
Ultimate Burundi Federation (UBF) President Jean Desire said “Within the UBF, we have received with joy and gratitude the good news of the admission of the UBF as a member of the WFDF. This admission will allow us to work effectively with the Ministry of Sports in Burundi and will give us above all access to the National Olympic Committee which requires us to be a member of the international federation in order to work with it. This admission will also open up horizons for us to foreign partners, especially the members of the WFDF. The UBF reiterates once again its commitment to promote Ultimate throughout Burundi and in the East African sub-region.”
WFDF is targeting another round of applications from Africa later this year.