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A nutrient and mineral dense condiment featuring nettle seeds, @harmonicarts 3 seaveg blend, toasted sesame seeds and himalayan sea salt. It can be added to salads, soups, rice, oatmeal, roasted veggies and anything you like really. As mentioned in a previous post, nettle seeds are wonderful for the adrenals and sea vegetables and himalayan salt are loaded with minerals. Sesame seeds are warming in nature and contain omega 6, iron, fibre, calcium and magnesium. Also, cooking with a cast iron skillet adds iron to your food!
Definitely a must have condiment for the cooler months! Food as medicine!
Be sure your nettle seeds are dried out before using.
200g hulled sesame seeds
1 tbsp of high quality salt
5 tbsp of Harmonic Arts sea-veg blend
1/2 cup nettle seeds
Toast your sesame seeds and salt until golden brown on a cast iron skillet. (careful they can burn quickly if you leave them unattended)
Add to a suribachi and grind up until the seeds are somewhat fluffy and ground up then add in seaveg and nettle seeds and grind up a bit more until throughly combined
add toasted sesame seeds and salt to a food processor and pulse a few times until the seeds are broken apart. It should smell amazing! Add in your sea-veg blend and nettle seeds and pulse a few more times until all the ingredients are combined. Store in a glass jar and use within 3- 5 months.
Cheers to your good health!
Get your Sea-veg blend here:
#gomasio #nettleseeds #nettle #adrenals #hpaaxis #sesameseeds #seasalt #seaweed #seavegetable #condiments #mineralrich #nutrientdense #foodasmedicine #grandvoyageherbals #health #wellness

domain: food


Visqueen Vapour & Gas Control Systems50616b
Visqueen is a leading manufacturer of advanced waterproofing and gas protection systems for over 50 years. You can count on Visqueen products to deliver the foremost solutions for waterproofing, gas and damp systems. Precon is a brand partner of Visqueen and we carry a large range of stock ready for immediate dispatch.
Visqueen’s Advanced Barrier Technologies
Visqueen leads the market in the manufacture of constructional waterproofing and gas barrier systems. Precon Products, a Visqueen brand partner, carries a large stock of Visqueen products for supply to the building and construction industry across the UK.
Visqueen are highly regarded within the construction sector for their exceptional quality standards, innovation and technical excellence in the field of gas and waterproofing solutions.
Visqueen Building Product’s Extensive Portfolio
Precon Products stock a variety of items from Visqueen's extensive portfolio of construction solutions. Products include damp proof membranes and vapour barriers, cavity drain and waterstops. There are also Visqueen gas barriers, pre-applied membranes, as well as torch-on tanking membranes and damp proof courses. These are all popular product lines which Precon can distribute quickly around the UK from it's strategically positioned dispatch hubs.
Visqueen's range of damp proof courses and DPMs are obtainable in a number of grades and provide differing combinations of advantages. From low loading under compacted applications and superb mortar adhesion to low gas absorption and permeability. Precon's stock includes Zedex Housing Grade and Zedex CPT DPC, as well as GX Hydrocarbon DPC.
What Is An Urban Drainage Geomembrane?
An urban drainage geomembrane is an impervious layer of polymers used for water storage. It provides an underlay and protection so the liquid cannot become contaminated. These are best suited to applications such as underground stormwater storage systems, or permeable paving systems.
Manufactured in the UK by Visqueen and stocked by Precon Products, these high performance protective membranes can be installed for systems which have very high hydrostatic pressures. The polymers used ensure impermeability across the lifespan of the system.
The Visqueen Ecomembrane DPM
The Visqueen EcoMembrane DPM damp proof laminate is a blown film of extruded low-density polyethylene. This can be used for constructional applications as a Type A damp proof layer and is highly tear resistant which helps to reduce damage during on-site application. It is manufactured from 100% post-use waste, that is where the waste-producing use did not involve the production of another product. It is available in three thicknesses: 0.25mm (4m x 25m) , 0.3mm (4m x 25m) and 0.5mm (4m x 12.5m).
Visqueen Protect & Drain System
Visqueen Protect & Drain is an external water management solution for the construction industry. It consists of a geotextile filter membrane which is thermally bonded to a cuspated, or angular shaped, high-density polyethylene resin core. Whilst it is quick to install it retains a high puncture resistance, and has an upper level flow capacity which can help to alleviate hydrostatic pressure on subterranean ground structures.
Visqueen Self Adhesive DPM
Manufactured to high quality standards, Visqueen self adhesive membrane is a British Board of Agrément accredited waterproofing system. It can be used as a damp proof or tanking membrane for both vertical and horizontal applications in the building and construction sector. It is designed to prevent the admittance of water and associated water-borne alkalis present in some forms concrete and mortar. This tough, high density polyethylene solution can be used for above and below ground applications.
Visqueen Gas Protection Membrane
As part of its mainline portfolio, Precon Products can supply Visqueen's high performance low permeability gas membrane. This offers protection for buildings constructed in environments where low levels of methane and carbon dioxide are of concern. The low permeability gas membrane is a sturdy co-polymer thermoplastic membrane. It is a flexible product and easy to install. Also a suitable alternative as a damp proof membrane.
Our latest catalogue is now available
Download a digital version or request a hard copy delivered directly to your door.Get your copy now


10 people have died and seven went missing as a result of the heavy rain that started on Friday in Mianning County in the southwestern province, the media outlet said. The rainstorm has triggered floods in Yihai Township.
Two cars fell into the river in the Gaoyang region due to flood-damaged roads, two people have died, and three more were reported missing.
Rescue and relief efforts are underway, the news outlet added.
According to Xinhua, nearly 10,000 people are in the disaster area, with a total of over 7,700 local residents having been evacuated.


Latest Conor Oberst Articles (Page 3 of 6)
Listen to “Patti” from The Felice Brothers, the second single from Simone Felice’s “Produced By” series for Amazon Music.
Conor Oberst’s “LAX” is the first track from Simone Felice’s weeklong roll out for Amazon Music’s “Produced By” series.
Listen to the soundtrack for “Juliet, Naked” which features new songs from Ryans Adams, Conor Oberst, M. Ward and more.
Singer-songwriter Conor Oberst will team with his longtime backing group The Mystic Valley Band for a series of dates in October.
Watch singer-songwriter Conor Oberst lead his band through a four song live set at KEXP radio station in Seattle.
Watch a cover of “Walls (Circus)” by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers performed by Conor Oberst & The Felice Brothers.
More Conor Oberst Articles
Circles Around The Sun will release a self-titled studio album in March 2020 containing the late Neal Casal’s final recordings.
A new action sports film, ‘Fire On The Mountain,’ featuring the music of the Grateful Dead and narrated by legendary Deadhead Bill Walton has been released.
Celebrate Dickey Betts’ 76th birthday by watching the legendary guitarist in action with The Allman Brothers Band on January 16, 1982 in Gainesville, Florida.
The 2020 lineup for Pharrell Williams’ Something In The Water music festival includes Beck, Leon Bridges, Chance the Rapper, Clipse, Foo Fighters and more.
The latest installment of ‘The JamBase Podcast’ features Wilco guitarist Nels Cline.


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Recent research from HIM shows one in four UK adults bought food to go from c-stores within the past seven days, writes Katherine Dixon.
With the tobacco display ban in place in small stores for nearly six months, now is a great time to consider what impact it has actually had on shoppers, writes HIM's Katie Littler.
In order to create the perception of a 'credible fresh food offer', the number one thing stores need to do is ensure a 'clean and tidy shopping area', writes HIM's Ed Sibley.
HIM research has found that the level of impulse purchasing in convenience stores is at an impressive five-year high, says Katie Littler.
The recession has solidified shopper habits in such a way that finding value for money remains a priority for many, says HIM's Sophie Jones.
It’s unsurprising that only 15% of convenience store shoppers purchased an item on impulse, says HIM's Jennie Milner.
A lot has happened in the past two decades in UK convenience, and it’s all set to change again, says HIM’s Katie Hemmings.
Dynamic market conditions and a new breed of shopper have created a ‘perfect storm’, which points towards revolution, not evolution, for UK convenience, says HIM’s Katie Littler.
The thousands of convenience shoppers we speak to every month never let us forget how important sales staff are in building loyalty and driving sales, says HIM's Katie Littler.
Competition is everywhere and it’s no longer okay to get away with a poor fresh offer, says HIM’s Blake Gladman.
A credible own-label offer is a key way of driving loyalty, says HIM’s Jennifer Pratt.
With growing pressures facing the channel, convenience needs to re-focus on core missions to ensure its long-term success, says HIM’s Sophie Jones.
The ‘meal for tonight’ and ‘food to go’ missions are seeing the strongest growth year-on-year, says HIM’s Sarah Ashworth.
Using services to drive footfall is as relevant today as it’s ever been, says HIM’s Molly Wilmot.
The in-store experience and environment are becoming the new differentiator for shoppers, says HIM's Daron Gonzales.
At this time of year it’s important for retailers to ensure their store is fit to take advantage of shoppers’ optimism, says HIM’s Blake Gladman.
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domain: economics


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French researchers have shown beneficial effects of famine on life extension. The results of the experiments reported resource "FederalPress".
According to the source, scientists have completed long-term experiments in which the experimental mouse lemurs within 10 years were given the diet, the calorie content of which was 30% reduced compared to the control group. As a result, the lifespan of primates in the diet increased by 50%.
The average life of primates in the control group was 6.4 years, in that time, as representatives of the experienced staff have lived up to an average of 9.6 years. Scientists say that a third of the test subjects were alive at the time of death the latter is not restricted in the diet of lemur at the age of 11.3 years.
Researchers have documented a lower susceptibility of age-related diseases long-term maintenance of physical activity and cognitive abilities to adhere to the diet of animals. In addition, they have slowed down the process of atrophy of the gray matter.

domain: medical


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(Delivered at UUSF on June 12th, 2016. Listen to the audio here.)
A few months ago, I mentioned on Facebook that I no longer trusted my friends to tell me the truth. Some people expressed hurt feelings, and in retrospect, I should have anticipated how that would sound. But I wasn't questioning anyone's honesty. Rather, I was expressing dismay at feeling lost in a sea of misinformation.
It must have been easier in the days of Edward Murrow and then Walter Cronkite. Whether justified or not, the general perception was that you could trust these journalists to tell the truth, even if governments or corporations didn't want them to.
But by the time my generation came of age, that sense of trust in the media was gone. One of the defining characteristics of GenerationX is that we are distrustful of institutional authority - whether it's political, religious, advertising, or media. While sociologists have attached that cynicism to GenX, this distrust of mainstream media has arguably increased across all age groups.
And no wonder. We all know the biases of Fox News. And that CNN helped Bush and Cheney sell the public on the second Iraq war. We know that the mainstream media don't just report the news, they create it, shape it by what they choose to report and how they frame the story.
Just as a brief aside, in Buddhism the three poisons that stand between us and realizing our Buddha nature are hatred, greed, and delusion. Buddhist scholars like David Loy have argued that these three poisons are institutionalized in our society – hatred in the military industrial complex, greed in Wall Street and advertising, and delusion is institutionalized in our mainstream media.
For a while, the rise of the internet and then social media seemed like the antidote, because we could get information from other sources. Whether it was events that the mainstream media didn't cover, or someone pointing to biases in their reporting, we could learn about it via independent sites. These stories were shared among friends, first via email and now via Facebook and Twitter. And I trusted my friends when they shared these stories.
Now, my friends tend towards a certain political persuasion. Occasionally, a story would be shared of someone of the other persuasion doing bad things, to which we'd be outraged, only to learn later that it wasn't true. Either it was a misunderstanding, or exaggeration of a partial truth, or a completely fabricated story on a website designed to look legitimate. I've shared a few myself. And such mistakes are understandable. Your friends share something. You trust your friends. And sharing takes only a click, which makes passing on false information too easy. But it's also because we have a tendency to believe stories that fit our preconceptions whereas if a story doesn't fit, we're more likely to investigate its validity or just dismiss it outright. Confirmation bias.
At first these questionable stories came up only occasionally.
Then, election season happened.
And my online friends support two different candidates.
My Facebook feed was overrun with posts about the two candidates or their supporters. Claims of people doing bad things, to which they'd be outraged, but I wasn't sure were true. Or exactly opposite claims that couldn't both be true. Wading thru these articles, the only thing of which I'm certain is that we are locked in collective a feedback loop of confirmation bias. People preferentially believing and sharing those stories that confirm their preconceptions and discounting those stories that conflict. And since we tend to be friends with those whom agree with us, we preferentially see stories that confirm our view and the effect is magnified. In addition to the mainstream media deluding us, we are deluding ourselves.
I no longer trust my friends to share the truth. Or trust myself for that matter. Lost in a sea of misinformation. How do we navigate? Where is our anchor and what is our compass? Well, as an anchor I'm keeping a list of websites that have proven from past experience to be reliable. If a controversial story comes up, I'll try to remember to look to these sites to see if they confirm it. And as a compass, this rule of thumb – if a story validates my preconceptions, scrutinize it carefully, and if a story challenges my preconceptions, try it on for size. I'm not saying that I always succeed. Just the other day, I shared a story that while factually true was two years old and thus misleading, because it fit my preconceptions, and because I trusted the person who shared it. So the challenge continues. And if anyone has suggestions for how they navigate, I'm all ears.

domain: psychology


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Private Vices and Public Virtues DVD
This DVD is currently unavailable to order
|Add to Wishlist|
Directed by Miklos Jancso
Produced in 1976
Main Language - Dubbed English with English subtitles
Countries & Regions - European Film
Derided as 'pure pornography with pretensions', and screened to outrage at Cannes in 1976, this is Jancso's reinterpretation of the real-life 'Mayerling affair', in which Crown Prince Rudolph and his mistress committed suicide because they were not allowed to marry.
Featuring much nakedness of both sexes and numerous erotic encounters inside and outside of the castle in which the film is set, it is also a visually striking treatment of the theme of failed rebellion.
Length: 104 mins
Format: DVD Colour
Released: 22nd February 2010
Cat No: 18777

domain: library


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The Nasdaq composite closed lower for a second straight day on Wednesday as technology stocks failed to recover from steep losses seen in the previous session.
The tech-heavy index fell 0.8 percent to 6,949.23 as Amazon, Netflix and Apple pulled back 4.4 percent, 4.9 percent and 1.1 percent, respectively. At its session high, the Nasdaq rose as much as 0.4 percent.
Both the S&P 500 and Dow Jones industrial average also closed lower. The S&P 500 fell 0.3 percent to 2,605 as technology declined 0.9 percent. The Dow closed 9.29 points lower at 23,848.42 after trading in a wide range. At its session high, the 30-stock index rose as much as 234.76 points and fell 129.04 points at is low of the day.
Amazon fell after Axios reported that President Donald Trump was "obsessed" with the company. The report also said Trump wants to "go after" Amazon. Amazon's stock traded 3 percent lower in afternoon trade.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Wednesday: "We have no announcements and no specific policies or actions that we're currently pushing forward [now on Amazon]."
Apple declined after Goldman Sachs analysts predicted lower iPhone sales in March and for the June quarter than the rest of the Street. They also cut their price target on the stock to $159 from $161.

domain: news


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Assistant Accountant UK - GBP Contract jobs in Europe
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Our client, a leading Professional Services business is looking for an AP orientated Accounts Assistant to join their Finance Team.
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French Accountant - Temp to Perm Role - IT Business - London Your new company I am currently recruiting for a start up IT business which supports in

domain: finance


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All St. Charles Parish and St. John the Baptist Parish government offices, Catholic and public schools are closed through Wednesday, as a winter storm warning remains in effect until 6 a.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
Parish officials warn that worsening storm conditions are expected for late Tuesday, with forecasts predicting that one-tenth of an inch of freezing rain and ice could accumulate. Hard freezes are expected overnight Tuesday and Wednesday that could impact the region through early Thursday, and overnight wind chills could bring temperatures into the single digits, officials said.
Drivers are being asked to stay off roads until conditions improve.
Though Louisiana State Police say they don’t plan to close the Hale Boggs Bridge on Interstate 310, parish officials warn that could change. “There is no guarantee that the bridge will stay open. It is likely that offramps and other bridges and overpasses in the area will be shut down due to icing,” St. Charles Parish spokeswoman Renee Allemand Simpson said in an email Tuesday. By noon Tuesday, a single lane of the bridge was closed in both directions.
The River Parishes Transit Authority bus service is closed.
Among the closures for Tuesday and Wednesday:
— St. Charles Parish public schools (For detailed information, visit www.stcharles.k12.la.us)
— St. John the Baptist public schools
— All Catholic schools
— St. Charles Parish courthouse in Hahnville
— All other local government offices / agencies
— All parish recreational games and programs
— Boutte Christian Academy
— St. Charles Council on Aging Inc.
— In St. Charles Parish, residential garbage pickup will be halted at noon Tuesday and canceled for Wednesday. Missed pickups will be made on Friday. In St. John, it’s been cancelled for Tuesday.
— At St. Charles Parish Hospital in Luling, outpatient services and surgeries are canceled on Tuesday and Wednesday.


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Environment is not a partisan challenge
As recently as 2008 the platform of the Republican Party mentioned climate change 13 times. The GOP acknowledged that the Earth's warming was caused by human activity, and a commitment was made to reducing the nation's long-term use of fossil fuels.
By the end of President Barack Obama's first term, however, the GOP completely reversed its position. The 2012 Republican platform mentioned climate change once, in scare quotes, to disparage serious concerns about it. Moreover, the party dismissed any proposals to reduce carbon emissions.
Once elected, President Donald Trump moved to define climate change as a nonexistent threat. Through executive order, Trump directed federal agencies to abandon any planning for climate change and to abolish previously adopted rules and regulations. This unfortunate GOP reversal not only contradicts the Pentagon — which takes climate change very seriously and views America's continued reliance on fossil fuels as a threat to national security — it abandons a key conservative ideal: morally responsible stewardship for future generations. This ideal was demonstrated by multiple Republican presidents in the 20th century.
Theodore Roosevelt created the U.S. Forest Service to protect wildlife and public lands. Calvin Coolidge supported legislation to regulate Alaska salmon fisheries, limit water pollution and conserve mineral resources. Richard Nixon created the Environmental Protection Agency and signed into law the Safe Drinking Water and the Endangered Species acts. The Reagan administration negotiated the Montreal Protocol to protect the Earth's ozone layer, while George H.W. Bush revised and signed into law the Clean Air Act.
The Republican elites who engineered the current estrangement between conservatives and science did not use reason or empirical analysis to arrive at their new conclusions, which they then transmitted to every red state in America. They simply realized that climate skepticism was a marker of identity and would deliver votes.
By their guiding principles, namely a commitment to free-market solutions over heavy-handed regulation, conservatives are in a position to present America with a much more viable approach to addressing climate change than the Green New Deal. Consider that one of the leading proponents of the GND, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said in 2019 that "the world is going to end in 12 years if we don't address climate change." A strong case can be made that anyone who makes a statement so divorced from science and reality is not fit for office, but Ocasio-Cortez simply inherited a long tradition of leftist climate alarmism. Whether she was being disingenuous or not, such tactics simply do not work.
Despite the apocalyptic rhetoric from the left, it's unlikely that Americans will renounce growth, affluence and a higher standard of living. Americans are green but not that green, and the idea that citizens will give up beef, dairy, cars, flights and a drastic reduction in consumption is a losing one.
Environmentalists perennially exaggerate the problems, while Republicans, at least since 2012, have belittled them. Climate mitigation in the 21st century, however, will require bipartisan action. To let Ronald Reagan have the last word: "The preservation of our environment is not a partisan challenge. It's common sense."
This editorial was originally published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.


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Two confirmed cases of measles have been reported in a school in Chilliwack, which has prompted a warning to residents living in Fraser Valley East, according to the Fraser Health Authority.
Along with treating two confirmed cases of the highly contagious virus, Fraser Health is also following up on dozens of linked suspected cases.
Public Health staff are contacting affected families directly to offer vaccines in order to reduce the chance of the infection spreading. The health authority’s main concern involves students and families that are travelling for the upcoming spring break.
Fraser Health is advising anyone who may have been exposed to the virus to refrain from travelling until they’ve been cleared by Public Health.
According to the health authority, low immunization rates in parts of Fraser Valley East, which consists of Abbotsford, Mission, Chilliwack, Agassiz, Harrison Hot Springs and Hope, have led to several clusters of the virus in previous years. The most recent outbreak occurred in the fall of 2013.
The most effective protection against the virus is two doses of the vaccine, which is free to all those born in or after 1957. Residents are encouraged to contact their regular health provider to receive the vaccination.
The Fraser Health Authority said anyone who believes they have been exposed or have developed symptoms, to go see their medical practitioner.


text: Mexican dj/producer from Guadalajara residing in France is a upcoming artist thats been giving a lot to talk about. With his debut just a year ago he caught the attention of artist such as Acid Arab, Manfredas, Vox Low, Local Suicides, Inflagranti, Xinobi, Golden Bug, Nick Warren just to name a few. His work has charted the top positions of Beatport NU DISCO/INDIE DANCE (6) and Juno MINIMAL/ TECH HOUSE (3) and has been remixed by the likes of Sascha Funke, Curses, Damon Jee, Mytron and Ofofo, Ali Kuru, Richard Rossa to name a few. Signing with labels such as NEIN Records, Tom Tom Disco, Toolroom, PLAYGROUND, Esthetique and more. His sets take you from a slow tempo Balearic sound to a slow dark disco vibe full of sequence and rhythm. His been featured in France premier festival Nuites Sonore.

domain: artistic


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Lytchett Matravers Parish Council - Annual Parish Meeting 2019
Panel 21: Library Expansion
The Parish Council and the Friends of Lytchett Matravers Library have had to defend the library against closure twice in the past few years.
The library is a central hub for a host of activities, not just for borrowing books.
- There are many book clubs, for children and adults.
- There are computers available for on-line access to email or just to the web.
- There are Knit and Natter groups
- There are Jigsaw afternoons
The Friends of Lytchett Matravers Library have monthly talks and coffee mornings.
The library staff are always looking out for more to do to attract residents into the library. Go along and have a look.
The Parish Council hosts the Citizens Advice Bureau for residents advice and benefit.
The Parish Council has requested the transfer of the library building to the parish to ensure the building is retained for community use. It will still be a library, but it will provide a more flexible facility for the community. It can also be used for a wider variety of activities.


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Below is a long, searing and outraged report from Stephen Lewis, Ex UN Ambassador on AIDS to Africa, about the ongoing, horrific, mass rapes in the Democratic Republic of Congo. While I absolutely agree with his outrage, I would add what he did not, to this report - which is that there are grassroots organizations that have sprung up, led by women survivors of rape, and that they are pleading for our support. I am in touch with V-Day, which is starting a campaign to fund and build a "City Of Joy" -- a safe village for rape survivors in Bukavu. Last month in Kenya, I discussed creating a similar project in Goma, where the Heal Africa fistula clinic is located. Both areas are places where many NGOs are working. Any number of these NGOs could have funded the creation of a safe center for survivors of rape where multiple services could be provided. It's not too late. And there are more and more grassroots women's groups who are ready to be involved in setting such centers up TODAY. Want to help? Contact me. I'll put you in touch with Action AID, which has a field coordinator in Goma who is hoping to develop this project. V-Day has their eye on Bukavu. If this article by Stephen Lewis shakes you, then take some action. Get involved in directly supporting on the DRC groups who are helping the survivors. Email me if you want more info. I'm doing outreach now to bring many of these key DRC grassroots groups onto PulseWire. So you'll be able to hear directly from them what they need and want. I'll keep you posted on my own progrss in this area via this online journal and postings to PulseWire. --Anne-christine
Please find attached and below the text of a statement delivered today at a press conference in Nairobi, Kenya by Stephen Lewis.
Mr. Lewis, former UN Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa and current Co-Director of AIDS-Free World, is on a visit to Kenya, South Africa and Lesotho in his role as Chair of the Board of the Stephen Lewis Foundation.
The text is available for immediate release and may be freely circulated, posted and quoted.
Christina Magill Executive Assistant to Stephen Lewis TEL: +1-416-657-4458 FAX: +1-416-946-1371
Press conference statement Nairobi, Kenya: Thursday, 13 September 2007, 3:00 p.m.
Stephen Lewis* calls for a new UN initiative to end sexual violence in the
eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
On Monday of this week, John Holmes, the UN Emergency Coordinator and Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs returned from a trip to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and characterized sexual violence against women as "almost unimaginable". He termed it a "weapon of terror", adding that the intensity and frequency is worse than anywhere else in the world.
That's pretty strong language coming from a UN official, many of whom are given to the sonorous dispassion of diplomacy. But as frontal were the words of John Holmes, he was positively reserved compared to others.
Nor were the words a revelation. They were simply the latest installment in an ongoing litany of horror.
Last month, August 6th to be exact, Eve Ensler, celebrated author of "The Vagina Monologues" held a press conference to seek support for the Panzi hospital in Bukavu, DRC, where women who have been subjected to sexual violence are treated. She had just completed a visit to eastern Congo, and wrote an extraordinary magazine piece which began with the words, "I have just returned from hell. I am trying for the life of me to figure out how to communicate what I have seen and heard in the Democratic Republic of the Congo . How do I convey these stories of atrocities . How do I tell you of girls as young as nine raped by gangs of soldiers, of women whose insides were blown apart by rifle blasts and whose bodies now leak uncontrollable streams of urine and feces?"
There follows an incomparably blood-chilling account of interviews with survivors of rape and sexual violence . violence so insanely savage as to reverberate with Hitlerian brutality. When I read Eve Ensler, I was shaken to the core.
Interestingly, in advance of Eve Ensler, the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council, felt exactly the same way. Just a week earlier, July 30, 2007, the rapporteur, Professor Yakin Erturk, returned from an official visit to the DRC conducted between July 16th and July 27th.
In a public statement, preliminary to a full report, she writes of the roaming gangs of psychopaths in the eastern Congo: "The atrocities perpetrated by these armed groups are of an unimaginable brutality that goes far beyond rape. The atrocities are structured around rape and sexual slavery and aim at the complete physical and psychological destruction of women with implications for the entire society .Women are brutally gang raped, often in front of their families and communities. In numerous cases, male relatives are forced at gun point to rape their own daughters, mothers or sisters. Frequently women are shot or stabbed in their genital organs after they are raped. Women who survived months of enslavement told me that their tormentors had forced them to eat excrement or the human flesh of murdered relatives."
I note that this is the language of a formally-appointed UN rapporteur, delivered to a formal UN body. Absolutely nothing has come of it.
In February of 2007, here in Nairobi, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in conjunction with the Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) published an astonishingly comprehensive and powerful monograph, with extensive narrative and searing photographs, titled "The Shame of War: Sexual Violence Against Women and Girls in Conflict". It is, without doubt, one of the finest publications, in content and analysis, that the United Nations has produced in many a year.
The monograph followed an earlier publication by OCHA/IRIN in 2005, called "Broken Bodies, Broken Dreams", an initial compilation dealing with gender-based violence. The point to be made is that even though both texts covered sexual violence in several war zones, the material dealing with DRC was enough to sound the highest-decibel alarm.
For example, this excerpt from The Shame of War: "As a result of the systematic and exceptionally violent gang rape of thousands of Congolese women and girls, doctors in the DRC are now classifying vaginal destruction as a crime of combat. Many of the victims suffer from traumatic fistula --- tissue tears in the vagina, bladder and rectum. Additional long-term medical complications for survivors may include uterine prolapse (the descent of the uterus into the vagina or beyond) and other serious injuries to the reproductive system, such as infertility, or complications associated with miscarriages and self-induced abortions. Rape victims are also at high-risk for sexually transmitted infections."
Alas, OCHA and IRIN were simply repeating, in 2007, what had been endlessly hammered home in the previous years. On November 13th, 2006, the UK newspaper, The Guardian, ran a story under the headline "Hundreds of Thousands Raped in Congo Wars", reporting on just one province in eastern DRC, South Kivu, where 42,000 women had been treated for rape. In October, 2006, UN Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping, Jean-Marie Guehenno, reported that "In the eastern Congo, over 12,000 rapes of women and girls have been reported in the last six months."
But Jean-Marie Guehenno well knows that the number of rapes that go unreported are usually ten or twenty times higher than those that come to official attention, and vastly higher still during a war. Indeed, USG Guehenno was about to receive a report from the Human Rights Division of his own peacekeeping operation in the Congo, known as MONUC, that surveyed "The Human Rights Situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the period of July to December, 2006." In the section of the report headed "Sexual Violence", there is a catalogue of depraved and ferocious assaults on women that makes the blood run cold.
Thus: "Despite all initiatives undertaken to counter sexual violence . rape continues to be widespread throughout the country."
Thus: "Throughout the country, young and old women, pregnant women and girls as young as six were allegedly raped at roadblocks and in private homes, on their way home from school or in the fields."
Thus: "In Ituri, where the local population suffers hardships caused by the continuous military operations against armed groups . the (security forces) have carried out brutal acts of sexual violence in a legal vacuum without being held responsible for their actions."
There's more, much more.
It's no wonder, then, that Jan Egeland, the former UN Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, told the Security Council in September of 2006 that sexual violence in the DRC was a "cancer that seemed to be out of control." He went on to note that the "Congo is the world's deadliest crisis since the Second World War. Yet Congo's immense suffering has gone virtually unnoticed by the outside world."
At the outset of 2006, however, it did not escape the notice of the highly-esteemed medical journal, The Lancet. In the issue of January 7th, there appeared a learned article, "Mortality in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: a nationwide survey". The authors examined mortality rates between January 2003 and April 2004, and came to the conclusion, by extrapolation, that the total death toll, 1998-2004 was 3.9 million. It would doubtless be closer to 5 million today. In the introduction to the article, the authors argue that ". the war began in 1998 and quickly engulfed the country in a conflict characterized by extreme violence, mass population displacements, widespread rape, and a collapse of public health services. The outcome has been a humanitarian disaster unmatched by any other in recent decades, but one that has drawn little response from the international community."
It is a self-evident truth that there is a terrifying pattern here, evolving over many years, and the most terrifying component of that pattern, the one unbroken stream of nightmare continuity, is the sexual violence.
Jan Egeland, ever-engaged, ever-enraged, ever-eloquent, knew what was happening. And so it was, on June 21st, 2005, that he poured his heart out on the occasion of another report to the Security Council:
"Mr. President, the recurrent use of sexual violence is arguably one of the worst global protection challenges due to its scale, prevalence and profound impact. Often ostracized by their communities, survivors have to battle with the physical injuries, trauma and stigma of such violence for the rest of their lives. Although we repeatedly condemn such violence, it persists virtually unchallenged. Far from making general progress, we have in too many places regressed. We have information of more and more women being attacked, younger and younger children are victims of these atrocities."
He goes on to say: "I could provide a devastating catalogue of violations, but let me highlight . where sexual violence is at its worst. In North Kivu, in the DRC, a local NGO just reported over 2,000 cases of gender-based violence in the month of April (2005) alone. An estimated 50% were committed against minors. MONUC estimates at least 25,000 cases of sexual violence a year in North Kivu alone, just one region of the DRC. The cultural breakdown and the disintegration of the line of command in the armed forces, has resulted in a culture of violence in which sexual violence had become endemic. If this is not stopped, such violence will have terrible long-term ramifications for Congolese society, threatening future peace and stability. The United Nations have recognized this as one our highest priorities. More forceful action should have been taken earlier."
Well, action wasn't taken. It's entirely beyond belief that this war on women excited virtually no response from the United Nations. The establishment of MONUC is hardly a complete answer. Indeed, as has been shown by the United Nations itself, the situation for women --- more than two years later --- has progressed from despair to doomsday even as the UN forces are in the country.
And no one can claim ignorance. Not only was the Security Council regularly briefed (what an indictment of the five permanent members), but journalists and human rights organizations around the world had maintained a relentless drumbeat of concern.
In my own country of Canada, Stephanie Nolen of the Globe and Mail wrote searing stories of sexual violence in the eastern Congo, based on first-hand reporting. On November 27, 2004, the Globe headlined her story "The War on Women", followed by the cutline: ". in battle-weary Congo, Stephanie Nolen finds that all the warring factions have one tactic in common: brutal, mass rape". The article constituted a comprehensive review of what was happening in the eastern Congo, and no one who read it could come away unmoved. Then, in a special piece filed for Ms. Magazine in the spring issue of 2005, Nolen dealt with the very hospital and the very doctor that Eve Ensler reported on last month. She wrote of individual women mercilessly scarred by rape: "Across the DRC are tens of thousands of women like this: physically ravaged, emotionally terrorized, financially impoverished . Eight years of war have left the country in ruins, and Congolese women have been victims of rape on a scale never seen before." And later in the article: "An estimated 30 per cent of the women raped in Congo's war are infected with HIV ." She quotes Dr. Mukwege, the sole gynecologist at the Panzi hospital in Bukavu: "They rape a woman, five or six of them at a time --- but that is not enough. Then they shoot a gun into her vagina . In all my years here, I have never seen anything like it . to see so many raped, that shocks me, but what shocks me more is the way they are raped." Further on, Nolen speaks of another hospital in Kibombo, where the only doctor, Jean-Yves Mukamba ". knows he is surrounded by women suffering raging venereal infections, HIV, prolapsed uteruses, torn vaginas." She quotes the doctor: "Most cases were traumatization of the genitals: These women were raped with a tree branch or the barrel of a gun, or a bayonet. When you see a woman who was forced by ten men --- the trauma ."
What is so incredible about the inertia and passivity of the international community is the weight of evidence they had before them, and the total blank indifference with which the evidence was treated.
In 2004, Amnesty International produced a 39-page treatise titled "Democratic Republic of Congo: Mass Rape - Time for Remedies". It makes very tough reading. But it's almost unimaginable that it would engender almost no response whatsoever.
The study opens with what has now become a predictable preface: "In the course of the armed conflict in eastern DRC, tens of thousands of women and girls have been victims of systematic rape and sexual assault committed by combatant forces. Women and girls have been attacked in their homes, in the fields as they go about their daily activities. Many have been raped more than once or have suffered gang rapes. In many cases, women and young girls have been taken as sex slaves by combatants. Rape of men and boys has also taken place. Rape has often been preceded or followed by the deliberate wounding, torture (including torture of a sexual nature) or killing of the victim. Rapes have been committed in public and in front of family members, including children. Some women have been raped next to the corpses of family members."
In the section on "Rape: A Weapon of War", the report quotes a doctor: "In peacetime, the demands on Congolese women are limitless; but in this war, the most insane fantasies have found their expression. When seven soldiers rape a woman or little girl, and thrust a knife or fire shots into her vagina, for them the woman is no longer a human being, she is an object. And since there are no longer any laws or rules, combatants pour out their anger and their madness on to women and little girls."
The Amnesty International report, with its unendurable accounts of victims of sexual violence -- brought to the attention of all governments -- is a tour de force of analysis, and of recommendations for the United Nations, the peacekeepers (who, agonizingly enough, themselves became implicated in episodes of rape and sexual abuse), the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the surrounding African states, the bilateral donors, the NGOs. As history has shown, those who could intervene, primarily the governments of the international community, remained impassive. It forces one to think of the meaning of misogyny.
I cannot, however, conclude this partial review of reports, statements and documents, without noting a 114-page monograph, produced back in June of 2002 by Human Rights Watch, entitled "The War Within the War: Sexual Violence Against Women and Girls in Eastern Congo".
It is absolutely definitive, amassing a torrent of evidence to make the case that everyone subsequently mirrored. If we had paid any attention to Human Rights watch more than five years ago, we would have saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of women and diminished the inexpressible agony for millions of others.
The evidence presented by Human Rights Watch is unassailable. Again, after chronicling an infinite number of examples of sexual violence, rooted in hatred and power, HRW makes recommendations to every entity from the United Nations to the International Criminal Court. That was back in 2002, based on evidence gathered in 2001.
It is impossible to imagine what those past five years have been like for the women featured in those accounts.
Throughout this exegesis, and particularly in regard to the article by Eve Ensler with which I began, I have refrained from quoting the most terrible and dreadful of the crimes against women and girls. But lest there is anyone who is somehow unconvinced of the monstrous nature of what is transpiring, on a daily basis, in the eastern Congo, I shall quote but one piece of testimony from the Human Rights Watch report. As though one were watching an x-rated film, a warning must be given to the reader.
I quote: " In some cases, rapists react with extraordinary cruelty to any efforts to resist their assault. One mother described the treatment of her daughter, Monique B., aged twenty, who was engaged to be married:
"On May 15 of this year (2001), four heavily armed combatants --- they were Hutu --- came to our house at 9 p.m. Everyone in the neighbourhood had fled. I wanted to hide my children, but I didn't have time. They took my husband and tied him to a pole in the house. My four-month-old baby started crying and I started breastfeeding him and they left me alone.
They went after my daughter, and I knew they would rape her. But she resisted and said she would rather die than have relations with them. They cut off her left breast and put it in her hand. They said, "Are you still resisting us?" She said she would rather die than be with them. They cut off her genital labia and showed them to her. She said, "Please kill me." They took a knife and put it to her neck and then made a long vertical incision down her chest and split her body open. She was crying but finally she died. She died with her breast in her hand."
The entire world is preoccupied with Darfur. Understandably. But it must be said that between ten and twenty times the number of people have died in the eastern Congo as have died in Darfur. There are more displaced persons in the Eastern Congo than in Darfur. Darfur has been going on for four years; the eastern Congo has been ravaged for ten. And nowhere on this planet is there such a holocaust of horror visited on women and girls.
I'm not suggesting that we choose between the two. That would be invidious nonsense. I am suggesting that the time has come to realize that what is happening in eastern Congo is an abomination, the extent of which exists nowhere else. It's also necessary to realize that the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has no capacity (and it would appear, no inclination) to do anything about the carnage in the eastern region.
The United Nations has a principle called the Responsibility to Protect, a principle that calls for intervention by the outside world when a sovereign state is unable or unwilling to protect its citizenry. "R2P" absolutely and unequivocally applies to the destruction of the human rights of women in the Congo. Nonetheless, it is obvious that the Security Council has not the slightest intention of invoking "R2P".
I would therefore say to UN Emergency Coordinator John Holmes that along with visits to the eastern Congo to verify what others have known for more than five years, he and the Secretary-General have to face a truly unpleasant reality: neither the United Nations nor the international community has the faintest idea what to do about the catastrophe for women in the Congo.
Where the Congo is concerned, all the Security Council is really concerned about (as evidenced in their most recent discussions) is questions of troop numbers, arms embargoes and sanctions. Rape is not on the agenda.
We could construct all kinds of typical UN responses to the ongoing tragedy: give eastern Congo a profile equivalent to Darfur, with a similar involvement of the Secretary-General; have the Secretary-General meet with the International Criminal Court to invoke the use of rape as a crime against humanity in the issuance of scores of indictments; ask the Security Council to address the issue of the culture of impunity; argue for a doubling or trebling of the MONUC troop complement; establish a host of health facilities with trained professionals to treat the victims of sexual violence. The list of predictable recommendations could go on ad infinitum.
But it's all short of the mark. It's all achingly slow, and when action is finally taken, it's inadequate. And it all misses the point: there is no precedent for the insensate brutality of the war on women in the Congo. The world has never dealt with such a twisted and blistering phenomenon. That is not to say we weren't given ample clues of a trend that was headed for this crescendo. From Bosnia-Herzegovina to Rwanda to Sierra Leone and Liberia, modern-day conflicts have employed the terrorist tactic of rape as a weapon of war. And the male instinct to unleash feelings of rage and frustration on women is hardly unfamiliar. But the capacity for brutality by so many perpetrators - and on the flip side, the capacity for indifference by so many witnesses - is the ugly apex of a trend gone unchecked. The international community has applied lacklustre remedies to similar, if less extreme crises of sexual violence in the past, and with little effect. It falls somewhere between inhumane and criminally negligent to pretend that remedies that have proven inadequate under less extreme conditions will somehow solve the problem in the Congo. The old nostrums won't work. There must be dramatic departures.
Just look at MONUC. It has the highest numbers of any UN Peacekeeping operation: as of the beginning of this year there were 16,475 in the military contingent, 719 military observers, 304 military police, 2,114 civilian personnel, and with astonishing impotence, they've simply watched the war on women accelerate. More, it's under Chapter Seven of the UN Charter operation: MONUC has the right and obligation to employ arms to protect civilians from physical assault . but do they act on that obligation where sexual assault is concerned? For civilian women who need protection against rape, Chapter Seven is a travesty. And it costs over a billion dollars a year.
The natural inclination, then, simply to increase troop numbers, is less than an answer. It's especially not the answer when the training has been insufficient to prevent those self-same troops from engaging in intermittent violence against women themselves.
Nor have the United Nations agencies been able to do more than ameliorate, ever so slightly, the victimization of the women of the eastern Congo. Yes, from time to time, as in the case of UNICEF, they draw attention to the most flagrant and chaotic aggression. But the momentary profile of gender-based insanity doesn't begin to have permanence.
Let me readily admit that I don't know what will work. But as the former Envoy on AIDS in Africa, I know that crises driven by the oppression of women do not simply fade away if they're ignored. They explode. In the 1980s and well into the 90s, we allowed the whirlwind of AIDS transmission to tear through the African continent, aided and abetted by aggressive, often violent male behaviour that has never been targeted for elimination in a systematic, uncompromising way. The AIDS virus thrives on sexual violence. Sexual violence thrives on armed conflict. As if either one was not devastating enough, these two malevolent realities have joined forces to declare war on the women of the Congo. If we don't do something, and soon, HIV/AIDS and violence against women are destined to win. And having chosen to do nothing, the world community will be to blame.
It seems to me that the Secretary-General should be instructed to draw together from every part of the world women who are expert in sexual violence, who have given their lives to the study of rape, its causes and consequences, women who can collectively draw up a series of responses to the Congo. Men in high places have applied a spectacular lack of energy, interest, insight and ideas to ending Congo's war on women; it's time that they turned this crisis over to women. You can be absolutely certain that the approach of the President of Liberia, or the President of Chile would be vastly different from anything presently lurking in the minds of men.
The expertise of women offers the world its best shot at a solution to the war on women. The United Nations secretariat should be humble enough to seek the answers from outside. The inside has failed. The Congo is strewn with the mutilated bodies of that failure.
Allow me to say that what has come to pass in the eastern Congo is an inevitable result of marginalizing 52% of the world's population, and permitting multilateralism to turn its back on gender equality. AIDS and rampant sexual violence are just two of the resulting pandemics; one doesn't need a crystal ball to predict that we're in store for more. That's why we so desperately need an international agency for women. There must be a voice, tenacious, indefatigable, unrelenting, well-financed, that never lets the world forget the indignities and human rights abuses visited on women. No one can say with certainty that had a women's agency been around in 2001, the bleeding landscape of the Congo would have been different in 2007. But at least there would have been a fighting chance. At least the voices raised on the outside would have had allies on the inside. And at least the voices on the inside, like those of Jan Egeland, would not have been shouting into the void.
With a UN women's agency of strength, one headed by an Under-Secretary General, with a billion dollars a year, and gender experts on the ground -- preventing crises that haven't yet happened, and ending the ones that have -- the women of the Congo might have some glimmers of hope.- 30 -
- Stephen Lewis, former UN Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa and current Co-Director of AIDS-Free World, is on a visit to Kenya, South Africa and Lesotho in his role as Chair of the Board of the Stephen Lewis Foundation.


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100 Crowns rapper and Martel Cypher star, Blaqbonez who has always claimed to be the Best Rapper in Africa has opened up on why he declared himself the best of all African rappers including M.I and Vector.
While speaking in a recent interview on Naijaloaded TV, Blaqbonez said he might not have the big number of fanbase like M.I Abaga, Vector, Nasty C and some other African rappers but he still remains the best of them all.
Blaqbonez was unapologetic when he said Wale Turner and Davolee are failed rappers always coming at him on social media but run away when shit got real.
Watch Full Interview With Blaqbonez Below:-
So guys, let’s forget about the best rapper shii, the question is 👇
Do You Think Blaqbonez Can Ever Grow To The Level Of M.I And Vector In The Industry?
Let’s hear from you
Drop your comments


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Kabuki Dream – Sense of Natural Confusion [Veidt Records]
On the 12th of October, 2023, Veidt Records presents the world with Kabuki Dream’s “Sense of Natural Confusion”, a narrative in sound that challenges and engages the listener at every turn. The album is an eclectic expedition into the abstract, each track a chapter in a larger sonic story.
With a total of eleven tracks, the album is a journey through electronic cosmos, evoking the pioneering spirits of Chemical Brothers and Aphex Twin, yet presenting a unique narrative that’s distinctively Kabuki Dream’s. It’s a labyrinth of sound, inviting the listeners to lose themselves within its complex musical passages, only to find themselves in a realm of electronic enlightenment.
Written by: Alejandro Serrano
For every Show page the timetable is auomatically generated from the schedule, and you can set automatic carousels of Podcasts, Articles and Charts by simply choosing a category. Curabitur id lacus felis. Sed justo mauris, auctor eget tellus nec, pellentesque varius mauris. Sed eu congue nulla, et tincidunt justo. Aliquam semper faucibus odio id varius. Suspendisse varius laoreet sodales.close


STOCKHOLM, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Sweden reported 1 million confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Thursday with 6,526 new cases detected in the past 24 hours.
It has also recorded 691.52 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants over the past 14 days, making it the hardest-hit country in the European Union, according to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control on Thursday.
Many schools were still shut down following the outbreak of the pandemic last year, and teachers and parents were critical of the way the government handled the pandemic, local media reported.
The death toll from the virus has reached 14,158 as of Thursday in Sweden since the pandemic started, according to date published by the Public Health Agency's press conference.
Sweden has accelerated its vaccination program in the last few weeks, and yet the national count of COVID-19 cases is believed to top a million, as Sweden may be testing more extensively than other countries, the Swedish Public Health Agency said.
Karin Tegmark Wisell, head of the department of microbiology at the Public Health Agency, admitted the number of infections in Sweden has been underestimated and that one in four Swedes may have antibodies.
Senior citizens have fallen easy victim to the virus, not the least among death cases. Up to date, 9,609 of death cases in Sweden were found in people aged 80 or older, according to data from the Public Health Agency.
The high death toll is a result of cluster outbreaks at nursing homes, especially during the first wave, critics said.
Except senior residents, other Swedes could go about their daily affairs pretty much as usual, while their elderly relatives and inhabitants had to endure strictly enforced lockdowns.
The government has taken measures to prevent the virus from entering nursing homes, and demanded distance education for high schools and university students since March last year. Restrictions on the size of crowds in public places were also put in place.
Nevertheless, the Swedish strategy was based on advice rather than curfews. The Swedish authorities took a different attitude towards the usage of facial masks.
The Public Health Agency believed masks could create a false sense of security and even increased the risks of infection if not handled properly.
The public were asked to wear face masks when using public transport in January this year, yet this is still not mandatory in Sweden.
In March last year, Dagens Nyheter newspaper revealed that a leaked email showed that a Swedish state epidemiologist took a positive attitude toward "a slow spread of infection among school children and their parents to build up herd immunity."
In June last year, Ebba Busch, leader of the Swedish Christian Democrats, criticized the government's strategies.
"In February, thousands of Swedes were allowed to land at Arlanda airport from areas that already had a large spread of infection. Then they were allowed to go straight out into the community," Busch said.
However, government ministers denied that this was part of Sweden's strategy when testifying before the Committee on the Constitution last month.
They also insisted that the government never had a formal strategy and that the restrictions were imposed on an ad-hoc basis based on advices from the Public Health Agency.
Six months after Busch's criticisms, King Carl XIV Gustaf vented his frustration in his traditional Christmas interview with Swedish Television. By then Sweden had reported 7,000 COVID-19 deaths.
"I think we have failed. We have a large number who have died and that is terrible," he said.
A commission of inquiry set up by the government in June last year was more specific in its criticism.
In the first report released in December, the commission concluded that nursing homes were "ill-prepared and equipped to deal with the pandemic" and that these problems had been known for a long time.
"The current government -- as well as previous governments -- bears the ultimate responsibility for these shortcomings," the report said.
The government presented a plan that all adults in the country will be offered vaccines before mid-September.
By Thursday, a total of 2,769,411 individuals, or almost 34 percent of the adult population, had received at least one dose of vaccine. Just over 794,000 individuals, or 9.7 percent of the adult population, were fully vaccinated.
At the press conference on Thursday, the Public Health Agency warned that the situation might worsen despite the vaccinations and asked all Swedes to strictly follow the authorities' advice on the prevention of the pandemic.


Frequently, I am asked whether, as an 07 manufacturer, the Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) needs to register with the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) of the State Department under the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), which is implemented through the International Trafficking in Arms Regulations (ITAR). While very few 07 FFLs register under ITAR, they are generally required to do so and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) recently discussed this issue on page 3 in its November 2012 Newsletter.
22 C.F.R. Section 122.1 states, “Any person who engages in the United States in the business of either manufacturing or exporting defense articles or furnishing defense services is required to register with the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls.” (emphasis added) The only possible exception for a manufacture, unless the item is not a defense article, is for “Persons who engage only in the fabrication of articles for experimental or scientific purpose, including research and development.” As for what constitutes a defense article, it is those items which are designated by the President and listed in the US Munitions List, pursuant to 22 C.F.R. Section 120.2. Currently, although there is a push to reform the list and remove general firearms from ITAR and move them over to the Bureau of Industry and Security under the Department of Commerce, any firearm, with the exception of a non-combat shotgun with a barrel length over 18″, are defense articles, pursuant to 22 C.F.R. Section 121.1.
The penalties for violating ITAR are severe. 22 C.F.R. Section 127.1(b)(3) declares, “It shall be unlawful:…(3) To engage in the United States in the business of either manufacturing or exporting defense articles or furnishing defense services without complying with the registration requirements.” 22 C.F.R. Section 127.3 states “Any person who willfully:…(a) Violates any provision of §38 or §39 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2778 and 2779) or any rule or regulation issued under either §38 or §39 of the Act, or any undertaking specifically required by part 124 of this subchapter;…shall upon conviction be subject to a fine or imprisonment, or both, as prescribed by 22 U.S.C. 2778(c).”
22 U.S.C. 2778(c) declares, “Any person who willfully violates any provision of this section, section 2779 of this title, a treaty referred to in subsection (j)(1)(C)(i), or any rule or regulation issued under this section or section 2779 of this title, including any rule or regulation issued to implement or enforce a treaty referred to in subsection (j)(1)(C)(i) or an implementing arrangement pursuant to such treaty, or who willfully, in a registration or license application or required report, makes any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, shall upon conviction be fined for each violation not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.”
If that weren’t bad enough, ITAR also allows for civil penalties, pursuant to 22 C.F.R. Section 127.10. “The Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs is authorized to impose a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed that authorized by 22 U.S.C. 2778, 2779a, and 2780 for each violation of 22 U.S.C. 2778, 2779a, and 2780, or any regulation, order, license, or written approval issued thereunder. This civil penalty may be either in addition to, or in lieu of, any other liability or penalty which may be imposed.”
Accordingly, the BATFE’s November 2012 newsletter informs all manufacturers that they must register under ITAR, unless you are exempted by the DDTC.
If you are an 07 manufacturer and haven’t registered, you should immediately contact competent counsel on how to handle registration, as there are provisions relating to Voluntary Disclosures. Many 07s are reluctant or unwilling to register, as they mistakenly believe that since they haven’t been contacted or hassled by the ATF or DDTC in the past, they don’t need to register. This is all starting to change, as several 07s have now received correspondences from the DDTC acknowledging their lack of registration and requesting an explanation. This is NOT a situation you want to find yourself or your company in, especially with the potential consequences!
By Joshua Prince, Esq. of the Firearms Industry Consulting Group, a division of Prince Law Offices, P.C. devoted to the protection of the Second Amendment at the federal level across the United States and now, internationally – Nothing in the above article should be construed as legal advice on any state’s laws.


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Charm Bracelets are the perfect accessories to complete the perfect look of our unique charms... We were careful to choose the styles that would compliment each and every unique piece.... We have the traditional charm bracelets or more modern styles. It also makes it easy for you to get all your jewelry needs in one place! All the bracelets are solid Sterling Silver or solid 14K Yellow. Rose or White gold...For durability, they are NEVER hollow and to retain their original look, they are NEVER gold plated or gold filled! There are a variety of choices..simply choose your favorite style and the length that is the most flattering and comfortable for you. We highly recommend you have each charm soldered on the bracelet to insure the security of the piece...contact us and for a minimal fee, we will be delighted to solder and secure your charm in place.
Each piece of jewelry purchased comes boxed and set in a satin traveling pouch. A complimentary polishing cloth is included to help retain its original beauty.


TDR testing is currently used primarily for PCB (printed circuit board) signal lines and device impedance testing.
There are many reasons for affecting the accuracy of TDR test, mainly reflection, calibration, reading selection, etc. Reflex will cause serious deviation of the short PCB signal line test value, especially in the case of using TIP (probe) to test. Obviously, because the TIP and signal line contact points cause a large impedance discontinuity, the reflection occurs, and the impedance curve of the PCB signal line in the vicinity of three or four inches is fluctuating.
PCB impedance tests such as single-ended signal lines, differential signal lines, connectors, etc. This PCB impedance test has a requirement that is combined with the actual application conditions. For example, if the signal rising edge of the signal line is about 300 ps, then the rising edge of the TDR output pulse signal should be set at around 300 ps instead of Use a rising edge of about 30ps, otherwise the PCB impedance test results may be quite different from the actual application.
The difference between PCB and PCBA
What is a PCB? How did PCBA evolve? What is the difference between PCB and PCBA? Let's take a closer look below.
PCB is the abbreviation of Printed Circuit Board. Because it is made by electronic printing, it is called "printing" circuit board. PCB is an impor...


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Lethe and Other Summer Memories
Yesterday was a different kind of memorable day, a day spent in San Francisco with my mother. She is one of the few people I know who get caught up in the journey as much in the destination. So while we enjoyed the new De Young Museum, the walk in Golden Gate Park was perhaps even more spectacular. It was one of those rare San Francisco summer days; the weather a warm 65 degrees, the sky a brilliant blue, enough breeze to carry the scent of flowers and herbs, and the sun creating a paint box of color on leaves, bushes, trees and flowers.
Our real purpose for the trip, however, was to see the Cornerstone Theater production of Lethe. I had discovered this theater company a year ago with the production of “Boda de Luna Nueva” (New Moon Wedding), a contemporary adaptation of García Lorca’s “Blood Wedding”.
And so they do. For “Boda de Luna Nueva”, the company selected the tiny, farm town of Grayson in west Stanislaus County. They brought in a company of professional actors and students in their summer residency program and then recruited locals of all ages from Grayson and the surrounding communities to develop and act in the play. In adapting the play to time and place, they first researched the community. So, for example, instead of the wheat harvest in “Bodas de Sangre”, “Boda de Luna Nueva” showcased the tomato and apricot harvest. “Death” was played by a woman pushing a “paletera” cart and selling drugs instead of ice cream and popsicles. The Greek chorus of “Woodcutters” was replaced by a chorus of “Tomato Pickers” and Leonardo escaped with the bride not on horseback but in his pick-up. The play was performed at the edge of an open field and the audience sat in bleachers. Beyond the stage setting one could see the field, the highway and orchards beyond, and as the play progressed, the sun setting beyond the western hills. “La luna” (The Moon) appeared not on stage, but from the distant field beyond, back lit so she was initially just a white sphere moving ever toward us. The play was amazing; a magical moment in time.
"Cornerstone Theater Company is a multi-ethnic, ensemble-based theater company. We commission and produce new plays, both original works and contemporary adaptations of classics, which combine the artistry of professional and community collaborators. By making theater with and for people of many ages, cultures and levels of theatrical experience, Cornerstone builds bridges between and within diverse communities in our home city of Los Angeles and nationwide." http://www.cornerstonetheater.org/who_mainpage.html
There are moments and experiences I would like to bottle, in order to capture their essence. “Boda de Luna Nueva" was one of those. “Lethe” was another.
Lethe, taken from the Greek myths, is one of the rivers in Hades. New souls arriving in Hades drink from this River of Oblivion in order to forget their earthly existence, in preparation for their new home.
The play, “Lethe”, written by Octavio Solís, takes place at a Senior Home, modeled after the On Lok Institute on Aging. The actors include some professionals (including one 95 year old), students in the summer residency program, as well as first-time actors who in their other lives work or volunteer with the elderly. One story line focuses on a resident whose husband died a year ago, her son, who has not been able to deal with his father´s death, and the developing romance between the mother and another resident. Another story line highlights a filipina woman with Alzheimers (in her words, the Aswang or vampires, are stealing her memories while she sleeps) and her relationship with a young professional filipina volunteer. Both the son and the young woman are carrying around the ghosts of their parents, for whom they were caregivers. The ghosts will not leave them until the living are able to deal with
unresolved issues with their parents. Framing all this are three choruses: the Onstage Senior Chorus, the Caregiver Chorus and the Lethe Gesture chorus.
As in any good play, the acting and music were outstanding and there
were many moments to laugh and cry. What is memorable (!) about Lethe, however, was its truth. The setting really was a Senior Center and the people really were health care professionals, volunteers and residents. My mother recognized the truth in these actors and she knows; she is a volunteer in such a setting. The son accurately represented the dilemma of caregivers caught between the selfless task set upon them and their own lives. The resolution for the filipina Alzheimer patient and the young volunteer required the older woman to deal with her loss of memory but also for the younger woman to reclaim cultural and family memories she never had.
The playwright, accurately sums up Cornestone’s magic:
"Over the rehearsal period, there have been many times that our efforts
in rehearsal have been trumped by the sudden insertion of Real Life into the process. Someone will stop and abruptly tell a deeply moving personal account or explain something about hospice work relevant to our scene or simply misspeak a line of text in a way that reveals an utter fact of life previously ignored. While in other instances with other theatres, this might be scorned as frustrating interruption into the
artistic process, at Cornerstone, Real Life is the process... Our community
participants are not just the resource, they are the authority. Our elders carry the history of our culture inside them, ways of life that come and go like tides, momentous days and days of no consequence laced together by memory, fragile and
ephemeral. And our caregivers carry inside them the hours of constant selflessness,
weighing against their own personal wants the need to help others through the straits of illness and age. And through it all is love. If I discovered anything about these communities it is that they are built entirely on love." --Octavio Solís


NTSB Identification: SEA91LA031.
The docket is stored on NTSB microfiche number 43173.
Accident occurred Sunday, December 09, 1990 in BOZEMAN, MT
Probable Cause Approval Date: 12/08/1992
Aircraft: BEECH 3NM, registration: N9159B
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
A BEECH 3NM SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN THE RIGHT ENGINE MASTER ROD FAILED AND THE CRANKSHAFT SEIZED. THE PROPELLER SEPARATED AND STRUCK THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE, DOING STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AND SHEARING OFF A NOSE FUEL TANK. THE PILOT RETURNED SAFELY TO HIS DEPARTURE POINT.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be: THE FAILURE OF THE RIGHT ENGINE MASTER ROD.
Index for Dec1990 | Index of months


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It seems like the training Yang Yang took part in for Glory of the Special Forces has paid off, because the first trailer looks pretty good. Li Yitong also made an official appearance at the Tencent press conference, and has confirmed that she will be playing Ai Qianxue, the hero’s main love interest. [Extended Synopsis]
Upcoming military drama Glory of the Special Forces 特战荣耀 (lit.) stars Yang Yang (Martial Universe) as Yan Poyue, a high school student who comes from a family of soldiers. He forgoes the university entrance examinations and joins the armed police force in order to prove his worth to his father.

domain: entertainment


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Troy: Our Greatest Story Retold - Stephen Fry's Greek Myths (Hardback)Stephen Fry (author)
After captivating readers with his formidable Mythos and Heroes, Fry turns his attention to another great narrative from Ancient Greece, exploring the timeless human passions that beat at the heart of this iconic story of heroism, love, despair and revenge.
Troy. The most marvellous kingdom in all the world. The Jewel of the Aegean. Glittering Ilion, the city that rose and fell not once but twice . . .
The story of Troy speaks to all of us - the kidnapping of Helen, a queen celebrated for her beauty, sees the Greeks launch a thousand ships against that great city, to which they will lay siege for ten whole and very bloody years.
It is Zeus, the king of the gods, who triggers war when he asks the Trojan prince Paris to judge the fairest goddess of them all. Aphrodite bribes Paris with the heart of Helen, wife of King Menelaus of the Greeks, and naturally, nature takes its course.
It is a terrible, brutal war with casualties on all sides. The Greeks cannot defeat the Trojans – since Achilles, the Greek’s boldest warrior, is consumed with jealousy over an ally’s choice of lover, the Trojan slave Briseis, and will not fight . . .
The stage is set for the oldest and greatest story ever told, where monstrous passions meet the highest ideals and the lowest cunning. In Troy you will find heroism and hatred, love and loss, revenge and regret, desire and despair. It is these human passions, written bloodily in the sands of a distant shore, that still speak to us today.
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Number of pages: 432
Weight: 738 g
Dimensions: 240 x 162 x 38 mm
An inimitable retelling of the siege of Troy . . . Fry's narrative, artfully humorous and rich in detail, breathes life and contemporary relevance into these ancient tales * Observer *
Fry's lively writing certainly conveys his lifelong passion for Greek myths . . . It's a rollicking good read * Independent *
Perfect for the 21st Century. Ebullient, funny, Fry retells the Greek myths with elegance * The Times *
Lively, humorous and intimate, this retelling has real charm * Guardian *
A wondrous new immersion in ancient stories we only thought we knew. Brilliant, funny, erudite, inventive, surprising and enthralling -- Richard North Patterson
Tragedy and passion abound as Fry retells the epic siege of Troy * Metro *
Stephen Fry takes the reader into the heart of a story both mythical and grounded in history * Northern Life Magazine *
This pacy, witty retelling is beautifully illustrated, with an epilogue explaining the myths and historical reality of Troy * Daily Mail *
Astonishing . . . an excellent read * The Oldie *
Curl up on your sofa as Stephen brings to life the legendary . . . passionate and powerful story of Troy * The List *
Fry is a genial guide to Greek mythology * Daily Telegraph *
Fry's knowledge of the world - ancient and modern - bursts through at the seams . . . The reader will find themselves on a fun romp through the world's greatest story * Daily Telegraph *
Full of heroism, desire and drama * Eastern Daily Press *
Fry really brings the tale to life, adding his own wry humour to the mix . . . Well worth a read * The Hunsbury Handbook *
A story thousands of years old, only Fry could rewrite this so captivating as ever * School House *
Fry takes us from the founding myth of Troy, through its most famous inhabitants and the infamous war, to the razing of the city by the vengeful and victorious Achaeans * Times *
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“You see the large, overarching gates of Troy and standing there, Achilles, Paris, and the mighty battle for the golden city of Troy.”
Imagine immersing yourself amongst the ruins of an ancient city. Jagged rocks split open, the sun beaming down upon the cracked tiles. Images of a mighty battle greet your eyes. Now, imagine it in a book. Except we... More
“Great intro to thge Iliad”
I've read several translations of Homer's Iliad but have always missed a lot of the before and after bits as Homer's poem is rather focussed on Achilles' sulks and the main battle. I saw this... More
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Lana Del Rey’s “Off To The Races” Covered By Kelly Clarkson: Watch
Queen Kellegend, Duchess Of Live Covers strikes again. For the latest round of fan request karaoke, Kelly Clarkson took on Lana Del Rey‘s “Off To The Races” during her show in Las Vegas over the weekend.
Not surprisingly, the fast-talking Born To Die track was a little less Lolita, a little less hip-hop in Clarkson’s hands. Check out the performance below, while pondering just how the hell she remembers the lyrics to all these one-off covers.


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ABSTRACT: Tyrosol galactoside (TG) is a new candidate anti-fatigue agent under development. In order to have a good understanding of its pharmacokinetic characters, the paper describes the dose-dependent pharmacokinetics of TG in rats after oral and intravenous administration. TG was rapidly absorbed after oral administration and cleared with first-order rate, for the plasma half-life was independent of dose. C(max) and AUC(0-infinity) after both intravenous and oral dosing were all linearly correlated with the dose, as the regression correlation coefficient (R) was 0.998, 0.989 and 0.994 for AUC(0-infinity) (i.v., P < 0.01) AUC(0-infinity) (i.g., P < 0.01) and C(max) (i. g., P < 0.01), respectively. However, these parameters increased less than proportionally with increasing dose. In addition, the apparent volume of distribution (Vd) and the apparent clearance (Cl) seemed to be affected by the dose.
Arzneimittel-Forschung 01/2011; 61(8):435-8. · 0.72 Impact Factor

domain: chemistry


The Schwalbe Hurricane has a modern, dynamic tread design. It is an excellent all terrain tire, for cyclists who want to be fast on the road and expect from their tire unrestricted function when used in light terrain.
Addix | Very durable universal compound with a wide range of requirements for tires in the Performance Line.
ECE-R75 (E-50) | Tires bearing the ECE-R75 test mark are approved for bikes up to 50 km/h.
|Product Name:||Schwalbe Hurricane Wire Bead Tire - Performance | Addix | ECE-R75 - 27.5x2.25" | Black|
|usage bikesport:||Trekking, E-Bike|
|wheel size:||27,5" / 650B (584mm)|
|tire type:||Wire Bead Tire|
|tire compound:||Addix Performance|
|manufacturer item code:||11159051|
|Weight Limit (per tire):||110kg|


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The younger sister (by ten years) of pop diva and glitterati icon Britney Spears -- to whom she bears more than a passing resemblance -- Jamie Lynn Spears first entered the national spotlight by joining her famous sibling on a Pepsi commercial and appearing in Britney Spears: Live from Las Vegas and Britney's movie Crossroads (2002). Jamie Lynn struck out on her own at age ten by trying out for the Nickelodeon channel's sketch comedy series All That; one particular characterization from that audition -- that of a geriatric female bodyguard, reportedly inspired by her own grandmother -- prompted series executive producer Dan Schneider to offer the ingenue membership in the program's regular ensemble. Spears then headlined her own Nickelodeon sitcom, Zoey 101, which premiered in 2005. The program recounted the adventures of Zoey Brooks, a young woman at an outrageously wealthy and exclusive prep school whose amenities included a sushi bar and a movie theater; the institution in question had only recently gone coed, alternately thrilling and vexing its male pupils.
Spears came of age and attended high school in Mississippi. In late 2007, she made headlines when it was revealed that she was pregnant with her first child at the young age of 16.

domain: celebrity


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As I read the daily articles on news sites, I frequently see where the latest batch of some-kind-of-scientists are making predictions about climate change, and where we are headed on the planet. Today it was sea levels rising 10 feet by the turn of the next century. Cities will cease to exist, countries will be consumed by water and the ice at the poles will melt away. Then studies by other some-kind-of-scientists say we are headed for another ice age ending with a snowball Earth scenario where we will be buried under ice because the influx of fresh water into the salt water oceans from the melting polar snows, resulting from global warming, will interrupt the warm water conveyors which bring warm water to the polar regions currently keeping the ice at bay. Well…which is it? Is it both? Or are the scientists really not sure? There definitely needs to be a collective scientific voice on the issue and not somebody simply trying to justify their university funding until the next grant is written.
Now, I will be the first one to get up on the soapbox and declare that global warming is bad. And we, as the dominant proprietors of the world, have been spewing forth carbon dioxide and other nasty pollutants at an alarming rate since the Industrial Revolution. The weather patterns are changing for the worse and storms are getting stronger. I also agree that the world governments are not doing very much to stop it, and that if things do not change very quickly we are seeding our own destruction. But the scientific community doesn’t seem to able to get it’s communal act together and tell the people on this rock the exact way to fix it; and the time frame to do it in. We have all kinds of studies from all kinds of disciplines saying what is happening. It doesn’t take a PhD. in the geosciences to figure that out, but we do need someone with a PhD. in common sense to instruct us on a direction to go. We can’t depend on the corrupt politicians to do it or we’ll end up freezing to death on an iceberg in a tropical hurricane in Kansas.
Here’s my two cents worth of folksy philosophy: Let’s get the world’s leading scientists and climate experts together on a “rock-star” panel to decide the quickest and most effective path to follow as a planet to stop the crisis, and EVERY country MUST adhere to the panel’s recommendations in the timeframe designated, or that country’s governmental leaders must resign upon failure and allow new leadership to take over in their place immediately.
See, almost everybody who has the capability to get news reports knows something is very wrong with the climate and wants things to get better. Even elementary school children are making macaroni dioramas about that. It’s the government leaders that are failing us on a planetary scale. Sure they will get together sometimes for show and issue verbal political flatulence accomplishing nothing. But they all know it’s the big industry giants and commercial mega-conglomerates who will have to foot the bill, modify their industrial complexes and eat into their profit margins to meet standards; and they will not have that. We all know who makes the big monetary contributions to a politician’s election campaigns. If you pressure a spineless politician’s grasp on his molecular power, he’ll cave in like a Florida sinkhole and pressure the industrial sector to get it right…or get out of the business. I’d be willing to do without company X’s fuzzy bunny slippers or company Y’s super-awesome back scratcher if I knew they were not meeting the scientific global standard for pollutants. I would just purchase from company Z, who is…or do without it altogether.
So let’s get this right the first time for the last time.
A lot of these global predictions will most likely not come to fruition in some of our lifetimes, but there are children and grandchildren who may see it. And we are just letting the profit mongering industrial douchebags destroy their future through our power grubbing douchebag politicians.
Very few use douchebags anymore…something better came along.

domain: geography


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Wednesday, February 03, 2016
Housing Commission May Not Limit Meeting Rooms To Secular Activities
In His Healing Hands Church v. Lansing Housing Commission, (WD MI, Feb. 1, 2016), a Michigan federal district court issued a preliminary injunction barring a public housing agency from denying a Christian church access to its community rooms for Sunday meetings that include worship and Biblically based lessons on morality and life skills. In the court's view, in denying use of meeting rooms in the public housing developments for religious activities, the housing commission engaged in unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination. Alliance Defending Freedom issued a press release on the decision which includes links to the complaint and other documents in the case.

domain: sociology


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By: Terry Turner
Source: GoodNews Network
An Egyptian teenager has discovered an inexpensive way to turn plastic trash into fuel — and it could be worth tens of millions of dollars a year.
Azza Faiad’s ideas attracted the attention of the Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute. The institute gave the teen access to a lab and its researchers in order to help refine her trash to fuel formula.
Faiad discovered a cheap and plentiful catalyst called aluminisilicate that drastically reduces the cost of converting plastic waste into gases like methane and propane, which can be turned into ethanol, what some scientists are calling “biofuel” because the organic chemicals from plastic polymers she extracts, are the same chemicals extracted from vegetation to create ethanol biofuel.
The process releases other chemicals that can also be recycled and sold.
Egypt produces a million tons of plastic trash every year, and it’s estimated Faiad’s process could convert that much trash into fuel worth$78 million every year.
In fact, she believes it could raise the total return to $163 million each year from Egypt’s plastic trash.
The European Union Contest for Young Scientists has already honored Faiad with a prize for her work and she is now working on a patent for her trash to fuel process.


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Story 5 – LiGuang
Li Guang was a young beggar with disability when found on street by a kind foreigner in China. With his bilateral feet deformities, the unfortunate boy could not walk properly. He was poorly educated due to his disability as well. His caretaker, Mr. John Drinkwater, helped him to seek medical treatment thus the boy received multiple surgeries in the mainland. However he was still unable to walk due to massive pain and residual deformity after the surgeries.
The SRDC provided financial support to Li Guang for treating his deformity in Hong Kong. In August 2012, the boy arrived at the Duchess of Kent Children’s Hospital at Sandy Bay. In order to make his both feet plantigrade, or in contact to the ground, he received the medical procedure called bilateral triple arthrodesis. It is to fuse the three joints of his foot surgically. The surgery was a success and Li Guang stayed in the hospital for a month in the first phase.
Li Guang had his old casts removed in the follow-up.
His feet were able to lay flat on the ground after the surgery.
Li Guang received the last follow up in Nov 2013 and his feet were fully recovered. He lived a new life and became a pastor. Every day, he managed to walk 10 km to visit the needy people in the rural areas in China. We are glad that the treatment not only helped him but also many others because of his service.
Last update in June 2014


Collateral free loans bring fresh hope for MSMEs in Karnataka
About 40% of the 6.5 lakh micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Karnatakahit by the Covid-19 crisis got a breather with banks lending liberally under the emergency credit line guarantee scheme (ECLGS) of the Centre to ensure they get back on track.
Bengaluru: About 40% of the 6.5 lakh micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Karnatakahit by the Covid-19 crisis got a breather with banks lending liberally under the emergency credit line guarantee scheme (ECLGS) of the Centre to ensure they get back on track.
The Centre in May announced collateral-free automatic loan worth Rs 3 lakh crore for MSME units with up to Rs 25 crore outstanding amount and an industrialist could avail loan up to 20% of what he had taken as on February 29, within his credit limit. While the interest rate is as low as 7.5% with four-year tenure, the scheme ensures working capital.
The scheme didn’t take off as banks were reluctant to pass on the benefit of the stimulus package. But the situation has much improved. “It’s a welcome move that banks are lending liberally,” Gaurav Gupta, principal secretary, industries department.
As per industries department’s records, 22 banks disbursed ECLGS loans worth Rs 4,126 crore till August 20. That’s 44% of sanctioned loan amount and over 1 lakh of 2.7 eligible MSME units availed the scheme. “We made loan disbursement easy such that applicants get the loan credited to accounts within two days. We sanctioned loans to 90% of eligible MSME units,” said MS Mahabaleswar, MD & chief executive officer, Karnataka Bank Limited, which disbursed loans worth Rs 393 crore under ECLGS.
S Sampathraman, chairman, All India Manufacturers Organisation - Karnataka Chapter, said many MSME owners were surprised when bank managers called them even though they had not applied for ECLGS loan. The paperwork was minimal with banks asking for the latest balance sheet and business projections for the next year. “In my case, the amount was credited within two days. In some instances, the loan was granted within two hours,” said Samapathraman, who manufactures generator sets.
This speedy disbursal is an apparent fallout of the government’s meetings with bankers and stern warning issued by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The positive impact is evident in the increase in number of origin certificates issued by the Federation Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industries, which is essential for an industrialist to export his product. Also Read: Maha considering relief to save lockdown-hit MSMEs


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The following is a statement from Jolt Action’s Interim Executive Director Antonio Arellano, following results showing Joe Biden has been elected 46th President of the United States of America:
“Despite all of the obstacles placed in our way, Americans turned out to the polls in record numbers to overwhelmingly elect new leadership. President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris were elected to serve by an overwhelming majority of Americans — more than 70 million people, the largest number in American history. This victory is a clear signal that most Americans are done with a racist and xenophobic Trump Administration.
“This victory is a win for every person who has been unfairly targeted by the Trump Administration’s cruel policies: for every immigrant child forced to sleep in a cage, for every person of color targeted because of the color of their skin, and for every transgender member of the military who has discriminated against for being themselves.
“The election also marks a historic win for immigrants across this country, who elected a first-generation immigrant and a woman of color to serve as second-in-command to the highest office of the nation. It’s proof that the American Dream is alive and well, and that immigrants who come to the shores of this great nation can still aspire to dream for the stars, and even better, the White House.
“Congratulations to President-elect Biden. We look forward to having a federal government that will prioritize getting the COVID-19 pandemic under control, and having a leader who is committed to investing in green energy sources and ensuring every American has access to high-quality, affordable healthcare.
“We have much work to do in Texas, but we are optimistic about the future. Today we recommit ourselves to continue working to build a movement of young Latinx voters in the Lone Star State and across the country to continue strengthening our democracy.”
ABOUT JOLT ACTION
Founded in 2016, Jolt Action is a progressive civic engagement organization focused on building the political power and influence of young Latinos in Texas. Jolt Action’s initiatives are focused on community organizing, leadership development, voter engagement, and multi-issue advocacy. Through these efforts, Jolt Action serves to elevate the community’s collective voice to engage and transform our democracy. Jolt’s high school and university chapters across the state mobilize around issues such as student debt, racial and immigrant justice, healthcare reform, and climate change. To learn more, visit jolttx.org.