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The swollen San Joaquin River finally began receding last week, but its brief surge above flood monitor stage rekindled concerns that a far more serious flood is becoming more likely each year.
Why? Tens of thousands of dump truck loads worth of dirt wash down the San Joaquin toward the Delta each year. Scientists have found that much of that dirt, or sediment, is deposited on the bottom of the river as it flattens out between Vernalis and Stockton.
That means the bottom of the river may be rising — perhaps 5 to 10 feet in places, according to one levee engineer.
And if the bottom of the river is rising, that means there is less room in the channel to push flood waters out through the Delta.
Like a clogged pipe, the river could more or less burst.
With a snowpack that is 171 percent of normal, and plenty of time for more storms, it could happen even this year.
“If we get higher flows this winter, we’re going to get a blowout much sooner than we did in 1997,” said Chris Neudeck, a levee engineer from Stockton. More than two-dozen levee breaches occurred on the San Joaquin that year.
“It’s going to get very problematic in short order," he said.
If the river is gradually filling in, the channel elevations used to determine flood stage and gauge the risk to the public may no longer be accurate, he said.
Some areas likely are more susceptible than others. Silt sometimes accumulates around bridges or other structures. While the recent high flows may scour some of the mud away, trees and brush growing within the riverbed itself may stubbornly anchor some of it place.
The issue isn’t limited to the San Joaquin itself. The state Department of Water Resources has estimated that three-fifths of the channels in the San Joaquin watershed cannot convey all the water that their levees were designed to hold.
“It’s gotten pretty bad,” said Manteca farmer Mary Hildebrand, whose late father, engineer Alex Hildebrand, warned for many years that the river was silting up. “We just don’t get those high, scouring flows often enough with all of the dams and the way the system is now.”
That is true particularly on the San Joaquin. Levees on the Sacramento River system were built close together so that water would flow fast enough to scour out old mining debris from the Gold Rush days. The San Joaquin wasn’t designed that way.
Neudeck joins south county farmers and Manteca Mayor Steve DeBrum in suggesting the government consider dredging the lower San Joaquin to remove the accumulated sediment. That’s a strategy the federal government and the Port of Stockton have long used to keep Delta channels clear for navigation.
But dredging raises many complicated issues. It can kill tiny organisms that live in the mud, disrupting the food chain for larger fish. It also can mobilize “nasty stuff” that has been buried for years — such as pesticides or toxic metals, said Jeff Mount, a river scientist with the Public Policy Institute of California.
What’s more, dredging isn’t something you do once and then walk away.
“When you dig a hole in the river, the first thing the river does is try to fill it back in,” he said. “Dredging is absolutely unsustainable.”
The river would need to be studied first to determine how much mud actually has accumulated there, Mount said. It’s unclear when such a study was last done.
While sediment is viewed as a flood threat, scientists say the Delta actually needs more of it.
For millions of years, rivers delivered the dirt that helped form the Central Valley as we know it today. Now much of that dirt is blocked upstream by dams, or kept out of the rivers by levees, and never makes it to the Delta.
That’s a problem for some endangered fish, who need muddy water to hide from predators. It’s also a problem for scientists who would like to restore some of the Delta’s historic wetlands. They need sediment to build tidal marshes high enough that they won't be drowned by rising sea levels.
Benefits aside, the return of high water to the San Joaquin raises new flood worries. Locals say the question is who will do something about it.
A long-term flood control plan for the Central Valley calls for removing sediment from the Yolo and Sacramento bypasses, but not from the San Joaquin. The state has the responsibility under California law to maintain Sacramento River channels only.
That said, Michael Mierzwa, a flood adviser with the Department of Water Resources, called the San Joaquin sediment worries a “very valid concern.” He said the draft flood plan will include a study of how much mud has accumulated in rivers.
Tyler Stalker, a spokesman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said the agency doesn’t know how much sediment is clogging the San Joaquin, but added dredging “could be an option” if it’s found to be necessary.
— Contact reporter Alex Breitler at (209) 546-8295 or firstname.lastname@example.org. Follow him at recordnet.com/breitlerblog and on Twitter @alexbreitler.


|S.No.||CIC CASE||DATE OF JUDGMENT||JUDGMENT|
|1||CIC/AD/C/2011/901017/SG/17642||12 Mar, 2012||Dr. Prasanna T. Vs. Dr. Gautam Roy, PIO & Professor (PSM), Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry
The applicant sought certain information under RTI Act. CPIO stated that the entire matter is sub-judice as a Writ Petition is pending before the Honorable High Court of Judicature at Madras. It is also stated that the requested information regarding MD Examination is confidential information relating to examinations and is not provided under 8 (1) (e) of the RTI Act, and it also attracts provision under 8 (1) (b) of the RTI Act.
The Commission held that disclosing information on matters which are sub-judice cannot constitute contempt of court, unless there is a specific order forbidding its disclosure. The mere claim that a matter is sub-judice cannot be used as reason for denying information under the RTI Act. Therefore, the contention of the Respondent cannot be accepted by the Commission. The Commission further held that the respondent has not adduced any arguments/ explanations to show how the nature of the information sought falls within the ambit of section 8(1)(e) of the RTI Act and was held by the Respondent-public authority in a fiduciary capacity. In other words, the burden required to be discharged by the Respondent under section 19(5) of the RTI Act has not been done. The PIO is directed to provide the complete information as per record.


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Holiday Inn Downtown
Maybe the best deal in expensive Kuwait City
I traveled through Kuwait City fairly often for about two years. The Holiday Inn in Salmiya was where I stayed most often. It is walking distance to Marina Mall on the Arabian Gulf and the main shopping areas including the designers stores like Gucci, Armani, Tiffany, etc. You can also rent cars nearby. I had fun renting a Porsche and Jaguar for a couple days. There is excellent local food nearby and the hotel brunch buffet is hard to beat. They also have a Chinese and Lebanese restaurant in the hotel. It is a combination of Middle Eastern and European foods and the selection is incredible! This hotel is also located across the street from the aquarium (Discovery Center) and is also walking distance to Hard Rock Cafe on your way to Marina Mall. If you want Western food there is a Fridays at Marina Mall, but I would recommend the Lebanese Restaurant at the front, opposite the sea, for kabobs and hukkah! There is also a very nice date (fruit, dessert) store a couple doors in from the Lebanese Restaurant at the mall. Very nice to take home.
Unique Quality: Perfect location and great food options!
Directions: Near Marine Mall
Paul's Kuwaiti address
This is where I choose to stay when I visit Kuwait.
As hotels go it is nothing special - like all Kuwaiti hotels it is comfortably furnished, has excelent but dry restaurants, a reasonable pool & gym - but I want always want two extra features in my accomodation of choice:
- good, free internet access,
- access to open spaces for walking & running.
The internet access works, it's not terribly rapid, but sufficient for Video conferencing with the family and for working.
However the best of all is that this hotel is close to the Gulf Coast boardwalk, and I can walk or run from here to Marina Mall (and on towards downtown Kuwait if I so wish) along the Gulf Coast where there is a slightly greater chance of a cooling breeze than anywhere else in this sunburnt, flyblown selfish city.
Unique Quality: Free, 'slightly-wide-band' internet
Next door to the Gulf Coast board walk for walking & jogging
New Hotel in Salmiya
I stayed here for four weeks whilst looking for an appartment. It only opened at the end of 2005 and is a conversion of an apartment block.
It is classed as 4* which is about right .Rooms are comfortable. Nice pool and gym/spa the spa is not to same standard as rest of hotel
Unique Quality: The food outlets are all excellent in quality, value and service.
Far Eastern Resteraunt
Pool side grill and drinks
Lobby International Resteraunt
Directions: Gulf Road Salminya almost oposite Scientific Centre/ Aquarium
- Hilton Kuwait Resort
- Crowne Plaza Kuwait City
- Radisson Blu Hotel Kuwait
- Marriott J W Kuwait (Al Shuhada Street )
- Al Manshar Rotana Hotel
Nearby Holiday Inn Downtown
Nearby HotelsSee all 51
Plaza Athenee Hotel 0.3 miles away
Continental 0.9 miles away
Marriott J W Kuwait (Al Shuhada Street ) 1.1 miles away
Courtyard By Marriott Hotel 1.1 miles away
Carlton Tower 1.1 miles away
Holiday Inn Downtown
We've found that other people looking for this hotel also know it by these names:
- Holiday Inn Kuwait City
- Kuwait City Holiday Inn
- Holiday Inn Kuwait Downtown Hotel Kuwait City
Address: Abdullah Al Ahmed Street Desman, Kuwait City, 13087, Kuwait
Amenities at Holiday Inn Downtown
- Swimming Pool
- Wheelchair Accessible
- Room Service
- Fitness Center
- Free Parking
- Business Services
- Kids Activities
- Free High Speed Internet
- Airport Transportation
Kuwait Travel Forum
Need advice about Kuwait, Kuwait? Visit the Travel Forum for Kuwait and ask our Answer Gurus.

domain: travel


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With the rapid onset of technology speeding our lives up considerably, the modern workplace is becoming more and more demanding.
With the reality of long hours and increased performance expectations becoming the “new normal”, employees are often left with no choice but to compromise their work/life balance.
The more pressure exists in the workplace, the more severe the impact on quality and productivity. Subsequently, this also has a detrimental effect on employees’ wellbeing in general.
To reduce the stress related to infinite to-do lists, and to increase “free-time” and promote a healthier work/life balance, many employees are now considering job-sharing. The latter is a flexible work arrangement in which two (or possibly more) employees share a single job.
Many employees who have opted to job share in the past, cited ‘a remarkable improvement in lifestyle and quality of life’ as the main reason why they chose this particular employment route.
While many do not consider the job sharing trend feasible in a local context, specifically due to high unemployment rates and a volatile economy, the reality is that job sharing provides a feasible solution to various issues facing the recruitment sector in South Africa.
Be that as it may, job sharing definitely has its pros and cons, and both employees and employers need to consider the mitigating factors closely before making a decision to implement it in the workplace.
Advantages of job-sharing for employees include:
• The most obvious advantage is being able to work part-time in order to spend more time with loved ones.
• The ability to study further and pursue other personal interests.
• New mothers can continue with their careers, all the while taking care of their children, and they will not be required to put them in full-time day care.
• Employees can pursue more than one career path at the same time.
• Senior workers can cut back on their taxing jobs while still continuing their careers.
• Job sharing also eases up on the work-related stress and burnout which employees often experience.
Employees must consider the following when arranging to share their jobs:
• Employees would have to communicate effectively and frequently with a second, job sharing employee. This interaction could prove to be challenging as both parties would need to share all necessary information to effectively contribute and meet the daily requirements of their joint job.
• Both employees would have to constantly deal with the different ways in which the other party approaches various aspects of their job. Both employees would need to align, exercise open-mindedness and be flexible enough to compromise and learn new ways of working together.
• It is primarily up to the employee to ensure that job sharers’ personalities are compatible. In most cases, when both job share partners are not compatible, the arrangement will fail epically.
Further to this, employers need to be cognisant of the following:
• Ensure that the needs of your business are being met – it is up to you and the two job sharing partners to agree on the arrangement upfront.
• Both the job sharing partners must be willing to invest the maximum effort to ensure that this work arrangement succeeds and does not compromise the business, or impact negatively on other employees.
• There must be solid communication between work partners and management, as well as other employees who are not a part of the job sharing programme.
• Be clear and upfront around how employment evaluation will be handled. Job sharers need to know how much of their evaluation will be based on the work product of the other job sharer.
• Be clear on the salary expectations of a position that is split between two parties, as well as the hours to be covered, sick leave, vacation days, and the division of employment benefits between both job-sharers.
When done properly, job-sharing has the potential to benefit both the employer and employees immensely. While the employee will be able to continue in the job they love and obtain greater balance between their career and family, the employer will also have an opportunity to retain top staff members. Job sharing provides both parties with a solution that has the potential to leave them happy and satisfied with their work/life balance.
Kay Vittee is the CEO of Quest Staffing Solutions.

domain: sociology


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A police marksman could face trial for gunning down a robbery suspect after a former judge found there was "no lawful justification" for killing the 24-year-old.
In a damning report published today, Sir Christopher Holland also said the officer, known only as E7, "could not rationally have believed" that Azelle Rodney had a gun when he opened fire.
Mr Rodney was killed in Edgware, north London, in 2005 after the car in which he was travelling with two other men was stopped by armed police.
They feared they were on their way to stage an armed heist on Colombian drug dealers and had an automatic weapon capable of firing 1,000 rounds per minute.
More top news
Since the Coalition government came to power, 600,000 more children have been pushed into absolute poverty, Alan Milburn warned.
Carl Pistorius has told ITV News that he and his sister will support their brother "regardless of the outcome" of tomorrow's sentencing.
The 2014 Homeless World Cup has kicked off, where spectators packed into Plaza de la Ciudadanía, Chile, for the opening ceremony

domain: news


Ford uses hefty men to test durability of 2015 F-150 seats
Human testers were used instead of robots to replicate actual wear and tear
Ford Motor Co. went to unusual lengths to ensure that the seats in its 2015 F-150 pickups, which go on sale this fall, were durable enough to handle the daily demands of heavyset drivers.
Last summer, Ford assigned about a dozen men weighing between 265 and 275 pounds to work as many as 10 hours a day climbing into and out of the driver's seat of a 2015 F-150, a Ford spokesman said. The testers were to enter and exit the trucks at least 10,000 times in the course of a week.
Human testers were used instead of robots to replicate actual wear and tear, the spokesman said.
The testers were required to wear the same pair of jeans, and the seats were sprinkled with Arizona fine dust, a commercially available material used to simulate the consistency of dirt, the spokesman said.
The testers were hired by Motor City Solutions, a suburban Detroit company that handles a variety of automotive engineering, event management and verification services, and were paid about $60-$70 a day.
As a result of the tests, the aluminum-bodied 2015 F-150 has front seats made of higher-strength steel and more durable leather that weigh 30 pounds less than the current F-150's seats, but still offer the durability needed to accommodate hefty drivers, the spokesman said.
The new F-150 goes on sale this fall. Last month, Ford said the 2015 model has shed as much as 700 pounds from the current F-150, yielding improvements in fuel economy, performance and capability.
There will be three V-6 engines and one V-8. The new 2.7-liter turbocharged (EcoBoost) V-6 features direct injection and automatic stop-start at idle. Ford says it tested the engine in disguised all-new Ford F-150 for the 2013 Baja 1000. The engine was raced in stock form with no additional oil coolers or radiators typically added for multiday off-road races. The 2.7-liter EcoBoost race truck finished the 883-mile event without any issues, Ford says. The only part changed during the event was the stock air filter
Also available will be a 3.5 liter EcoBoost, a non-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 (replacing the current 3.7-liter) and a 5.0-liter V-8. All engines are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. (Horsepower and fuel-economy ratings have not been released.)
Meanwhile, General Motors is working toward a largely aluminum-bodied pickup slated for a late 2018 release.


You can’t outsmart Duane “Dog” Chapman! Recently, the Dog’s Most Wanted star found himself as the would-be victim in an elaborate scheme to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from him. Luckily, he didn’t fall prey to the plot. As it turns out, the bounty hunter was able to see right through the scam and call it out for what it is. And he did it all while keeping his $250,000 in the bank.
Apparently, the drama started when an email that claimed to be sent from the office of the United Arab Emirate’s prime minister offered to pay Dog $430,000 for a speaking engagement at a convention in Dubai. It seemed like a strange offer considering that the only communications the reality star’s team had with the convention was over email, but the star decided to see where things go. When the scammers started asking for Dog’s personal bank account info, though, it became clear it wasn’t legit — despite a real check for $430,000 showing up at his literary agent’s office.
Thankfully, the blond bounty hunter, 66, was able to get to the bottom of everything. He and his team verified the check, but also discovered that the charity was asking for a $250,000 donation to be taken from the funds. Once Dog made the donation, the money he’d been paid would’ve disappeared from his account, leaving him a quarter of $1 million poorer. “Out of all the people in the world, can you believe they tried to scam the Dog?” a spokesperson for the star told In Touch. “Crooks sure are dumb!”
The star hasn’t taken to social media to call out the scammers — at least, not yet — but he has been vocal on Twitter about another crime perpetrated against him and his family. On August 1, he shared a report that revealed someone had burglarized his store in Colorado, and they even took some of Beth Chapman‘s personal items. “The Bible says it is an unforgivable sin to steal from the dead,” he wrote on Twitter, advertising a “large cash reward” for anyone who had info on the crime. He’s also shut down other scammers who are asking for money on the family’s behalf.
It seems like the star has enough on his plate lately, and we’re hoping he gets some peace so that he can focus on his family instead of having to suss out bad guys even when he’s not out on a chase.
For access to all our exclusive celebrity videos and interviews – Subscribe on YouTube!


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“Your friendship can’t satisfy me, Anne. I want your love. ” Gilbert Blythe (Anne of Green Gables )
When I was nine years old, I picked up the first Anne of Green Gables book and began to read it. I fell in love with all of the characters, and saw a lot of myself in the main character, Anne Shirley. Despite our physical differences and me being more introverted, I felt that the character and I were one. As I continued to read the entire series, I started to really like Gilbert Blythe, Anne’s love interest. His compassionate heart, lively soul, spunk, humor, intellect, and overall character. All I can say is that Lucy Maud Montgomery wrote this character very well.
Gilbert Blythe and many other male characters from other books (Colonel Brandon, John Rochester, Mr. Darcy) had given me high standards for finding the one true love for me. And when I had begun dating, it seemed like I was on a mission of some sort to find my own “Gilbert Blythe ” or “Colonel Brandon”. And trust me, high school was rough enough with the bullies, but the dating scene was rough as well. Guys cheated on me left and right, because I wouldn’t put out. College rolled around and I dated, but just like in high school, they all cheated. I didn’t know why, I was no longer a virgin (lost it at 20 years old ), but I still didn’t put out no matter who I was dating.
Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago, at the age of twenty four years old and suddenly had an epiphany of what had been going on my entire dating life. Even though I was attracted to a specific type of guy, I saw these guys that I had dated as “lost and broken”. I wanted to fix them. Awh, the bad boy dilemma. It happens to nearly everyone. Regardless of a person being gay, straight or lesbian. You see the “bad boy or girl” persona and want to fix them, thinking you can turn them into the person you wish to be with. And you know you can’t, but you try and you try.
After I had this epiphany, I began to write in my journal (yes, I’m in my mid 20’s, but it helps me) and started to realize that I had steered off the path in middle school. Even though I had been reading those classic novels, and still had major crushes on the literary characters of my childhood, I wanted to fix those bad boys. I finally found myself again in my love life. I finally saw in my own handwriting what I wanted in a man who I would call my life long partner, lover, best friend. And saw that I still upheld the characteristics and personality traits that I looked for as a kid. But I also saw that my tastes in outward appearance changed. Still the rugged with a trimmed beard, hands on, and tattoo’s stayed the same, but a sense of simple outdoors fashion added (and I guess what you call Indie thrown in). I noticed that I had written “courtship” in my journal. Still old fashioned, not a lot of people do that, but I like the idea of being courted before dating to see if it is worth pursuing a relationship with a person. It might seem silly to most of my readers, but I’ve always fancied it. I know a guy friend who courted his now husband before dating and they’ve been together for more than thirty years and more in love each day.
The ways of the heart is complicated; we don’t know why we have a specific type, why we want to fix the bad boy or girl, or why we have a set of standards for ourselves. But the heart wants what the heart wants, and it’s best to follow it. Even if for a time where we must try to “fix” others, before getting back on track.

domain: artistic


NWS Cooperative Station Network
ACIS stands for the Applied Climate Information System. For more information ACIS, please see http://www.rcc-acis.org.
The ThreadEx project is about developing long-term station extremes by using combined station records represent an area. The HPRCC is working with the Northeast Regional Climate Center in developing interfaces to help users access these long-term 'threaded' stations. This project is also in the scope of ACIS.
The CLimate Information for Management and Operational Decisions (CLIMOD) system provides clients with web access to a vast amount of data and information in the ACIS database. Some examples of products available through the CLIMOD system include: daily temperature and precipitation observations, normals and records for several thousand sites around the country and monthly data summaries. Additional derived products, such as growing, heating and cooling degree day accumulations, that are useful for planning and managing climate-sensitive operations, are also available through the CLIMOD system.
The CLIMOD system is geared toward users who need climate data on an ongoing monthly or daily basis. Users who have a one-time or infrequent need for weather or climate data should contact the HPRCC directly.
The Current Climate Summary Maps are run at the High Plains Regional Climate Center. The data is provided through a number of sources, including the NWS COOP Network, AWDN, and various others. Using the ACIS system and GrADS as a mapping solution, the Current Climate Summary Maps are generated on a daily basis. These maps provide decision makers with a view of the current climate situation, and updates are made on a daily basis.
High Plains Climate Atlas
The High Plains Climate Atlas project's goal is to provide more climate data products in real-time. In the past, the High Plains Climate Atlas on the HPRCC website consisted of several common products in Map form, but lacked station-specific information available to the public. Using ACIS as the backbone, the High Plains Climate Atlas will soon allow users access to the most commonly requested climate information within the region in map form and in time-series graphs and charts.


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An Anarchist in Palestine
Militarism and Madness
Growing up in the post-9/11 U.S., I’ve experienced the psychological discord of this culture and witnessed the expansion of its violent global footprint. This June, I traveled to Israel for two weeks with Interfaith Peace-Builders hoping to broaden my understanding of conflict and nationalism.
Albert Einstein, who once declined the Israeli presidency, said that “nationalism is an infantile disease” and after this journey, I would propose that madness is its root and its defining symptom. Various state agencies inflict madness on the Israeli and Palestinian populations. Their tactics are many. Every state inflicts some level of coercion and violence upon its population, but I know no state as brazen with its power as Israel, other than perhaps the U.S.
Why do societies choose this path? Why is the madness of conforming to the pathology of nationalism more appealing than psychological, emotional, and physical freedom? These questions were on my mind while traveling on a packed two-week itinerary that took me and my fellow travelers from Tel Aviv to East Jerusalem, Ramallah, Ashdod, Nazareth, Bil’in, Bethlehem, Hebron, and the Jordan Valley.
Our group met daily with U.N. officials, legal and human rights organizations, peace groups, and individuals in Israel and the West Bank. At each meeting, another element of the U.S. narrative was deconstructed and amended to match reality on the ground. Those of us who have studied the conflict in depth, and those jaded by mainstream perceptions were less surprised than those who came with a strong Zionist and/or nationalist narrative in their upbringing. For them, the journey was highly disorienting and emotionally chaotic.
This region’s public dialogue about statehood and systemic change achieves a level of intensity and nuance far beyond the conversation at home. For instance, in the U.S., intermittent updates on the peace process often center on the idea of a “two-state solution.”
Not a single Israeli, Palestinian, or international group we met with mentioned the notion as a desired possibility. In reality, there is no contiguous land for a Palestinian state. On honest maps, the West Bank looks like an archipelago suspended in an ocean of Israel that extends to mix with the Jordan River in the east. The Gaza Strip completes the chain of islands with a gate to Egypt in the south and coastline extending three miles into the Mediterranean Sea.
It shouldn’t be surprising that the U.S. narrative disregards reality; the media here generally restricts content, and lowers the level of analysis to as simple a story as possible. Only the more extreme right-wing elements of Israeli politics are allied with the U.S. in clinging to the idea of two states, while their ethnic cleansing plan aims to eliminate the demand for a Palestinian nation altogether.
In moderate and liberal Israeli circles, the mainstream Palestinian demand for one state with equal representation has taken root. In more radical circles, cynicism stemming from dissatisfaction with the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government alike has seeded a different dialogue centered on autonomy and unconvinced that statehood will solve underlying problems.
In the Dheisheh Refugee Camp, near Bethlehem, a young activist named Ibrahim summed up this sentiment, saying, “Some people, they like Palestinian Authority, but for me, no. I don’t like authority anymore. Any authority.” Ibrahim’s grandparents arrived at the temporary camp after their forced displacement by Zionist armies during the 1948 Nakba, meaning catastrophe in Arabic.
Today, Dheisheh resembles a poor American urban neighborhood with convenience stores, cafes, and densely packed people living in poverty. Ibrahim and many other activists characterized the Palestinian Authority as the manager of the occupation. His radicalization and rejection of state authority follow his experience at the bottom of the existing hierarchy where experience with state sanctioned violence is frequent and brutal.
As a stateless refugee by birth, Ibrahim has been afforded the opportunity to see the system from the outside and from the bottom, where its fundamental flaws are obvious. I asked him, “Is this what it takes?” meaning, does it take domestic conditions this extreme to trigger people to act or even imagine another way of being?
He responded by describing his frustration with people who aren’t politically engaged in his community despite the conditions; it mirrored my feelings that I have about my own community, though average people in Dheisheh are by necessity much more engaged than my neighbors.
In a highly militarized, industrial civilization like ours, it may take extreme shocks like those experienced daily by refugees and other Palestinians to break through the deeply conditioned madness in our society. In Israel, the bedrock of life is fear. The idea that enemies lay in wait on all sides seeking an opportunity to attack pervades the entire culture. Given the origins of Israel and its treatment of Palestinians and Israeli Arabs, it is a self-fulfilling fear.
The background of walls, checkpoints, and ubiquitous soldiers reinforce the sense of danger. In Israeli schools, teachers and students are regularly employed as state informants, acclimating students to surveillance and rigid behavioral expectations. This state-fostered paranoia is reinforced in the religious establishment, advertising, and media.
In order to develop nationalistic feelings toward a militarized state, a person needs to create positive associations with violence, prejudices of all stripes, hierarchical structures, and fear. The alternative to this is to shut down cognitive function in order to avoid any dissonance that might emerge. Both of these psychological options for comfortable survival in a military state can shape people who are fearful, and, hence, aggressive, violent, distrustful, and xenophobic.
As I sat on the edge of a planter placed in a West Jerusalem roundabout holding a sign that said “Stop the Occupation,” one of many in English, Hebrew, and Arabic during a demonstration called by Women in Black, I experienced what Israelis face when they choose to dissent against their military and government. In a display quite similar to what I’ve seen in roadside peace demonstrations in the U.S., curses were flung from cars, some swerved closer to spit at us, and the finger was flipped many times.
The women, part of an international network, have protested here each Friday since January 1988. When I went out to join in for the day, I met 84-year-old Judy Blanc, one of the founders of the movement. In the early days of Women in Black, she says, “We didn’t have a feminist left-wing movement, so we decided to come out and just say, ‘Down with the occupation.’”
At the beginning, in January 1988, there were only seven women involved, but by International Women’s Day in March, there were 500. Blanc says, “It spread like a wildfire over Israel. The women weren’t all feminists, but they’re a silent majority of women against the occupation.”
When we met, she was celebrating her grandson, Natan Blanc’s release from prison after serving six months (his tenth arrest) for refusing to serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Peace organizations including New Profile have helped bring the cause of conscientious objection closer to the forefront in recent years, but Israeli teens like Blanc are regularly jailed, harassed, and socially isolated after making the decision to refuse the compulsory draft.
We met Ruth Hiller, of New Profile, in Tel Aviv, where she shared her political story. In a women’s study group on feminism, militarism, and the effects of militarism on Israeli society that sprung out of anti-war demonstrations, Hiller says her education began.
“I had all these things that I felt but I had no channel to place them into or a way to understand what was happening. There was no information about how to get my son out of the military, so I started looking around.” Today, New Profile educates youth and parents about militarism, and provides counseling through the Refusers Support Network.
In the Occupied West Bank, the daily display of state power by Israel creates a situation characterized by confusion. Our group kept asking questions, trying to get a mental grasp on the dystopian conditions and laws. Almost all of the local Palestinian activists we met responded with humor, laughing and shrugging at the discord they had grown used to.
We walked through the IDF-staffed Qalandiya checkpoint, where every day thousands of Palestinians attempt to cross between Jerusalem and Ramallah, both in the West Bank, in an ordeal which regularly takes several hours. In the late afternoon when we arrived, there were only a couple dozen other people crossing.
The architecture was dehumanizing; the checkpoint consists of a series of barbed wire-topped cattle chutes to be queued into single file, followed by a buzzing electronic turnstile which moves whether the person inside is ready or not, then a long winding line like those in amusement parks, then a second turnstile, an x-ray machine for bags and people, a glass window with young soldiers behind it who examine ID cards pressed against the window one after the other.
I was at the front of my group and right behind a Palestinian business man in his early 30s. He must have sensed my apprehension and confusion at how the turnstiles worked, because he turned around and said, “When they turn it on, it takes three at a time, no more, no less. So be ready behind me when the light turns green, OK?”.
I listened, but when the light turned green, only he passed through and I was stuck in the stopped turnstile. He laughed and said, “...except when it only takes one. They made a liar of me.” This checkpoint has been part of his daily routine for the last seven years.
My American colleagues were also baffled by the application of the law in Israel, which differs according to citizenship, ethnicity, and location. One’s position as a Jew and an Israeli citizen; Palestinian and an Israeli citizen; a Jerusalem resident; a West Bank resident; or a refugee, determine one’s treatment under the law.
In Ramallah, we talked to Brad Parker of Defense for Children International who told us about the Israeli military’s common tactic of arresting children, often in the middle of the night, almost always charged with throwing stones. We learned that, much like in the U.S. justice system, the burden of proof rests on the accused.
People asked, “What if the wrong person is arrested?” Parker responded, “There is no wrong (Palestinian) person to arrest.”
Due to this chaotic legal arrangement, representation through statehood appeals to some Palestinians as a solution in the same way that electoral reform appeals to liberal Americans, only with more urgency. There is hope for peace in this region, and in the U.S., far outside of the mainstream political discourse and legislative or legal change.
Much of the nonviolent resistance successfully employed by Palestinians over the years has been undertaken in a horizontal, anarchistic manner, community by community. Demolished villages continue to be rebuilt after paltry U.S. aid runs out, not due to government intervention, but because people voluntarily help one another. Some villages in the Negev have been demolished by the state and rebuilt by their residents and solidarity activists over 70 times.
In Bil’in, we stayed with the family of the filmmaker Iyad Burnat, whose documentary, “Five Broken Cameras,” chronicles their village’s five year struggle against the apartheid wall that snakes its way through their land. I was able to see that stretch of wall and the spent teargas canisters scattered along the path, remnants of the weekly demonstration that had taken place two days before.
During these demonstrations, the Palestinian villagers’ commitment to nonviolence has been met with multiple deaths at the hands of IDF soldiers. Still, they have persisted with both demonstrations and other actions, including building outposts of their own in the way of construction of the wall.
Villages all along the length of the wall have started protests of their own in solidarity with Bil’in. Anarchists Against the Wall and other groups from within Israel have come to learn the strategies that have been used. AATW and other solidarity organizations share in the risks of resistance with the people of Bil’in and lend a layer of protection by witnessing and amplifying the stories happening there around the world.
This steadfast refusal to comply provides an example to resisters the world over. In the midst of cultural madness, people still feel the pull of dignity and human potential. This is the sole glimmer of hope in this seemingly intractable situation.
I met the Nassar family at Tent of Nations, an educational and environmental project in the hills southwest of Bethlehem. They farm their land at Daher’s Vineyard as they have for a hundred years, but today in the company of international volunteers and solidarity groups who come to help work the land and protect it from demolition by the Israeli military.
Usually, I don’t think that a problem can be solved by buying something, but I made a contribution to sponsor one of the ten olive trees that is planted every time one is torn out of the ground by the IDF as the surrounding settlements expand.
Meeting these two families and the rest of the groups taking action to target every facet of Israel’s violence gave me hope that the dialogue will continue to expand into action, inspiring people everywhere to grasp their full freedom and agency in balance with nature.
Taylor Weech is an independent journalist and activist living in Spokane, Washington, who hosts a weekly radio program, Praxis, heard on KYRS-FM (kyrs.org) and podcast at praxisradio509.podomatic.com. She can be contacted through her blog of travels and commentary — AT — truthscout.com.


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Suburban commuters will have their trains in 15 minutes or they’re free, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty promised on Wednesday in a pre-election announcement aimed squarely at the vote-rich Greater Toronto region that pollsters say could be fertile ground for the opposition Conservatives.
GO Train riders will get full refunds if their trains are delayed by at least 15 minutes, Mr. McGuinty promised, whittling down an earlier promise to look at refunds for 20-minute delays after Mr. McGuinty said the government’s online public consultations found riders were “overwhelmingly” in favour of refunds.
“Simply by virtue of putting in place a [money-back] guarantee, it makes the public more excited and enthusiastic about our commitment to them,” he said. “I would say to all the moms and dads, all these students, all these people who use the GO Train we really appreciate you using this service.”
[np-related]Mr. McGuinty made the announcement in an Etobicoke GO Train yard flanked by local Liberal MPP Laurel Broten, who is squaring off in October against real estate executive Simon Nyilassy, whom the Progressive Conservatives consider to be one of the party’s star candidates.
The public transit program is latest in a series of Liberal funding announcements ahead of the Oct. 6 vote supporting government’s the environmentally friendly election platform, including Mr. McGuinty’s announcement earlier this week that he would establish an $80 million fund to build refuelling stations for electric cars.
Wednesday’s announcement carried a more modest $6-7 million price tag, the same budget Mr. McGuinty quoted when the refund program only extended to 20-minute delays, suggesting the province isn’t expecting a flood of refunds by lowering its time limit by five minutes.
GO Transit says 94% of its trains that shuttle nearly 60 million passengers arrive on time and only 1% are 20 minutes late or more, mainly in January.
Mr. McGuinty promised refunds for trains delayed by equipment problems, track maintenance or other trains using the railway, but not for trips delayed by “extreme weather,” medical emergencies or police investigations, which make up a third of the transit system’s delays.
Metrolinx, the Toronto-region transit authority, is working on a plan to start issuing refunds sometime next year and looking to the money-back guarantee as a way to push its Presto Card system, a debit-style smart card that allows commuters to pay a single fare to use both local transit and the provincial GO Trains and cost $250 million to implement.
Refunds would likely be automated for Presto card users, who pay fares by tapping their card on an electronic car reader, said Metrolinx president Bruce McCuaig said. But the agency has yet to figure out how to offer refunds to the 70% of GO Train riders who don’t use the smart-card and instead buy full-price daily fares or discounted passes.
“We’ll be looking at our other fare media, whether it’s the proof-of-payment system, or the monthly pass system, to say what is the right time where we push more of our ridership to use Presto,” he said.
The company will have to come up with a way to prove that other riders were actually on the train and qualify for a refund and that they won’t have to wait too long to get their money back, he added .
“The last thing we want to do as we give a refund to somebody who has been waiting a train that is late is to make them stand in line.”
Conservative MPP Elizabeth Witmer called the announcement an election stunt, but wouldn’t say whether a Tory government would scrap it if elected.
“It’s just a phony announcement and an attempt to get a little publicity,” she said. “I think it’s like anything else Dalton McGuinty announces ,such as the fact that he wasn’t going to raise your taxes. We all know what’s going to happen. They won’t be able to honour it. It’s a gimmick”
NDP MPP Cheri DiNovo said the refund program doesn’t go far enough and that her party wants the province to pick up 50% of the operating costs of transit systems like the TTC in exchange for municipalities freezing fares.
“This does not represent what Ontario commuters need,” she said. “They need a transit system that gets them to work and home on time and they need one that is affordable and that’s not what they have.”


T-Pain clarifies what happened the night Travis Scott fell asleep in the studio.
The life of an artist is a tiring one. Between touring, recording, and balancing a normal life, musicians are ultimately sleep deprived in the midst of carrying out there career. T-Pain knows this first hand, though he needed to make that clear to his fans after revealing that Travis Scott once crashed during a session.
The singer shared a story about the time he was working on beats with Travis Scott in the studio and was working hard to craft some beats after the Astroworld rapper showed him a few cuts of his 2018 project before it was released. As Pain was grinding it out, he turned around and Travis Scott and his entourage had fell asleep. Travis was apparently asleep standing up which is pretty impressive.
As fans caught wind of the story, Travis Scott began facing backlash for crashing in the middle of a session but Pain had to clarify that everything is cool between them. “Come on y’all. It ain’t that serious shit happens all the time. Me and @trvisXX cool,” Pain tweeted.
Despite this, fans were still riding with Pain in this non-existent feud. Many reminded Pain of his legendary catalog while others downplayed Travis Scott’s overall talent. Peep Pain’s tweet below.


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Nathalia Holt is a science writer and author of NY Times bestseller "Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us from Missiles to the Moon to Mars" (Little, Brown and Co., 2016) and "Cured: The People who Defeated HIV" (Plume 2015). Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic, Slate, Popular Science, and Time. Holt contributed this article to Space.com's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.
The black-and-white image is surprisingly crisp despite its advanced age. When I first saw the photograph, taken in 1955, two things struck me: The sheer number of women, intent on their work, and then, puzzlingly, the abbreviated caption. Although 14 women are depicted in the photograph, the archives at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, could identify only three of its former employees and had no contact information for them. As the women in the photograph gripped their pencils, their images remained frozen in time, their names and stories seemingly lost to history. Sadly, our pioneering scientists are frequently forgotten, and it is the contributions of women that are most often overlooked. ['Rise of the Rocket Girls' (US 2016): Book Excerpt']
I started making phone calls to track down the early women pioneers of NASA and soon found myself swamped in a sea of Barbaras, Helens and Virginias. I contacted 43 Barbara Paulsons in five states before I found the right one, in Iowa. Our first phone call, however, took my breath away.
On Jan. 31, 1958, Paulson sat in mission control in California. She was 30 years old and had been working in the laboratory since she was a teenager. As she sat, hunched over a light table, with paper and a pencil, standing behind her was a group of prominent men, eagerly looking over her shoulder. In fact, famed physicist Richard Feynman was standing so close that she could feel his breath tickling the back of her neck, while Lee DuBridge, then the president of Caltech, was peeking at her paper anxiously. They were all waiting to learn if they had just launched America's first satellite or had simply sent a hunk of metal high into the air that was about to drop into the sea.
Three months before, the Soviet Union had sent Sputnik, the world's first satellite, into space; it passed overhead every 90 minutes. Then, just a month later, the Soviets launched a second Sputnik — this time, with a dog inside. The repeated success of Sputnik was putting immense pressure on the Dwight Eisenhower administration, especially after America's first attempt at a satellite, Project Vanguard, burst into flames on the launchpad — a humiliating failure.
So the team at JPL hurried to bring home the country's first success in the space race. A rocket blasted off in Florida that would launch the first U.S. satellite — dubbed Explorer 1 — to space. Meanwhile, the team in California tracked its position. When Paulson plotted the trajectory of Explorer 1, proving that the satellite had made it, she was ushering in a new age of space exploration and even the birth of NASA. I wondered how, after such a stunning accomplishment, her career could ever be forgotten.
Women scientists are so frequently denied recognition for their work that there's a name for the phenomenon: The Matilda Effect. Coined in 1993 by Margaret Rossiter, a professor at Cornell University examining the history of science, the term has been used to describe the unequal distribution of awards, conference presentations and funding to women scientists.
The instances are as tragic as they are numerous. One of the most glaring examples is that of Rosalind Franklin, who in 1952 took the famous image "Photo 51," which demonstrates DNA's helical structure. When a Nobel Prize was awarded to three men in 1962 for the discovery of the double helix, it was thanks, in no small part, to Franklin's work. Tragically, she died at age 37 of ovarian cancer, without receiving proper recognition. So much of what we have today, from genome mapping to gene therapies, would not have been possible without her research. [Beyond Tesla: History's Most Overlooked Scientists]
Of course, it's not just women who are unrecognized. A 2011 poll of 1,000 registered voters found that 66 percent of Americans could not name a single living scientist. The researchers who do gain recognition in our society tend to be the leaders of their laboratories, and for the most part, even today, they are overwhelmingly male. Currently, women account for just 21 percent of full professors in the United States. Given this intrinsic bias, perhaps it isn't surprising how many women are lost in the shuffle of history.
Over the course of her 45-year career, Paulson was part of an astounding number of NASA missions. She was there when the space agency formed in 1958, working on the nation's first probes to the moon and planets. Later, she helped the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft wind their way through our solar system, and helped rovers explore the surface of Mars. When she retired in 1993, she left behind a hard-working group of men and women at NASA, who may not all remember her name but who certainly stand on her shoulders.
Despite Paulson's wide influence, when it came time to celebrate the space agency's milestones, her years of work, and those of her female colleagues, went unnoticed. On Jan. 31, 2008, there was a gala in honor of the 50th anniversary of Explorer 1 . The room was packed with the last remaining engineers and scientists who had made history a half century before. However, left off the guest list were the surviving women critical to the mission's success. No invitations were sent to the all-female team that had spent years calculating the rocketry critical to the satellite's triumph and who had even worked in the control room that momentous night. They included Paulson, Margaret Brunn, Helen Ling and Susan Finley, who, at 79 years old, is still working at the lab and is NASA's longest-serving female employee.
We are in danger of losing the histories of our brilliant women scientists, whose pasts are rapidly vanishing to time. The women of NASA remind us that these are chronicles worth remembering. When we do so, we honor not just their legacies but also inspire the next generation of young women who may find, in their stories, a reflection of themselves and what they aspire to be. ['Rise of the Rocket Girls' Tells the Stories of NASA's Women Pioneers]
Editor's note: Holt will be in Washington, D.C., on April 20 at 6:30 p.m. EDT for the first "It's Science! With Politics & Prose and Space.com" event, which is free and open to the public. See the Politics & Prose calendar for details.
Follow all of the Expert Voices issues and debates — and become part of the discussion — on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. This version of the article was originally published on Space.com.
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Hi all, I'm new on this subreddit. I own two Waterman Hemisphere, which I carry everyday (Waterman blue and red), and two Pilot Parallel Pens. I also have two cheap 10 bucks FPs.
It seems like the TWSBI 580 is very popular and I would like to buy one : do you think it is worth it.
I live in France and pens are not very easy to get when you don't want cheap FPs/cartridge inks.
The waterman seems smoother than the TWSBI. I think I'm gonna stay with what I've already got.

domain: hobby


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- NC State's Warren voted ACC player of year Updated: Mar-11-14 1:09 pm
- No. 4 Syracuse loses 75-56 at No. 12 Virginia Updated: Mar-01-14 9:17 pm
- No. 12 Virginia tops Syracuse 75-56 for 1st in ACC Updated: Mar-01-14 8:32 pm
- ACC showdown: No. 12 Virginia hosts No. 4 Syracuse Updated: Feb-28-14 2:23 pm
- Canes stone cold in 65-40 loss at No. 12 Virginia Updated: Feb-26-14 10:54 pm
- No. 12 Virginia runs away from Miami, 65-40 Updated: Feb-26-14 10:33 pm
- Notre Dame loses at No. 14 Virginia, 70-49 Updated: Feb-22-14 6:09 pm
- No. 14 Virginia beats Notre Dame 70-49 Updated: Feb-22-14 5:40 pm
- Harris' 19 lead No. 17 Virginia past Terps, 61-53 Updated: Feb-11-14 12:12 am
GREENSBORO, North Carolina - North Carolina State's T.J. Warren is the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia - Malcolm Brogdon talked before No. 12 Virginia's final home game about making it a success for seniors Joe Harris, Akil Mitchell and even former walk-on Thomas Rogers, the first building blocks in Tony Bennett's remaking of the Cavaliers.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia - Virginia guard Malcolm Brogdon did a double take when told that the Cavaliers have only won the Atlantic Coast Conference championship outright once in their history, and that it was 33 years ago.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia - Miami coach Jim Larranaga was having fun, it seemed, gushing about No. 12 Virginia.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia - London Perrantes has earned rave reviews all over the ACC for his poise as a freshman point guard for No. 12 Virginia.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia - Mike Brey is still trying to figure out the identity that best suits his Notre Dame team, and in what has been a trying first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Fighting Irish looked to be making strides Saturday.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia - It was just one play in a 40-minute game. It changed everything.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia - Joe Harris hasn't had to score as much this season for No. 17 Virginia as he did a year ago. When the Cavaliers had their hands full with Maryland on Monday night, though, Harris showed he can still carry the day.

domain: sports


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San Francisco: Book Club of California, 1977. Limited edition. Hardcover. Folio (14 x 9.5 inches), white cloth with gilt spine title, title and portrait of Dodoens printed in olive green on front board; 288 pp., profusely illustrated with reproductions from old engravings, original leaf from the 1583 edition tipped-in. Like new in plain paper jacket. Item #22378
Leaf (page 827/828) measures 13.75 x 8.5 inches and contains on recto descriptions of "Malo Armeniaca" (apricot) with engraved illustration and "Amygdalus" (almond) with engraved illustration following on verso. Designed and printed by Grant Dahlstrom in an edition of 385 copies.

domain: literature


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In the second part of our exclusive interview with Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, the Emmy-nominated journalist, social media addict and news producer sheds light on three major issues facing the Arab world today – issues that critically need to be addressed, yet are largely ignored by the media and in public discourse.
In your opinion, what are the three most pressing and under-reported issues facing the region today?
First and foremost Saudi Arabia.
When Saudi Arabia sent its troops into Bahrain to crush the popular uprising there in March 2011, it was sending a message to the world.
Although the move may seem like an attempt to assert power and authority, between the lines, the whisper of “We are scared of what might be coming” could be heard.
Sensing the palpable disharmony and disconnection among GCC countries (provoked mostly by Qatar’s ambitions), Saudi Arabia reacted by impulsively asking the kingdoms of Jordan and Morocco to join the GCC.
Despite signing a historic arms deal with the United States last year, Saudi has been looking to diversify its security alliances, turning to Japan and China as well as other smaller players. In February, Saudi signed an agreement to strengthen military training and logistical supplies. In January, Saudi signed a defense cooperation agreement with Indonesia.
Meanwhile, a Shia minority, mainly located in the eastern province, have long said they were discriminated against in the employment, business and religious realms. Saudi Arabia has been using a short-sighted strategy to ban protests and continue to crush any dissent.
The availability of fresh water is expected to fall by 50 percent by the year 2050 according to the FOA.
But countries in the Middle East and North Africa are already plagued by an extreme water scarcity. As the population is expected to grow to 500 million by the year 2025, it is expected that more and more people will feel the squeeze.
From an infrastructure perspective many countries in the region do not have efficient water systems. In the last decade, more than 75 percent of farmers across the region have depended on pumped groundwater for agriculture, which consumed more than 85 percent of water in the region.
The need for reform when it comes to food security policies and water management policies on the ground is as urgent as any other security threat.
In September, Qatar confirmed it detained and is holding two Brits who went missing during a research trip into migrant labor issues in the country. They were arrested for “alleged illegal activity”.
The men were interrogated for violating the law. The Norway-based NGO they were working for had singled out Qatar over the conditions migrant workers there face. But of course, this is a severe problem that is under-reported particularly in the Gulf – and throughout the region.
The majority of workers in many Arab Gulf states are migrant workers. Due to weak, unenforced or non-existent worker rights, as well as racism, a majority of these workers are mistreated by employers and others alike on a daily basis.
When you live in these countries, it is everywhere, but it is so engrained in the culture in these young and rapidly growing countries, that most, including the press, turn a blind eye.
These glitzy cities emerging from the desert are being built on the backs and by the hands of migrant workers. In Saudi Arabia, estimates suggest 50 percent of workers are migrants. Kuwait has about 660,000 out of a population of about 3 million.
These workers, often living in extreme poverty back home – whether in Ethiopia, Kenya, Sri Lanka, the Philippines or Indonesia – are often deceptively tricked into debt from the moment they arrive.
They are promised a lot of money and basic services in exchange for borrowing a loan from an agent with the aim of freeing themselves and families from poverty. But all too often they are abused, in some cases to the point where they choose to take their own lives.
In Qatar, migrant workers, who make up almost 90 percent of the population of 2 million, have come under the spotlight to a certain extent ever since Qatar won the 2022 World Cup as host.
The Guardian’s investigative piece about the more than 100,000 men from Nepal who arrive to Qatar to build the city revealed daily abuses, including salaries not being paid, passports being confiscated, and workers being deprived of local ID cards which grant them basic rights to move and travel.
Human trafficking in MENA countries benefits from the kafala employment system, lack of labor protection and rights as weak as the agencies that provide loans to those planning to migrate for fees and other travel costs.
The resulting product of bonded labor is shameful, inhumane and unsustainable.
Labor laws should be reformed, but first, those who are trapped should be given a voice and a platform and their rights to live dignified lives should be championed, not only by international media, but by local media in particular.
But it is not just in the Gulf. In Lebanon, a country of about 4 million people, there are roughly 200,000 migrant domestic workers.
And the three most promising and hopeful developments?
The proliferation of Internet access, the psychological shift amongst the citizens and the sheer human capital in the region may be what keep me most hopeful about evolution in the region.
WE SAID THIS: Check out part one of Shihab-Eldin’s insightful interview here, where he discusses the state of media in the Middle East.


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domain: design


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Provide a character sketch of characters in A Midsummer Night's Dream?Like Quince, Titania and Hippolyta.
HIPPOLYTA. Engaged to Theseus. She appears to be resigned to the marriage, which is one of the central actions of the play, but she does not seem to be in love with Theseus.
TITANIA. Queen of the fairies and married to Oberon. She has been arguing with her controlling husband, who orders Puck to put a solution in her eyes which will maker her fall in love with the first person she sees. It turns out to be Bottom, who has been transformed with the head of an ass.
PETER QUINCE. A carpenter in Athens, he is also the amateurish playwright who writes the play for the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta.
HERMIA. Engaged to Demetrius, she falls in love with Lysander.
HELENA. A childhood friend of Hermia, she falls in love with Demetrius.
LYSANDER. He falls in love with Hermia.
DEMETRIUS. Egeus has chosen Demetrius to marry his daughter, Hermia.
EGEUS. The father of Hermia.
THESEUS. The duke of Athens who is engaged to Hippolyta.


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HELENA, Mont. – Records say tribal officials in Montana detained dozens of people because they didn't want street people or transients to be the face of a rodeo event in Fort Peck.
The minutes of the tribe's law and justice committee and documents summarizing a Bureau of Indian Affairs investigation appear to support claims in a lawsuit filed last month on behalf of 31 tribal members.
They claim they were hauled to the tribal jail's yard that July and held without adequate shelter, toilet facilities and medical care before being released a day after the Wild Horse Stampede.
Bureau documents say law enforcement officers told an agency official they questioned the legality of the roundup.
Officials from the tribes, bureau, Roosevelt County and Wolf Point declined comment.


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These packs have already been deployed to villages in Zambia.
A project that aims to change the fate of accident victims in developing countries.
Thatcher meets Mandela after his release in 1990.
To get Nelson Mandela released and save Namibia's independence elections, Thatcher proposed a massive aid programme.
Fishers in Mozambique won’t benefit from southern Africa’s latest deal with the EU.
A deal intended to help southern African countries develop could instead turn them into an EU dumping ground for cheap goods.
Presidents Jacob Zuma and Uhuru Kenyatta. Their countries are at the forefront of efforts to have Africa leave the ICC.
Ironically the campaign to withdraw from the ICC was mainly initiated by the very same governments and heads of state that had earlier referred cases to the ICC when it suited their own interests.
My kingdom for a duvet …
As life gets faster and working hours get longer, it's tempting to think the Sandman is paying us ever shorter visits.
Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame is seen as having promoted economic growth at the expense of human rights.
To improve, African countries need to find a balance between political and economic matters. This is where leadership becomes particularly important. But this is currently lacking on the continent.
Media freedom activists protest against the draconian Protection of Information Bill in Cape Town, South Africa.
While some African countries have shown an improvement in press freedom and freedom of expression ratings, others, including South Africa, are seeing worrying trends and a drop in rankings.
Members of the Non-Aligned Movement meet at the session of the 17th summit of heads of state and government.
The Non-Aligned Movement member states enjoy cohesion on few issues. Historically, their heterogeneity ranged from absolute monarchs to socialist presidents.
Markets and militarisation as responses to wildlife threats are dangerous because they often fail.
Military responses to combat poaching are a problem. They marginalise communities where poachers come from and can have longer term implications.
People with disabilities living in Madwaleni in the Eastern Cape have difficulty accessing healthcare.
Poor people with disabilities living in rural South Africa are particularly disadvantaged when it comes to accessing health care.
Dehorning is practised on many South African private reserves and is seen as a way of deterring poachers.
A few national parks and reserves want to dehorn rhinos and there is a lobby for a regulated and closely monitored legal trade in rhino horn. But this is met by opposition from many.
Hair speaks of the past, and of cultural heritage.
Hair has long been modified for aesthetic and other ends. But skewed power structures have meant that women, particularly women of colour, have borne the brunt of stereotyping and prejudice.
The ‘Musketeers’ pictured here were stars of a recent National Geographic documentary.
Ongoing drought means increased encounters between people and lions in north-west Namibia.
Cheetahs have experienced severe range contractions, their numbers declining markedly in many protected areas.
60% of the world’s largest carnivores and herbivores are classified as being threatened with extinction
The strongest resistance to the United Nations resolution to promote LGBTI rights came from Muslim and African states. Many of these countries still criminalise same-sex relationships.
Kenya burned 105 tonnes of ivory confiscated from smugglers and poachers, an action denounced by Bostwana as wrong and wasteful.
EU officials argue that while the ban on ivory trade is right for some countries, it shouldn't be all-encompassing. It has called on African range states to reach agreement on the issue.
People in Namibia are seeking ways to reduce vulnerability to problems like drought.
Understanding how drought is impacting on livelihoods and local governments can help in the development of longer term climate adaptation responses.
Idyllic Mauritius is the only African country ranked in the favourable category of ‘more stable’ in the latest survey on state fragility.
Reuters/Darrin Zammit Lupi
The Fragile States Index leaves more questions than it answers. Like similar global surveys, its credibility hinges on reliable data. But how sound are its statistics and their interpretation?
Outgoing UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s successor faces the challenge of making the organisation more accountable.
The ‘functional immunity’ granted to UN officials made good sense when the body was founded after World War II. But as its organisational functions have expanded, so has this immunity.
Deputy chief justice Dikgang Moseneke, left, and.
chief justice Mogoeng Mogoeng at a special session to mark Moseneke’s retirement.
The retirement of Dikgang Moseneke, one of South Africa's eminent judges and the Constitutional Court's deputy chief justice, is a moment to reflect on the court's place in society and his legacy.


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JFK at 100, Camelot Still Going Strong and No End in Sight.
Moderate Dems: Trump Is a “Deal Maker” We Can Work With
White House kind of hints that Joe Biden is running for President.
Joe Biden on the edge of running for President.
The Big Bird Presidency
Obama Leads Among the Lazy, Ignorant, and Uninformed
Barack is fumbling, stumbling, falling down…
Barack Obama, The,”Acting,” President Seeking An Identity
Obama Much Worse And Even More Dangerous Than Jimmy Carter
We Rightists are all fools
Oil, Oil, Everywhere, Now Watch Obama Sink
The Keys to the Presidency
Sarah Palin is not the next Reagan
And Then There Were Two
If Republicans Want to Keep Losing Elections…
Senate Confirms Blogger-Judge To 6th Circuit And Hilarity Ensues
CA Judge Places Stiff Contempt Fine On Pro-Life Activist For Exposing Evils Of Abortion Industry
Another Conservative Speaker Is Inexplicably Blocked From Berkeley College
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domain: politics


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Welcome to the mesmerizing world of aquarium keeping, where vibrant underwater ecosystems flourish and aquatic wonders abound. If you’re considering adding a Green Phantom Plecos to your aquatic family, you’re in for a treat! In this comprehensive care guide, we’ll explore the captivating realm of the Green Phantom Pleco (L200) and unravel the secrets to ensuring their well-being in your aquarium. So, grab your snorkel, and let’s dive into this fascinating underwater adventure!
Introducing the Green Phantom Pleco
The Green Phantom Pleco, scientifically known as Hemiancistrus subviridis or L200, is a strikingly beautiful freshwater fish species that hails from South America. These plecos are known for their vibrant green coloration and distinctive patterns, making them a prized addition to many aquariums.
Green Phantom Plecos are known to be peaceful and relatively easy to care for, which makes them an excellent choice for both beginners and experienced aquarists. Their captivating appearance and fascinating behavior make them a joy to observe in any well-maintained aquarium.
Setting Up the Perfect Environment
- Crafting an ideal habitat is the initial and crucial step in guaranteeing the welfare of your Green Phantom Pleco. Let’s delve into the essential factors to contemplate:
- Tank Size: For a solitary Green Phantom Pleco, it is advisable to have a tank size of at least 30 gallons and additional space should be allocated for each extra pleco you plan to keep. It’s essential to provide them with ample room for swimming and exploration.
- Water Parameters: Maintain stable water conditions with a temperature range of 75-82°F (24-28°C), a pH level between 6.5-7.5, and soft to moderately hard water. Regular water testing and quality maintenance are crucial.
- Filtration: Invest in a good-quality filtration system to keep the water clean and well-oxygenated. Green Phantom Plecos appreciate well-oxygenated water.
- Substrate: Use fine gravel or sand substrate, as these plecos often dig and burrow in the substrate.
- Hideouts: Provide hiding spots like caves and driftwood. Green Phantom Plecos are nocturnal and appreciate places to rest during the day.
Feeding Your Green Phantom Pleco
- Green Phantom Plecos fall into the category of omnivores, signifying that their diet encompasses both plant and animal elements. Ensuring their health and contentment necessitates providing a diverse diet, which should encompass.
- High-Quality Pellets: High-quality sinking pellets specially formulated for bottom-dwelling fish should be a staple of their diet.
- Vegetables: Supplement their diet with blanched vegetables like zucchini, cucumber, and spinach. These provide essential fiber and nutrients.
- Protein: Offer protein-rich foods such as bloodworms, brine shrimp, and blackworms a few times a week. Protein supports their growth and vitality.
- Algae Wafers: Green Phantom Plecos are known to graze on algae, so providing algae wafers is a good idea.
- Variety: Rotate their diet to ensure they receive a wide range of nutrients. Avoid overfeeding, as plecos are prone to obesity.
Compatibility and Tankmates
Green Phantom Plecos are generally peaceful and can coexist with various tankmates. However, avoid housing them with aggressive or territorial species. Good tankmate options include peaceful community fish like tetras, rasboras, and peaceful cichlids. Ensure that tankmates share similar water parameter requirements.
Breeding the Green Phantom Pleco
Breeding Green Phantom Plecos can be a rewarding experience for aquarists. To encourage breeding, provide caves or PVC pipes as potential nesting sites. Maintain stable water conditions and monitor the water parameters regularly. Once breeding occurs, the female will lay eggs in a chosen cave, and the male will guard the eggs until they hatch.
Common Health Issues
Like all fish, Green Phantom Plecos can be susceptible to health issues. Keep an eye out for signs of illness, such as rapid gill movement, loss of appetite, or changes in coloration. In case you observe any worrisome symptoms, it’s highly advisable to seek guidance and treatment options from a seasoned aquatic veterinarian or a well-informed fish store.
The Green Phantom Pleco, with its captivating appearance and peaceful demeanor, is a delightful addition to any aquarium enthusiast’s collection. By providing the right environment, a varied diet, and suitable tankmates, you can ensure the health and happiness of these remarkable underwater companions. So, dive into the world of Green Phantom Plecos and create a thriving aquatic paradise in your own home.
How big do Green Phantom Plecos get?
Green Phantom Plecos can grow to a size of approximately 6 to 7 inches (15 to 18 cm) when they reach their full adult size.
Is a Green Phantom Pleco rare?
They are not considered extremely rare, but they can be less commonly found in aquarium stores compared to more common Pleco species. Their striking appearance and peaceful nature make them a sought-after choice among aquarium enthusiasts.
Are Green Phantom Plecos aggressive?
No, these are generally not aggressive. They are known for their peaceful temperament, making them suitable tankmates for various other non-aggressive fish species.
Do Green Phantom Plecos need wood?
Green Phantom Plecos benefit from having driftwood in their aquarium. Driftwood not only serves as a potential hiding spot but also provides a surface for algae growth, which plecos often graze on as part of their diet.
What is the smallest growing pleco?
The Rubber Lip Pleco (Chaetostoma Formosa) is one of the smaller pleco species, typically growing to about 4 to 5 inches (10 to 12 cm) in length when fully mature.
Do Plecos grow fast?
The growth rate of Plecos can vary depending on factors like water conditions, diet, and species. In general, they are not fast growers and may take several months to reach a significant size.
Do plecos like the dark?
Many pleco species, including them, are nocturnal, which means they are more active during the night and often prefer low light or darkness during the day.
Do plecos like light or dark?
Plecos typically prefer low light or darkness during the day. Providing hiding spots and dimly lit areas in the aquarium can make them feel more comfortable.
Can plecos live without water?
A9: No, plecos, like all fish, cannot live without water. They are aquatic creatures and require a suitable aquatic environment to survive and thrive.
How big do Green Phantom Plecos grow?
When fully grown, they can attain a size ranging from 6 to 7 inches (approximately 15 to 18 cm).
Do Green Phantom Plecos require a lot of care?
Green Phantom Plecos, despite their specific habitat and dietary requirements, are generally regarded as quite manageable and are suitable for aquarists of various experience levels, including beginners and those with prior aquarium expertise.
Can Green Phantom Plecos be kept in a community tank?
Yes, they can coexist peacefully with a variety of tankmates as long as they are non-aggressive and share similar water parameter requirements.
How do I encourage Green Phantom Plecos to breed?
To encourage breeding, provide suitable nesting sites like caves or PVC pipes, maintain stable water conditions, and monitor water parameters. The male will guard the eggs once breeding occurs.
What should I do if my Green Phantom Pleco shows signs of illness?
If you notice signs of illness in your Green Phantom Pleco, consult with an experienced aquatic veterinarian or a knowledgeable fish store for guidance and treatment options.

domain: pet


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November 15, 2014
It’s not good enough to simply oppose the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). If you are going to continue to complain about the health care law, then you need to offer an alternative. Because health care in the United States pre-Obamacare was unacceptable, and well, that’s not subjective, it’s reality. Because when tens of millions of Americans lack health care insurance, that is a problem, even if you don’t think it is.


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HEIRLOOM OR OPEN POLLINATED VARIETIES
These varieties have been around for a number of years, some over 100 years. You can save your own seeds from these
varieties. Yield will not be as high as the hybrids, however, the flavor most times is better. Fruit is soft.
TOMATOES Approximately 10,000 seeds per oz.
A little over 100 years ago tomatoes or Love Apples as they were called then, were grown for ornamental purpose and not for
food. They were looked upon with suspicion as the cause of various diseases & were thought to be poisonous. First used as
food in Italy, then France and England. Modern types appear to have come on the market in this country during the 19th
century. The 1st record of this fruit quoted on the market was in New Orleans,1812. Seed growers 1st offered tomatoes in 1818
PLANTING: Start seeds indoors, 5-7 weeks before transplanting outdoors. Use Jiffy 7’s or flats with inserts with a good soil
substitute, like Berger BM-2. Do not use field or garden soil as it may harbor a disease. Place seeds 1/16″ deep. Cover lightly.
Keep moist, not wet. Germinate at 80F until emerge. Do not start tomato seeds in a cold frame if soil temperatures gets
below 70°F at anytime after your seed has been sown. After emerge reduce temperatures to 60-65°F until transplanted
outdoors after all danger of frost is past and soil has warmed up. Place plants 18-24″ apart in a row spacing of 4-6′
apart. If plants are planted into plastic mulch, make sure you have water supply source like a drip line under the plastic mulch.
Plants can be caged or staked for support. If using the stake method, you can use the weave method. Place a stake in between
2nd or 3rd plant. Now start at the beginning of the row at first stake, tie your string to 1st stake. Take string around the outside of
plants on one side to next stake. Wrap string around stake 2 or 3 times. Now continue down the row with string on the same
side of row until you reach the end. Wrap string around last stake 3 or 4 times and now go back up the other side and do the
same. When you are done, your tomato plants should have a string on either side of them to give them support. Repeat this
process as plant grows. Strings should be 6″ apart. Tomato tying twine is found in the supply section of this catalog. To make
stringing easier, do the following: take a 3/4″ PVC pipe about 3′ long. From top down and bottom up, 4″ drill a 1/4″ hole. Run
your string in top of pipe and out top hole and into bottom hole out the bottom of pipe. Now you have a handy tool and a time
saver. Follow above tying instructions. This tool works as a handle. When you get to a stake, put hand or fingers over string on
outside of pipe. This works as a brake to tighten up your string. HARVEST: Pick gently when fruit is fully developed and of a
good color. Use fresh or can for later use.
After each tomato variety, you will find a letter or a row of letters. See below for examples and what they mean. MOUNTAIN FRESH F1 D VFF GOLDEN JUBILEE OP I A
1 2 3
1) F1 Hybrid. Better disease tolerance than open pollinated types. Seeds will not be true if saved from these fruits.
OP Open pollinated. Also called Heirlooms. Seeds can be saved.
PVP Plant Variety Protected. Do not save seed from this variety to be sold as seed. Any part of plant can be sold, including
fruits or pods except seeds to be planted. It is an open pollinated variety that is protected by law from seed selling.
D Determinate. Plant habit where vine ceases to grow once it reaches a particular size. Sets fruit at one time and
2) then tapers off. A good choice for short stakes.
I Indeterminate. Plant continues to grow and has fruit set in all stages, from blossom to mature. Most varieties are
bred for a home garden and have soft fruits.
Plants are resistant or can tolerate the following disease:
3) A = Alternaria F= Fusarium wilt race # 1 FF= Fusarium wilt races 1 & 2
L= Septoria leaf spot N= Nematodes FFF= Fusarium wilt races 1, 2 & 3
ST= Stemphylium T= Tobacco Mosaic virus V= Verticillium wilt
TS= Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus SS= Gray leaf spot XCV= Bacterial spot
You will need 12 to 16 plants per 25 foot row or 3,400 to 4,500 plants per acre.

domain: agronomy


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The Union R-XI School District kicked off its first week of classes with a Chromebook for each student in grades three to 12, and reached an important milestone in its technology initiative.
District Technology Coordinator Matt Jones said the school district now has roughly 950 devices for its students and has reached 1-1, or a device for each of its students grade from third grade up. He said the district is ahead of schedule on its One-to-World technology initiative.
When the Chromebook plan was first proposed and approved in 2015, the laptops, which run Google’s Chrome operating system, cost roughly $352 per unit. The plan was to phase in the devices over a period of three years for students in fourth through 12th grades.
At a meeting earlier this year, the school board approved extending the Chromebook roll-out to third graders, moving the district ahead of schedule.
Jones said as the district moves forward with the One-to-World initiative, academic life for students will get easier and easier. He said there is an advantage in having academic resources bundled into one device.
“I think as we start to transition away from some of the text resources it will be easier for students to manage their daily activities,” Jones said. “They’re not carrying six or seven books in a 30-pound backpack. Being able to have access to their resources anywhere they have internet access is a big advantage.”
Jones said the district’s next challenge will be deciding whether devices are a good fit for its younger students. He said a determination on whether there is a need for those students to have devices has not been made.
“Our next hurdle is determining what the best fit is for kindergarten through second grade,” Jones said. “It’s not a topic we’ve spent a great deal of time on and we’re not sure if 1-1 for kindergarten is a path we need to or should go down. We just haven’t made that determination yet.”
He said the district wanted third graders to get familiar with the Chromebooks because MAP testing is done on similar devices.
“It was important for us to familiarize them with the technology throughout the year so when it comes test time they’re familiar with the devices,” Jones said.
As for the near future, Jones will be presenting on a renewal with Securly, a company that provides content control software to Union’s Chromebooks.
Jones said a new parent portal will be part of the renewal.
“A new feature is the ability to allow parents to have access to all of their students’ daily activities through a parent portal,” Jones said. “That will help ensure that parents are aware of what their students are doing and it gives parents a little more insight into how their kids are using those products.”


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By Seth Daniel
Perhaps it all started when Chelsea High School (CHS) sophomore Charlie Rustigian was only about eight years old and he encountered a boy at school who didn’t know what a birthday party was.
Charlie’s grandmother Peggy Foulco, who has raised him with her husband, Mike, said she had a $50 bill that she planned to give Charlie to put in his savings account, but it had mysteriously disappeared.
“I told him to tell me the truth and not to lie and he wouldn’t get in trouble,” said Peggy Foulco. “He told me it was a boy’s birthday and he had never had a gift before. He told me he wanted to give the $50 to the boy because he had more than the boy would ever have. He said he had been talking to the boy and he had never had a gift and didn’t even know what a birthday party was. Charlie could’t believe it and told him how great birthday parties are. Then, I guess he gave the boy his $50 bill so the boy could get a gift and have a birthday party. He wanted that boy to experience a birthday and that’s just how Charlie has always been.”
Charlie said he has always had a feeling that others were more important than he was.
“I tend to care about other people and am sensitive to them and want to know how they are doing,” he said at his Heard Street home, which was burned down in a large fire in September 2014. “When I find that someone isn’t doing as well as I am, I just have a sense of wanting to help them a little bit.”
And not to mention his family, including his uncle Paul Rustigian.
Both Paul and Charlie began Project Chelsea Opening Doors over three years ago, and around their kitchen table and with the help of Rev. Sandra Whitley, they have amassed a volunteer organization that is doing everything possible to eliminate student and veteran homelessness in Chelsea.
It all started when Charlie was at the Wright Middle School and, through a teacher, learned that there were more than 100 students in the schools that were homeless.
“There were students in our school who didn’t have anywhere to go after school was over,” said Charlie. “I was shocked to hear that, that I could be walking by kids who were homeless and didn’t have a place to go.”
He went home and summoned a family meeting – a staple of the Heard Street home – and they discussed the issue of homelessness in Charlie’s school. Then they set to work, collaborating with Rev. Whitley and starting the project to meet the needs of homeless children. But Charlie wasn’t interested in meeting their needs, he wanted to end the problem.
There had been 110 kids in the schools who were homeless, and by the end of the first year, when he had vowed to finish the problem, there were still homeless kids.
“Charlie didn’t understand why we hadn’t fixed the problem,” said Paul. “He said he’s always been taught to come to adults with problems and they would do their best to fix them, but this hadn’t been fixed. I tried to tell him that things like this are very complex and there’s a lot of bureaucracy and protocol in solving a big problem. He still didn’t understand why it was that so many smart people had been working on the problem and had the resources, but there were still homeless kids.”
It launched their current campaign whereby they take trips with volunteers regularly each month to Rosie’s Place in Boston to serve the homeless. They also compile a detailed list with the assistance of the schools of homeless kids and their needs.
Some ask for pillows, or crib sheets or shoes, and the needs are fulfilled by Open Doors – sometimes with Charlie himself spending his allowance to buy the items.
“We had identified the needs of an 11th grader and she needed a pillow,” said Paul. “She was so excited about that pillow and we didn’t understand why.”
Added Charlie, “She had been sleeping on a hoodie or jeans. She had never had a pillow before.”
The pillows cost $2.37 each at Wal-Mart, but they were out of reach for this young lady.
Paul said it’s those things that really push him forward.
“The thing that really energized me is that people have made up their mind about certain segments of the population,” he said. “A lot of people believe you’ve done something to deserve to be homeless. People often think it’s the 70-year-old drunk under the bridge, but it really isn’t that. When people learn that it’s children who are homeless and their families, it’s amazing how people were willing to open up because it’s a population that isn’t to blame. We have a need for little toddler shoes, and you often don’t see the face of the people who are homeless, but I hold those shoes in my hand and that’s a person. How can you blame that?”
Still, today, there is a significant number of kids in the schools who are homeless, with the latest count of 63 families and 90 kids in November. Still, Charlie continues to give presentations to groups and spread the word to his classmates and teachers.
“It’s the right thing to do and that’s why I do it,” he said. “Someone has to do it. This can happen to anyone.”
And it did – even to Charlie.
In September 2014, a horrendous fire on the street behind his house erupted and took with it several homes. Charlie’s grandparents’ house on Heard Street was totally burnt out. The family had to leave for 395 days, only just recently returning to their totally rebuilt home.
“Charlie realized that if it wasn’t for his support network and for insurance, he could be homeless now too,” said Paul. “It was a five-alarm fire and it took our home. You can become homeless because of a fire, losing a job, being unable to pay bills or getting sick. These are things that are beyond your control. We were fortunate to have insurance; others aren’t. I think we lose sight of that.”
Others might lose sight, but the Rustigian family has not and likely will not.
Charlie said he will continue his quest to end homelessness in the schools and has a new goal.
“I’d like to see it that by the time I graduate, there will be zero homel
ess families,” the soft-spoken young man said. “I think if we keep going the route we are on, it can be done. As more people are informed, it gets pushed out. Sometimes I write a story about this and share it with the class. When I read it, every time I get the ‘ohhs’ and ‘ahhs’ from the students and the teachers because they don’t know.”
Certainly if they knew Charlie Rustigian or his family, they would know.


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Meadow Vista Gardens is in the historic foothills of the Gold Country (centrally located, 45 mins. from: Downtown Sacramento/Folsom/Placerville/Elk Grove/Nevada City). Originally built in 1948, it was the first church of Meadow Vista, the “Jewel of the Gold Country.” Easily accessible from I-80 - centrally situated in town. >"D.I.Y." , Absolutely! Flexible is our middle name. Truly a Unique & Different, One-of-a Kind property, with numerous amenities outdoors and indoors. >Two fabulous Courtyards (the Oaks & the Pines) with full view stages and waterfalls will accentuate your event. >Enjoy refreshments with an outdoor “Cantina” and an indoor craftsman “Rustic Bar” (all handmade). Buffets are centrally positioned in the Patio/BBQ area. >Upstairs is the Vista Ballroom, with its shining hardwood floors, café lights, and plush window décor capturing the elegance and coziness.
More info: http://www.meadowvistagardens.net/

domain: history


text: CHEAP TRAGEDIES- 'Volume 1: Souvenirs And Evidence' LP. Following hot on the heels of 7"s on Livewire Records and High Anxiety, Cheap Tragedies waste no time in dropping an absolute rager of an LP. Comprised of some well-seasoned clevo vets, including a maniacal Tony Erba (9 Shocks Terror, Face Value) delivering his best vocal performance ever. They tear through 12 tracks of amped up, hardcore punk on their debut Volume 1: Souvenirs and Evidence the way only Cleveland miscreants can. Recorded by Bill Korecky at Mars Studio (Face Value, Integrity, 9 Shocks Terror, Terror, etc). The sound is incendiary and justifies their reputation as "hardcore arena rock destroyers", Clevo style.


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When he suddenly shuttered his NUMBER (N)INE brand in 2009 and abruptly disappeared from the fashion scene, it left many fans of Takahiro Miyashita's designs deliberating over a replacement. Fortunately, it wasn't long before Miyashita established The SoloIst, which clearly took on Number (N)ine's avant-garde elements but tampered with a more pragmatic approach on design--this includes a footwear collaboration with adidas Originals. With inputs from designer and friend, Kazuki Kuraishi, who shares many of Miyashita's sensibilities, it's quite apparent that the focus is on materials and high-quality standards. Set to be available only through a select number of retail locations worldwide, the very limited collection will make its debut at midnight tomorrow at adidas Originals SoHo in New York City. Line-up is projected to start around 11:30 pm outside of the store, but expect some folks to be there even earlier.
adidas Originals SoHo
136 Wooster Street | Map
New York, NY 10012
Release Date: September 29th, 2012 (Tomorrow!) | Midnight


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WELLINGTON, Aug 27 (Reuters) - New Zealand’s Fonterra may consider additional partnerships with Chinese dairy companies in the future, but not those involved in the infant formula market, Chief Executive Theo Spierings told Reuters on Wednesday.
Spierings was speaking after Fonterra announced it was buying a $524 million stake in China’s Hangzhou Beingmate Group .
“In the field of infant nutrition no, but when you look at our UHT play and our plays into food service, I‘m not saying no at this point in time. Partnerships are the key to China in the world of food and dairy,” he said.
“When you talk about getting everyday nutrition and UHT milk into every household, I can think of a few good partners.” (Reporting by Naomi Tajitsu; Editing by Miral Fahmy)

domain: food


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KANYE West has stormed out of an interview with a YouTuber after just twenty minutes in the latest controversy to surround the rapper.
Kanye, who goes by Ye, was set to discuss his dinner with former president Donald Trump and his Ye 2024 campaign when he seemingly left YouTuber Tim Pool's studio.
Pool's panel on Monday included right-wing extremist Milo Yiannopoulos and white nationalist Nick Fuentes, among others.
Will Sommer, a politics reporter at the Daily Beast, tweeted that the exit came after "Pool offered him the slightest pushback to his anti-Semitism."
"I can't say I'm surprised," Pool said after the walk out.
Pool seemed to believe that Ye walked out because he was asking the rapper about his anti-Semitic views.
However, he claimed that Ye was the one who initially brought it up.
While Pool was asking about Ye's dinner with Trump, the rapper switched directions and said: "I just gotta go right to the heart of this anti-Semite claim that's happening."
"This is something, if you read the definition, it says you can't claim that there's multiple people inside of banks or in media that are all Jewish or you're anti-Semitic."
"And that's the truth, like it's the truth, what are we talking about?"
Most read in The US Sun
Pool gave his opinions on the matter that conflicted Ye's.
He said: "You're expounding upon a localization issue that you've witnessed, right? Let me clarify.
"There are a handful of people that you see are Jewish in a current place and then you associate Judaism with the power, whereas I view that as not relevant to it."
During a pause later in the interview, Pool told Ye: “I think they’ve been extremely unfair to you.”
Ye asked him to clarify who he meant by “they,” and Pool said “the corporate press.”
Ye then abruptly got up and left as Pool asked: "Are you leaving?"
Pool said after Ye walked out: "What do I even do? Other than ask him, please elaborate on this? Are you referring to individuals or are you quite literally blaming an entire group of people for the fact that powerful individuals are causing you harm?"
Pool added: "Literally I said a couple sentences about 'I don't think that's fair.' Did I insult the man? He seriously can't handle, he can't handle it?"
A member of Pool's staff reportedly walked back in to inform the panel that Ye said he did not get to "talk enough."
Prior to Ye's exit, the rapper was discussing running for president in 2024.
Ye said he was "the only American that we know that really deserves to run the country 'cuz everyone else, ya boy DeSantis, Trump, whoever they rise in a petri dish over on the democratic side is going to play the game."