Crews hold line in six-day California Tahoe blaze
Fri Jun 29, 2007 7:43PM EDT
By Kathryn Reed
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif., June 29 (Reuters) - Firefighters have prevented a six-day-old wildfire near California's Lake Tahoe from spreading into some of the resort area's most densely populated neighborhoods, officials said on Friday.
The Angora Fire, which broke out on Sunday in rugged forest terrain filled with bone-dry timber south of Lake Tahoe, is 70 percent contained, they said.
The blaze has consumed 3,100 acres (1,250 hectares), 254 homes and 75 commercial buildings in an area which is one of California's most scenic attractions anchoring a popular alpine recreation area on the state's border with Nevada.
Losses are estimated to be as much as $150 million. In some neighborhoods, only foundations and other hardened structures of homes survived the conflagration.
Kitty Babb, 79, lost her home of 30 years. One of the few items Babb saved as she fled the fire was an American flag from her late husband's funeral at Arlington National Cemetery.
"I won't rebuild," Babb said. "I'm moving to Minden (Nevada) to be with my son."
John and Gloria Sawyer found little remained of their second home, which had been occupied by a renter.
"He didn't get anything out," Gloria Sawyer said.
More than 2,000 firefighters backed by helicopters and airplanes dropping water and repellent and 166 engines have labored to prevent further losses.
They have focused their efforts in recent days on the fire's northern containment line on the edge of residential neighborhoods of the town of South Lake Tahoe.
Although an advisory for strong winds remains in place, officials expect the fire will be fully under control by Tuesday evening.
Fire crew members throughout the week have said the blaze likely was caused by humans, but were uncertain if it was set accidentally or intentionally.
Despite the fire and damage, tourists were expected to swarm Lake Tahoe for the Fourth of July holiday week.


Samsung has pretty much the foldable smartphone segment under its belt. However, this can change now that more and more companies are entering this segment. To keep the crown for a longer time, the company is preparing a new round of smartphones for the Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip series. The company is yet to disclose the official launch date of its event, but many Samsung fans are already waiting for a Galaxy Unpacked in August where the company will disclose the Galaxy Z Fold3 and Galaxy Z Flip3.
Galaxy Z Fold3, Z Flip3, Galaxy Watch4, and Buds3 coming on August 11
A previous report suggested the Galaxy Unpacked event to happen on August 3. However, a new leak from a reliable tipster suggests that the previously leaked date isn’t so accurate at all. According to the tipster, Tron, the Galaxy Unpacked will happen on August 11. The tipster also shared a list of devices that will appear at the Unpacked event. According to him, the company will also introduce the Galaxy Watch4 series and the Galaxy Buds2. We have the whole gang here, except for the Galaxy Note 30 series which, at least for now, seems to be discontinued.
According to a report from MySmartPrice, the standard Galaxy Watch4 is coming in two sizes – 40mm and 44mm. The 40mm variant will cost between 350 and 370 Euros. The 44mm variant, on the other hand, will launch between 380 and 400 Euros. The Galaxy Buds2 price will be around 180 and 200 Euros.
Gizchina News of the week
As far as foldable smartphones are concerned, the Z Fold3 will launch first in the US and the UK. It is likely to go on sale on August 27. According to a report, Samsung will also bring the foldable smartphone to India and we can expect it to reach China as well. While the Galaxy Z Flip 3 hasn’t been leaking a lot, the same can’t be said for the Galaxy Z Fold3. The bigger foldable smartphone will have a bigger outer display.
Moreover, the device will bring a punch-hole camera in the outer display and a dual-tone colorway design. The biggest change is that Samsung is likely bringing its first in-display camera with this smartphone. The foldable internal display is said to house an under-glass selfie snapper. In terms of the specifications, the device will bring improved cameras and will likely have variants with Snapdragon 888 Plus and Exynos 2100 SoC.
Since the launch of the new foldable smartphones, the Galaxy Watch4 and Buds2 is happening sometime in the next month, we expect leaks to intensify over the course of the next few days.


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Rihanna is absolutely embracing motherhood whereas sharing some gorgeous photographs from her maternity shoot whereas she was pregnant along with her firstborn, RZA Athelston Mayers.
The Bajan singer/entrepreneur shares the maternity photograph shoot on her Instagram on Thursday (Might 18), a few days after celebrating her second Mom’s Day. “Rub on ya titties,” she labeled the shoot comprising of a carousel of topless photographs. Her submit acquired 5 million likes inside an hour of posting.
“In honor of my first being pregnant, embracing motherhood like a g, and the magic that this physique made!” she wrote. “Child RZA… he in there not having a clue how nuts his mama is, or how obsessed he was bout to make me.”
Rihanna is at the moment pregnant along with her second baby, due later this 12 months. In the meantime, we not too long ago discovered that she named her son after Wu-Tang Clan’s member RZA after his start certificates was leaked on-line. RiRi and A$AP Rocky celebrated RZA’s first birthday earlier this month. RiRi gave start to her son in Might final 12 months and introduced her second being pregnant throughout her 2023 Tremendous Bowl Halftime Present efficiency.
On the music entrance, there aren’t any concrete phrases but on when she is going to launch new music, and her followers have nearly given up on getting new music this 12 months, given she is at the moment pregnant. However, she did say throughout her press run forward of her Tremendous Bowl efficiency that she plans to drop new music this 12 months, saying that her followers deserve it.
Final 12 months, she was noticed hitting the studio in New York Metropolis on a number of events along with her boyfriend, A$AP Rocky. She was additionally noticed in Los Angeles heading to the studio, a transparent signal that she was recording music for her new album R9.
You possibly can view Rihanna maternity photographs right here.

domain: celebrity


text:
Voting Rights Under Attack In Georgia And Arizona; Colorado Breathes A $4 Billion Sigh Of COVID-19 Relief
By Penfield W. Tate III
For the GPHN
Is there anything more fundamental to our country than the right to vote?
The right to vote, and have the ability of self-determination, is one of the reasons that this nation was founded in rejection of a monarchy. Participatory democracy has become the global gold standard. It is right to set the course for your neighborhood, state and nation. And now it’s being gutted.
The 2020 presidential election was record-setting. The outgoing president received the most votes ever for a losing presidential candidate. And President Joe Biden received the greatest number of votes for a presidential candidate, ever. Contrary to the delusional rantings of the losing candidate, a bipartisan collection of elected and appointed officials, including the former Republican attorney general, have all said that there was no significant voting fraud in the election anywhere.
For years, political activists of all parties have lamented the fact that there is too much voter apathy and not enough people are voting. Indeed, campaigns are built around voter turnout and communication with voters. This is the closest we have even been to full voter participation and now we hear complaints. Why?
Heed Stacey Abrams
The Brennan Center for Justice reports that since the election, Republican legislators have introduced more than 250 bills in 43 states to restrict the right to vote. That is seven times the number of such bills as were filed last year. Why? The why is clear, racism.
In the greatest voter suppression effort since the Jim Crow era, the voting franchise is under assault. Georgia, ground zero for this effort, and Arizona illustrate the scope of the Republican effort.
Last month, with stunning swiftness, Republican lawmakers in Georgia adopted a package of voting restrictions that impose new voter ID requirements for absentee ballots, limit the number of ballot drop boxes and reduce Sunday voting in October to one Sunday. This is specifically aimed at Black churches and Black voters.
Arizona’s plan would reduce the number of polling places from 100 to 15 in the Phoenix area, where 60 percent of registered Arizona voters live and reduce voting by mail that Arizona has had for decades. The late Sen. John McCain would likely be appalled.
Thankfully, in a different group of 43 states, bi-partisan voting access advocates have introduced more than 700 bills – increasing voting by mail, early voting, easing registration requirements and reinstating the franchise for persons with past convictions — that once approved would make it easier for people to vote.
And the For the People Act, H.R.1 and the companion S.1 in the Congress, would supersede these state laws by allowing any eligible voter to vote by mail and allow at least two weeks of early voting. The Act would also reform campaign finance with matching public funds for small contributions to offset big money funders, as the 2020 presidential election cycle set records for campaign spending.
Still, heed the warnings of Stacey Abrams, the Georgia voting rights advocate commenting on this restrictive trend: “The only connection that we can find is that more people of color voted, and it changed the outcome of elections in a direction Republicans do not like.”
Good news, bad news
Meanwhile in Colorado, four times a year – March, June, September and December, the Office of Legislative Counsel (“Leg Counsel”) and the Governor’s Office of State Planning and Budget (OSPB) produce forecasts and estimates of anticipated state revenues.
The estimates are seldom identical and serve slightly different purposes. The OSPB estimates are used by the governor to prepare the November budget submission to the legislature and provide information to inform the governor’s policy initiatives and goals. The Leg Counsel estimates are used by the Joint Budget Committee (JBC) to write the state’s budget and consider supplemental funding requests. Those estimates are also used by the legislature to pass the budget and consider — and typically kill — legislation that requires funding.
This time last year the Colorado Legislature was cutting nearly $4 billion out of the budget due to the impacts of COVID-19. This year the Leg Counsel estimated revenues paint a different picture, with revenues up more than $5.3 billion. That’s a “breath of fresh air” according to Democratic Sen. Dominick Moreno, the chairman of the JBC.
Nearly $4 billion of that relief is courtesy of the national $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan relief package that was promoted by President Joe Biden and passed by the Democratic majority in Congress.
The money will be used to fund the nearly $700 million state stimulus package announced in mid-March, as well as a host of other legislative priorities.
Early indications show bipartisan support for restoring budget funding in areas “that took care of human beings” as described by Sen. Bob Rankin, a Republican member of the JBC. Expect to see an emphasis on restoring the 400,000 Colorado jobs lost to the pandemic with a focus on the need for equity in the recovery, since there are 30 percent fewer jobs paying less than $27,000 available in Colorado today.
That last statistic compelled JBC member Democratic Sen. Chris Hansen to observe that Colorado has “gone from bad to worse” with the inequity in the recovery from the pandemic.
Safeguards for immigrants
With the legislative session again adjusted due to the pandemic, scheduled to end June 12 versus the usual first week in May closing, several controversial measures remain on the calendar as of press time.
Several bills have been introduced to safeguard the situation of immigrants in the state. One measure would bar state agencies from sharing personal information with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that could be used against immigrants. This bill is motivated by the State’s response to an open records request that revealed the state motor vehicle division was sharing immigrant information with ICE.
Rep. Naquetta Ricks, an Aurora Democrat originally from Liberia, is sponsoring a measure to create a legal defense fund for immigrants through private donations and matching funds from nonprofits. Statistics indicate that immigrants with legal representation are 10 times more likely to win their immigration cases.
A tool for law enforcement to obtain assistance from witnesses, U Visas allow victims to cooperate and avoid deportation. A bill by Rep. Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez will make the Colorado process for granting U Visas match the federal process.
Finally, a bill with unanimous bipartisan support would make it a crime to use someone’s status as an immigrant for extortion. The matters cited as creating the need for the bill are a general contractor who didn’t pay or short paid workers and threatened to report them to ICE if they complained, and a female assault victim whose attacker threatened to turn her in to ICE if she reported the incident.
We’ll discuss more legislative topics next month. Wear your masks, socially distance and get vaccinated. The State has made it a goal to get all adults in Colorado vaccinated by the end of this month, at no cost. Go on websites, call local churches, and check with pharmacies grocery stores and other nonprofits like Brother Jeff’s Cultural Café. All are making the vaccine available.
Penfield W. Tate III is an attorney in Denver. He represented Park Hill in the Colorado House of Representatives from 1997 to 2000, and in the State Senate from 2001 to February 2003. He lives in Park Hill.

domain: law


WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (WDTN) – Top secret research at Wright Patterson Air Force Base is moving to the cutting edge.
Tuesday, base leaders and community stakeholders attended a ribbon-cutting and groundbreaking to debut the first ever “Shared Above-Secret Department of Defense High Performance Computing Capability.”
The ceremony unveiled four new supercomputers at the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) DoD Supercomputing Resource Center (DSRC).
The high-performance machines are all named after famous aircrafts: Mustang, Shadow, Spectre and Voodoo. They’re designed to accomplish complicated tasks necessary for research and development.
“On a regular, old-fashioned work station, what would take years, is now down to weeks or days,” explained Kelly Dalton, the technology director at the AFRL.
Lloyd Slonaker, chief of the Advanced Hardware and Software branch at AFRL added, “We’re looking at everything (from) downt to the microscopic, sub-atomic levels all the way up to where we’re looking at satellites.”
While the research lab has used high performance computing for years, the new additions afford a new level of security for shared information. The AFRL DSRC explained globalization and international security risks are changing computing needs.
“It has to be locked down to the point where we ensure only our researchers have that information,” said Tim Yeager, the AFRL systems security chief.
Tuesday’s groundbreaking is part of secure addition to the existing AFRL building. It will house top-secret supercomputers Shadow, Spectre and Voodoo to create the DoD’s first ever shared, classified high-performance supercomputing center.
All of the machines require their own infrastructure.
Mustang is currently operating in a separate building with other non-classified supercomputers, which runs on as much power as downtown Dayton and uses its own water supply to keep everything cool.
The complexity of operating supercomputing systems makes the new sharing options more cost-effective for taxpayers. Rather than each base or project building and operating its own system, they can streamline research from Wright-Patt’s central base.
Staff explained the greater availability will save the DoD billions of dollars, while also making life-saving reseach more accessible.
“We can go through and test different parameters… and nobody was put at risk. No test pilots were put at risk, no soldiers were put at risk,” Yeager said.
The AFRL Department of Defense DoD Supercomputing Resource Center, created in 1994, is one of four sites included in the congressionally funded High Performance Computing Modernization Program.


Hindustan Zinc is facing the ire of locals in Gujarat for its upcoming Rs 10,000-crore zinc smelter complex at Dosawada industrial estate in Tapi district.
Police had to lodge an FIR against 200 ‘unknown’ people late on Monday night following violent protests during the public hearing of HZL’s proposed 300 kilo tonne per annum (KTPA) greenfield zinc smelter plant, touted as the world’s biggest zinc smelter complex.
As part of the statutory requirement, Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) had conducted a public hearing for 91 villages located in the radius of 10 km from the proposed plant site.
During the hearing, a large group of locals started opposing the proceedings and pelted stones on the officials. According to a senior police official more than 120 teargas shells were lobbed by cops to disburse the mob.


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domain: design


text:
Publisher: Applause Theatre & Cinema Books
Authors: James Ursini, Alain Silver
In this essential study of film noir, editors Alain Silver and James Ursini select the most significant and influential articles on the movement from their highly respected Film Noir Reader series and assemble them into a single, convenient, heavily illustrated volume. Still included, of course, are many rare early articles and such seminal essays as Borde and Chaumeton's “Towards a Definition of Film Noir” from Panorama du Film Noir Americain, Paul Schrader's “Notes on Film Noir,” and “Paint It Black: the Family Tree of the Film Noir” by Raymond Durgnat. With newer studies such as “Lounge Time” by Vivian Sobchack, “Manufacturing Heroines in Classic Noir Films” by Sheri Chinen Biesen, and “Voices from the Deep: Film Noir as Psychodrama” J. P. Telotte, this collection of over 30 articles probes this most influential American film movement from varying angles: formalist, feminist, structuralist, sociological, and stylistic; narrative-thematic historical, and even from the point of view of a pure aficionado. There is something in this volume for every student or devotee of film noir. Plus like the readers that have proven an invaluable tool for academics planning a syllabus, it can serve as the most complete core text for any of the myriad of film noir courses taught throughout the world.
Inventory #HL 00156555
“With Applause's paperback release of Film Noir Compendium: Key Selections from the Film Noir Reader Series, newcomers to the dynamic duo of cinematic historians Alain Silver and James Ursini can get a taste of the goods without having to wonder which prior volume to purchase or whether to buy them all. (You may find yourself doing the latter if you enjoy this lovingly oversized presentation, overflowing with hundreds of stills.)” – flickattack.com
“Like The Alfred Hitchcock Encyclopedia, the Film Noir Compendium edited by James Ursini and Alain Silver should be a required read for new film fans. But that's a rather limiting classification, since it fails to highlight the inherent joy in these articles. The newly updated compilation features legendary critics like Robin Wood as well as critics-turned-filmmakers like Paul Schrader and Claude Chabrol. Standouts include an analysis of Kiss Me Deadly with perfectly chosen stills and a stunning, deep dive into Out of the Past.” – thefilmpage.com
“With the 1980 now classic Film Noir, film noir historians Alain Silver & Elizabeth Ward spotlighted what has become one of Hollywood's most revered, influential genres – the dark 'black films' (literally the French translation of film noir) in mood, lighting and subject matter that emerged most fully after WWII and reflected the war's enduring consequences on America's psyche and attitudes. Now Silver & James Ursini present Film Noir Ccompendium which assembles 'all the key articles' from the Film Noir Reader series of critical writing about this genre. The authors include Taxi Driver screenwriter Paul Schrader and New Wave French filmmaker Claude Chabrol. With 375 stills, this anthology covers in depth studies of monumental noir classics like Otto Preminger's Angel Face, Barbara Stanwyck's The File on Thelma Jordan and Robert Siodmak's Phantom Lady.” – Boston Herald
Prices and availability subject to change without notice.

domain: artistic


University of Leeds becomes All-Steinway School11:10, 18th December 2017
The University of Leeds has become an All-Steinway School following the arrival of 27 new Steinway pianos.
The University, which is the first member of the Russell Group to receive the title, invested just over £742,000 in the pianos: a combination of uprights, baby grands and concert grands.
The new instruments joined a concert grand at the University’s School of Music. Most of the School’s old pianos have found new homes among local schools and community groups.
The School celebrated the arrival of the new instruments with the performance of a specially-composed piece for 28 pianos. Dr Mic Spencer, deputy head of the School of Music, created and performed Resonance/Light/Decay with one of his former PhD students, composer Dr Alannah Marie Halay, along with staff, students and members of partner organisations such as Opera North.
University vice-chancellor Sir Alan Langlands said: ‘This investment comes at an exciting time for culture on campus and across the city and will help fulfil two of the three key aims of our new Cultural Institute: the widening of cultural engagement and participation, and the enhancement of the skills of our students. It also responds directly to the demand from students for improved practise facilities in the University.’
Other new investments at the School of Music include the installation of cinema facilities in the 250-seat Clothworkers’ Centenary Concert Hall, the creation of a video performance space at the heart of the newly-refurbished Concert Hall Foyer, and investment in a new Apple Mac computer cluster to link composition technology with recently re-developed recording studios.


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text:
Forensic examination conducted on a handwritten note found in the car of Rhodaline Amoah-Darko, a staff of the Lands Commission, who has been declared missing, has revealed that it was authored by her husband, Dr Wilberforce Nkrumah Aggrey.
This was disclosed by Police prosecutors during proceedings at the Asokwa District Court on Friday.
The forensic examination, which constitutes the latest evidence on the case was conducted in Accra.
Giving details, the Police prosecutors informed the Court that the note, which read, “Hello Sir, you know our number. Call and pay the ransom,” was written by Dr Aggrey, a lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
They asserted that the new evidence confirms Dr Aggrey’s culpability in the disappearance of his wife.
This is the second time Police investigators have linked Dr Aggrey to the disappearance of his wife.
When the prosecutors informed the court about the new development, the defense counsel objected to it.
In October, investigations by the Police revealed that the accused sent messages from Rhodaline’s phone to relatives and friends from a spot near the Okodie Road on the KNUST campus, on the day she was allegedly kidnapped.
The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Benjamin Moore Ankrah, had earlier prayed the court to adjourn proceedings to allow the Attorney-General (A-G) make an appearance.
He explained that the nature of the case requires thorough investigations.
But defense counsel, Frederick Kankam, was unhappy over the number of times the case has had to be adjourned.
He blamed the prosecution for the delays and prayed the Court to make a definite pronouncement for hearing to commence or Case Management Conference to be held.
The Court, presided by Korkor Achaw Owusu, adjourned the hearing to January 14, 2022, to enable the A-G’s office make an appearance.
The accused, Dr Aggrey, is currently on a provisional charge of kidnapping his wife, Rhodaline Amoah-Darko, a staff of the Lands Commission Office in Kumasi.
The 38-year-old Dr Aggrey has been in custody after his arrest on October 6, 2021, following the disappearance of his wife on August 30, 2021.
The couple have two children.


I've made the panels that close off the cockpit lockers easily removed for better access. This shot is taken from a few inches in front of the steering quadrant(I'm holding the camera from the port locker). You can see the exposed manifold connection and the two raw water hoses (one goes into the elbow - the other straight out the stern). The L bracket on the underside of the cockpit sole hung the old exhaust.
Here's a closer shot.
The horizontal line is about where the water line outside the boat is.
The blue rectangle is the muffler. I went for a larger capacity (gallon and half) and 2 3/8" hose. I hope to mount it on a plywood stand, to the port engine bed just aft of the engine and next to the transmission. The reason for that forward location is it leaves the whole area aft of the engine, for working, and it new muffler won't block access to anything(the white bilge pump line will be moved).
That area beneath the manhole is a comfortable place to work that would be spoiled if the muffler was placed there. I sit on the fiberglass bulkhead that supports the bronze shaft log with my feet on each side of the coupling. I've spent a lot of hours there, some quite pleasant,...
The blue lines: the proposed riser which will rise about 6" - then straight down to the muffler. Should get me at least 12" from the muffler top and not be too close to bottom of the cockpit sole. I haven't decided on a vented loop location but it could rise another 14" to under the bridgedeck(the bottom of the bridgedeck is in the galley).
Then the exit line will go straight up - to just beneath the sole - and follow the sole until it rises again to beneath the aft deck. Then it's down hill to the outlet which is 12+" above the waterline.


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text:
Mary Maggic + conversation with Miriam Simun
Lorem, ipsum dolor sit, amet consectetur adipisicing elit. Corporis repudiandae nihil delectus cum illum repellat asperiores sit praesentium quod ducimus odio, assumenda cupiditate repellendus, excepturi eaque cumque fuga sapiente! Eius! Lorem, ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipisicing elit. Rerum, quisquam blanditiis ipsam mollitia ut veritatis? Sunt explicabo laudantium, voluptates repellendus suscipit quis nulla, quas aliquid quasi quae perferendis fuga quisquam.
Mary Maggic is a non-binary artist working within the fuzzy intersections of transfeminist hacking, body/gender politics, and eco-alienations. Maggic’s most recent projects Open Source Estrogen generate DIY protocols for the extraction and detection of hormones from bodies and environments, demonstrating their micro-performativity and potential for increased body autonomy. They hold a MS in Media Arts and Sciences from MIT Media Lab, and have exhibited internationally including Philadelphia Museum of Art (US), Science Gallery London (UK), Haus der Kulturen der Welt (DE), Jeu de Paume (FR), and Institute of Contemporary Arts London (UK). Maggic is a recipient of the Prix Ars Electronica Honorary Mention in Hybrid Arts (2017) and a 10-month Fulbright research award in Yogyakarta, Indonesia (2019).
Miriam Simun works at the intersection of ecology, technology and the body. Their practice spans multiple formats including video, performance, installation, writing, and communal sensorial experiences. Of chief concern is the collision of bodies (human and non) with rapidly evolving techno-ecosystems. If collision can be understood to be a form of disturbance (in the ecological sense), then in disturbance we move through damage to an opportunity for renewal. Simun centers the sensorial as imperative for this renewal. Their work has been presented internationally, including Gropius Bau (Berlin), New Museum (New York), Himalayas Museum (Shanghai), The Contemporary (Baltimore) and the Bogota Museum of Modern Art (Bogota) and has been supported by Creative Capital and the Robert Rauschenberg, Joan Mitchell, and Onassis Foundations.


text:
I'm Not High
(but I've Got A Lot of Crazy Stories About Life as A Goat Boy, A Dad, and A Spiritual Warrior)Book - 2010
The comedian radio show host and former "Saturday Night Live" cast member reveals himself as a deeply spiritual, devoted family man behind his drug-addled characters, describing the lessons he has learned from fellow celebrities and loved ones.
Publisher: New York : Gotham Books, c2010.
Characteristics: 262 p.,  p. of plates : ill. ; 24 cm.
Alternative Title: I am not high

domain: literature


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I NEVER see 1 single person using the Warp Pistol...EVER! Not even among you guys. Seriously? I've been using the Warp ever since I got Conduit 2. I love it! It ACTUALLY requires skill to use it and it's more satisfying to get kills with. Plus it's a mini Drudge shotgun. But the USP is just OP. All it requires is point and click repeatedly and BOOM dead. It can get kills quicker than primaries can. OP anyone? Yes I use the USP too, but not ALL THE TIME I PLAY CONDUIT 2. Am I the only guy that uses something else other than that USP..for a long period of time?! I'm not telling you, you can't make your own classes and loadouts. But if you want this game to last, ADD VARIETY TO THE GAME. Do something different, try a new loadout, USE THE WARP PISTOL. If I've inspired any of you lazy bones to use the Warp P..DO IT! Don't always use the gun that kills quicker than primaries and requires NO SKILL TO USE AT ALL. please
I agree.... I just can say I use warpy too but not always..I don't like it...I know how to use it but I just don't like it and I must say it's a useful gun In adition: sometimes I throw a full clip of my USP and due to my bad aiming I don't land any bullet...not all players are the finest using the lil' pistol...greetings!
Memo77 FC: 2624-2302-9965... Proud member of FLAME:
that's because warp pistol usually consumes so much ammo for just a kill and is only most effective in close quarters or tight areas. plus, when one is battling another, warp pistol takes too long to kill. hvs is the strongest but doesnt have great accuracy or firing rate. the minigun is effective but not for close combat which is when a lot of people use the secondary gun. and the deatomizer requires time to charge but very effective in ohkoing. plus, u bunnyhopped with double explosives hive cannon. so too bad ;)


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By Tim Shin Feb 11, 2020 NEW YORK, NY — A team reportedly disinvited a coworker from group lunches after … Continue reading TEAM DISINVITES COWORKER FROM GROUP LUNCHES DUE TO POOR EMAIL ETIQUETTE.
By Tim Shin Jan 27, 2020 SANTA MONICA, CA — In a rare sighting in the advertising industry, an account … Continue reading ACCOUNT AND CREATIVE DECIDE TO WORK TOGETHER. PREDICTABLY, WORK IMPROVES.
(PARODY/SATIRE) By Tim Shin, October 28, 2016 WASHINGTON D.C. — In a bizarre twist today, Trump announced that the violence … Continue reading MAN STATES VIOLENCE AT HIS RALLIES HELPS TO UNITE COUNTRY
(PARODY/SATIRE) By Tim Shin, October 25th, 2016 SAN FRANCISCO, CA — A recent study by the American Psychiatric Association … Continue reading STUDY FINDS MOST SAN FRANCISCO RESIDENTS SUFFERING FROM STOCKHOLM SYNDROME

domain: news


Warrington Town FC
Academy League Table
Match Day Prices
Yellows bounce back with home win over Mickleover
17 Feb 2018
WARRINGTON Town got back on track with a 3-1 home win over Mickleover Sports.
Stalybridge end barren away run at Warrington Town
13 Feb 2018
A MISSED penalty cost Warrington Town as they fell to a 1-0 defeat at home to Stalybridge Celtic.
Yellows make it six games unbeaten in the league
10 Feb 2018
WARRINGTON Town made ground on their play-off rivals with a 2-0 win away at Sutton Coldfield Town.
Official Club Statement
09 Feb 2018
After the postponement of Wednesday’s fixture versus Winsford United many people not even connected with the game in question chose to...
Piggott makes it three goals in two games as Yellows wi...
06 Feb 2018
WARRINGTON Town bounced back from their FA Trophy exit at the weekend with a 3-1 win away at a snowy Matlock Town.


Its time to treat yourself to a new stylish Tiffany quilted cotton shacket since the warm weather is coming soon. This jacket is a must have for this season. Wear it as a jacket or as an accessory to finish off your look.
2 front pockets
2 side slit pockets
100% Cotton ,
Macgine Wash Cold on gentle cycle inside out and lay flat to dry


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I've posted four new pictures in Pictures, including another masterpiece from a budding artist.
The following message is mainly for friends and family who get a kick out of these pictures. For the past week, I've been playing around with a very cool free service from Flickr. It's been working out rather well, so I'm now maintaining a page on Flickr. I'm still going to put my favourite pictures in Pictures, I'm just going to upload some B-list shots to my Flickr page once in a while. I've added a permanent link to this page to the bottom of Pictures.
No comments? C'mon, we can do better... Leave a comment above and let's start this conversation!

domain: hobby


||So I just received this wonderful pistol in my box today, and I've got to say I am so far delighted. It's very good looking despite my initial concern over the "stick-out-like-a-sore-thumb" trades. It's a lot darker than most of the display pictures show, though that's not a problem for me. The slide movement is very crisp and smooth, therefore creating a very nice sound when pulled. It's a little bit big for those with smaller hands, though again, not a problem for me. So over all, the aesthetics are 9/10.
Now on to performance:
This is actually my first gas pistol so I had a bit of trouble with the green gas at first (I wasn't putting it in correctly) but there are no real issues with it as far as the gas goes. The shooting is excellent, and fairly accurate. I haven't gone through extensive use on targets yet though. I really love the report it makes when fired, it's pretty loud and it sounds almost like a suppressed pistol. Key word: almost.
The gun also has a bit of kick, which is nice because it adds to the realism. And my only concern is that I don't know yet how many rounds it's supposed to fire on a full refill of gas. So far it fires about 1 and a half mags. (approx. 35 rounds)
So for performance I give it a 9/10 also.
Realistic looking, sounding, feeling
Efficient (as far as I'm concerned)
Metal slide, magazine, and most other little parts
The frame is polymer, though that's true to the actual USP so it's a plus.
Holds a lot of ammo for a pistol
All around, a great pistol
I don't really like the polymer barrel but it's not a big con
Overall, I'd highly recommend this pistol if you're looking at gas guns; and it is well worth the extra money as apposed to the cheaper KJW & HFC USPs.
Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]


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Psychotropic Drug Information Handbook, 2000 download epub
by Matthew A. Fuller,M. Fuller,Martha Sajatovic
Annual handbook provides current psychotropic drug information. Includes 120 drug monographs, 14 herbal monographs, patient education section, and DSM-IV classification. Key fields include dosage, contraindications, adverse reactions, interactions, test interactions, and more
Annual handbook provides current psychotropic drug information. Key fields include dosage, contraindications, adverse reactions, interactions, test interactions, and more.
Psychotropic drug information handbook. Books for People with Print Disabilities. by. Fuller, Matthew A. Publication date. Internet Archive Books.
Find nearly any book by Martha Sajatovic. Get the best deal by comparing prices from over 100,000 booksellers. Psychotropic Drug Information Handbook, 2000. by Matthew A. Fuller, M. Fuller, Martha Sajatovic, A. Fuller Matthew. ISBN 9780916589943 (978-16589-94-3) Softcover, Lexi Comp, 2000. Find signed collectible books: 'Psychotropic Drug Information Handbook, 2000'. Psychotropic Drug Information Handbook, 2001.
This convenient resource includes monographs for psychotropic, non-psychotropic, and herbal medications. Medications are alphabetically organized by brand and generic name and cross-referenced by page number.
Matthew Fuller is an author and Professor of Cultural Studies at the Department of Media and Communications, Goldsmiths, University of London. He is known for his writings in media theory, software studies, critical theory and cultural studies, and contemporary fiction. His book Media Ecologies examines the interactions of complex media systems in current art practices.
Encyclopedia of immigrant health.
by Matthew A. Fuller and Martha Sajatovic. Pschotropic Drug Handbook. Published by Thriftbooks. com User, 9 years ago. I work in a mental health clinic and use this on a daily basis. It contains much of the information I need on the commonly used psychotropic drugs.
Drug Information Handbook for Psychiatry. Matthew A. Fuller, Martha Sajatovic. Drug Information Handbook for Psychiatry - Libros de Medicina - Monografias Farmacos - 45,91. Michael Christopher Davis, Matthew A. Fuller, Marcie E. Strauss, P. Eric Konicki, Georges E. Jaskiw. Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica.
Fuller, Matthew . Martha Sajatovic (2003). Drug Information Handbook for Psychiatry (4 e. Lexi-Comp, Inc. p. 711. ISBN 978-1-59195-064-6.
About publications (19) network. Expert Opin Drug Saf 2006 Jul;5(4):501-9. Martha Sajatovic Madhusoodanan Subramoniam Matthew A Fuller. Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 10000 Brecksville Road, Brecksville, OH 44141, USA. View Article. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2006 Jun;2(2):127-38. Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Subcategory: Medicine & Health Sciences
Publisher: Lexi Comp; 3rd edition (January 15, 2000)
Pages: 481 pages

domain: library


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3 MDC Leaders Feared Abducted Following Warren Park Protest
The MDC has said that it fears that its 3 female members – Joana Mamombe, Cecilia Chimbiri, and Netsai Marova – have been abducted following protests they led in Warren Park earlier today.
Though initially reporting them as arrested, the MDC says its lawyers have been unable to locate them at any police station in Harare so far.
Said party Secretary-General, Charlton Hwende on Twitter this evening:
The 3 young women Hon @JoanaMamombe @ceechimbiri2 and Netsai arrested today by unknown people can not be located our lawyers have visited several police stations. We will update as soon as we get more news.
More: Hwende on Twitter


It looks like Toshiba has outclassed a 326 pixels-per-inch Retina Display on iPhone 4 running at a 960-by-640 pixel resolution.
Engadget spend some time with Toshiba’s new display at SID 2011 with the pixel-packed display. It’s one thing to read about a 367ppi screen that shows native 720p video, and it’s quite another to experience it in person.
“We can report that it’s, in fact, as awesome as it sounds — onscreen images were clear, crisp, and chromatically brilliant. Pixel density enthusiasts will also be happy to hear that Toshiba confirmed the display will make it to market this year. Of course, the rep wouldn’t tell us which phone will take the iPhone 4’s crown as the ppi champ, though we imagine it’ll be something powered by little green bots.”
See it in action in the video below:


Last Wednesday, Hong Jeong-woon, a third-year student at specialized high school, drowned in the sea in Yeosu while conducting field training. A student without a diving license had to do unplanned underwater work, and safety rules such as two-person work were not followed.
Connect with reporters. Reporter Kim Sang-min, did the memorial service start a little while ago?
memorial service to honor Hong Jeong-woon started a little while ago at 7:30 here in Sinchon, Seoul.
Originally, the memorial service was held every day at City Hall Square since last Saturday, and the place has been moved to this place since yesterday, and I think many people passing by this area have probably seen the memorial service coming and going.
If you look behind me now, the participants of the memorial ceremony are holding hand signs with candles and the words to illuminate Hong's unfair death and to clarify the truth.
As you all know, Hong went out for field training and did not come back with his family and friends.
At the time of the accident, Hong was submerged and took off the barnacle that was attached to the bottom of the yacht, but he could not untie the belt with a 12 kg lead and sank into the sea.
Hong said that he was not good at swimming because he was usually afraid of water.
I didn't even have a diving license.
The practice plan states that Hong's mission is to assist on board and serve customers.
It is said that there was no safety manager at the site even after doing the wrong thing, and the principle of diving in a group of two was not followed.
How is the investigation going?
Coast Guard has booked the CEO of a yacht company on charges of manslaughter and negligence and is investigating the case without detention, and the Ministry of Employment and Labor has begun overseeing occupational safety and health.
On the morning of the 15th, the bereaved families of Hong-gun submitted a complaint to the Coast Guard and the prosecution urging them to find out the truth and punish those responsible.
Previously, Hong's friends testified that Hong had been doing various dangerous tasks besides diving.
(Video coverage: Seol Min-hwan, video editing: Yoon Tae-ho)Keywords: work, hong jeong-woon, hong, memorial service, kim sang-min, truth, student, field training, diving license, sea, high school, parents, punishment, yeosu, case


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Jerry Beaman, formerly president of the unmanned combat aerial systems division at Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ: KTOS), has been appointed president of the newly created Kratos Unmanned Systems Division.
The company said Thursday that Beaman, a retired U.S. Navy officer, will oversee the company’s programs in the unmanned aerial, seaborne, ground-based, drone and combat systems fields.
“(Beaman’s leadership, experience and vision for Kratos’ unmanned business and strategy align with our important customer relationships and the market opportunities we are pursuing, ” said Eric DeMarco, Kratos president and chief executive.
Beaman, a 35-year Navy veteran, served as a vice admiral and commander of the U.S. Third Fleet before his retirement from military service.
He also held the positions of deputy chief of staff of operations, global force management, training and experimentation for the Fleet Forces Command, commander of the Strike Force Training Pacific and deputy chief of staff of operations for the Joint Forces Command.


Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 officially unveiled in China. Xiaome's narrow-legged phablet offers a 6-inch Super AMOLED 18: 9 screen, a powerful Snapdragon 835 with up to 8GB of RAM, and a single camera. We know the prices of each variant of Xiaomi Mi Mix 2.
Screen 18: 9
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 comes with a 5.99-inch Super AMOLED screen , featuring Full HD + content (2160×1080), in 18: 9 format. Frames around it have been reduced to a minimum – the manufacturer states that the ratio of the display size to the entire front panel exceeds 90%, but this is unfortunately marketing marketing, because the actual factor is about 80% .
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 comes with a single 12 megapixel camera, based on the Sony IMX386 sensor, with f / 2.0 light and optical image stabilization. In this case Xiaomi acted quite conservatively, giving up the additional telephoto lens. I honestly doubt that Mi Mix 2 had a chance to become the best photomarket on the market, since it was not Xiaomi Mi 6 with the same camera and lighter lens.
Processor and RAM
The heart of the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, which we know very well with Xiaomi Mi 6. It is supported by 6GB of RAM. The manufacturer also announced the appearance of a special edition of 8GB RAM. Up to 256GB of memory is allocated to user files.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 – specifications:
- System: Android Nougat with MIUI 9,
- Display: 5.99 ", Full HD + (2160 x 1080 pixels), 18: 9, Super AMOLED,
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, up to 2.45 GHz, 10nm, Adreno 540,
- RAM: 6 or 8 GB,
- Memory: 64 or 128 or 256 GB,
- Camera: 5 MP
- Camera: 12 MP, Sony IMX386, f / 2.0, 1.25 μm, OIS,
- Modules and ports: 4G LTE (including 800 MHz), VoLTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, fingerprint reader, USB Type C, Dual SIM, 3.5mm jack,
- Battery: 3400 mAh, Quick Charge 3.0,
- Dimensions and weight: 151.8 x 75.5 x 7.7 mm, 185 g. (Special edition: 150.5 x 74.6 x 7.7 mm, 187 g.)
Price Xiaomi Mi Mix 2
- 6GB / 64GB – 3299 yuan (about 1790 net),
- 6GB / 128GB – 3599 yuan (about 1950 net),
- 6GB / 256GB – 3999 yuan (about 2170 net),
- 8GB / 128GB Special Edition – 4699 yuan (about 2550 zlotys).
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 – hit or kit?
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 has some strong advantages, but to the total delight is far away . While reducing frames, adding LTE 800 MHz support and upgrading components to the predecessor is unambiguously positive, so reducing the battery capacity to 3400 mAh, due in part to the size of the screen, is not very welcome. In addition, there is no indication that the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 was an over-the-top photomannfon, and in this price class you can already ask for it. Also note the two potential disadvantages – no waterproof and headphone jack 3.5 mm.
Xiaomi Mi Mix vs Xiaomi Mi Mix 2:
Source: Xiaomi, AH


Love what you're doing here!
Fan me back and give my music a listen including my newest track "Compressing Apathy" and remixes of Ace Ventura's "Presence and Meat Katie's "I Was There" all of which are ALL available for FREE download here on Reverbnation and on Sound Cloud!!
Alex Skarred Kage
A Day To Remember, Of Mice & Men, Falling In Reverse
Montreal based Hardcore, Pop Punk band, former members of Meesh,Catching Bullets and Str8jacket Luvaffair !!... Marc and Noel after a 3 year break have finally reunited to release a new CD for early spring and are presently working in the studio!


The Learning and Skills Council makes decisions about the payment of performance pay and bonuses. Geoff Russell, the council's acting chief executive, will write to the hon. Member for Havant with further information.
Letter from Geoff Russell, dated
In response to your parliamentary question regarding, how much has been spent on (a) performance-related pay and (b) bonuses for Learning and Skills Council staff in each year since 1998-99.
Please see below:
a) Performance Related Pay:
The LSC does not link base salary to performance, other than to withhold elements of the pay review from individuals who fail to meet the required standards. Salary increases are dependant on individual position within the relevant pay band and subject to Treasury guidance on pay remit. b) Bonuses:
The LSC has made bonus payments since 2003. The figures below consist of the staff bonus scheme and the executive scheme for the most senior roles.
Any bonus payments for the staff scheme are made subject to organisational performance that is measured at the Corporate level. Any bonus payments for the executive scheme are directly linked to a range of measures that span Corporate, Group/Regional and Individual performance. For example, in the year ended
All bonuses are subject to affordability.
|Bonus payment year||Number of employees who received a bonus||Total payments (£)|


Papa Celestin was considered by many to be the most revered musician in New Orleans. As advancing age took its toll, Papa Celestin came to rely more and more upon his excellent banjo player, Albert French, and sent him on many occasions to lead the band in his own absence. Thus, shortly after the death of Papa Celestin and Eddie Pierson, the leadership of the band fell to Albert French, now called "Papa" French by Jazz fans all over the world as a token of endearment and in memory of the late Papa Celestin.
More than any other band, Papa French's group and its predecessors can take credit for the continuing tradition of New Orleans Dixieland Jazz. They were best known in their native environment at Dixieland Hall. They were the first band employed at Dixieland Hall, and their popularity increased with every appearance at that world-famous institution.
The magnificent performance captured by this historical recording session had the audience continually longing to break out in applause and with cries of joy at the magnificent music they were hearing, especially with the many unexpected musical delights, such as the mention of “Pete, Pete, and Repeat” (the wonderful Dixieland Hall tap dancers ) in “St. James Infirmary”.


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Back to Dance Night
Join The Elite Dance Center for a fun night of dance before the season starts!
August 27th, 6-8pm
Meet your teachers & staff, take a free class, stock up on dance apparel and boogie with your friends!
- Complimentary Acrobatics class w/ Dominic & Contemporary class w/ Keli
- Complimentary Refreshments
- Twirl Sale – One-Day-Only….(other discounts do not apply)

domain: entertainment


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We had a fabulous brunch/lunch
We had a fabulous brunch/lunch on 4/21/13. The food, service and ambiance were outstanding! We are definitely returning very soon!
4/20/2013 4:00:00 PM
Stumbled on this restaurant when we discovered our reservation at another local restaurant was for the wrong day. It was a lucky mistake. Everyone in our party cleaned their plates. From the cold appetizer plate to the clay pots, lamb chops or eggplant everything was excellent. Dessert was not to be missed- Troy Chocolate Krem. Be sure you share it - it's sinfully rich. I will definitely be back
5/10/2013 12:00:00 AM
Nice local restaurant in one
Nice local restaurant in one of downtown Raleigh's prettiest neighborhoods. Good food, though this was my first experience with Turkish fare, but much like other Middle Eastern cuisine with slight variation. I typically won't eat hummus, but theirs was really good. Excellent service and very nice atmosphere. Could go either way.... kid friendly or romantic, really nice. Definitely will recommend to friends.
7/27/2013 12:00:00 AM
Awesome! Will be back soon!
We had a great dinner here on a Saturday night. The service was impeccable! After dinner we strolled around the corner to a piano bar. Great food, great location and great staff!!! We will definitely return!
8/24/2013 12:00:00 AM

domain: food


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The Court considered the requirements for terminating a lease of business premises under the 1954 Act and supporting Regulations . The Act expressly provided that notice could be served by registered post in a letter addressed to the tenant’s last . .
In a notice served pursuant to s25 of the 1954 Act the landlord was described as the individual who was effectively the sole shareholder and director of landlord company, rather than the landlord company itself. Held: The landlord’s notice was invalid. It was a form preescribed by the rules requiring the correct identification of the … Continue reading Morrow v Nadeem: 1981
A notice of intended prosecution was sent to the defendant in connection with an allegation of driving without due care and attention. When the matter came before the court, the defendant argued that the prosecution had failed to meet the requirements of section 241. Following a car acident the defendant had been unconscious in hospital. … Continue reading Hosier v Goodall: QBD 1962


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Wānanga leads second summit on NZ Wars
21 February 2019
Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi will host the second Te Pūtake o te Riri Summit on Monday, March 11, and Tuesday, March 12, at its campus in Whakatāne. The summit is supported through the Te Pūtake o te Riri fund administered by Te Puni Kōkiri.
An inaugural symposium hosted by Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi in 2017 was a great success with a large audience listening to a wide array of expert speakers who discussed the New Zealand Wars that permanently changed the landscape of the country. The focus of the second summit is what took place on the battlefield, spokesperson Malcolm Mulholland said.
“We will have presentations about Māori weaponry, rongoa, rituals and flags, as well as discussions about why it is important to learn that part of the country’s history.”
Mr Mulholland said all local high school students in the Eastern Bay of Plenty region would be invited this year to attend.
“Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi recognises that future generations need to become familiar with our country’s past so that they can be better citizens tomorrow.”


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Today, data traveling over the Internet are much like crates of oranges traveling the interstates in the back of a truck. The data are loaded in at one end, unloaded at the other, and nothing much happens to them in between.
About 10 years ago, electrical engineers suggested that bundles of data could be transmitted over a network more efficiently if, instead of passing unaltered from one end to the other, they were scrambled together along the way and unscrambled at the end. In 2003, MIT electrical engineering professor Muriel Médard and her colleagues proved the counterintuitive result that, in many cases, the best way to scramble data together was to do it randomly.
Last year, the paper in which the researchers presented their findings received an award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), which recognized its seminal contributions to the field that’s come to be known as “network coding.” But the same year, the IEEE honored another network-coding paper, in which MIT researchers played the leading role: the paper that, in 2006, presented the first practical implementation of network coding.
The first article in this two-part series presented a simple example of how network coding increases efficiency. Suppose that two laptops are trying to send each other messages simultaneously over the Wi-Fi network in a coffee shop. Ordinarily, the first laptop would send its message to the coffee shop’s Wi-Fi router, which would forward it to the second laptop. The second laptop would send its message to the router, which would forward it to the first laptop. That’s four total transmissions.
But with network coding, the router would instead combine the two laptops’ messages into a hybrid message, which it would broadcast to both laptops, reducing the total number of transmissions to just three. Each laptop would then subtract the message it had sent from the hybrid to recover the message intended for it.
Dina Katabi, an associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science; Médard; MIT grad students Sachin Katti and Hariharan Rahul (Katti now teaches at Stanford; Rahul still works with Katabi at MIT); and Cambridge University’s Jon Crowcroft and Wenjun Hu generalized this approach to a network with many different transmitters and receivers.
The researchers blanketed two floors of the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab with wireless routers programmed to execute their network coding scheme. They then used wireless devices to exchange test data over the network. Like all information sent over modern networks, the test data were broken up into smaller “packets” of information for transmission. And as is typical with most wireless networks, electromagnetic interference, physical obstacles, and sheer distance from the wireless devices meant that no one router received all the packets.
In the MIT network, however, routers also told their neighbors which packets they had received. A router would use that information when preparing mixed packets to send to its neighbors. Consider a router that has four packets in its memory, A, B, C and D. It knows that one of its neighbors also has A and C; another neighbor has A and D; and a third neighbor has C and D. So it creates a single mixed packet that combines packets A, C and D. The first neighbor uses that packet to recover D; the second neighbor uses it to recover C; and the third neighbor uses it to recover A. Since the mixed packets are the same size as the packets they combine, a single packet conveys three times as much information as it would have in an ordinary wireless network.
In experiments, the coding scheme significantly increased the amount of data that the network could carry without requiring any more bandwidth. Although the precise figure varied according to the number of wireless devices accessing the network, which of them were sending information to which others, and the amount of interference they encountered, “in general,” Katabi says, “you can see, let’s say, threefold improvements.”
Chris Ramming, who as a program manager for the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) funded several projects that investigated network coding, says that the two papers honored by the IEEE “are two very seminal papers, for completely different reasons.” According to Ramming, who’s now director of the Corporate External Research Office for chip manufacturer Intel, Katabi and Médard’s paper “was a practical result. It took a completely different kind of network coding and showed in a real wireless network on the MIT campus that it can make an important difference.”
Both Katabi and Médard have continued to work on network coding, sometimes apart, but frequently as collaborators. “We exactly complement each other,” says Katabi. “Muriel has the theoretical foundation, while I come to it from, ‘Let’s make it work, let’s make it practical. How can we actually make it work over an actual wireless channel?’ ”
Indeed, Katabi has found a way to make networks even more efficient by exploiting the physical characteristics of actual wireless channels. In the network described in the award-winning paper, wireless routers received electromagnetic signals, translated them into bits, mixed the bits together, and then translated the bits back into electromagnetic signals. But signals sent from different transmitters naturally blend together physically. That blending is usually a nuisance: the signals have to be separated before data can be extracted from them. But Katabi built another experimental wireless network in which routers don’t disentangle blended signals; they just amplify and forward them. It turns out that the network coding techniques that work at the level of the bit can be extended to reconstruct the original signals, without lots of intermediate translations.
Médard, too, has been concerned with the practical implementation of network coding, if at a higher level of abstraction. The Internet is designed so that a computer or phone receiving information will generally acknowledge the arrival of data packets. If an acknowledgment fails, the sender knows that it has to resend the missing packet. But if, as with network coding, all the packets are mixed together, which packet does the receiver acknowledge? Médard and her colleagues have found a practical way to answer that question, a system wherein each hybrid packet identifies the source packets it combines. The receiver then keeps the sender apprised of the source packets represented in the hybrids it’s received.
Médard and her colleagues are also working on applications of network coding in streaming video, where different means of combining data can be tailored to the different image resolutions of receiving devices. And they’re considering cases where network coding can be applied to several different networks at once. If, for instance, your phone can connect to both Wi-Fi networks and the cellular network, then for large files, you might want to download data over both networks at once. But the cellular network could be significantly more expensive to use than a local Wi-Fi network, so you would want to minimize the amount of data transmitted over it. Network coding can help coordinate transmissions over the two networks, to maximize efficiency while minimizing cost.
Although a young field, network coding has already sparked corporate interest. Defense contractor BAE built the equipment for the DARPA projects that Ramming funded, and Microsoft used network coding in a file-sharing program called Avalanche. Médard says that she is currently working with France Telecom, the French technology company Technicolor (formerly Thomson SA) and the Chinese telecommunications company Huawei on network coding applications. Katabi adds that Cisco, a maker of networking equipment, and South Korean conglomerate Samsung have also expressed interest in the MIT researchers’ work. “Network coding is a very cool idea,” says Katabi. “There are so many things you can do with it.”


Tierra Curry grew up in Appalachia and remembers the mountains teeming with big orange and black monarch butterflies. But today, as senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, she knows monarchs are in serious trouble. In fact, by some estimates, monarch numbers are down more than 80 percent from their 20-year average.
“Back in the mid-1990s, there were nearly a billion monarchs,” Curry says. “The last two years, the populations have been the lowest ever recorded.”
And Curry says monarch numbers are now so low, the species could easily be wiped out. For instance, in 2002, a winter storm killed more monarchs than exist today.
“Because they all go to the mountains of Mexico for the winter and they cluster on these trees in this small area, they’re incredibly vulnerable to bad weather,” Curry says. “And this year in particular, with El Niño, they’re threatened by severe storms and by drought.”
LISTEN: “Saving the Monarch Butterfly”
Curry’s group, along with the Center for Food Safety, petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in 2014 to list monarchs as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The agency launched a review, which was supposed to conclude within a year. But USFWS has yet to announce a decision. Now, the environmental groups are suing.
“We want to get a legally binding date—when they’ll make a decision whether or not to protect the monarch under the Endangered Species Act,” Curry says.
Georgia Parham, a spokesperson for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, says the monarch petition is one of about 500 the agency is currently looking at. When someone petitions the agency to list a species, Parham says they look at how the species is doing, threats to the species and how those fit with the listing criteria.
But she says the delay in deciding the monarch’s status doesn’t mean nothing is being done.
“A species doesn’t have to be listed for other federal agencies to start looking at it and planning for conservation,” Parham says. “With a species like the monarch, we’re out ahead of that.”
Most notably, President Obama prioritized monarch protection in his 2015 federal pollinator strategy. The government is working with states, Canada and Mexico, and private landowners to rebuild habitat and plant milkweed—the only food monarch caterpillars eat.
Getting buy-in from all those partners will be critical according to Chip Taylor, an insect ecologist at the University of Kansas and director of Monarch Watch, a non-profit group working to help monarch recovery. Taylor says millions of acres of habitat will have to be restored, and the government does not have enough federal land to improve monarch numbers on its on. He says getting private landowners on board could prove to be one of the bigger challenges.
“We’re talking about very conservative areas of the country—Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas—which are really important for monarch production,” Taylor says.
In fact, Taylor thinks getting monarchs listed under the Endangered Species Act could even be counterproductive.
“I think what we would see here is that milkweed would disappear overnight. Nobody would want to have it on his landscape, simply because this would mean regulation. People don’t want regulation.”
But Tierra Curry of the Center for Biological Diversity says she’ll continue pushing to get a legally binding agreement on protecting monarchs—preferably before a new president takes over in Washington.
“It’s possible that the next administration might not prioritize endangered species at all. And at that point, it’s important to have a legally binding date for this decision, or it could get put off forever.”
Curry expects to settle out of court on a decision date with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.


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I rundown a list of TV shows that I’m looking forward to watching from a variety of networks. You can expect to see reviews of episodes from all these series when they’re released and when I get around to watching them.
Arrow, By Any Means, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Orphan Black, Sherlock, The 100, The Escape Artist, The Sleepy Hollow, The Tomorrow People, Trailers, TV Tagged
Almost Human, Arrow, By Any Means, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Orphan Black, Sherlock, The Escape Artist, The Hundred, The Sleepy Hollow, The Tomorrow People
I review the first season of Sherlock, the BBC modern day adaption of Conan-Doyle’s classic starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, and the creation of Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss.
“A fantastic modern day adaption of the Great Detective making Sherlock one of the best things on TV.”
Review, Sherlock, TV Tagged
Bane of Kings, BBC, Crime, John Watson, Mark Gatiss, Moriarty, Sherlock, Sherlock Holmes, Steven Moffat


The UK Data Reform – Where Are We Heading?
In this episode of the Data Protection Made Easy podcast our hosts Oliver Rear and David Holmes join together to share their thoughts and opinions on the UK government’s published response to the consultation on the data reform bill.
We not only touch on the proposed changes but more broadly on what the government’s decision represents for the wider landscape. There has been a large amount of confusion around what direction we are heading in ever since the announcement was first made. In this discussion, we try to take in all the information we have learned so far and try to paint a picture that shows the direction we’re heading in moving forward.
What is the UK Data Reform Bill?
The UK Government aims to harness the power of data to help British businesses trade abroad, boost the UK’s position as a science and technology superpower, and improve people’s everyday lives. It sets out how the Data Reform Bill announced in this year’s Queen’s Speech will strengthen the UK’s high data protection standards while reducing burdens on businesses to deliver around £1 billion in cost savings that they can use to grow their business, boosting the economy.
The plans will modernise the Information Commissioner’s Office, the data regulator, so it can better help businesses comply with the law. It will also gain tougher powers to crack down on nuisance calls. As well as empowering the UK to strike new data partnerships, the reforms will fuel the responsible use of data for innovation by providing clearer definitions on how consent is obtained for research.
Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries said:
Today is an important step in cementing post-Brexit Britain’s position as a science and tech superpower. Our new Data Reform Bill will make it easier for businesses and researchers to unlock the power of data to grow the economy and improve society, but retains our global gold standard for data protection.
Outside of the EU we can ensure people can control their personal data, while preventing businesses, researchers and civil society from being held back by a lack of clarity and cumbersome EU legislation.
John Edwards, UK Information Commissioner, said:
I share and support the ambition of these reforms.
I am pleased to see the government has taken our concerns about independence on board. Data protection law needs to give people confidence to share their information to use the products and services that power our economy and society. The proposed changes will ensure my office can continue to operate as a trusted, fair and impartial regulator, and enable us to be more flexible and target our action in response to the greatest harms.
We look forward to continuing to work constructively with the government as the proposals are progressed and will continue to monitor how these reforms are expressed in the Bill.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has signed a fine income retention agreement so that it can now retain some of the funds paid out as a result of its civil monetary penalty notices (MPNs) and use the funds to cover pre-agreed, specific and externally audited litigation costs.
One thing that is very present in this episode of the Data Protection Made Easy is our praise for the Information Commissioners’ Office which has been brilliant since the addition of John Edwards. For the third week in a row, we have found ourselves applauding decisions from John and his team and we’re really eager to see what direction he will lead us in.
If you would like to find out how you can join us live on future episodes of the Data Protection Made Easy podcast, visit our events page where you will find registration detail for a wide range of events. Data Protection Made Easy has over 950 subscribers from school teachers to DPOs we aim to make data protection easy for our community by sharing our knowledge, free of charge, every single Friday!
Our next episode will be on the 24th of June 2022 and will feature Stuart Parkin from Assure Data Protection and Liam Follin from Dark Invader who will join together to discuss ransomware attacks. Stuart and Liam both work for organisations that provide protection against ransomware attacks and together they will share their insights, opinions and advise on the protection and prevention of ransomware attacks.


South Coast sewage issue deemed a national crisis
Prime Minister Mia Mottley today deemed the continuing sewage problems on the south coast a national crisis and has ordered that a Cabinet Paper be prepared in time for tomorrow’s meeting of Cabinet outlining options to resolve the issue.
After a tour of the area, accompanied by management of the Barbados Water Authority, Government officials and members of the Barbados Association of Professional Engineers, the Prime Minister declared: “It is our judgement that this is the most important thing nationally, outside of the stabilisation of our economy, for us to deal with and that’s why we are here and that’s why the decisions will be made.”
She told members of the media that tomorrow’s Cabinet Paper would present options aimed at ensuring that the sewage was kept off the street; that the lines were repaired; and that long-term solutions were found to make sure that there would be no recurrence of the problem.
The Prime Minister revealed that a sub-committee, chaired by Minister of Energy and Water Resources, Wilfred Abrahams, had been established, and once Cabinet approved the plan, this committee would be meeting two or three times a week to ensure that the project stayed “on time and on target”.
One consideration being proposed, she revealed, was for two outfalls to be built, – one an eight-inch main from the Graeme Hall Swamp and the other a 16-inch main from the Sewerage Plant, both of which, she said, would go beyond the outer reefs so as to ensure minimal damage to the nearshore waters.
Mottley said she had asked Minister of Foreign Affairs, Senator Jerome Walcott, to approach the Canadian Government for technical assistance, which she said the Barbados Government would pay for.
Every effort would be made, she said, to get all the equipment and materials necessary into the island as soon as possible so the work could be carried out in the shortest possible time.
A second Cabinet Paper will be prepared by the Ministry of Environment and National Beautification for the consideration of next Thursday’s Cabinet meeting, she disclosed, which will address the impact of the sewage problem on the Graeme Hall Swamp and how that wetland can be regenerated.
The Prime Minister reported that the Ministry of Transport and Works had also been charged with preparing a Cabinet Paper which will deal with the repaving and the rebuilding of the south coast corridor to ensure greater integrity and sustainability.
“This is how we have to get on top of this urgent situation…We have had more travel advisories on this issue than we have ever had on any other issue.
“All Bajans will roll up their sleeves and we will deal with this now. If it means that we can’t do some other things because of the unavailability of funds, so be it. But we must have life first and this is what gives us life, in terms of public health and in terms of our economy,” Prime Minister Mottley maintained. (BGIS)


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Gunskirchen, Austria, April 29, 2022 – The annual highlight of the Rotax karting season, the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals will take place this year in Portimão, Portugal from November 19th – 26th, 2022 and the Rotax Team is already in full progress for the preparation of the event.
As already announced at the prize giving ceremony at the RMCGF 2021 in Bahrain, this years biggest karting challenge, the RMC Grand Finals 2022, will take place the 4th time at the Kartodromo Internacional Algarve in Portimao, Portugal. 400 drivers from all over the world – the best drivers of the Rotax MAX Challenge and E-Kart Championships – will meet from 19th to 26th of November for the annual showdown to crown the champion of the respective categories.
This year, the RMCGF has again a special attraction: after introducing the E-Kart senior as a new category to the RMCGF in 2021, now the Rotax Project E20 Junior category will be added to the schedule to crown the first Rotax Project E20 Junior Champion in Portugal. The qualification for this category is in full progress at the E20 Tour events throughout 2022. More information about the E20 Tour is available on the website: https://www.rotax-kart.com/de/Racing/E-Racing/Project-E20
"We are excited to return to the Kartodromo Internacional do Algarve for the 2022 RMC Grand Finals, which is a long-term partner of us and offers a proven track with perfect infrastructure for this exceptional event, said Peter Oelsinger, General Manager BRP-Rotax / Member of the Management Board, Vice President Sales, Marketing RPS-Business & Communications. "This year we have added another category to the setup, the Rotax Project E20 Junior, which will be supported by our chassis partner Sodikart. It is an honour for us to be supported by our chassis partners for so many years and at this point I would like to thank BirelART, IPKarting (Praga) and Sodikart for this very successful long-term partnership.
The Arrive&Drive concept of the RMC Grand Finals is one of the reasons why this event is so special: the only thing that counts are the driving skills of the racers, as all the material is provided by BRP-Rotax and the chassis partners, which are supporting following categories:
BirelART: Rotax 125 Micro MAX and Rotax 125 MAX DD2
IPKarting (Praga): Rotax 125 Mini MAX and Rotax 125 MAX DD2 Masters
Sodikart: Rotax 125 Junior MAX, Rotax 125 Senior MAX, Rotax Project E20 Senior and Junior
BRP-Rotax and its chassis partners BirelART, IPKarting (Praga) and Sodikart are looking forward to seeing you at the RMCGF 2022 in Portugal!


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The case of the dual Sault Ste. Marie's
is up next.
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan are two different cities, in two different countries, with the same name and are separated by
the Saint Mary's river. The name of the cities is pronounced as "Soo Saint Marie" or "The Soo" for short. Why would two cities across a river from each other
have the same name? The answer lies in history.
Originally they were just a single French settlement and the French name persists to this day like it does in so many places in that part of North America.
Sault-Sainte-Marie means 'Rapids of Saint Mary' and it is the Saint Mary's river that connects Lake Superior to Lake Huron. They are the oldest European
settlements in the Midwest - being founded by Father Marquette in 1668. After the War of 1812 the British-US Boundary Commission set the boundary
at the Saint Mary's river and the towns eventually incorporated themselves independently using the same names.
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario is fairly large with 75,000 residents and has produced some wonderful NHL players - including Ron Francis and the Esposito brothers.
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan is the second most populous city in the Upper Peninsula but is much smaller than it's sister city across the river with only 14,000
residents. The cities are linked by the International Bridge which spans the Saint Marys.
Soo Michigan is the northern end of I-75 and is home to the Soo Locks. The Locks allow shipping traffic to flow between Lake Superior and Lake Huron.
The Locks are run by the Army Corps of Engineers and were last expanded in World War Two in order to facilitate the flow of Iron Ore to the steel mills
to the south. An aside note - if you ever happen to be in Sault Ste. Marie Mich, grab lunch at the Lockview. Get the fresh Superior Whitefish and Perch
- it's pretty awesome. There is also a Ship Museum that contains the lifeboats from the ill fated S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald that went down in Lake Superior in 1975 and
of course is the subject of Gordon Lightfoot's song Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Edmund Fitzgerald and torn up lifeboat

domain: geography


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RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
A Survey of Developments in Poland, Belarus, and Ukraine by the Regional Specialists of RFE/RL's Newsline Team.
SECRET SERVICE'S INTERNET REPORT SPARKS CRITICISM. The State Protection Office (UOP) on 3 April published on its official website a report on Poland's security threats. President Aleksander Kwasniewski commented that he was surprised at the release of the report, which he said should have remained confidential. "I don't understand why this type of material, which is quite controversial and debatable, was published on the Internet and made generally available," Kwasniewski told journalists. Jan Litynski, head of the parliamentary commission for special services, noted that the report "deserves to be classified." Premier Jerzy Buzek said "This report should not have been published in this way...it is unacceptable." He also ordered an investigation into who had approved placing the report on the Web.
UOP spokeswoman Magdalena Kluczynska commented that the report was released owing to a "misunderstanding" but did not say who was responsible for it. "It was one of the analytical texts, worked on in the course of the preparation of materials for a government report on security, and it did not reflect the stance of the government," Kluczynska told PAP. On the morning of 4 April, the report could no longer be found on the UOP website. However, the same day PAP disseminated the text.
The part of the report most worthy of censure, in the opinion of Polish commentators, dealt with Russia and national minority issues. Below is an excerpt of the UOP report disseminated by PAP and translated into English by BBC Monitoring:
"Poland continues to remain the target of the intelligence operations of various foreign special services, both due to its political and economic position in the region as also due to its membership of NATO and the military role that is associated with this. The most active functioning in this respect is that of the Russian services. A strengthening of attempts at the intelligence penetration of the official representations of our country abroad may be observed, and also of reconnaissance of the situation in the strategic sectors of the Polish economy and in the state administration.
"The basic source of potential threats to the security of Poland is the continuing unstable situation in the countries of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Changes at the top of the power structure in Russia, the war in Chechnya, and the continuing very difficult economic situation of the Russian Federation favor the growth of a superpower mood within Russian society. This is being incited by representatives of the political elite--superpower and even nationalist slogans have in the Russia of today become basic weapons in the struggle for power. In this context, the growing influence of the structures of enforcement (the special services, the army) on political life in the Russian Federation is disturbing.
"It continues to be the case that a change in the proWestern direction of the foreign policy of Ukraine into an unambiguously pro-Russian one, which would cause a slowing down of the process of tightening of Polish-Ukrainian links of partnership, cannot be precluded.
"The following are also factors which are capable of disturbing the stabilization witnessed so far in the region of Central and Eastern Europe: the possible worsening of relations between the Baltic countries and Russia and also the continuation by President A. Lukashenka of activities contrary to the principles of democracy.
"The problems of the Polish minority in Lithuania may also negatively influence the atmosphere of interstate relations. It is necessary to assume that, despite the need perceived by the Lithuanian state establishment to strengthen good-neighborly relations with the Polish Republic, actions intended to encourage Poles [in Lithuania] to assimilate with ethnically Lithuanian society will be continued, gradually and carefully but consistently.
"A potential threat to the interests of the Polish Republic, especially in the context of Polish aspiration for membership in the European Union, may be created by actions undertaken by structures which are affiliated with expelled organizations (the Union of the Expellees). In this respect, it is possible to cite the propaganda offensive in support of autonomy for Silesia (and also implemented with the commitment of certain German minority circles and activists from the Silesian Autonomy Movement)."
DOUBTS REMAIN OVER 16 APRIL REFERENDUM. It seems that the Constitutional Court's 29 March resolution to strike two questions from Ukraine's 16 April constitutional referendum has alleviated fears of the immediate introduction of authoritarianism in the country. The court ruled that two questions--one on the vote of no confidence in the parliament and the other on the possibility of adopting the country's constitution via a referendum--are unconstitutional. The four remaining questions were deemed constitutional and, if approved in the plebiscite, will be binding. This ruling, however, has not dispelled the many doubts both abroad and at home as regards the consequences of the 16 April ballot.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) recommended earlier this month that President Leonid Kuchma postpone the plebiscite until the parliament adopts a new law on referenda. Kuchma decreed the current referendum on the basis of a Soviet-era law that does not take into account the legal and political realities of independent Ukraine. Second, PACE warned Kyiv that it may seek suspension of Ukraine's membership in the council if the referendum results are implemented by unconstitutional means.
PACE's warning was clearly based on the suspicion than Ukraine's Supreme Council might be reluctant to approve constitutional amendments limiting lawmakers' rights and prerogatives, particularly stripping them of immunity from criminal prosecution. Even if the current parliamentary majority unanimously supported possible constitutional amendments, it would still be short of some 30 votes to change the constitution (at least 300 votes are needed for such a move). Thus not without reason, PACE feared that Kuchma might seek to amend the constitution by decree, as Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka had done in 1996, following a constitutional referendum of a consultative character.
Some Ukrainian commentators also point to ambiguities in the formulation of referendum questions, which may lead to tensions between the parliament and the president in the future. In particular, the questions about reducing the number of lawmakers to 300 and introducing a bicameral parliament in Ukraine do not specify to which entity that number applies--the parliament in its entirety or its lower chamber. There is also no mention in the referendum ballots of how the second chamber should be formed if Ukrainians decide on a bicameral legislature.
Many sarcastic comments have been elicited in Ukraine by the court's decision to approve the question about stripping lawmakers of their immunity from criminal prosecution. The question proposes leaving in place the constitutional formulation that Ukrainian lawmakers' immunity "is guaranteed" but simultaneously excluding the provision that people's deputies may not be tried for criminal offenses, detained, or arrested without the approval of the Supreme Council. How much is such "immunity" worth if even a police sergeant can arrest a people's deputy at any time and under any pretext, many Ukrainian publications have wondered.
There is also a conflict between the current constitution and the court's ruling that referendum results should be binding. According to the constitution, only the Supreme Council can change the country's basic law. On the other hand, the Supreme Council is a sovereign branch of power and no Ukrainian court has the right to order the legislature to approve any laws in a mandatory way.
Is there a way out of this tangle of contradictions? The easiest way would be to regard the 16 April referendum as consultative. Such an option has been suggested by PACE and would be the best approach for Ukraine, which urgently needs political accord following the parliament's approval of the ambitious reformist program of Viktor Yushchenko's cabinet. Too much is at stake now, and any further political confrontation could easily extinguish the glimmer of hope Ukrainians saw this year.
The worst scenario would be the parliament's refusal to comply with the referendum (which is expected to approve all four questions) and Kuchma's possible decision to dissolve the legislature and call for new parliamentary elections. In such a case, the country, beleaguered by social and economic problems, would once again be plunged into an election campaign that might alter the balance of power but would hardly result in any economic improvement for the pauperized nation.
"I am against abolishing lawmakers' immunity since [that move] will be used to pressurize deputies. Businessmen in the parliament have yielded to the president's resolution to abolish immunity, because they are expecting the legalization of shadow capital. If all incomes of shadow economy businessmen are legalized, they will of course ensure immunity for themselves for cash. But opposition deputies need immunity as a guarantee of work that is independent from the [executive] authorities." -- Ukraine's Socialist Party leader Oleksandr Moroz; quoted by the 7 April "Kievskie vedomosti."
"Lawmakers' immunity is no good at all. I tell my wife at home--I have parliamentary immunity, so please handle me with care! But she takes my salary from me all the same, so it is impossible even to squirrel anything away. The fullfledged immunity of a deputy may be enjoyed only in a grave! But I fear that there are problems with immunity even in the other world: just look at Grandfather Lenin." -- Ukraine's Green Party leader Vitaliy Kononov; quoted by the 7 April "Kievskie vedomosti."
RFE/RL Poland, Belarus, and Ukraine Report is prepared by Jan Maksymiuk on the basis of a variety of sources including reporting by "RFE/RL Newsline" and RFE/RL's broadcast services. It is distributed every Tuesday.
BELARUSIAN OPPOSITION TO HOLD CHORNOBYL ANNIVERSARY RALLY. Opposition representatives have applied to the Minsk City authorities for permission to hold the traditional "Chornobyl Way" march along Minsk's main avenue on 26 April to commemorate the anniversary of the 1986 Chornobyl power plant accident, RFE/RL's Belarusian Service. The organizers are planning to hold the march under environmental and political slogans and will demand, in particular, "real negotiations" between the authorities and the opposition. According to head of the organizing committee Ivan Nikitchanka, more than 1.8 million Belarusians currently live in areas that are contaminated with radioactivity. According to Henadz Hrushavy, head of the Children of Chornobyl charitable fund, the Belarusian authorities conceal information about the health of people living on the contaminated territory. They have also failed to implement a program for dealing with the consequences of the Chornobyl disaster and obstruct the shipment of Western humanitarian aid to Belarus, he added. JM
POLL SAYS UKRAINIANS READY TO APPROVE THREE REFERENDUM QUESTIONS. A poll conducted last month by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology among 1,900 respondents throughout Ukraine found that 63 percent want to take part in the 16 April constitutional referendum, 26 percent will not vote, and 11 percent are undecided, Interfax reported on 10 April. According to the poll, the question on whether to grant the president the right to dissolve the parliament will find support among 63 percent and will be opposed by 19 percent. The abolition of lawmakers' immunity from criminal prosecution will be backed by 83 percent of voters and opposed by 12 percent. Ninety-two percent of Ukrainians are expected to approve the reduction of parliamentary seats from 450 to 300, while only 3 percent are likely to oppose it. The introduction of a bicameral parliament was supported by 23 percent of respondents and opposed by 25 percent. JM
UKRAINIAN OFFICIAL SAYS 'CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS' POSSIBLE AFTER REFERENDUM. Roman Bezsmertnyy, permanent presidential representative in the parliament, told Interfax on 10 April that Ukraine may face a "constitutional crisis" following the 16 April referendum. According to Bezsmertnyy, there are two conflicting positions in Ukraine: that of the Constitutional Court, which says that referendum results should be binding, and another maintaining that the parliament should decide on whether to introduce the constitutional amendments approved in the referendum. Asked what might happen if the parliament does not comply with the referendum results, Bezsmertnyy noted that "this is exactly what I call a constitutional crisis, in which virtually no resolution exists." JM