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30+ Farm House Living Rooms. Define a chic feeling in your living room guided by this modern farmhouse space from living rooms. It's all in the little details:
See more ideas about living room inspiration, living room, living room renovation. 30+ stunning color warm farmhouse living room ideas in 2022. Farmhouse bathroom 14 farmhouse bedroom 11 farmhouse dining room 20 farmhouse entryway 3 farmhouse exterior 13 farmhouse kitchen 7 farmhouse living rooms 18 farmhouse office 1 home decor 28 farmhouse rooms makes it easy for you to decorate your room or office follow the way you want by providing information about tips, styles, gifts,.
This Article Will Teach You How To Decorate Modern Farmhouse Style With Lots Of Photos For Inspiration.
See more ideas about living room inspiration, living room, living room renovation. The tall ceilings and windows allow ample natural light into the room. Use an old wooden window frame to produce country living room ideas.
A Living Room Can Serve Many Different Functions, From A Formal Sitting Area To A Casual Living Space.
Plush seating, shiplap walls, and a traditional rug paired with farmhouse décor create an atmosphere that's just as fit for the city as it is for the country. Black lighting fixtures & accents. The plush couch is a great complement to the dark wooden flooring.
Hearty Exposed Beams, A Reclaimed Mantel And Brick Hearth Combine With The Whitewashed Shiplap Walls To Offer A Stunning Amalgamation Of Rustic Textures In This Peaceful Room.
Complete the look with the pleasant plains 47.25 wide tufted polyester chair and a half, fields handwoven jute/sisal brown area rug, and epley 4 legs coffee table with storage. Spacious and ventilated farmhouse living room with. So, you need to choose an.
Paint It With White Color.
Plus, install glass doors and windows to keep the space from looking dingy. Brick walls seem quite compatible with the general composition. To give your area fresh update, paint the walls crisp white and daffodil yellow.
Hibiscus Red Sofas Accentuate The Room.
See more of this home. Then put in a rustic accent piece like a boxwood wreath. I love the birchwood candle, the white tulips, and the books by liz marie and joanna gaines to browse!


Police: Man broke into home, drank owners’ booze, removed all of his clothing
DIXON, Ill. — An Illinois man was taken to jail after police said he terrorized a couple of Dixon, Illinois homeowners after breaking into their house, drinking their alcohol, and getting naked.
Dixon police said on June 6, they were notified of an unwanted person at a house in the 200 block of South Dement Avenue.
On the way to the house, officers were warned that the burglar was naked and holding a fireplace poker.
The man was identified as Joel Gartman, 52, of Dixon.
“Gartman was immediately removed from the house and an investigation began,” police said.
According to police, Gartman broke in by tearing the screen and forcing open a window at the rear of the house. After entering the home, Gartman unscrewed light bulbs and took off his shoes. While inside, police said Gartman stole at least three alcoholic beverages from the refrigerator and walked throughout the house drinking it.
One of the home’s residents was sleeping on a couch on the first floor.
Gartman removed all of his clothes and sat next to the sleeping homeowner while holding a fireplace poker, police said.
The homeowner woke up, realized what was happening, and ran upstairs to wake the other resident. A short time later, both homeowners came back downstairs and confronted Gartman, who was still in the house trying to hide, police said.
Gartman was charged with residential burglary, criminal trespass to residence, criminal damage to property, theft, and two counts of disorderly conduct.


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Respond to Review of The Veggie Grill - University Center
Review: It's conveniently located in a small plaza next to Trader Joe's 3-5 minutes from UCI. I could honestly live off this food everyday. ILOVEIT. Yes, it's a bit costly, but 100% worth it. I have tried pretty much their entire menu and have loved every single dish. Awesome place to take your non-veg*n friends. If you go, you have got to try their carrot cake. It's absolutely delicious. There's indoor and outdoor seating; If you'd like to bring your dog(like I do), order your food to-go and eat it on the tables outside.

domain: food


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- Public Programs
- The Potter
- Support Us
This exhibition is the first dedicated display of the University of Melbourne’s collection of thirty vibrant and unusual Madhubani paintings on paper from Northern India. Originally acquired in 1982 as an aid in teaching Hindu mythology by the former Department of Indian Studies, the collection reflects the strong connections between the university’s cultural collections and its teaching programs.
Companion works include Melbourne artist Louise Paramor's series of luminous head-and-shoulder portraits, with simply inscribed first names depicting the Indian artist friends she met during a three-month Asialink residency in 1995 at the Bharat Bhavan Multi-Arts Complex in Bhopal. This exhibition exemplifies the spirit of the ongoing engagement of many Australian artists with Indian culture.
Grounded—visitors to the Potter will need to be in peak condition as you will need to be able to climb the stairs to enjoy the museum’s current offerings on level 1 and 2. The Potter’s lift is currently out of order and advice is that it will take a few days to repair. Although not confirmed we hope to have it back in working order on Monday 20 May. Please plan your visit accordingly. We apologize for the inconvenience.

domain: artistic


Linfield's Lowry out to defend unbeaten cup record
Philip Lowry is one of a privileged posse of players who know what it feels like to score in an Irish Cup Final.
While football is a team game — it’s also about those individual moments that will be videoed in the mind forever.
Lowry headed home Damien Curran’s corner in the 2010 decider against Portadown as David Jeffrey’s men went on to seal a 2-1 victory.
Jeffrey has always shown absolute faith in the former Institute midfielder to deliver on the big occasions since he moved to the Blues in May, 2009.
The 22-year-old Queen’s pharmacy student has been combining his football with his university studies but, more often than not, while donning a Linfield jersey, he has passed all his tests with flying colours.
“Scoring in the final was a very special moment for me but of more importance is the fact that I haven’t lost an Irish Cup game since joining Linfield,” said Lowry.
“Hopefully that record will be intact come Saturday. It’s a wonderful feeling to score in a final but winning the match and lifting the trophy is all that matters.
“Who scores isn’t really important. But this game will be tougher than last year because the Crues have been in great form and reaching the final of the Setanta Cup is a tremendous achievement. I watched them beat Coleraine in the IRN-BRU Cup Final and they fully deserved their win.
“Cup Finals are there to be enjoyed and it’s important you don’t let the occasion pass you by.”


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WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (August 18, 2022) – Already a visible presence for fans on race weekends, General Tire was today announced as the entitlement partner for this summer’s ARCA Menards Series race on Friday, August 19, now called the General Tire Delivers 100 at The Glen.
The expanded partnership builds on an existing relationship between General Tire and The Glen that began in 2019. General Tire signage, hospitality and displays have been a vibrant part of the NASCAR race weekend experience for fans. Prior to that, Continental, the parent company of General Tire, partnered with The Glen on IMSA race weekends from 2012-2018.
“General Tire has been an outstanding partner of our track and we’re proud to see their partnership expand to include the General Tire 100 at The Glen,” said Watkins Glen International president Michael Printup. “The return of the ARCA Menards Series to New York was met with great fanfare last year and we can’t wait to see the action on the track again this year.”
After the ARCA Menards Series made its debut at Watkins Glen International in 2001 (in a race won by John Finger), it was 20 years before the series would return to the historic road course in 2021. Last year, the race was won by Corey Heim – one of six wins for the young driver who finished second in the series standings to Ty Gibbs.
“We are proud to continue our partnership at the Glen,” said Travis Roffler, director of marketing for General Tire. “Watkins Glen produces excellent racing year after year, so we are thrilled to sponsor this event. As we’ve continued to support the ARCA Menards Series since we first became a partner in 2016, our track partnerships help to expand both of our brands even further.”
Prior to the return of the ARCA Menards Series last summer, The Glen hosted a total of 26 ARCA Menards Series East races (then run under the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East banner) between 1993 and 2019. Recent winners of that race included this year’s Daytona 500 champion Austin Cindric in 2016 and current NASCAR Xfinity Series standout Brett Moffitt in 2018.
Watkins Glen hosts the NASCAR Go Bowling at The Glen race weekend August 17-21, with racing action beginning with the General Tire 100 at The Glen ARCA Menards Series race on Friday, August 19. The NASCAR Xfinity Series will compete on Saturday, August 20, and the Go Bowling at The Glen NASCAR Cup Series race will cap off the weekend on Sunday, August 21.
To purchase IMSA or NASCAR race tickets or for camping and additional information, call 1-866-461-RACE or visit TheGlen.com. Fans can view the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series schedules and purchase tickets at nascar.com/tickets.
About Watkins Glen International
Located within five hours and 300 miles of 25 percent of the U.S. population, Watkins Glen International is the premier road racing facility in North America, four-times voted “Best NASCAR Track” by readers of USA Today. Keep up with The Glen on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For tickets, camping, and additional information, call 1-866-461-RACE or visit www.TheGlen.com and get all of the latest information by downloading the NASCAR tracks app at www.theglen.com/nascar-tracks-app.
2022 Watkins Glen International Schedule
April 9-10 – Opening Weekend
May 20-22 – Ferrari Challenge North America
June 3-5 – SCCA Majors Super Tour
June 23-26 – IMSA Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen
July 7-10 – Finger Lakes Wine Festival; Masters Historic Racing Weekend
July 21-24 – GT World Challenge America
August 17-21 – NASCAR Go Bowling at The Glen
September 8-11 – Hilliard U.S. Vintage Grand Prix
October 28-29 - Finger Lakes Beer Festival Presented by Chemung Canal Trust Co.
2022 Watkins Glen International NASCAR Weekend Schedule
August 19 – General Tire Delivers 100 at The Glen – ARCA Menards Series Race
August 20 – Sunoco Go Rewards 200 – NASCAR Xfinity Series Race
August 21 – Go Bowling at The Glen – NASCAR Cup Series Race

domain: news


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Crimea referendum prompts market jitters
Nervous investors around the world rushed to the perceived safety of gold and bonds Friday ahead of the closely-watched weekend referendum in Crimea.
It's been a bad week for global markets as the faceoff between Russia and the West showed no sign of easing any time soon. The big worry is that Sunday's vote will encourage Russia to move troops further into Ukraine.
The Russian stock market's benchmark index tumbled more than three per cent Friday and is off almost 10 per cent on the week as investors reacted to the increasing likelihood of damaging sanctions. The ruble fell to an all-time low.
"The geopolitical risks are back at the forefront of investors' minds," said Jeanne Asseraf-Bitton, head of global research at Lyxor Asset Management.
Germany's main stock index fell more than four per cent this week, its biggest weekly drop in almost two years. German companies have extensive business ties to Russia.
Gold at 6-month high
In Japan, the benchmark Nikkei index fell 3.3 per cent Friday and slumped more than six per cent on the week. The Ukraine crisis sent the yen, which is seen as a safe haven, soaring against the euro and the dollar. That hurt the stocks of Japanese exporters.
"Investors are unwinding their long positions in the Nikkei and short positions in the yen," Kyoya Okazawa of BNP Paribas said.
Gold, another popular safe haven investment, gained another $12 to $1,385 US an ounce, a fresh six-month high.
North American markets ended the day down slightly on Friday following big selloffs on Thursday, when the Dow Jones industrial average tumbled 231 points and the S&P/TSX composite index shed 74 points.
Toronto's resource-rich stock market has also been hurt by signs this week that China's economy is slowing.
With files from Reuters


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Living in wine country gives you a different perspective on geography. Or maybe more noticeably, the topography of land often dictates what you can or can’t do with an area as far as farming goes. When it comes to the California Central Coast, there’s no more dominant presence than the Coastal Range, which essentially is the Santa Lucia Range of mountains.
The Santa Lucia’s create a barrier between the cool Pacific Ocean and the inland valleys, such as the Salinas Valley and in our particular area, Paso Robles. Although the mountains top out at just over a mile high, the several mile wide range that runs roughly northwest to southeast, is enough to affect weather patterns and growing climates quite drastically. In fact, no other coastal region in the U.S. has as dramatic a rise in elevation as the Coastal Range does.
Named by explorer Sebastian Vizcaino of Spain, a little more than 400 years ago, the Santa Lucia’s run from Monterey Bay in the north, down to San Luis Obispo in the south. With its famous cliffs and panoramic views, one of the more famed scenic roads, Hwy 1, runs roughly along it’s western edge and also one of the most famous tourist stops in all the world, Big Sur, envelopes much of the northern and western parts of the Santa Lucias.
The highest point in these mountains is Junipero Serra Peak at 5,857 feet and smack dab in the middle of the Coastal Range – as the crow flies, maybe 10 miles west southwest of King City. During the winter, snow can be seen around the long relatively flat summit on a regular basis.
Not a lot here, plenty to see
The Santa Lucia Range is sparsely populated and actually is made up of mostly state and national forests along with the nations largest Army command post (Fort Hunter-Liggett). Part of the Los Padres National Forest’s Ventana Wilderness encumbers a large portion of the Santa Lucia mountains.
The terrain in certain parts of the range, especially in the northern reaches, are incredibly rocky and shear. As such, the area is difficult to traverse with very few trails. The region is subject to earthquakes and the unsteady nature of the rock formations make climbing in the Santa Lucias quite a task. Pines, redwoods and oaks – such as dominate Paso Robles (‘pass of the oaks’) – are common throughout these mountains.
Mountain lions are regulars in the Santa Lucias and now bears have worked their way up into the southern sections of the range, mainly in San Luis Obispo County. With almost no population, there is a lot of wild life throughout this pristine and rugged part of California. There are also indigenous trees found only in these parts, such as the Santa Lucia or Bristlecone Fir along with the Monterey Pine.
The region is distinct with climes such as the Monterey Bay and Big Sur with their cool foggy weather set off against its southern neighbors like Paso Robles with their relatively dry and often hot days. In fact, its the Santa Lucia Range that filters the cool Pacific Ocean from the interior valleys, making for such unique diurnals.
Some consider the Santa Lucia Range to contain at least half of all plant life grown in California. You likely won’t find anywhere else in the Golden State the combination of flora from the ‘two Californias’ (drier southeast versus the wetter northwest), as it’s not unusual to see Yuccas growing right along side Redwoods, especially in the Ventana Wilderness.
Enemy is fire
And speaking of Ventana, fires have damaged large portions of the Los Padres National Forest due in part to the governance from the state and more importantly federal agencies. Without proper care and management of this exceptional expanse of wilderness, brings devastation with total lack of conservation in mind. Deficiency of fire suppression in the Coastal Range has brought hellacious fires that consumed and produced huge loss of wildlife over the past decades, including a couple of raging infernos in June of 2008 that burned about 200,000 acres.
Still, tucked between the giant metropolitan population bases of the Bay Area and Greater L.A., this vast countryside has somehow stayed unspoiled. The region is rough and rugged while also being gorgeous yet delicate. With endemic fauna and inimitable beauty, the Santa Lucia Range offers one of the more exclusive regions rising up along the Pacific Ocean … or maybe all the world.
Additional sources: Cal Fire, California’s Wilderness Areas the Complete Guide Mountains and Coastal Ranges
Daryle W. Hier

domain: geography


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Pet of the Week June 17 - 23
Raider: 1 1/2 yr old Lab/Husky mix
Current on Dapp, Bordetella and Rabies. Dewormed & microchipped.
Adoption fee: $80 (Includes dog license)
Looking for that perfect family dog that's sweet, friendly and loves to play? Raider is super gentle & affectionate and ready to hit the trails for that next adventure. Raider loves children and other dogs, but would need a home with no cats.
Coco: 10 yr old DSH
Current on FVRCP & Rabies vaccines, dewormed, and microchipped.
Adoption fee: $40
Coco is a full figured sweetheart that has a heart gold and is ready for a quiet home where she can snooze the afternoon away, as well as provide you with lots of purrs and snuggles. Even though she the world's best cuddlier, Coco's feet & stomach are off limits. While not interested in toys or cat nip, she does enjoy the occasional venture outside to munch on some grass, but quickly wants to go back inside and return to her comfy bed. Coco has a great dislike for dogs (and eagles), and she also is not a big fan of other cats. Due to these past traumas she does need to be the only pet in the household. Children 12 and over are preferred.

domain: pet


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Fresh off setting the Booth aflame with previously-leaked cut Firestarter, Maryland emcee-producer Kenton dunson returns to our pages with another scorching cut off his forthcoming street album. The final leak off the project, Turn It Loose finds Dunson exercising his creativity behind the boards,experimenting with chopped guitar samples and reversed percussion as he delivers his braggadociously fresh rhymes. For more, check out Creative Destruction 2 when it arrives on the ‘net June 27.
Written by richard on 06/23/11
Member Reviews and Ratings
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- DJBooth City Cypher #1 (ft. Emilio Rojas, Maffew Ragazino, Black Dave, HD & Kirk Knight)
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Discover the best new songs, videos, and albums added to the Booth.

domain: entertainment


Defence industrialisation strategy must be made a part of the overall national manufacturing capability strategy. The social sector, through their social overheads and infrastructure improvement as the building block for economic development, must be part of the overall development strategy. Accordingly, indirect offsets must be part of the offset policy with a mix of direct and indirect offset options as many countries practice. Defence technology funding recommended by Defence Production Policy (2011) must be operationalised early. Else, the pious platitude of improving self-reliance through the offset policy in critical technology will remain a pipe dream.
India’s Offset Policy of 2005 aimed at leveraging our big ticket arms acquisition for bringing in outsourcing arrangements, FDI in infrastructure and R&D, and boosting exports with a view to bolster our indigenous military industry capability. The subsequent updates introduced offset banking, a level playing field for the private sector in the shipbuilding sector and included civil aerospace and homeland security products in its ambit. Based on India’s experience in offset realisation so far which has basically has brought in outsourcing of low-end products and services, training, simulation and ROH capability, there have been very lukewarm responses to FDI inflow as well as Joint Venture arrangements with global OEMs and design houses. This has led earnest critics to stridently suggest the inclusion of technology transfer, multiplier, increase in the offset banking period and commercial shipbuilding in the ambit of offset policy besides revamping the existing implementation arrangements under the aegis of the Defence Offset Facilitation Agency (DOFA).
The Defence Production Policy 2011 made pious suggestions to bolster India’s self-reliance in critical areas of technology…
The Defence Production Policy 2011 made pious suggestions to bolster India’s self-reliance in critical areas of technology by creating the necessary conditions for technology funding through Public Private Partnership. The Joint Venture guidelines have also been issued on January 17, 2012, by the MoD for kick-starting this process while underscoring the need for greater transparency in forging such alliances.
In a major departure from the earlier policy, the new offset policy now includes technology transfer, multipliers and commercial shipbuilding sector in its ambit. The increase in the banking period for offsets to seven to ten years is also a step in the right direction as it will give the requisite leeway for forging partnerships between the Indian industry and global OEMs. There are also suggestions to revamp and reinvigorate the DOFA.
These new policy initiatives though late in coming are really welcome. However, some of the issues that would need to be carefully addressed for these new initiatives to succeed are enumerated below:
The DPP provides for various windows for technology transfer through the ‘Buy and Make’ option to the DPSUs and OFs. DPP-2009 included the Buy and Make (Indian) option which provided a window to the private sector as technology recipient. Inclusion of technology in the ‘Buy’ option now through offset routes is an added option now.
It would be necessary for the Services, DPSUs/OFs and DRDO to identify not only the priority areas for technology transfer but also make a clear choice of technology which should be leveraged through the ‘Buy and Make’ as well as the ‘Buy’ option. It is quite likely that outdated technology would be palmed off in the ‘Buy’ option unless the RFP clearly identifies the targeted technology and its currency. Evaluation of cost of technology is another challenging area.
The new offset policy now includes technology transfer, multipliers and commercial shipbuilding sector…
Technology is often linked to export promotion and offset credit is predicated on its impact on exports. This is a very effective strategy adapted by Turkey. Israel has become a major defence exporter by targeting key technologies such as FPA, Seekers, Communication equipments and UAVs from the USA. These are useful templates for India.
In the mother of all contracts, the ‘MMRCA’ where 50 per cent offsets are expected (approximately $10 billion) efforts should be made to get key technologies from selected vendors of components such as the AESA Radar, single crystal blade and special coatings. India must not miss out on this opportunity now that technology transfer is part of the offset credit for the Rafale.
Providing higher credit for preferred technology, skill upgradation and training is practiced by every country. This has to be worked out by an Empowered Committee representing the DRDO, Services and DPSU/OFs as they would be able to flag the serious gaps in our design and manufacturing capability.
Evaluation of cost of technology is another challenging area…
At present, the Civil Aviation industry provides multiplier in its offset arrangements for Boeing and Air Bus. Since both the civil aviation and military aviation sectors would be looked at in a holistic manner, a coordinated effort is needed to rationalise the application of multiplier in this sector.
While increase in the banking period is welcome, it ought to be operationalised in right earnest. As of now, the arrangement for approval of banking proposals is extremely dilatory and mired in red-tapism in the DPP. Since such initiatives encourage OEMs and design houses to explore potential JV and co-development partners in India, more alert institutional arrangements in quick time would send the right signals.
The Krishnamurthi Committee (2007) appointed by the Government to suggest ways and means to bolster manufacturing capability had flagged the need to look at both commercial and warship building in unison.
In fact, with the increased focus on coastal surveillance, a large number of patrolling vessels are being ordered by the Navy, the Indian Coast Guard as well as the state government authorities. Besides, a large number of tankers and LPGs are on order. The capacity of India’s shipbuilding, both in the Public and Private sector is almost 50 per cent of the large orders in the pipeline. Countries such as South Korea and China have had a real headstart in the shipbuilding sector by focusing on manufacturing and design capability.
Offset realisation would need to be entrusted to an independent empowered agency on similar lines like the TRAI…
For the offset policy to be successful in the commercial shipbuilding sector, the subsidy scheme must be revived immediately as implication of removal of such subsidies has led to disastrous consequences as the following Table 1 would reveal.
Revamping the DOFA
All stakeholders have been unequivocal about the ineffectiveness of the present implementation arrangements through the DOFA. In the UK, a separate agency has been created to ensure better interface with the industry and Implementation Practice (IP). In India, the DOFA is an advisory body under the DPP while for the Acquisition Wing, the driver is acquisition. The offset arrangement is only subsidiary to the main supply contract. There is thus no real stakeholding for the offset realisation in the existing arrangement.
Offset realisation would, therefore, need to be entrusted to an independent empowered agency on similar lines like the TRAI, to interface effectively and impartially with the Indian defence industry and global majors, instead of sheltering cost-ineffective DPSUs/OFs.
The new initiatives, however, do not address two major policy issues viz. increase in FDI in defence and inclusion of indirect offsets. The succeeding paragraphs bring out these concerns.
The FDI cap in India remains at 26 per cent. Global experience in this regard shows that countries such as China and Malaysia have shown a high degree of pragmatism by allowing higher FDI in their major manufacturing projects. China permitted FDI of 76 per cent in its JV to M/s Embraer. Malaysia also increased its FDI substantially in the manufacturing sector. This has enabled countries to have substantial manufacturing base in the aircraft Industry and increase its global share in manufacturing significantly. Therefore, India cannot be impervious to this concern any longer as every major OEM and design house would like to have a major say in the management decisions which will have significant bearing on the Return on Investment (ROI). Countries who have profited from offsets have tried to take advantage of their labour arbitrage and skilled labour by making their country the preferred destination in the OEMs’ global supply chain.
Countries such as China and Malaysia have shown a high degree of pragmatism by allowing higher FDI in their major manufacturing projects…
It would not be out of place to mention that, in India also, the JV for the Brahmos cruise missile programme there is 50:50 partnership between India and Russia. This programme has witnessed significant volume of production with excellent export potential. Further, in the newly forged JV for the Multi Role Transport Programme between HAL and SDB, Russian Prime Minister Putin, in a recent address to the industries, highlighted the significant role of their partnership with India. This will ensure significant strides in the manufacturing capability of HAL in building mid-segment transport aircraft in a very cost effective manner with export potential.
Therefore, there is a strong case for increasing our FDI cap in defence to at least 50 per cent. There is a critical linkage between FDI limit and technology infusion.
The success of a flexible FDI policy is critically dependent on how it is managed for the benefit of the domestic industry. Some lessons in this regard can be drawn from the practices of other countries, and primarily of China which has used FDI as an instrument for developing its strategic industries.
- China’s FDI policy is geared towards enabling its industries to “integrate into the global value-chain…accelerate its industrial and technological transformation [while avoiding reinvention] of the technological wheel.” The key elements of China’s FDI policy are those of direction, domestic value addition and transfer of technology.


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Ed Rendell has always been candid. So, when the former Philadelphia mayor was winding up his second term as Pennsylvania governor, he decided it was time to write his life story. “A Nation of Wusses: How America’s Leaders Lost the Guts to Make Us Great” (Wiley, $25.95) is a memoir that tells it like it is.
In it, Rendell explains why America’s leaders rarely call for sacrifice for the greater good — to avoid making any sacrifices themselves. According to Rendell, they’re all wusses — and after more than three decades in politics, he knows a wuss when he sees one. Among current office holders and candidates, he sees politicians pretending to stand on principle while, in fact, pandering to their bases; flip-flopping on issues, not because of new information, but because of new polls; and criticizing rivals for actions they would have praised if done by allies. While not at all shy about singling out Republicans like Scott Walker, Eric Cantor and Mitch McConnell, Rendell has no trouble taking on Democrats who refuse to stand up to the teachers’ unions or distance themselves from allies who run into trouble.
Rendell, 68, said it took him 18 months to write his lively life story in longhand. “I started in July 2010, the last six months I was governor,” recalled Rendell. “And because I was governor, I would write late at night and once and a while on weekends. And then I started my new life where I have 16 different jobs, so as a result I would write on trains, planes. It wasn’t uncommon for me to get home, eat dinner, do my day-to-day work and read my memos and then start writing part of the book at 10:30 — and I would look up, because I’d gotten into it, and it would be 3:30.”
In “A Nation of Wusses,” Rendell revisits some of the toughest fights of his career. “As I wrote I re-experienced, and I lived over again the things that I talked about,” said Rendell. “There were parts of the book that I wrote and I had tears in my eyes. Late at night I would be sitting there writing something, like the chapter on Haiti.”
Rendell was instrumental in the relocation of a group of 53 Haitian orphans in 2010 who were living in the post-earthquake ruins. He then pauses and opens the book to that passage. “I talk about the experience in Haiti, and the children who had never been on an airplane before: ‘As we were taking them back, we were on a huge cargo plane, a B-17, the length of a football field and it only had seats up against the wall of the plane. In between, there’s this huge space for weapons, and that was it. Half of the crew stayed on one side of the plane. The take off was as noisy as anything I’ve ever heard, not like a commercial plane. It should have been terrifying to those kids who had never been on an airplane before, but it wasn’t. They sat there calmly, almost happily. Here they are on this huge cavernous place, leaving a place that had been home all their lives, coming to a place they had never seen before to live the rest of their lives. Pretty amazing. All throughout the ordeal they had been pretty terrific ... Haiti still has a long way to go in its recovery, and the world needs to continue to help make that possible, but if these young children are typical Haitians, then their faith and spirit will someday prevail.’”
Rendell then shuts his book. “I had tears in my eyes when I wrote that. This was a very cathartic book of interesting and challenging moments in my life. When I talk about indicting the police who shot Delbert Africa. Arrgh! That was unbelievable! And in that sense, cathartic and enjoyable to go think about the memories. I had a great time writing the book, and I really wrote the book for myself. If it does well, then it’s gravy.”
This is a Philadelphia story like no other. Other politicians might have left out of their memoirs stories like what happened to their plaque in the park, the story of Swifty the five-legged donkey, a dirty Al Gore joke, the time they considered pretending to faint and who they’re already supporting for president in 2016. Luckily, Rendell is not that kind of politician. Complete with a scathing list of the “Top Ten Reasons Why Most American Politicians Are Wusses” and packed with uproarious tales of politicians in action that will make you wonder why these folks keep getting elected. Readers will delight in the honest revelations contained in “A Nation of Wusses.”
Shouting their opposition to the U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan’s latest budget plan and urging Congress to raise the minimum wage, protesters vented their anger at the nation’s Republican leaders on Monday at the Union League.
Their specific target was U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. The Senate minority leader was in town making at least one private appearance.
“We don’t think he’s on the right side of the budget,” said Jess Burgan, assistant director of Fight for Philly. “We want him to vote against the Ryan budget.”
She was referring to a spending plan unveiled to the public last week by Ryan, a Republican from Wisconsin and former vice presidential candidate.
It resembles his previous budget proposals, relying on higher tax revenues enacted in January and improved Medicare cost estimates – along with somewhat sharper spending cuts – to balance spending with tax cuts. Among its key provisions, a plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act, cuts to domestic programs ranging from Medicaid to college grants and another that would require future Medicare patients to bear more of the program’s cost.
Ryan was expected to formally introduce his proposal to the senate budget committee on Tuesday.
Marvin Robinson of West Philadelphia said he joined the protest because he wanted to “hold legislators responsible.”
“They need to make the economy smoother for all people,” he said.
Robinson was one of about a dozen protesters who picketed on the sidewalk in front of the imposing red brick and brownstone façade of the Union League.
The group chanted slogans like: “Hey, hey, ho, ho Mitch McConnell’s got to go” and “Mitch McConnell you can’t hide. We can see your greedy side.”
Though McConnell was not seen anywhere near the club’s main entrance on South Broad Street, a security guard, who asked not to be named, verified that the senate minority leader was indeed inside.
Earlier in the day he visited Comcast. The purpose of his visit was not clear – though it was likely a fundraising junket. A club staffer, who also asked not to be named, said all club events were private and would not say whether McConnell had a speaking engagement at the Union League.
“We didn’t expect to catch him,” said Burgan.
There were hints of unusual activity at the club, one of the city’s costliest, which also has entrances on Sansom and 15th streets. Sansom Street was lined with black SUVs and vehicles from the sheriff’s department.
None of the people exiting the club by the Broad Street entrance would speak to the Tribune.
Despite the small turnout, protesters represented three groups: Fight for Philly, Action United and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, District Council 33.
In addition to their concerns about Ryan’s budget proposal, Burgan said the group wanted to see the minimum wage raised.
“He thinks that’s an awful idea,” said Burgan.
President Barack Obama has asked Congress to raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 an hour, to $9 in stages by the end of 2015. After that his proposal would allow automatic increases to keep pace with inflation.
For politicians, it’s always about the next election.
It’s an interesting notion that New Jersey’s Republican Gov. Chris Christie, who is often mentioned as a possible presidential candidate in 2016, despite his denial of such aspirations, is more popular among Democrats than he is within his own party.
According to Public Policy Polling, Christie’s favorability is strong: 51 percent to 23 percent. He stands +29 with Democrats (52 percent to 23 percent), compared to +21 with Republicans (48 percent to 27 percent). But it’s among independents that Christie is most popular: 52 percent to 18 percent.
According to PPP, “Compared to a month ago, he’s up a net 12 points with Democrats and down a net 11 points with Republicans.”
The governor also currently holds a 73 percent approval rating from his own state’s registered voters — with 61 percent saying the state is moving in the right direction. Those giving rave reviews include 62 percent of Democrats and seven in 10 women.
According to pollster Tom Jensen, Christie’s change in popularity with members of both parties most likely stems from a nationally televised press conference where he slammed House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, for delaying a vote on aid to recover from Hurricane Sandy.
“I think the change from last month is probably mostly about the Boehner stuff, but I think the longer term change is certainly all the positive national publicity he got for how he handled the hurricane — but also specifically how he dealt with (President Barack) Obama,” said Jensen to NewJersey.com.
Jensen said his organization will release a poll soon on the potential field for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. He said Christie does well among moderate Republicans, but has virtually no support from the tea party members.
Among all voters, Christie is more popular than Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and the National Rifle Association.
The automated telephone poll of 1,100 registered voters was conducted from Jan. 3 to Jan. 6 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Ever since Hurricane Sandy destroyed parts of New Jersey, and Christie welcomed the president with open arms in the latter days of a very contentious presidential race, he has been in what many see as the political doghouse with his own party. There are those who believe that his actions influenced the outcome of the presidential race.
In New Jersey, Christie’s crisis management of the storm, and his favorable praise of the president with words like “outstanding,” “incredibly supportive” and worthy of “great credit,” gave him a ton of credibility among voters in his state — and with Democrats and independents all over the county.
According to The New York Times, the tensions followed Christie to the annual meeting of the Republican Governors Association in Las Vegas in November of 2012. At a gathering where he had expected to be celebrated, the governor was repeatedly reminded of how deeply he had offended fellow Republicans.
His apparent eagerness to work closely with the president has put in jeopardy any hopes he may have to be a national candidate. A number of Republicans have wondered aloud if he is still a viable nominee.
“It hurt him a lot,” said Douglas E. Gross, a longtime Republican in Iowa who has overseen several presidential campaigns in the state, to The New York Times. “The presumption is that Republicans can’t count on him.”
Republican voters in Iowa, the first state to select presidential candidates, “don’t forget things like this,” Gross said.
With Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s loss still stinging the party, Christie’s conduct remains a topic of widespread discussion.
“People keep asking me why you were so nice to the president,” Governor-elect Pat McCrory of North Carolina told Christie when they encountered each other in Las Vegas. “I tell them you are doing your job.”
“That’s right,” Christie replied, patting him on the back.
The Romney campaign still believes that Christie’s expressions of admiration for the president, coupled with pervasive news coverage of the hurricane’s aftermath, raised President Obama’s standing at a critical moment in the campaign.
During a lengthy look at the campaign, Romney’s political advisers said that a large number of voters who were undecided until the end of the campaign cited the storm as a major factor in their decision for backing the president.
“Christie,” a Romney adviser said to The New York Times, “allowed Obama to be president, not a politician.”
In that sense, Christie has been a convenient scapegoat for a candidacy that fell short for many reasons — demographic, ideological and personal — and Romney’s campaign manager, Matt Rhoades, emphasized that Christie did “exactly what a governor should do” in a crisis.
Still, a resentment remains among top financial donors who contributed big to Romney, many of whom had considered Christie a very influential friend.
In interviews, several of the donors speculated that Christie was positioning himself as a softer, post-partisan figure in time for his re-election as governor next year.
Christie’s popularity has created a quagmire for the Republican faithful. Since the hurricane, he has become a political celebrity with the image of a regular guy.
Some party loyalists saw his behavior after the hurricane as an echo of his convention keynote address in August, when he trumpeted his own accomplishments — but made scant reference to Romney.
But the argument is rejected by those loyal to the governor. Republican Party booster Kenneth G. Langone, the billionaire co-founder of Home Depot, told Christie to ignore carping party activists who he predicted would soon plead with him to seek higher office.
“I said, ‘Governor, if you lead a miraculous recovery of the state of New Jersey, that is all that is going to matter,’” said Langone to The New York Times. “They are going to be begging you to run, just like they begged Eisenhower.”
After the storm, Christie walked into a restaurant in Princeton, where he received a booming ovation.
Las Vegas was a little different, where Republican governors, past and present, offered a range of explanations for Christie’s warmth toward the president. After all, nothing can kill a political career like a botched response to a disaster.
“People here understand Chris Christie’s effusive personality,” said Haley Barbour, a former governor of Mississippi.
And Gov. Terry Branstad of Iowa said, “There are some people that think maybe he could have handled it — been a little less gushing. But that’s his personality. He has got that New Jersey edge to him, you know, for good or bad.”
NewJersey.com and The New York Times contributed to this report.
Zack Burgess is the senior writer for Real Times Media and the Michigan Chronicle. He can be contacted at zackburgess.com.
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic bill Tuesday to preserve low interest rates for millions of college students' loans, as the two parties engaged in election-year choreography aimed at showing each is the better protector of families in today's rugged economy.
The 52-45 vote to begin debating the legislation fell eight votes short of the 60 needed to proceed and stalled work on an effort both parties expect will ultimately produce a compromise, probably soon. For now, each side is happy to use the stalemate to snipe at the other with campaign-ready talking points while they are gridlocked over how to cover the $6 billion cost.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the vote showed that despite GOP claims that they support preventing an increase in student loan rates, "Republicans showed today that it's only talk."
He also noted that the likely GOP presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, supports a temporary extension of today's low rates and needled, "I suggest he pick up the phone and call Senator McConnell."
That was a reference to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who said the battle is a phony one manufactured by Democrats to woo votes from students. Both parties say they want to extend low interest rates.
"The Senate has ceased to be a place where problems are resolved. It's become instead a place where Democrats produce campaign material," McConnell said.
The vote was nearly party-line, with Reid voting "no" to give himself the procedural ability to demand another vote once a compromise is reached. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, who is retiring after citing excessive partisanship in Washington, voted "present."
The Democratic bill would keep interest rates for subsidized Stafford loans at 3.4 percent for an additional year, rather than doubling automatically for new loans starting July 1. It would have no impact on current loans.
A 2007 law approved by a Democratic Congress gradually lowered the rates but pops them back up to 6.8 percent in July because lawmakers were worried about costs.
Stafford loans are for low- and middle-income students. The Education Department projects the measure would affect 7.4 million undergraduates borrowing money in the year starting July 1.
Republicans oppose the Democratic plan to pay for the bill by forcing high-earning stockholders in some privately owned corporations and professional practices to pay additional Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes. Even if it passed the Senate, it would have no chance of emerging from the Republican-controlled House.
Democrats reject the GOP version, which drums up money for the extension of low rates by abolishing a preventive health program created by Obama's 2010 health care overhaul. Republicans are demanding a Senate vote on their measure but it cannot pass that chamber, and the White House has threatened to veto a House-passed bill that uses that same funding mechanism.
Both sides know they can push no student loan bill through Congress without a bipartisan consensus on paying for it.
But with politics the governing dynamic for now, it was no coincidence that each side proposed snatching savings from favorite targets that appeal to their parties' core voters: the rich for Democrats and Obama's health care revamping for Republicans.
The issue has been a favorite of Obama's in recent weeks as he appeals to student voters who flocked disproportionately to him in his 2008 presidential campaign. He turned to it again Tuesday during a visit to the State University of New York in Albany, where he tried raising pressure on lawmakers to act.
"Before they do anything else, Congress needs to keep student loan rates from doubling for students who are here and all across the country," he said. He added, "Don't let politics get in the way. Get this done before July 1."
Underscoring the political stakes, the Senate Democratic campaign organization distributed an email soon after the Senate vote saying that two Republicans facing tight re-elections this fall — Sens. Scott Brown of Massachusetts and Dean Heller of Nevada — decided to "side against students, middle class families by voting to double student loan interest rates."
Neither party wants to be blamed for letting students' costs grow larger in the middle of the presidential and congressional campaigns, so both have strong motivations to cut a deal. For now, each is daring the other to make the first move.
McConnell told reporters that Reid might want to call House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, "and say, 'Why don't we resolve this matter and move on with it, rather than leaving all these young people with a sense of uncertainty.'"
"Boehner has no votes over here," Reid snapped later, saying that if Republicans want to offer alternatives for paying for the bill, "Let's vote on them."
The Education Department estimates students will borrow $31.6 billion subsidized Stafford loans in the year starting July 1, averaging $4,226 for each student.
These loans generally are paid off over a decade or more after graduation. Allowing interest rates to double would cost the typical student about $1,000 over the life of the loan, the administration says. -- (AP)
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey is confident Congress will sidestep the looming threat of sequester and stop the nation’s economy from again falling into recession.
“I think we will and I think we must,” Casey said Monday after being asked if he thought a deal was possible. “We’ve got an economy that’s recovered a lot … We’re creating jobs at a good pace now. It could stand to pick up a little bit; but we still need to focus on job creation. If the sequester were in effect for a year, we’d have a recession.”
Pennsylvania’s Democrat senator sat down with the Tribune’s editorial board Monday afternoon to discuss several issues, including gun control and a move in several states to change the way electoral votes are apportioned.
Sequester is the process by which automatic spending cuts, totaling $82 billion in cuts - $55 billion in defense and $27 in discretionary spending, go into effect. Without Congressional action, those cuts are expected to start in March. and according to the Congressional Budget Office, could cost the U.S. economy as much as 1.4 million jobs in the first seven months.
It is the latest in a series of financial deadlines and budget talks that have created a nearly perpetual crisis in Washington D.C. Republican lawmakers have been using sequester as a way to force spending cuts without negotiation.
“I think sequester is going to happen,” Sen. Tom Coburn, Republican of Oklahoma recently told the New York Times. “I think people want it to happen.”
“We need spending cuts, but we just shouldn’t do it in the sequester,” he said. “Those spending cuts are indiscriminant and not strategic enough to help our economy grow.”
Pressed to respond to the Republicans’ comments he added, “If they are being truthful; they know.”
The senator noted that, on average about 180,000 jobs were created in the U.S. each month in 2012 - and cuts in spending would jeopardize that growth.
“All of that is put at risk if you have the sequester imposed upon the economy,” he said.
Congress has delayed sequester once, voting in early January to push it back until March 1.
Casey suggested that lawmakers might again delay or draw up another list of cuts to replace those in sequester, or agree to a combination of both.
Sequester looms much the same way the so-called fiscal cliff did at the end of 2012.
Casey said he supports reaching a longer term deal that combines savings and revenue.
Republican leaders have said they are done discussing new revenue after the deal was reached earlier this year.
“The tax issue is finished, over, completed,” said Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader, also to the New York Times.
New revenue is likely to come from tax reform, Casey said, which means closing loopholes. For him, that meant closing corporate tax loopholes - not those that affect individuals, he said, emphasizing that he wanted the mortgage deduction to stay in place.
Casey also said he did not support changes in Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid rules, but thought savings to help boost funding for all of those programs could be found through greater efficiencies in spending.
He pointed to savings found when the Obama administration was drawing up the health care reform act and said he was sure similar saving could be harnessed again.
Addressing another topic that has seized the headlines recently, Casey said he expected a number of gun reform measures to be put before Congress – including mandated background checks, laws limiting the size of ammunition magazines and other initiatives. He was unable to predict if any of the proposals would be approved.
“We have to ask ourselves: Is there nothing that the United States of America, the most powerful nation in the world can do?” he said. “The answer is a resounding yes. We can do all of those without having any impact at all [on the Second Amendment.]”
Finally, Casey said he would caution Republicans against changing the way electoral votes are apportioned, noting that voter turnout rose after the state legislature passed the voter ID law.
A proposal in Pennsylvania and several other Republican controlled states would allocate electoral votes by congressional district rather than giving all votes to the candidate who carried the majority of popular votes.
“Isn’t it a little strange that when a Democratic president gets elected and re-elected, all of a sudden we’ve got to change the Electoral College? You’ve got to wonder,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of problems in the country. I don’t think too many people voting is one of them.”


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What about conquering self-doubt? It’s a curious sensation, that feeling of self-doubt. Like an unwelcome shadow, it follows us through life, sometimes hidden, and at other times, overwhelmingly present. Regardless of age, achievement, or background, not one of us is immune. The accomplished author, the passionate artist, the diligent student; each one, at some point, has grappled with the looming question: “Am I good enough?”
Unless you’re a total narcissist, I think self-doubt is pretty much a universal experience, but it doesn’t have to be a life sentence. By understanding its origins and by actively cultivating self-confidence, you can soldier on, transforming your challenges into stepping-stones towards growth.
Before slaying your inner critic, it’s important to first understand it. Self-doubt is rooted in fear. It’s the fear of failure, the fear of judgment, and sometimes, ironically, the fear of success. Your evolutionary history plays a role, as your brain is wired for survival (read that as avoiding the tiger) and not necessarily for success. This means your ancestors were often on high-alert, scouting for threats and analyzing their surroundings. While this was advantageous for avoiding predators, in our modern age, it can lead to a heightened sense of self-criticism and apprehension of our self-worth.
Another common source of self-doubt is conditioning. From a young age, you’re subjected to comparisons, standards, and many times to unrealistic expectations. As you grow up, these external pressures can be internalized, making you your own worst critic.
Developing Self-Confidence: Strategies to Help You Soldier On
Self-awareness: Begin with introspection. Understand when and why you feel doubtful. Is it because of past failures or perhaps fear of the unknown? Recognizing the trigger can help you address the root cause rather than just trying to deal with the symptoms.
Reframe failure: One of the greatest misconceptions is equating failure with inadequacy. In reality, failure is an invaluable teacher, so learn to embrace it! Each time you fail, realize it’s an opportunity to learn and grow. Remember, it’s not about how many times you fall, but how many times you get back up and try again!
Positive Affirmations: Your brain believes what you tell it. You truly do become what you think about, so instead of allowing negative thoughts to dominate, introduce positive affirmations into your daily routine. Statements like “I am capable,” “I believe in myself,” and “I am growing” can have profound effects on your psyche. Be careful to make your statements in the present tense: “I am…” rather than “I will…”.
Remember to Smile: Did you know smiling, even when you’re not feeling great, releases feel-good hormones that lift your mood. Even when you have to force yourself to smile, it will help you brighten your mood and your outlook. If that sounds silly, I challenge you to try it sometime. I’ve used this during some down times, and it does work!
Surround Yourself with Positivity: Your environment can significantly influence your mindset. Engage with people who uplift you, believe in your dreams, and encourage you to push boundaries. Also, consume positive content – books, movies, podcasts – they can increase your confidence. Conquering self-doubt is not a one and done thing by a long shot! It’s an ongoing practice.
Visualize Success: Before embarking on any endeavor whether it’s something brand new or a repeated activity, take a moment to visualize your success. Remember to repeat the visualization often. Feel the emotions associated with achievement and let them wash over you. When you can visualize it and you see it in your mind’s eye, your path becomes much clearer.
Set Small Goals: Instead of aiming straight for the top, set incremental goals. Take the time to celebrate and enjoy each small victory. As you achieve these smaller milestones, your self-confidence will gradually build, preparing you for more significant challenges.
Self-compassion: Treat yourself as you would a dear friend. This means talking to yourself kindly and avoiding self-criticism. Many of us would never speak to a friend the way we talk to ourselves! Instead, understand everyone including you is on a journey. By offering yourself compassion during challenging times, you can minimize feelings of doubt.
Learn Something New: One of the best ways to combat self-doubt is to master a new skill or craft. This not only diverts your attention from negative rumination but also boosts your self-worth as you conquer new goals whether they are large or small.
Seek Mentorship: Engage with individuals who have walked the same path as the one you’re on. Their guidance, reassurances, and perspective can be invaluable. Hearing about their challenges and about how they overcame them can provide both inspiration and practical advice.
Practice Self-Care: This may sound cliché, but it’s essential. A well-rested, well-nourished mind is more resilient against self-doubt. Engage in activities that rejuvenate you: read, meditate, exercise or even go for a simple, peaceful walk in the woods.
While self-doubt may be a frequent part of our human experience, it does not have to define your journey. By actively cultivating self-confidence and by adopting a growth mindset, you can conquer self-doubt and transform your doubts into fuel for progress. Remember, the journey of self-improvement is ongoing; it’s never done. Every step you take is a testament to your courage and determination to soldier on even when you may feel challenged. Embrace the journey, cherish the lessons, and always believe in your potential!
Helping You Achieve Major Wellness!
Cheryl A Major, CNWC
P.S. I’m author, health coach, and entrepreneur Cheryl A Major, and I would love to connect with you. If you’re new to the world of creating a better mindset for yourself, please check out my training on how to do just that at Embrace Optimism. Learn how to improve your mindset and create a happier and more positive life for yourself and those around you.
P.P.S. Be sure to follow me on Twitter so you won’t miss my daily postings for health, wellness and mindset!

domain: psychology


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2022-04-05 | Zeid Malas, founder and lead of the ground-breaking Ethereum project StreamerInu has turned heads through an unexpected connection with Binance CMO & Co-Founder Yi He.
2022-04-05 | Globally acclaimed mobile MMORPG, MIR4, unveils dramatic new content for the month of April.
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2022-03-24 | Breaking Barriers for the Underprivileged. Leading IT education providers, CODEIT Institute Of Technology, announces the launch of The Blockchain Lab, a new Research and Development Facility that focuses on Blockchain-related solutions and NFTs


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The importance of art in society is undeniable. Art provides a means for culture to be shared, allowing individuals from different backgrounds to communicate their ideas and experiences through visual expression. It can provide entertainment, education, and inspiration by capturing the sentiments of a particular time or place and offering an accessible way for people to connect with one another (Vallance & Thompson 2020). In addition, art serves as a tangible reminder of history that can provide valuable insight into past cultures and offer guidance on how our current society should move forward (Maslen 2021).
An example of artwork that plays an important role in today’s society is the 19th century painting La liberté guidant le peuple by Eugène Delacroix. This piece was created during the French Revolution when France was fighting for freedom against tyranny, depicting Lady Liberty leading the revolutionaries forward. Today this painting serves as a powerful reminder of the fight for freedom throughout history and has been used as an emblem for many other revolutions across the world including those in Algeria and Syria (Langley et al., 2019). The message behind this artwork conveys respect for human rights which stands at the core of any functioning democratic society. Furthermore, its aesthetic beauty speaks to its timelessness; it still manages to evoke intense emotion from modern viewers regardless of their political views or cultural background. This demonstrates how art is able to transcend language barriers by conveying universal truths about humanity that are universally understood.
Explain why art is important and purpose it serves in the society. Give an example of an artwork and its role in the society
Another purpose art serves within society today is providing comfort during difficult times. During periods of social unrest or personal hardship we often turn towards works such as paintings or sculptures which make us feel optimistic or hopeful despite dire circumstances (Mayo 2013). These kinds of pieces allow us to process our emotions without having to vocalize them while providing solace through engaging visuals that instill peace within our minds and hearts – something no other medium has seemed capable accomplishing so effectively thus far (McCann 2017). An example would be Michelangelo’s Pietà sculpture located in St Peter’s basilica which portrays Mary holding Jesus’ body after his crucifixion; this depicts not only sorrow but also hope since it implies Mary will never stop mourning her son yet remains strong despite life’s suffering -a sentiment many religious followers find uplifting even centuries later . Therefore we can see how works like these remain relevant due their ability to touch upon deep-seated emotions while inspiring viewers all over the globe regardless of whether they occur in galleries or churches venues alike(Robinson 2018).
In conclusion, art plays a vital role within contemporary societies because it allows people across different cultures come together through mutual understanding while providing comfort during troubling times (Vallance & Thompson 2020; Maslen 2021; Langley et al., 2019; Mayo 2013; McCann 2017 Robinson 2018). Through artistic techniques such as symbolism we are able capture intangible concepts like emotionality which would otherwise go unnoticed if unexpressed visually (Robinson 2018) . We have seen examples like Delacroix La Liberte Guidinge Le Peuple painting demonstrate how powerful messages about democracy can still resonate with audiences centuries later while Michelangelo’s Pietà sculpture show how comforting imagery can encourage faith even under devastating conditions.(Mayo 2013) Thus it becomes clear why art carries significant importance inside today’s communities: By creating dialogue between diverse populations on topics ranging from politics too spirituality , art offers an irreplaceable service that helps make sense out chaos.( Maslen 2021)


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Cat No.: GB0290:
Typically comprehensive of the White's directories. Excellent history of the county and each town, with lots of detail about each place to add to your family history. Very comprehensive listing of all people with trades, from chimney sweeps to farmers, dress makers to doctors, etc.
Of the early directories, the White's are the best!
No. of CDs is: 1 ; Format is: PDF ; Searchable?: ;
FastFind: No; ISBN No.: unavailable;


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Totaling over 6,600 square feet this modern style home completed in 2021 over looks an infinity pool on the Peace River in Punta Gorda. This home has (4) bedrooms, (4.5) baths an office and 3 Car Garage. The open floor plan consists of tile throughout, open wood staircase with metal railings, state of the art kitchen and cus-tom temperature controlled wine room. It also features a backup generator system.
Specs & Features
- 4 Bedrooms, 4.5 Bathrooms, 3 Car Garage
- Over 2800 sq. ft. of living space
- Brick paver circular driveway
- Infinity Pool
- Back-up Generator
- Hurricane Impact Window and Doors
- Oversized Sliding Glass Doors
Want Us to Build A Custom Home For You?
Truex Preferred Construction can make your “Dream” a reality and at the same time deliver a quality product. We’ll create a unique, custom floor plan that exactly meets your needs. Talk to our team of professionals today about building your dream home.

domain: design


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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – President Obama’s speech to the Muslim world will not only be delivered at Cairo University. It also will be texted and tweeted, as well as highlighted on Facebook, Myspace and a host of other social networking sites.
The White House is taking elaborate steps to multiply the audience – and vastly expand the reach – of the president’s address on Thursday. It will be translated by the State Department into at least 13 different languages and a special Web site has been created in Arabic, Persian, Urdu and English for people to receive the speech via text message.
Yes, the administration is taking a page from the playbook of the Obama campaign, which often turned to text messaging and other types of communication to draw people in.
“Welcome to the President Obama Cairo Speech SMS/Text Messaging Service,” said a message on the America.gov Web site. “Be among the first to receive highlights from President Barack Obama’s historic speech.”
The White House press secretary, Robert Gibbs, said that by translating the speech and trying to market it directly to a wide range of people around the world fit with the theme of the president’s address.
“There’s a tremendous amount of outreach,” Mr. Gibbs said. “But it’s important to realize that this is one of many events that a continuing dialogue must happen. This is not a one-time event.”


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Pine Island Glacier is melting faster than previously thought, scientists have discovered. The disturbing discovery came from recruiting seals as research assistants, attaching ocean monitoring devices to them to record the state of the waters through which they swim.
The catastrophic melting of Arctic sea ice has been closely monitored by satellites, and we have a good idea of the bad things happening to Greenland. The state of Antarctic ice is much more contested, however, with many important steps in the process occurring in places that are exceptionally hard to study.
Some particular important, but hard to access, locations are far beneath the surface where seawater meets the leading edge of glaciers. Melting here is natural, but how fast it happens is one of the most crucial factors determining the fate of coastal cities and other low-lying areas this century. Hundreds of meters beneath the surface of the world’s most remote and icy ocean, that is not easy to measure, particularly in winter.
Seals, however, love these waters so Dr Yixi Zheng of the University of East Anglia figured they could lend a flipper. After all, it’s their ecosystem at stake as much as anyone's. Zheng and colleagues attached devices to measure water temperature and salinity to seven elephant seals and seven Weddell seals living in the Amundsen Sea.
In Communications: Earth and Environment, Zheng reports the news the seals brought back is worrying, although far from the final word. Pine Island Glacier is a large West Antarctic glacier, known as probably the fastest melting on the continent. However, Zheng and colleagues found even these observations may underestimate the amount of meltwater it is producing.
Some 450 meters (1,500 feet) beneath the ocean surface Zheng found a layer of relatively fresh water that has apparently recently melted off the glacier’s lower portions. Columns dot the ocean where this meltwater rises to near the surface, but the deep melt layer spreads further from the glacier’s front than the shallower layer of freshwater, something not previously suspected. That’s not entirely a bad thing, as the rising meltwater brings nutrients with it. “The meltwater-related nutrient may boost the growth of marine planktons like algae,” Zheng said in a statement. That, in turn, could enhance the food-chain of the region as a whole.
Counterintuitively, however, the recently melted water is actually warmer than the seawater around it, which can be well below 0ºC, but kept liquid by salt. Consequently, rising meltwater disrupts the formation of sea ice and interferes with ocean circulation. The meltwater’s signature is easiest to detect in winter when there is no sunlight to produce similar effects at the upper levels, but the extreme conditions have obstructed investigations.
The team's observations were conducted over a single winter, so we don’t know if what they observed is part of a rising trend, an outlier, or something normal we were not aware of before.


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By Matt Agorist
Naturally, Americans are up in arms because a bunch of folks who get paid millions of dollars to throw around a leather ball decided to kneel during the national anthem. I find this ironic for several reasons.
First off, I’d like to clarify that choosing not to watch football because someone did something you disagree with is entirely your choice and your choice alone. Just like NFL players can make the decision to kneel during the anthem, you can make the decision to change the channel. It’s called freedom, it is awesome, and I highly recommend it.
That being said, I’d like to draw attention to two points, one being the idea of a country whose leader shames others and calls for the termination of their employment for practicing their right to disagree with the government, and two, why are people so upset over a bunch of kneeling millionaires?
Donald Trump was well within his right to say whatever he wants about the NFL players, up to and including calling for the NFL to fire them. It’s called freedom, and you don’t have to like it to participate in it. But, if Trump really wanted the players to start standing up for the anthem, calling for them to be fired is not only on the verge of tyrannical, but it’s nowhere close to a solution.
Respect is earned. It is not mandated through threats or abuse of power or forced through the barrel of a gun. If there was one thing I learned in the Marine Corps it’s that good leaders are ones that lead by example. Those leaders who demanded respect without first earning it were the reason for me turning down a 5-figure tax-free reenlistment bonus to stay in.
Leaders, and I use that term loosely, who want something from you and don’t have the common decency or fortitude to first apply themselves and find a peaceful and mutually beneficial way to get it are not leading by example and deserve no respect. Sadly, in America, leaders haven’t done these things in a long time. In America, through propaganda and fear, our leaders are demanding and mandating respect—without earning it. This is the definition of tyranny.
If Donald Trump really wanted the football players to start standing during the national anthem, then he should ask them what it is they want. If the dozens of millionaires taking knees can’t articulate a rational and well thought out list of requests, then they are merely publicity hounds buying into the divide. Colin Kaepernick could do this, and he’s has taken action to try to resolve his grievances.
I’m not quite sure all these other NFL players would be such good leaders—like Kaepernick—if asked what it is they want.
If it’s police brutality they are protesting, where were most of these folks when Obama was in office? It’s not like police brutality and racist policing practices suddenly became an issue once Trump took over in 2017. Where were all these NFL players when Obama was filling prisons with black people for possessing a plant? Where were all these NFL players when Obama continued to wage the drug war which is proven to lay far more waste to the rights of those with darker skin than to those with lighter skin? Outside of just a few of them, they were nowhere to be found, that’s where.
That brings me to my second point—the folks who are angry at these football players taking knees—because it disrespects our country, our troops and our veterans. Again, these folks have every right to voice their opinion, be angry, and boycott the NFL. It’s called freedom, and it’s awesome, and I highly recommend it.
That being said, if a person taking a knee during a song is disrespectful to our troops and veterans, what, exactly, is it considered when 307,000 of those veterans die waiting for care they were promised by this country? If a person taking a knee during a song is disrespectful to those who fought for our country, what is it considered when that country looks the other way when there over 40,000 of those veterans living on the streets with no home? If taking a knee at a football game is disrespectful, what then, is it considered when Americans remain silent as a veteran kills himself or herself every 65 minutes, every single day, every single month, of every single year?
If this song and flag represent the land of the free and people kneeling down makes others angry because it is an insult to that freedom, then how does one view the NSA surveillance grid? Is a person taking a knee worse than the United States of America creating the largest spying network the world has ever seen—one that the Stasi would’ve killed for—and using it on innocent Americans?
Is a person kneeling more offensive than the TSA groping babies, cancer patients, the elderly, and the disabled, despite never stopping a terror attack? Is a knee more offensive to freedom than the United States creating, maintaining, and financing the largest prison population the world has ever seen through the enforcement of victimless crimes?
Is a rich football player kneeling really that much more offensive than the Commander in Chief making one of the largest weapons deals in the history of the US with the largest state sponsor of terror in the world, Saudi Arabia? Is a knee more offensive than calling Saudi Arabia our ally after they were exposed for financing the horrific attacks on 9/11?
Where is the outrage? Call me a traitor, call me unpatriotic, call me whatever you want, tell me to move to Somalia and eat shit and die, because—freedom baby. However, I’ll always stand against tyranny, even if that means pissing people off for telling the truth. In an empire of lies, telling the truth is a revolutionary and often hated act.
If we can agree on one thing in this sea of vitriol and disagreement, let us remember that this country was born through protest. Slavery ended because of protest. The Declaration of Independence was a protest. It was not order-following and blind compliance that created America—it was disobedience.
Matt Agorist is an honorably discharged veteran of the USMC and former intelligence operator directly tasked by the NSA. This prior experience gives him unique insight into the world of government corruption and the American police state. Agorist has been an independent journalist for over a decade and has been featured on mainstream networks around the world. Agorist is also the Editor at Large at the Free Thought Project, where this article first appeared. Follow @MattAgorist on Twitter, Steemit, and now on Facebook.

domain: sociology


22/02/2018 10:59 am
© Canadian Space Agency, 2018
Canada’s Cassiope satellite carries e-POP, which consists of eight instruments to provide information on Earth’s ionosphere, thermosphere and magnetosphere for a better understanding of space weather. Under a new agreement signed in February 2018, e-POP joins ESA’s magnetic field Swarm mission as a fourth element.
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Buoyant assistive device
US D655364 S1
The ornamental design for a buoyant assistive device, as shown and described.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a buoyant assistive device showing my new design;
FIG. 2 is a top view thereof;
FIG. 3 is a bottom view thereof;
FIG. 4 is a front elevational view thereof;
FIG. 5 is a back elevational view thereof;
FIG. 6 is a left side view thereof; and,
FIG. 7 is right side view thereof.
The broken lines shown in FIG. 5 represent stitching and form no part of the claimed design.


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August 1, 2022 - August 30, 2022
Frank Gregory Studios | 2 Mead St Greenfield, MA
In addition to everything marked as Available elsewhere on the website, this gallery is for inexpensive Oil Sketches and Select Small Paintings. These small paintings are available framed and ready to hang . Shipping included within the US. Email me at [email protected] with the title you are interested in!
Oil Sketches and Select Small Paintings


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If you’re not sick, take Vitamin C.
If you get sick take elderberry syrup.
These are trying times but we will overcome!
Email me if you can’t remember how much Vitamin C to take, as some of us need high doses and some of us don’t. Don’t get it wrong. Stay well.

domain: health


About Greg Rollinson Pianos
GENERATIONS OF PIANO EXPERTISE!
Greg Rollinson Pianos was established in 1924 and is owned by Greg Rollinson, who is a fifth generation Piano Tuner & Technician.
The Rollinsons are renowned for their technical knowledge of pianos that dates back to the early 1800’s. The business prides itself on skills passed down five generations over more than 164 years. This wealth of knowledge begins with Urias Cobley Rollinson in England in 1848, his knowledge was passed on to his son, Uri Jim Rollinson, who died in King Williams Town (Cape Town), South Africa, after working and training with Polliaks in the Music Industry. Uri, in turn, trained his son, Thomas Edward Rollinson, in the piano trade when it was brought to Johannesburg.
Thomas had two sons, James Edward Rollinson and Robert Hugh Rollinson, who both followed in his footsteps and become part of the piano heritage that they owned. James and Robert worked for Greg Rollinson Pianos in the 1930’s & 40’s. Robert eventually retired and returned to England and the piano industry lost one of their very best piano technicians, James Edward Rollinson, when he passed away in 2011.
James had two daughters and one son; Gregory Guy Rollinson, who started training in pianos as early as 13 years of age. Today, he is the owner of Greg Rollinson Pianos and in addition to the knowledge that Greg has gained, a number of Lincoln Bros staff members have been in the industry for 25 years or more.
The Rollinson and Greg Rollinson Pianos name is a household name, due to the fact that the primary focus has always been the high standard of workmanship on all piano maintenance and restoration, thus enabling Lincoln Bros to offer a five-year guarantee on all workmanship. Specialising in concert tuning, servicing, repairs, refurbishing, re-spraying, piano hire, castors, castor cups, piano covers, piano trolleys, transport, sale of new and used pianos, purchasing of pianos, valuations and insurance claims.
Greg Rollinson Pianos Clientele includes the private sector, schools, universities, colleges, music shops, piano tuners and technicians, piano dealers and many popular South African televised music productions
Greg Rollinson Pianos are the masters at repairing, overhauling, re-spraying, tuning and complete restoration of pianos. In addition we offer the transporting of pianos, which is handled by a team of well-trained staff. If you are looking to buy a new grand or upright piano, we stock Ritmüller (sole agents). We stock all makes of second hand and refurbished pianos, which are priced competitively. These pianos can be viewed on our show room floor. All pianos, new or pre-owned, are thoroughly checked, tuned, serviced and/or restored, prior to delivery.
Grand or upright pianos are available for hire for functions such as weddings, photo shoots, interior design and concerts. Monthly piano hire is offered to all including all up and coming musicians.


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Brazilian Compilation Series Vol. 2
When artists "Poolside" (Los Angles) & Brazilian legend "Fatnotronic" team up, they bring you yet another masterpiece collectors item. "Esperar Pra Ver" is a fun party song, swaying you right on down into the warm welcoming waters of Ipanema Beach, sneaking in 303 acid lines along your path. Label owner TonyAdams in full swing with "Estou Livre" which translates to (I Am Free) sure to make you feel free on any dance floor. Daniel T gets psychedelic with intoxicating vocals and percussions. Get lost in these world rhythms. Brazilian artist "Joutro Mundo" sends us this disco chugging classic "Nao Force" with gleaming shining vocals and a four on the flour.
|12inch||Chit Chat Records: CCR013||out of stock||remind|


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Manzanola Alfalfa Cubes
Style #: CUBES
- Crude protein, not less than 15%
- Crude fat, not less than 2%
- Crude fiber, not less than 33%
- Coarse chopped sun-cured alfalfa hay, Mold Inhibitor, Water
- Size 1 1/4" each
- 50 lb
Analysis Crude protein, not less than 15% Crude fat, not less than 2% Crude fiber, not less than 33%
Ingredients Coarse chopped sun-cured alfalfa hay Mold Inhibitor Water
Top Of The Rockies Horse Cubes can be used effectively as the sole source of roughage for all classes of animals. Horses that are fed alfalfa cubes tend to eat all the cubes provided, whereas horses fed long-stem alfalfa hay will sort through the hay and not eat the hay offered. Research in Colorado reported that mature horses fed alfalfa cubes maintained their body weight better than horses fed equal amounts of long-stem hay.
Normally horses will eat between 1.5 to 2.5% of their body weight per day (this includes forage and grain). Heavily lactating mares, intensively worked mature horses and younger weaned horses (4 to 18 months of age) can consume up to 3% of their body weight per day. The amount may vary depending on the animal's needs and activity
Grains and/or supplements may be fed if necessary for a desired body condition but you will always want to provide plenty of clean fresh water. The cubes may also be soaked for those animals that have dental issues or respiratory problems.
Certified weed free cubes are available upon request.
Please consult your veterinarian or nutritionist to develop a complete nutritional and health care program for your animal.


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Reliance Industries Launches R. Elan Fabric Fashion For Earth
Aug 23, 2018 11:01 PM IST
Reliance Industries as part of its commitment to circular economy has launched R. Elan – Fashion for Earth. The brand was unveiled at Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai on Thursday afternoon.
Reliance Industries in association with the United Nations and House of Anita Dongre has developed R. Elan, a fashion line which is made of 100% PET bottles. At the launch of the line the Indian representative of United Nationas Yuri Afanasiev, COO of Petrochemicals RIL Vipul Shah, fashion designer Anita Dongre, actor Dia Mirza and many others stressed on the importance of socially responsible fashion and the closed loop economy. They railed against the irresponsible make, use and dispose model in the fashion industry that’s filling landfills, and endorsed the merits of the make, use and recycle model.


Despite Apple launching its iPhone 12 line-up a little later than usual, it has been incredibly well-received by consumers. So much so that the tech giant sold 81.8 million iPhones in Q4 2020, making a record for the most iPhones ever sold in a single quarter.
2021 has just begun and iPhone 13 rumors have already started coming In. From reports about the design of the smartphone to reports about the lineup having support for Wi-Fi 6E, we have heard it all in the past few weeks. The latest report comes from Apple serial leaker Jon Prosser. According to Prosser, the upcoming iPhone 13 Pro could offer 1TB of storage.
Next iPhone 13 Pro could provide up to 1TB of storage
In the last episode of Front Page Tech, Prosser noted a tweet of his from October 27th saying, ”hope y’all are ready for 1TB iPhones’. Additionally, he also said that most prototypes of iPhone 13 feature 1TB of storage, but only for the Pro variants.
The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max variants can be purchased with up to 512GB already on board, while iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 are limited to 256GB of internal storage. The tech giant could possibly launch four variants of iPhone 13 this year, the same number as 2020. However, there could be one difference, iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini could provide up to 512GB of storage.
Prosser also noted that Apple might reserve the larger storage feature for the iPhone 13 Pro models due to increased cost and the fact that lower storage in its more popular smartphones would drive people to rely on paid services like iCloud.
Finally, Prosser suggests that the smartphone’s notch might not change like it was previously reported. Other iPhone 13 rumors that have arisen recently suggest that some models in the lineup might get an in-display fingerprint, LPTO OLED displays with support for 120Hz refresh rates, all models will feature a LiDAR sensor and the updated camera unit will sport an improved ultra-wide camera with a fast f1.8 lens with auto-focus.
You can check out the full video from Front Page Tech:


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Sputnik vaccine Photograph:( AFP )
The deal follows similar agreements with Indian pharmaceutical firms Gland Pharma and Hetero to produce millions of doses of Sputnik V jabs
An Indian drugmaker has partnered with Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine developer on Friday to produce 200 million doses of the Russian coronavirus vaccine.
The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) in a statement confirmed its partnership with Strides Pharma Science's unit Stelis Biopharma "to produce and supply a minimum of 200 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine".
RDIF also said that Stelin will work with the Russian wealth fund for further supplies "beyond the initial agreement".
RDIF chief Kirill Dmitriev said that the "significant vaccine volumes" that will be produced by Stelis "will help widen access to the vaccine on a global scale".
The deal follows similar agreements with Indian pharmaceutical firms Gland Pharma and Hetero to produce millions of doses of Sputnik V jabs.
Sputnik V, named after the Soviet-era satellite, has been approved by 22 nations so far.
However, RDIF has said that 52 countries have approved the use of the Russian vaccine.
Moscow registered the vaccine in August last year before conducting large-scale clinical trials, but leading medical journal The Lancet has since said it is safe and has an efficacy of more than 90 per cent.
India is the world's biggest vaccine producer and currently supplying several countries with Oxford-AstraZeneca doses.

domain: medical


Rangers investigate sexually explicit Mohammed tweet
Rangers are investigating after it emerged that a newly appointed director at Ibrox apparently tweeted a sexually explicit cartoon of the prophet Mohammed.
The message was sent from Chris Graham's Twitter account to radical Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary on the day of the Charlie Hebdo attack.
Mr Graham was appointed as a non-executive director at Ibrox on Tuesday.
South African businessman Dave King took charge of the club last week.
Barely 24 hours after his appointment, Mr Graham is at the centre of controversy about his activity on social media before he joined the board.
On 7 January, shortly after two gunmen had shot dead 12 people at the offices of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris, the radical Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary sent a message on Twitter which read "freedom of expression does not extend to insulting the prophets of Allah, whatever your views on the events in Paris today!"
Mr Graham apparently replied by sending a cartoon depicting the prophet Mohammed engaged in an explicit homosexual act.
Part of the message accompanying the drawing read: "You probably won't like this one...then"
Mr Graham, who is 38-years-old, is well known among football fans for representing the Rangers Supporters Trust and running the Rangers Standard website.
His Twitter account is now restricted from public view.
A spokesman for Rangers said: "We are unaware of this but we will look into it."
Mr Graham has so far been unavailable for comment.


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Determinants of unemployment amongst Australian systemic sclerosis patients: results from a multicentre cohort study
September 2, 2020
Morrisroe K, Huq M, Stevens W, Rabusa C, Proudman S.M., Nikpour M, and the Australian Scleroderma Interest Group (ASIG)
Introduction: The ability to work is based on multiple factors, which can be summarised as the worker’s capacity to meet the physical and mental demands of a particular job. The ability to work is an important determinant of sustained employability (1) and is correlated with increased productivity and participation in the labour market (1).

domain: literature


text:
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Enjoy your favorite music the super stylish way with this neat Kuromi glam earphone. The ideal accessory for your iPod or other audio players. The cute design features Kuromi with shimmery pink metallic highlights. Digital stereo sound. Super lightweight.


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Boris Johnson has insisted that if Vladimir Putin doubles down “then so shall we,” as he praised the “extraordinary fortitude” of the Ukrainian people.
The Prime Minister pledged that the UK would increase the economic pressure on Russia, as well as providing further support to Ukraine, if Putin does so.
His comments came after MPs gave a standing ovation to the Ukrainian ambassador to the UK, Vadym Prystaiko, who was in attendance in the Commons for Prime Minister’s Questions.
Addressing Parliament, Johnson also announced the launch of a Ukraine appeal by the Disasters Emergency Committee, with every pound donated by the British people matched by the UK Government, starting at £20m.
“Putin has gravely miscalculated; in his abhorrent assault on a sovereign nation, he has underestimated the extraordinary fortitude of the Ukrainian people and the unity and resolve of the free world in standing up to his barbarism,” the Prime Minister told the Commons.
“The UN General Assembly will vote later today and we call on every nation to join us in condemning Russia and demanding that Putin turns his tanks around.
“If instead Putin doubles down then so shall we, further ratcheting up economic pressure and supporting Ukraine with finance, with weapons and with humanitarian assistance.”
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer hailed the bravery of Russian protesters.
He added: “They remind us that the Russian people are not our enemy, they are the victims of thieves who have stolen their wealth and stolen their chance of democracy.
“For too long Britain has been a safe haven for stolen money. Putin thinks we’re too corrupted to do the right thing and put an end to it.”
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford called Vladimir Putin a “war criminal”.
“With every passing hour the world is witnessing the horrors of Putin’s war in Ukraine,” said Blackford.
“In Kherson, a family of five – a mother, her parents, her 6-year-old daughter and her baby son – were murdered in cold blood by Russian troops.
“In the same city – a 12-year-old boy watched his mother die as he desperately attempted to save her from the rubble of their own home.
“These war crimes are happening in Europe right now – Vladimir Putin is a war criminal.
“And one day soon Putin must face justice in The Hague.”
Blackford insisted that the UK should sign up to the ‘crime of aggression’ in order to tackle Putin.
He said: “To prosecute Putin and his regime, the full range of war crime charges needs to be used – including the ‘crime of aggression’ by a state.
“But the UK has always refused to sign up to the prosecution of this crime in international law.
“Surely with Putin’s crimes of aggression in plain and horrific sight in Ukraine, now is the right time to drop that opposition.”
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