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The Environmental Group started our first hands-on project at the school today. When we arrived, some of the school children were already congregating and getting their hands stuck in around the patch of soil we were going to start our work on. Our initial plan was to raise awareness about littering, recycling around the school grounds, and the advantages of creating one’s own compost.
First, we had to over-turn the soil to reveal and remove the vast amount of rubbish hidden beneath. All of the volunteers were shocked to see the quantity of rubbish that was buried. Every time we picked up rubbish and overturned more soil, a new heap of rubbish would appear. We then went to a house that belongs to a school girl to collect their homemade compost which we will then use to plant the vegetables in.
As the children were finishing overturning the soil, some of the volunteers brought these massive rubber tyres which would become the vegetable patches.
We dug up the ground to the same size of the tyres so we could place them in the soil. All of the children helped us collect rocks to place around the tyres to add a rock garden effect.
Although we could not finish everything, by next week we hope to plant all the vegetables in the tyres and teach the children how to maintain the vegetable patch.
It was really great to see the amount of children that got involved with the digging, rubbish collection, and to see they were having fun while interacting with the volunteers. I enjoyed this day in particular as it allowed me to communicate with the children more and learn a little more about them.
Written by ICS Volunteers Harvie Chiu

domain: agronomy


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Phenomenal OD. Caring, compassionate, and not a salesman in a lab coat.
Perfect prescription. Great experience. Gonna send my whole family over to you doc.
I have only been going to Dr Kluss for a little over a year, I wish I would have known about his office alot sooner. Dr Kluss's staff is very Knowledgable and patien... Read more
My whole family goes to Dr. Park for many years.
She is the best!
If you need an optometrist in Chicago this is the guy! Very knowledgable and great service!
Dr. Sheladia is great, staff @ the Pulaski location rude & sarcastic
Dr. Washington has an excellent chairside manner. She is smart, fried
I went to the Pearle Vision in Riverpointe Mall and thought that the place was great. Staff was very nice and I found a great pair of glasses and sunglasses.
Best eye care experience ever! The staff was extremely friendly and thorough. Was in and out in no time at all.
Delightful experience! Patient friendly, uses layman's terms not medical jargon
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domain: medical


Explore the smaller, more athletic 2020 Mazda Cx 5 sports automobile with nimble performance and driver-centric applied sciences. We evaluations the 2020 Mazda Cx 5 Release Date where consumers can find detailed data on specs, fuel economic system, transmission and safety.
Inside, the 2020 Mazda Cx 5 is similarly cluttered. Its dashboard is upright and places local weather and audio controls at the prime of the center stack, however secondary switches are tucked low and are exhausting to achieve.
Explore 2020 Mazda Cx 5, performance and technology features. See models and pricing, as well as photos. We opinions the 2020 Mazda Cx 5 Redesign the place consumers can find detailed info on specs, fuel financial system, transmission and safety.
2020 Mazda Cx 5 First Drive, Price, Performance and Review
Explore the design, performance and expertise options of the 2020 Mazda Cx 5. See models and pricing, as well as photos. The 2020 Mazda Cx 5 Concept goes to excess the best kinds of excess to preserve its best-of standing. Find out if the brand new 2020 Mazda Cx 5 coupe takes a step forward in our first-drive review. See photos and get the story at Car and Driver.
Reviews, newest news, specs and street assessments on the 2020 Mazda Cx 5. Top Gear opinions the 2020 Mazda Cx 5 Redesign. Terrific refinement, class-leading expertise, and unbelievable inside high quality.
10 photos of the "2020 Mazda Cx 5 Spy Shoot"


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a falling out with her Father (Alice’s grandfather) and they left the next morning.
Grandie ran a dance school and dance has been in Alice’s blood for as long as she
can remember. Despite graduating from a school of dance and drama with flying
colours,her life in New York has been rather unsuccessful. When Grandie takes ill,
Alice decides to fly home to see him, perhaps for one last time. On arriving she
realises that she feels more at home than in the thirteen intervening years.
This is a heartwarming story and you can see where it perhaps will go but that
doesn’t spoil it in the least. A wonderfully uplifting read of relationships, family
and heartache. Of what should be done and what ought to be done. Those
sensitive situations we have all found ourselves in. A truly enjoyable read
with a smile.
Christie is an ambassador for raising money/awareness and engaging with impoverished people in Uganda through organisations to improve their well-being as well as Literary Editor for bringing you all the latest news and reviews from the book world.
She loves to hear from her readers and you can get in touch via her website Twitter and Facebook page

domain: literature


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When you open your desk drawer, do you see a mishmash of office supplies and loose papers? These easy DIY drawer organizers made from cookie and cereal boxes are a great organizing solution. (Bonus: They're also a good excuse to eat more cookies and cereal!) Read more: http://www.ehow.com/how_12340794_diy-desk-drawer-organizers.html?utm_source=pinterest.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=freestyle&utm_campaign=fanpage
Drawer organizers keep the peace in the kitchen junk drawer (yes, everybody has one!), bathroom drawers, night table drawers ~ well, all drawers really! Combine them with drawer liner for best results. I prefer the clear plastic but you might like mesh or wood.

domain: design


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others, good and stable, well known also but not the. This resulted in Australian brokers gaining good market share in the global forex market. This strategy offered them higher profits in the last two years but hampered their growth and resulted in a loss of market share. Hot Forex Debit Card Coupled with the low minimum deposit requirements of the brokers, the high number of deposit and withdrawal options is one of the main reasons why the three brokers are the only majors who increased their market share in the last two. Hot Forex has grown very fast in the last two years and has become the fifth largest forex broker in the world. While they dont represent a high percentage of the total number of retail clients, high frequency traders new forest pony trekking holidays (also known as day traders) account for a large share of total volumes as they place a lot of trades daily.
UK Forex Awards will take place on Wednesday 26 September 2018 at the Steel Yard, London.
A lot has changed in the retail forex market in the last two years.
Without a doubt, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) decision in January 2015 to stop supporting.
Admisi forex india private limited, Start forex trading in india,
On the other side, the low leverage enforced by the regulators has limited the upside on their home markets. Forex Ratings standards of fairness credibility. If you want to compare several brokerages or analyze trading conditions, please use our free comparison and research tool which will vividly show you the main benefits of the best forex brokers. The winners are in! I also like their. Winners : m, Hot Forex, IC Markets, Direct FX Losers : fxcm, m, Oanda, Interactive Brokers, GMO Click Securities Spreads are also an important factor for many traders when choosing their broker. Here are the rankings: A graphical representation of the top ten forex brokers by trading volume can be seen in the chart below:.5 Billion USD daily volume m is the trading name of Gain Capital and has been one of the major forex. Two years later, in February 2017, fxcm announced the sale of its US client base to Gain Capital and the withdrawal from the US market. This is the preferred broker among day trading enthusiasts. But turns out that those. IC Markets.6 Billion USD daily volume IC Markets (International Capital Markets Pty Ltd) is the largest forex broker in Australia and one of the largest retail forex brokers in the world. On the other hand, Japanese and US brokers are well behind when it comes to localized services and multi-language support.
Grand Capital just turned 12! 25 for all new clients. Fellow Traders and Investors, I am honored to present the second annual. ForexBrokers.com, forex, broker Review for 2018.

domain: finance


The appearance is what lures them in. Come on…like you haven’t just stopped on a dime once in a while and noticed them. They are easy to see, peering underneath someone’s wheels. The truth is, you’re not alone. Caliper covers have become one of the more popular exterior upgrades for performance freaks and the look is reason number one. But the funny thing is, along with that flash of style comes other perks you may not have been paying attention to.
Let’s talk about putting them on. Installing a set of MGP caliper covers invites several benefits. Many drivers are interested in dressing up their brakes, especially if they have purchased aftermarket wheels. The trend of putting on larger rims has increased the popularity of using a set of caliper guards. Why? Because with wider wheels the calipers are much more visible than on standard stock wheels. However, some luxury and performance automakers include wide diameter wheels stock, as well. A common pastime for car owners has been painting the calipers. However, that can be an arduous process that is often not worth the amount of work it takes.
It takes some wrench-pulling to paint a set of brake calipers. You cannot just take a brush and paint them through the rim. Instead, you have to remove the wheel, the rim, and then finally, the clamp itself. For some vehicles, it can take several hours before you are even able to re-install them. It is necessary to thoroughly clean not only the part, but the entire wheel, also. The right type of paint or powder coat has to be applied, as certain paint types are not conducive to the surface of the components. MGP caliper covers take away all of the hassle. Instead of being forced to engage in a lengthy cleaning and painting procedure, you can be finished in a fraction of the time.
Perhaps the most poignant attribute custom caliper covers have is their
ready to install appearance. There is no prep work necessary. Unlike painted calipers, these come ready for immediate installation onto your car. There is a lot of time saved, as you will not have to go to your dealer or favorite auto shop to procure the necessary paint. And of course, you will not have to lift a brush or spray can. These bad boys are coated in the paint color of your choice. Another added dimension is the engraving process. This gives motorists the ability to choose from many different inscriptions including the name or make of their model.
It does not take nearly as long to install caliper shields as it does to paint the OEM part. As we discussed, in order to paint the calipers, you will have to uninstall them, paint, and then re-install. It can take up to a full day’s work to do it right. That is not the case with MGP. When you receive your set of 2 or 4, it will come with lug nuts and clips for you to do it yourself. All it really involves is removing each tire one by one, popping off the rim, putting the caliper guard on, putting the rim back, and that’s it. Many drivers report that it takes about ten minutes or thereabouts per wheel. You can be finished in less than an hour. Yes, less than an hour. For the whole car. Sound good?
One of the more discussed traits of MGP covers is their ability to stay cool while also providing a layer of protection. It has been proven numerous times that caliper guards act as a heat sink and can drop the temperature of the calipers by approximately 40 degrees Fahrenheit. This is due in large part to their material. Instead of being made of a heat-absorbing substance that raises the overall temperature of the area, MGP caliper covers are crafted out of 061-T6 aluminum. This grade of aluminum is recognized for its penchant for maintaining a reasonable temperature regardless of braking conditions. Owners of performance or racing models especially appreciate this, given their driving habits.
A common complaint auto enthusiasts have is that their brakes and rotors accumulate dust and debris. It can be a frequent occurrence if you often drive at high speeds or in warm climates. Dust can attach to the surface of the area and over time, actually contribute to
wear and tear. Caliper guards go a long way towards protecting the vicinity from unnecessary damage. They act as a barrier between your brake clamps and debris. Because they are given a top-quality powder-coated finish, any dusty buildup will either fall away on its own or can be cleaned off in mere seconds.
If you have been looking for an additional way to decorate your wheels, MGP caliper covers are an attractive, durable, and easy way to do so. Painting the area can bring about a host of issues that take extra time and money. Plus, MGP will customize to your exact specifications. They are also available for more makes and models than ever before.
So you see, you thought it was all about style. That it was all about “the look.” And you’re not far off. How your car dresses is certainly an important part of the equation. But if you’re willing to dig a little deeper, you begin to realize that this customization is about more than just fashion. There’s more to the story. And the story starts with giving your calipers a line of protection that just so happens to add a cutting-edge, aggressive fashion statement.


Robin Thicke Divorce Update - Desperate to Get Back with Wife Paula Patton
Robin Thicke divorce update - the singer is desperate to get back with his wife Paula Patton and reports have revealed that he flew to Canada for crisis talks with Paula last week to try to save his marriage.
The 'Blurred Lines' hitmaker - who announced this week he and the actress were separating after almost nine years of marriage - cited throat problems when he axed a planned concert in Atlanta on Friday, but insiders say he jetted off to Vancouver after Paula told him she wanted to end their union.
According to gossip website TMZ, the couple - who have three-year-old son Julian together - had a long conversation in which they acknowledged they hadn't been getting along and had argued a lot.
Robin, 36, then ''reluctantly'' agreed to end his marriage to the 38-year-old actress, but was described as being ''very upset''.
And despite making the decision on Friday, the pair were seen enjoying a day out at Disneyland in California with their son on Sunday (23.02.14).
The couple said in a statement announcing their split they will always ''be best friends,'' but ''mutually decided to separate at this time'' and insiders weren't surprised by the news.
A source said: ''It has been a long time coming. It is not a shock to Robin or Paula, and it is something they have discussed for a long time.''
Another insider said: ''Their marriage was unravelling for a long time.''
© Bang Showbiz
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Street View is the best available vantage point looking, if possible, towards the location of the building. In some locations, Street View may not give a view of the actual building, or may not be available at all. Where it is not available, the satellite view is shown instead.
Latitude: 50.3629 / 50°21'46"N
Longitude: -4.0421 / 4°2'31"W
OS Eastings: 254849
OS Northings: 53442
OS Grid: SX548534
Mapcode National: GBR Q0.VRJM
Mapcode Global: FRA 28F2.M2T
Entry Name: Shippen Approximately 30 Metres South West of West Sherford Farmhouse
Listing Date: 19 July 1984
Source: Historic England
Source ID: 1107830
English Heritage Legacy ID: 100304
Location: Brixton, South Hams, Devon, PL8
District: South Hams
Civil Parish: Brixton
Traditional County: Devon
Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Devon
SX 55 SW BRIXTON
30 metres south west of
West Sherford Farmhouse
Shippen with hay loft over. Circa C18 or earlier. Stone rubble. Corrugated
asbestos roof with hipped and gabled ends. Two storeys. Shippen doors on ground
floor with hay loft door above. Left hand (south east) loft door has external stone
Right hand (south west) end a very small moulded granite slit window.
Included for group value.
Listing NGR: SX5484953442
This text is from the original listing, and may not necessarily reflect the current setting of the building.
Other nearby listed buildings

domain: geography


Motorcycle.com· Sponsored Editorial Content
Discussion Starter · #1 ·
Read more about the EICMA 2015 Coverage: Milan Motorcycle Show at Motorcycle.com.It’s time once again for the biggest motorcycle show of the year, EICMA.
Our coverage kicks off with a bang on Monday, Nov. 16, with announcements from Ducati,Honda, and Yamaha, followed by two full press days with presentations from other major manufacturers such as BMW, Kawasaki, Suzuki, KTM and Piaggio.
Motorcycle.com will have all of the latest news from EICMA with Editor-in-Chief Kevin Duke reporting live in Milan. Keep checking this space through the next few days for the latest updates.


Winge, T. (2012). A Guide to EU Legislation on the Marketing of Seed and Plant Propagating Material in the Context of Agricultural Biodiversity. (FNI Report 11/2012). Lysaker, Norway: The Fridtjof Nansen Institute.
Download the pdf here.
This report presents the EU legislation on the marketing of seed and plant propagating material, with a particular view to how it affects agricultural biodiversity. The main principles of the EU’s 12 basic directives in this area and the three directives providing derogations for the purpose of conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture are discussed. As this part of EU legislation is currently undergoing review, the various elements of the review process are also presented. In addition, the report contains a guide to the literature on the development of such legislation in Europe, its effects on agricultural biodiversity, and the content and consequences of the EU directive that provides derogations for conservation varieties.


IPL 2019: David Warner Or Bhuvneshwar Kumar? Tom Moody Reveals SRH’s Captain In Kane Williamson’s Absence
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are yet to decide on their final playing eleven for their season-opener against Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday (March 24). Their skipper Kane Williamson is yet to be given the green light to play the opener as he recovers from the shoulder injury he had sustained during the second Test against Bangladesh earlier this month. Williamson along with his compatriot Martin Guptill had joined the Sunrisers camp on March 22 after attending New Zealand Cricket’s yearly award show and is unlikely to play in the opener.
Head coach Tom Moody, on Saturday, confirmed that Williamson will be assessed again before the team takes a final call on his availability. Moody also confirmed that in case Williamson misses out, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and not David Warner will lead the team.
“He (Kane Williamson) arrived with Martin Guptill late yesterday night. They had to attend an awards function with New Zealand cricket. We are assessing Kane today and tomorrow,” Moody told reporters.
“It’s not a long term injury. Whether he plays, we will take a call tomorrow. We have got quite a few days before our next home game. If he’s not available, I don’t see any issues from second game onwards. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is our vice-captain,” Moody added.
Missing Williamson will be a big blow for the Sunrisers. The New Zealand star was their stand-out performer last season, leading the team with utmost aplomb. He was handed the captaincy at the last minute after David Warner was barred from IPL in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal and Williamson lived up to the expectations.
He scored more than 700 runs to finish the tournament as the highest run-scorer and led the team to the final.
Moody further said that Warner might not be the captain but continues to be a leader of the team.
“Warner is available. He is jumping out of his skin to start his campaign,” Moody said.
“Davey still has a leadership role within the group. In the middle with the bat in hand and around training and out in the middle when it comes to strategising,” he added.
IPL 2019: Match 34, Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians- Match Review
It turned out to be a convincing victory for Mumbai Indians as they defeated Delhi Capitals by 40 runs in…
IPL 2019: Watch – Hardik Pandya Imitates Helicopter Shot to Perfection to Dismiss Kagiso Rabada over Long-on
Mumbai Indians (MI) all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya powered their side to post 168 runs at the end of…


Nearly 900 Asteroids Are Potentially Dangerous to the Earth Over the Next 100 Years
878 asteroids are likely to collide with the Earth in the next 100 years, according to the European Space Agency, quoted by Daily Mail.
This risk should be kept to a minimum because even a small asteroid impact could result in devastating damage, according to scientists at the agency.
European Space Agency teams are already developing technology to deflect space rock fragments. Safe asteroid shield tactics and strategies will be discussed at several meetings in Europe over the coming days.
The news of the space “invaders’” danger comes amid a NASA warning, which was made late last month about an asteroid larger than the Empire State Building which is expected to approach the Earth.
The space rock, called 2000 QW7, will be closest to our planet on Saturday, September 14, traveling with 22 530 km / h. Although the estimated distance from the Earth is 4,828,032 km, it is considered a close crossing, NASA reported.
The space rock formation has an average diameter of 951 to 2 133 m, which means that if it was a building on Earth, it would be the second highest in the world.
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- » A 6.2 Magnitude Earthquake Shook Indonesia's Tanimbar Region
- » Weather Forecast: Highs between 16C and 21C
- » Weather Forecast: Sunny and Warm


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I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with out director Gregg Araki’s films. Back in 1992, I discovered The Living End, a demented road trip with two HIV+ men who lash back against an indifferent world. Though amateurish in spots, and at times poorly acted, it was nevertheless hip and gleeful in its anarchy. Visually, it recalled the agitprop of Jean Luc Godard’s films; a torch passed from 60s Marxist cinema to the new wave of queer films in the 90s. Araki has himself acknowledged his debt to Godard’s Pierrot Le Fou. Warts and all, Araki’s self-proclaimed “irresponsible movie” was the film that Jonathan Demme’s compromised Philadelphia should have been. Coming after too many years of watching gay men and women as victims on the silver screen, The Living End was both a bolt of lightning and a breath of fresh air… read more >
Teenagers in Love
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domain: artistic


text:
(RxWiki News) In 1992, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that all babies be placed on their back to sleep. Since then, deaths from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) have declined dramatically.
But infant sleep-related deaths from other causes have increased, and the need for continued public education programs on safe sleeping for babies is vital.
"Learn safe sleeping positions for babies."
Even though previous education campaigns, like the successful "Back to Sleep" program, have resulted in a 50 percent reduction of SIDS, it is still the leading cause of death for children under one year of age. And other sleep-related deaths, such as suffocation, entrapment and asphyxia, have increased.
In a new study that reviewed 91 deaths of babies under a year old in New Mexico between 2006 and 2010, researchers found that 52 percent of the infants had been placed to sleep in an unsafe non-supine position, and 71 percent had been sleeping on an unsafe surface. Half of the deaths were in a shared sleep surface.
Lead author Jessica Black said that despite the success of sleep awareness campaigns, many of today's SIDS cases involve bed sharing and infants being put to sleep in places outside of a crib or bassinet.
"Continued educational efforts on safe sleep practices for infants are essential in the efforts to prevent these infant deaths” she wrote.
To improve safe environments for infants and reduce the risk of all sleep-related infant deaths, APA just expanded its guidelines on safe sleep for babies. Three important additions include:
- Breastfeeding is recommended and is associated with a reduced risk of SIDS.
- Infants should be immunized. Evidence suggests that immunization reduces the risk of SIDS by 50 percent.
- Bumper pads should not be used in cribs. There is no evidence that bumper pads prevent injuries, and there is a potential risk of suffocation, strangulation or entrapment.
The guidelines also recommend placing a baby on his back to sleep every time, always using a firm sleep surface, no bed-sharing, keep soft objects and loose bedding out of the crib, and avoid covering the infant's head.
“We have tried to make it easier for parents and providers to understand the recommendations by providing specific answers to common questions,” said Rachel Moon, MD, chair of the AAP SIDS task force and lead author of the new guidelines.
“There needs to be more education for health care providers and trainees on how to prevent suffocation deaths and to reduce SIDS and other sleep-related infant deaths – our goal is to ultimately eliminate these deaths completely.”

domain: news


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By Kalwinder Kaur
Mazor Robotics, a designer and manufacturer of surgical robots with as many as 12,000 implants successfully completed in the USA and Europe, is making an entry into the Asia Pacific area through its Korean distributor BR Holdings, who has procured approval to market Mazor’s Renaissance system from the Korean Food & Drug Administration (KFDA).
As a top-level robotic surgery technologies and instruments distributor in Korea, BR Holdings had taken on the responsibility of obtaining regulatory clearances from the Korean authorities to launch the Renaissance surgical guidance system designed specifically to help surgeons conduct spine surgeries with precision and safety.
The CEO of Mazor, Ori Hadomi believes that its flagship product Renaissance will be successfully marketed in Korea as robotic technologies have been well received by the Korean market in the past, proof of which can be seen in the Korean healthcare system which supports 36 da Vinci surgical robots. In 2008, 120,000 spinal surgeries were performed denoting an annual increase of 18% growth since 2003, making Korea the second largest spine surgery market, he added.
Mazor Robotics along with BR Holdings is all set to immediately start marketing Renaissance and gain local clinical practice and clientele.


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Top 16, Round 1: Road warriors rule opening night
The 2014-15 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Top 16 got off to a fantastic start as road warriors outnumbered home winners in in Round 1. After action opened on the second-to-last day of the 2014, there was plenty of drama as six games finished Round 1 on the second day of the 2015. In addition to road teams dominating with five wins in eight matches, there was an overtime thriller, several comeback victories, and a pair of underdogs taking huge upsets.
In Top 16 opener, Galatasaray Liv Hospital defeated Zalgiris Kaunas 78-69 on Tuesday at Abdi Ipekci Arena in Istanbul. The Lithuanian champs led 39-47 midway through the third quarter, but a pair of baskets-plus-fouls by Zoran Erceg and some great plays by Sinan Guler turned things around. The hosts entered the fourth quarter up 57-55 and never let Zalgiris back in it. Erceg and Guler each scored 14 points to lead Galatasaray, while Carlos Arroyo added 12 points and 5 assists. Also Tuesday, Panathinaikos Athens outlasted Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv 83-76 at Olympic Sports Center Athens. The Greens came back from a double-digit third quarter deficit to tie it at 68-68 on an A.J. Slaughter triple midway through the fourth quarter. Strong defense, a big jumper by Slaughter and a clutch bank shot by Dimitris Diamantidis caused the visitors to throw in the towel before the final buzzer. Esteban Batista paced the Panathinaikos attack with 16 points, Slaughter scored 8 of his 15 in the fourth quarter and James Gist scored 10 of his 15 from the free throw line for the winners. On Friday, ALBA Berlin beat FC Barcelona 80-70 at o2 World in the German capital. Reggie Redding, Jamel McLean and Leon Radosevic scored 16 points apiece to pace the hosts. ALBA trailed by as many as 14 points in the first quarter, but outscored the visitors 45-25 in the middle two quarters to take the game. And Real Madrid downed Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade 72-79 in front of 18,920 fans at Kombank Arena in the Serbian capital. Rudy Fernandez led the winners with 15 points and 6 rebounds. The hosts led 40-38 early in the second quarter, however Sergio Llull, Fernandez - twice – and Sergio Rodriguez each struck from downtown in a 0-14 run that broke the game open and gave Madrid a 45-58 margin, which it protected the rest of the way.
Four games on Friday meant four road wins in Group F. In a first-time Euroleague showdown between former coaching partners, CSKA Moscow outlasted Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul 81-84 after overtime in an intense clash. The game marked the first Euroleague meeting ever between Zeljko Obradovic of Fenerbahce and Dimitris Itoudis of CSKA, who were head coach and assistant, respectively, during 13 seasons and five Euroleague titles together for Panathinaikos Athens. The teams traded leads throughout the night, and a basket by CSKA's Sonny Weems tied it at 74-74, sending the game to the extra period, where Nando De Colo's free throws and steal in the waning seconds sealed the deal. Weems and Kyle Hines led the winners with 13 points each, while Andrew Goudelock was the game's top scorer with 19 points for Fenerbahce. In the Game of the Week, Olympiacos Piraeus held off Unicaja Malaga 61-69 to start the Top 16 with a road win, too. Olympiacos took the lead for good at the end of the first quarter, and controlled the game behind its defense, while Vassilis Spanoulis masterminded the Reds’ offense with 11 points and 10 assists. Othello Hunter dominated inside with 18 points on 9 of 10 two-point shooting, including a series of big dunks. Anadolu Efes Istanbul rallied to down Laboral Kutxa Vitoria 67-72. Mirza Begic helped carry the hosts to 58-49 lead late in the third quarter, but Stratos Perperoglou scored 15 points on 3 of 4 from downtown, and Efes did not allow a basket in the final 2 minutes to get a third consecutive road win in Vitoria. Trey Thompkins had 19 points and 15 rebounds and Taylor Rochestie picked up 19 points and 8 assists as Nizhny Novgorod beat EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 59-79 in a memorable Top 16 debut. The visitors blew the game open with a 3-17 run in the third quarter, opened up 42-59 lead, and never looked back on the road to victory.

domain: game


“Children Of Men,” the latest film from rising Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron (“Y tu mama tambi’n”), asks a very curious question: What would the world be like if we could no longer have children? Pretty crappy, it seems. The film takes place in London in the year 2027, 18 years after the last child on earth was born. The Earth has been inexplicably stricken by total infertility, and faced with the very real prospect of extinction mankind has torn itself apart. Global society has crumbled to the point where England remains the last place with a working government.
Now, when I say ‘working government’ I mean that in the loosest sense. England is a “1984”-style police state where armed troops patrol the streets rounding up immigrants and stuffing them into cages for relocation to internment camps. London is a crumbling ruin, with garbage piled high on every street corner, and riots and bombings are a daily occurrence. The only respite is in a hilariously idyllic inner sanctum encompassing Buckingham Palace and Batterseas Power Station. It is here that we meet Theo Faron (Clive Owen, “Sin City”), a stereotypical dark suit wearing government clock puncher.
Theo wears the sunken eyes and world-wary expression of someone who has been defeated by the world and is content to live out his life punching his time card and occasionally smoking a blunt with his old buddy Jasper (a wild haired Michael Caine, looking a lot like Richard Harris after one of his famous benders). All this changes when Theo is kidnapped by a militant rebel group known as The Fishes, led by Theo’s ex-lover Julian (Julianne Moore, “The Forgotten”). She entrusts Theo with smuggling a young refugee named Kee (newcomer Claire-Hope Ashitey) to a shadowy group known as The Human Project. As we soon learn, Kee holds a secret that could change the future of mankind.
From a technical standpoint, “Children Of Men” is one of the better action thrillers to come along in a while. The action scenes are staged with a brutal realism that hasn’t really been seen since “Blackhawk Down.” The camera work is stunning, with cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki employing a hand-held style that’s not quite as nausea inducing as “Saving Private Ryan”, but equally immediate. Particularly impressive is an elaborately staged siege on a refugee stronghold, which is done in a single, unbroken take reminiscent of the Hospital assault in John Woo’s “Hard Boiled”. The ultra-sharp images give the whole scene a hyper realistic feel that compounds the concussions from the tank barrage.
The film’s second stylistic coup is its realization of near-future London, created by mixing little hints of the future into everyday activities that we all recognize. There are no flying cars or vertical highways, but we get micro home theaters, virtual keyboards, and holographic billboards skillfully and nonchalantly mixed in with ordinary notebooks, coffee shops and diesel buses. The result is a future that is just far enough removed from the present day to seem plausible. And keep an eye out for the cheeky Pink Floyd reference.
Unfortunately the dystopian setting of “Children of Men” is nothing we haven’t seen before. In fact, we saw it earlier this year in “V for Vendetta,” though there’s a lot more muck this time. All the usual neo-fascist ‘Big Brother’ trappings and societal malaise/detritus are also in evidence. Paranoia and depression have let authoritarian rule take hold, and people aren’t allowed to move from place to place without military/government oversight. And with all immigrants declared illegal, this paves the way for a brutal crackdown on undesirables.
The scenes of people being herded like cattle into roadside cages for transport to decrepit detention camps are quite striking in their boldness. However, once the initial shock wears off, it becomes clear that the images are only fluff. For all its clever conceits and dire implications, the script (co-written by Cuaron and based on the novel by P.D. James) doesn’t have the stuffing to support it all. The dystopian themes are all window dressing for what amounts to a traditional action movie.
The film’s biggest problem is that the script is very vague as to the motivation of The Fishes. They at first want to safeguard Kee and get her to The Human Project, but after an off-screen altercation with government troops, their motivation seems to do a 360 and they are suddenly hell-bent on keeping her for their own unexplained designs. This may seem like a small detail, but it is the central motivating factor behind the action in the last third of the movie, so a narrative lapse that calls this into question is a rather serious gaff.
The film also has a very open ending, which isn’t a problem in and of itself, but given the flimsy foundation we’ve been treading on up till this point, that final drop off is a doozy. Still, the performances are strong and mostly believable. The reactions the characters give when Kee’s big secret is revealed are hilarious, but perfectly nuance given the background of the story.
“Children Of Men” presents several interesting ideas and operates smoothly within the framework they create, but it does not follow through on them. The film requires the viewer to take a bit too much on faith and just assume that the script accounted for its many thematic gaps before we came in. The film’s frenetic pace and dazzling camera work mostly make up for it, though. There’s barely a dull moment, and you won’t mind the problems so long as you don’t think about them too hard.
Alfonso Cuaron (director) / P.D. James (novel The Children of Men), Alfonso Cuaron, Timothy J. Sexton, David Arata, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby (screenplay)
CAST: Clive Owen …. Theodore Faron
Julianne Moore …. Julian Taylor
Chiwetel Ejiofor …. Luke
Charlie Hunnam …. Patric
Danny Huston …. Nigel
Claire-Hope Ashitey …. Kee
Peter Mullan …. Syd
Pam Ferris …. Miriam
Michael Caine …. Jasper Palmer


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Cool Stuff Current Dance • Love For All Seasons - Christina Aguilera• That’s Enough For Me - Patti Austin• Ain’t No Other Man/Come On Over Baby - C. Aquilera• Hello, Haven’t I Seen You - Patti Austin• Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It/Black Suits Comin’ - W• Rock Your Body/Senorita - Justin Timberlake• Just Wanna Hang Around You - George Benson• Turn Your Love Around -
- A |
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Fundamental research at primary care level* Two Canadian medical schools may have appointed a apparently researchable.1 Other important problems are family physician as dean, but in most of the developed those involving large numbers of people, many days in pain world primary care is held in low esteem in academic or suffering, many days lost from work or school, and those establishments. If, as I believe, primary care provides the requiring extensive human and material resources or money essential underpinning for any rationally balanced health that could be put to use more productively elsewhere. Less service why do so many in positions of academic power and common problems are also important if their origins, when influence have a negative opinion of general practitioners better understood, result in more effective prevention or resolution. Important, fundamental, and usually complex In my view, this negativity is because primary care questions should be the hallmark of primary care research.
investigators, as opposed to their biomedical colleagues, The second essential ingredient for first-rate research of have contributed little fundamental knowledge on the any kind is curiosity. Little of note is accomplished without origins and natural history of disease. Studies of physicians’ a burning curiosity. But what kind of curiosity is needed for activities, problem distributions, training schemes, primary care research? It is the curiosity of the naturalist prescribing patterns, appointment strategies, office staffing, concerned with first causes, diversity, and patterns of specimen collection, and management strategies are helpful.
growth and senescence rather than with structures and They are health services research, an enterprise with which I processes. John Ryle (1889–1950), the former professor of have been involved for decades; I welcome them and we medicine who was the first director of Oxford’s Institute of Social Medicine, observed that naturalists have “the desire Health services research, however, does not throw much to establish the truth of things by observing and recording, light on the interacting factors that predispose to, precipitate, and perpetuate ill-health and disease. Such “Certain sciences, such as chemistry, physics, and studies rarely expand our knowledge of prevention, treatment, and amelioration of disease to the extent that experimental. Others, like zoology and astronomy, are biomedical research does, although I believe primary care observational. In the biological sciences as a whole it would research could have an impact in these areas.
seem we can dispense with neither method . . . It is well to Truly important studies contribute to our understanding remember, however, that nearly all experiments have of causality; their insights endure as essential components of developed on the basis of earlier, painstaking observations medical theory and practice and are applied in many of natural phenomena, and that there is actually no great settings. At best, the results of most studies in the past few dividing line between the methods . . . The observer uses years by primary care investigators have had only a slight the slow, vast, and difficult experiments of nature”.2 impact. Only rarely does primary care research have a Unfortunately, naturalists in medical research are now in lasting influence on the practice of medicine or the short supply, especially in primary care.
Experimental methods, buttressed by ever more complex First-rate fundamental research at the primary care level statistical analyses, have contributed mightily to the should contribute substantially to buttressing the generation of effective pharmacological and technological intellectual credibility of general practice and family interventions; we should be very grateful. As engineers’ medicine in the eyes of the medical establishment. To close attention to the wiring enables them to detect accomplish this, priorities and aspirations for primary care malfunctioning of a radio’s transmitters, and receivers, so research need to change. Is there any valid reason why a the biomedical scientists’ focus on neurological, humoral, primary care investigator should not contribute landmark and chemical pathways enables them to detect malfunctioning of the patient’s neurotransmitters and How should one start? The first criterion for selecting any research problem is that it can be an important one. There receptors. Primary care scientists, on the other hand, should is little justification for wasting time on unimportant be concerned with the music and messages transmitted and matters. But how does one define important? A very received over the wiring and through the ether. There is a important question is whether there is life after death.
vast difference between the two but neither is good or bad, Unfortunately, few people are working on it although it is right or wrong, hard or soft. For effective understanding ofhealth, disease, and suffering both the wiring and messagesdeserve investigation. The role of naturalists in medicine hasbeen lost sight of in the wake of biomedicine’s growing *Adapted from the 1999 Maurice Wood Lecture at the 27th Annual hegemony. It is time to restore the balance western Meeting of the North American Primary Care Research Group, SanDiego, CA, Nov 8.
medicine needs now, more than ever, the wonder, awe, and observational instincts of the naturalist.
Another development has accompanied the evolution and 500 Crestwood Drive, Charlottesville, Virginia, 22903–4858, USA(Kerr L White MD) dominance of biomedicine. That is the myth of the single “cause” of each disease. Western medicine’s failure to For personal use only. Not to be reproduced without permission of The Lancet.
distinguish between necessary and sufficient factors in the Mere talk about the centrality of the biopsychosocial or genesis of ill-health distorts both its theoretical base and any other paradigm is simply inadequate. That is the clinical practice. The public harbours the notion that most challenge and the opportunity facing primary care physical ills are due principally to genes or germs. Both are investigators. Two public figures provide additional important but rarely sufficient to cause disease. Undue examples. The late William Casey, then director of the US focus on them tends to stifle further thought about the Central Intelligence Agency, on the day before being myriad factors that impinge on each individual’s disease.
questioned by a congressional committee about the Iran- Contra imbroglio, had a major convulsion due to a Years ago I accompanied an Indonesian doctor making previously undiagnosed malignant brain tumour. In rounds in a village. A distraught mother brought him her response to a reporter’s question, his physician, a prominent feverish, coughing infant. “What seems to be the trouble?”, academician, stated on national television that the timing of I asked. The physician replied: “The child seems to have the seizure was “just a coincidence”. Maybe so, if you bronchitis but the mother is depressed. The mother is believe in coincidences. A different view, however, was depressed because her husband is chronically drunk. The expressed by Woody Allen’s character Isaac Davis in husband is drinking because the pig, the family’s main Manhattan when he said: “I can’t express anger. That’s one source of wealth, is dying. The pig is dying because it is the of the problems I have. I grow a tumour instead!” What’s rainy season and the roof is leaking. The roof can’t be repaired because there is no money. So what is the To investigate such matters at the primary care level, we problem”, he asked “the rain pouring, the roof leaking, the should consider addressing five types of generic question.
pig dying, the husband’s drinking, the wife’s depression, or Onset circumstances—What precisely was the situation the infant’s bronchitis?” What is the point of investigating surrounding the initial signs or symptoms of the patient’s the “wiring” in such a situation when so many unspoken discomfort or illness? Where was the patient? Who was he poignant messages are ricocheting back and forth from rain or she with? What was he or she doing or thinking? What to roof to pig to husband to mother to child? Would the was new or different and what did he or she think and feel child have developed bronchitis if a kindly neighbour had about it? What were other persons in the home, at work, in the family, in the neighbourhood doing or saying? What Here is another example. One Monday an irate medical were the unspoken messages he or she was receiving? Were student assigned to a home-care service demanded to see there more or fewer messages than usual? Were they more me. “I’ve had it with this family medicine business,” he stormed. “Over the weekend I made twelve house calls Concomitant factors—Was there a constellation of two, to Mrs Jones and her eight kids. It was just one thing three, or more interacting or re-enforcing circumstances or after another; there were colds, coughs, fevers, vomiting, encounters surrounding the onset of the patient’s pains—just no end to the problems.” I said: “Did it ever discomfort or illness? For example: unusual job stress, occur to you that there was something else going on in the damp weather or a “chill”, and exposure to a “bug”, before family that was upsetting everyone?” I sent him back to the onset of a common cold; the threat of unemployment, discover the problem. Sure enough he returned with the presence of a sick child or relative, and undue fatigue word that the father had lost his job and was drinking from physical exertion on the job, before the onset of heavily; there was no money and the mother was rheumatoid arthritis; consumption of an extra cup of coffee distraught. The children were receiving the parents’ and a caffeine-laden chocolate biscuit, followed, when late desperate non-verbal messages; their immune systems were for an appointment, by a stressful drive through dense impaired allowing “bugs” to wreak their harm by traffic, immediately before an episode of atrial fibrillation? manifesting assorted physical illnesses. These are anecdotes, Predisposing factors—What is known about the patient’s however, they are not research. If such tales are to have any genetic, familial, and cultural backgrounds and “belief impact on medical practice and education, they require system”? Does the patient have or believe he or she has any particular vulnerability or susceptibility or what used to be Walter B Cannon’s 1942 article on “Voodoo death”,3 called a locus minoris resistentiae? Why me? What is the bolstered by George Engel’s brilliant description of the “biopsychosocial” paradigm in 1977,4 led to increasing calls Precipitation of help-seeking—What events, comments, for the expansion of the 17th century world view that thoughts, or behaviour triggered the patient’s decision to dominates Western medical thinking.5 The potential role of consult a a particular physician at this precise time? What, if epigenetic phenomena in modifying the substrate of many diseases provides additional support for the need to broaden Therapeutic environment—What did the patient feel, our notions of causation.6,7 No longer can we ignore vital perceive, imagine, and think about the physician’s and information describing the circumstances surrounding the nurse’s behaviour, the technology, procedures, medications, onset of each individual’s disease.
and general ambience of the setting? What were the It is hard to deny the outstanding success and effective characteristics, hallmarks, and reputation of the health-care interventions of our present medical paradigm. But if a personnel, institution, system, or clinic? broader model can accommodate a wider array of clinical Patients’ responses to these kinds of questions usually are and historical evidence and generate more enlightened best elicited at the primary care level and should go a long understanding of illness, disease, and health, is it not way toward understanding the webs of causality.
preferable? As with any hypothesis, however, acceptance is The ten problems described below are illustrative; there unlikely in the absence of credible research. Research is are scores of others that cry out for deeper understanding.
needed that will persuade the sceptics in the medical All of these problems have been studied previously, some establishment that changes in the emphasis and content of decades ago, others by several investigators. To provide medical education and scientific thinking are fully external validity, to say nothing of generalisability leading to acceptance by the medical establishment, their initial For personal use only. Not to be reproduced without permission of The Lancet.
findings require replication with large numbers in diverse patients? Answer yes or no. If “yes” provide one brief case settings. Only then are the results likely to be incorporated widely in medical education and practice. Each problem Positive results should provide a host of researchable deserves critical thought, careful refinement, and several pilot questions as well as put primary care research on the studies. Like eating an elephant, you take one bite at a time.
Collaboration with immunologists, neuroscientists, Sir James Mackenzie (1853–1925) is the patron saint of psychologists, epidemiologists, sociologists, clinical general practitioners and family physicians the world over.
specialists, and other scientific colleagues is essential.
By following patients in his general practice for decades he Research designs will necessitate the development of generic revolutionised cardiology and concluded that much was to protocols, including survey instruments that enable the be learned by meticulously studying the origins of reporting clinicians to record categories of responses derived symptoms and describing the natural history of disease. In from conservations with each patient and probably one or 1919 Mackenzie retired from his world-renowned more family members or friends. In addition to a wide range cardiology practice in London to establish an institute for of quantitative methods, a substantial armamentarium of medical research in St Andrews, Scotland. Among its qualitative research methods is available for use in primary purposes was: “To investigate disease before the occurrence care.8 Generation of adequate numbers—large numbers— of any structural change in any organ of the body, with the for studies of each clinical entity and its explanatory patterns view of providing a diagnosis at a period earlier than is at the primary care level needs substantial networks of possible by the methods now in use and in order to obtain a primary care practitioner/investigators who report to a knowledge of the circumstances that favour the onset of central co-ordinating office. Successful examples include those sponsored by the Netherlands Institute of Primary In my view, primary care can best achieve the academic Health Care’s Continuous Morbidity Registration Sentinel stature to which it aspires by internalising the clinical wisdom bequeathed us by Ryle and Mackenzie and Physicians’ Ambulatory Sentinel Practice Network.10 undertaking the serious investigation of important clinical Here are common clinical questions that I believe merit further investigation:● If Helicobacter pylori is a necessary factor in the causation of peptic ulcer, is it sufficient? Why do so many “carriers” of Shroder T. Old souls: the scientific evidence for past lives. New York: the bug not develop the disease? What other factors or experiences does it take to evoke clinical symptoms?11 Ryle J. The physician as naturalist: the natural history of disease. London ● What role does separation from a family member, and New York: Oxford University Press, 1948.
neighbour, job, or even a pet, have on the precipitation of an Cannon WB. “Voodoo death”. Amer Anthropol 1942; 44: 169–81.
Engel G. The need for a new medical model: a challenge for illness such as congestive heart failure?12 biomedicine. Science 1977 196: 129–36.
● How frequently is the manifestation of tuberculosis Pauli HG, White KL. Scientific thinking, medical thinking and medical preceded by “two years of increasingly disturbing education: questions derived from their evolution in the 20th century.
Hum Resources Health Develop 1998; 2: 155–82.
McClintock B. The significance of responses of the genome to challenge.
How frequently is the perception of inability to control Science 1984; 226: 792–801.
fundamental aspects of one’s job associated with the Strohman RL. The coming Kuhnian revolution in biology. Nat development of an illness such as coronary heart disease?14 Biotechnol 1997; 15: 194–200.
● Is the depression associated with pneumonia a precursor Crabtree BF, Miller WL. Doing qualitative research: research methodsfor primary care, vol 3. Newbury Park and London: Sage Publications, ● Are there illnesses that come from being “caught in a Foundation of the Netherlands Institute of Primary Health Care (NIVEL). Continuous morbidity registration sentinel stations in the Why do patients recover more rapidly in some hospitals 10 Green LA, Wood M, Becker L, et al. The ambulatory sentinel practice network: purpose, methods, and policies. J Fam Pract 1984; 18: 275–80.
● Why do wounds heal more quickly on some clinical 11 Melmed RN, Gelpin Y. Duodenal ulcer: the helicobacterization of a psychosomatic disease? Israel J Med Sci 1996; 32: 211–16.
● Why do healing rates for both placebo and active 12 Vernon CR, Martin DA, White KL. Psychophysiological approach to management of patients with congestive heart failure. JAMA 1959; 171:
ingredients vary widely in different study centres during clinical trials using identical protocols?19 13 Lerner BH. Can stress cause disease? Revisiting the tuberculosis research ● Why do mortality rates increase substantially after of Thomas Holmes (1948–1961). Ann Intern Med 1996; 124: 673–80.
personal, religious, ethnic, and statutory holidays, and 14 Marmot MG, Bosma H, Hemingway H, et al. Contribution of job control and other risk factors to social variations in coronary heart disease incidence. Lancet 1997; 350: 235–39.
This is difficult research but then all really important 15 Takeida K, Nishi M, Miyake H. Mental depression and death in elderly research is difficult. If it is not difficult, it may not be worth persons. J Epidemiol 1997; 7: 210–13.
doing. Others have tackled the easy problems.
16 Alvarez WC. Illness due to having become caught in a trap. Ann Intern Med 1954; 40: 774–83.
Here is another suggestion: if the biopsychosocial, or, 17 Revans RW. The hospital as a human system. Bull NY Acad Med 1996; better still, just the “broader” paradigm is an accurate 3: 418–29.
formulation of reality that can accommodate a wide array of 18 Kiecolt-Glaser JK, Page GG, Marucha PT, MacCallum RC, Glaser R.
factors impinging on the patient’s life and health, why not Psychological influences on surgical recovery: perspectives from
psychoneuroimmunology. Am J Psychol 1998; 53: 1209–18.
find out how useful it is clinically? I suggest that some group 19 MacDonald AJ, Peden NR, Hayton R, et al. Symptom relief and develop a simple but carefully designed postal survey of a the placebo effect in the trial of an antipeptic drug. Gut 1980; 21:
credible stratified probability sample of all primary care clinicians in two or three countries; the response rate should 20 Phillips DP, Smith DG. Postponement of death until symbolically meaningful occasions. JAMA 1990; 263: 1947–51.
be at least 85%. Ask this: Is the biopsychosocial paradigm 21 Mair A. Sir James Mackenzie MD—1853–1925. Edinburgh and useful in the management of most (over 50%) of your London: Churchill Livingstone, 1973.
For personal use only. Not to be reproduced without permission of The Lancet.
LETTERATURA PRIMARIA IN LINGUA INGLESE (testi direttamente attinenti alle pratiche filosofiche) monografie e articoli AGASSI, J. - JARVIE, I.C. (eds.), Rationality: The Critical View , Martinus Nijhoff, Dordrecht, 1987. AMIR, L. B., Don’t Interrupt My Dialogue , in CURNOW, T. (ed.), Thinking Through Dialogue , Practical Philosophy Press, Oxted, 2001, pp. 239-243. AMIR, L. B., Pri

domain: health


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A hamlet becomes a Bed & Breakfast
The Milanese studio deamicisarchitetti renovates an old agricultural complex in Novi Ligure
A 19th-century hamlet in the middle of the countryside, just a few of kilometres away from Novi Ligure, was completely renovated by the Milanese studio deamicisarchitetti, with the stated aim of restoring all the traditional elements of the ancient agricultural complex like the barns, the old underground cistern and the large porticoes. Located on the premises of the La Raia farm, Borgo Merlassino was reborn as a Bed & Breakfast with four apartments of various sizes that are named for different kinds of local honey.
On top of the new accommodations for guests the buildings includes living quarters for the staff, a conference space, a warehouse, classrooms for the Steiner school, a reading room and a workspace for the production of jams. The old stable that used to obstruct the panoramic view of the valley was demolished, while some of the open spaces like the green stairs, the portico, the lawn and the yard were redefined.
Deamicisarchitetti chose to highlight, wherever possible, the ancient local technique of pisé (or rammed earth), which was used for the main building. In other cases the use of contrasting materials reveal where changes have been made, like in the new diamond-shaped steel plates that form the ceiling of the porticoes.
Along with the buildings a few vintage pieces of furniture were also restored and paired with design pieces and accessories made of recycled materials. The focal point of the architectural project is really the attention that was paid to the surrounding natural environment, the use and the sustainability of the environment. In particular through the use of natural and recycled materials obtained locally from companies in the area and made using local labour.
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OK Who is doing NaNoWriMo this year? What are you writing about? Can we all be writing buddies and such? I'm gonna TRY and I hope I can make it! Yes, I did just dredge up a thread from 2012 because I didn't know where to post this, and I figured someone somewhere had already started a thread. previous thread: viewtopic.php?f=10&t=4419
At the risk of starting too many threads here I am going to take @Palimpsest's mention of Anne McCaffrey in another thread and pick the topic up here. I hadn't thought of the Pern novels in quite a while either. Anne's son, Todd, has taken over the series, but it is not the same and I stopped reading. In fact, even before she died, the stories were weakening. McCaffrey had great imaginative powers. Besides the world of Pern, she had a terrific series about the "Talents" (people with psychic abilities) and the "Ship Who Sang" novels are very inventive in their intersection of technology and fantasy. I like the Harper Hall novels, but except for Dragonsinger, they are less well-crafted than the main trilogy. There is a major continuity error in Dragon Song: Menolly watches the fire lizards and composes the song in her head, but she never has a chance to write it down. If you go through the plot, there is no chance for her to write the song, much less hide it among the papers in the Harper's rooms. But the song is discovered among the Harper's papers. (Okay...) Back in the late 80's, I had the opportunity to discuss her work with Anne McCaffrey (She was on Compuserve as Anne Mack) and she told me that a lot of things happened in her imagination that she never made into stories. I wish she had written a story explaining how the hell the fire lizard song got itself written --with lyrics, too--and hidden. Dragon Singer is my favored of the three. It is one of the best "Young People at School" fantasy novels, right up there (in its descriptions of school life) with the Harry Potter books. And I must say, I could really enjoy "bubbly pies," if they had them in my town.
From the ages of about 11-18, I wrote like a demon - plays, short stories, fanfiction, poetry, you name it. It was pretty raw, but looking back, some it was actually good. In college I had less time, but would go through sporadic periods of writing. Last year I was hit by depression and stopped writing entirely, especially since a failed project was very much tied to the problem. Only lately have I been able to start up again, with a couple of articles and a novel in the works. Now, it's like I've totally lost my confidence. Everything I write sounds stupid, and I can't produce more than a couple of sentences at a time, though I'm still getting lots of interesting ideas. Any advice for getting back into the habit, and working past the "stupid" feeling?
Does anyone else belong to a critique group, or other writing organization? I lead an in-person critique group that meets weekly. We've been meeting for years. It's a nice way to interact with other writers, and get feedback on your work. Friends and family members don't always feel like they can give honest feedback, and they aren't always qualified to give good input. I'm also a member of a local writers' group that holds monthly meetings on a variety of topics. There are talks by authors of various genres, panel discussions, and open reading nights. I only attend that when the topic is something I care about, but it's another way to connect with others who share this solitary hobby. They also host a monthly breakfast at a restaurant, and a monthly happy hour. Recently I took part in a 6 week writing workshop with a local author. It was a different kind of critique group than my usual, and it was very interesting. I'll probably do it again when I have enough extra cash on hand. I don't think that the FJ boards is a good place to start a critique group, but I would be happy to give advice to anyone looking to start a group of their own. There are pitfalls to avoid.
Any other writers on this site? Professional, hobby, whatever. I started writing when I was 11. I've previously written plays, short stories and way too much fanfiction. Right now I'm at work on my first original novel, which believe it or not was inspired by that horrid SAHD story about the abortion clinic we read the other day. We'll see how it goes, I'm still figuring out the characters. What are your current projects?
anna.xanga.com/70328771/item/ When I was a Christian, I read a couple of his books. Although I halfway enjoyed them, I can't say that he is the greatest writer. He tells interesting stories-or at least that is what I remember. This is a common argument aimed at atheists. No matter how we answer it, it keeps getting asked. The question is not really, how can atheist be good but why would they be good? How do atheists decide what is good? This is my opinion and mine only. I believe that humans evolved to be social. We need each other. Like it or not, we are dependent on one another for survival. It makes sense to want a peaceful society. Alturism makes sense because it helps the entire community survive. A lot of morals are actually very logical when you think about it. It doesn't make sense, for example, to kill off the oldest members of society because they offer knowledge and experience to the younger generation. Studies have even shown that the presence of grandmothers helps children survive to adulthood. Morality is actually rational So, atheists have to play by rules that Christians do not have to use. I should define and explain where my morals come from but Peretti doesn't have to do the same. Continued in next post
Yes, after doing many readings and researches of the fundies we talk about here, I would like to share with you my characters that I have written for my stories. I won't show my stories with you yet, I'm still not finished, but I would like to show you characters based on Dougie, the Botkins, Maxwells, Duggars etc. So Enjoy, and tell me what you think? Here are Doug Philips and his family; Filbert Blackwater-a Pastor and Elder of his own Church, he practices Dominion Theology, an advocate for Antifeminism and a lover of Patriarchy. He is a androcentrist (male-centered) and a homosocialist (enjoying male company). He is straight but finds women somewhat disgusting, at least independent women; his father was a 'manly' preacher and his mother was a free loving hippie. He was scared of his mother but loved his docile, domestic sisters. He enjoys dressing up in periodic clothing and celebrating Christian events, mostly manly Christian events such as the Titanic, ancient Christian persecution and WW2; all which he thinks are Christian inspired. He's chauvinistic, anti-secular, anti-liberal, jovial, patriocentric and slightly narcissistic. Filbert seems to have an obsession with leadership and portraying men as protective, honest, pious, virtuous, masculine heroes in his sermons or in the films his ministry makes. And every time he speaks of women, it is mostly in terms of modesty, childbearing/rearing, purity, and that daughters/wives must be protected and cherished as delicate flowers who must heed the word of the good book and obey its rules of marriage, submission, and keeping the home in check. He strongly opposes public schools, youth groups, feminism, and even environmentalism; stating the the good book teaches Man is given 'dominion' over all things as stated in Genesis. He believes misogyny means 'feminists hating women and forcing them to work as harlots, with pants and sleeveless shirts, and forced to work in places where men could take advantage of them. Feminism is a hatred of family, marriage, homemaking, forcing women to go to war and let the State raise the children (which has connections with Communism and Marxism), and favors abortion and lesbianism'. Pella Blackwater-wife of Filbert, a lovely lady of virtue and femininity. But virtue is somewhat loose in this term; Pella could be very generous, by giving only quarters, onions and jam to the homeless; she can be proper, only to politely insult heretics and heathens; she can be compassionate, only to see small children as an utter annoyance. Above all, she is sincerely sensible, picky, inconsiderate and a crybaby. Titus-Filbert's eldest son, very cute but with many issues; he's a homophobic, anti-catholic, arrogant, attention-seeking snot who thinks of himself as manly because he works out and has fun with his father all the time. He's secretly bisexual but tries to oppress his crush on sexy male celebrities. He calls all Catholics 'Papists' and all Gays 'Sodomites'. Alberta-Filbert's eldest daughter, an uptight, pushy, smug young woman with the tendency to be a voyeur. But is mostly obsessed with her own hygiene; she gets very panicky around dirt and messes. Another thing about her is that she has fetish fantasies about wolves; as a child, she loved reading fairy tales about wolves and finds them seductive and rough. Jobelle-second eldest daughter, a graceful little daddy's girl with a beautiful voice and a streak of Electra Complex; she's jealous when her father is with her mother, sister or other women. She can be antisemitic, islamophobic and impatient. She literally dreams about marrying a man exactly like her father, almost like a clone. She also has a secret fantasy of being raped by him. Her other interests include cooking, playing the piano, sewing, and squashing mice. Mather-second eldest son, obsessed with creationism and Christian science, kind of nerdy, foolish, awkward, bossy, asexual but enjoys being with his brothers and father a lot. Despite his asexuality, he seems to have a slight obsession with masculinity and male physique. He also believes in old obsolete theories about gender, sexuality and race. Howard-youngest son, obedient and naive but a taunting teaser. His interests include squashing ants and spiders. He has a phobia of dogs. Hopeful-youngest daughter, a sweet, obedient little girl but a nosy, eavesdropping tattler. She likes playacting/ridiculing feminists, showing off her dresses and trapping butterflies in jars to let them die.
I found this on the blog of a woman who left the Satmars. Her blog is super interesting and she has a book coming out in early 2012. She often posts pictures and such from her old neighborhood and I thought FJ might find this post interesting (not broken because she's not fundie and given that she advertises her book there I don't think she'd be unhappy with extra traffic): http://deborahfeldman.tumblr.com/post/1 ... en-to-step Obviously this is only meant for the Hasidic community there, since it's written in Hebrew, but how much of a "problem" must this be if there are many signs like this popping up on street corners?


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The type of aircraft and cabin layout of a flight are subject to change at any time. They cannot be guaranteed at the time of booking. Seat maps are available for flights operated by Air France.
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domain: travel


North Bay makes gains in air quality as residents stay at home during coronavirus pandemic
Major declines in the daily commute and weekend car trips as residents stay home to slow the spread of coronavirus have resulted in cleaner air in the North Bay, a silver lining in the week-old shelter-in-place order.
Air quality gauges across the Bay Area and around the world are measuring well-below average levels of vehicle emissions, including smog-producing greenhouse gases like ozone, carbon dioxide and nitrogen. The amount of tiny particles spewed by cars into the atmosphere is also down, compared to the typical weekday.
Each of these contributors to air pollution have declined significantly at Bay Area Air Quality Management District sensors in Sebastopol, Napa, San Rafael and Vallejo. As a result, skies have appeared clearer between recent weather systems that make it difficult to accurately assess sudden changes in air quality, said Kristine Roselius, a spokeswoman for the region's air district.
“We're seeing low numbers everywhere,” Roselius said. “The No. 1 source of pollution in the Bay Area is traffic, so if you're taking a significant portion of that traffic off the roads, that's why we're seeing these reductions, we believe.”
Daily vehicle counts on the Bay Area's eight bridges have plummeted since the majority of its nine counties initiated the stay-at-home mandate March 17. One day later, Sonoma County joined the group with its own restriction to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, which causes a respiratory disease known as COVID-19.
During the last three days of the workweek, the number of crossings over the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge was cut nearly in half compared to the prior year, according to the Bay Area Toll Authority. Over the weekend, counts continued to fall, with the link to the East Bay carrying on Sunday roughly a third of its usual total traffic.
“We are in a totally unprecedented situation here in terms of this hasn't been a slow decline in activity; it's just fallen off the cliff,” said John Goodwin, spokesman for the regional toll authority. “It is a small silver lining to this gray cloud of COVID-19.”
The vehicle drop-off has been even sharper over the Golden Gate Bridge. Following the local shelter-in-place order, the iconic span between the North Bay and San Francisco saw an average of about 38,000 vehicles each day, or less than a third of the typical workday.
“This is good news in that it means people are heeding the shelter-in-place orders and staying home, only using the bridge and transit for those essential trips that are allowed,” said Paolo Cosulich-Schwartz, a Golden Gate Bridge District spokesman. “Largely, people are staying home and we're happy about that.”
Descartes Labs, a geospatial analysis firm in New Mexico, is seeing similar trends in the region, based on its review of smartphone location data to understand changes in mobility during the pandemic.
The distances that drivers traveled in Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino counties nosedived late last week and into the weekend. On the first two days of the shelter-in-place rules, travel in Sonoma County plummeted more than 75% from normal levels - the 13th largest reduction in travel in the state, according to cellphone GPS data tracked by Descartes Labs. Travel tumbled 50% in Mendocino County and 70% in Lake County during the same period, although the sample size was much smaller in both counties, decreasing the precision of the measurement.
Pollution data suggests vehicle traffic declined about 70% across the Bay Area, the region's air district estimates. A drop of that magnitude would cut carbon dioxide emissions by more than a quarter and nitrogen in the air we breathe by almost 40%, Roselius said, in addition to an estimated 20% drop in fine particulate matter produced by cars.
“Yes, it is significant,” she said, while noting the gains are likely temporary. “How to tease out long-term trends and things like that, that remains to be seen.”
Sonoma County Supervisor Shirlee Zane, a board member for the regional air district, said she was hopeful the temporary stay-at-home order would lead to permanent changes in commuters' habits. She said people should rethink the way they use cars by reducing solo trips and increasing the use of carpools and mass transit, which would help county efforts to reach state benchmarks for cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
“When the pandemic does subside and we see a tremendous reduction of cases of coronavirus or a vaccine is created, will we take a page out of this moment in history and say, ‘Hey, we learned something through all of this?' ” Zane said. “We have to find a way to retain some of what we're enjoying right now, with cleaner air and the benefits.”


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August 8, 2016
Fall is fast approaching, and Iowa farmers want to make sure their soil and water are protected when corn and soybeans are harvested. Cover crops keep roots in the ground year-round, holding soil in place and keeping nutrients like nitrate out of the state’s creeks and rivers. But which cover crop is best?
To help answer that question, members of Practical Farmers of Iowa have been conducting on-farm research for the past five years to evaluate the performance of cover crops.
COVER CROP VARIETY TRIAL: For the past five years, PFI has been conducting on-farm research to evaluate how various cover crop species perform in a corn-soybean rotation. Results show cereal rye is the most consistent performer, but the research has revealed other surprising insights.
Last fall, nine cooperating farmers seeded cover crops into 16 fields across the state. These farmers screened 13 cover crop entries – grasses, legumes and brassicas – to determine fall and spring ground cover offered by the plants. Entries were hand-seeded into standing corn and soybean crops to simulate aerial seeding.
On-farm tests show cereal rye is the most consistent performer
“This research provides an easy way to see whether a potential cover crop is going to do well in your area,” says Chad Ingels, who raises corn, soybeans and hogs near Randalia in northeast Iowa. He is one of the participants in the project. Ingels says he plants cover crops to reduce erosion and nutrient loss, and to improve soil quality.
Read the full report and results of the variety trials from previous years by visiting practicalfarmers.org/research-reports and searching for “Cover Crop Variety Trial.”
Results show that cereal rye is the most consistent performer in a corn and soybean rotation, producing more fall ground cover, then overwintering well and producing good spring ground cover. “We found that cereal rye is probably the best at this point for our operation,” says Ingels. “However, wheat seems to work, too, and this past year, barley also seemed to work pretty well.” He plants cereal rye as a cover crop on about three-fourths of his acres, and winter wheat on the rest.
Cereal rye typically provided the most fall and spring cover
In the 2015-2016 trial season, cereal rye typically provided the most fall and spring cover across all locations. At some locations, winter wheat, winter triticale and winter barley provided just as much cover as cereal rye. Oats also provided good fall ground cover at most sites. Other key findings from the past four years reveal that:
* Annual ryegrass generally provided less consistent cover than the other grass and small grains species.
* Brassica cover crops – such as radishes, turnips, rapeseed and mustard – performed better in 2015-2016 than in the past, likely because of optimal moisture and temperature conditions.
* Of the brassicas, brown mustard consistently shows promise as a non-small-grains fall cover crop.
* Hairy vetch, the lone legume crop studied, consistently overwintered across all locations in the 2015-16 period only. This was the first recorded instance of this happening universally across locations in the past four years. Attempting to use a legume cover crop to fix nitrogen between corn and soybeans is challenging due to the limited heat units left in the season to help it get established when seeded in early to mid-September.
PFI strengthens farms and communities through farmer-led investigation and information-sharing. Our values include: welcoming everyone; creativity, collaboration and community; viable farms now and for future generations; and stewardship and ecology. Founded in 1985, farmers in the network raise corn, soybeans, livestock, hay, fruits and vegetables, and more. To learn more, visit practicalfarmers.org.
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Winchester 94, 32 special cal. special order, takedown, 1/2 round 1/2 oct. barrel. excellent bore, traces of blue on rec., barrel and mag 80%, wood is high and tight all around looks like one tight crack on the wrist. appears to be all original except the front sight. serial #1068xxx FFL or C&R req.
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Cast:Kartikeya Gummakonda, Lavanya Tripathi, Aamani, Murali Sharma
Producer:Bunny Vasu, Allu Aravind
Release Dt :Mar, 19 2021
Chaavu Kaburu Challaga Story
Chaavu Kaburu Challaga is the story of Basthi Balaraju (Karthikeya) who works as a driver for a mortuary van. He is a hearse driver and participates in the last rites of the deceased people. On one such occasions, he spots Mallika (Lavanya Tripathi) and falls for her on first spot. It is the last rites of Mallika's husband Peter and Balaraju tries hard to impress her. She gets vexed with his behavior and files a police complaint against Basthi Balaraju. It is then the real twist unfolds and the rest of Chaavu Kaburu Challaga is all about what happens next. Watch the film to know if Balaraju and Mallika end up getting married.
Chaavu Kaburu Challaga Analysis
The first half of Chaavu Kaburu Challaga is focused on fun and Balaraju trying hard to impress Mallika. There are a couple of twists and it is clear that all these will be laced to the interval episode. The songs are ok. The entertainment will not appeal to all the sections of the audience. There are some funny one-liners and some of them are good, others are creepy. The first half is passable with an interesting interval episode. Karthikeya shines well as Basthi Balaraju and the characters are set in a new premises.The technical aspects are impressive.
The second half of Chaavu Kaburu Challaga offers nothing and it happens on a flat note. There is no emotional connect and the entire film sounds predictable. The songs are ok and the background score is impressive. The basic idea is good but it is the narration that spoils the film. Several elements are never explored and the dots are not well connected. The character of Basthi Balaraju sounds good in the first half but things change completely in the second half of the film. The climax is ok but this alone cannot save the film. On the whole, the second half of Chaavu Kaburu Challaga makes it routine, predictable and boring.
Karthikeya is impressive and he improved by miles. He fits well in the role of Basthi Balaraju and delivers his best out of the role. Some of the funny oneliners are impressive. He handles the tempo well with his performance throughout and he has been terrific with his dance moves. Lavanya Tripathi picks up one more impressive role and the actress does justice for her part. She exhibits dual shades in the film and excelled in the role of Mallika. Aamani does her part well in a bold attempt which comes with an emotional touch. Murali Sharma has a meaty role and he shines with perfection. All the other actors have done their part well.
Chaavu Kaburu Challaga has an interesting and never-discussed plot. It is the screenplay and the narration that makes the film a huge disappointment. The dialogues are good throughout the film but the second half of Chaavu Kaburu Challaga is completely predictable. The music matches the mood and the background score is good. The cinematography work is decent and the coloring is done as per the premises and the background. The editing work should have been better. The production values are good. Debutant Koushik fails on his first attempt. Chaavu Kaburu Challaga is not entertaining nor emotional.
Chaavu Kaburu Challaga Final Word
Chaavu Kaburu Challaga is not completely entertaining nor emotional. The second half of Chaavu Kaburu Challaga is a huge misfire and the film falls flat.

domain: entertainment


text:
Perfect for revision, these guides explain the unit requirements, summarise the content and include specimen questions with graded answers.
This AQA A2 Law Student Unit Guide New Edition is the essential study companion for Unit 3: Unit 3 Criminal Law (Offences Against the Person) and Contract Law. This full-colour book includes all you need to know to prepare for your unit exam:
- Clear guidance on the content of the unit, with topic summaries, knowledge check questions and a quick-reference index
- Advice throughout, so you will know what to expect in the exam and will be able to demonstrate the skills required
- Exam-style questions, with graded student responses, so you can see clearly what is required

domain: library


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By Joe Locker, Local Democracy Reporter
Nottingham City Council spent more than £10,000 in legal fees after it unlawfully cancelled a talk by activist Julie Bindel at one of its libraries.
Ms Bindel, a feminist campaigner and author, was informed by the Labour-run council her talk at Aspley Library was cancelled due to her views on transgender rights one day before it was due to take place on Saturday, June 25.
Represented by Didlaw, London-based employment lawyers, she then took legal action against the authority, having raised just under £40,000 through a Crowdjustice campaign.
The campaign sought to raise money from her followers to pay for her legal team, which drafted a letter to the council saying she would be taking legal action under both the Equality Act 2010 and the Human Rights Act 1998.
After three months of pre-action correspondence the parties reached agreement on mutually acceptable terms, including an apology.
In October, the city council apologised to Ms Bindel and admitted it had acted “unlawfully” in cancelling her talk, which had been organised by Nottingham Women for Change, which describes itself as a “women only activism, education and empowerment” group.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service spoke to Ms Bindel and her lawyers, and submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the council.
It can be revealed the council spent £10,680 on legal fees and provided a £569.99 ‘settlement’.
The council says the £569.99 sum was paid to Ms Bindel, the organisers and ticket holders “in respect to their reasonable losses”.
Ms Bindel says she had not asked for compensation and they were given “out of pocket expenses incurred.”
The council says it is now “taking steps to ensure that such a decision is not taken in this way again”.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Ms Bindel said: “I’m a socialist so I would never take money from a cash-strapped council.
“I wanted to teach them a lesson. I wanted them to know they were wrong.
“I wanted the ticket money to be put back to the women who had paid out. It was £5 per ticket and for those women, £5 is a lot.
“I am a lefty, lesbian feminist and they said I was not a suitable speaker. I came out as a lesbian in the ’70s in north-east London and was subject to horrendous bigotry.
“I did not want to take a penny from a struggling Labour council, we could have screwed them into the ground, but they will have spent a lot of money on legal defence.”
According to the council, its Library Services department had been made aware of the “speaker’s views on transgender rights” when it chose to cancel the talk.
Ms Bindel herself said it had been cancelled over the “alleged transphobia”, but argued she had intended to speak about violence against women and those who are socially disenfranchised.
Some of her views on gender have been a cause for controversy, with a Guardian column from 2004, titled ‘Gender Benders, beware’, receiving hundreds of complaint letters.
The title of this column and its contents, along with her views on transgender rights, have been heavily criticised by some advocacy groups.
Elizabeth McGlone, partner and solicitor at Didlaw, which represented Ms Bindel, said: “It is the right outcome.
“I think the city council took the wrong approach de-platforming Julie Bindel.
“The outcome was proportionate and paves the way for other councils being inclusive across the board.”
In a statement released in October Nottingham City Council said: “On 24 June 2022, Nottingham City Council cancelled a booking by Nottingham Women for Change to use a space at Aspley Library for a talk by the author and journalist Julie Bindel.
“Nottingham City Council later communicated its decision in a statement published on 25 June 2022.
“Nottingham City Council now accepts that its decision to cancel the event was procedurally unlawful.
“Nottingham City Council apologises to Ms Bindel and Nottingham Women for Change for cancelling the event in this way and for the inconvenience caused as a result of this decision.
“It has agreed to make payment to Julie Bindel, Nottingham Women for Change and to ticket holders in respect of their reasonable losses incurred as a result of the cancellation of the event.
“Nottingham City Council has agreed that, if Nottingham Women for Change seeks to make a booking at any Nottingham City Council venue by way of a fully completed booking form, the Council will make a fresh decision in response to such request upon a lawful basis.”
Ms Bindel says she will be returning to the city “in the new year” and added: “They should have caved in when we first wrote to them and issued the same statement they should have given us four months earlier.”
Responding to the FOI a Nottingham City Council spokesman said: “Having accepted that our decision to cancel the event Julie Bindel was due to speak at was procedurally unlawful, we apologised to her and Nottingham Women for Change for the inconvenience caused and agreed to make payment to them and ticket holders to address reasonable losses they incurred.
“We are taking steps to ensure that such a decision is not taken in this way again.”

domain: law


Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg introduced an ambitious new platform targeted at black voters on Thursday, calling for a broad series of political and policy reforms that would lead to a “comprehensive and intentional dismantling of racist structures and systems” in the United States.
The announcement of the plan comes as Buttigieg works to convince black voters that he deserves their support. The South Bend, Indiana, mayor has polled at zero percent among black voters in some recent national polls (through other polls in states like South Carolina show his support increasing slightly), and has also faced continued criticism of his handling of a recent police shooting in South Bend.
The 18-page platform, which Buttigieg calls his “Douglass Plan for Black America” in honor of abolitionist Frederick Douglass, aims to reduce racial inequities. To accomplish this goal, Buttigieg is proposing a variety of political reforms, as well as a series of new investments the candidate says would disproportionately help black communities.
“We have lived in the shadow of systemic racism for too long,” Buttigieg said in a statement. “The Douglass Plan will help heal our deep racial divides with bold policies that match the scale of the crisis we face today,” he added.
The Douglass Plan was first previewed in June shortly before Buttigieg appeared at the Black Economic Alliance Presidential Forum in South Carolina. The official release of the full plan arrives as the campaign tries to find its footing with black voters, who make up more than a fifth of the Democratic electorate, and account for a large share of primary voters in states like South Carolina.
The plan could help Buttigieg make inroads with a crucial bloc of voters who are expected to play a significant role in the Democratic primary. And it’s focus on measures that are largely under the control of the executive branch offers a revealing look into how Buttigieg perceives the government’s role in helping communities of color whose needs have often been overlooked or intentionally left out of federal policy.
It suggests that Buttigieg sees federal efforts to address racial inequality in the present as crucial to the success of not just black Americans, but the country as a whole.
Buttigieg’s “Douglass Plan” looks to fight systemic racism from several angles
The Douglass Plan covers a range of issues, including housing, education, health disparities, the racial wealth gap, criminal justice, and voting rights.
The plan calls for a $25 billion investment in historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and other minority-serving institutions. Buttigieg also has proposed the Walker-Lewis Initiative, named for black entrepreneurs Madam C.J. Walker and Reginald Lewis, that would aim to triple the number of entrepreneurs from underrepresented backgrounds over 10 years. Similarly, the plan would create a fund to invest in minority-founded businesses, offer loan deferments and forgiveness programs to black college students who start businesses after graduating, and increase the amount of federal contracting funding given to small business owners from marginalized communities.
Buttigieg also calls for boosting the number of public school teachers of color, fighting racial bias in the health care system, and reducing mass incarceration at the federal and state levels by 50 percent. (This difficult goal would involve reducing arrests, decriminalizing drug possession offenses, closing prisons, and investing in social services and diversion efforts). Other proposals include restoring the part of the Voting Rights Act gutted by the Supreme Court’s 2013 ruling in Shelby County v. Holder, abolishing the death penalty, and using federal funding to encourage police transparency.
There’s also Buttigieg’s 21st Century Homestead Act, which would “purchase abandoned properties and provide them to eligible residents in pilot cities while simultaneously investing in the revitalization of surrounding communities.”
The Douglass Plan also makes several references to historic and systemic inequities that have affected black communities still struggling with a systemic denial of wealth accumulation introduced during slavery and maintained by other policies in the generations since.
On reparations for the descendants of enslaved, a topic that has seen increased attention in the 2020 primary, Butigieg’s campaign says that rather than functioning as a replacement for a reparations program, the Douglass Plan will serve as a complement to reparations. (Buttigieg, like many of his competitors, supports HR 40, a congressional proposal to study the need for reparations and what possible programs would look like.)
Buttigieg has struggled to win over black voters. The Douglass Plan could be a step forward.
While much of Buttigieg’s plan is aimed directly at assisting African Americans, it also includes larger proposals that he says will help all Americans, like raising the minimum wage, ending the use of the electoral college, and automatic voter registration.
As a result, it might be easiest to think of the Douglass Plan as a policy platform that is highly race-conscious, but is not fully race-specific.
Buttigieg’s plan arrives at a time when the candidate has faced criticism over his efforts to engage black voters and communities. Questions about the current mayor’s standing with this group have been particularly noticeable in the past month after South Bend was rocked by the June police shooting of Eric Logan, a 54 year-old black man. Local constituents argued that Buttigieg was more focused on campaigning than the needs of black residents in his city, complaints that haven’t fully receded in the weeks since.
Buttigieg says that he is committed to regaining the trust and support of not only his community, but the larger black electorate as well. And in the middle of a primary contest where several candidates are making appeals to black voters a core part of their campaigns, It is obvious that Buttigieg wants the Douglass Plan to be a step towards making his commitment clear.
How the Douglass Plan will actually play with voters, however, is not immediately apparent. While his plan is comprehensive and largely focuses on issues squarely under the control of the executive branch, Buttigieg’s relatively reserved approach to campaigning may cause him some difficulty when presenting the plan to black voters. They might compare his work to other candidates who (like Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris) regularly discuss race and policy.
Still, Buttigieg says that he is invested in working to reach black voters. “I’m not interested in winning without black support, I’m interested in winning black support and deserving to win black support,” Buttigieg told CNN recently. “It’s why we’re making sure that through initiatives like the Douglass Plan, people understand exactly what I propose to do with the powers of the presidency and federal office, to deal with racial inequality.”


19th.C. percussion capped rifle stamped Nicholl of Belfast.
19th. C. French bayonet.
WWI German pickelhaube helmet.
19th. C. percussion capped rifle stamped Andrews of Clones.
French officers Sword with original scabbard. 1880.
French officers sword. 1880.
Early Afghan flintlock rifle.
Two early 19th.C. percussion capped Afghan rifles.
Early 19th. C. French Officer’s sword with original scabbard.
Two Co. Cavan Orange sashes and a collarette and tea towel.


Light-Duty Motor Vehicle Purchase or Lease Incentive Program
A Program of the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP)
With the 83rd Texas Legislature enacting Senate Bill 1727, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is revising the Light-Duty Motor Vehicle Purchase or Lease Incentive (LDPLI) Program to be a statewide program to provide financial incentives up to $2,500 for the purchase or lease of eligible new vehicles powered by compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), or electric drives (plug-in). In order to implement the LDPLI program the TCEQ is currently in the process of revising 30 Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 114, Subchapter K, Division 2, §§114.610 - 114.612, 114.616, and 114.619.
What Vehicles Are Eligible for an Incentive?
The TCEQ is responsible for compiling reports from vehicle manufacturers regarding LDPLI eligible vehicles and making that information available. Staff anticipates publishing the list of eligible LDPLI vehicles in the spring of 2014.
The TCEQ issues guidelines for vehicle manufacturers to follow in identifying which vehicles are eligible for an incentive.
- Guidelines for Vehicle Manufacturers under the TERP Light-Duty Motor Vehicle Purchase or Lease Incentive Program (RG-391).
Annual Report on the Availability of Eligible Certified Light-Duty Motor Vehicles
If you manufacture light-duty motor vehicles that would qualify for the LDPLI and you intend to sell these vehicles in Texas, you must submit an annual report to the TCEQ no later than July 1st of each year.
|Manufacturer's Annual Report Form:||or|
How Do I Find Out More?
Incentives for the revised LDPLI program are expected to be available beginning late spring of 2014 and are subject to available funding. For questions and updates regarding the LDPLI program, please contact TERP staff at 800-919-TERP (8377).