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Every Christmas and New Year, people around the world throw away tons of food, harming nature. For Christmas 2020, IKEA encourages us to behave responsibly: this season please throw away less food, and save more. In a wonderful, powerful and spectacular film, IKEA Russia makes giant pieces of wasted food fall from the sky to raise awareness on this terrible matter. A great piece of work created by Instinct BBDO (Moscow) and produced by Alfa Film.
« What if nature returns everything we throw away during the Holidays? Don’t let your celebrations go to waste. »
CREDITS. Brand: IKEA. Marketing Director: Inna Romagnoli. Marketing Communication Manager: Anna Fokina. Marketing Communications Leader Cluster: Olga Belyaeva. Marketing Communications Specialist Cluster: Olga Chernova. Content Specialist: Julia Gorina. Content Specialist: Olga Trukets. Digital Content Specialist: Galina Malashkova. Advertising Agency: Instinct BBDO, Russia. Chief Creative Director: Yaroslav Orlov, Roman Firainer. Associate Creative Director: Antonina Pirogova, Evgeny Golovan. Strategic Planning Director: Anna Zakharova. Client Service Director: Marina Vershinina. Group Account Director: Irina Gornova. Senior Account Manager: Ksenia Mikhaylova. Producer: Tatiana Dmitrieva. Production Company: ALFA FILM. Executive Producer: Petr Ilin. Producer: Leonid Lukyanov. Junior Producer: Alexandra Bravova. Director: Ilya Naishuller / Great Guns ex. Russia. Camera Operator: Daria Grafova. Production Designer: Elizaveta Lavinskaya. 1st AD: Elena Alasheeva. Graphic Studio: CGF.


4 results for 'data'
Ten years of EUMETCast
Ten years ago we revolutionised the way users can access satellite data, with the introduction of EUMETCast.
Upcoming Meteosat-11 SEVIRI decontamination
A Meteosat-11 SEVIRI decontamination will be performed from 21 to 28 January 2019.
Meteosat service changes
Between January and April 2018 there were several changes in the constellation of Meteosat satellites.


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the jets will hold sign ups for their two teams Junior 7 years old to 9 years old, Senior 10 years old to 12 years old may turn 13 after September 1 2016
sign up will be held Saturday April 9 2016 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and Sunday April 17 2016 11:00 a.m. to 3:00np.m. at the West Bellaire Forest hills community center hall . Team fee for season is $60.00 due when you sign up. Family Discounts are available .
Sign up days
|Visit our Fan Shop|

domain: news


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Date added: Unknown Times played: 3
Play Jenga on PC with your mouse - steady hand required
Create a strong army of mutant plants to destroy humankind. Strategy.
A mighty and dark sorcerer used the Ancient Jewel to open the forgotten Gates of Despair.Then he split the Jewel into fo…
Monkey GO Happy is back with ELEVATORS 2. Help the mini monkeys find their Xmas toys!

domain: game


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5 types of accommodation
A different type of holiday!
Huts, an old-style caravan, cabins and even a Trapper’s tent… all take you on a voyage while offering a level of comfort that will make you forget the weather, for stays of 1 or several nights and whether you are alone or with friends or family.
The fabulous natural surroundings and the feeling of getting away from it all may make you decide to extend your moment of escape!
Trapper tent Bivouac
The real trapper tent with a wooden frame on stilts and a waterproof canvas roof. It has 2 single beds and a canvas shelter with benches and wooden tables, so you can enjoy the natural surroundings whatever the weather.
A perfect compromise between a tent and a chalet, in a natural style.
This very convivial tepee-shaped chalet on 2 levels has a south-facing sheltered wooden terrace with an unobstructed view of a superb panorama,
the perfect compromise between a chalet and a cabin: sleeps up to 4 people maximum,
has its own bathroom but no kitchen facilities. You are guaranteed shelter from any unexpected bad weather.
Terrace and garden furniture.
An old-style caravan, the symbol of travel and discovery, for a real change of scenery and all the comfort you need: a double bed and a sofa that can be used for a 3rd bed, kitchenette, television, bathroom, toilet and, of course, an unobstructed view and garden furniture to ensure a great holiday.
Find your childhood spirit again!
A real Wild West adventurers’ tent but with extra comfort! The floor, walls and roof are made of wood and the roof has a waterproof canvas cover for an authentic look and shelter from bad weather with possibility of a heater. For stays of 1 to several nights.
See other types of accommodation
Our pitches cover at least 80 m2 and can take 1 or 2 tents according to size, with a car, caravan or camping-car.
The terraced layout of the camp site means that each pitch benefits from an unobstructed view.

domain: travel


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1,402 Total views, 2 Views today
Warren Buffett Discusses The Importance of Emotional Stability When Owning Stocks
By Jairaj Singh, Associate Partner & Mentorship Coach, Lighthouse International
Why is emotional stability so important? Why is it important in our lives and why is it important in our businesses?
In life, as in relationships and, as we'll see below in business, emotional stability is absolutely crucial to be able to cope with the ups and downs of the many situations that can come our way.
As legendary investor Warren Buffett says below, emotional stability is something most investors don't have when they own stocks. Having emotional control and emotional intelligence enables us to deal with external situations like a market going down without panicking! Yet how many of us when we lose money get fearful and worried?
Watch Mr Buffett lay out the case to be educated to have more emotional control below...
Here's how 3 top CEOs are using emotional intelligence to great effect...

domain: psychology


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I Madeline McCray, am an inspired artist on a mission to realize my dreams! I am committed to creating works that elevates our individual and collective humanness. As a storyteller, my desire is to soothe troubled spirits, empower souls who feel lost and restore hope’s light to places where dark clouds of despair have overshadowed its mighty presence. My actress-self is fully committed to seeking the truth in character portrayals. I’m committed to spreading joy, laughter and loving feelings through all forms of artistic expression. I’m honored when creating with kindred spirits and look forward to building more relationships!
What I know is...today’s technology has stripped the gatekeepers of their power to deny anyone access to opportunities to reach audiences. I am committed to learning and executing ALL that I learn from AIDA. Thank you Roz, for being you and for creating this wonderful platform!
My dreams are my legacy. My legacy matters.
“Where you start isn't nearly as important as where you finish." -Zig Ziglar

domain: artistic


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Typescript Letter, To: Patrick J. McCullagh From: Mary Shore, November 27, 1976.
OM II 4/13/20 Mary mentioned the November 9th issue of the Irish Times article on Joseph McGarrity for his collection. April351
|Main Author:||Shore, Mary, 1912- .|
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!

domain: library


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Transforming Healthcare Excellence Through Tailored Training Solutions
At eSoftSkills Training Solutions, we’re not just experienced; we’re unparalleled experts with years dedicated to the healthcare industry. Our mission is more than staying ahead; it’s about pioneering the future of healthcare training. Renowned as a premier provider of corporate training solutions, we are unwaveringly committed to delivering personalized programs that keep professionals ahead and organizations ascending to new heights of success.
Why eSoftSkills Stands Apart:
Our unique strength lies in our dual commitment: you gain access to supreme, high-caliber training services, and alongside, the benefit of our deep, hands-on industry experience. Customization is our standard, excellence our benchmark, and your success, our shared goal.
Overview of Our Healthcare Training Solutions:
- Tailored Training Programs: We don’t believe in ‘off-the-shelf.’ Our training programs are customized down to the finest detail, based on your healthcare organization’s specific needs. Every role, every function, every challenge you face is addressed, ensuring comprehensive preparedness across your team.
- Flexible Delivery: Learn your way. From fully online courses to blended learning experiences, we provide a spectrum of delivery methods to suit your operational needs and learning preferences.
- Extensive Course Catalog: Our portfolio is a testament to our expertise. From compliance to customer service, from leadership to emergency response, we cover every facet of healthcare training. Every course is a step towards excellence, ensuring a well-rounded, capable, and confident team.
- State-of-the-Art LMS: Seamless, hassle-free access to training is not a luxury; it’s a necessity. Our cutting-edge Learning Management System (LMS) is the conduit between your team and their development, simplifying engagement with vital training resources.
Empowering Professionals, Elevating Organizations:
- For Healthcare Professionals: Stay at the forefront of your field. Our training deepens your expertise, broadens your skill set, and cements your professional reputation. From clinical competencies to soft skills, every program is a brick in the path of your career advancement.
- For Healthcare Companies: Witness the transformation. Our programs equip your team with cutting-edge knowledge and strategies, fostering a stimulating work environment that encourages peak performance. From enhanced patient outcomes to steadfast legal compliance, the benefits permeate every aspect of your operations.
Our Healthcare Training Spectrum:
- Compliance Training: Navigate the intricacies of healthcare regulations with confidence. Our comprehensive compliance programs keep your team updated, compliant, and efficient.
- Customer Service Excellence: More than procedures, healthcare thrives on relationships. Our programs hone your team’s interpersonal skills, crucial for patient satisfaction and loyalty.
- Leadership Development: Unlock the leaders within your team. Our leadership courses are catalysts for growth, equipping professionals with skills to manage, inspire, and innovate.
Dedication Meets Innovation at eSoftSkills:
We are more than a training provider; we are architects of success for healthcare professionals and organizations. Our elite cadre of industry-savvy experts is your resource, guiding you through a transformative journey with our exhaustive training options.
Ready to redefine healthcare excellence? Connect with us. Let’s script your success story, laying each cornerstone with skill, excellence, and unparalleled knowledge. Your journey to the pinnacle of healthcare proficiency starts with eSoftSkills Training Solutions.
- Clinical Training: Training that focuses on the medical and clinical aspects of healthcare, including diagnosis and treatment of various medical conditions.
- Patient Care Training: Training that focuses on the care and support provided to patients, including communication skills, bedside manner, and infection control.
- Regulatory Compliance Training: Training that focuses on the legal and regulatory requirements related to healthcare, including privacy laws, HIPAA regulations, and medical record-keeping.
- Emergency Response Training: Training that focuses on preparing healthcare providers to respond to emergencies, including CPR and first aid.
- Equipment and Technology Training: Training that focuses on the use of medical equipment and technology, including patient monitoring systems, imaging equipment, and electronic health records.
- Team-Building Training: Training that focuses on improving teamwork and communication among healthcare providers, including conflict resolution and leadership skills.
- Leadership and Management Training: Training that focuses on developing leadership and management skills for healthcare professionals, including budgeting, strategic planning, and human resources management.
- Professional Development Training: Training that focuses on personal and professional growth for healthcare professionals, including continuing education and certifications.
- Diversity and Inclusion Training: Training that focuses on promoting diversity and inclusion in healthcare, including cultural competency and anti-discrimination policies.
- Safety and Quality Training: Training that focuses on maintaining the safety and quality of care in healthcare, including patient safety protocols and quality improvement initiatives.
- Infection Prevention and Control Training: Training that focuses on preventing the spread of infection in healthcare settings, including hand hygiene and proper use of personal protective equipment.
- Client Education Training: Training that focuses on educating clients about various medical conditions, treatments, and self-care strategies.

domain: medical


WHAT IS AN OPTICAL FIBER?
We’ve looked at an analogy for fiber networks that compares them to a road network. Fiber itself, however, is tiny – about the same diameter as a strand of human hair – and the traffic it carries is in the form of light. To the human eye, light appears white, but it’s actually made up of many colors, each of which can be its own traffic channel, in its own fixed lane.
The composition of an optical fiber
Fiber is normally made of pure silica (glass) due to its pure qualities and the properties that give it good total internal refraction, an effect that forms the basis of fiber optical communication. Basically, the optical fiber consists of a core, cladding, and coating.
The light travels down the core, which is protected by the cladding that stops the light from escaping – this is total internal refraction/reflection. Because of the properties of silica, the light bounces inside the core instead of escaping, as if reflecting off a mirror. This can be done even up hills and around corners, creating the light pulses that make data transmission possible inside of a fiber optic cable. The coating is added to protect from damage and moisture.
Types of optical fiber
There are two primary types of fiber, each of which has a different application. These are multimode (MM) fiber, which has a large core and allows for multiple paths through the fiber, and single-mode (SM) fiber, which has only one path, through a much smaller core.
|Multimode fiber||Single-mode fiber|
|Coating diameter||250 µm||250 µm|
|Cladding diameter||125 µm||125 µm|
|Core diameter||62.5 µm (Graded index)||9 µm|
|50 µm (Step index)|
Multimode optical fiber
Multimode fiber optic cable allows multiple modes of light to pass through a large core, which in turn increases the number of reflections as the light passes through. The advantage of this type of fiber is that lower-cost transceivers can be used, but it also introduces a lot of dispersion and attenuation. In short, it means that the size of the core leaves so much room for light to bounce as it’s sent down the fiber that the quality of the signal degrades quickly. It also can’t be amplified, which means that it is only suitable for short distances where simpler and cheaper transceivers can be used. I.e., where a low-cost solution is needed.
For any distance greater than 200-300 meters, the multimode fiber isn’t suitable. It’s most frequently found where these short distances are all that is needed, such as inside a data center. An example of this is OM4 fiber, capable of handling 10 and 100G traffic signals up to 100 meters.
There are two main types of multimode fiber:
Gradient-Index Multimode Fiber
This is the more common type of multimode fiber in use today. With the gradient-index multimode fiber, the light traveling close to the axis travels more slowly than the light near the cladding, which results in better grouping of the light rays. The refractive index, then, diminishes gradually from the center axis out toward the cladding.
Step-Index Multimode Fiber
In this type of multimode fiber, the light travels in various zigzag and direct routes, bouncing off of the cladding. The result is that different “modes” of light arrive at different times at the other end of the fiber. When the different modes begin to spread out, the signal loses some of its shape.
Single-mode optical fiber
A single-mode optical fiber has a smaller core than multimode fiber and allows only one mode of light to travel through. Because there are fewer light reflections this type has the lowest signal attenuation, and the light can travel farther. It interfaces with single-mode optics, which uses lasers as a source of light, sending a single wavelength in a straight line down the fiber. It still has the same 125µm cladding as the multimode fiber, but the core is typically 9µm, instead of 50µm or more.
Single-mode fiber has a higher bandwidth and is the most suitable type of fiber for long-distance networking. It, too, comes in several types, optimized for different regions in the fiber.
Non-dispersion-shifted fiber (NDSF) was the most common type of fiber installed in the 1980s. It was optimized for the 1310nm region of the fiber – the wavelength for optical networking before wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) systems became common. NDSF has low dispersion in that range, which means that it doesn’t allow very much light to bounce around in the core. But at 1550nm, the range where modern WDM systems reside, it has much higher dispersion, which means that the distance for connectivity is limited.
There are two types of dispersion-shifted fibers. The basic dispersion-shifted fiber type is optimized for use at 1550nm, but is limited to a single-wavelength operation, making it problematic to use with some types of modern WDM systems. There is also non-zero dispersion-shifted fiber, which has much less dispersion and is the optical fiber of choice for new fiber deployments. It is the most useful of all single-mode fiber types to high-capacity, high-data-rate DWDM systems.
Explaining this article to a non-technical person:
Optical fiber is tiny, about the diameter of a strand of human hair. It’s made of silica (glass), chosen for its ability to reflect light in a way that allows the light to transmit data efficiently. It’s made up of a core, through which the light travels, cladding, which prevents the light from escaping, and a coating, which protects the fiber from damage and moisture. A fiber that has a larger core can be used with inexpensive transceivers over short distances, but can’t be amplified or used between remote sites. A single-mode fiber, with a much smaller core, can carry data longer distances, due to its ability to transmit a single laser with less loss of quality.


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As the peak viral season is approaching, the infections are drawing closer to your children playgrounds and loved ones. But the good news is they can be easily prevented. Hand Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) is one of the regional endemic viral infections that especially affects the children. Thai health officials have issued advisory about the disease several times. Through this health advisory we have answered the common questions about HFMD.
HFMD is mostly seen in infants and children under the age of five, is a viral disease that generally starts with a fever, sore throat, loss of appetite and a general feeling of tiredness. These initial symptoms are followed by painful sores in the mouth, and rashes of flat red spots that may blister on the palms, soles, fingers, and sometimes the knees, elbows, buttocks, and/or genital area within a few days that usually last for a week.
Oral lesions form because of the blistering of tiny red spots in the mouth affecting the buccal mucosa, gums, palate and tongue. The lesions make it difficult for children to swallow liquids and hence they may get dehydrated.
However, HFMD may not manifest any symptoms at all in some individuals, especially adults. Despite that, the infected adults can still transmit the disease to others.
Viruses from the group called enteroviruses cause HFMD. There are many different types in the group including polioviruses, coxsackieviruses, echoviruses and other enteroviruses. HFMD is most commonly caused by coxsackievirus A16 which usually results in a mild self-limiting disease with few complications. However, in Southeast Asia, Enterovirus 71 generally causes HFMD outbreaks that can lead to life-threatening complications including encephalitis, aseptic meningitis, polio-like flaccid paralysis, pulmonary hemorrhage and myocarditis. Most fatalities are implicated to pulmonary hemorrhage or edema.
When someone gets HFMD, they develop immunity (protection) to the specific virus that caused their infection. However, because HFMD is caused by several different viruses, people can get the disease again.
The most effective preventive measure for HFMD is practicing good hygiene. You can reduce the risk of getting infected with the viruses that cause HFMD by following a few simple steps:
There is no treatment or vaccination against HFMD. It is important for people with HFMD to drink enough fluids to prevent dehydration.
Especially if you suspect HFMD in your kids, please visit our 24-hours dedicated Super Kids Center specialists who often go out of their way to offer personalized medical advice including the up-to-date tips on how to deal with the diseases like HFMD, medical intervention and patient care. The center offers a complete range of pediatric sub-specialties associated with primary prevention and treatment to complex medical interventions including NICU, Cardiology, Allergies, Orthopedics, Congenital Diseases and so on. We are fully prepared to meet the preventive, diagnostic and treatment needs of your children.

domain: health


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Information about our services for patients and families.Our care services
Run relay-style with a team of 10 along the spectacular South East Coast of England
Run relay-style with a team of 10 (you and 9 other friends or colleagues) along the spectacular South East Coast of England. Starting in Maidstone, you will run along the south east coast through quaint seaside towns, rolling fields, ocean breezes, and of course the most beautiful collection of white cliffs known to man. After passing through the picturesque towns of Faversham, Ramsgate, Dover, Folkstone, Rye, Hastings and Eastbourne; you and your team will finish your journey in the city of Brighton.
Conquer the challenge as a team in two vehicles, each taking turns running relay style along a 170(ish) mile route. One runner hits the road at any one time, each team member will run three times, with each ‘leg’ ranging between 3 – 11 miles and varying in difficulty. Most of the team will complete their first leg on day one, their second leg under the stars and their third leg on day two as you head to the finish.
You set your own team goals, make it competitive or make it as fun as possible – with a small amount of training, anyone can become a Ragnarian.
We are now accepting applications to join our 2018 Reebok Ragnar White Cliffs team.
Take on the Ragnar White Cliffs for Chestnut Tree House and we will provide your team with:
We’ll send you a Chestnut Tree House fundraising pack, however you can start your fundraising straight away by doing the following:
• Set up a JustGiving page – the easy way to raise sponsor money online. Visit www.justgiving.com to get started!
• Take a look at our fundraising hints and tips
• Download a Chestnut Tree House sponsor form
To apply for a charity entry with Chestnut Tree House, complete our Team Captain application here and we will be in touch soon. (Your full team details are not required at this stage).
£887 will allow a nurse to support a family immediately following bereavement, helping them to plan the funeral and to say their final goodbyes to their child
£1,500 allows our Community Team to host a Family Day for 20 families, providing a range of activities and information for the whole family to enjoy
£1,953 will give a child a 3 night break at Chestnut Tree House where they will receive specialist care and symptom management from our nursing team and, where required, end of life care. Of course they will also be able to enjoy the hydrotherapy pool, relax in the multi-sensory room and join in with a host of activities, whilst mum and dad get the chance to “recharge their batteries.”

domain: geography


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Cambridge University has been accused of “sidelining ethical considerations” after accepting a £20 million donation from a UAE oil tycoon.
Students and academics have criticised the university’s decision to accept funds from Majid Jafar, chief executive of Crescent Petroleum, the largest privately owned oil and gas company in the Middle East, because of his comments on climate change.
Jason Scott-Warren, an English professor and member of University Council, claimed that Cambridge “persistently sidelines ethical considerations in its efforts to secure donations to fund its mission”.
He told Varsity, the Cambridge student newspaper: “When large sums of money are offered for projects that enhance our research and teaching, human rights violations and flagrant planet-trashing become distinctly secondary concerns.”
Speaking at COP28 in Dubai last year, Mr Jafar, a Cambridge alumnus, said that “blaming the producers of oil and gas for climate change is like blaming farmers for obesity”.
At the same conference, the businessman told António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, that he should have travelled to the conference in “a wooden boat powered with sails and oars”, when asked about the continuation of fossil fuels.
He has been a vocal defender of the development of oil and gas amid the energy transition.
Speaking in 2022, he said: “Somehow, it got misconstrued that we don’t need oil and gas any more. Nobody actually said that.”
The Jafar family is donating £20 million towards the development of a Cambridge children’s hospital and research institute.
The family said they would donate the money to the project after Mr Jafar’s daughter was diagnosed with a rare neurogenetic disorder. He is co-chairing a campaign to raise a total of £100 million to build the facility.
The donation was approved by the university’s Committee on Benefactions and External and Legal Affairs (CBELA), which scrutinises any proposed large donations.
It comes after a report commissioned by the university recommended that it halt all funding from fossil fuel companies last year.
The report, led by Nigel Topping, former UN climate action champion, found that the university’s acceptance of research funding from the fossil fuel industry poses “high reputational risk” and urged Cambridge to “clarify” CBELA’s scrutiny of donations from parties associated with oil and gas.
The university has pledged to implement some of the recommendations but has not yet imposed a ban on research funding from oil companies.
Mr Scott-Warren said he fought against the donation when it made its way through University governance.
He said: “I queried the Jafar donation at the University Council meeting in March 2021… It was clear that Crescent Petroleum and Dana Gas were banking on an expansion of fossil fuel demand to 2030 and beyond.”
Sam Hutton, chair of the Cambridge Student Union’s Ethical Affairs campaign, also criticised the University’s decision to accept the donation.
He said: “Taking a donation from a person so clearly linked to the fossil fuel industry seems to indicate their willingness to get the money in while they can. While millions are being displaced and suffering famine due to the effects of climate change, the university continues to procrastinate its commitments to stop our complicity in this destruction.”
Donations to Conservative Party
Mr Jafar has made multiple donations to the Conservative party, including £12,500 in March 2019 and £28,000 in December 2016. In 2019, the businessman gave £3,000 to Leo Docherty, MP and former Director of the Conservative Middle East Council (CMEC), to which Mr Jafar donated £15,000 in 2014.
A university spokesman said: “As with all donations and research funding to the university, this gift was accepted following robust due diligence procedures to scrutinise compatibility and alignment with our mission and values. Decisions take into account the university’s ethical guidelines, and also, since October 2020, the university’s climate change guidelines.
“We are immensely grateful for this personal donation from a Cambridge alumnus and his family, supporting the establishment of Cambridge Children’s Hospital and enabling it to carry out groundbreaking research and to improve the lives of children not only locally but also nationally and even internationally.”
‘Natural gas as transition fuel’
A spokesman for Mr Jafar said: “The COP28 declaration in December last year clearly accepted the need for natural gas as a transition fuel to replace dirtier fuels like coal and diesel in developing countries and thereby enable the addition of intermittent renewables when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow (just as happens in the UK). Majid agrees with this as the fastest way to reduce carbon emissions in developing countries.”
Regarding Mr Jafar’s political donations, they said: “These past donations are all on the public record but he has not donated for the past 5 years.”
The spokesman said the company “achieved carbon neutrality across operations in 2021 and that gas is 85 per cent of its production, displacing diesel for power generation in the Middle East and saving millions of tonnes of CO2 emissions annually”.


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Keep praying, because He will come through.
Keep singing, because the melody of your voice is audible poetry.
Keep writing, because your words whisper meanings yet unspoken.
Keep dancing, because clumsy movements can release your burdens.
Keep working, because in all faithful work there is profit.
Keep laughing, because joy feeds the weary soul.
Keep crying, because sorrow can sometimes mend the deepest fissures.
Keep hoping, because your treasured hopes will blossom into reality.
Keep dreaming, because life is dreary without crazy dreams.
Keep loving, because your love has power you cannot know.
Keep trying, because you will reach the summit, and it will be glorious.
Keep doing what you’re doing, because it’s beautiful.

domain: literature


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That Chiranjeevi is going to act in his 150th film soon is old goss. Here’s the latest
Not so long time ago, we had told you that actor turned politician Chiranjeevi will be seen on the big screen in his 150th film. Of course, all his fans are excited about his comeback to films and wish to know as much as possible about his upcoming film. However, the official announcement won’t be happening till Chiranjeevi’s birthday on August 22, we hear. But here’s the little that we know about the film. We hear that Chiranjeevi is likely to play a historical character in his 150th film, which will be made on a grand scale. As for now, who will helm the film is not known. But we hear that his son, Ram Charan will be producing the film.
Well, it’d be great to see the father-son duo working together, isn’t it? Buzz is that while earlier directors were excited for Chiranjeevi’s next film, he is having difficulties in finding a director now. Keep watching this space to know more details about Chiranjeevi’s much-awaited 150th film.


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It's Thanksgiving next week. Already. Can't believe it! I'm not gonna share Thanksgiving just yet though. Instead, I'm gonna share my jump start on Christmas. I'm making ornaments right now. Having a blast doing 'em. And I hope to motivate YOU! My key is EASY. I hate for things to be complicated. To take too long.
My Christmas colors are changing this year. I tried the teal blues for the last few years. Here's a pix of my tree and all from the previous few years:
It's so funny, looking back. Geesh. I sold the tree last year. SAD story that one. I sold it, had the cash in my work pocket, and LOST it! Can you believe it? Talk about upset.
But I miss my RED. I LOVE red. So back to red... and white and black! Yes, black. Trust me, it looks wonderful!
Here's what I've done SO FAR:
I've had a bunch of frosted ornaments...forEVER. I finally decided it's TIME!
First, I didn't want GOLD tops. ugh (for me)
So I painted them BLACK!
Then the ornaments I made with the frosted glass balls.
...and a little bit closer...
This one is made with Washi Tape from Tim Holtz. So easy!
Then a 'junk' bow.
This one was already glittered. I simply added the rhinestones and the bow on top.
The tip of the ornament I covered with ribbon, as it wouldn't come out.
This one I made by mod podging strips of scrapbook paper around and around.
Then a cute bow on top!
This one I simply added some Snow Tex to the top along with some heavy glitter.
Then added a jute bow.
This one I painted with Black Chalkboard spray paint!
Then added a ribbon with HOT glue, along with a rhinestone.
Then a little bow at the top.
This one I added Washi Tape from 7 Gypsies.
Then a bow on the top.
...and this one, last but not least:
I printed some Christmas words/sayings
on plain typing paper.
Then misted with some Walnut Ink thinned out with water.
Then cut out several strips, and mod podged to the ball.
Then the cute little bow.
I LOVE this one!
I've only shown you a FEW of what I've been making! I'm using an OLD little alpine from Craft Warehouse. I finally took off all the decor that Jan had put on years ago! I loved it so! But time for a change. I will post photos of the tree on a later post. And share all the other ornaments, in hope that YOU get inspired to FINALLY make those ornaments you've always wanted to make! TOO FUN!
I am not savvy with blogging 'how to's', so if you would like a copy of the Christmas Words, I would be happy to email a PDF of it to you! (I don't know how else to do this, so I hope I don't go crazy with it!)
Ready to STICK WITH IT!
Thank you my friends, for being patient
and for PUSHING me to
JUST DO IT!


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Welcome To The FunHello and thanks for stopping by. As a Stampin’ Up! independent demonstrator, I am one of those rare people who love what they do and get to share what I love. And I love stamping! I am having so much fun meeting other crafty people that also love stamping. My mother taught me how important it is to stay in touch with friends and family. With all the technology out there today, I love being able to make a card and send it to someone, just to make them smile......and......everyone loves to receive "happy mail".
I’m here to give you fun project ideas, share special offers, and, of course, teach you about fantastic stamping products.I have weekly classes and am also available to schedule home parties and events.
Send me an e-mail or give me a call; my shop is open 24 hours a day. I look forward to helping you in any way I can.
SPECIAL: Year-End Closeout
I would love to have you join us, so invite your friends and come join us for cardmaking in a relaxing, fun-filled morning. Each week is a different project and technique.
You can contact me by email to register at: specialdaygreetings4U@gmail.com or call me at
||Stampin' Up! Event||
||Personal Event 1||
||Personal Event 2||
||Personal Event 3|
||Available For Workshops|

domain: hobby


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In the recent film The Revenant, set in the Montana wilderness of the early 1800s, it is hard to distinguish the trappers in their bear coats and patched skins from the wild creatures around them. In fact, the men are so much a part of the natural world they virtually become the very animals they are hunting. A version of this phenomenon – our fascination with, and interdependence upon, the wild – permeates Alissa York’s fourth novel. Instead of a snowy mountain landscape, the story inhabits the torrid, teeming Amazon, and in lieu of men and hairy beasts, the novel belongs to scaly reptiles, a widow, her stepson, and a Quaker farmgirl.
The story takes place in the late 1860s when Darwin was transforming paradigmatic views of creation with his theory of natural selection and biological evolution. When naturalist Walter Ash dies suddenly just before a trip to the Amazon, his bookish son Paul takes his place. Accompanying Paul on the voyage are his widowed stepmother, Iris, and her companion, Rachel Weaver, a young Quaker girl raised on a farm, who has a habit of collecting cast-off feathers and snakeskins, which she stuffs into her pocket.
The Naturalist centres on the conflict between civilization and nature; the story’s opening scenes and images embody this tension. When Rachel first enters the Ash mansion in Philadelphia, she is immediately struck by the carefully framed portraits of various reptiles. “A long armoured beast … floated among lily pads” in one image; in another, an iguana with apple-green skin and a whip of a tail grips a branch with yellow claws.
Rachel is entranced by the hot-house atrium, which releases “a gust of earthy air,” and wonders how transplanting pieces of the jungle to a human environment affects the relationship between divergent worlds. Surely, collections of tropical specimens housed under glass merely accentuate the vast distance between jungle and drawing room? Perhaps, but the novel suggests that they also frame our inability to coexist with nature without killing its creatures and holding them as objects. As Walter writes in his field notebook, “If we confine ourselves to the acts of listing, do we not create a necrology rather than a study of life?”
The reader soon recognizes that Paul has been similarly uprooted from his native habitat. Paul’s mother was a mameluco, or mixed-blood Brazilian woman, whose family were river people; the child was transported out of the jungle as a baby. “It was one thing to disappear into the jungle in the spirit of scientific endeavour, quite another to emerge from that rank wilderness with a half-breed son.” The journey back to the Amazon enables Paul to surround himself with his native environment and to get to know his remaining blood family.
Fittingly, York’s characters are often likened to animals: Iris is a “skittish mare,” and Rachel swims like a “slender frog.” Paul’s Brazilian uncle is built like a bull, with a broad nose and brow and unsettling, direct gaze. Paul himself brings to mind a deer: “Strange for a body so solid to move with such grace. …He had a deer’s [autumn brown] colouring. … A deer’s dark, watchful eyes.” These comparisons serve to underline our evolutionary descent from primates and other important links to the wild.
Paul’s sensibility is more literary than scientific, and he seeks “the veins of pure narrative” within the bedrock of research, often by quoting poetry. He is the perfect foil to Rachel, who – in a memorable scene – boldly kneels on Paul’s thigh while his aunt tweezes out a stingray’s barb, an act that bonds the pair amid blood and screams. If only there were more such scenes. The Naturalist is far too tame, and despite the dramatic potential of the material, the pace is rather slow.
York’s tone is stately and restrained, the diction formal, at times stilted, and the story unfolds from an omniscient point of view. Unfortunately, the attempt to recreate a 19th-century locution calls attention to the fact that this is a “historical novel”: the ideal genre reading experience should be immersive, like what Hilary Mantel achieves in Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, rather than self-conscious. In The Naturalist, Walter’s field notebooks, as well as letters from Rachel’s parents, provide the texture of first-person voices and offer crucial backstory, but suffer from the same wooden diction.
York did prodigious research; she cites several pages of sources at the end. Though the dense detail about Amazon wildlife is impressive, and may interest some readers, it would have benefited from greater authorial selection. Unfiltered descriptions of jungle plants and creatures bog down the story and camouflage the proverbial forest with the trees. They sap wildness from the wild.


Winsted –May 17, 2021 – Northwestern Connecticut Community College will offer Advanced Manufacturing Systems training this fall, which will provide students with more than 100 hours of training toward a certified apprentice program. Although restrictions apply, businesses may qualify to receive free training for their employees.
“We are excited to offer this opportunity for students who are looking to further advance their education and training in the field of manufacturing,” said Gary Carra, Interim Director of Business, Technology and Industry Training for Northwestern. “We understand the need for this training and are looking forward to working with Connecticut businesses to provide them with this opportunity as well.”
Topics to be covered will include: Shop Math, Overview of Blueprint, Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing, Overview of Mechanical Maintenance, and Overview of Industrial Maintenance. Training will be one day a week for a duration of two semesters allowing training to be complete in less than a year. Students who complete the program will receive a certificate issued by Northwestern through the Connecticut College of Technology.
“Completion of the program will also qualify students to enroll in a certified state apprentice program, allowing for further training and advancement opportunities,” said Carra.
For more information contact Gary Carra at email@example.com.


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Local officials are preparing for upward of a 500,000 anti-gun-violence protesters to pour into the nation’s capital Saturday, in what could be a record-setting day for the region’s transportation system.
“There’s going to be a lot of people,” said Elliott Ferguson, president and chief executive at Destination DC. “There’s going to be a lot of people on Metro, a lot of people walking and just a lot of activity.”
The March For Our Lives, a rally organized by students who survived the Feb. 14 school shooting in Parkland, Fla., will close streets downtown; traffic on the Interstate 95 corridor and other main gateways into the city could experience backups. Thousands of people from all across the Washington region and the Northeast and beyond are expected to attend. Rally organizers have obtained a permit for 500,000 people to rally on the Mall and march along Pennsylvania Avenue.
Some city officials say the numbers could be larger. Hundreds of charter buses have been booked to bring the young protesters and their supporters to Washington from places as far as Columbus, Ohio and as close as Columbia, Md.
App-based services such as Rally and Skedaddle that facilitate crowdsourcing bus routes, say organizers are renting buses to the march from Ohio, Michigan, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina.
“We’ve confirmed 50-plus buses so far,” said Siheun Song, co-founder and president of the New York-based Rally app. “We anticipate they’re going to be on average 95 to 100 percent full.”
Those buses, Song said, will transport about 3,000 people. Rally app officials say more routes are expected to be organized before the end of this week.
Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh (D) said the city is providing 60 buses to take as many as 3,000 students to the D.C. rally. The city will provide lunches and T-shirts to the students, she told a crowd of Baltimore students participating in the national school walkout day last Wednesday.
“Let’s show Washington, D.C., that Baltimore matters,” she said. “We want to make sure that you are in Washington, D.C., on March the 24th.”
Chala Jones, with Events DC, which oversees the RFK stadium parking facilities, said parking for as many as 400 buses is being reserved for the march attendees. Bus drivers can find their own parking outside RFK, so these numbers do not necessarily reflect all of the buses that will be headed to the District for the march.
The District’s Transportation Department says there are other parking sites in the city at locations such as Union Station.
Metro will boost its Saturday service to rush-hour levels, and officials are urging visitors to purchase their SmarTrip cards in advance to avoid long lines at the stations Saturday. For the Women’s March on Washington on Jan. 21, when organizers had planned for 250,000 attendees, Metro recorded more than 1 million rides, the second-busiest day in its 40-year history. Some officials say the anti-gun-violence protest could be bigger than the Women’s March.
MARC commuter trains in Maryland plan to operate with additional rail cars and will do without bike racks to provide more seating capacity on trains from the outer Maryland suburbs to Washington, state transportation officials said.
Amtrak said it is considering expanding capacity for travel in the Northeast Corridor before and on March 24. Amtrak said it is seeing high demand for trains to the District the day before and the day of the march, but tickets were still available for travel to Washington.
Besides road closures around the march route, there are likely to be extensive parking restrictions in downtown.
The March For Our Lives will include “student speakers, musical performers, guest speakers and video tributes,” according to the permit application, with 14 Jumbotrons and 2,000 chairs.
Meanwhile, the opening ceremony for the Cherry Blossom Festival and accompanying events will draw thousands more visitors. The trees are expected to peak in late March. The four-week festival kicks off the beginning of the tourism season in Washington.
But officials and tourism experts say visitors should plan their trips and know the crowds are something the region’s transportation system and the city are accustomed to and handle well.
“The city — and those that are responsible for crowd management, security, ingress, egress and transportation — are prepared to handle those crowds,” Ferguson said. “I would not say to anyone that it’s going to be business as usual, but it would be surprising if the dynamics of next weekend are that egregious to those that are responsible for taking care of the individuals visiting our city.”

domain: sociology


Well, making a list of Best Digital Caliper 2020 is a tricky task. In this post, you will see Top selling Digital Calipers of 2020.
A digital caliper is a measuring tool which helps us to measure distance between two opposite sides of an object. Digital Calipers are widely used in woodworking and engineering field.
Best Digital Caliper 2020
We have gathered top 10 best selling digital caliper 2020.
As everyone knows that we need accurate measurement to construct a building as well making some furniture. In real life and perfect design, we need a device for accurate measuring. Digital Caliper is one the best useful measuring product in the market. Now a days, digital calipers are widely using in woodworking and reloading uses. So, today we will guide you regarding to best digital calipers and you can pick best caliper from top brands like Neiko and Mitutoyo calipers.
1# Neiko 01407A Electronic Digital Caliper - Best Digital Caliper 2020
If you looking for cheap digital caliper under 20, this Neiko 01407A Electronic Digital Caliper with Stainless Steel Body,Large LCD Screen, 0 to 6 Inches measuring range is best choice. This Neiko digital caliper comes with Inch/Fractions/Millimeter Conversion.
Inch/Fractions/Millimeter Conversion means by using one button, you can change measuring mode. These measuring modes are Inch, Fractions and Millimeter.
Measuring range of Neiko Caliper is 0 to 6 inches when it’s having Inch mode and 0 to 150mm when it’s having Millimeter mode active. Accuracy of Neiko digital caliper is 0.001” / 0.02mm.
Neiko 01407A digital caliper is made of finely polished stainless steel frame with knurled thumb roller and locking screw ensure smooth sliding and accurate positioning. This device is used for measuring inside, outside and depth of an object. For clear and easy reading, extra large LCD screen is used in Neiko calipers.
2# Mitutoyo 500-196-30 AOS Digital Caliper - Best Digital Caliper for Reloading
Mitutoyo calipers are developed by Japan based multi-million dollar multinational company named as Mitutoyo. This Mitutoyo is one of them company as well trusted too.
Mitutoyo 500-196-30 – is an absolute digital vernier caliper having measuring range of 0 to 6 inch with .0005″ resolution. advanced onsite sensor in this digital caliper offering improved measurement in dust condition. A LCD screen is available for reading purpose. Apart from this device comes with a calibration certificate.
When its come to best selling digital calipers of world, Mitutoyo 500-196-30 AOS Absolute Digimatic Caliper is listed on top.
As I told you earlier, Electromagnetic inductive sensor is used in this Mitutoyo calipers which improves the environmental resistance. Its help in accurate reading by reducing false readings caused by dirt, oil and water. Also, Mitutoyo digital caliper is Compatible with current digimatic peripherals (SPC Cables, U-Wave wireless transmitters, DP1-VR and others) for ABS-CD. Battery life of this device is 3.5 years under normal use.
MANY DIGITAL CALIPERS CAN BE INACCURATE, arrive with dead or weak batteries or have a rough or sticky movement. Our all stainless steel caliper glides smoothly, with accuracy to within .0005 inch, .01 millimeter, 1/64." It has automatic on/off and the IP54 rating provides a great level of liquid and dust resistance. You can purchase it with confidence and your experience using it will be enjoyable and trouble-free. HIGHER QUALITY AND VALUE AT A GREAT PRICE.
- Resolution: 0.0005"/0.01mm; Accuracy: 0.001" / 0.02mm; Range: 6"/150mm
- IP54 protection: Water drop and dust resistant
- USB cable available separately.
- Meets DIN Standard 862; ISO certified manufacturing
Types Of Measurements
Quickly measure any small or large objects with the sharp stainless steel jaw.
Measure inside diameter of objects quickly with top jaws.
Versatile measurement options include depth function for small objects that are hard to reach with regular rulers.
The overlooked step function of the caliper allows you to utilize the back step of the caliper to measure as well.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is a Digital Caliper?
A digital caliper is a measuring instrument with LCD screen for displaying result. By using digital calipers, we can measure both both distance and depth of any object.
Types Of Digital Calipers
Here is different types of digital calipers.
- Inside Calipers: These types of digital calipers are used to measure the inside dimensions of any object like hole or cavity. Measuring scale is placed on legs of caliper.
- Outside Calipers: These types of digital calipers are used to measure the outside dimensions of any object like distance between two points.
- Divider Caliper: If you are form metalworking field, divider calipers are only for you. These are also known as compass. These types of calipers are used in the process of marking out locations.
- Odd leg Caliper
- Vernier Caliper
- Dial Caliper
- Micrometer Caliper &
- Digital Caliper
What is a Digital Calipers used for?
How accurate are digital calipers?
All provide for zeroing the display at any point along the slide, allowing the same sort of differential measurements as with the dial caliper. Ordinary 6-in/150-mm digital calipers are made of stainless steel, have a rated accuracy of 0.001 in (0.02mm) and a resolution of 0.0005 in (0.01 mm).
How does digital caliper work?
As the sliding jaw travels along the main scale, the rectangular plates align and misalign and the capacitance (the amount of electrical charge) between the plates changes. This sends a signal to a chip within the caliper, which generates the readings shown on the LCD display.
Best Digital Caliper 2020 - Reviews & Buyer’s Guide
Neiko 01407A Electronic Digital Caliper
Mitutoyo 500-196-30 AOS Digital Caliper
iGaging IP54 Electronic Digital Caliper
VINCA DCLA-0605 Quality Electronic Digital Vernier Caliper
EAGems IP54 Digital Caliper
iGaging ABSOLUTE ORIGIN Digital Electronic Caliper
Neiko 01408A Electronic Digital Caliper
VINCA DCLA-0805 Quality Electronic Digital Vernier Caliper
Looking for best digital caliper of 2019? In this post, you will see the top 10 best selling digital caliper of 2020 for woodworking and reloading..
Last update on 2020-04-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API


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Eye of the Tiber was created in the winter of September 2012 with the gallant and virtuous aim of reporting Catholic news as it happens, when it happens, and before it happens. Since the launch of our hard-hitting, critically acclaimed, and world-renowned news site, we have broken and destroyed some of the biggest news stories in the Catholic world. We were the only Catholic news agency to report that Pope Francis had picked up a midnight shift at McDonald’s to help the poor. We were the first to report that a dissident Legionary was parting his hair in the middle. And readers of our distinguished site were first to learn when the civil liberties organization American Atheists sued to remove the letter’s “G,” “O,” and “D” from the alphabet.
It is our duty as a reputable Catholic news source to cover all stories that pertain to and concern the average Catholic in the pews. Striving to be both fair and balanced, we are sometimes forced to cover stories about religious orders and Catholic leaders that we may be fond of; such is the nature of our business. But in so doing, Eye of the Tiber has become a leading source for Catholic satire to the astute, and legitimate Catholic news to the obtuse. We are proud to have recently been nominated for Best Catholic News Satire, narrowly losing out to the National Catholic Reporter, proving thus that, more trusted Catholic news sources aside, Eye of the Tiber is your most trusted Catholic news source.


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Delicious Avocado Egg Salad. Avocado makes a delicious and nutritious addition to egg salad and thanks to its naturally creamy texture, you can enjoy egg salad without the adding mayo! Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with water. Avocado egg salad uses creamy avocado in place of mayonnaise to put a delicious and nutritious twist on your classic egg salad.
I need (NEED) zip in all the foods in my life, so I went wayyy heavy on the lemon juice, and I also got a little aggressive with the dill addition because dill tastes like the. This super flavorful Avocado Egg Salad is made with super simple ingredients. All the nutritious goodness of an avocado mixed with hard-boiled eggs, crunchy asparagus and fragrant dill. You can have Delicious Avocado Egg Salad using 8 ingredients and 2 steps. Here is how you cook it.
Ingredients of Delicious Avocado Egg Salad
- You need 4 of lg hard-boiled eggs, diced.
- You need 1 of med avocado, diced.
- Prepare 5-6 tbs of mayonnaise.
- You need 2 tbs of cilantro, minced.
- Prepare 1/2 tbs of Dijon mustard.
- Prepare 1 tsp of lime juice.
- Prepare 1/2 tsp of paprika (optional).
- Prepare to taste of Salt and pepper.
Perfect busy weeknight dinner or potluck contribution. Avocado Egg Salad is the BEST egg salad recipe, you will love the avocado addition. You can use your leftover hard boiled eggs to make an easy, delicious, and healthy egg salad. You can eat this avocado egg salad for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or for a snack!
Delicious Avocado Egg Salad step by step
- Dice your egg and avocado and add all other ingredients and mix..
- Serve on toast and ENJOY!!.
This Avocado Egg Salad has three great qualities – healthy, delicious, and easy. This avocado egg salad uses half the yolks and lots of healthy fats from the avocado. You can serve this as a wrap, on whole-grain toast or in a lettuce cup. delicious. I used fat free mayo and plain yogurt. Avocado egg salad takes your classic egg salad recipe and adds healthy avocado for a creamy, nutritious and tasty new recipe you're sure to love.

domain: food


Firstly I want to note how little attention this whole matter has received in the media. Every day of last week from Monday I read the print edition of The Daily Telegraph and the websites of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian, and I found nothing on the story. Before writing this blog post I did a Google search and, after checking out the top seventy or so results, I found only a handful of mainstream media articles—one from The Australian that I must have missed (with its content apparently reproduced in the other Murdoch papers, except, oddly, Sydney’s own Daily Telegraph) and a couple of A.B.C. news articles, and that was about it. I don’t whether the commercial T.V. networks covered the story but I strongly doubt it (let me know in the combox if they did).
Now to the written submissions that the Inquiry received. The Inquiry’s website has posted a selection of a couple of dozen out of the more than two hundred received, and I encourage you to check them out. I’ll begin by looking at those written in support of the proposal. I’ve downloaded and read a few for the proposal and a few against, and I’ll start with the submissions written by supporters of the proposal. Ranking first in infamy must surely be two organisations that are supposed to be at the front line of defending and promoting the welfare of children, the Council of Social Services N.S.W. (N.C.O.S.S.) and the Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies (A.C.W.A.). N.C.O.S.S.’s submission was particularly interesting. In its introductory section, providing background on the matter, it implicitly acknowledges that the promotion of children’s welfare was not the driving force behind this move—rather, it was the simple fact that, rightly or wrongly (wrongly, I contend), more and more same-sex couples are acquiring children:
There are increasing numbers of same-sex couples who have children and who want to have children in the future. Gay couples are using surrogacy to enable them to have children and lesbian couples are seeking assisted or self insemination. This means that there will be an increasing number of families where the same-sex partner will want to be recognised as their child’s parent through adoption. And, as with opposite-sex couples, there will be same-sex couples who are unable to have children and who will want to adopt a child as a couple.So clearly this whole proposal is, at least in its origins, more about the homosexuals than the children.
Offensive though it is, the support of welfare groups for same-sex adoption was, unfortunately, pretty predictable. Quite surprising, though, was what Dr. Damien W. Riggs had to say in his submission. Surprising would probably be an understatement, actually. Dr. Riggs says some incredible things, incredible even by the consistently mind-boggling standards of the Sodomite’s League. His submission is only two pages, and I strongly encourage you to read the whole thing if you want to begin to understand the thinking of the G.L.B.T. intelligentsia. (Curiously, when one goes to download the document one would infer that it is some kind of official statement from the Australian Psychological Society (A.P.S.), yet judging from the document itself it is unclear whether it offers the official position of the A.P.S. or just Dr. Riggs’ own thoughts). The submission is drawn from a book by Dr. Riggs, and the book’s title is enough to start the alarm bells ringing: it is called Becoming Parent [sic!]: Lesbians, Gay Men and Family. Furthemore, Dr. Riggs says that
Whilst empirical evidence continues to demonstrate the suitability of lesbians and gay men as parents and the positive outcomes for their children, it is also important that we question the very terms upon which existing stereotypes or myths are made.So this man is clearly some kind of positivist/constructivist. He goes on to question several of these ‘myths’, in the course of which he asks
How may lesbian or gay headed households potentially challenge gender norms or provide a space for children to develop their own relations to, or critiques of, gender norms? In this sense, lesbian- or gay-headed households may be an important place where children of a range of gender identities can develop a positive sense of self.Watch it, Riggsy—if the kids start doing their own ‘gender norm critiquing’ you might be out of a job! Dr. Riggs then goes on to examine a third ‘myth’:
Myth #3: Lesbian and gay parents are ‘radicals’ or ‘militants’ who try to recruit people, or who teach their children to be lesbian or gay. Lesbian and gay parents thus interfere with the ‘normal development’ of children.So far from allaying our concerns about radical lesbians, Dr. Riggs inflames them! It’s good of him to take his positivism to its logical conclusion though—in the face of gays and lesbians defending themselves by arguing that their sexual (dis)orientation is not of their choosing, he acknowledges that homosexuality can be a free choice. Most amazing, though, is how Dr. Riggs’ deals with his last myth:
This type of argument against lesbian and gay parents is one that encourages lesbians and gay men to decry any involvement in politics or advocacy. This can result in a denial of some of the very concrete reasons for why advocacy or ‘radicalism’ may be necessary. For example, and as research on domestic violence has long demonstrated, a significant proportion of women continue to suffer abuse in the context of heterosexual relationships. For some women, this may result in the choice of lesbianism as a viable alternative to remaining in heterosexual relationships. ...
Myth #5: Lesbians and gay men lead transient lives with multiple sexual partners and show a lack of regard for long-term monogamous relationships. As such, they are unable to provide children with stability or safety in a family environment.There are a few things to note in this nonsense. The first is the focus on lesbian parents; but what about gay male ‘co-parents’? Given that even heterosexual men have a worse reputation for infidelity than women, what of homosexual men, who are notorious for their promiscuity? Mr. Muehlenburg, in this post, noted that a recent Dutch study found “that homosexual men with a “steady partner” have 8 casual sexual partners a year.” Furthermore, it is bizarre that Dr. Riggs speaks of “specific forms of family created by lesbians”, when the mantra of the same-sex adoption advocates is supposed to be that family structure are irrelevant.
This final argument against lesbians and gay men who parent can be challenged in two distinct ways. First, we can make reference to the extensive literature on lesbian families (in particular), which shows that children raised in such families actually experience many positive outcomes that arise precisely from the specific forms of family created by lesbians that are indeed very stable and nurturing.
The second response to accusations of instability focuses on the terms employed in the accusation itself: the presumption is that having more than one partner over the life course is inherently detrimental to children. This denies the ways in which children are often very robust in their responses to change, and denies the positive benefits that children may gain from interacting with the many differing adults who come in and out of all children’s lives. Rather than focusing on presumption about what could impact upon children negatively (for which the list is endless), it is more appropriate to focus on things that do support children, namely caring relationships that respect children’s right to knowledge as active participants in the families that they are part of.
But the second paragraph is simply stunning; incredibly, Dr. Riggs speaks of
the positive benefits that children may gain from interacting with the many differing adults who come in and out of all children’s lives.So for Dr. Riggs, children having to live through a string of mummy’s or daddy’s paramours is a good thing! Far from refuting the contention that same-sex couples are more unstable than opposite-sex couples, he celebrates their instability! What planet is this man on?! Yet apparently he is in good enough standing with the A.P.S. to act as some kind of quasi-spokesman for it. I have now lost all respect for the psychological profession. What a bunch of quacks.
The topic of multiple parents brings us to the submission from the Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby. Now this disgraceful organisation’s very name ought to be enough to discredit it—this is a matter of children’s rights, not parents rights; indeed, N.S.W. adoption law affirms that there is no right to adopt. But let’s not shoot the messenger; let’s see what this Lobby has to say. Its submission was by far the biggest as far as I can tell, yet its effectiveness was in inverse proportion to its size. The document was, naturally, strong on the detail of exactly how the law needs to be changed in order to achieve the Lobby’s aims, yet pitifully weak on explaining why the those aims should be accepted—a mere three pages out of a total of forty-eight were devoted to making its case that same-sex parents are no worse than opposite-sex parents. I encourage you to read the three pages for yourself, pages 29-31; I fail to see how an impartial observer could find this convincing beyond reasonable doubt that same-sex parents are no worse than opposite-parents. Surely it would have benefited them to include lengthier quotations from the supposedly ‘overwhelming’ body of research in favour of same-sex parenting. The best the Lobby can do is point out the automatic materialistic benefits that would flow from recognition of same-sex parents, such as inheritance rights; the non-material side of things seems secondary to this organisation. And have a look at some of the other assertions it makes when comparing same- and opposite-sex parent families:
In some cases, children parented by same-sex couples have even demonstrated better development outcomes than those raised in other family structures. Some research suggests that children benefit from seeing a more equitable division of paid and unpaid domestic labour characteristic of same-sex partnerships. Chidlren may also develop more empathetic attitudes towards other social difference [sic]. Lesbian and gay parents have also been found to use less physical discipline than other parents.Well if division of household labour is so important (!) why stop at two parents? Why not have one to take care of the front yard, one to take care of the back yard, and one to cover each room of the house! That sounds a bit silly does it? Not necessarily, according to this Lobby:
The Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby wants a future inquiry called to look into its suggestions for the complete demolition of the two-parent family. No longer can my thesis about the substitutes vs. complements views of parents be dismissed—the Sodomites’ League is now openly canvassing the absurd possibility of a child having three or more ‘co-parents’. It looks like the slide into the abyss is only beginning.
184.108.40.206 Multi-parent adoption
One suggestion has been consideration of whether multi-parent adoption could be desirable. This would given an ‘opt-in’ mechanism for a third (or fourth) parent to adopt their child where the existing legal parent(s) consent. There is one reported case of a three-parent adoption being granted by the Court of Appeal in Ontario, Canada for a child with two mothers and one father. In that case, the lesbian co-mother was legally recognised as a parent to the child in addition to (rather than replacing, as in step-parent adoption) the existing biological mother and father. p . 39
As for the submissions written against the proposal to extend recognition of same-sex ‘co-parents’, the Archdiocese of Sydney’s submission was one of the biggest, and a strong one at that. It cites some interesting studies that have found that in fact children of same-sex co-parents are more likely to be homosexual, more likely to cross-dress and more likely to be promiscuous. Its brief section 17 is worth quoting in full:
17. In contrast [to the values of heterosexuals], in the first edition of his book in defence of same-sex marriage, ‘Virtually Normal’, homosexual advocate and intellectual Andrew Sullivan wrote:Other sources are also cited as evidence of the greater infidelity of homosexuals relative to heterosexuals (though I suppose that those in the G.L.B.T. intelligentsia like Dr. Riggs won’t regard this as a big deal).
“There is more likely to be greater understanding of the need for extramarital outlets between two men than between a man and a woman.”
One recent university study of civil unions revealed that 79 percent of heterosexual married men and women reported that they strongly valued sexual fidelity. In comparison, only about 50 percent of gay men in civil unions valued sexual fidelity.
Importantly, the Catholic submission highlights the particular importance of the role of fathers, especially for girls (though it by no means fails to acknowledge the importance of mothers); naturally, the Fatherhood Foundation’s submission points this out too, as well as drawing attention to the greater prevalence of lifestyle and health problems among homosexuals.
Perhaps most importantly, though, the Catholic submission highlights, with supporting evidence, the methodological problems that are often acknowledged to plague empirical studies that have produced results favouring same-sex co-parents. To read the Sydney Archdiocese’s submission is to be left with serious doubts about whether it is in children’s best interests ever to place them with homosexuals, even if the only alternative is the orphanage. The Australian Family Association’s submission was shorter than the Catholic one, but good for its length, supporting the Catholic position that, based on the available research, it is impossible to make firm conclusions about the desirability of same-sex parents.
I’ll conclude by mentioning something pointed out by the Children’s Rights Council of Australia, namely, the poor timing of the inquiry, with the time for submissions spanning the festive period. Was this impulse for this Inquiry really so urgent that it couldn’t wait till the new year was in full swing?


In a major boost to India’s air defence capabilities, first eight of the 22 US-made Apache attack helicopters were inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) at the Pathankot Air Base in Punjab on Tuesday.
President Boeing India, Salil Gupte, handed over the ceremonial key of Apache AH-64E attack helicopter to Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa.
Prior to their induction into the IAF, the Apache choppers received a water cannon salute.
It was a ceremonial induction with a “pooja” organised ahead of the remarkable event.
India is the 16th nation in the world to be operating the Apache attack helicopters.
Ahead of the induction, IAF PRO, Anupam Banerjee said that the 22 aircraft will come in a phased manner and all will be inducted into the Indian Air Force. “We had attack helicopters earlier, but this aircraft brings in lethal firepower with great accuracy,” he said.
Addressing the event, IAF chief BS Dhanoa said that it is one of the most fierce attack helicopters in the world, capable of performing many missions. “Today with the induction of Apache AH-64E, the Indian Air Force has upgraded its inventory to the latest generation of attack helicopters,” he added.
Dhanoa and Air Marshal R Nambiar also inspected the Apache 64E choppers, which have been inducted into the 125 Helicopter Unit ‘Gladiators’ of the Indian Air Force.
According to President Boeing India, Salil Gupte, these are the same AH-64E variant used by the US Army.
India had in 2015 signed a multi-billion dollar contract with the US government and Boeing for 22 Apache helicopters.
The helicopter has been customized to suit IAF’s future requirements and would have significant capability in mountainous terrain.
The helicopter has the capability to carry out precision attacks at standoff ranges and operate in hostile airspace with threats from the ground, the IAF had earlier said in a statement after the IAF received its first Apache Guardian attack helicopter at a production facility of Boeing in Arizona in May.
It said the ability of these helicopters, to transmit and receive the battlefield picture, to and from the weapon systems through data networking makes it a lethal acquisition.
The 22 Apache AH 64D Longbow helicopters are one of the most advanced multi-role combat helicopters, featuring all-weather and night fighting features, ability to track up to 128 targets in less than a minute and engage with 16, besides stealth characteristics, advanced sensors and beyond visual range missiles.
Additionally, the Defence Ministry had in 2017 approved the procurement of six Apache helicopters along with weapons systems from Boeing at a cost of Rs. 4,168 crore for the Army.
The AH-64E Apache for the Indian Air Force completed successful first flights in July 2018. The first batch of Indian Air Force crew began their training to fly the Apache in the US in 2018.
Boeing has delivered more than 2,200 Apaches to customers around the world since the aircraft entered production and India is the 14th nation to select it for its military.


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Let me guess, you have been playing The Guardian Speedy crossword and got stuck on the clue Hide away (7). Well, you have come to the right place to find the answer to this clue.
While some crosswords are much simpler than others, most require that players have a vast knowledge of the language and possibly even various topics. So while crossword puzzles are seen as a more intelligent game, they can be very frustrating for players to complete and even experienced crossword players need some help occasionally.
When finding the answers to the clues becomes too difficult, there's no shame in looking for them online.
Now you have the answer to your clue. Its time to move on to the next clue. You can browse through the list with all the answers to the The Guardian Speedy crossword of August 26th, 2007. Or you can use the search form below to find the answer (no matter if its The Guardian Speedy Crossword or any other crossword).
|The Guardian Speedy crossword of August 26th, 2007 other clues|
|Last month (6)|
|Grading? (Anag) (7)|
|Express feelings (5)|
|Argentinian dictator, 1946-55 (5)|
|Evening meal (6)|
|Regard highly (6)|
|Not given due recognition (6)|
|Spreads out (7)|
|American family of film actors (5)|
|Glowing with a soft radiance (7)|
|Post-pupa stage of an insect (5)|
|Most abundant element in the earth's crust (6)|
|Ancillary consideration (4,5)|
|Read (someone) the riot act (7)|
|Musical works (6)|
|Make good (6)|
|Run through again (Inf) (5)|
|Family of wind instruments (5)|
We offer support and help with a wide range of crosswords and are guaranteed to make sure you complete everything; the site is also updated regularly to make sure that all of our answers are correct and to add more crosswords to the ever growing list.__IMAGE__
If there is any problem with the answer, please contact us! We will fix the problem.


P.J. of a lil hooha assigned the theme of "transportation" for April's photography theme.
Legs, the ultimate mode of transportation, preferably sporting Giani Bernini sandals.
Sometimes there are transportation mishaps, such as the one evidenced below (4-16-13 Sacramento County).
Here is a two-fer, the front of the Sacramento Regional Transit light rail and in the background the abandoned railyard that has lain fallow for many years. Two places that could be the hub of activity but have never been fully developed, the waterfront and the railyard. There were grand plans to develop the railyard but I think they have, once again, fallen through. The movers and shakers have been obsessing over the Sacramento Kings and a gotta-have-it new stadium.
Ok, this image is a stretch, stay with me on this one. I'm not quite sure what this structure is supposed to represent. It is installed at the K Street Mall. There is a non-working clock and sorta Jetson-esque embellishments. It makes me think - To the Moon, Alice! Oh wait, we don't have a space program in the U.S. anymore. *humph* Transport to the moon - bam.
The ubiquitous light rail - I like the power substation in the background.
Not quite as artsy fartsy as my photog friends - check them out here.
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New York City:
A Bite of the Big Apple
by Gloria James © 1996
Gloria James and her husband, Grant, recently took a bite of the Big Apple. While their three-day visit barely constituted a nibble, she's happy to report that New York City offers a lot for disabled travelers.
We drove into New York City from the Hudson Valley. On the way into the city, we visited the Cloisters Museum overlooking the Hudson River. This museum is a satellite of New York's Metropolitan Museum. It features Medieval art from the 12th to the 15th century, including fully reconstructed medieval cloisters and chapels brought from throughout Europe. Also featured are illuminated manuscripts, stained glass, sculpture, the famous Unicorn Tapestries, and an herb garden.
As there were more than 50 steps at the main entrance, a staff member guided us over acres of cobblestones to a side door. Cobblestones enhance the authenticity here, but, unfortunately, provide a bumpy ride for a wheelchair user. Once inside, I was relieved to find smooth sailing. Many of the chapels proved accessible while others had a step or two. The museum staff was very helpful in assisting us with the antiquated elevators between floors. The bookstore was crowded, but I was able to negotiate its tiny aisles and sample their beautiful collection of books, cards, prints, etc. An accessible bathroom is available. For additional access information call (212) 923-1700.
We continued into Manhattan, and registered at the Days Hotel,, 790 Eighth Ave, Phone: (212) 581-7000, where the rate was $156 per night for a double room. I was thrilled with the access - plenty of maneuvering room with an accessible sink, toilet and tub. Clean, decent decor with little street noise. We garaged our car at the hotel ($11 per day) to avoid parking hassles.
When I made my reservation, I was promised a hand held shower and bath chair, and while neither were present upon our arrival, maintenance promptly visited our room, adapted the shower head and brought a bath chair. All in all, the Days Inn provided excellent service and a friendly staff. It's in a perfect area for walking to the theater district or catching a bus. A convenient deli is located next door and there's even a little market across the street.
That first evening we strolled past Rockefeller Center with its panoply of colorful flags then headed over to the Stage Deli, 834 7th Ave. for mammoth corn beef and pastrami sandwiches and incredible cheesecake. There isn't an overwhelming amount of maneuvering room in this deli, but the food is worth a little suffering.
The next day we sampled NYC's wonderful public transportation system. No, not their ancient, inaccessible subway but their modern buses with excellent lifts and knowledgeable (friendly) drivers who efficiently clamp your chair safely to the floor. Deposit your $1.50 fare and you're on your way. You can't beat the price. Why hassle with transferring in and out of cabs?
We caught a bus right across from our hotel and took it all the way down to 72nd and Broadway. From there we walked past the Dakota, former home to John Lennon, and crossed the street to Central Park to visit Strawberry Fields, the garden Yoko Ono dedicated in his memory. As it was Lennon's birthday, dozens of fans clustered around the "Imagine" mosaic, which was covered with flowers, candles and photos of Lennon.
We continued our trek through the park to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was smooth going on the park's well-paved lanes. After cutting over to Fifth Ave., we entered the museum through the accessible street level entrance at Fifth Ave. and 81st St. Admission is by donation. Disabled Visitor Services at: (212) 535-7710. We spent the entire day there but barely touched all it had to offer. This is a vast collection of everything ranging from African musical instruments, to 20th century art, and the Egyptian Temple of Dendar thrown in for good measure. There are several accessible snacking areas to fortify yourself during your visit, including a rooftop sculpture garden with panoramic views of the NYC skyline. The accessible bathroom was in the process of being renovated during my visit.
We took a bus back to the midtown area, and ate at Canova's, a busy buffet that sells you your dinner by the pound. The array of everything from Chinese food to Italian looked visually dazzling but, unfortunately, the taste wasn't.
After dinner, it was time to rush for for the Nederlander Theater, 208 W. 41st St. (Between 7th and 8th Ave.) to see "Rent." There is one step at the entrance and wheelchair seating is limited here, (back far right side of the orchestra) but it was wonderful to see this world class musical with the original cast for the $20 price per seat! This is older theater in keeping with "Rent's" counter-culture theme, but I was delighted to find a unisex bathroom on the orchestra level. Box office: (212) 921-8000.
The nearby Ferrara's (201 W. 42nd St.) offers superb coffee and pastries for before or after the theater.
The next day we scurried to cram in the rest of our trip wish list. We started out by window shopping past all the famous Fifth Avenue shops like Tiffany's and FAO Schwartz on our way to Bloomingdales, Lexington Ave., between 59th & 60th St. The level entrance is at 3rd Ave.
Blommindales is not a wheelchair friendly store. Its maze of "behind the scenes" ramps made me feel like I was in a rabbit warren. This is not to detract from the fact that it's a lovely store despite its frustrating layout.
The rest of our trip is a blur, but somehow we managed to visit the following landmarks: St. Patrick's Cathedral: Ramp at 51st St. & 5th Ave. is well worth seeing as it offers a taste of what a European cathedral is like. Rockefeller Center: Level entrance at 5th Ave. Elevator to lower level and ice rink at 49th St. and 6th Ave. The Museum of Modern Art, 11 W. 53rd St. Very accessible, and free on Thursday evenings.
Greenwich Village. We hopped an accessible bus near our hotel and spent the rest of the late afternoon and evening wandering the area before dining on pizza at John's Pizzeria, 278 Bleeker St. between Sixth and Seventh Avenues.
In NYC, discounts are available for disabled theater goers. The Shubert Theater offers wheelchair users (and one accompanying person) tickets for $7.50 each to any Broadway show at any theater in the Shubert chain. Shubert Theater: (800) 432-7250.
Theatre Development Fund
Join their mailing list and receive a monthly listing of discount tickets to accessible productions.
Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities, 52 Chambers St., Room 206, New York, NY 10007, Phone: (212) 788-2830. They provide detailed, accessible travel info on NYC. Ask for the Access Guide for People with Disabilities.
Upward Mobility Limousine provides lift-equipped vans offering service to and from the airports. Reservations are required. Phone: (718) 645-7774.
New York City Transit Authority. Phone: (718) 596-8585.
This Accessible Transit in New York,
New Jersey & Connecticut web site details accessible railroad stations in
those states and includes a bus accessibility list for downstate New York.
Hospital Audiences International Hotline recently launched a toll-free service to field disabled travelers' questions about NYC access. They provide access information on NYC's cultural institutions, hotels, restaurants, theaters, museums, galleries, and transportation.
Information on audio-described performances for blind and visually impaired people.
Information on touch tours and current museum exhibits.
Information on sign-language interpreted performances for the hearing impaired.
1-888-HAI-Hotline (424-4685) (voice)
They publish Access for All, A Guide for People with Disabilities to New York City Cultural Institutions. FREE. Write: HAI, 220 West 42nd St., 13th floor, New York 10036. Phone: (212) 575-7660.
Apple Greeters web site links you to this group of trained volunteers
available to assist disabled visitors in NYC.
Voice: (212) 669-3602, FAX: (212)
669-3685, TTY: (212) 669-8273 They publish the
List for Travelers with Disabilities Visiting New York City, which includes the
names and phone numbers of organizations who assist disabled people.
The Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association published The Guide to Riding Wheelchair Accessible Buses in New York City. For a free copy, write: EPVA 75-20 Astoria Blvd., Jackson Heights, New York 11370-1177 or call 800-444-0120.
Wendy Ballard's Easy Access Eateries points out where to find great NYC food according each area.
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Global Access News 1996
1995-2011 "All Rights Reserved"
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Copyright © Global Access News 1996 1995-2011 "All Rights Reserved"


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Spartak Ngjela: Here is the list of Albanian UDB and KGB agents who took Bashkim Gazidede with him, why Ilir Meta and Kryemadhi abandoned the February 20 protest and the reason why SPAK is not putting Sali Berisha behind bars
Here is the "bombshell" that Beqaj broke in SPAK about Ogerta Manastirliu, the "dark spot" for which the former minister is being investigated is revealed, the journalist reveals the behind-the-scenes, within a month the sterilization file goes to court
SPAK new scheme to fight corruption at high levels, this is the strategy that BKH agents will follow to investigate officials after Rama's order to "block" the doors of offices and institutions
March 16 radical reform of Edi Rama in SP, changes of district leaders and strong movements in the government after Manastirliu's call to SPAK, Gonxhe "rising star" in the Socialist Party
Rinas airport will reach 10 million passengers within three years, flights also on transatlantic lines, says the director of "TIA" and reveals that "Kastrati Group" will invest 6 billion euros only in 2024
Almost a surprise blow to corrupt officials, the US brings OPTAD specialists and Croatian prosecutors who arrested Sanader to assist SPAK, a "big fish" is expected to be arrested
Edi Rama is ready to leave the government, he does not accept a fourth mandate, here are the reasons why the prime minister will leave and when he will leave the post
Idajet Beqiri reports to SPAK Ulsi Manjen, a prosecutor and two judges, here are the 3 serious criminal offenses they have committed, details from the file are disclosed, how the "terror of the Italians" is being held in prison without the law
The majority approved the 2024 budget amidst chaos, the former democratic deputy explodes: Rama changes the laws at will, not to approve a budget in 7 minutes
Written by SOT.COM.AL 7 Dhjetor 2023
The former deputy of the Democratic Party, Luciano Boçi, spoke about the action of the opposition and the reaction of the socialist majority, which does not accept the establishment of investigative commissions.
Boçi said that Prime Minister Rama wants to confirm with his actions the rule and what according to him exists "de facto" in Albania, the rule of a regime.
According to him, there is a way for the majority to enter into negotiations with the opposition and not to approve the budget for the next year within a few minutes without having a discussion and confrontation with the opposition.
" The opposition is not wrong, it is in its action. I would say that there is something new in the opposition action. With his actions, Rama seeks to confirm his rule and what exists de facto in Albania, that we are under the rule of a regime. When a law does not fit well in his suit, he changes it, he does it according to his wish. When an interest needs it, it issues a law or VKM, when it needs to hit the opposition, it changes the regulation, etc.
How a regime can be more than that, I don't know. There are ways to enter into negotiations with the opposition and not approve a budget in 7 minutes. This budget should be a discussion with the public and a confrontation with the opposition.
Repetition of scenes causes them to become mundane. It does not mean that we leave behind what we are doing and leave the hall, but that the debate reigns in the Parliament. Debate cannot exist when the majority does not allow the establishment of investigative commissions.
The protest has results because it increases civic awareness. They create spirit and confidence in the citizens, but also put the political structure in political communication with the citizens. Campaigns are the highest forms, followed by protests. We cannot say that the protests have no results.
Protests inspire confidence, when there were big protests there was empathy and real basis. Today, in a repressive situation in relation to the government, we are all under pressure. They are the symptoms of a regime, as I mentioned. "Protests are not measured by numbers, but by spirit and endurance ," said Boci.


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This will be spoiler-free.
Initially I was very suspicious the idea of Thor as a movie. A second-tier superhero at best, the idea of a movie about Thor generates even less interest than Daredevil did. Moreover, THor seems like the hero least suited for adaptation to the big-screen. This may work in a comic book...
... but it's hard to imagine that picture translating well to the big screen. Moreover, Thor runs into the same problem that movies about Superman run into: he's a god. What kind of stakes can a movie like that have? This felt mostly like an excuse for another Marvel action movie, and one I planned to skip. I see most superhero movies these days, but my time and budget are both quite limited and I didn't intend to go out of my way to see this any more than I did for the remake of The Hulk or X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
I became cautiously interested when I heard that Kenneth Branagh was directing. I respect his work as an actor and he's been very good about selecting his projects. When I saw the final trailer last week I decided to give it a shot at matinee pricing, if my schedule allowed. Thanks to an unexpected opening, it did.
The movie works, and it does so for several reasons. The first, and perhaps the most significant, is that it Branagh has his actors play everything completely straight. Comedy is present, but quite sparse compared to typical Marvel movie fare - much more so than either Iron Man - and is limited to a few low-key scenes. It is completely absent from the scenes that take place in Asgard and the movie benefits from this choice. Quite frankly, Thor has always looked ridiculous and the supporting cast doesn't fare much better. The movie refuses to acknowledge this. There is no point where someone tells Thor, "Your armor looks stupid," or tells Loki, "You look like a confused, retarded, lesbian cat confronting her sexuality" (he does, by the way). Nor does Branagh hide the designs. Instead, he fills his frame with them, early and constantly, so by the time the weighty drama is unfolding the viewer is used to them, if not completely accepting. Moreover, the different visual motifs used for Earth, Asgard, Jotunheim (the realm of the frost giants, ancient enemies of the Asgardians) give each a distinct feel so that we can take Asgard as is, if only because it is distinctly its own realm.
The other reason the film works so well is that Branagh is not content to simply film a comic book story, but seeks to make an epic. I don't know if screenwriters Miller, Stentz, and Payne intended literary allusions within their tale, but the story I find Thor resembling strongest is nothing from the bit of Norse mythology I know, nor even the Greek or Roman pantheon, but rather that of the epic of Gilgamesh.
Gilgamesh, the oldest known story in literature, is about superheros behaving badly. Gilgamesh is a powerful king who abuses his power and so the gods teach him humility, which yields to many a wacky yarn and in the end Gilgamesh becomes a great and wise king. I'm paraphrasing, obviously. At the very least go read a synopsis (here's one). While Thor doesn't attempt to follow Gilgamesh point for point, there are enough similarities that I feel comfortable calling it a spiritual successor.
This use of epic allows for several effects. The first is relevancy. Thor is a story about power. How one acquires power, how one uses power, how power can be abused, how power is shared, how power is lost, what power is good for, and what makes one worthy of power. While The Dark Knight handled the issue better and more effectively, particularly with regard to America's role as either world policeman or self-appointed vigilante, Thor makes a worthy attempt to grapple with these issues. The first act may be intended as a parallel for the start of the Iraq War, but rather than focus on what has already occurred, the remainder of the film deals with the consequences - the unexpected consequences - of what unleashing power has wrought. The film never hits you over the head with the parallel, to the point that I question whether it's even truly there, but the questions about power remain universal in their relevance, so perhaps that's why I'm able to apply them to Iraq. Regardless, it makes the theme quite significant and I applaud Branagh's deft handling.
The second effect of using epic is both the most obvious and the most subtle. Mosty mythologies about deities can be summed up as, "Gods behaving badly." This is just as true of Thor as most other such stories, such as The Illiad, and like The Illiad the effect in Thor is that the gods are humanized. It is easy to see Thor as an arrogant, presumptuous boy who is scared at what it will take to fill his father's shoes and is looking for an easy way to what he thinks is living up to his father's legacy. It is easy to see Odin as an old man who is worried that he hasn't done enough to teach his sons and is punishing them because he's frustrated and doesn't know how to be a better father. And Loki...
I promised no spoilers. I'm just going to say that Loki made the film for me. Everything about the character was perfectly done, from his plot lines to Tom Hiddleston's emotional and moving performance. Loki was what turned the film from camp to an epic.
Even if he does look like a retarded, lesbian cat.
Should you go see this movie? Eh. If you're not a fan of modern comic book movies, this one won't change your mind. If you've enjoyed the last decade's releases from Marvel, however, this is one of the good ones.


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The Original Plan by the Painter Georges Kars and F. V. Mokrý to Organise a Prague Exhibition of the École de Paris (1931)
Previously unremarked parts of the correspondence from the F. V. Mokrý collection in the Literary Archive of the Memorial of National Literature and the Georges Kars collection in the Archive of the National Gallery in Prague bear witness to the intensive efforts from 1925–1929 of František Viktor Mokrý, commissioner of the new Mikoláš Aleš Exhibition Hall of the Visual Arts Section of the Arts Club. He was striving for international extensions of its exhibition programme so that an exhibition of the works of Georges Kars, a painter living and working in Paris, could be organised in Prague by the Club. Negotiations surrounding this one-man exhibition promised by the artist culminated in January 1929 with Kars‘s alternative proposal for the organisation of an exhibition with the title École de Paris. To realise this he undertook to engage in every possible way fifteen artists whom he knew well and to ensure their participation personally (e.g. Maurice Utrillo, Raoul Dufy, Emilie Charmy, Marc Chagall). The leadership of the Club enthusiastically accepted the plan which, after expansion and refinement by Vojtěch Volavka, resulted in a prestigious exhibition of modern French art held in May–July 1931 simultaneously in Prague‘s Municipal House and in the Aleš Hall of the Arts Club. As the two years of preparations were reaching their culmination, the project was deliberately pre-empted by the rival Mánes Association of Visual Artists with its competing exhibition, The Art of Contemporary France (March–April 1931). The article, which is accompanied by an appendix containing the edited letters of F. V. Mokrý, Georges Kars, Emil Orlik and Václav Rabas, illuminate, on the basis of archival research, a number of the circumstances and contexts under which the École de Paris exhibition project was created. It also presents a new look at the background of the exhibition‘s preparations, and the hitherto unknown extent of involvement in its realisation by Georges Kars, F. V. Mokrý and later Václav Rabas is revealed. New findings also expand existing knowledge about exhibition strategies rivalry among Art Associations in interwar Czechoslovakia.
Full-text in the Digital Library of the Czech Academy of Sciences: