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Chiropractor Tacoma WA
Dr. Bradley Eyford D.C. is a highly rated chiropractor with 20+ years of chiropractic experience. He is the founder of Tacoma Chiropractic Health Connection, a highly rated Chiropractic Clinic with over 225 5-star reviews.
Dr. Dena Long D.C. is a leading female chiropractor and has spoken at many conferences about chiropractic care. She is passionate about working with families, women, and children. At our chiropractic clinic, we treat lower back pain, herniated disc, sciatic nerve leg pain, scoliosis, neck pain, TMJ disorders, shoulder pain, etc.
We provide access to different chiropractic services in the same clinic, such as Chiropractic full-body adjustments, acupuncture, cold laser therapy, massage, spinal decompression, functional rehabilitation, and neck adjustments. If you are looking for an experienced Chiropractor, call us at (253) 396-1000.
Chiropractic Services
Meet Our Chiropractors
Dr. Bradley Eyford D.C. is Tacoma's premier natural health and wellness provider. With a background in exercise physiology and a love of sports, Dr. Eyford D.C. utilizes a balanced approach when working with his patients.
Dr. Dena Long D.C. has joined our team to provide continual care for our patients when Dr. Eyford D.C. is out of the office. She has been a board member of the Washington State Chiropractic Association.
Dr. Ryan Smith D.C. treats various patients but has a specialty in diagnosing and treating those involved in motor vehicle collisions and has hundreds of hours in post-doctorate education on how to care for patients injured in a car crash.
Verified Reviews
Insurance Accepted
At our chiropractic clinic, we accept all major insurances. We help our patients maximize their insurance benefits. We believe in affordable chiropractic treatments and help patients reduce their out-of-pocket costs as much as possible.
Credentials | Dr. Bradley Eyford DC
Photos from Our Chiropractic Clinic
Book An Appointment
Request Chiropractic appointment by using the booking tool below or calling us at (253) 396-1000
For booking massage or acupuncture appointments, please call our office directly.
How Can Chiropractic Treatment Help you?
Chiropractic adjustments effectively address the root cause of back, neck, arm, leg, or shoulder pain. Our licensed chiropractors are experienced in full-body chiropractic adjustments to fix subluxation. Subluxation refers to misalignments in the spine, leading to pain.
Our vision is to provide the greater Pacific Northwest area with a premier natural health and wellness center that utilizes highly skilled practitioners, first-class facilities, and a compassionate team dedicated to serving our patients. We strive to meet our patient's needs by providing an accessible, affordable, and convenient path to choosing a wellness-based lifestyle.
Our focus is to assist our patients in achieving their health care goals with proper spinal health and encouraging a healthy lifestyle. Whether you are interested in relieving a specific condition, improving your athletic performance, or recovering from an injury, we'll help you get your life back on track.
Our patient-centered approach of using state-of-the-art technology combined with good old-fashioned care and compassion helps our patients achieve their health care goals faster.
Why Choose Us For Your Chiropractic Care and Treatments
- The exceptional patient experience at soothing Chiropractic office
- Rated as Tacoma's top Chiropractic clinic on Google and Yelp
- The friendly and compassionate staff
- We aim to maximize your insurance benefits and work with your insurance provider
- We accept walk-ins and the same day appointments
- State of the art x-ray machine for superior diagnosis
Community Engagement
Dr. Bradley Eyford D.C. and Dr. Dena Long D.C. are local Tacoma chiropractors and believe in contributing to the Tacoma community.
Finding Your Local Chiropractor in Tacoma, WA
Tacoma Chiropractic Health Connection is located at the intersection of Pine St and 6th st near Taco Bell, directly across from O'Reilly Auto Parts store and TAPCO Credit Union in Tacoma.
Tacoma Chiropractic Health Connection
Address: 601 S Pine St Suite 201, Tacoma, WA 98405, United States
Phone: (253) 396-1000
Frequently asked questions
Are chiropractic adjustments worth it?
Chiropractic adjustments have the potential to alleviate low back pain. Spinal manipulations can improve flexibility and range of motion to enhance a person's quality of life. Persons with headaches, neck pain, and other spine-related conditions could also benefit from chiropractic adjustments. Unlike conventional treatments for various health problems, chiropractic adjustments are a safer and more natural approach.
How many times a week should you see a chiropractor?
The number of visits to the chiropractors during the week depends on the specific needs of every person. Generally speaking, a common chiropractic program requires three visits a week for two to four weeks if the condition doesn't worsen. This is followed by evaluation when a chiropractor determines maintenance care protocol. In most cases, maintenance care involves chiropractor visits once a week or a month.
Can a chiropractor cripple you?
Serious complications from chiropractic adjustments are rare. While highly unlikely, one of these complications is a chiropractic stroke. A vast majority of patients don't experience these complications. That's why you need an experienced, licensed, and reliable chiropractor.
How often should you get a chiropractic adjustment?
At the beginning of the treatment, you can expect to have more adjustments a week. Later, the frequency of weekly chiropractic adjustments reduces. During the first two weeks, most people need three to four adjustments a week. In weeks three to 10, the number of adjustments is about two to three. Ongoing care may require chiropractic adjustments every two weeks. Remember, the exact number of adjustments depends on you, reasons you're seeing a chiropractor, e.g., the severity of the injury and treatment progress.
How long does chiropractic adjustment last?
A typical chiropractic adjustment session lasts 30 minutes. The initial visit to the chiropractor lasts a bit longer than that. During this first visit, the chiropractor asks about your health history and other info to create the best protocol for your needs.
How do chiropractors know where to adjust?
Chiropractors rely primarily on their hands to look for trouble spots. They evaluate the patient's response to manipulation and pressure. Chiropractors also analyze palpitations (motion in the body) to determine problematic areas. Diagnostic thermography can also help determine where to adjust by helping find points of nerve pressure.
Why do you sleep better after a chiropractic treatment?
Chiropractic treatment improves sleep through several mechanisms, including the relief of muscle tension that causes restlessness. Additionally, chiropractic treatments relax the body, alleviate pain and discomfort, and may stimulate blood flow. Improved function of the central nervous system also helps you sleep better.
How do you know if chiropractic care is working?
Pain relief and improved flexibility or range of motion are telltale signs chiropractic care is working. But you may also notice changes in your psychological well-being. Your perspective of life may change; you may feel more like "you." In other words, you may see the overall quality of life has improved.
Do chiropractors make a difference?
Chiropractors help alleviate pain and improve function through spinal adjustments. People experience reduced pain intensity, more improvement in function, less disability, higher treatment satisfaction. Many people also notice they need fewer medications. In other words, chiropractors do make a difference.
Why do chiropractors require so many visits?
Multiple visits are necessary because chiropractic care involves several phases. The first phase focuses on pain relief, the second phase is corrective care, and the final stage is wellness care. Chiropractic adjustments are a process that leads to long-term results. One visit is not enough to correct the problem that caused pain.


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An Angel Reading is an easy way to connect and talk with your Angels. In this class you will learn how to give accurate and healing angel readings, using psychic means and angel oracle cards through skill-building and experiential practice. The curriculum includes giving angel readings during the practicum period and interpreting the angelic messages. You will learn how to interpret the meaning behind the cards and how to present the information given to you by the Angels for helping to heal yourself and others. If you have angel cards, please bring them.
Cost: $50
To register for this class, please call (603) 888-0658.
Heaven and Earth Studio, LLC
16 Route 111, Building 2 Suite 5
Derry, NH 03038
April 6 @ 18:30
18:30 — 21:00 (2h 30′)
Elizabeth Foley Ph.D.

subset: commoncrawl


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Ian Cameron Esslemont
A Final, Welcome Return to the Malazan Empire's Early Days
Learn How to Swear The Malazan Way!
When the Old Guard Were New: Deadhouse Landing by Ian Cameron Esslemont
Deadhouse Landing
Epic Fantasy || Book 2 in the Malazan prequel series, Path to Ascendancy. After the disappointments of Li Heng, Dancer and Kellanved wash up on a small insignificant island named Malaz. Immediately, of course, Kellanved plans to take it over.


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A 52-year-old man was arrested after he allegedly fired a handgun at his 27-year-old nephew.
Police were called to a Haleiwa Road home at about 11:33 a.m. Saturday.
The suspect, whom the police believe was drinking, and his nephew got into an argument, and the suspect told his nephew to leave the home.
As the nephew packed, the suspect allegedly brandished a handgun and fired it at the nephew. There were no injuries and police were called.
The suspect was arrested and booked on suspicion of attempted second-degree murder, first-degree terroristic threatening, first-degree reckless endangerment and third-degree assault.


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Jumvaa Chaaloji
Breakfast of toast n butter,
Cheese n bacon will always do,
Along with sunny-side-up eedoo;
Yet nothing to beat aapro sev n' ravo
Sprinkled generously with mevo
Or eedapak, badampak or vasanoo
Curry n rice is all very niceWith pomfret, meat, or prawns galore,
I'll take any type, I love all type,
Be it of Goa, Madras or Mangalore.
Aapro dhandaar ne patio
Pet bhari ne chatio,
Or simply dhandaar n that heavenly dish, The incomparable patra-fish.
Dhansaak ne kebab
Simply la-jawab.
Khichree n saas with kolmi is the most Or humble rus chawal With
singh, potatoes n ghosh, N 'pickle, kuchumber or simple lime Turn
these creations to something divine.
You simply can't have tea
Without bhakhra, karkarias or popatji, Or at least chapats hot or
creamy oudh Sprinkled with lots of chironji.
There's kumas made with toddy,
Or similarly made sadhnas,
Or meva rich kervai,
Made from bananas.
But what really takes the cake
Are the khaman na larva
That mummaiji used to make,
N' what excites most your gourmet libido Is mewafull, ghee rich,
Delicious malido.
Masoor ma boocka,
Titori ne boomla sukhkha,
Papeta ma ghosh, kid roast,
And all sort of veggies
With ghosh ofcourse;
But Parsis' real favorite is – – – -per eeda, Be it potatoes,
tomatoes, bhaaji or bheeda; Kheema, chicken shreds, or brinjal, Eeda
goes rather well with 'em all.
Chicken mai-vahlan, a dish we make
With more almonds n raisins then a Christmas cake.
Sali ma murghi, pulao daar
Along with savory lagan nu achar
Is what makes bearable any man's life, After facing a crotchety boss
or a nagging wife..
Courtesy : Neville S. Gandhi


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Tuesday 31 March 2015
Tom Yum Soup Cashews
Posted by Naomi at 11:00 2 comments:
Labels: Recipe
Tuesday 24 March 2015
How to: Peel a prawn
How to peel a prawn a continuation to my guide on preparation of food items from the Hong Kong wet markets. Making a seafood dish? Check out the post from last week on how to prepare a squid!
Posted by Naomi at 10:31 No comments:
Labels: How To:
Thursday 19 March 2015
Roasted Red Pepper Dip
|Roasted Red Pepper Dip on the chopcookdine stripe tea towel available soon on Etsy!
Posted by Naomi at 13:57 No comments:
Labels: Recipe
Wednesday 11 March 2015
How to: Clean A Squid
Many seafood and foods you buy in the wet markets in Hong Kong are not prepared and you need to prepare them for cooking yourself. Many foods I know how to prepare and many I don't have a clue how to prepare so I wanted to start to make a guide to cutting, chopping and preparing foods from the Asian wet markets. Hope you enjoy the posts in the coming weeks.
Posted by Naomi at 20:54 2 comments:
Labels: How To:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


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Our newest television and radio campaign for Dobbs Tire & Auto Centers – a valued client since January 2000 – not only articulates key product and service features and benefits that distinguish the market leader retailer from its local and national competitors, but also captures and promotes the genuine camaraderie and strong esprit de corps among the more than 600 associates who staff the company's 40 store locations. In certain spots, we also share with viewers and listeners the satisfaction customers experience when buying their tires and automotive maintenance and repair services from the locally owned and family owned company. In October 2015, one month after the new broadcast campaign launched, Dobbs achieved an all-time highest sales record for a single month – the best in the company's 40-year history.
Dobbs Tire & Auto Centers


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How to build complex RTC query combining "AND" "OR" conditions
Pascal Jean (60●1●23●40) | asked Dec 17 '14, 12:03 p.m.
This is a question about the RTC building query in RTC-CLM 5.0.
I would like to create a query with the following criteria:.
Find all (unresolved Work Items)
((Due date before today's date) or (Due date is none))
((Estimated date before today's date) or (Estimated date is none))
((Due date is not none) or (Estimated date is not none))
I already browse this good article https://jazz.net/library/article/1007 but I'm sure what we want can be done.
In particular I'm not too familiar how to combine the "And" and "Or" condition?
Have you other good tips to do such queries
Thank you in advance
Pascal Jean
2 answers
Pascal Jean (60●1●23●40) | answered Dec 17 '14, 12:31 p.m.
Thank you Sam,
I think we can do many thing with the Eclipse tool.
We will dig into that.
Thank you again
Pascal Jean
sam detweiler commented Dec 17 '14, 12:43 p.m.
and you can do similarly in the web UI
sam detweiler (12.5k●6●194●201) | answered Dec 17 '14, 12:23 p.m.
pretty easy in Eclipse..


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Major League Baseball (MLB) chose the wokes over their fans when they relocated the All-Star Game from Atlanta to Denver.
And, it appears, the fans are letting their feelings be known.
The television ratings for Sunday Night Baseball, MLB's flagship primetime offering and ESPN's premier weekend evening broadcast, have sunk 49 percent from last year.
According to Sports Media Watch:
A 7-inning Cardinals-Braves Sunday Night Baseball game averaged just 931,000 viewers on ESPN over the weekend, down 49% from the comparable window in 2019 (Cubs-Dodgers: 1.84M) and the least-watched Sunday night game this season. The game aired opposite an NBA Game 7 (Hawks-Sixers: 6.16M) and partially overlapped with the final round of golf's U.S. Open.
To put in perspective just how bad this is, consider that even the no good NBA has seen a ratings increase from last year's pandemic-plagued season. Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals saw a 66% increase from the comparable night in 2020. The numbers are still far below what they were in 2019 and the NBA should still be shipped off to China, but even the anthem-kneeling, social-justice loving NBA has had a better ratings season than they had last year.
Now, before anyone starts making excuses for MLB because last weekend's edition of Sunday Night Baseball had to share the stage with the NBA and the U.S. Open, consider this.
"The previous day, regional MLB action on FOX (Reds-Padres or White Sox-Astros) averaged 1.41 million — the least-watched FOX telecast of the season," SMW reported. "The window was originally scheduled to include Cardinals-Braves, but the game was postponed. FS1 chipped in 261,000 for Tigers-Angels later in the night."
So, MLB isn't just tanking in primetime head-to-heads against other sports.
And that's not all, SMW continued:
In other action, TBS averaged 359,000 for its season debut of A's-Yankees last Sunday afternoon — unsurprisingly down 46% from its first game last season, which aired on the opening weekend of the months-delayed season (7/26/20 Yankees-Nationals: 659K). Compared to the network's 2019 opener, viewership fell a more modest 9% (7/7/19 Yankees-Rays: 395K).
Going back to last week, ESPN averaged 445,000 for Red Sox-Braves last Wednesday — down 30% from 2019 (Brewers-Astros: 632K). The previous night's Cubs-Mets game was healthier at 624,000, up 1% from Mets-Yankees in '19 (617K). The same matchup drew 733,000 on June 14, the top weeknight MLB game since May 5.
These numbers are abysmal and most certainly can be attributed to the league's embrace of Black Lives Matter and their decision to pull the All-Star Game out of Georgia in retaliation for the state's attempt to make it more difficult for Democrats to steal elections.
MLB made their choice, now the people are making theirs.


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Speed alone is not enough to ensure lasting success on the logistics market. A solid foundation for longstanding customer relationships also requires careful handling of goods, reliability and excellent process quality.
With all this in mind, we emphasize our employees' qualifications and ongoing training and continuing education activities.
We hold DIN EN ISO 9001:2015, ISO 45001:2018 and ISO 14001:2015 certification and have the quality of our processes checked regularly by independent experts.
Our customers' individual perceptions of quality are crucial. To meet customers' specific requirements and needs, we enter into individual service level agreements.
All of our processes are geared toward the requirements of customers and the wider market.
• Clearly defined, documented procedures ensure that the quality of our services is and remains consistently high.
• We have implemented systematic idea management practices that let us identify and tap into areas where there is potential for improvement early on.
• We agree on quality assurance measures in dialogue with our customers.
SCOPE - S mart C argo OPE rating System
If you want to have a leg up on the competition, you have to have the best information at the critical moment. That's why we use state-of-the-art information technology when handling import and export shipments to visualize and accelerate processes in the real world through a virtual environment.
Thanks to specially designed interfaces, our customers can link their data systems with ours and import the relevant information.
Swift handling and minimal time and effort spent on documentation are ensured by our proven SCOPE cargo IT system and the use of barcodes with computer-assisted status queries for each individual consignment. We also use mobile handheld devices to log processing data directly, which helps us minimize added work and cut back on time spent while eliminating possible sources of error and minimizing paper use.
• Electronic data interchange (CargoIMP)
• Status of handling of all flights available in real time at all times
• Agreed time standards (SLAs) automatically determine work specifications
• Regular performance analysis on the basis of individually agreed processing standards
• Our airline customers can access our system worldwide, either via the Internet or through a SCOPE terminal


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Watch the Webinar
Join us for a brisk discussion of the key elements that may be causing your work management performance to be lower than expected and the actions you could be doing right now for improvement.
During the webinar, we will tackle key concepts including:
Work Management,
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Nexus Global
Recognized globally, across various industries, for delivering sustainable solutions that optimize both the organization's assets and processes to yield a ROI of 10:1 or greater. Nexus Global Business Solutions, Inc. has been a worldwide leader in asset performance management and maintenance consulting, coaching and training for 15+ years.
© 2019 Nexus Global. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy
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Rant Trill Plastic Pedals
The Rant Trill Pedal is molded from a durable reinforced nylon composite material, that grinds smooth and long. The advanced parallelogram design features 13 molded pins per side with intricate micro knurling and integrated logo for max traction. 4140 heat treated chromoly axles with 6mm broached end and precision loose ball bearings keep 'em rolling smooth.
- Nylon/ Fiberglass body
- 4140 chromoly axle
- 95mm length x 100mm wide
- Thickness: 18mm / 24mm at bearing cover


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Hendersonville, Tenn.—The U.S. hotel industry reported positive year-over-year results in the three key performance metrics during the week of 18-24 August 2019, according to data from STR.
In comparison with the week of 19-25 August 2018, the industry recorded the following:
- Occupancy: +0.8% to 70.1%
- Average daily rate (ADR): +0.5% to US$128.57
- Revenue per available room (RevPAR): +1.2% at US$90.08
Among the Top 25 Markets, Orlando, Florida, posted the largest jump in RevPAR (+18.0% to US$72.85), due largely to the only double-digit lift in ADR (+10.3% to US$107.43). The market saw the second-largest increase in occupancy (+7.0% to 67.8%).
Houston, Texas, experienced the only double-digit rise in occupancy (+14.8% to 64.2%) and the second-largest increase in RevPAR (+17.2% to US$62.47).
Overall, 15 of the Top 25 Markets reported a RevPAR increase.
Nashville, Tennessee, registered the steepest declines in each of the three key performance metrics: occupancy (-9.4% to 71.8%), ADR (-7.3% to US$139.43) and RevPAR (-16.0% to US$100.11).
Atlanta, Georgia, saw the only other double-digit drop in RevPAR (-12.6% to US$69.72), due to the second-largest decreases in occupancy (-7.9% to 66.5%) and ADR (-5.1% to US$104.87).


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Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'chassis'.
Found 2 results
fixed: Not detecting chassis fan on MSI 970A-G43 Plus (MS-7974)
rwky posted a topic in Bug reportsHi there, Using Aida64 Extreme, latest version and it doesn't see the Chassis Fan. The MSI Control Center sees it without a problem (bios as well, of course). Anything I can do to help in solving this? Cheers!
This mobo has CPU fan, but a large passive processor heatsink. It also has two fan connectors: CHA and CPU. If both fans are connected, aida displays cpu fan and chassis fan; but if one of them is not present or forcefully stopped by thumb, the remain fan always threats as cpu's. They have different velocities, so I can see how chassis fan "becomes" cpu's and back. In additional, like http://forums.aida64...__fromsearch__1, fans are switched (checked by slightly manually decelerating). Here is ISA sensor dump and sensors debug dump. isasensordump.txt sensorsdebug.txt


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Maryland education officials have approved plans for all 24 school systems to eventually resume in-person classes, as expectations build at the state level to bring at least some students back to school buildings this fall.
Maryland schools superintendent Karen Salmon told the state board of education Tuesday that all school systems had submitted revised plans to adhere to the criteria for operating during the pandemic. Baltimore City was the only system that submitted a plan that did not need revisions.
With Gov. Larry Hogan's announcement that the state is entering the third and final stage of his administration's plan for relaxing restrictions that were put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Salmon said it is safe for all schools to reopen.
"Everyone is able to open, and almost all school systems" are beginning to, she said. "We are going to start to see an increase in the number of students getting back to school. At least that is our hope."
A survey of school systems shows that 17 school systems plan to bring some students back this fall, although many school systems have limited the groups to students with disabilities and other students who have difficulty learning outside of school.
Harford County is considering a phased plan to bring students back one-day per week, ending with high school students coming back in November. And Baltimore County will bring back students with disabilities and primary school students by Nov. 13.
Two state school board members suggested the board should expect schools to return students to buildings this fall, and if they decide not to, they should have to justify the decision. However, Salmon said the decision should be left up to the local school boards and superintendents who have the authority to open the schools.
"All the research suggests that the infection rate is very low and we are all ready to go back," said Rose Marie Li, a member from Montgomery County.
"School systems must make a priority to open schools as soon as possible or tell us why," said Vermelle Greene, a state board member from Charles County.
Li also wants the state to look at supporting the return to schools by helping school systems purchase protective equipment. Salmon said the state agencies had been purchasing some protective gear and that she was not aware of a school system that needed it.
©2020 The Baltimore Sun
Visit The Baltimore Sun at www.baltimoresun.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


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View Our Facilities
Located in Pocatello & Nampa, Idaho, our addiction recovery center provides comprehensive inpatient treatment in a comfortable, relaxing setting among the trees. Nature's beauty supports our treatment programs and provides residents with a calming influence, as they focus on living a purposeful life, free from the constraints of substance abuse.
Here, you will never be subjected to a cold, clinical atmosphere. Instead, our upscale drug and alcohol rehab center feels safe and inviting – just like home. From our well-appointed media and workout rooms to comfortable, private bedrooms and baths, you can relax and focus on the important goals of recovery and reclaiming a happy, purposeful life.


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Monday, January 22, 2018
Team POPX tackles a difficult topic this week, one that impacts movie goers across the globe; the impact of negative film reviews and how backlash leads to film studios second guessing their creations. Users from Reddit and other online usergroup sites rally to leave negative commentary on popular films, will this trend fizzle out, or grow to become a major thorn in the film industry's side?
Posted by Joe Burke at 12:10 AM No comments:
Labels: film critics, imdb, movie reviews, popx, popxcast, rotten tomatoes
Sunday, January 7, 2018
Episode 69 - Marvel vs. DC Comics (The Path to Childhood)
We talk all things Marvel and DC Comics, and not necessarily pitting one up against the other, but sharing our fond moments from each, and which we gravitate towards on a personal level. To be honest, we're all a little Marvel and DC, and this podcast will highlight the success of both companies.
Posted by Joe Burke at 10:53 PM No comments:
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A graduate of York University (Honours BFA), Ben Riley has been actively engaged in the Canadian music scene for over fifteen years.
Ben grew up in an intensely active musical family. His natural ability as a producer comes from watching and learning from his father, Doug Riley, who in his lifetime had produced a staggering number of albums from the mid 60's to his untimely death in August 2007.
Ben has co-produced three albums for Planet Earth, an upcoming release with jazz greats Bernie Senensky and Gene Perla, two albums for Courtney Farquhar, as well as a single by Courtney which went platinum on Warner's 'Women and Songs 7". He is currently working on two projects to be released within the year.
Content Copyright Ben Riley 2011
Need a Website? www.verateschow.ca
Need a Website? www.verateschow.ca


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Washington D.C., Apr 27, 2013 / 12:09 pm
A survey commissioned by the U.S. bishops finds that almost 80 percent of Catholics support legal changes that allow immigrants to gain "earned citizenship" through meeting certain requirements.
"It is clear that Catholics understand the importance of this issue," Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, who chairs the U.S. bishops' migration committee, said April 19 in response to the poll.
"As an immigrant church, Catholics from all walks of life understand the migration experience and accept the Gospel's call to welcome the stranger."
The survey, commissioned by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office of Migration Policy and Public Affairs, found that 77 percent of U.S. Catholics support citizenship for immigrants who fulfill requirements like registration, paying a fine, paying taxes, and taking English classes.
Eighty-four percent of respondents agree that requiring immigrants to register with the government in order to remain in the country would improve national security.
Another 75 percent of respondents said immigration law enforcement should be focused on "humane values" that deport violent criminals but "finds ways to work with people who have come to find a better life."
Most respondents said that border security and humane treatment of illegal immigrants are compatible and most agree that the Church has an obligation to help those in need, even if they are illegal residents. Additionally, most believe that immigrants are good for the economy, and most thought that enforcement-only policy focused on deportations is bad for family unity.
Sixty percent of Catholics who attend Mass weekly or more said that the immigration issue is very important to them.
The Catholic bishops have endorsed changes to immigration law, such as allowing an expansive "path to citizenship" for undocumented immigrants and expanding legal migration for low-skilled migrant workers.
Archbishop Gomez encouraged Catholics to ask their legislators to support "humane" immigration reform, saying this would "help our brothers and sisters come out of the shadows and become full members of our communities."


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Decision Support Systems (DSS): A decision support system is a computer-based system for supporting decision makers confront semistructured and ill-structured problems by leveraging data, knowledge, and models.
Service Oriented Architecture (SOA): The focus of SOA is to expose application logic as loosely coupled services. Design principles underlying SOA emphasize reuse, abstraction, autonomy, loose coupling, statelessness, composability, and discoverability.
Distributed Model Management Systems (DMMS): DMMS are systems for managing models in a distributed environment where models, solvers, and client applications may be distributed over multiple heterogeneous platforms
Model Management (MM): Analogous to data management, refers to the ability to create, retrieve, update, delete, and manipulate models. It also includes the need for managing models for integrity, consistency, security, and currency
Model Management Systems (MMS): MMS are computer-based systems for supporting MM functions including but not limited to searching, selecting, retrieving, and composing models. MMS provide a way to access and manage various modeling resources and the modeling life cycle.
Services: Services are independent building blocks that collaborate to deliver application functionality.
Web Services (WS): Web services are services that utilize XML and Web services technologies such as SOAP, WSDL, and UDDI to represent a Web-based implementation of an SOA.


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On the road
Discover our special offers and deals below, then why not book a test drive in the All-New Astra Sports Tourer to see if it stacks up to your expectations? Choose a vehicle to fit your style with several different versions, including the Design, GS, Ultimate, and the GSE. Rest assured you can rely on Walkers Vauxhall to look after you and answer any questions you might have. Financing is available, be it PCP, LP, HP, or Private Lease. Our showrooms in Worksop, and Selby are open until today.
Choose your trim:
This won't take long...
Please complete the form below:
Explore the All-New Astra Sports Tourer specifications.
Please contact us if you require additional information.
The Vauxhall Garage
Flaxley Road
Selby Yorkshire
01757 700077
Retford Road
Worksop Notts
01909 501111


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Gordon M. Hahn
Vladimir Putin has had several opportunities over the course of his tenure as Russia's leader to get out of that position and even steer his homeland towards a more liberal, even semi-democratic form of rule. Each time, he has missed it. The first came in 2008, when Putin stepped aside from the presidency and backed his prime minister Dmitrii Medvedev's candidacy for the Kremlin office. Upon Medvedev's certain victory, his 'tandem' partner now president engineered the famous 'castling' move appointing Putin as his prime minister. Even before he became president, Medvedev signaled he would begin a liberalization or 'thaw' in Russian politics. He followed through with numerous liberalization measures as president. After Putin announced fatefully that he would take Medvedev's position as the Kremlin's candidate for the 2012 presidential election, he alienated a large part of the younger members of the elite. After the December 2011 Duma election, riots, then mass demonstrations broke out, particularly in Moscow but also other cities in the so-called white ribbon revolution, aborted albeit. In response, Medvedev launched a series of major reforms of the electoral system, which if they had remained in place would lay the ground for a transition to democratic rule imposed from above, particularly in combination with Medvedev's earlier reforms and liberalization. But Putin decided upon his return to the Kremlin to repeal those reforms and stop reinforcing earlier ones and gradually instituted modestly harsher laws regarding demonstrations, Internet activity, and others. In doing so, he began to back himself into a corner. Putin could have left in 2018 but did not.
Putin's Position Today
Putin has another opportunity in 2024, but he and his elite has become ever more dependent on his hold on office and his protection, respectively, given their corruption. The elite and Putin need Putin to remain in office to retain that protection racket. At the same time, their ties to the population are badly attenuated and their attitude towards it increasingly distrustful and condescending. Like most elites, but in more hyper-form, they feel that only they know how to rule the country and therefore only they have the right to rule and for their labors they also have a right to enrich themselves. Massive corruption is the result, and any successful Russian opposition movement would be wise to hit that issue hard. The one who has done so the hardest is Alexei Navalnyi; hence his travails.
As I have discussed elsewhere there is some evidence in the institutional changes has been undertaking since his speech a year ago that Putin is leaving the option of leaving the president open, but increasingly one has doubts he will take. His speech kicking off these constitutional reforms originally hinted at a liberation that disappeared as specifics later emerged and constitutional amendments were adopted
(https://gordonhahn.com/2020/03/24/putins-constitutional-amendments-political-balancing-in-an-increasingly-traditionalist-russian-political-culture-divided-world-and-crisis-century/). His past decisions on whether or not to stay on in the Kremlin and his response to the 2011-2012 white ribbon demonstrations suggest that January 23rd's demonstrations will only encourage him to stay on, if he had not decided to do so already.
Putin will view or at least characterize Navalnyi's return to Russia as a CIA special operation. This will be used to justify a further 'tightening of the screws' against the still only potential threat that Navalnyi represents. This will also cast a shadow of doubt over Navalnyi's patriotism by characterizing his return not as a patriotic act or at least a love of country or home that trumps apparent risks to his life. Putin cannot afford to have Navalnyi expand his small foothold among nationalist ranks.
But Western sanctions are likely to help maintain Putin's approval ratings as will any foreign conflict with the West. Twice during Putin's tenure as Russia's president, the West has helped to spark a conflict in a post-Soviet state bordering Russia that in turn produced a 'bump' in Putin's approval ratings: (1) Saakashvili's brutal bombing of Tskhinvali on 7 August 2008 and the resulting Five-Day Georgian-South Ossetin/Russian War and (2) the Maidan revolt in winter 2013-2014, which saw a 20 point bump for Putin's approval rating from October 2013 to October 2014 (from 40 to 60 percent). The facts that later emerged about the way Yanukovych was overthrown by the ultra-nationalist wing of the Maidan movement killing police and demonstrators on 20 February 2014 and the West's repetition for years of the lie that Yanukovych ordered riot police to fire on the demonstrators prolonged the bump than otherwise might have been. The lie also reinforces Putin's position today among those Russians suspicious of West writ large, given the long history of meddling, intervention, and invasion.
Thus, Navalnyi's alleged poisoning and return alone have further distanced Putin from the West, if further distancing was possible. One cannot exclude that elements within Putin's elite master-minded the poisoning of Navalnyi precisely to achieve such a result and even set the stage for Putin's removal from power so as to institute a 'real' widespread crackdown and shift to a harsh authoritarian regime or to start talks with the West with an ostensibly clean slate but still from a traditionalist foreign policy position. The information Navalnyi leaked upon his return on what is allegedly Putin's luxury presidential palace in Gelendzhik, Krasnodar, had to come from inside. It is important to note that since Soviet times Krasnodar has been gathering spot for vacationing Russian intel officials. (The palace could be an FSB mansion as likely as a presidential one.) Moreover, there have been additional recent reports about Putin family corruption, such as that regarding his daughter Maria Vorontsova (https://news-fancy.com/77575-doch-putina-vyshla-iz-teni-full.html). Or is all this a method to keep Putin from daring to leave the presidency? Video conferences of government meetings often show a Putin with a drawn face–perhaps a man feeling trapped as much any fear of a liberal or other uprising from below or a hardline coup from above.
Increasingly, Putin's inner circle is, well, circling the tents. Putin just recently issued an order lifting the 70-year age limit on higher-ranking officials, with close associate Nikolai Patrushev due to turn 70 in July and
FSB chief Aleksandr Bortnikov due to reach 70 in November (www.ng.ru/politics/2021-01-22/100_polit22012021.html). It is interest that in the apparent telephone call with someone Navalnyi claims was a low-level perpetrator of his poisoning in Tomsk, he mentioned former FSB chief and now Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev. Patrushev, along with RosNeft chief Igor Sechin and FSB chief Aleksandr Bortnikov, head the siloviki faction in the Kremlin. After Vladislav Surkov's departure Patrushev has emerged as something of the new Kremlin chief ideologist, a gray cardinal reminiscent in spirit of Konstantin Pobedonostsev. In 2018 he engineered the appointment of his son, Dmitrii, to the post of Minister of Agriculture, which has become a very profitable sector under de-collectivization and privatization in the 1990s and modernization and fields-to-shelves vertical integration under Putin. On November 11, 2019, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev published a programmatic article in Rossiiskaya gazeta, a Russian newspaper published by the government of Russia. In the article Patrushev underlined that a multipolar world order is emerging, and that the West, the once unipolar system's superpower, is gradually declining (https://rg.ru/2019/11/11/patrushev-ssha-stremiatsia-izbavitsia-ot-mezhdunarodno-pravovyh-ramok.html). Then in June of last year he gave an extended interview to the popular Argumenty i fakty weekly in which he again touched on Russo-Western relations and discussed a very traditionalist, even hardline take on Russian history and culture (https://aif.ru/society/safety/kuklovodstvo_k_deystviyu_nikolay_patrushev_o_metodah_cvetnyh_revolyuciy). Now, in the wake of Navalnyi's return and the January 23rd protests, Patrushev gave another interview to the weekly, in which he charged Navalnyi with being a puppet of the 'russophobic' and thus 'decaying' West (https://aif.ru/politics/world/nikolay_patrushev_rusofobiya_vedet_k_degradacii). It is just a hunch, but one gets the feeling that despite his age Patrushev is a man on the move.
Whether it is because of Putin's greater inclination to crackdown and therefore more firmly ally with hardliners against the few remaining liberals inside the state apparatus or a sign of Putin being beholden and even vulnerable to a forming hardline cabal is difficult to determine. But there can be no doubt that Putin is protecting or at a minimum is responsible for the impunity of those within the intelligence organs or rogue elements within or outside them apparently involved in Navalnyi's posioning. The audiotape of one of those whom Navalnyi has accused of participating in his poisoning, Konstantin Kudryavtsev, would be investigated, debunked or confirmed leading to detention and indictment in any normal legal system (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwvA49ZXnf8&ab_channel=bellingcat). The video offers a name of an agent, who apparently speaks and he confirms his involvement. In a rule of law state, such would force an investigation. Investigators and journalists would be asking: Who is this man? Is he a FSB or GRU employee? They would interview him as a 'person of interest.' But nothing of the sort has happened. Instead, Navalnyi was detained upon return from Germany. Putin and Kremlin spokesman Dmitrii Peskov claim Navalnyi is an agent of the West, receiving support from him. But despite the Investigative Committee's FSB's, GRU's and SVR's enormous resources, no official source has ever presented any evidence.
Despite the Navalnyi debacle, COVID, a stagnant economy, and disastrous relations with the West, Putin's ratings still remain high. According to the Levada Center, Putin's approval rating fell to a record low last May to 59 percent but rebounded and by December 2020 registered at 68 percent (www.levada.ru/en/2020/11/24/approval-ratings-17/). VTsIOM's data shows Putin's approval rating fell from 67.7 percent in January 2020 to 66.1 percent in January 2021 (https://wciom.ru/ratings/doverie-politikam/). But Russians can change their view of their leader and regime rather suddenly, as 1917 and 1991 attest, and Russians' views of whether the country is moving in the right or wrong direction saw in December the highest result for the 'wrong direction' since 2013, hitting 43 percent. The highest sense of wrong direction was 50 percent in 2004 (https://www.levada.ru/en/2020/11/24/approval-ratings-17/). Russians' general perception of massive corruption among the elite and the perhaps small hit Putin's reputation has taken as a result of the Navalnyi poisoning and imprisonment, especially in Moscow and St. Petersburg, could together with the corruption reports more seriously undermine Putin, whose position has seen some weakening in recent years. The next popularity ratings will reveal what the trend is.
Navalnyi's Weak Position
Navalnyi has achieved some successes over the years, and he has smelled blood. Examples include his 29 percent take in the 2012 Moscow mayoral election and his 'smart voting' strategy which yielded some positive results for democratic (and communist) forces in recent elections, most recently in the municipal district council elections in Moscow and St. Petersburg last year. He also has had some small but bold successes since his return to Moscow, but they are unlikely to lead to a regime change before any of the upcoming elections around which many contemporary 'color revolutions' are made. The Navalnyi threat, despite its modest strength, will likely only push Russian President Vladimir Putin to somewhat harshen legislation regarding demonstrations and make permits more difficult to get in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The regime may be harshened overall. With Navalny in prison and unlikely to be released before trial, it is likely that his wife Yuliya will attempt to run for the State Duma in the autumn election. She is unlikely to be registered. Thus, any idea of repeating the Belarus scenario in the way of a female led color revolution is unlikely to materialize, but the opposition has announced it will try to repeat the Belarus (and Krasnoyarsk) scenario of demonstrations held on a weekly or even more frequent protests. For now, the strategy of Maidan-style tent city seems out of the question, given the large number of security forces Putin can and is willing to deploy. The September Duma elections could be the focal point for mass demonstrations depending on the extent to which the opposition can mount a robust vote with weaker candidates and the extent the regime responds with efforts to cheat.
Navalnyi may smell blood, but his position is weak. Navalnyi will likely be sentenced to several years in prison, provoking more Western sanctions. He needs an uprising to save him. Perhaps, he is calculating that by stirring the pot he can provoke defections of liberals like Aleksei Kudrin from the regime, sparking a regime split that could help bring Putin down. Perhaps he can push hardliners to organize a coup in order to set instill order in a regime plagued by debilitating corruption that might have been on display in the perhaps botched Novichok poisonings of the Skripals and Navalnyi, evidenced by the survival of the intended victims and one of the Navalnyi attack's apparent perpetrator's willingness to talk with someone (Navalnyi) about the alleged crime over the phone (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwvA49ZXnf8&feature=emb_title&ab_channel=bellingcat&fbclid=IwAR35M-FUZw9khNMNSKFtvoZHFvuHxEUv7h5Y1nAOP1WoZLYqVv_PyOLV0Tc).
It is impossible to know if or precisely how and why Navalnyi was poisoned and whether Putin had a role in it. This will remain true for some time, perhaps forever. What is important is how Navalnyi's poisoning has been perceived and framed at home and abroad. It can only be said that the fact that Navalnyi's poisoning was not investigated by Russian law enforcement, that Putin did not demand an investigation, that Navalnyi was immediately arrested on charges that had not been initiated until Navalnyi accused Putin of ordering his poisoning — all this cannot but support the view that Putin or someone high up in the regime that he needs to protect was involved. This will become the view of a few more Russians, but not many more. To this extent, the Navalnyi poisoning may have somewhat weakened Putin's position even before the release of a long video asserting Putin's personal corruption and revealing an enormous luxury palace in Crimea that houses a skating rink, casino, large pool and spa, chapel, cemetery, and much else, ostensibly 'belonging' to Putin. This is no surprise, as everyone around him has had their luxurious lifestyles and holdings exposed by Navalnyi and others. We cannot know whether this is state property of Putin's personal property or whether Western intelligence or their various offshoots furnished Navalnyi with some of the video and photographs. What is important is any effect on public perceptions of Putin and any repercussions this may have inside the ruling elite, since some of the photographs had to have been obtained through access provided by insiders at some level, probably for a good deal of cash.
This points to a different risk if a pro-Navalnyi protest were to achieve some sort of shocking success: storming and freeing Navalny from prison, a storm of the Kremlin or White House in Moscow or Smolny in St. Petersburg, establishment of a permanent opposition autonomous zone, or some other action. Such could provoke a traditionalist backlash by the regime or the pro-Putin portion of the public with impunity. Again, it cannot be understated the extent to which Russians distrust Western media, which leads the reporting on Navalnyi and is reflected in the liberal opposition's reporting as well as the way Russians perceive it. For a larger number of Russians to turn against Putin, a regime action will have to touch a broad base of Russians, including those who lukewarmly support him, such as the misbegotten initial pension reforms in 2018, which sparked mass protests. Over time, as Putin ages Putin fatigue among the populace will grow and that is more likely to be the time when the regime collapses, but the 2024 presidential election and fall's Duma elections are opportunities for the opposition.
As I wrote in an earlier piece, in some ways Navalnyi's political personality reminds one of Vladimir Lenin. His return to Russia from Germany and immediate attempt to foment a revolt only underscore the comparison. As I noted in the previous piece, Navalnyi is extremely driven to come to power and take revenge on Putin, he is a some authoritarian personality himself, and has usually been unable to engage in the kinds of compromises to build a broad-based democracy-centered opposition movement, preferring to insist on the lead role (https://gordonhahn.com/2019/09/09/alexei-navalnyi-lenin-of-today/). His strategy of focusing on corruption and calling intermittent demonstrations have produced some results, but 'smart voting' strategy, which was a step towards inducing cooperation between various opposition forces, needs to be built upon by actively pursuing an alliance of opposition organizations and more direct coordination of putting forward candidates in elections to the Duma and various regional public offices. Navalnyi's prospects therefore are more limited than they otherwise might be had he been willing and able to forge a larger democratic opposition front. Although Navalnyi's ambitions are to blame for this in considerable part, so Russian liberals' historical inability to unite ever since the late perestroika era, certainly since the Soviet collapse.
The pro-Navalnyi demonstrations that occurred in some 80 cities at Navalnyi's call was probably the most massive since 2013, with perhaps as many as 40,000 attending nationwide, 15-20,000 in Moscow and nearly as many in St. Petersburg (https://echo.msk.ru/news/2778858-echo.html and http://www.fontanka.ru/2021/01/24/69721026/). Moreover, they exhibited a growing level of commitment with more than 3,000 detained nationwide — including Navalnyi's wife Yuliya, who was later released — 1,200 in Moscow, and some 350-650 in St. Petersburg (https://echo.msk.ru/news/2778922-echo.html and
This demonstrates a growing degree of support nationwide for Navalnyi, despite his isolated position politically as well as physically. Perhaps a consequence of his seeming martyrdom, it means that if he was free, he could indeed mount a real threat to the regime perhaps over time. At the same time, many will continue to distance themselves from a politician who was willing to mobilize through social media underage teenagers to attend demonstrations that can end in violence, provoked by one side or another. Reportedly, 300 underage demonstrators were detained nationwide this time, but there is still no social media or other evidence Navalnyi or his team mobilized them (https://echo.msk.ru/news/2778922-echo.html).
It is highly unlikely that Putin will live out his life as Russia's president. Either from 'below' in society or 'above' within the state someone will move against the massive corruption, vulgarity, and excessive violence of the regime. If revolution is to come from below, then Navalnyi has the inside track to be its leader, but his personality could prevent him from building the broader coalition that will be necessary to challenge the regime, with its large number of police, riot police, National Guard, and domestic intelligence apparatus led foremost by the FSB. There are a host of scenarios that might involve Putin's departure caused by actors inside the state, including the 'Yeltsin scenario' of a revolution led from above (least likely at present, given the weakness of liberals inside the regime), a 'quasi-Yeltsin scenario' in which a popular liberal leader defects from the regime and takes the lead of the opposition 'from below', and a hardline coup against Putin led by one or more of the security organs (FSB, GRU, National Guard). None of these scenarios are likely as of writing, but the last of these would become much more likely if Putin was to tap a liberal like Medvedev to run in his place or if, by some miracle, Putin was to decide to liberalize the regime himself. In short, Putin is likely stuck being president — if in fact he would like to leave — or will need to back a legitimate hardliner from within his team if he would like to change the power configuration and assume a different office in order to begin easing his way to a retirement.
The question is if a perfect storm will gather to undermine Putin's not-so systematic 'sistema,' which for now — barring another black swan (beyond COVID) of some sort — still has considerable resources to maintain itself. It is almost impossible now to imagine that in a political pinch Putin will opt to liberalize the system or leave the presidency, no less the corridors of power altogether. One cannot exclude that in 2024 or even earlier that Putin will try to repeat the 2008 'castling' in some configuration or another, setting up Medvedev again or a Mishustin or Sobyanin to be elected president. More likely, however, is that he will rely on his million-man National Guard to preserve the present order and his own power. In such a pinch, Putin has nowhere else to turn. There is little hope for a divorce from power. The Kremlin is not Ludmilla. Putin is in, until 'death do us part'?
About the Author – Gordon M. Hahn, Ph.D., is an Expert Analyst at Corr Analytics, http://www.canalyt.com and a Senior Researcher at the Center for Terrorism and Intelligence Studies (CETIS), Akribis Group, www.cetisresearch.org. Dr. Hahn is the author of The Russian Dilemma: The West and the Making of Russia's Security Culture (McFarland, forthcoming in 2021), Ukraine Over the Edge: Russia, the West, and the "New Cold War" (McFarland, 2018), The Caucasus Emirate Mujahedin: Global Jihadism in Russia's North Caucasus and Beyond (McFarland, 2014), Russia's Islamic Threat (Yale University Press, 2007), and Russia's Revolution From Above: Reform, Transition and Revolution in the Fall of the Soviet Communist Regime, 1985-2000 (Transaction, 2002). He also has published numerous think tank reports, academic articles, analyses, and commentaries in both English and Russian language media.
Dr. Hahn has taught at Boston, American, Stanford, San Jose State, and San Francisco State Universities and as a Fulbright Scholar at Saint Petersburg State University, Russia and has been a senior associate and visiting fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Kennan Institute in Washington DC, and the Hoover Institution.


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Death, Taxes, and the AL winning the MLB All-Star Game. For the last 13 years at least, these three things in life have been certain. As a result of their 4-3 victory last night, the AL will have home-field advantage in the World Series, which Tim Keown thinks is just the dumbest idea in sports history. Jayson Stark has more on the streak.
Not that Brad Hawpe and the NL didn't put up a good fight. Only Carl Crawford, the MVP of the game, could keep Hawpe from hitting a tie-breaking home run leading off the seventh, but alas, the Tampa Bay left-fielder showed off his mad hops and stole the night's glory from the unassuming Texan.
Hawpe also struck out in the ninth inning on a borderline pitch from Mariano Rivera. Meanwhile, the Rockies' other All-Star, right-handed pitcher Jason Marquis, warmed up in the ninth inning but never did enter the game. Don't cry too much for Jason though. He made a cool $75,000 (Hawpe made $25,000) for his Midsummer Classic trip. That's not to say that they aren't spreading the joy:
They are sharing the wealth, treating more than 35 family members this week who were at the game, along with bringing back presents for teammates. The pair bought 30 bats and 50 All-Star Game shirts for the Rockies players, and Marquis purchased game jerseys for all the coaches, trainers and clubhouse staff.
"Maybe they will use it to wipe their hands," joked Marquis, a former Cardinal who received warm applause when introduced. "But I want them to know how much they are appreciated. They helped us get here."
Rockies News
Tracy Ringolsby poses this question: Do the Rockies have what it takes offensively?
My take is that the Rockies have the personnel to have a dangerous lineup, with consistent power and patience, though they have tended to slump all at once and haven't been great at playing their best players (Carlos Gonzalez over Seth Smith being the most egregious example of this). Bottom line though, I believe that the Rockies do have enough in the tank for another deep run into October.
One avenue of offensive success that I hadn't previously considered is good baserunning--but luckily, Beyond the Boxscore has. Sky Kalkman opines that the Rockies have the best baserunning in MLB, good for 14 runs above average (or 1.4 extra wins)--four more runs above the next highest team (Florida). Considering that last year Minnesota led the league with 16.1 RAA, this number really is spectacular.
Note that these numbers are for live baserunning only, eliminating stolen bases and caught stealing from the equation as they are already included in most other run scoring metrics. Here's the individual rankings by team.
I was mildly surprised by this ranking (especially by the fact that Clint Barmes was rated our top baserunner) but it looks like this team is taking full advantage of getting on base. As Kalkman says, it's another talking point in the "Rockies-for-the-playoffs" campaign.
Finally, Baseball America writes about two Rockies prospects in their Daily Dish, Jhouyls Chacin and Esmil Rogers (no subscription required). There's a lot of good stuff in the article about two of the Rockies' top pitching prospects.


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December 22nd, 2019 7:04 PM by Christopher Terry
We Wish You All The Hope, Joy and Wonder of the Holiday Season!
One day at a little over a month ago as I was pulling into the parking lot EZ Home Search Real Estate when a car pulled in behind me driven by an older couple. They asked if I could help them find a new home.
It turns out that they had sold their home to a life long family friend and had stayed on as tenants in one of the units.
It was heartbreaking when they told me that their friendship with their life long friends had become strained and that had no choice but to find another place to call home.
Unfortunately living on retirement income meant that paying today's current market rent would be nearly impossible.
I connected them with Nina Despres @ St Anne's Credit Union who qualified them for a great loan program and we went to work in search of an affordable option for them. In just a few days we found a great entry level condo, in a beautiful condominium building, that was right in their budget.
This lovely retired couple, who were so worried about where they were going to live and whether it would be affordable are now owners of a beautiful condo...and it's less than what they would have had to pay for rent.
It's stories like this one, and many others over the years that make us all at EZ Home Search Real Estate so grateful and blessed to have the opportunity to help families find their dream home, plant roots and build long term equity through home ownership.
Everyone here at EZ Home Search Real Estate would like to wish you all the Hope, Joy and Wonder this holiday season can bring and a Happy, Healthy and Wealthy 2020.
Christopher TerryEZ Home Search Real Estate508-646-4777 x105


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Mick Mulvaney's new side gig: A hedge fund betting on D.C.
Mulvaney is launching the fund with the longtime investor Andrew Wessel.
Mick Mulvaney, President Donald Trump's special envoy to Northern Ireland, has a new side gig: He's starting a hedge fund.
Mulvaney is launching the fund with the longtime investor Andrew Wessel. The angle? Buying stock in banks and other financial firms based on his knowledge of financial regulation.
Trump tapped Mulvaney as special envoy in March after replacing him with then-Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) as White House chief of staff — a role in which Mulvaney served in an acting capacity for more than a year. Mulvaney is now considered a special government employee and will continue to serve as special envoy while he works to get the hedge fund off the ground, according to someone with knowledge of the matter.
Mulvaney disclosed his decision to start the hedge fund, called Exegis Capital, in an interview on "Street Talk," a podcast hosted by S&P Global Market Intelligence.
"Politics is going to be a very turbulent thing for the near future, and I think it creates opportunities for those who understand how Washington works to provide an advantage over everybody else," he said on the podcast.
Mulvaney is hardly the first senior administration official to go into finance after leaving — although in Mulvaney's case, he hasn't really left. Bill Daley, who served as President Barack Obama's chief of staff, joined a hedge fund after leaving the White House. Former Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is now president of the investment firm Warburg Pincus.
Mulvaney will lean on his experience serving as Trump's Office of Management and Budget director and acting head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, as well as his time on the House Financial Services Committee while he was representing a South Carolina district in Congress.
"Not a lot of folks get it," Mulvaney said on the podcast. "Not a lot of folks understand, OK, this person has hired this staff to run this subcommittee, what is that going to mean for what kinds of legislation you're seeing come out?"
Mulvaney and Wessel started raising money for the fund "in earnest about a month ago," Wessel said on the podcast.
"We're really kind of hitting the pavement," he said. "A lot of meetings will be coming post-Labor Day when everybody gets back from their vacations."
They plan to launch the fund on Jan. 1 regardless of the outcome of the presidential election, although Mulvaney said he still thinks Trump is "a slight favorite to win."
It's not clear how Mulvaney will divide his time between the hedge fund and promoting peace in Northern Ireland.
Special envoys are allowed to hold positions outside of government in certain cases, depending on the terms of their contract, according to a former senior State Department official. Mulvaney would likely have been expected to consult with State Department ethics experts, the former official said.
Mulvaney "is only partially limited in what professional activities he can pursue outside of government service," according to the person familiar with Mulvaney's situation. "The hedge fund activity is permitted."
The State Department did not immediately answer questions on Friday about Mulvaney's role. In the past the department has declined to divulge Mulvaney's salary when asked by POLITICO.
Mulvaney and Wessel didn't respond to requests for comment.
The State Department is supposed to have ethics safeguards that keep a person's business interests away from their diplomacy. If Mulvaney wanted to start a hedge fund for Northern Ireland, that would probably raise red flags, according to the former senior State Department official.
One former special envoy who held outside jobs was Kurt Volker, who served as Trump's special representative to Ukraine while also working as executive director of Arizona State University's McCain Institute and as a strategic adviser to BGR Group, a Washington lobbying and public affairs firm.
Volker didn't earn a salary for the special envoy role. He resigned last year after getting caught up in Democrats' effort to impeach Trump.


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Corto Maltese Portrait #2 Original Watercolor by Giancarlo Caracuzzo.
Original Art. Item #15426
Portrait of Corto Maltese in watercolor and tempera on Fabriano paper (20 x 29 cm). Signed by the artist on the lower right corner. ; Signed by Author.
Price: $400.00
See all items in Original Comic Art and Illustration
See all items by Giancarlo Caracuzzo


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4 Source Directory Structure
The Source Directory consists of numerous files, directories and subdirectories; understanding their locations and contents is key to using the Yocto Project effectively. This chapter describes the Source Directory and gives information about those files and directories.
For information on how to establish a local Source Directory on your development system, see the "Locating Yocto Project Source Files" section in the Yocto Project Development Tasks Manual.
The OpenEmbedded build system does not support file or directory names that contain spaces. Be sure that the Source Directory you use does not contain these types of names.
4.1 Top-Level Core Components
This section describes the top-level components of the Source Directory.
This directory includes a copy of BitBake for ease of use. The copy usually matches the current stable BitBake release from the BitBake project. BitBake, a Metadata interpreter, reads the Yocto Project Metadata and runs the tasks defined by that data. Failures are usually caused by errors in your Metadata and not from BitBake itself.
When you run the
bitbake command, the main BitBake executable (which
resides in the
bitbake/bin/ directory) starts. Sourcing the
environment setup script (i.e. oe-init-build-env) places
scripts/ and
bitbake/bin/ directories (in that order) into
the shell's
PATH environment variable.
For more information on BitBake, see the BitBake User Manual.
This directory contains user configuration files and the output
generated by the OpenEmbedded build system in its standard configuration
where the source tree is combined with the output. The Build Directory
is created initially when you
source the OpenEmbedded build environment
setup script (i.e. oe-init-build-env).
It is also possible to place output and configuration files in a
directory separate from the Source Directory by
providing a directory name when you
source the setup script. For
information on separating output from your local Source Directory files
(commonly described as an "out of tree" build), see the
"oe-init-build-env" section.
See the "The Build Directory — build/" section for details about the contents of the Build Directory.
This directory holds the source for the Yocto Project documentation as
well as templates and tools that allow you to generate PDF and HTML
versions of the manuals. Each manual is contained in its own sub-folder;
for example, the files for this reference manual reside in the
ref-manual/ directory.
This directory contains the minimal, underlying OpenEmbedded-Core
metadata. The directory holds recipes, common classes, and machine
configuration for strictly emulated targets (
and so forth.)
Designed above the
meta/ content, this directory adds just enough
metadata to define the Poky reference distribution.
This directory contains the Yocto Project reference hardware Board Support Packages (BSPs). For more information on BSPs, see the Yocto Project Board Support Package Developer's Guide.
This directory adds additional recipes and append files used by the
OpenEmbedded selftests to verify the behavior of the build system. You
do not have to add this layer to your
bblayers.conf file unless you
want to run the selftests.
This directory contains template recipes for BSP and kernel development.
This directory contains various integration scripts that implement extra
functionality in the Yocto Project environment (e.g. QEMU scripts). The
oe-init-build-env script prepends this directory to the
PATH environment variable.
scripts directory has useful scripts that assist in contributing
back to the Yocto Project, such as
create-pull-request and
This script sets up the OpenEmbedded build environment. Running this
script with the
source command in a shell makes changes to
and sets other core BitBake variables based on the current working
directory. You need to run an environment setup script before running
BitBake commands. The script uses other scripts within the
directory to do the bulk of the work.
When you run this script, your Yocto Project environment is set up, a Build Directory is created, your working directory becomes the Build Directory, and you are presented with some simple suggestions as to what to do next, including a list of some possible targets to build. Here is an example:
$ source oe-init-build-env
### Shell environment set up for builds. ###
You can now run 'bitbake <target>'
Common targets are:
You can also run generated QEMU images with a command like 'runqemu qemux86-64'
The default output of the
oe-init-build-env script is from the
conf-notes.txt file, which is found in the
meta-poky directory
within the Source Directory. If you design a
custom distribution, you can include your own version of this
configuration file to mention the targets defined by your distribution.
See the
"Creating a Custom Template Configuration Directory"
section in the Yocto Project Development Tasks Manual for more
By default, running this script without a Build Directory argument
creates the
build/ directory in your current working directory. If
you provide a Build Directory argument when you
source the script,
you direct the OpenEmbedded build system to create a Build Directory of
your choice. For example, the following command creates a
Build Directory named
mybuilds/ that is outside of the
Source Directory:
$ source oe-init-build-env ~/mybuilds
The OpenEmbedded build system uses the template configuration files, which
are found by default in the
meta-poky/conf/templates/default directory in the Source
Directory. See the
"Creating a Custom Template Configuration Directory"
section in the Yocto Project Development Tasks Manual for more
The OpenEmbedded build system does not support file or directory
names that contain spaces. If you attempt to run the
script from a Source Directory that contains spaces in either the
filenames or directory names, the script returns an error indicating
no such file or directory. Be sure to use a Source Directory free of
names containing spaces.
LICENSE, README, and README.hardware
These files are standard top-level files.
4.2 The Build Directory —
The OpenEmbedded build system creates the Build Directory when you run
the build environment setup script oe-init-build-env. If you do not
give the Build Directory a specific name when you run the setup script,
the name defaults to
For subsequent parsing and processing, the name of the Build directory is available via the TOPDIR variable.
The OpenEmbedded build system creates this directory when you enable build history via the buildhistory class file. The directory organizes build information into image, packages, and SDK subdirectories. For information on the build history feature, see the "Maintaining Build Output Quality" section in the Yocto Project Development Tasks Manual.
This directory contains several internal files used by the OpenEmbedded build system.
It also contains
sanity_info, a text file keeping track of important
build information such as the values of TMPDIR, SSTATE_DIR,
as well as the name and version of the host distribution.
This configuration file contains all the local user configurations for
your build environment. The
local.conf file contains documentation
on the various configuration options. Any variable set here overrides
any variable set elsewhere within the environment unless that variable
is hard-coded within a file (e.g. by using '=' instead of '?='). Some
variables are hard-coded for various reasons but such variables are
relatively rare.
At a minimum, you would normally edit this file to select the target MACHINE, which package types you wish to use (PACKAGE_CLASSES), and the location from which you want to access downloaded files (DL_DIR).
local.conf is not present when you start the build, the
OpenEmbedded build system creates it from
local.conf.sample when you
source the top-level build environment setup script
The source
local.conf.sample file used depends on the
TEMPLATECONF script variable, which defaults to
when you are building from the Yocto Project development environment,
and to
meta/conf/templates/default when you are building from the OpenEmbedded-Core
environment. Because the script variable points to the source of the
local.conf.sample file, this implies that you can configure your
build environment from any layer by setting the variable in the
top-level build environment setup script as follows:
Once the build process gets the sample
file, it uses
sed to substitute final
} values for all
##OEROOT## values.
You can see how the TEMPLATECONF variable is used by looking at the
scripts/oe-setup-builddir script in the Source Directory.
You can find the Yocto Project version of the
local.conf.sample file in
meta-poky/conf/templates/default directory.
This configuration file defines
which are directory trees, traversed (or walked) by BitBake. The
bblayers.conf file uses the BBLAYERS
variable to list the layers BitBake tries to find.
bblayers.conf is not present when you start the build, the
OpenEmbedded build system creates it from
bblayers.conf.sample when
source the top-level build environment setup script (i.e.
As with the
local.conf file, the source
file used depends on the TEMPLATECONF script variable, which
defaults to
meta-poky/conf/templates/default when you are building from the Yocto
Project development environment, and to
meta/conf/templates/default when you are
building from the OpenEmbedded-Core environment. Because the script
variable points to the source of the
bblayers.conf.sample file, this
implies that you can base your build from any layer by setting the
variable in the top-level build environment setup script as follows:
Once the build process gets the sample file, it uses
sed to substitute final
} values for all
##OEROOT## values.
You can see how the TEMPLATECONF variable is defined by the
script in the Source Directory. You can find the Yocto Project
version of the
bblayers.conf.sample file in the
This directory contains downloaded upstream source tarballs. You can reuse the directory for multiple builds or move the directory to another location. You can control the location of this directory through the DL_DIR variable.
This directory contains the shared state cache. You can reuse the directory for multiple builds or move the directory to another location. You can control the location of this directory through the SSTATE_DIR variable.
The OpenEmbedded build system creates and uses this directory for all the build system's output. The TMPDIR variable points to this directory.
BitBake creates this directory if it does not exist. As a last resort,
to clean up a build and start it from scratch (other than the
downloads), you can remove everything in the
tmp directory or get
rid of the directory completely. If you do, you should also completely
remove the
build/sstate-cache directory.
This directory stores the build statistics as generated by the buildstats class.
When BitBake parses the metadata (recipes and configuration files), it
caches the results in
build/tmp/cache/ to speed up future builds.
The results are stored on a per-machine basis.
During subsequent builds, BitBake checks each recipe (together with, for example, any files included or appended to it) to see if they have been modified. Changes can be detected, for example, through file modification time (mtime) changes and hashing of file contents. If no changes to the file are detected, then the parsed result stored in the cache is reused. If the file has changed, it is reparsed.
This directory contains any "end result" output from the OpenEmbedded
build process. The DEPLOY_DIR variable points
to this directory. For more detail on the contents of the
directory, see the
"Images" and
"Application Development SDK" sections in the Yocto
Project Overview and Concepts Manual.
This directory receives any
.deb packages produced by the build
process. The packages are sorted into feeds for different architecture
This directory receives any
.rpm packages produced by the build
process. The packages are sorted into feeds for different architecture
This directory receives
.ipk packages produced by the build process.
This directory receives package licensing information. For example, the
directory contains sub-directories for
busybox, and
glibc (among others) that in turn contain appropriate
license files with other licensing information. For information on
licensing, see the
"Maintaining Open Source License Compliance During Your Product's Lifecycle"
section in the Yocto Project Development Tasks Manual.
This directory is populated with the basic output objects of the build (think of them as the "generated artifacts" of the build process), including things like the boot loader image, kernel, root filesystem and more. If you want to flash the resulting image from a build onto a device, look here for the necessary components.
Be careful when deleting files in this directory. You can safely delete
old images from this directory (e.g.
core-image-*). However, the
kernel (
*uImage*, etc.), bootloader and other
supplementary files might be deployed here prior to building an image.
Because these files are not directly produced from the image, if you
delete them they will not be automatically re-created when you build the
image again.
If you do accidentally delete files here, you will need to force them to be re-created. In order to do that, you will need to know the target that produced them. For example, these commands rebuild and re-create the kernel files:
$ bitbake -c clean virtual/kernel
$ bitbake virtual/kernel
The OpenEmbedded build system creates this directory to hold toolchain installer scripts which, when executed, install the sysroot that matches your target hardware. You can find out more about these installers in the "Building an SDK Installer" section in the Yocto Project Application Development and the Extensible Software Development Kit (eSDK) manual.
The OpenEmbedded build system uses this directory for the shared state manifest files. The shared state code uses these files to record the files installed by each sstate task so that the files can be removed when cleaning the recipe or when a newer version is about to be installed. The build system also uses the manifests to detect and produce a warning when files from one task are overwriting those from another.
This directory is the location of the sysroot contents that the task
links or copies into the recipe-specific sysroot for each recipe listed
in DEPENDS. Population of this directory is
handled through shared state, while the path is specified by the
COMPONENTS_DIR variable. Apart from a few
unusual circumstances, handling of the
sysroots-components directory
should be automatic, and recipes should not directly reference
Previous versions of the OpenEmbedded build system used to create a
global shared sysroot per machine along with a native sysroot. Since
the 2.3 version of the Yocto Project, there are sysroots in
recipe-specific WORKDIR directories. Thus, the
build/tmp/sysroots/ directory is unused.
build/tmp/sysroots/ directory can still be populated using the
bitbake build-sysroots command and can be used for compatibility in some
cases. However, in general it is not recommended to populate this directory.
Individual recipe-specific sysroots should be used.
This directory holds information that BitBake uses for accounting purposes to track what tasks have run and when they have run. The directory is sub-divided by architecture, package name, and version. Following is an example:
Although the files in the directory are empty of data, BitBake uses the filenames and timestamps for tracking purposes.
For information on how BitBake uses stamp files to determine if a task should be rerun, see the "Stamp Files and the Rerunning of Tasks" section in the Yocto Project Overview and Concepts Manual.
This directory contains general logs that are not otherwise placed using
the package's WORKDIR. Examples of logs are the output from the
do_check_pkg or
do_distro_check tasks. Running a build does not
necessarily mean this directory is created.
This directory contains architecture-specific work sub-directories for packages built by BitBake. All tasks execute from the appropriate work directory. For example, the source for a particular package is unpacked, patched, configured and compiled all within its own work directory. Within the work directory, organization is based on the package group and version for which the source is being compiled as defined by the WORKDIR.
It is worth considering the structure of a typical work directory. As an
example, consider
linux-yocto-kernel-3.0 on the machine
built within the Yocto Project. For this package, a work directory of
tmp/work/qemux86-poky-linux/linux-yocto/3.0+git1+<.....>, referred
to as the WORKDIR, is created. Within this directory, the source is
unpacked to
linux-qemux86-standard-build and then patched by Quilt.
(See the "Using Quilt in Your Workflow" section in
the Yocto Project Development Tasks Manual for more information.) Within
linux-qemux86-standard-build directory, standard Quilt
linux-3.0/patches and
linux-3.0/.pc are created, and
standard Quilt commands can be used.
There are other directories generated within WORKDIR. The most
important directory is
WORKDIR/temp/, which has log files for each
task (
log.do_*.pid) and contains the scripts BitBake runs for each
task (
run.do_*.pid). The
WORKDIR/image/ directory is where "make
install" places its output that is then split into sub-packages within
The recipe work directory —
As described earlier in the
"build/tmp/sysroots/" section,
beginning with the 2.3 release of the Yocto Project, the OpenEmbedded
build system builds each recipe in its own work directory (i.e.
WORKDIR). The path to the work directory is
constructed using the architecture of the given build (e.g.
TUNE_PKGARCH, MACHINE_ARCH, or "allarch"), the recipe
name, and the version of the recipe (i.e.
Here are key subdirectories within each recipe work directory:
${WORKDIR}/temp: Contains the log files of each task executed for this recipe, the "run" files for each executed task, which contain the code run, and a
log.task_orderfile, which lists the order in which tasks were executed.
${WORKDIR}/image: Contains the output of the do_install task, which corresponds to the
}variable in that task.
${WORKDIR}/pseudo: Contains the pseudo database and log for any tasks executed under pseudo for the recipe.
${WORKDIR}/sysroot-destdir: Contains the output of the do_populate_sysroot task.
${WORKDIR}/package: Contains the output of the do_package task before the output is split into individual packages.
${WORKDIR}/packages-split: Contains the output of the do_package task after the output has been split into individual packages. There are subdirectories for each individual package created by the recipe.
${WORKDIR}/recipe-sysroot: A directory populated with the target dependencies of the recipe. This directory looks like the target filesystem and contains libraries that the recipe might need to link against (e.g. the C library).
${WORKDIR}/recipe-sysroot-native: A directory populated with the native dependencies of the recipe. This directory contains the tools the recipe needs to build (e.g. the compiler, Autoconf, libtool, and so forth).
${WORKDIR}/build: This subdirectory applies only to recipes that support builds where the source is separate from the build artifacts. The OpenEmbedded build system uses this directory as a separate build directory (i.e.
4.3 The Metadata —
As mentioned previously, Metadata is the core of the Yocto Project. Metadata has several important subdivisions:
These directories contain the
*.bbclass files. Class files are used to
abstract common code so it can be reused by multiple packages. Every
package inherits the base file. Examples of other important
classes are autotools*, which in theory allows any
Autotool-enabled package to work with the Yocto Project with minimal
effort. Another example is kernel that contains common code
and functions for working with the Linux kernel. Functions like image
generation or packaging also have their specific class files such as
image, rootfs* and
For reference information on classes, see the "Classes" chapter.
This directory contains the core set of configuration files that start
bitbake.conf and from which all other configuration files are
included. See the include statements at the end of the
file and you will note that even
local.conf is loaded from there.
bitbake.conf sets up the defaults, you can often override
these by using the (
local.conf) file, machine file or the
distribution configuration file.
This directory contains all the machine configuration files. If you set
MACHINE = "qemux86", the OpenEmbedded build system looks for a
qemux86.conf file in this directory. The
include directory
contains various data common to multiple machines. If you want to add
support for a new machine to the Yocto Project, look in this directory.
The contents of this directory controls any distribution-specific
configurations. For the Yocto Project, the
defaultsetup.conf is the
main file here. This directory includes the versions and the SRCDATE
definitions for applications that are configured here. An example of an
alternative configuration might be
poky-bleeding.conf. Although this
file mainly inherits its configuration from Poky.
The OpenEmbedded build system searches this directory for configuration files that correspond to the value of SDKMACHINE. By default, 32-bit and 64-bit x86 files ship with the Yocto Project that support some SDK hosts. However, it is possible to extend that support to other SDK hosts by adding additional configuration files in this subdirectory within another layer.
This directory contains common license files and several text files used by the build system. The text files contain minimal device information and lists of files and directories with known permissions.
This directory contains OpenEmbedded Python library code used during the
build process. It is enabled via the
addpylib directive in
meta/conf/local.conf. For more information, see
Extending Python Library Code.
This directory contains anything linking to specific hardware or hardware configuration information such as "u-boot" and "grub".
This directory contains libraries and applications related to communication with other devices.
This directory contains what is needed to build a basic working Linux image including commonly used dependencies.
This directory contains tools that are primarily used by the build system. The tools, however, can also be used on targets.
This directory contains non-essential applications that add features compared to the alternatives in core. You might need this directory for full tool functionality.
This directory contains all things related to the GTK+ application framework.
This directory contains X and other graphically related system libraries.
This directory contains the kernel and generic applications and libraries that have strong kernel dependencies.
This directory contains codecs and support utilities for audio, images and video.
This directory contains package and image recipes for using and testing
PREEMPT_RT kernel.
This directory contains the Sato demo/reference UI/UX and its associated applications and configuration data.
This directory contains recipes used by other recipes, but that are not directly included in images (i.e. dependencies of other recipes).
This directory contains a list of cached results for various architectures. Because certain "autoconf" test results cannot be determined when cross-compiling due to the tests not able to run on a live system, the information in this directory is passed to "autoconf" for the various architectures.
This file is a description of the contents of


text:
By Sam Saunders
This week's column is on a topic very close to my heart, taking a semester or a year abroad during your time at university. When I talk about my year abroad with other students, I've found it's very common that they say they regret not taking one. I think it's a massive shame that more people don't take time out of their studies to experience new ways of learning, new cultures and being completely out of your comfort zone in a foreign country. So, without further ado, let's get into my advice for going abroad during your degree.
I hope you're reading because you're already interested, but I'll do my best to convince anyone who isn't at the moment. Taking some time abroad during your studies offers you the chance to gain a bit of perspective, live differently, try new things and meet some pretty amazing new people, just to name a few advantages. For example, on my year abroad, I took up skiing and snowboarding for the first time, as well as trying other sports, such as climbing and mountain biking. I met some great international students from other European countries, some from South America and some really friendly people from other UK universities as well! I ate a lot of French cuisine, developed a love of cheap, but good, wine and studied some politics, which is something completely different to my BA of History and French. It was a great look at how university works in France, and their very particular university culture, however, 8am classes were not fun. There's also the chance to gain experience in certain fields by choosing to work during your year abroad, as internships and other work placements are offered and would look good on a CV. Finally, think about how much a year abroad makes your university experience stand out against those of other people. Whilst it's a huge shame more students don't choose to spend some of their studies abroad, with just over 15,000 students from the UK participating in Erasmus + in 2013-14, there's a huge opportunity to help make you stand out from the crowd during, and indeed after university.
We'll start with the basics, how to find out about the possibility of taking a year abroad and where you can go. I myself had to do a year abroad, but the best way of finding out where you can go as part of your course is to either contact your school office, or by popping along/emailing the Global Opportunities office, located at 51a Park Place. They'll be able to inform you of everything you need to know about taking a year abroad, how it could fit into your course and how to sort out visas if necessary.
This one is entirely up to you. Obviously, the whole point of a year abroad is to experience new surroundings, new cultures and new ways of looking at the world. By going anywhere, you should experience all of these things. A lot of students would worry about the language barrier when thinking about going, but that shouldn't be a stumbling block. Firstly, there are plenty of places that you can go that have English as a major language, the US, Canada and Australia immediately spring to mind. If these don't appeal to you, or you'd like to be closer to home, many European countries, such as the Netherlands, do offer the chance to study in English. It was quite odd to hear from some French students who had been to Amsterdam or the Scandinavian countries that they returned knowing almost none of the native language, but their English had improved. All that said, I would really recommend using the year abroad as an opportunity to learn a language, as there is no better way of doing it than speaking it every day. Languages For All therefore offers a great way to get some learning done before you leave, as they offer classes in most modern European foreign languages and cater to complete beginners, as well as those with more advanced skills.
Apart from language, this is one of the biggest hurdles that students face when choosing to study at university, let alone moving to a foreign country to study abroad with all the costs that naturally entails. You should receive more funding from student finance when you go abroad, but this still might be insufficient. The costs do of course depend on where you choose to go, as the cost of living differs from country to country. I found Italy was much cheaper for food than France, where meat in particular was more expensive than in the UK, even taking into account the current exchange rate. However, help is at hand if you choose to go to Europe or further afield. For Europe, you can make use of Erasmus +, an EU scheme (that other countries are also part of, Brexit ahem…) that gives bursaries to students who choose to go abroad; those who study can receive up to €350 per month, which rises to €450 if you decide to do a work placement/apprenticeship. There are also bursaries available through Global Opportunities at Cardiff if you're going further afield, as well as paid schemes offered by British Council, a programme that provides a placement for British people to teach English abroad.
Finally, accommodation is not the most pressing issue, but is still very relevant. In my opinion, I'd advise living with natives in your country of choice, as they're a good sounding board if you need to get anything administrative done, or if you're confused about the public transport, for example. If you're trying to learn a language during your time away, this is also a great opportunity to practise your language skills on native speakers. There are many websites for finding flatmates that I'm sure Global Opportunities will be able to give you. University accommodation is also a cheap and usually good option, however, the quality can differ quite vastly from place to place, it certainly did in France.
As always, I hope that you found this column helpful and that it has hopefully made you think about taking a year abroad. Thanks for reading and see you next week.


text:
Then he said, "Do you know why I have come to you? But now I will return to fight against the prince of Persia; and when I go out, behold, the prince of Greece will come.
And the goat is the king of Greece. And the great horn between his eyes is the first king.
"And now I will show you the truth. Behold, three more kings shall arise in Persia, and a fourth shall be far richer than all of them. And when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece. Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion and do as he wills. And as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the authority with which he ruled, for his kingdom shall be plucked up and go to others besides these.
The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia,
As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground. And the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. He came to the ram with the two horns, which I had seen standing on the bank of the canal, and he ran at him in his powerful wrath. I saw him come close to the ram, and he was enraged against him and struck the ram and broke his two horns. And the ram had no power to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled on him. And there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power. Then the goat became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven.
Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.
After this I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it.
And the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.
Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com.


text:
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