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Freedom in the World
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New Zealand
New Zealand
2009 Scores
Freedom Rating (1 = best, 7 = worst)
Civil Liberties (1 = best, 7 = worst)
Political Rights (1 = best, 7 = worst)
John Key of the center-right National Party became prime minister in snap general elections held in November 2008, ending nine-years of domination by the Labour Party. Two senior public officials resigned from their posts during the year following allegations of misconduct. Meanwhile, the government and Maori groups in June signed a historic land deal that will transfer large areas of forest land to seven Maori tribes.
British sovereignty in New Zealand was established in 1840 under the Treaty of Waitangi, a pact between the British government and Maori chiefs that also guaranteed Maori land rights. New Zealand became a self-governing parliamentary democracy in 1907 and gained full independence from Britain in 1947, though the British monarch remained head of state.
General elections in 2005 gave the center-left Labour Party—which had been in office since 1999—a plurality of 50 parliamentary seats, compared with the center-right National Party's 48. Labour reached agreements with a number of smaller parties to secure a governing majority in the 121-seat Parliament. In February 2007, the government's hold on Parliament was threatened when former associate cabinet minister Taito Phillip Field left the Labour Party amid allegations that he attempted to improperly influence immigration applications. Field remained in Parliament as an independent, and his continued support in key votes helped to preserve the government's 61-seat working majority.
Concerns about how immigration is changing the country's demographics have led the government to tighten immigration requirements in recent years. Residents must live in New Zealand for five years before they can apply for citizenship, and automatic citizenship is restricted to those born in Samoa between 1924 and 1948, when Samoa was under New Zealand's rule. The Maori Party has accused the Labour-led government of deliberately discriminating against Pacific Islanders in its immigration policy.
There is also increasing concern about immigrants as national security threats. In 2006, the government expelled a Saudi national who had entered on a student visa and was suspected of ties to the perpetrators of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. He was deported under a rarely invoked section of the Immigration Act that requires consent from the governor-general and provides no avenue for appeal. Separately, in retaliation for the expulsion of the New Zealand high commissioner from Fiji in June 2007, New Zealand decided in July to bar all Fijians involved in that country's December 2006 coup, all senior officials in the Fijian interim government and their families, and Fijian national sports-team members from entering or transiting through New Zealand.
In May 2007, Parliament passed a controversial bill banning the spanking of children, which would grant police the authority to determine whether a parent should be charged with abuse. Also controversial were country-wide raids in October on groups suspected of plotting attacks on the white population;police seized guns and ammunition during the raids and arrested 17 Maori activists. The arrests, which were the first under the country's 2002 Terrorism Suppression Act (TSA), were met with harsh criticism from Maori activists and labor union officials. The solicitor general in November dropped pending charges under the TSA and alternatively charged the defendants with the illegal possession and use of arms and ammunition under the Arms Act.
Prime Minister Helen Clark called for a snapgeneral election in November 2008 in the midst of declining popularity, political scandals— including the resignation of two senior public officials following allegations of misconduct—and growing public anxiety about the domestic economic recession, exacerbated by the global financial crisis. The National Party, led by John Key, captured 58 seats, while Labour took 43 seats. With support from the Maori Party (5 seats), the United Future Party (1 seat) and the ACT New Zealand Party (5 seats), the coalition under Key's National Party took control of 69 of the 122 seats in Parliament, and Key was elected the new prime minister.
New Zealand is an electoral democracy. A mixed-member electoral system combines voting in geographic districts with proportional-representation balloting. New Zealand is a member of the Commonwealth, and Britain's Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state, represented by a governor-general. The prime minister, the head of government, is the leader of the majority party or coalition and is appointed by the governor-general. John Key of the moderate conservative National Party became prime minister in November 2008, ending the Labour Party's nine-year control of government. The 2008 elections were considered to be free and fair. The unicameral Parliament, or House of Representatives, currently has 121 members, all elected for three-year terms.
The two main political parties are the center-left Labour Party and the center-right National Party. Five smaller parties (the Maori, United Future, ACT New Zealand, Green, and Progressive parties) also won representation in the 2008 parliamentary elections.
Seven of the Parliament's constituency seats are reserved for the native Maori population. Maori constitute 11 percent of the voting population and around 10 percent of the country's four million people.The Maori Party, the country's first ethnic party, was formed in 2004 in reaction to a government bill declaring all foreshore and seabed areas as state property held in perpetuity for all peoples of New Zealand, a possible infringement on Maori land rights. The appointment of Major General Jerry Mateparae as defense minister in 2006 was another milestone in Maori history; he was the first Maori to hold the post. Tuheitia Paki, a former university manager and cultural adviser, was chosen by the tribes to succeed his mother as the Maori monarch after she died in 2006.
New Zealand is one of the least corrupt countries in the world. It was ranked first out of 180 countries surveyed in Transparency International's 2008 Corruption Perceptions Index. Nevertheless, two senior public officials resigned from their posts following allegations of misconduct during the year. In May, Mary Thompson, the Immigration Service chief, stepped down following allegations that she assisted family members from Kiribati in obtaining New Zealand residence permits. In August, Winston Peters, the foreign minister and head of the New Zealand First Party, resigned following allegations that he had misused party funds and failed to declare political donations in 2007.
The media are free and competitive. Newspapers are published nationally and locally in English, and in several non-English languages for the growing immigrant population. Television outlets include state-run Television New Zealand, three private channels, and a Maori-language public network. A Maori-language radio station has been broadcasting since 1996. A stronger movement among the Maori population to celebrate their language, arts, and history has increased demand for Maori-language media products. The government does not control or censor internet access, and competitive pricing promotes large-scale diffusion.
Freedom of religion is provided by law and respected in practice. Only religious organizations that intend to collect donations need to register with the government. Although New Zealand is a secular state, the government has fined businesses for operating on the official holidays of Christmas Day, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. A 2001 law granted exemptions to several categories of stores in response to demands from non-Christian populations.
Academic freedom is enjoyed at all levels of instruction. The Education Act of 1964 bans religious education and observations during normal hours in primary schools. Some parents have complained about prayers and religious blessings at a number of primary and intermediate schools, but bishops, opposition members of Parliament, and school principals argue that strict enforcement would be difficult and unworkable.
The government respects freedoms of assembly andassociation. Nongovernmental and civil society groups are active throughout the country in promoting community health, minority rights, education, children's welfare, and other causes. Many receive considerable financial support from the government.
The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions is the main labor federation. Fewer than 20 percent of the country's wage earners are union members. Membership has been declining since the 1991 adoption of the Employment Contracts Act (ECA), which ended compulsory union membership and prohibited certain types of strikes. The Labour-led government replaced the ECA with the Employment Relations Act (ERA) in 2001. The ERA promotes collective bargaining and allows unions to charge bargaining fees to nonunion workers who enjoy union-negotiated wages and conditions; amendments in 2004 gave additional protections to workers during company ownership changes. In April 2008, junior doctors across the country went on a two-day strike to demand higher wages; amid public criticism, the union terminated its action without securing its demands.
The judiciary is independent, and defendants can appeal to the Privy Council in London. Police discrimination against the Maori, who comprise more than half of the prison population, has been reported.
Although no laws explicitly discriminate against the Maori, and their living standards have generally improved, most Maori and Pacific Islanders continue to lag behind the European-descended majority in social and economic status. The Maori population has become more assertive in its claims for land, resources, and compensation from the government. A special tribunal hears Maori tribal claims tied to the Treaty of Waitangi. Recent Maori claims for rights to gas and oil fields in the Marlborough Sounds off the South Island became a major issue in national politics and caused tensions with the non-Maori population. The assertions of ancestral rights were prompted by the government's plans to nationalize all beaches and territorial seabed. In June 2008, the government and Maori groups signed a historic land deal that will transfer 435,000 acres of plantation forest and associated rents from the central government to seven North Island tribes of more than 100,000 people.
Violence against women and children is a major problem, particularly among the Maori and Pacific Islander populations. Many governmental and nongovernmental programs work to prevent domestic violence and support victims, with special programs for the Maori community. A 2005 Civil Union Bill grants same-sex partnerships recognition and legal rights similar to those of married couples.


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The Bahraini government has authorized dual taxation agreements with Bangladesh and Pakistan. They come as a result of a Bahraini effort to improve bilateral trade ties through the exchange of benefits with other countries.
The first agreement was concluded with Bangladesh, after talks on October 29 and 30, involving delegations headed Yousif Abdullah Hmood, the head of international economic affairs at Bahrain's ministry of finance and national economy, and Farouq Ahmed Siddiqi, a member of the Bangladesh's National Resources Council in Bangladesh.
The agreement with the Pakistani was signed after talks involving a local delegation led by Hmood and a delegation led by Mansoor Ahmed, the head of National Resources Council In Pakistan.
According to the Bahrain Tribune, the dual taxation agreements will alleviate the burden of taxes imposed by both counties on investors, companies and individuals active both in Bahrain and the other two countries. — (Albawaba-MEBG)
© 2000 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
© 2000 - 2019 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

subset: commoncrawl


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First-time parents enjoy improved mental health and reduced psychological stress after their baby is born, according to new research.
The finding comes from a University of Otago study of 6670 new married, single and co-habitating parents.
Researchers discovered becoming a parent for the first time was good news for mothers and fathers. This differs from overseas research, which showed major differences between the results for women and men.
The reason for the link between first-time parents and improved mental health was unknown, said the researchers.
The study took into account partner status, employment, deprivation and household income, but more research was needed to examine changes in socio-economic factors when a child comes along and how these affect new parents, according to research Sarah McKenzie.
However, they found there was no impact on mental health when parents had subsequent children.
The study was published in the international Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
As first appeared in the New Zealand Herald, 22 January 2013.


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Andrew Graham-Dixon explores the ancient Christian practice of preserving holy relics and the largely forgotten art form that went with it, the reliquary. Fragments of bone or fabric placed inside a bejewelled shrine, a sculpted golden head or even a life-sized silver hand were, and still are, objects of religious devotion believed to have the power to work miracles. Most precious of all, though, are relics of Jesus Christ and the programme also features three reliquaries containing the holiest of all relics - those associated with the Crucifixion.
The story of relics and reliquaries is a 2,000-year history of faith, persecution and hope, reflected in some of the most beautiful and little known works of art ever made. Featuring interviews with art historian Sister Wendy Beckett and Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum.


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South Africans have reason to be proud of their achievements over the past 18 years. Dating from the election in April 1994, in which our country chose democracy as its badge and a rainbow as its symbol, our people have set aside their previous divisions and wholeheartedly embraced one another, united in a shared vision for national progress on an increasingly competitive international stage. Remarkably, the country has managed to achieve and sustain impressive economic growth.
Through targeted government programmes, the following milestones have been achieved:
There are, however, some significant challenges still facing our country. Progress in urban areas stands in stark contrast to the often extreme levels of poverty many South Africans in rural areas still endure. Social deprivation and underdevelopment continues to haunt too many rural areas. For nearly half a century, the heartless apartheid regime viewed the inhabitants of black rural areas simply as labour reserves, unworthy of development efforts, whereas the post 1994 development paradigm was premised on the assumption that urban development would inevitably cascade to the rural periphery. Consequently, for years rural South Africa saw very little development. This eventually subjected social systems and economic and infrastructural developments to enormous strain as, seeking a better future, many moved from rural areas to cities.
South Africa's cities have benefited greatly from projects that developed and improved infrastructure and social services. Yet, the same projects placed these areas under the increasing strain of over-urbanisation. Clearly, the development paradigm of the past 18 years, with its emphasis on urban development, in the expectation that this medicine would also heal ailing rural areas, did not do so, and did not produce the economic impact our socio-engineers had envisaged.
Against this background, government reiterated that the fight against poverty remained the most important fight on its agenda. In this spirit, a need for a new economic and developmental trajectory was identified as an urgent priority, and with this objective government identified five strategic areas as priorities over the next five years.
It was recognised afresh that the social and economic transformation of South Africa would be incomplete without the implementation of fundamental interventions to address the challenges faced daily by the majority of people in rural areas. These challenges include limited economic activity, inadequate infrastructure, widespread poverty, high unemployment and unmarketable skills levels.
The Ministry of Rural Development and Land Reform (DRDLR) was created in 2009, in line with the Polokwane resolutions. For the first time in its history, the country would have a ministry dedicated to the social and economic development of rural South Africa; committed to ensuring that South Africans residing in rural areas enjoyed the same benefits as their urban cousins, so that that they too were covered by the blanket of human rights and basic dignity guaranteed in our Constitution.
Following its establishment, the new ministry immediately embarked on an intensive process to define and conceptualise what rural development should be, and to provide a framework of how it should be implemented. Government's plan for developing rural areas, the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme (CRDP) is aimed specifically at curing the blight of poverty by the creation of vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural communities.
To achieve its vision, the new department defined its role and mission as being that of facilitating integrated development and social cohesion through partnerships with all sectors of society. The most important strategy the department pursues to deliver on the CRDP's strategic objectives is, Agrarian Transformation.
Objectives of the agrarian transformation strategy include (but are not limited to):
The key mandate of the former Department of Land Affairs has been made an integral part of the Agrarian Transformation System, and the programme forms part of a three-legged strategy which aims to ensure that the department achieves its objectives.
The first leg - sustainable land and agrarian transformation: The aim is to increase agricultural production through the optimal and sustainable use of natural resources and appropriate technologies to ensure food security, dignity and improved rural livelihoods. This will subsequently lead to vibrant local economic development.
The second leg - rural development: This focus is on improving both economic infrastructure (such as roads, community gardens, food production, fencing for agriculture, etc.) and social infrastructure (e.g., communal sanitation, and non-farming activities). To successfully achieve this, ownership of processes, projects and programmes is vital.
The third leg - land reform based on restitution, redistribution and land tenure reform: Deliberate and intensified post-settlement support is available to ensure that land transferred to black South Africans contributes to the fight against poverty, by ensuring food security and underpinning economic and social transformation in rural areas. Land reform remains critical to the comprehensive development of South Africa's rural areas and the government's recapitalisation and development of land reform projects, currently in distress, bears testimony to this.
Key priorities
Through the implementation of this strategy, the department aims to achieve its goal of social cohesion.
This Mid-term Review highlights the progress of the department in implementing its strategy and achieving its objective.


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Marguerite Duras
Marguerite Duras (märgərēt´ düräs´), 1914–96, French author, b. Gia Dinh, Indochina (now Vietnam). Usually grouped with the exponents of the nouveau roman [new novel] (see French literature), Duras abandoned many of the conventions of the novel form. Her novels usually mix themes of eroticism and death, often treating existential moments in people's lives. Avoiding the use of descriptive passages, she had her characters reveal themselves through what they say—and do not say. Duras's experience as a film writer—she wrote the screenplay for Alain Resnais's Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959), among many others—and as a director significantly influenced her tersely simple narrative technique. She also wrote a number of plays.
Duras wrote more than 70 novels, many of which have been made into films and most of which deal unsentimentally with love, despair, and sexual passion. They include Un Barrage contre le Pacifique (1950; tr. The Sea Wall, 1952), Le Marin de Gibraltar (1952; tr. The Sailor from Gibraltar, 1966), Moderato cantabile (1958; tr. 1960), 10:30 du soir en été (1960; tr. 10:30 on a Summer Night, 1965), Détruire, dit-elle (1969; tr. Destroy, She Said, 1970), and Emily L. (1987; tr. 1989). Her mysterious and sensual semiautobiographical novel L'Amant (1984; tr. The Lover, 1985), an international best seller, was her first work of fiction to reach a wide audience. Her wartime notebooks (tr. 2008) shed light on the autobiographical nature of The Lover.L'Amant de la Chine du Nord (1991; tr. The North Chinese Lover, 1992), another partial roman à clef, retells the same story.
See biography by L. Adler (2000).


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Monument of Observation
"Monument of Observation is an exhibition consisting of 3 short films - Outside of Relativity, The Touch of Eclipse, Monument of Observation.
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Is Going Negative the Right Strategy for Liz Cheney?
(CHENYENNE, Wyo.) -- This week Liz Cheney started her Wyoming Senate bid with what some might consider an insult. Cheney, a Republican, called her GOP rival, Sen. Mike Enzi, "just confused" at her very first campaign event.
She was referring to Enzi's contention that she had promised him not to run if he did.
An obviously surprised Enzi said after her announcement Tuesday, "I thought we were friends."
The dig is a clear hit at his age: Enzi is 69 while Cheney is 46. But in a Republican vs. Republican match-up, is it the right move to go mean at the starting line?
Ron Bonjean, a GOP strategist with family ties in the state, says it's the wrong move.
"Going after him and tearing him down will actually splash mud back onto Liz Cheney," Bonjean said in an interview with ABC News. "It's bad form and it's bad politics in a state like Wyoming to go after a senator with high approval ratings in a way that is tearing him down."
Bonjean added, "You want to engage the hug-the-opposition strategy."
By that, Bonjean means Cheney should have employed what some have called the "gold watch strategy," praising your fellow Republican and hoping they get the hint and move on to greener pastures.
Bonjean says she should have said something more like this, "'We love Senator Enzi, he's done a great job, but it's time for a new chapter. We appreciate his leadership and thank him for it, but it's time for him to move along so that there can be new leadership for the new problems we are facing.'"
Cheney's opening salvo was a sudden departure from her announcement video in which she did not specifically mention Enzi at all. Instead her main focus was on the president and how she would be a strong voice of opposition. She did manage a veiled shot at Enzi and his reputation for negotiating, saying, "Instead of cutting deals with the president's liberal allies, we should be opposing them every step of the way."
James King, chairman of the political science department at the University of Wyoming, pointed out that since Cheney is not challenging someone who is an "unpopular incumbent," she does need to "do something to distinguish herself" and that's exactly what she's doing.
"She has to make a contrast somehow and obviously she has decided on age and thinking that Wyoming wants someone more confrontational with the Obama administration," King said.
Cheney's attempt to point out the generational differences is not without precedent. Newark mayor Cory Booker announced his decision to run for the U.S. Senate seat in New Jersey before the 89-year-old Frank Lautenberg had announced his own intentions.
The move didn't immediately push Lautenberg out, but it did anger him. He told reporters that Booker deserved a "spanking" for his behavior. Lautenberg did eventually announce plans to retire and then in June passed away. Those hard feelings didn't go away; his family backed Democratic rival Rep. Frank Pallone earlier this month.
Other candidates have found different ways to try and nudge older incumbents out of a race. In 1996, Slate reported that Strom Thurmond's GOP Senate primary challenger in South Carolina, Elliot Close, aired an ad called "Legacy," praising the 95-year-old senator and aiming to give voters permission to vote Thurmond out in favor of a younger candidate. It didn't work, and Thurmond won.
Almost as soon as Cheney announced her intentions on Tuesday, the National Republican Senatorial Committee made it clear it would be backing Enzi, supporting the incumbent as it traditionally does and noting it would provide back up to Enzi if necessary.
Brian Walsh, former spokesperson for the NRSC and current GOP strategist, said Cheney has to be "very careful" when it comes to criticizing Enzi and using "code words" as she did this week.
"You have to be careful, especially in a small state where everyone knows each other," Walsh said. "Senator Enzi is still well-liked in Wyoming, and in a small state if the vast majority of voters have met and feel like they know him, it becomes much more personal."
Wyoming is the least populous state in the nation with about 576,000 residents. According to the Wyoming Secretary of State's office, as of this month there are 166,643 Republicans and 53,301 Democrats in the state; 36,491 voters are registered as unaffiliated or as Libertarian or Constitution Party members.
Wyoming also allows voters to change their party registration on Election Day, which would allow Democrats to cross over and vote for Enzi, possibly just to be able to vote against a member of the Cheney family.
Cheney, with the help of her famous father, will no doubt be a formidable fundraiser, a potential problem for Enzi who has admitted his weakness raising money. In the three previous races, where he has sailed to victory, he has only spent a total of $4.2 million.
But, in a state so spread out, with such small urban centers, money isn't everything and the University of Wyoming's King warned that blanketing the airwaves runs the risk of alienating voters or "overexposure."
"There is that risk if you become consistently and frequently negative you create in essence a sympathy vote," King said. "You can't go about advertising with a lot of money in Wyoming the same way you would in a lot of states."
Cheney moved to Wyoming last year and has been making the rounds at GOP dinners and fundraisers. Her father was the state's at-large congressman and her family has called the state home for generations, but she has spent most of her adulthood in Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia. She was clearly hoping with her movements in the state and now with her candidacy that it would be enough to push Enzi into retirement.
But, it doesn't look as if Enzi will go quietly. Thursday he released a statement saying in clear terms that he intends to run for reelection.
"Wyoming people don't like long campaigns," Enzi said foreshadowing what is likely to be a bloody GOP primary fight. "When the time comes, I am confident the people of Wyoming will vote for my results, dedication, legislative experience and hard work for the state."
He also thanked supporters for the "many calls and emails my family and I have received in the last few days."
"So many people are telling us they remain committed to me and will do whatever they can to see that I can continue to faithfully represent them," he wrote, adding that he will "continue to do what is right," which includes treating "others as they expect to be treated."
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio


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Retiredterrier wrote:Magee and Jackson make All SoCon. Terriers picked in the bottom. How many times in the past have the Terriers done better than the preseason predictions ? We will have to wait and see what happens. http://athletics.wofford.edu/news/2017/ ... socon.aspx
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MEDINA, Ohio (AP) — Like two aging baby boomers, "Funky Winkerbean" and creator Tom Batiuk have turned gray and have experienced their share of life's ups and downs in a 40-year run on the funny pages.
Batiuk, 65, has morphed his characters over the years from mop-headed beatniks to graying 60-somethings, much like the changes for Batiuk, his hair over his collar in the 1970s but now graying and cut short.
The story lines have changed, too, from high school hijinks and awkward teen dating moments in the early years to dealing with more adult issues like alcoholism, suicide and fighting cancer. His latest hot topic story line during May: two boys who want to go to the high school prom together.
The strip debuted in more than 70 papers on March 27, 1972, and has grown to about 400. The first strip introduced the high school-age characters, including Funky ("I'm just an average kid") and Les ("I really want to be far out like Roland") and issues important to teens, including meeting a girl, getting a date and dealing with acne.
To Batiuk, delving back into the high school years with the gay prom issue underscores the generational changes and contemporary challenges his characters faced once he decided to let them begin aging along with Batiuk and the rest of us.
"I had crossed the threshold and I had grown up and the characters wanted to grow up too, it seemed like," Batiuk said in an interview in his cozy and bright studio jammed with books and mementos.
"Funky Winkerbean" might have a lower profile in mainstream culture than, say, "Doonesbury," possibly because "Funky" was a gag cartoon in the early years when society was highly politicized in the Vietnam era and has become more issue-oriented since the 1990s, said industry watcher Robert Thompson of Syracuse University.
Batiuk has taken Funky, Les and companions up the gym climbing rope in terror, through the ordeal of teen bullying, that first dating kiss and even Lisa's struggle with cancer. One paper pulled the strip during the cancer story line and complained that it wasn't funny.
Himself a cancer survivor, Batiuk said Lisa's cancer, while traumatic for a funny-page audience resistant to change, opened new opportunities for him.
"After that story, I realized that I could go forward," he said. "It sort of opened the door or me."
Such issues may depress some readers and turn away younger ones, said Charles Coletta, an instructor in pop culture at Bowling Green State University.
"He's dealing with alcoholism and people losing limbs and cancer and all at this stuff," Coletta said. "I don't think he's going to be attracting lots of younger readers with this. It's all sort of, kind of sad a little bit."
For Batiuk, though, the cartoon's ups and downs were kind of like growing up and dealing with life.
"It became more nuanced and it became more complicated," he said.
"And that's just a lot of fun. The job became more interesting. That's probably what drives it, gave me a chance to go into these more complicated, more interesting adult areas."
A strip lasting 40 years is notable but ranks behind the nearly half-century of "Peanuts" or, with some interruptions, the century-plus of the "Katzenjammer Kids," Thompson said.
The strip is a "very profitable" superstar, said Brendan Burford, comics editor at the strip's King Features Syndicate, who added that the aging of Funky has sharpened Batiuk's storytelling.
"He's been there and he's traveled that path himself. He's able to provide perspective from different generations," Burford said.
Like Baby Boomers facing wrinkles, Social Security and worse, there's no turning back for Batiuk's minions.
"That's a funny thing," he says, turning the idea over. "Once you've taken your characters to a certain point and they've experienced certain things, it sort of trivializes that experience if you go back and regress them and go back to a more childish time."
Aging opens another door for Batiuk: What happens if?
Batiuk wouldn't criticize end-of-career cartoonists who have passed their strips onto relatives or collaborators, but said he doubted he would do it.
"I haven't put anything in place like that, but I don't have an ending in mind," he said. Still, he allowed, "Occasionally you think about it."
Batiuk hinted at a possible handling of the story lines.
"When it comes time to finish Funky, I don't think anything's going to be solved, I don't think anything's going to really be resolved. It's just going to end."
Mulling over the idea, Batiuk said it would be hard for someone else to do Funky "because Funky is a very personal idiosyncratic work."
"My suspicion is when the time comes, Funky will just stop."
The 40th anniversary was marked by the publication of the start of a multi-volume complete set of the strips. The first volume has years 1972-74 and includes comments from comics chronicler Robert Harvey, who recognized Batiuk's improving artistry in those early years.
"Batiuk's drawings become somewhat crisper as he achieved greater assurance in rendering the wrinkles in clothing, for instance," Harvey said in a foreward.
"And over the years, Batiuk would become better and better at depicting his characters and telling their stories."
Funky Winkerbean and its creator graying together
MEDINA, Ohio (AP) — Like two aging baby boomers, "Funky Winkerbean" and creator Tom Batiuk have turned gray and have experienced their share of life's ups and downs in a 40-year run on the funny pages.


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Health Guru is a New York City Internet company that provides online health information videos. Founded in 2006, Health Guru has a library of more than 3,500 videos and more than one billion cumulative streams on Healthguru.com. Health Guru also developed a video syndication technology so that its partners can access the video library for their own websites and use Health Guru products and services to manage content.
Health Guru was using a local memcached solution integrated into its web servers for local caching. To manage scalability and performance demands for its website and video syndication service, the company deployed additional web servers to increase caching space. This was a short-term solution and Health Guru continued to explore different caching options.
Health Guru wanted a scaling cache solution. The company has been an AWS customer since 2010, and the release of Amazon ElastiCache matched its requirements. "We jumped wholeheartedly and happily into the simple solution," says Khaled Alquaddoomi, SVP of Technology. "The ease of deployment and simple setup makes Amazon ElastiCache the ideal scaling cache solution for us. Amazon ElastiCache, combined with Amazon Route 53, solves the problem of suddenly needing more caching space, which is a constant factor with our syndication service."
The company uses Amazon ElastiCache with a standard memcached method (caching partial site components and pages) to support traffic volume to Healthguru.com. It uses Amazon ElastiCache in a unique way for its video syndication service. "Our primary syndication differentiator is our ability to customize client-side widgets and deliver them to partners independent of sophisticated identity information and using only the passed URL," describes Alquaddoomi. To enable this solution, Health Guru uses Amazon ElastiCache to store complete client scripts to deliver to individual URLs. The figure below provides a diagram of the video syndication architecture.
Health Guru cites ease of deployment, (especially when coupled with Amazon Route 53); access to pre-established Amazon CloudWatch metrics; and the scaling elasticity of the service as the key benefits of using Amazon ElastiCache and the AWS cloud. Before Amazon ElastiCache, the in-house system administrators and developers were spending two days per week mitigating caching issues. "Switching to Amazon ElastiCache, which took less than a week to implement, saves the team at least 20 hours per week," says Alquaddoomi. "Furthermore, the impact on performance was a 92.5% improvement in average response times."
Alquaddoomi recommends that developers treat Amazon ElastiCache as an easier-to-deploy version of the locally memcached service they are already using. "Once we realized there was nothing more complicated we needed to do, Amazon ElastiCache became very easy to integrate with all our applications," he says.
To learn more about how AWS can be used by healthcare providers, visit our AWS Healthcare details page.


text:
Give Now
Eat too much and you might wind up obese. Eat the wrong things and watch your cholesterol shoot through the roof. As if that's not enough, doctors have found that, taken together, conditions like high blood pressure and obesity are good predictors of illnesses including heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Learn more on this Moment of Science.


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Spirituality is a way of working on oneself and his mind (spirit). The goal is to develop qualities such as inner peace, universal love, happiness and enlightenment. You can go the spiritual path alone or in a community. The focus is on inner experiences and less on outward rituals.
Through spiritual techniques such as mental work (positive thinking) and meditation one can come into contact with a higher level of consciousness (God consciousness, unity consciousness). One sees the light in the world, in himself and in his fellow man. If you get inner happiness you can also see the positive in the outer world. If you have love in yourself you can feel the love of the world.
Wikipedia: Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of their being; or the deepest values and meanings by which people live. Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop an individual's inner life; spiritual experience includes that of connectedness with a larger reality, yielding a more comprehensive self; with other individuals or the human community; with nature or the cosmos.
Christian Spirituality[edit]
Christian spirituality refers to a specific form of spirituality, which is centered in the personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is tied back to biblical spirituality and early Christian practices. These include piety, asceticism and mysticism. Christian spirituality uses techniques such as contemplation, reading the Bible, prayer, charity, retreats, pilgrimages, sacred music; but the most important point is grace. Christian spirituality encompasses not only religious rituals, but is expressed by the spirituality of everyday life. Even small things can have a religious significance. It is important to understand the whole day as a spiritual happening and to grow spiritually through all things.
Buddhist Spirituality[edit]
The spiritual goal of Buddhism is enlightenment (moksha). There are many different methods and ways to this goal. The main path to enlightenment as the Buddha teaches is the Eightfold Path. An essential part is the practice of meditation. The best known buddhist meditations in the West are Vipassana and Zazen. Both schools teach the non-judgmental and unintentional awareness in the here and now, without being attached to thoughts, feelings or emotions.
Hindu Spirituality[edit]
Hinduism is composed of different directions with different schools. Most believers assume, however, that life and death is an ever-repeating cycle (Samsara). They believe in reincarnation. The specific feature of Hinduism is its theory of Karma; the cause and effect. This is the reason for ever-repeating life cycle. The concept of God in Hinduism differs from many other Religion. God is the all-inclusive supreme entity. Scriptures define God in four Mahavakyas (Great Sentences).
- Aham Brahmasmi: I am the Supreme Entity.
- Prajnanam Brahma: Consciousness is Brahman.
- Ayam Atma Brahma: This Self is Brahman.
- Tat Tvam Asi: Thou Art That.
The gurus in Hinduism are different. The Dalai Lama said that you should carefully examine each master. (Dalai Lama: Dzogchen, page 40)
Islamic Spirituality[edit]
The Pillars of Islam are the five basic acts in Islam, considered obligatory for all believers. The Quran presents them as a framework for worship and a sign of commitment to the faith. They are (1) the shahadah (creed), (2) daily prayers (salat), (3) almsgiving (zakah), (4) fasting during Ramadan and (5) the pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj) at least once in a lifetime. An important spiritual way of islam is the sufism.
New Age Movement[edit]
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precept is drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational psychology, holistic health, parapsychology, consciousness research and quantum physics. It aims to create a spirituality without borders or confining dogmas that is pluralistic. Another of its primary traits is holding to a holistic worldview, thereby emphasising that the Mind, Body and Spirit are interrelated and that there is a form of unity throughout the universe. It further attempts to create a worldview that includes both science and spirituality.
The Five Basic Spiritual Techniques[edit]
Spiritually, humans can be compared to onions. Tensions and inner conflicts (inner stress) must be dissolved layer by layer. When one layer is peeled away, the next quickly appears at the surface until the inner core is revealed. At this point, a lasting inner joy is found. Inner joy appears in a person when the tensions (Samskaras) in body and soul have been dissolved. We need exercises for the body (Yoga, Tai-Chi.) and for the soul (meditation, reflection, positive thinking).
Buddha developed a very simple yet genius practice. This consisted of "sitting, going, and thought practice." You need body work (Yoga, walking), mental work (reflection, reading, praying, mantra) and meditation (sitting or lying). And everything in balance, in the right moment and with the right technique. When one varies one's activities between body work, mental work and meditation, the inner conflict and tension will go away. When a person only meditates, the spirit becomes dull and listless. Routine movement makes the spirit clear, keeps the body healthy and gives the person inner energy. If you only do Yoga Asanas, the mind is restless. Inner happiness comes from inner peace. If the body is kept very quiet, you can get into deeper dimensions of meditation.
In addition to periods of sitting and relaxing in combination with movement, working with the thoughts is important in getting rid of inner conflict. A spiritual person should develop his or her thoughts with love, wisdom, and self-discipline. He or she should learn to bring the thoughts into stillness.
This basic model of stress resolution can be extended to the way of the five activities. The five activities are: reading, walking (or doing Yoga Asanas), Meditation (lying or sitting), Charity (Karma Yoga), and to enjoy life.
Karma Yoga opens the heart, gives inner power, and develops the consciousness towards all-encompassing love. All the different kinds of Yoga is excellent practice to reduce stress for working people.
The fifth activity consists of enjoying life. We should bring joy into our lives. That opens our hearts, and brings light inside us. Everyone is predisposed towards something. You can listen to music, eat something delicious, read a good book, watch a movie, find time for your favorite creative hobbies, and so forth. It is important though, to pay attention to the amount with which we busy ourselves with enjoyment. Too much of a good thing is not a good thing, too little makes life sad.
Also, too much direct contact with other people during the development of inner happiness should be avoided. A yogi should find out how much contact with others is good for him or her. At a certain point, physical rest can cause the energy of a person to go inward. The person no longer has to direct oneself towards outer activities, and puts more worth on the inner spiritual cleansing, the dissolving of inner conflict, and the development of inner happiness. This turning point must be discovered by each yogi for him or herself. It is difficult to find and hold onto. Life energy tends towards an excess of activity or towards dullness. Both need to be avoided with daily exercised self-discipline. When we keep inner calm, inner happiness appears. We can develop our true selves, and our sense of life.
Swami Shivananda (also written Sivananda) lived from 1897 to 1963 in India. He was one of the greatest Indian Saints of modern time. By profession he was a doctor. He taught the yoga of the trinity (Trimurti Yoga), the combination of Hatha Yoga (spiritual exercises), Karma Yoga (work for a happy world) and Master Yoga (daily connection with an enlightened master). He pushed for the cooperation of the religions. According to Swami Sivananda, enlightenment occurs via relaxation, practice, and love. When a Yogi or Yogini lives in an area of peace, he or she is already halfway there. The second half is tackled with spiritual practices. In order to pass through the gate to a life in light, all-encompassing love must be at the heart of the seeker of enlightenment. When a Yogi lives for the happiness of others, then the ego can be dissolved. When the ego disappears, the person is in light. Individuals who reach this point relax so deeply into their souls that the energy of happiness awakes from within.
Yogis know when and what technique they need"". When the body is dull and lacking energy, the Yogi goes for a walk. When he or she feels restless, he or she practices Yoga or meditates. When the spirit seems to rebel against the spiritual way, a book on spiritual topics helps to bring back the conviction towards enlightenment. A Yogi senses the inner conflict and uses the proper techniques to dissolve the tension; that is usually what the body and soul does not want at this moment. Wherever the neurotic tendency to feel repelled towards, something is usually the way to the light. On the other hand, we need sometimes to give the body and soul what they would like, otherwise tension is built. The way to happiness requires a lot of wisdom, inner knowledge and sensitivity.
The Unity of All Religions[edit]
(Quote from http://knol.google.com/k/nils-horn/yoga-basic-knowledge-and-exercises/d0nwq0okqs4d/34 )
Yogi Nils: Enlightenment is the center of all religions. The unity of all religions is an important goal towards building a happy world. The communication between religions is important, even when it's sometimes difficult.
Anand: It is obvious that not all religions teach the same. Buddha taught that God and the soul don't exist. Hinduism alleges the opposite.
Yogi Nils: Dear Anand, our discussion clarifies many basic things.
1. There is only one God. There is only one highest reality. There is only one truth. Varied religions are helpful so that one can discuss the ultimate truth. We can only comprehend that once we have attained enlightenment.
2. I have experienced that there is such a thing as reincarnation. I have seen my earlier life.
3. Buddha saw his earlier lifes once he became enlightened.
4. The Buddhist teachings only make sense when we consider the reality of rebirth. Why should you work towards enlightenment through the centuries when so few reach the goal? Most people would squander their lives if they couldn't take the fruit of their striving into the next life. In Yoga, a Yogi resumes his practice from life to life until he has reached the goal of enlightenment. In this way, all spiritual people reach their goal at some point.
5. The earlier lives reveal themselves only after a certain point along the way. A human can be enlightened on a lower level, and despite this have no contact with his earlier life. For this reason, even some enlightened individuals may allege there is no such thing as reincarnation.
6. There is a lot of confusion among the religions of the world. I am of the opinion that all fully enlightened masters like Buddha, Jesus, Swami Shivananda, Amma, and Mother Meera see things the same way, they simply express them differently.
7. I am for freedom of faith and opinion. I allow for the plurality of opinions and religion. I accept Atheists. I can deal with the idea of an atheistic Buddhism. I am for the unity of all religions. It means that all religions should work together for a better world and for a world of love, peace, and truth.
8. Properly understood every concept of God leads us to inner peace and universal love. I wish a world of love and peace and not a world of perpetual wars of religion. I don´t want that the religions fight each other, but that they love and support each other.
Mountain of Religions[edit]
There were five people who sought God. One was an atheist, an other a Christian, the third a Yogi, the fourth a Muslim, and the fifth a Buddhist. One day the five seekers came to a large mountain. Up on the mountain shone a bright light. The atheist said: "This is the sun." The Christian said: "This is God." The Muslims gave it the name of Allah. The Buddhist thought it was the Nirvana. The Yogi called it Brahman (the higher reality).
The five-seekers debated long about the light, the happiness and God. The atheist insisted that there is no God. The Buddhists did not believe in a personal God. Which the Muslim and the Christian contradicted violently. The Yogi surprised his friends by stating: "This question cannot be clarified by an unenlightened man. We all must get enlightenment, then we will understand what God is." The five seekers had a long talk about God. They learned about their respective viewpoints. The talk was a great enrichment for all. But they could not come to a final result. They therefore decided to climb the mountain and to investigate the light exactly. There were many paths leading up the mountain. Everyone rose up on his own path.
When everyone had arrived at the summit, they decided to enter into the great mystery. They took each other by the hand and went into the great light. They passed through a great darkness (the ego resolution) and found themselves in God (transcendence). They stayed some time in God and then went back into the world of matter (the duality of things) . In God all had been speechless. But now their minds began to work. Excited, they told each other about their experiences. The Yogi felt God as happiness (peace-unity consciousness-bliss), the Christian as universal love, the Buddhist as inner peace, the Muslim as a great power and the atheist experienced God as a higher truth. The Muslims got the word "Allah", the Christian the word "God", the Buddhist the word "Enlightenment", the Yogi "Sat-Chit-Ananda" and the atheist "Unity". If they thought their particular word, they could immediately go back into the light. The word was their personal key to entry into the great mystery. Anyone who has met God, can come with the power of the memory and his personal mantra again into the state of enlightenment.
They decided to end their conflict and prefer to concentrate on the spiritual practice. They lived many years together on the mountaintop. They read their scriptures, meditated, made pilgrimages every day to the mountain summit and met once a week to a joint celebration. One day all arrived in the permanent light. And the great light transformed them. They saw the light in all beings and all things of the world. They realized that we are all brothers and sisters. They realized that only love, peace and happiness are important. They left their mountain, came back into the world of men and built up together a happy world. May we stop all religious wars in the world. May we build a golden age of love, peace and happiness on earth. May the light, the love and the truth always be with us.
Computer Meditation[edit]
A guided meditation on the computer is a fast way of relaxation. Through simple yoga movements associated with positive sentences you can dissolve inner blockages and recharge your mind positive. Get peace, power, love and happiness in five minutes.
- Visualize yourself as a Buddha (Shiva) or Goddess of Love. Think or speak the mantra: "Om Buddha of Love. Om Goddess of Love." Get the male and female enlightened energie.
- Send light (happiness, peace, love) to all beings: "I send light to ... (name). May all people be happy. May the world be a happy."
- Connect yourself with the Enlightened (Saints) or God: "Om all enlightened masters. Om God. I beg for guidance and help on my way.."
- Get the inner peace: "I take things as they are. I flow positive with my life."
- Calm your mind and speak (or think) one minute the mantra: "Om Shanti. Om peace."
- Stop one minute every thought.
- Relax.
- Find a positive sentence: "My positive sentence is ..."
- "Forward with love, peace, happiness and strength. Be a victor in your life. God bless you."
- The Computer meditation is aimed at people of all religious denominations. It may also be practiced by atheists. Take the sentences that fit for you. You can also rephrase the mantras and make them suitable for you. You can define God in your own way as a supreme being, as cosmos or a cosmic power (life power). You can omit the mantra "Om God" if it does not fit for you.
- The essence of spirituality is to build up inner strength, peace, love and happiness. Your inner energy can be awakened by positive visualizations in connection with mantras (positive statements, prayers).
- Inner peace arises if you put your mind to rest. For this purpose we will first use the mantra "Om Shanti. Om Peace." Then we stop for a minute every thought. Finally, it is good to linger in the relaxation for some time. In this final phase, it unfolds its healing (harmonizing) effects.
- On the spiritual path you're only successful if you always act in close contact with your personal truth and with a good feel for yourself. Practice the computer meditation therefore so that it fits for you personally and is good for you.
---> Video: Computer Meditation (Meditation for love, peace, happiness and power)
See also[edit]
|Wikibooks has a book on the topic of God and Religious Toleration.
- Dalai Lama -- purpose of our life
- Dalai Lama Finding Purpose in Life
- Dalai Lama - Why meditate?
- Computer Yoga
- Computer Yoga for Advanced (Video with breathing exercises)
- Computer Meditation (love, peace, happiness and power)
- Meditation video (6 min.) Relax with a guided meditation with beautiful music.
- Karunesh - A Journey Of The Heart (new age music)
External links[edit]
- Download Wikibook Yoga with Yoga Oracle in various formats (PDF, Epub, Kindle).
- Yoga, God and Enlightenment (2009)
- Yoga Basic Knowledge and Exercises
- Spirituality (University of Maryland Medical Center)
- Spirituality and Spiritual Healing in Modern Word
- Spirituality and mental health (Royal College of Psychiatrists)
- University of Minnesota's Center for Spirituality & Healing
- Spirituality in the New Age


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On 13-14 November 2010, the 2ndh Annual Conference of MOROL, Institute of Welsh Maritime Historical Studies, was held at Tredegar House, Newport. In the morning, speakers contributed illustrated talks on the theme of Wales, Newport and the Sea. Deanna Groom contributed a lecture on the compilation of the RCAHMW's Maritime Record
In the afternoon, the ground floor of the Tredegar House's coach house was opened to the public with stands featuring the work and collections of the Gwent Archives, Friends of the Newport Ships, West Wales Maritime Heritage Society and the Royal Commission. David James from the West Wales Maritime Heritage Society also presented an illustrated talk on the maritime history of Milford Haven
At the society's AGM, it was confirmed that last post on the committee had been filled (the Treasurer) which will hopefully allow the society to move forward with its aims and objectives.
The concept for the society grew from the legacy of the respected maritime author Aled Eames - society members organize the annual memorial lecture on Anglesey.
The society's aims include the promotion of interest and research into Welsh maritime history, as well as encouragement of the deposition of a maritime related sources to the care of relevant archives, libraries or museums.
Gwynedd Archive Service have also agreed that annual membership of the society will include receiving a copy of the journal Cymru a'r Mor/Maritime Wales.
For further information, please click:


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BackupBuddy Settings: Database
The following options are included in the Database section of the Advanced & Troubleshooting Settings page.
Skip database dump on backup
[Default: disabled] - Check if to completely bypass backing up database. Use with caution. (WARNING: This prevents BackupBuddy from backing up the database during any kind of backup. This is for troubleshooting / advanced usage only to work around being unable to backup the database.
Break out big table dumps into steps
[Default: Disabled] Check to backup large tables in separate steps to help handle large databases. Currently in beta. Breaks up some commonly known database tables to be backed up separately rather than all at once. Helps with larger databases.
Force compatibility mode database dump
[Default: disabled] - Check to force PHP-based database dump instead of command line. Pre-v3.x mode. WARNING: This forces the potentially slower mode of database dumping. Under normal circumstances mysql dump compatibility mode is automatically entered as needed without user intervention.
Ignore command line length check results
[Default: disabled] - WARNING: BackupBuddy attempts to determine your system's maximum command line length to insure that database operation commands do not get inadvertantly cut off. On some systems it is not possible to reliably detect this information which could result infalling back into compatibility mode even though the system is capable of running in normal operational modes. This option instructs BackupBuddy to ignore the results of the command line length check.
See also
- Introduction
- General Settings
- Backup Profiles
- Advanced & Troubleshooting
- Import/Export Plugin Settings


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Crunchyroll's Spring Anime Lineup (Part 1)
cr isnt as fun as it was before..
weeew...So many to watch
I was registered at your forum. I have printed the test message. Do not delete, please.
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shinji wrote:
Hi guys! Spring time is here, which means a new season of anime, with brand new shows (as well as continuing ones). We've been working hard over the past months to prepare this~ This is only Part 1 and the first half, I'll be announcing much more in the next weeks! (This also doesn't include non-simulcast, catalog series we'll be launching). This is the follow-up to this post. Note: the actual start dates may change (if there are production delays or something). For this simulcast lineup, I've grouped the series into two categories:
1) New simulcasts - these are brand new shows that start from Episode 1 in Japan, which we also show on Crunchyroll on the same day.
2) Ongoing simulcasts - these are currently airing in Japan and won't end, which we currently also show on the same day on Crunchyroll.
New simulcasts:
Fridays 7:30pm PST - Available Now
Tsuna, a timid junior high student, is a failure at school, sports, and social life. But everything around Tsuna has been completely changed when a baby called Reborn!, who claims to be an Italian hit man from the Vongole family shows up. Reborn! was sent to groom Tsuna for his future life as a mafia boss of the family!
After a short while, Tsuna started to get involved into a couple of intense battles and overcomes many numerous trials and grows up surrounded with Reborn! and good fellows!
Date and time TBA - Starts the first week of April
SHANGRI-LA is the story of a young woman fighting for her survival in a real "urban jungle." Only 18 years old, Kuniko Hojo finds herself at the heart of the battle for humanity's future when she discovers that the government which rules Atlas intends to continue marginalizing the less-privileged masses outside the tower - by force, if necessary.
La Corda D'Oro
~primo passo~ starts soon, and ~secondo passo~ Part 1 airs March 26, times TBA
Kahoko Hino, the main character, goes to Seiso Gakuen High School that specializes in music. Her school has two curriculums, the normal course and the music course. She was taking the ordinary course and having a normal life until one day, Lili the fairy gave her a magical violin. The following day, the competitors of the prestigious music contest are announced and Kahoko's name appears on the list. All the other competitors are elite students that take the music courses. How will the contest turn out?
Date and time TBA - Starts the first week of April
Saki - The Player is the story of a beautiful high school mahjong genius and her rivals. The story opens with the arrival of Saki who demonstrates her almost magical talent by instinctively playing the game in an extremely calculated manner so that she does not lose or gain even a point…
Chi's Sweet Home
Date and time TBA - Starts the first week of April
Chi's Sweet Home is a collection of sketches about little daily adventures experienced by the ex-stray cat Chi and its owner family. Every day is a discovery for the curious little protagonist!
Peeping Life
Time and date TBA
If you're a fan of shows like Comedy Central's "Shorties Watching Shorties" and independent style animation, with a sharp sense of humor, this is for you!
A series of comedy shorts, Peeping Life features popular comic duos ad-libbing around sticky situations that are not too uncommon in Japanese society. Take a break from the stresses of daily life, sit back and enjoy a good laugh!
Mainichi Kaasan (No page yet)
Date and time TBA - Starts the first week of April
Mainichi Kaasan (Everyday Mom) is based on the award-winning comic strip by Rieko Saibara about the ordinary life of a not-so-ordinary family: Mom is a popular cartoonist, the kids are frustratingly fun but have their moments, and Dad is just plain unreliable. Everyone is tied together by the insanity of it all. It¹s great but tough to be a mom!
Ongoing simulcasts: These shows need no introduction, so I didn't provide the synopses ;P
Naruto Shippuden
Thursdays 3:30am PST - Available Now
Thursdays 1:30am PST- Available Now
Shugo Chara
Fridays 5pm PST - Available Now
Time of Eve
Episode 4 airs May 1st
If you have Chi's Sweet Home : New Address, shouldn't the first Chi's Sweet Home be on here as well?
And yes, that is over 100+ episodes.


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At the preview night for New York Comic Con, heroes like Captain America and Inspector Gadget rubbed elbows with villains such as The Joker and Skeletor.
But far from the latest battleground in the epic fight of good versus evil, the convention—those masked adventurers say—is a place to revel in a shared excitement for comics and all things inspired by them. Their goals: Get a sneak peek at upcoming releases, meet favorite artists and celebrities and show off costumes that took, in some cases, months of hard work.
Last year, the four-day con attracted more than 116,000 attendees, according to organizers. What's the draw this year? We'll let the fans tell you, in their own words.
—By CNBC's Kelli B. Grant. Follow her on Twitter @kelligrant.


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GEORGETOWN, Ky. (AP/ CBS St. Louis) —The bad blood between Kentucky and Louisville fans boiled over this week at a Kentucky dialysis center when one patient couldn't wait to call a winner.
Georgetown police Lt. Robert Swanigan says Ed Wilson, a Kentucky fan, reportedly flipped off Louisville fan Charles Taylor, who allegedly responded by punching the Wildcat fan in the face.
At the time of the incident, Wilson was hooked up to the dialysis machine while Taylor stood in line for it.
Swanigan says police expected tensions might rise as Kentucky and Louisville prepare to play in Saturday's Final Four, but they never expected to be called to a dialysis clinic to break up a fight sparked by the rivalry.
He says the Monday spat began with a verbal exchange between the 68-year-old Kentucky fan and 71-year-old Louisville fan over who will win the game.
Swanigan says the Kentucky fan was receiving treatment during the spat.
He says the Kentucky fan is not filing charges.
(TM and © Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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Six Ways to Maximize your Small Business Hiring Advantage
By: Connie Blaszczyk, Managing Editor, Resource Center
While the economic downturn has pushed many small businesses to the edge, it's also afforded many small business hiring advantages, including attracting top talent and hiring overqualified candidates. In fact, says David Russo, author of 17 Rules Successful Companies Use to Attract and Keep Top Talent and Principal and CEO of Eno River Associates , many small and medium-sized businesses have a real opportunity to in the current economic climate to become heroic, simply by doing a few things well.
In so doing, says Russo, your small business can see dynamic change and forge new growth.
To start, Russo identifies these three elements as essential to your businesses ability to perform:
1) Your product has to be good.
2) There must be a need for that product or service.
3) Your company has to be innovative — not static — and willing to grow, develop and evolve.
With those qualities in place, you can then focus your perspective on your talent — the people who work for you — and how you hire. Here are six recommendations to keep in mind:
Who you hire is critical. So many small businesses often hire someone they know through an informal network of family and friends. This often means they hire someone they thought would be great – but in short order, they're looking to get rid of them. And often the time that it takes to do so is longer than the new hire's tenure.
Take time to fill the job. Leave the posting open for 3 months and really do due diligence by bringing someone in. Know what outcome you want for the job. Know your company's environment and the temperament you need to suit your company's culture. Be sure you clarify — does the person wants the job that's advertised –or do they want your job? Many times, small employers don't ask these questions. They often fail to hire for fit. Remember: fit is as or more important than skills.
Stay competitive. Are you short-changing your company by short-changing your employees? Be sure your compensation is fair enough to diminish other offers that candidates might be given that have a few more perks or dollars.
Hire for growth. Are you creating an environment for this new person to grow and develop? You can do that by listening to their ideas. Be sincere about providing opportunity for growth — not just management or supervisory — but experiences that help them grow and develop. Small companies can do that — they're not bogged down by large company infrastructure.
Set a high goal. Do you really know what your company wants to be when it grows up? If so, then tell the world. Identify something out there to defeat. "Our job is to …." Whatever it might be. Make it your company's Holy Grail. Not that you'll get there in your lifetime — just make it a goal that's fairly static.
As James Collins coined in his book, Built to Last, create a BHAG — a big hairy audacious goal. Give your employees something to dream about. As you make small chinks in that climb, it gives people an anchor. Lots of small companies can have that advantage.
Be trustworthy. You don't have to be perfect — simply be you — and make sure your behavior is genuine. Be apolitical — everyone should be able to understand the politics of your business but no one should have to play them.Walk around your place of business and ask employees, "How's it going? How are you doing? What are you doing?" Show them that you care and that you're paying attention. Ask if they're getting the resources they need to do their job. Ask yourself if you're doing what you should to keep your company's culture intact. When you ask those questions, people feel that they count — and that what they DO counts. That's the magic.


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by Chuck Israels
Lesson 12 - The Rhythm Section
How do jazz drummers play? How is it that the sound of the cymbal ride patterns of great jazz drummers is so personal that it can be identified by an experienced listener in a matter of a few measures of listening? What is it that identifies so clearly the playing of Kenny Clarke, Roy Haynes, Max Roach, Art Blakey, Philly Joe Jones, Pete La Roca, Larry Bunker, Donald Bailey, Bill Goodwin, Mel Lewis, Billy Higgins and other great jazz drummers with identifiable personal styles?
It has been recommended by some jazz educators that student drummers should play strong accents on both the high hat and on the ride cymbal on the 2nd and 4th beats of every measure. This seems a perverse suggestion in light of the fact that not one of the above mentioned great drummers remotely approaches this way of playing! In fact, this way of playing could not possibly swing in 4/4 meter as it would effectively create a discontinuity in the rhythmic line, cutting each measure into two disparate parts. This would only be useful and appropriate in creating a strong 2 feel such as might be needed in the last chorus of an Ellington composition of the 1930s. Even then, the strong accent is confined to the high hat and snare while the ride continues to be played in a more evenly accented 4 pattern.
So, to return to the question of what the playing of these great drummers may have in common, it is important to recognize that judged over a period long enough to be heard as a musical phrase, they all share an approach that creates a certain even proportion of accents in all parts of the measure. The ride cymbal beat expresses a rhythmic line rather than a one note at a time pattern. That line is built on a base (not bass) line of evenly accented quarter notes into which are added subtly accented nuances. This takes place over rhythmic phrases that stretch across several measures creating an expression of human breath.
Into this quarter note line, shorter note values are interjected at a reduced volume before the 3rd and 1st beats. The relative dynamic level and rhythmic placement of these smaller notes create an identifying characteristic of each drummers style. It is more enlightening to consider these notes as interjections in the basic quarter note line than to try to understand them from the point of view of conventional music notation, which over-emphasizes their importance and intensity in relation to the more important 1st and 3rd quarter notes of each measure. They are better understood as embellishments of the essential quarter notes that follow them rather than as individual entities. They act in fact as grace notes and are usefully understood in that way.
These small note values establish the basis for rhythmic unity and swing in the ensemble by delineating the subdivisions within the quarter note pulses that make the duration of those pulses reliably predictable by other members of the ensemble (and the audience). These subdivisions, established by the drummers cymbal ride, may or may not be adhered to by other ensemble members but the quarter note pulses must be, unless the swing is to be put at risk. It is the help these grace notes give to the establishment of the quarter note stability that makes them useful.(It is a useless oversimplification of jazz rhythm to suggest that these grace notes in the ride cymbal pattern should always control the way the rest of the band phrases and subdivides the music. The integrity is in the quarter note pulse. Reducing it further renders the music monotonous.)
Score References & Musical Examples Using JABB:
Click on Play Button below to Play from the Score
This ride pattern must do its job in such a way as to be infectious and inspiring rather than irritating and distracting to the overall effect of the music. It is a wonder that this can be done in such a wide range of ways, from the enormous roar of Blakey at his loudest, to the subtle lift of Kenny Clarke or Larry Bunker. (The most effective drummers are those who are able to whisper and roar with equal intensity at appropriate moments in the music.) As this style of jazz drumming has developed over the last 50 or 60 years, the placement of these smaller notes in the ride pattern has taken on an increased freedom and variety, with the result that, in the best cases, the tyranny of the down beat has been minimized, and the rhythmic line has been equalized and extended. This is done by occasional omission of the expected grace notes or placement of them in a less predictable way on other beats. This development has had a felicitous effect on a style of music which otherwise has a preponderance of events happening on the first beats of the measures where most significant harmonic changes take place.
One less fortunate effect of this freedom to place the grace notes differently or to omit them has been the tendency of insensitive or inexperienced drummers to exacerbate the problem of the over accented 1st beat by insisting on playing a pattern like this:
Click on Play Button below to Play from the Score
It is hard to imagine a quicker or more effective way to destroy the fluidity of the music.
So far the discussion has been confined to ride cymbal patterns and the emphasis on the 1st and 3rd quarter notes of 4/4 measures created by preceding those quarter notes with grace notes. This emphasis is effectively counterbalanced by subtle use of the foot-operated high hat cymbal on the 2nd and 4th quarter notes, re-establishing equality and smoothness to the rhythmic line. This in fact, is the most effective use and purpose for the high hat on 2 and 4. Exaggerated and disproportionate accents on 2 and 4 only serve to interrupt the flow of the music. Shuffle patterns are a variation on the previously described styles in which the off beats are lightly emphasized by the snare drum in conjunction with the ride cymbal pattern. This technique is most effective at medium tempos in which the extra weight on the quarter note pulse is desired as a contrast to the usual more horizontal flow of the normal ride pattern.
Score References & Musical Examples Using JABB:
Click on Play Button below to Play from the Score
Also usefully interjected into the flow of the ride pattern are light accents played on the snare, bass drum and tom toms, which provide conversational encouragement to the music. These accents must correspond in volume and intensity to the prevailing dynamic level, lest they overpower other elements and become interruptive rather than supportive.
All of this being said, it is important to point out that the most interesting drum parts, those that make the greatest contribution to variety in the rhythmic texture, are those that judiciously abandon the ride cymbal beat in order to play fills and new accompanying patterns. While the ride cymbal sound can make a useful contribution to the rhythmic life of the music in the hands of a great drummer, nothing can so quickly freshen the ear of the listener as periodic relief from its sound. In the best cases, every opportunity to add interest to the music by changing the role of the drums must be sought. In seeking ways to make these changes, balance must be maintained by continuing some rhythms for a long enough time to set up a pattern of expectation in the music, lest constant change become a predictable pattern in itself.
variety may be created in one way by doubling the time values of the cymbal ride pattern, slowing it down and creating a 2 feel while keeping the high hat playing on the 2nd and 4th beats.
Score References & Musical Examples Using JABB:
Click on Play Button below to Play from the Score
The bass part must then be based on embellished half notes. (It is essential for the drummer to avoid playing anything on the 2nd quarter note of measures which establish a 2 feel and conversely, to make sure to play the 2nd quarter as soon as a change to 4/4 feel is desired.) Another way to find variety is to double up the occurrence of the high hat beats while maintaining the 4/4 ride.
Score References & Musical Examples Using JABB:
Click on Play Button below to Play from the Score
This creates a lilting double time feel and can be used to stimulate or support solo passages that contain a prevalence of 16th note patterns.
All of the preceding techniques can be equally effective when performed with wire brushes on the snare drum rather than with sticks on the cymbals and drums. This is a much under-used texture and a return to the use of brushes would do much to improve the balance and general acoustic blend of jazz ensembles.
Another technique best reserved for ensemble sections with a 2 beat feel (or specialized 4/4 sections), is to play on the high hat cymbal with sticks - alternately opening and closing it in this pattern:
Score References & Musical Examples Using JABB:
Click on Play Button below to Play from the Score
This is a common sound in opening sections of compositions in the style of Count Basies band and listening to that music will go a long way towards showing how that technique might best be applied to other music.
Whatever happens in the form of the music, it is usually the responsibility of the drum part to direct changes of texture and dynamics in jazz ensembles. In order for this to be accomplished effectively, these changes must occur in that part (and often in the bass and piano parts as well) significantly earlier than they occur in the rest of the ensemble. The implications of this aspect of the role of the drums are far reaching and are little understood by many drummers and arranger/composers, let alone by other musicians less involved in rhythm section practices. volumes could be written about ways in which to realize this element of the drummers role but the best way to learn it is to study the wonderful examples in the work of Philly Joe Jones, Larry Bunker, Bill Goodwin, Billy Higgins, Roy Haynes, Art Blakey, Kenny Clarke, Pete La Roca, Donald Bailey, Max Roach, Mel Lewis, Jack de Johnette, Tony Williams, Joey Baron, and all the others I cant think to mention. This is a significant, though certainly incomplete list. Arrangers might well consider taking advantage of the examples provided by the legacy of great improvised drum parts.
Many other techniques have been established in Jazz drumming and rhythm section styles that can usefully be studied and applied to new situations. The Ahmad Jamal Trio of the 1950s, with vernell Fournier and Israel Crosby provides a wealth of examples. Connie Kays work in the Modern Jazz Quartet offers a number of useful techniques. Elvin Jones and Tony Williams offer passionately varied ways of playing that might apply to a number of musical situations
Much remains to be done in the development of jazz drumming styles and an informed knowledge of the creative choices made according to the musical surroundings by some of these extraordinary drummers can provide fertile ground for the growth of new styles.
How doThere is a long-standing tradition of including the guitar in the rhythm section, and Freddie Green, the guitarist in count Basies band, set the standard for the integration of the un-amplified guitar in the jazz rhythm section. The quality of Freddie Greens playing in this 4/4, quarter note style was so compelling that most arrangers simply write his name above the guitar part when calling for this kind of playing. The style is characterized by simple chords played on the lower strings of the guitar on every quarter note. The chords often omit the 5th string, if the 6th string is played (in order to maintain clear sounding voicings in that register), and some chords are played with the 5th in the bass (on the 6th string). (This does not produce a true 2nd inversion sound, because the volume of the un-amplified guitar is weak in comparison with the string bass, or other instruments that may be playing in the bass register.) Arrangers rarely take responsibility for writing out chord voicings in this style, writing only slash notation with chord symbols. Experienced guitarists will interpret this style correctly, choosing suitable voicings and playing quarter notes with the correct articulation.(This articulation requires that the guitarist lift the fingers of the left hand off the strings on the last triplet eighth note of each beat, lightly damping them and precisely ending the sound of the chord, so that the short silences between each quarter note add as much to the perception of the rhythm as the attacks. This effect is subtle, but its correct execution adds immeasurably to the swinging feel of the rhythm section pulse, especially when combined with string bass quarter notes that provide continuity to the line by ringing quietly into the next attack.)
Score References & Musical Examples Using JABB:
Click on Play Button below to Play from the Score
I have often heard the admonition that guitarists ought not to comp in the style of the preceding piano examples at the same time that a pianist is comping, lest the different rhythmic and harmonic ideas create excess conflict. However, my experience in ensembles with good pianists and guitarists belies this advice. Of course, alternating accompanying instruments can add variety, but there are times when musical excitement invites both instruments to participate in an accompanying texture. What seems to work best is to have the guitarist limit the chords to simple voicings, interjecting them between the piano chords. This technique can create an exciting, dense, accompaniment that is a useful addition to the arsenal of comping textures. And rhythmic riff figures are just as good on the guitar as they are on the piano.
Some understanding of the guitar fret board is helpful in learning how to write more detailed music for the instrument, but there are few melodic limitations that require special attention. Rapidly alternating notes on the same fret present special problems, but experienced guitarists are used to coping with this issue. Most chords are available in drop 2 voicings (where the second voice is dropped an octave, leaving what was originally the third voice as the next below the lead the new second voice), and there are a few that can be played in closed position. There are a number of useful sounds available on three adjacent strings, some of which include the interval of a second. Drawing a fret board diagram for the notes in question is a good way to discover what is and is not practical on the guitar.
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The online "Exploring Jazz Arranging" course is the culmination of a tremendous amount of work and represents a golden opportunity to learn from a real master. The course is offered free of charge and there is no obligation to buy anything. If you are benefiting from this course, it would be appropriate to honor Chuck's work if it is within your means. One way to support the effort is to make a donation to Chuck in appreciation of his work.Any and all donation proceeds go directly to Chuck.
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Coming Next Lesson: Lesson 13 - Writing for Two Voices


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Maine man sentenced to 2 years for defrauding LL Bean, Wright Express out of $451K
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) � A Brunswick man has been sentenced to two years in prison for defrauding two well-known Maine companies that he had worked for out of nearly half a million dollars.
Matthew LaForge was sentenced on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Portland after pleading guilty in August to mail fraud and tax evasion charges.
Court records show that while employed at South Portland-based Wright Express from 2006-2008, the 38-year-old LaForge fraudulently billed and collected $231,000 from the company for marketing services supposedly provided by a company that he made up.
Prosecutors say LaForge used the same scheme to defraud Freeport-based L.L. Bean out of $220,000 while working there as a financial analyst from 2009-2011.


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As much as young children love the idea of staying up past their bedtime to ring in the New Year, most can't make it to midnight—nor would their parents want them to. But that doesn't mean that little ones can't celebrate in a more age-appropriate fashion.
Instead of keeping your kids up till the clock strikes 12:00 midnight, try throwing a kid-friendly bash at 12:00 noon. Here's how to host your own Happy Noon Year party.
- Line a wall with butcher paper and create a 2012 timeline. Have each guest bring a photograph or memento representing a favorite 2012 memory. Set out glue sticks and let each guest stick their item onto the appropriate month.
- Create a balloon drop. Lay two paper tablecloths side-by-side. Using a hole punch and yarn, loosely stitch them together lengthwise, leaving yarn hanging at one end to act as a ripcord. Next, tape the connected tablecloths to the ceiling on three sides, so it sags in the middle, creating a pouch. Stuff it with balloons and confetti, then tape the fourth side to the ceiling. When the clock strikes noon, pull the yarn!
- Make your own noisemakers. Fill empty water bottle with beans and glitter, line the floor with bubble wrap to jump on, or create a tambourine by punching holes around the rim of a paper plate, then threading ribbon through it and tying jingle bells as you go.
- Buy a set of plastic champagne glasses for an all-ages noontime toast. Whether it's sparkling cider or milk and cookies, the importance of the toast is to honor the year that's passed and the one that's about to begin.
- Create a CD with 2012's top hits to play at your party. This can also double as décor and goodie bags. Burn copies for each guest and use a permanent marker to draw a clock face set to 12:00 on each CD. Slip them into a clear sleeve with a hole punched in the corner. Then, use ribbon to hang them from a chandelier or banister.
If you don't want to host your own Noon Year party, check out local venues. A lot of children's museums and zoos have their own Noon Year's Party and often they offer discount admission for the occasion.


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Ayman Abouseif, Vice President Product Marketing, Fujitsu Global Marketing
"Customers choose integrated systems to cut project time and eliminate uncertainty – because this approach is quicker and significantly less risky than trying to integrate components on your own. Fujitsu is adding an instantly-recognizable name, PRIMEFLEX, to frame an already comprehensive line-up of integrated systems. The PRIMEFLEX family runs from virtualization to cloud, from ERP to in-memory, from Microsoft to SAP and from Big Data to High Performance Computing (HPC), and we'll be adding more in early 2015."
Fujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company offering a full range of technology products, solutions and services. Approximately 162,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.8 trillion yen (US$46 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2014. For more information, please see http://www.fujitsu.com.
In Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa (EMEIA), Fujitsu is a leading information and communication technology (ICT) company offering a full portfolio of business-technology products, solutions and services, ranging from workplace systems to datacenter solutions, managed services, and cloud-based software and solutions. Fujitsu's Vision is to enable a Human Centric Intelligent Society that creates value by connecting infrastructure, empowering people and creatively defining new forms of intelligence. In EMEIA Fujitsu employs approximately 28,000 people and is part of the global Fujitsu Group. For more information, please see: ts.fujitsu.com/aboutus.
Godeke HarrackFujitsu Technology Solutions GmbH
Phone: +49 89 62060 3479
E-mail: email@example.com
PR Manager International Business
OnPR GmbH
Phone: +49 89 30 90 51629
E-mail: email@example.com
All other company or product names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Information provided in this press release is accurate at time of publication and is subject to change without advance notice.
Date: 18 ноября, 2014
City: Fujitsu Forum / Munich