text:
A few days ago, we've opened a new section on our Polish K Desktop Environment website called "KDE Users Database". This is not only for Polish users, it's international. After some time it'll be good rate of KDE users number all over the world. Every registered user can save generated certificates and put them on his desktop or website. So, let's register! Please note, that this is not an official KDE users counter - but, maybe in future - it might change.
wow, I am quick this time...
This is the first time I can actually have "Mark" as my login name on any website. :p But I am sure this number is going to increase lot's and lot's more.
the website is simple clean and proffesional and easy to use. having people registered is important because this way companies can get an impression of the ammount of linux users out there.
I wish everybody out there good luck and hope that many many people will register themselves!
Maybe giving people the option to sign up, when they first run KDE would be nice (would have to be something that one can get rid of with a single click and it'll go away and also something that would allow people to enter existing username and password).
It could also create an account for KDE related websites so that it's actually usefull for people to fill it in.
Finally, if it could also load my KDE settings from the internet, whenever I use a new computer, that would be _really_ cool. Shame that I never manage to find time to do KDE coding.
I don't really like any kind of "go out register yourself behaviour" But if you really would want something like this I would prefer a weblink/shortcut on the desktop. popup something the user didn't ask for can and will be considered anoying. But a small lovely icon sitting on the desktop will not harm anybody.
"(...)companies can get an impression of the ammount of linux users out there."
By multiplying the number of KDE users by 10 (the other 90% uses GNOME ;).
It would be interesting to have a similar database for GNOME too, maybe the author can put a list of window managers for linux in the registration form (but I dont think it would). If anybody out there can set up a postgres or mysql database I can code the application to start the GNOME database... But I think this is not the best place to put this comment (kde.org!!)
As we say in my country, I'm probably in the wrong place!
Happy Coding...
Wheres the USA in the country list?
Funny that "Reunion" (slightly smaller than Rhode Island) gets mentioned. It sort of makes sense, though--the rest of the world doesn't like us. I mean, because GWB is our President, we must all be evil, right?
I have just sent an email to site's admin. It must be mistake, there is no conspiracy against US :)
Either who compiled the country list was falling asleep or this site is bound to fail. Like us or not, a LOT of KDE users are in the USA.
eh, we all know gwb won't try to register himself as a kde user :)
> Wheres the USA in the country list?
I wonder why that "Rael" does not speak up here.
I'm not from the US, and also I am against this kind of exclusion-politics.
I even wonder if that wasn't the kde-users count-site only puropose... to start a fire/flamewar...
>I even wonder if that wasn't the kde-users count-site only puropose... to start a fire/flamewar...
Oh, don't be silly! It would be a little overkill to make a that kind of site just to start a flamewar. There is easier ways to start a flamewar, let me demonstrate:
Vi! (now just wait for the emacs people) :)
Considering that this is a standard list of countries (apart from the USA) I can't see the ommission of the USA as being an oversight. There are quite a few American users (from the US of course).
Is it under something else?
That's what I'm wondering. I'll admit a lot of Americans are assholes, but this is flat-out insulting. I looked over the entire list, and I just don't see it. It seems fairly standard, so I wonder how United States of America could be unintentionally left out.
I really hope this was just an accident.
The United States is not listed. If this is an oversight, ok. There are probably more kde users in the US than is any other single country. Please don't have a euro-centric attitude for kde.
Can the US please be added? I am sure this is simply an overwight.
If this is not solved, could we start complaining on the "comments" field as a p.s. note? If this gets too political it will be useless as a KDE users database, i.e. will be too segregated.
It is not Euro-centric. It appears to have everybody except for USA.
I would guess that the info came from a file that was feed into db/flat-file.
Whoever did this ( Most likely Rael ), would have to excluded USA purposely.
I hope that Rael will mature a little and follow the KDE group in avoiding politics.
In fact Rael, you do a disservice to KDE and your own effort by making the # of users appear to be much less than what they are. In fact, I am guessing that you have now managed to piss off a % of users who will continue to use KDE but will not register.
I think the author doesn't isn't ready for the million of people in the US to register that's why US is not on the list. They probably need to ramp up their server before they put it in.
I don't know when the author will be ready.
To me the website is now pretty slow, and taking US off is a necessary thing to keep the website snappy.
Whilst I don't know Rael personally, I find it hard to believe he did that purposely. Like GWB or loathe him, it bares nothing on who uses KDE. An honest mistake I like to think.
I just hope it's an accident. As I said, gwb doesn't come here anyway, so why bother about him?
or...just maybe... They had USA at the top and din't want it there. thinking that it was there twice, they got rid of the top one without checking for the one after the U.K...
but then again, we are having a fact-free discussion here, and this will get us nowhere.
> we are having a fact-free discussion
Ah, so we should take it to Slashdot, then. 8-)
>> we are having a fact-free discussion
>Ah, so we should take it to Slashdot, then. 8-)
Heh, that made me smile :)
I put Ireland. My ancestors were Irish. Who knows where my kids will live... I'm hoping for grandkids to have the opportunity to not live on Earth.
If this is a protest, I think it's quite mean spirited; it's like blaming the people of North Korea because their leader is an egomaniac. Or excluding the people of your own country who are of a particular political party. Those sort of exclusionary actions are sad to see in KDE. Perhaps we should work to keep it men only as well? Or possibly have a nice racial purity? Or only those who believe in a particular diety?
If it isn't a protest, it's one heck of an oversight, especially since it appears to have been snarfed from a list of countries.
KDE, the 4th reich... no I don't like the sound of it... (sorry I'm horrible at spelling in english, and even worse at german)
> it's like blaming the people of North Korea because their leader is an egomaniac.
Not really. A democracy's leader is supposed to be acting on behalf of his/her country's citizens, so ultimately, it's the citizens' responsibility to make sure their president does what he is supposed to. North Korea isn't a democracy, so you can't hold its citizens responsible for what their government does.
On the other hand, some people might claim that GWB wasn't democratically elected...
In any case, I think it's far too soon for people to be screaming "USA hater!!!1" before they've even got a response from the webmaster.
May be a mistake.
I don't think at all it is political (protest gagainst TCPA whatever) and I also don't believe that many persons in the US use KDE. However, I believe that "US" requires federal states as well.
Relax, the project just got started.
> I also don't believe that many persons in the US use KDE.
> I believe that "US" requires federal states as well.
What does that mean?
Contrary to what you believe. The numbers comming out of Linux usage polls by in the US show that KDE is actually used MORE than Gnome. Even on Redhat the KDE/Gnome split is within the margin of error. So whatever anyone thinks about Gnome, KDE is prefered the world over.
By the way, Iraq is not listed either, strange coincidence?
Timor Lorosae (East Timor) is missing to, but this is one is most probably an oversight, as it is the most recently born country.
yea strange very strange, plese add US Irak and East Timor i have a fried thare that i know he uses kde.
Hello US friends,
Here is one simple JavaScript hacky solution (unfortunately it works only with mozilla for me):
1) open in mozilla the registration page URL:
2) in the location bar paste this and press Enter:
javascript:alert(document.forms[0].country.options[0].text="United States");
//(Afghanistan country will get replaced with United States)
3) Submit your data and you are in
This solution will work can work with any work for any other country too (just replace "United States" with another country name). This site seems to not use CountryID (and a separate table with the countries) but a regular VARCHAR column for the countries.
I hope this will work, I haven't tried it since I don't want to experiment with incorrect data.
But here is another (offtopic) issue. While implementing this simple hack for the site I discovered that in fact Konqueror, the javascript: protocol does not work from location bar. Instead it just searches in google what i entered in the location bar. Konqueror developers may want to add this simple feature by default because it's important for web developers.
I hope that the guy who built that site will fix it, add USA and will not delete the US kde users.
European Friend
Seems that it works:
hmm....I guess I should have checked the dot before I figured it out myself.
Ah well...for the record I'm a US citizen and I deplore what the US government is doing in the Middle East and the world in general. History has taught us that if the people want change, the people will do everything in their power. While I think Saddam was a menace I think the Iraqi people as a whole would have said to hell with their differences and revolted against him. I could be wrong but that's how the US was founded. Also while I feel that terrorist organizations are a threat to not just the US, but to the world as a whole I think that we are just as responsible for them hurting others as their open supporters are. Historically speaking the majority of the terrorist organizations are using arms, or money given to them by the US to help us protect/forward our interests/ambitions...think Afghans vs Russians...I also feel that we should stop supporting Israel while they play Nazi to the Palestinian people.
You know what to hell with all I've said before..I think the US should mind it's own business, and work for the people on a national level. Our homeless rate is getting larger, over a quarter of the population is without health care, and our education system is in the rut. Instead of playing international bully and forwarding our international ambitions we need to focus on our own citizens.
So now that I've used the first amendment in all its glory I'm going back to tinkering with the latest CVS of krdc.
Nexistenz - Morphing Dwarfs
>>Historically speaking the majority of the terrorist organizations are using arms, or money given to them by the US to help us protect/forward our interests/ambitions...think Afghans vs Russians...I also feel that we should stop supporting Israel while they play Nazi to the Palestinian people.<<
Other than you being completely wrong, imo, take your bs elsewhere. I come to this site for KDE information. Not for your ignoramus rant.
lets hope that this is pointed out as a major back door.
all data input should always be scanned.
I find it hard to believe that the omission of the United States simply an oversight. It makes me sad to think that the author of the site could be so immature about things.
I think you should give the guy a break. He was definitely trying to help KDE and did not omit anything on purpose (he already stated that on this website). Please try to help in a constructive way instead of complaining and accusing people.
Not that I care, but where did he said that? Could you provide an url?
Opss editors note on the top... how did I missed that :)
Probably because it wasn't there when you wrote your comment :) at least I didn't noticed it until today.
...I'm a bit late reading this and am quite surprised about
the reactions posted here so far.
I recently needed a country list at work for a completely different
purpose and searched the web for one.
Interestingly there were *LOTS* of country lists omitting the U.S.
Why? I suppose it's because many country lists on the internet are
compiled in the U.S. And like often the earth is omitted whenever
all planets in the solar system are listed - many U.S. people just think
of themselves as "earth". This way of thinking is much more common
in the U.S. then anywhere else as I can tell from many different experiences.
Guess that's why Americans often tend to send their solidiers to war and
wonder later on where the heck all those body bags are coming from
(outer space perhaps?)...
So it might well be that the U.S. just was not on the list.
I sincerely hope so because *intentionally* not listing any one country
would be very childish indeed. It's not as if the typical Bush supporter
likes to use Open Source software... In fact there might be Bush supportes
enlisting from other countries as well.
What's truly shocking though is the reaction of people here so far:
As explained it might or not be that the U.S. has been left out intentionally.
We just don't know.
But nearly everyone is almost SURE that it cannot be the case.
I really HATE that behaviour! How can the glorious U.S. just be forgotten?
So now I can tell you this: They can - Period.
It's just a list. The author does not live in the U.S. and they can be
forgotten just like any other country.
Nobody seems as shocked that Iraq is missing or Bosnia-Herzegovina or
whatever. Seems there are quite some countries missing.
All these upset folks here. Quite ridiculous...
thanks for your words martin, I agree completely. Sorry for this "me too" post, but I was just about to write the same.
good night!
Perhaps a new poll should be taken of people who support Bush and use open source software.
But on a more serious note.
America, seeing that we used the most resources, have the most money, and are the best country by far -- we ought to have our country mentioned not once, but about 10 times.
If your not with us, your against us
I thought you we're serious when I start reading. Ten times, you got to be kidding! We have at least 23x more money than anyone else, we have and last time I checked over about 15.6x more resources than any country including New Caledonia! Our cars are better, our food is better, we went to the moon first and we are about to get to mars. Linux was invented by Red Hat which is American, Gnome is ours and since Novell bought SuSE KDE is ours too. So 10 times is a joke, at least half the countries listed should be U.S.A.!
so the discucion as come to this i say 50 times biger
the deficit
the import volume from china
the car's must be the best! sooooooooooo why do you all love mercedes porche and ferrary and crysler does not seel a car in europe
and affrica as the bigests ...........
and nipon as the smallest..............
and economy EU is the biguest market in the world
and wellfare in us is non exitent.
Come on, no need to be sarcastic towards sarcastic posts.. the above comments were just jokes :-)
But yeah, the author missing the country that is likely to have the largest number of KDE users is a bit "iffy", if you ask me.
If it really was an accident, it's no biggie, fix it. If it wasn't, such political statements surely doesn't deserve a story on this website, and I'd urge the editors to yank it.
Perhaps a new poll should be taken of people who support Bush and use open source software
You're joking right? To quote "If your not with us, your against us" comes to mind. Bush supports propriatary software beyond anything imaginable how can he not when the President of Diebold has promised him Ohio come this November?
Honestly though somehow I don't see how Bush supporters can support anything that's vaguely open source. Remember to the uninformed open source equates to communism and we're trying to sell democracy? If Bush or even Bush supporters were to embrace open source the press would jump on it asking how he/they can support a communist license while imposing new sanctions on Cuba.
America, seeing that we used the most resources, have the most money, and are the best country by far -- we ought to have our country mentioned not once, but about 10 times.
Damn straight we're the bestest of the bestest best. We've more money (not per capita but who cares since what we say goes!), more freedoms (not since the PATRIOT act was passed but once again who cares what we say goes!), and the best beer in the world -- bud light (unless you look at Belgian, German, Finish, or even India for quality..what am I saying who cares bud's the best becase we say so and what we say goes!)
Honestly though...no offence Anheuser-Busch but what were you thinking when ya named Budweiser Budweiser? Didn't you do your history and notice that there's another brand with the same name that's been out much longer and tastes much better?
A reply because of my apparant idiocy.
Do tell what's with the whole don't parse the html? It said they were valid and didn't cough or hiccup when I clicked add so I'm going on the assumption that I didn't do something, or did something wrong. Maybe that or the dot doesn't like me using Opera and doesn't offer html as an encoding option. Either way no more including HTML for me.
Nexistenz - Morphing Dwarfs


text:
June 5, 2018, marked the 51st anniversary of the Israeli Occupation of East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza.
But, unlike the massive popular mobilization that preceded the anniversary of the Nakba—the catastrophic destruction of Palestine in 1948—on May 15, the anniversary of the Occupation is hardly generating equal mobilization.
The unsurprising death of the 'peace process' and the inevitable demise of the 'two-state solution' has shifted the focus from ending the Occupation per se, to the larger and more encompassing problem of Israel's colonialism throughout Palestine.
The grassroot mobilization in Gaza and the West Bank, and among Palestinian Bedouin communities in the Naqab Desert are, once more, widening the Palestinian people's sense of national aspirations. Thanks to the limited vision of the Palestinian leadership, those aspirations have, for decades, been confined to Gaza and West Bank.
In some sense, the 'Israeli Occupation' is no longer an occupation as per international standards and definitions. It is merely a phase of Zionist colonization of historic Palestine, a process that began over a 100 years ago, and carries on to this date.
"The law of occupation is primarily motivated by humanitarian consideration; it is solely the facts on the ground that determine its application," states the International Committee of the Red Cross website.
It is for practical purposes that we often utilize the term 'occupation' with reference to Israel's colonization of Palestinian land, occupied after June 5, 1967. The term allows for the constant emphasis on humanitarian rules that are meant to govern Israel's behavior as the Occupying Power.
However, Israel has already, and repeatedly, violated most conditions of what constitute an 'Occupation' from an international law perspective, as articulated in the 1907 Hague Regulations (articles 42-56) and the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention.
According to these definitions, an 'Occupation' is a provisional phase, a temporary situation that is meant to end with the implementation of international law regarding that particular situation.
'Military occupation' is not the sovereignty of the Occupier over the Occupied; it cannot include transfer of citizens from the territories of the Occupying Power to Occupied land; it cannot include ethnic cleansing; destruction of properties; collective punishment and annexation.
It is often argued that Israel is an Occupier that has violated the rules of Occupation as stated in international law.
This would have been the case a year, two or five years after the original Occupation had taken place, but not 51 years later. Since then, the Occupation has turned into long-term colonization.
An obvious proof is Israel's annexation of Occupied land, including the Syrian Golan Heights and Palestinian East Jerusalem in 1981. That decision had no regard for international law, humanitarian or any other.
Israeli politicians have, for years, openly debated the annexation of the West Bank, especially areas that are populated with illegal Jewish settlements, which are built contrary to international law.
Those hundreds of settlements that Israel has been building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are not meant as temporary structures.
Dividing the West Bank into three zones, areas A, B and C, each governed according to different political diktats and military roles, have little precedent in international law.
Israel argues that, contrary to international law, it is no longer an Occupying Power in Gaza; however, an Israel land, maritime and aerial siege has been imposed on the Strip for over 11 years. With successive Israeli wars that have killed thousands, to a hermetic blockade that has pushed the Palestinian population to the brink of starvation, Gaza subsists in isolation.
Gaza is an 'Occupied Territory' in name only, without any of the humanitarian rules applied. In the last 10 weeks alone, over 120 unarmed protesters, journalists and medics were killed and 13,000 wounded, yet the international community and law remain inept, unable to face or challenge Israeli leaders or to overpower equally cold-hearted American vetoes.
The Palestinian Occupied Territories have, long ago, crossed the line from being Occupied to being colonized. But there are reasons that we are trapped in old definitions, leading amongst them is American political hegemony over the legal and political discourses pertaining to Palestine.
One of the main political and legal achievements of the Israeli war—which was carried out with full US support—on several Arab countries in June 1967 is the redefining of the legal and political language on Palestine.
Prior to that war, the discussion was mostly dominated by such urgent issues as the 'Right of Return' for Palestinian refugees to go back to their homes and properties in historic Palestine.
The June war shifted the balances of power completely, and cemented America's role as Israel's main backer on the international stage.
Several UN Security Council resolutions were passed to delegitimize the Israeli Occupation: UNSCR 242, UNSCR 338 and the less talked about but equally significant UNSCR 497.
242 of 1967 demanded "withdrawal of Israel armed forces" from the territories it occupied in the June war. 338, which followed the war of 1973, accentuated and clarified that demand. Resolution 497 of 1981 was a response to Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights. It rendered such a move "null and void and without international and legal affect."
The same applied to the annexation of Jerusalem as to any colonial constructions or any Israeli attempts aimed at changing the legal status of the West Bank.
But Israel is operating with an entirely different mindset.
Considering that anywhere between 600,000 to 750,000 Israeli Jews now live in the 'Occupied Territories', and that the largest settlement of Modi'in Illit houses more than 64,000 Israeli Jews, one has to wonder what form of military occupation blueprint Israel is implementing, anyway?
Israel is a settler colonial project, which began when the Zionist movement aspired to build an exclusive homeland for Jews in Palestine, at the expense of the native inhabitants of that land in the late 19th century.
Nothing has changed since. Only facades, legal definitions and political discourses. The truth is that Palestinians continue to suffer the consequences of Zionist colonialism and they will continue to carry that burden until that original sin is boldly confronted and justly remedied.
Ramzy Baroud is a journalist, author and editor of Palestine Chronicle. His forthcoming book is 'The Last Earth: A Palestinian Story' (Pluto Press, London). Baroud has a Ph.D. in Palestine Studies from the University of Exeter and is a Non-Resident Scholar at Orfalea Center for Global and International Studies, University of California Santa Barbara. His website is www.ramzybaroud.net.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Phone: 208-888-4176
Showroom: Boise, ID
Slide-Lok of Phoenix Partners with National Association of Professional Organizers for Phoenix Area Charity Event |
Slide-Lok of Phoenix donates garage organization products and installation services to support NAPO charity in Phoenix |
Phoenix, AZ – February 25, 2008 – Slide-Lok of Phoenix announces its participation in a NAPO sponsored charity event in Phoenix to benefit a low income family that needs home organization products. Slide-Lok has partnered with NAPO, the National Association of Professional Organizers, to help a local Phoenix family. NAPO, a not-for-profit professional association, has been active since 1985. The association helps to develop and promote companies in the organization industry. Once a year, NAPO reviews families in the local Phoenix community that are in need of assistance with home organization. The family chosen this year has been very active in giving back to their community despite the hardships they have endured. Slide-Lok of Phoenix, the local Slide-Lok Master Dealership, has donated garage cabinets, a countertop workspace, overhead storage racks and installation services, to support NAPO in its mission to provide home organization to improve the life of this deserving family. Jennifer Furrier, owner of Essential Organizing and member of NAPO, expressed, "This year's event was beyond successful. Thanks to the magic of Slide-Lok's products and services, this family received a complete garage transformation and new shelving in all of their closets to enable easy access and increased storage. The family will be enjoying a refreshed, efficient space for years to come!" Matt Thomas, Closet Division Sales Manager for Slide-Lok, stated, "We wanted to be a good corporate citizen and to help support local charitable activities such as the current project with NAPO." Thomas added, "Slide-Lok has a formal program called the 'Good Corporate Citizen and Charity Credit', which encourages its Master Dealers to participate in charitable activities in their local communities. This program helps subsidize a portion of Slide-Lok products that are used for charitable purposes in a Master Dealer's local community." During the transformation of the family's home, Matt Thomas also contributed his own personal time and effort in helping the family reorganize and rearrange everything from toys to couches; a special thanks goes out to him for being so "hands on" with this project. For more information on Slide-Lok garage cabinets, garage floor coating systems, garage storage products or closet systems, contact Slide-Lok at 800-835-1759, or visit them on the web at www.slide-lok.com. About Slide-Lok: Slide-Lok is an industry leader in the fast growing garage and overall home organization market with over 30 years experience in producing high quality, durable cabinetry and Slat-Wall storage systems. Slide-Lok's garage cabinets utilize a patented dovetail design, plywood construction, adjustable 6-way hinges, and Thermofuse doors – making Slide-Lok the quality leader. Slide-Lok's garage flooring system features a 1 day all weather install and are 4x stronger than epoxy; and Slide-Lok's closet line features dovetail construction, fast order to install time, and the quality and esthetics consumers have come to expect from Slide-Lok. Slide-Lok is proud to be an officially licensed product of NASCAR in conjunction with the top NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers. Slide-Lok's garage cabinets are also featured on BobVila.com. Slide-Lok's dealer network includes more than 150 dealers across the United States and Canada. |
### |
Please call: 208-888-4176 or Contact us › ›


text:
The exercise will be conducted in various phases, both in harbor and at sea encompassing the various facets of war-fighting and combat operations.
By Press Information Bureau
Image Attribute: Two aircraft carriers of the Indian Navy - INS Vikramaditya and INS Viraat.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
The Indian Navy's Annual Theatre Readiness Operational Exercise (TROPEX) got underway on Jan 24, 2017.
The month-long exercise will have ships and aircraft of both the Western and Eastern Naval Commands, as also assets from the Indian Air Force, Indian Army and the Indian Coast Guard exercising together. The exercise is being conducted off the Western Seaboard.
The last edition of the exercise was conducted in January 2015.
TROPEX has grown in scale and complexity over the years and will see participation of major surface combatants and air assets of the Indian Navy including the aircraft carrier Vikramaditya, nuclear submarine Chakra, Landing Platform Dock (LPD) Jalashwa, the recently commissioned destroyer Chennai, the P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft operating alongside SU-30 MKI, Jaguars, AWACS, IL-78 Flight Refuelling Aircraft of the Indian Air Force and Infantry units of the Indian Army.
Image Attribute: INS Jalashwa, Indian Navy's amphibious transport dock
The exercise will be conducted in various phases, both in harbor and at sea encompassing the various facets of war-fighting and combat operations.
TROPEX 17 assumes special significance in the backdrop of the current security scenario.
The exercise is aimed at testing the combat readiness of the combined fleets of the Indian Navy, and the assets of the Indian Air Force, Indian Army, and the Indian Coast Guard. It will also strengthen inter-operability and joint operations in a complex environment.


text:
Following the closure of CreateSpace's eStore, Amazon has now delivered a further blow to the company. This makes it all more likely that all of CreateSpace operations will eventually be rolled into KDP Print.
In a surprising statement, Amazon announced its decision to move CreateSpace out of paid author services such as professional design and editing:
After a thorough review of our service offerings, we've made the decision to discontinue Createspace's paid professional editing, design, and marketing services. We will work closely with impacted employees through this transition to help them find new roles within the company or assist them with pursuing opportunities outside the company.
Amazon Statement
Even though most Indie authors I know prefer to use their own resources for such services, CreateSpace's design and editing services were in direct competition to book publishers such as BookBaby and IngramSparks. Still, Amazon says the latest round of layoffs won't affect its printing operations in the Midlands, and its North Charleston office will stay open. This indicates that CreateSpace's book printing side of business is safe, at least for now.
It now looks like CreateSpace will focus exclusively on what it, arguably, does best: Print On Demand–aka get books ready for publishing on Amazon. As a reminder, Createspace, which makes books, CDs, and DVDs on demand, was initially known as BookSurge, a startup that Amazon bought in 2005.


text:
It prominently highlights the great work of my Friedman School colleagues Miriam Nelson and Christina Economos:
Miriam Nelson got the call while she was rock climbing in Canada: It was the White House assistant chef, of all people, summoning her to a closed-door meeting with the new first lady of the United States. It was 2009, Nelson was one of the nation's top experts on nutrition and exercise, a Tufts University professor at the time, and she wasn't the only one: a half-dozen more got the same surprise invitation....I also enjoyed Danny Vinik's interesting poll of food policy experts. It seems revealing that most of the respondents would have supported stronger language in the Dietary Guidelines encouraging Americans to consume less meat (after all, that was the view of the more independent scientific Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee), limits on healthy food marketing to kids, and state or local initiatives to tax soda. Separately, the majority also supported greater efforts to reduce hunger. But, the majority did not support mandatory GMO labeling. I was included in the sample, and, in each case, I voted with the majority.
With Democrats holding control of Congress, Nelson and the others realized, the East Wing was formulating a big policy push that would use all available levers of the federal government to improve how Americans eat. They wanted a new law to make school lunches healthier; they saw ways to deploy federal stimulus dollars on new cooking equipment in public school cafeterias and to use government financing to get grocery stores into poor communities where fresh food wasn't readily available. They wanted to overhaul the federal nutrition label so it confronted shoppers more directly with calorie counts. Even the more symbolic side of American food policy was coming under the microscope: A reboot of the decades-old "food pyramid" that told families how to balance a meal.
"You really got the sense that this is something that she was likely to take on," recalled Nelson, who was asked for advice on nutrition and exercise programs that worked. "It was very exciting."
A brief digression on survey sampling: The poll is not a scientific survey of observations randomly sampled from a larger population of food policy experts in general. Instead, it is a tabulation of responses from a particular sample of researchers and writers on food policy topics. As such, it seems important to let readers know who was sampled -- which is exactly what Vinik does in a list at the bottom of the article. That seems to me a completely legitimate reporting approach. Also, it is fun to try to guess which of my colleagues gave which answers.


text:
Blue Enamel Chain Bracelet 925 Sterling Silver. While every week is unique so are our ITEMS. We are adding new listings Weekly.
ADORNALE -The Trusted Name in Jewelry Since 1974. It Is Known By Its Diamond Gold Jewelry Collection (Ring, Earring, Pendant, Bangle, Bracelet, Necklace, Finding) Of Costume, Cheap, Designer, Hand Made, Fashion, Fine, Ethnic, Regional, Traditional, Religious, Spiritual, Indian, Asian, Christian, Wedding, Promorian Style, Antiquise, Bridal, Anniversary, Engagement, Handcrafted, Artisan, Victe Style, Vintage Style, Mogul Style, Eternity Band, Studs, Hoops, Dangler, Chandelier, Cuff, Macramé, Hemp, Thread, Link Chain, Brooches, Charms, Om, Holly Cross, Spacer, Connector, Loose Beads, Metal Bead, 14K, 18K, 22K, Yellow Gold, White Gold.
925, Sterling, Oxidised Silver, Enamel work, Filigree Work, Rose Cut, Uncut, Single Cut, Double Cut, Princess Cut, Pave Diamond, Christmas, Christmas gift, Christmas offer, Christmas holiday gift, Corporate Christmas gifts, Business Christmas gifts, Christmas gift for kids, Christmas gift for him, Christmas gift for her, Christmas gift for children, Christmas gift for father, Christmas gift for mother, Semi-Precious Stone Jewelry. Your one-stop store for all kinds of New Vintage, Antique, Estate, Victorian, Art Deco reproduction Jewelry inspired from original Antique & Victorian era designs handcrafted using the skilled manpower. We can also make customized jewelry as per your requirements. In case you need any clarification or information about any of our products, pls. We shall get back to you within 24-48 hrs. Time except for National holidays and weekends. We check all our items for manufacturing and the stone quality used in making the item. The item must not be altered or damaged in any way shape or form. We only sell brand new items. We do not sell used jewelry. All our jewelry is 100% natural conflict-free. We do not sell fake or lab-created gemstones or diamonds. Listing Template by Kyozou inc.


text:
Back to school shopping season is upon us. Time for comfy/cool T-shirts! I have purchased tees for my kiddos and myself from a ton of different vendors over the years. The Mountain is one company that I keep coming back to.
The Mountain tees are built to last a generation and they cater to nerdy animal lovers like myself. Perfect for Portlanders! Whether you are a student, a parent or someone else these shirts are sure to leave a smile on your face as they wrap you in coziness.
A picture says a thousand words so I am sure you all currently understand how awestruck I am by the Yin Yang Wolves Hoodie. So comfy, so beautiful, so fuzzy looking... I just might cry.
Behold the stunning Last Unicorn T shirt. Modeled by a man, it is clear that this unisex shirt looks great on absolutely everyone. The angelic unicorn looks breathtaking hovering above the jewel toned background. This may be my favorite.
This beauty is a kid's shirt but I simply couldn't resist adding it as an option for myself lol. After all, an XL in kids has the same width as a men's small. The length is smaller but that is actually a benefit for the short torsoed people of the world like myself. Plus the kid's shirts are cheaper lol.
Every boy needs a gorilla shirt. Just look at the grand ape's expression. He looks like a boss that is hard to please. I bet he's thinking, "I am not amused human, but I am also bored. Proceed."
Have a different favorite t-shirt brand? Please share it with me. Ts are life. Uniqlo is still my fave but The Mountain is a close second.


text:
From office paper, to toilet paper, paper towels, paper coffee cups, newspapers, paper bags, magazines and catalogs, notebooks, napkins, and packaging, we cannot escape our dependency on paper products. Check out some of these crazy facts related to paper manufacturing and use:
- Deforestation causes more global warming pollution than all forms of transportation combined. A single forest tree absorbs 26 pounds of carbon dioxide per year, an acre of trees can remove 2.4 to 5 tons of carbon dioxide per year, and there are 728 million forested acres in the United States that remove more than 1.7 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year.
- 50-75% of the pulp used to make toilet paper comes from old growth forests, which are valuable ecosystems and also play a huge role in absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere.
- Americans consume more paper than any other country on earth. Each American, on average, uses 741 pounds of paper per year. Furthermore, The United States is the largest market for toilet paper, and only 2% of sales are from 100% recycled toilet paper.
- In addition to contributing to the detriments of deforestation, the pulp and paper industry is the third largest industrial emitter of global warming pollution (coming in after the chemical and steel industries). To make things worse, CO2 emissions from the paper industry are expected to double by 2020.
- 36% of the average landfill is comprised of paper. Americans discard 4 million tons of office paper each year, which is enough to build a 12-foot wall from Los Angeles to New York City.
- The pulp and paper industry is the single largest industrial consumer of freshwater.
As last week's blog recommended, there is a lot we can do to reduce our use of paper: reusing shopping bags, printing on both sides, refusing junk mail, using cloth napkins, reusing coffee cups, and by buying products with less packaging. But, sometimes, even when we are doing all of these things, it is still easy to forget the most simple of tasks: buying recycled paper products, especially toilet paper!
Sure, it is not as fluffy – but let's not exaggerate – the recycled stuff does the trick and it is far from sandpaper. And, wouldn't you rather have a future where we have curbed climate change, still have forests, and have clean water to drink? I don't mean to sound extreme – but that is what we are dealing with. I've said this before, and I'll say it again: as consumers we have tremendous power to change the world. The day we no longer demand the plushy, soft, and tree-killing kind of toilet paper, the market will no longer produce it. So next time you are faced with the choice – make the earth friendly one. I'm sure your skin will forgive you. If you are having trouble taking the plunge, just think that if every household replaced just one roll (500 sheets) of virgin fiber toilet paper with a 100% recycled one, we would save 423,900 trees!
Buying recycled office paper is also important. Ask your manager to green-up the office! How much of a difference can it make? According to the Public Works Department of San Mateo County, California:
Every 20 cases of recycled paper saves 17 trees, 390 gallons of oil, 7000 gallons of water, and 4100 kwh of energy. It also eliminates 60 pounds of air-polluting emissions and saves 8 cubic feet of landfill space.
While it is not always the first thing on our minds as we strive to green-up our lives, buying recycled toilet paper is an important step. In addition to saving old-growth forests, it gives recycled newspaper and office paper an afterlife to look forward to. In addition to 100% recycled, also buy the brand with the highest percentage of post-consumer material and make sure the bleaching process is elemental chlorine free. Check out one of the many buyers guides here.
By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, cleaner cars, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.


text:
This website is a valuable resource for me. Thank you!
The Ultimate Estate Planner, Inc. is not only a company offering a suite of hard to find products and services, but their customer service philosophy and desire to add value to my practice was so excellent that it is nearly unbelievable! I am a busy guy, and often hard to connect with, but Kristina Schneider kept following up with me to make sure that I got what I needed. I have no doubt that the practice growth techniques that she recommended to me during my Seminar Marketing Consultation will form the foundation of the transition of my practice from a chaotic general practice to a successful and enjoyable estate planning practice that will serve my family well for years to come. Great company, great folks, great job!
Over the past few months, I have purchased some products and services from The Ultimate Estate Planner and I will definitely continue to do so. The staff at Ultimate Estate Planner are such a joy to work with and the materials that have been provided to me have allowed me to help my clients. Thank you! I am grateful that Phil is willing to share his expertise and at such a reasonable pricing. He has saved me immeasurable time and headache. Keep up the great work that you provide the estate planning community!
Thanks for taking the lead and putting together all of these educational teleconferences. You have really found a niche. The topics are great and timely. Unfortunately, I cannot attend them all. Some people might think paying to attend the call is a way to say "thanks" in of itself, but I just wanted to personally send you my thanks!
I am very impressed with how Phil and his team at The Ultimate Estate Planner continue to give excellent and prompt assistance even after they've gotten their check. Very professional!
Not sure what you're looking for or what we have available to help you and your practice? No problem! Let us help you.
I am proud to offer my clients what I consider to be the finest and most comprehensive estate planning services anywhere. My practice is based on innovative legal documents and the revolutionary seminar marketing packages developed by Phil Kavesh, the founder and President of The Ultimate Estate Planner. I have been an avid follower of Phil's systems since the 1990's and if you're not using Phil's materials, you're clearly missing the boat!


text:
TFX 140 Rear Shock / Rebound & Preload Adjust / F650GS Twin '08-'12
TFX 140 Internal Floating Piston (IFP) SHOCK / Rebound & Preload Adjustments
TFX "IFP" Shocks feature the same quality components as their more advanced piggyback shocks, but with less oil capacity and damping adjustability at a lower price point. These IFP type shocks utilize an internal floating piston design which separates the oil and gas resulting in drastically reduced oil cavitation compared to an emulsion design where gas molecules are allowed to mix in with the oil. This means fade free performance even when heavily loaded or when riding over rough streets and off road terrain. IFP type shocks are superior to emulsion designs.
Model 140 IFP Shocks include the following features:
- Designed, tested and manufactured in Holland
- 6082 Heat treated and Hard Anodized Aluminum Cylinder for maximum strength & better heat dissipation than steel cylinders
- Available with either Threaded or Hydraulic Preload Adjuster for optimum sag setup. (see *Recommendation, below)
- Fully rebuildable
- Externally adjustable rebound damping with the simple turn of an easily accessible knob, no tools required
- Set up for your weight and loads by the experts at Beemershop
- Large 16mm chrome induction hardened piston rod
- Low Friction Heavy Duty reinforced Seal Heads with backup rings for reliable shaft sealing, even in the most extreme conditions
- 5 Year manufacturer warranty for workmanship and defects


text:
One of the aspects students and teachers miss about remote learning is being together in the same space. With Microsoft Teams Large Gallery and Together Mode, everyone appears together—virtual high fives are encouraged!
Watch this short video for a quick tip on how to use these new features—and get your students together again.


text:
DETROIT (AP) — U.S. highway safety regulators have opened yet another investigation into problems with Teslas, this time tied to complaints that the seat belts may not hold people in a crash.
The investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration covers an estimated 50,000 Model X SUVs from the 2022 and 2023 model years.
The agency says it has two complaints from Tesla owners that the front belts weren't sufficiently connected at the factory.
Documents posted by the agency Tuesday say the belt linkage and pretensioners, which tighten the belts before a crash, are anchored to the seat frames.
Both complaints allege that the linkage and pretensioner separated from the frames when the vehicles were driving and force was exerted. Neither incident involved a crash.
The agency says it's opening the probe to look into Tesla's manufacturing processes, how often the problem happens and how widespread it is. Investigations can lead to recalls.
A message was left early Tuesday seeking comment from Tesla.
NHTSA also is investigating complaints about problems with Teslas that date to 2020. The probes include Teslas with partially automated driving systems that can brake for no reason or can run into emergency vehicles parked on highways.
There also are investigations into complaints that some steering wheels can suddenly disconnect and that suspension parts can fail.


text:
Ribbed Snow Leopard Turban
Ribbed Snow Leopard Turban
Regular price
Regular price
Sale price
Unit price
Our Ribbed Snow Leopard turban is made with a super soft and stretchy knit fabric.
Each turban has raw cut edges, and are all hand sewn. No glue is used.
Size Chart
Size Chart
Our sizing is a general guideline based on average head circumferences. Sizes based on age can vary widely, as every head has a different shape and size. If you are unsure of what size to order, you can send a message or leave a note on your order with the specific head measurement and I can tailor it to give you the best fit.
Washing Instructions
Washing Instructions
If needed spot clean, or handwash items with a mild detergent in cold water. Lay flat to dry.
Additional Information
Additional Information
*As with any baby item, Please do not leave babies unattended while wearing items at all times.
*Please note: We do our best to show all products as true to color as possible, but colors may appear slightly different based on your monitor settings.
*This listing is for 1 item in your choice of size and style. Photos with more than 1 item are examples of the different styles you have to choose from or to help show color comparison. They are not included.


text:
George Weah: Liberia's new President's first address to the nation – in full
Our economy is broken, our government is broke ( full transcript below)
What a privilege and honor to have Her Excellency Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf here gracing this occasion. Madam, welcome. Your presence here today shows how far we have come as people.
Honorable ladies and gentlemen of the 54th Legislature:
I stand before you today, under the mandate of Article 58 of the Constitution of the Republic of Liberia, which places a duty on the president of the republic, on the 4th Monday of January every year, to present the administration's legislative program for the ensuing session of this honorable legislature, and to report to the Liberian people, through you, their duly elected representatives, in joint assembly, on the state of the republic.
Before I commence to do so, I would first of all like to thank the almighty God for his bountiful goodness and abundant mercies that he has bestowed upon us as a nation and as a people. With his steady hands, he has guided our ship of state through stormy seas and contrary winds, and has brought us safely to a calm and peaceful shore, where we can find refuge and strength.
Honorable ladies and gentlemen of the 54th Legislature:
Exactly one week ago, we witnessed and participated in an historic and peaceful transition from an incumbent administration to a newly elected government, the first such event in our history for more than 70 years. Liberians have received commendations and congratulations from all over the world for the civility and maturity demonstrated throughout this long process, which eventually ended in the passing of the baton from one generation of leadership to a younger generation.
And so, it came to pass, as a result of this process, that I, George Manneh Weah, your humble servant, took the oath of office and was sworn in as the 24th president of the Republic of Liberia, in the presence of most – if not all – of you. I swore that I would preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of Liberia. And, in the process, I asked the almighty God to help me to do so, to the best of my abilities.
And this is exactly what I intend to do.
The Liberian Constitution, which is the supreme law of the republic, and with which I am intimately familiar, shall be my principal guide for leadership and governance throughout my tenure as president. Without pretending to be a constitutional scholar, expert, or lawyer, I have found direction, as well as inspiration, from studying it. I would humbly advise all of you honorable ladies and gentlemen, and indeed – all Liberians – to study your constitution well, for I find it to be the most useful and practical guide for those who would govern, and for those who are governed.
My assumption is that not everyone is familiar with the constitution, as they ought to be. I will now beg your indulgence to allow me to make frequent references to it today as I address you. In some instances, I will read extensively from it.
Honorable ladies and gentlemen:
What is expected of us, who have been elected by our people to govern them? What is really expected of those of us who have been entrusted with the responsibility to lead them? The answer is to be found in Chapter 2 of our constitution, from which I shall now read selected articles extensively and verbatim:
Chapter II: General Principles of National Policy
Article 4:
The principles contained in this chapter shall be fundamental in the governance of the republic and shall serve as guidelines in the formulation of legislative, executive and administrative directives, policy-making and their execution.
Article 5:
The Republic shall:
- a) aim at strengthening the national integration and unity of the people of Liberia, regardless of ethnic, regional or other differences, into one body politic; and the legislature shall enact laws promoting national unification, and the encouragement of all citizens to participate in government;
- b) preserve, protect, and promote positive Liberian culture, ensuring that traditional values which are compatible with public policy and national progress are adopted and developed, as an integral part of the growing needs of the Liberian society;
- c) take steps, by appropriate legislation and executive orders, to eliminate sectionalism and tribalism, and such abuses of power as the misuse of government resources, nepotism and all other corrupt practices.
Article 6:
The republic shall, because of the vital role assigned to the individual citizen under this constitution for the social, economic and political well-being of Liberia, provide equal access to educational opportunities and facilities for all citizens to the extent of available resources. Emphasis shall be placed on the mass education of the Liberian people and the elimination of illiteracy.
Article 7:
The republic shall, consistent with the principles of individual freedom and social justice enshrined in this constitution, manage the national economy and the natural resources of Liberia in such manner as shall ensure the maximum feasible participation of Liberian citizens under conditions of equality, so as to advance the general welfare of the Liberian people and the economic development of Liberia.
Article 8:
The republic shall direct its policy towards ensuring for all citizens, without discrimination, opportunities for employment and livelihood under just and humane conditions, and towards promoting safety, health and welfare facilities in employment.
Article 9:
The republic shall encourage the promotion of bilateral and regional cooperation between and among Liberia and other nations, and the formation and maintenance of regional organizations aimed at the cultural, social, political and economic development of the peoples of Africa and other nations of the world.
Article 10:
The republic shall ensure the publication and dissemination of this constitution throughout the republic, and the teaching of its principles and provisions in all institutions of learning in Liberia.
Honorable ladies and gentlemen of the 54th Legislature:
This is the backdrop against which the legislative program of my administration shall be proposed for your kind consideration.
And you will soon discover, upon closer examination, that Chapter 2 of our constitution forms the essential framework for the formulation of the political manifesto and platform upon which I – and many of you – ran and won during the just needed elections.
It is customary that the State of the Nation address gives an account of the president's stewardship of the government for the previous year, and then sets out his legislative agenda for the ensuing session. Additionally, the president is expected to present the overall economic condition of the nation, which should cover both expenditure and revenue.
In this regard, as I have been president for only one week, I cannot be expected to report with authority on the expenditure and income of the government of Liberia for the previous year, which was administered under my predecessor. Of course, during the transition process, certain information has been provided to us on both income and expenditure, containing balances, which we now inherit to carry forward.
Total revenues collected in calendar year 2017 amounted to US$489.1 million, which is a 13 percent decline over revenue collected in 2016, which was US$565.1 million.
I cannot vouch for the accuracy or completeness of this information, in the absence of verification by a full and proper audit conducted by a competent authority.
This highly unusual situation is caused by the delays in the recent electoral process, which had the effect of reducing the transition period from three months to three weeks.
Nevertheless, and in spite of the above-described situation, it is possible to inform you that the state of the economy that my administration has inherited, leaves a lot to be desired. This is plain for all to see, for we are all affected by it. Our economy is broken, our government is broke, our currency is in free-fall, inflation is rising, unemployment is at an unprecedented high, and our foreign reserves are at an all-time low.
Honorable ladies and gentlemen:
This is the challenge that we face. In order to overcome these constraints and reverse these trends, we, the Executive, will have to work in close collaboration with you, the Legislature, as separate, but coordinate branches of government, to find solutions to these obstacles to our progress and development.
During the course of this session, we shall propose and introduce appropriate legislation for your consideration and approval, that will be based on the four pillars of our platform, namely:
Pillar One: Power to the People
We shall focus on reviews and revision of our education system, improve health and sanitation, promote and strengthen gender equality, and provide for youth re-orientation and empowerment through training of all kinds, the creation of jobs, and the expansion of sports.
As Nelson Mandela once said, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." The improvement of our education system is and shall remain a constant and major priority during my administration.
For example, I made a promise that my government will absorb the WAEC fees for all 12th graders, and I remain committed to that promise. My government has already started to disburse these fees by committing an initial amount of US$200,000.
Pillar Two: Economy and Jobs
We will introduce new legislation and policies which will be intended to achieve sustainable economic growth, develop and expand agriculture, and address our very large infrastructure deficit, with particular emphasis on road construction and the provision of affordable and adequate electricity for all our people.
Pillar Three: Sustaining the Peace
Under this pillar, we shall examine ways to improve the judiciary system to ensure that the basic rights of all Liberians are protected. To that end, we will propose legislation that will be intended to create new processes and avenues to ensure that all our people are fully reconciled.
In terms of security and defense, we will rely on your budgetary support to enable us to continue to improve the professional and operational development of the Armed Forces of Liberia, and other security agencies, in order to better prepare them to participate in the fight against global terrorism. In this regard, we will specially focus on the housing constraints faced by our security personnel.
Pillar Four: Governance and Transparency
We will request you to draft legislation that will focus on the decentralization of institutions and systems of governance, review and build upon the current Code of Conduct in order to increase accountability of public officials and reduce the incidence of corruption.
In an effort to make government more efficient, we will submit to you, a draft legislation to re-structure the cabinet of the Executive branch to make our ministries more effective in addressing the specific requirements of our various sectors.
Honorable ladies and gentlemen:
What I have just presented to you is a broad and general indication of our legislative program. However, and more specifically, I would like to inform you that my immediate strategy for reducing poverty, increasing youth empowerment through job creation and training, and improving the productivity of our economy, is to embark upon a comprehensive road and highway construction program, that will link all county capitals with all-weather paved primary roads.
They will be built to the highest international standards, and linked to paved secondary farm-to-market roads that will enhance agriculture, trade, and tourism in Liberia. Particular priority will be given to a coastal highway that will run from Buchanan to Harper, which will eventually end the complete isolation of south-eastern Liberia, a condition that has existed since the formation of this country.
This is a medium-term project which will take several years to complete, but it is the intention of my government to prioritize the planning and raising of funding for this important development goal, which has been estimated to cost approximately US$3 billion. This is going to be very challenging, but I am convinced that, with the assistance of friendly governments and institutions, this can be achieved before the end of my tenure.
Honorable ladies and gentlemen:
I would now like to address you on what I consider to be my most urgent and imperative agenda.
Since the founding of this country in 1847, more than 170 years ago, there have been certain restrictions on citizenship and property ownership that – in my view – have become serious impediments to the development and progress of this country. These restrictions include the limitation of citizenship only to black people, the limitation of property ownership exclusively to citizens, and the non-allowance of dual citizenship.
Limitation of Citizenship Only to Black People
The framers of the 1847 constitution may have had every reason and justification to include these restrictions in that historic document. In their own words, and I quote:
"The great object of forming these colonies, being to provide a home for the dispersed and oppressed children of Africa, and to regenerate and enlighten this benighted continent, none but persons of color shall be admitted to citizenship in this republic."
They, as freed slaves, were fleeing from the oppressive yoke of slavery imposed upon them by white slave owners. They therefore wanted Liberia to be "…a refuge and a haven for freed men of color", and so they restricted citizenship only to black people.
This may have been appropriate for the 19th century, and for the threats and conditions that existed at that time.
However, here in the 21st century, I am of the view that these threats no longer exist, and that these conditions have changed. In these circumstances, it is my view that keeping such a clause in our constitution is unnecessary, racist, and inappropriate for the place that Liberia occupies today in the comity of nations.
It also contradicts the very definition of Liberia, which is derived from the Latin word 'liber,' meaning "liberty." I believe that we should have nothing to fear from people of any other race becoming citizen of Liberia, once they conform to the requirements of our immigration and naturalization laws, as maybe appropriately amended to address this new situation.
In fact, we have everything to gain. If we look in our region amongst the other member states of ECOWAS, especially our neighbors in La Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana, it will soon be observed that permitting people of other races to become citizens has not marginalized their indigenes.
I believe that this is an anomaly that should not have found its way into the 1986 Constitution [Chapter 4, Article 27]. I therefore strongly recommend and propose, respectfully, that consideration should be given to removing it by appropriate measures provided for in our laws for amending the Constitution [Chapter 12].
Restriction of Land Ownership Exclusively to Citizens
The second provision in our constitution, which tends today to impede our progress and stunt our growth and development is the restriction of land ownership only to Liberian citizens [Article 22-a].
No foreign investor – in fact, not any investor – will be willing to make significant direct investments in our country if they cannot own property in fee simple. Furthermore, direct investments placed on leased properties are virtually unbankable, because most banks are reluctant to accept leaseholds as collateral for loans to persons and business entities for projects that could very well enhance our development and create jobs for our people.
It is inconsistent with my pronouncement that "Liberia is open for business," while at the same time denying those who would heed our call and come to Liberia to invest, when they are prevented from owning property because of their lack of Liberian citizenship.
Liberian citizens are free to purchase property in any other country as non-citizens, yet our constitution and laws will not allow similar privileged to be accorded to the citizens of other nations. I, therefore, strongly recommend that this restriction be removed, and that the appropriate rules and regulations of the Land Commission and other relevant agencies be amended and strengthened to accommodate this new development, if approved by referendum.
Dual Citizenship
The third matter of concern to me is the restriction placed in our constitution on Liberians holding dual citizenship.
I believe that most Liberians who are also citizens of another country probably acquired the additional nationality as a means to escape from the terrible atrocities which characterized our civil conflict, and for economic survival in their new countries of residence. If, as a condition precedent for other countries to grant citizenship to these persons, they had to disavow their loyalty to Liberia and pledge allegiance to the laws of another country, then it could have been out of necessity, rather than a matter of the heart.
And if conditions now exist in Liberia that make them want to return home and contribute their quota to the development of our common patrimony, then I do not think that it is fair to treat them as non-citizens in the land of their birth. Many Liberians in diaspora have heard my clarion call to return home and bring their energies, skills, talents, and expertise to join us in the building of a New Liberia.
We need them, and so long as they were born in this country, they were Liberians first, and I believe that they should be welcomed back home with open arms. Whether or not they are required to renounce their adopted nationalities, should be a matter of their consciences and the laws which govern their naturalization in their respective domiciles. They should be free to make those choices and decisions.
Honorable ladies and gentlemen:
We are all aware that a Constitutional Review Committee was recently established during the previous administration to review these issues, amongst others. The report was presented to the Executive, who then duly forwarded it to you for your consideration, and, to the best of my knowledge, it is still tabled and awaiting your action. Our people spoke.
However, some of the provisions that were agreed upon are not – in my view — in the interest of future peace and sustainable economic growth of our Nation.
If we must build a new Liberia that will unite us all and open our doors to investors, then I will respectfully request, ladies and gentlemen, that you re-visit the work of the Commission in light of new, and existing, realities, in the best interest of our people and Nation.
Honorable members of the 54th Legislature:
With the assessment that I gave you earlier of the poor condition of our economy, I believe that it is appropriate that we should all make sacrifices in the interest of our country. According to Article 60 of the constitution, the salaries of the president and the vice president are established by the legislature, and cannot be increased or reduced during the period for which they are elected.
However, in view of the very rapidly deteriorating situation of the economy, I am informing you today, with immediate effect, that I will reduce my salary and benefits by 25 percent and give the proceeds back to the Consolidated Fund for allocation and appropriation as they see fit.
In the meantime, I would urge you, honorable ladies and gentlemen, to follow my lead, in the interest of your constituents.
And so, in closing, honorable ladies and gentlemen of the 54th Legislature, let us all remember that we were elected to serve the Liberian people, and not to be masters over them. Let us all strive to practice servant-leadership, whereby all that we do inside and outside these chambers as elected leaders shall be for the benefit of the Liberian people, by whose mandate we have been given this responsibility to lead them, and this opportunity to serve them.
Let us all exert our best effort to ensure that, in the cause of the people, the struggle must end!
And now, honorable ladies and gentlemen, I wish to report to you, and through you to all of your constituents, that the State of the Nation is peaceful and full of promise. We are at peace with ourselves, we are at peace with our neighbors, and we are at peace with the world. There is hope that this newly elected government will bring the change that our people deserve, and will usher in a new era of prosperity and growth.
May God bless the works of our hands, and save the State.
I thank you.


text:
Friday, July 31, 2009
Dan Barry's Flowery Front-Page Profile Of Homeless Group Leaves Out Leader's Conviction As Child Rapist -- Among Other Things.
Trouble is, they're not living under the overpass anymore. They moved on Wednesday, a story covered by the Providence local press -- as was the fact that the group's leader turned out to be a registered sex offender.
A quick Google search -- which Barry was far too busy noting the fact that "a tea kettle sings" to bother with -- reveals that Freitas was convicted of raping a child in the late 1970s and of sexual assault in 1985.
In March of 2008, Freitas turned himself in to Massachusetts authorities, after a failure to register landed him on that state's list of Ten Most Wanted Sex Offenders. Freitas was listed as a "Level 3" sex offender, which -- according to a March 21, 2008 account in the Attleboro, Mass. Sun Chronicle -- means he was "considered by the state to be the most likely to commit new sex crimes."
Barry's story reports only that Freitas "did prison time decades ago" and that he "became homeless for all the familiar, complicated reasons."
Barry, whose prose is as purple as the mountain's majesty he covers, apparently can't be troubled with conventional reporting techniques like Google and Nexis to flesh out his obervations of things like the glow of his subect's cigar. The result is a stale story that -- yet again -- repurposes local news for an unknowing national audience.
There has, in fact, been considerable coverage in Providence of "Camp Runamuck," a tent city set up by John Freitas and his girlfriend last spring. Much of it in the last week has focused on controversy surrounding Freitas's leadership role in the group -- a topic that gets a scant mention in Barry's piece.
According to an account that aired Tuesday on the local ABC news affiliate, Freitas was being accused by other residents of having left the camp and taking food and supplies with him. Another local station reported the news of Freitas's registered sex offender background.
But in some ways the greatest failing of Barry's story is that it doesn't report the most significant new about the camp -- which is that as of Wednesday, Camp Runamuck had moved from the location in Barry's piece to a different area entirely.
Barry's story only mentions in passing that state officials "recently stopped by to say nicely but firmly, that everyone would soon have to leave," but then reports that "for now" remains where he saw them "in late July," still under the overpass in Providence. He then adds this confusing passage that doesn't do anything to inform readers of the group's current circumstances:
Tomorrow, an advance party for the chief will leave to claim another spot across the river that turns out not to be on public property. Many in the camp will decide it's time to move on anyway, to a spot under a bridge in East Providence. Camp Runamuck will begin its recession from sight and memory.
It's unclear when the "tomorrow" Barry refers to actually happened, but in fact, the group has already moved from the place where Barry's scene is set.
The Providence Journal reported a week ago on the group's intention to move from their spot under a bridge on the Providence River. (It was the Journal that first chronicled the story of the homeless group on a July 8 profile.) Yesterday's Journal reported on the fact that the group had fully relocated to East Providence, under a bridge.
But what difference does a real-time narrative make to Dan Barry? He's too busy with fuzzy atmospheric details like the fact that "the March winds blew" when Freitas set out to find this location in the first place -- a fact we're quite sure the NYT reporter confirmed with the National Weather Service.
11 comments:
- Anonymous said...
That same tent city is in fact still living under an overpass - just one nearby
- July 31, 2009 at 1:04 PM
- Anonymous said...
The new tent city is under a bridge, not an overpass. And it's in East Providence, not Providence.
Too narrow a distinction to bother Barry with while he's busy crafting his bullshit.
Good post. - July 31, 2009 at 2:05 PM
- Anonymous said...
What makes you so certain that Barry didn't do his search and was unaware of Freitas' past? Is he writing a column or reporting? Was it Barry's job as a journalist to make a value judgment about whether Freitas is now paying a karmic debt or would that storyline just give you a different angle of attack for being hackneyed.
You don't seem to get Barry for some reason. This is a story- a slice of life that exists in the here and now. Although Freitas is a character in that story, his past is not the central issue, nor should it be.
Barry is the observer in the present providing a vivid snapshot of life that few people see at close hand. I have, and can say with authority that he has captured, with his descriptions, the mood that permeates these camps. The writing, as always, is superb. Dismissing it as simply "flowery' may strike you as clever but it also exposes you as limited.
I see you've left out your particular obsession with the costs associated with Barry and Franco.
I hope that is because someone has kindly pointed out to you that it translates as transparent whining about your own salary. They spend all this money on Barry and Franco and don't recognize the value of this genius in their midst.
Barry has a following, and with good reason. He creates.
You, on the other hand, for all your claims of "just wanting the paper to be the best it can be", dismantle, and only as an exercise in ego. You embrace all the worst aspects of the "new journalism" without paying proper respect to the old or giving any indication that you even understand it. - July 31, 2009 at 5:24 PM
- Tina Trent said...
Wow, anonymous, are you Dan Barry? Dan Barry has no problem implicating the rest of us for this man's living conditions, so shouldn't we get the facts to defend ourselves?
Given that the offender-porn du jour (at least until this morning -- see the light-drenched profile of "Bank Robber, Mark Mocha") in the newspaper of record is homeless sex offenders living under a bridge, and the Times ran a similarly purple story about the encampment in Miami a week ago, I think Barry's decision to obscure the facts here is even more ethically questionable.
Maybe you should walk down the hall and run this by The Ethicist. - August 1, 2009 at 9:01 AM
- Anonymous said...
"Dan Barry has no problem implicating the rest of us for this man's living conditions, so shouldn't we get the facts to defend ourselves?"
Oh really Tina?
Perhaps you can cite for me, specifically, the paragraph, the sentence or even the word where Barry does this.
If Barry leaves you feeling that you or, by extension, society is being implicated, that is the product of whatever experiences you have brought to the table. He describes the conditions, the people and the reality of the existence and trusts his readers to draw their own conclusions.
The fact that Freitas has a child sex conviction in the past drags the story in a different direction, and while that story may be a perfect launching point for some easy sanctimonious moralizing, it is not a necessary element to what is essentially a vignette.
Maybe one of the women is a prostitute, maybe the young girl is a drug addict, maybe one of the other men was a vicious wife-beater-do you need the writer to tilt his hand so that you can feel satisfied that your conclusions match his? It is as if you were solving a jigsaw puzzle and feel cheated that a critical piece has been withheld when the whole point is that you are meant to complete the picture yourself. - August 1, 2009 at 10:05 AM
- Tina Trent said...
Dear Anonymous #3 (courageous, conviction, that),
Barry's entire article in a condemnation of the rest of us for neglecting to bleed like he does over these erstwhile, picaresque souls, and if you think otherwise, you're only fooling yourself. - August 2, 2009 at 8:46 AM
- Anonymous said...
After watching the contretemps between Tina and Anon, I decided to reread the story and see if I could hear what she hears. No dice. It's a clean story with a description of what's going on in the camp.
If you want to condemn yourself or the others for the way the world may be, you're welcome to do that. But it's not in the article. There's no maudlin kicker or explicit handwringing.
So I've decided that I kind of like the piece. And he does mention a jail sentence or two, but that's not the point of the piece and so I think it's okay to write it the way he did. - August 2, 2009 at 11:18 AM
- Anonymous said...
Tina ,
I'm sorry, but are you saying that your subjective interpretation seeing unstated condemnation here is the only valid one and any other would be foolish? I think it's possible that I may have a different take on many things, including the meanings of the words, erstwhile and picaresque. I see nothing lightheartedly roguish about any of the characters and the use of erstwhile in this context is downright baffling to me, but it apparently it works for you.
As long as I have been dragged back to my keyboard, let me address one more criticism of Barry's article-that he is covering old ground. Does he move the story forward or is he mailing it in? What do we know now that we didn't know before?
I think, by introducing these people to us, Barry has given us a point in time where the second wave of homelessness is identified. These are not the chronically homeless drifter types- these are the next on the social ladder, the ex-cons and the marginally employed.It gives us a measurement of the impact of the economic crisis in human terms instead of dry numbers.
If Barry simply wanted to pen a screed indicting society, as you believe, why not find some homeless children as a prop who would certainly garner more sympathy than these "lowlifes".
Now, if I were a serious young journalist looking to make a career for myself, I might leave the 92nd St. Y, head east to the river and go northward along its banks to see what I could find. I might even prepare myself beforehand by researching some articles-maybe one of Barry's- from earlier recessions. I might get lucky, as luck favors both the prepared and the bold, and find a good story to pitch.
If, however, I were an underachiever possessing a sense of entitlement and nurturing a grudge, I might find comfort in this Island of Broken Toys where I might find fulfillment in snarky ankle-biting, betrayal of confidences and denigration of a colleague's work and character. Who the hell was Alexander Pope anyway?
As a bonus, I can do it anonymously and when I'm ready, Gawker will accept me with open arms. - August 2, 2009 at 12:00 PM
- Anonymous said...
diestsaI googled this story, hoping to come across the Freitas story, after a friend in Providence mentioned it to me. I'm not always crazy about Barry's stuff, but if you guys are going to bring the critique, I think you're going to have to tighten things up a bit. First of all you claim the original was published Friday morning, and that the encampment moved Wednesday. The original was published Thursday, which means it was likely filed well before then. I think Barry could have done better homework on Freitas--maybe he chose to leave that detail out, I don't know. I do think the story itself is an interesting one, and it's important to remember Barry's column is a column, albeit a sometimes weak one. At least he writes under his name, instead of this "written by a team of journalists who prefer to work in anonymity" nonsense. No one is going to take you seriously unless you come clean about who you are, and what you stand for.
--AC - August 4, 2009 at 3:59 PM
- Anonymous said...
The above should read "I googled..." Not sure where that "dietsal" text came from.
--AC - August 4, 2009 at 4:01 PM
- Anonymous said...
I'm eating my own poo.
- August 6, 2009 at 11:02 PM


text:
Thomas is 32 years old and he is still single.
One day a friend asked, "Why aren't you married? Can't you find a woman who will be a good wife?"
Thomas replied, "Actually, I've found many women I wanted to marry, but when I bring them home to meet my parents, my mother doesn't like them."
His friend thinks for a moment and says, "I've got the perfect solution, just find a girl who's just like your mother."
A few months later they meet again and his friend says, "Did you find the perfect girl? Did your mother like her?"
With a frown on his face, Thomas answers, "Yes, I found the perfect girl. She was just like my mother. You were right, my mother liked her very much."
The friend said, "Then what's the problem?"
Thomas replied, "My father doesn't like her."


text:
For people living in both rich and poor countries, the average person's happiness is based on a combination of individual wealth, possessions and optimism, according to an analysis of new worldwide survey findings published by the American Psychological Association.
A country's gross domestic product per capita did not have as much of an impact on the average person's happiness, according to research based on responses of 806,526 people in 135 countries from 2005 to 2011. Happiness expert and psychologist Edward Diener, PhD, of the University of Illinois, led the study, which is published in APA's Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
"We've found that rising income does lead to rising happiness, but it depends on people being optimistic, not having sky-high desires, and the average person being actually able to afford more things. So income is helpful, but only in certain circumstances," said Diener.
Some of the main findings were:
- Increases in household income were associated with improved life evaluations and more positive feelings.
- GDP per capita was less related to respondents' feelings of personal well-being than rising personal income.
- Increased wealth was primarily linked to improvements in well-being if people were able to purchase more material things, such as a television and access to the Internet, in addition to being more optimistic and satisfied with their finances.
Rising incomes that coincide with higher optimism key to well-being
Researchers gathered data from the first Gallup World Poll, which conducted surveys by telephone and door-to-door visits. Respondents rated their lives on a scale from zero (worst possible life) to 10 (best possible life) and answered questions about positive or negative emotions experienced the previous day. The researchers looked at each country's gross domestic product per capita, obtained from the International Monetary Fund, and each respondent's household income.
To measure the participants' level of material possessions, the survey asked if they had enough money for food, whether they had enough money for shelter, if they owned a television set and if their household had an Internet connection. It also asked about their optimism for the future and their satisfaction with their current standard of living.
This new research helps bring clarification to the "Easterlin Paradox," a concept introduced in 1974 that suggested the economic growth of nations does not lead to more happiness, according to Diener.
"According to the 'Easterlin Paradox,' rich individuals are happier than poor ones but rising incomes do not seem to be associated with an increase in happiness," he said. "Our research contradicts this concept by finding that rising income will only have an effect if aspirations or desires do not rise even more quickly. If people make more money, they can be happier. But if they are constantly disappointed because they expected to make even more money, then rising income might not help."


text:
Have you ever tried to forward a really interesting or funny email, just to have the forward appear terribly formatted because of a ton of weird, blue vertical lines running down the left side of your email? Well grab a pen and sign up to the club because you are most definitely not alone.
A strange inconsistency created by some email clients/services when a message is forwarded, these vertical lines are not only irritating, but make the email illegible in some cases and are also a huge pain in the butt to get rid of as well.
Luckily, there are a few ways that you can speed up the process of removing these annoying lines without have to use a third part email cleaner program. So here are the top three methods to remove vertical lines in some of most common email software programs and services.
Microsoft Outlook:
Even though it arguably has the most options for formatting email of any other email program or service out there, Microsoft Outlook has, surprisingly, the simplest method of removing vertical lines from forwarded emails.
1. Open the email you want to forward, and then select the content directly in front or to the right of your vertical lines in the body of the email message. Press Ctrl+C to copy the highlighted contents to your clipboard.
2. Compose a new blank email message.
3. Paste your copied email into the new email message. If any vertical lines remain, simply copy any text and images with said vertical lines still attached, and paste the copied content into the same e-mail just above the content you just copied. Repeat until all vertical lines are gone.
4. Remove any duplicated content beneath the cleaned up email, and then send. No problem!
Windows Live Mail:
If you need to remove those pesky lines in the latest Microsoft mail service, Windows Live Mail lets gives you the perfect, simple option.
1. Choose your email message and then press the forward button to open it in the standard editor.
2. Put your mouse cursor directly in front of the vertical lines you want to delete.
3. At the top of the editor, select the message tab if it's not already selected by default. You'll then see a variety of formatting options.
4. Select the Clear Formatting button just next to the Font size and style fields. The vertical lines will then be deleted.
5. Once all vertical lines have been cleared, you will likely be left with a bit of margin space to the right of your email content. To remove this, simply select the message content you wish to forward, then copy and paste it at the beginning of your message. Delete the old content beneath your freshly formatted message and you're good to go!


text:
Distraction in School Zones
What would you guess is causing the distraction in school zones?
When you come across a flashing "School Zone" sign, do you groan as you press on your brakes? Most people don't particularly enjoy driving like a grandma. But have you ever really thought about the young lives at stake?
School zones are designed to help maintain the safety of children as they arrive at and leave school. Youngsters walking around outside of school are less apt to be watchful and careful, which can cause major accidents. The slow speed limits help increase the ability of a driver to come to a halt if a child unexpectedly walks in the road. Yet, studies by the Transportation Research Board shows that 25,000 children are injured every year in school zone accidents. What do you think plays a role in children getting hurt despite prevention efforts?
A group called "Zendrive" conducted a study within 75,000 schools, analyzing 4 million drivers. The results showed that ONE IN THREE people driving through school zones are distracted. By what? Cell-phones! Having your eyes glued to your cell phone impairs your ability to drive. If you're not aware of your surroundings, how will you know if a child is walking in front of your car?
Not only are drivers at fault, pedestrians can be at fault too. People in cars aren't the only ones distracted. Do you ever notice teenagers walking down the street staring at their devices? It's equally as possible for the pedestrian to walk out into the street without looking both ways, causing an accident.
Instead of being careless and causing injuries, we can take steps to ensure safety of children. When you are in a school zone, lights are flashing to make you aware. Assume there are always children around and be on the lookout. Be sure to follow the speed limit signs; it's necessary. If you're dropping your child off, do so right beside the sidewalk; not across the street. Help your children be more aware of the dangers of distracted walking. Remind them yet again to look both ways when they cross the street.


text:
Last night, the Capitol transformed into a Venezuelan celebration of color and dance as members of the Venezuelan community came together from all over Utah.
Attorney General Sean D. Reyes hosted the evening giving awards to individuals who've supported the Venezuelan community as well as contributed to the state in significant ways.
Community Support Awards were given to eight individuals who have been integral in helping the people of Venezuela here in Utah and back in their home country, without which there would have been little to no support.
Awardees included: Arlenys Dimond, Victor Pinilla-Coxe, Thomas Reams, Paola Rondon, Carlos Arteaga, Carlos Moreno, Jesler Molina, and Mayra Molina.
Media Humanitarian awards were given to four reporters for their support in coverage of Utah Venezuelans.
Awardees included: Marco Munoz and Silvana Effio for Telemundo, Cristina Flores for KUTV, and Lester Rojas for Univision.
Venezuelan Commendation Awards were given to thirty-six specific members of the Venezuelan for recognition of their courage and determination in coming to Utah. Basic rights often taken for granted by those who have grown up here, these individuals have left their homes seeking asylum and to secure the opportunity to live without fear as well as protect and support their families.
It was a privilege for the AG's Office to be a part of an excellent and fun evening.


text:
Using the Online Ranking as a Training Tool
For those who haven't discovered it yet, the Concept2 Online Ranking is a very large and constantly growing database of best times for twelve different distance/time pieces on the RowErg, SkiErg and BikeErg. Its thousands of entries from users around the world can be readily sorted by event, age group, gender, weight class, country, state, adaptive category and more. The online ranking can be a very useful resource and training tool, even if you never choose to post a PR and rank yourself. Continue Reading ›