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The National Rifle Association is facing attacks from Gun Owners of America for being too soft on gun control. This is like a double cheeseburger coming under severe criticism for lacking enough cholesterol.
Universal background checks are supported by 91 percent of Americans. Yet there is enormous resistance in Congress to passing a clean bill to keep arms out of the wrong hands. What does "rule of the people" mean if a nine-to-one issue is having so much trouble gaining traction?
Or consider the Morning Joe/Marist poll last week showing 64 percent of Americans saying that job creation should be the top priority for elected officials. Only 33 percent said their focus should be on reducing the deficit. In light of Friday's disappointing jobs report, the public's instinct is sound. Yet politicians in our nation's capital are so obsessed with the deficit you'd imagine they still haven't heard how many Americans are unemployed or underemployed.
These three non-randomly selected facts illustrate a deep structural tilt in our politics to the right. This distortion explains why election outcomes and the public's preferences have so little impact on what is happening in Washington. At the moment, our democracy is not very democratic.
Start with the weirdness within the gun lobby. Once upon a time, the NRA supported background checks for gun buyers, and why not? Polls show that the gun owners overwhelmingly support background checks, too.
But the political far right is, among other things, a big business. The NRA's chief concern is not sane public policy. Its imperative is to maintain market share within a segment of our country that views the federal government as a conspiracy against its liberties and President Obama as an alien force imposed upon them by voters who aren't part of "the real America." Within this market niche, background checks are but a first step toward gun confiscation.
In a well-functioning democracy, the vast majority of politicians -- conservative, moderate and liberal -- would dismiss such views as just plain kooky. But here is the problem: A substantial portion of the Republican Party's core electorate is now influenced by both Obama hatred and the views of the ultra-right. Strange conspiracy theories are admitted to the mainstream conversation through the GOP's back door -- and amplified by another fight for market share among talk radio hosts and Fox News commentators.
That's because the Republican Party is no longer a broad and diverse alliance but a creature of the right. According to a March Washington Post/ABC News poll, 65 percent of Republicans called themselves conservative, just 27 percent were moderates and 7 percent were liberals. Democrats, by contrast, are far more middle-of-the-road: 43 percent called themselves liberal, 38 percent moderate and 16 percent conservative. Among independents, moderates predominated at 46 percent.
Practical Democratic politicians thus need to worry about the political center. Practical Republican politicians, especially those in gerrymandered House districts where primaries are all that matter, will worry almost entirely about an increasingly radicalized right.
And our Constitution combines with the way we draw congressional districts to over-represent conservatives in both houses. The hundred-member Senate is based on two senators per state regardless of size. This gives rural states far more power than population-based representation would. The filibuster makes matters worse. It's theoretically possible for forty-one senators representing less than 11 percent of the population to block pretty much anything.
In the House, those gerrymanders helped Republicans keep control even though more Americans voted for Democrats in the 2012 congressional races.
This representational skew affects coverage in the media. Most Americans may care more about jobs than deficits. But if a right-tilted power structure is talking about deficits all the time, members of the media feel obligated to cover the argument they hear in Washington, even if that means downplaying views held by a majority of the voters -- and even if the economic data say we should be talking about growth, not austerity.
There's also this: While background checks would likely pass the Senate with relative ease if there were no filibuster, the media cover a world in which sixty votes is the new fifty-one. Thus do the battles for 60 percent of the Senate, not the views of 91 percent of Americans, dominate journalistic accounts.
There is no immediate solution to the obstruction of the democratic will. But we need to acknowledge that our system is giving extremists far more influence than the voters would. That's why American democracy is deadlocked.
(c) 2013, Washington Post Writers Group
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Science essay or dissertation rubrics provide construction for your essay
Many students never use a science essay rubric. This is a mistake.
The first step to writing a good science essay is to make sure you have a science essay rubric. This will tell you how you are going to organize your thoughts. It will help you organize your thoughts into coherent, yet reasonable sentences. A science essay rubric is an essential tool for the creative writer.
If you are in this type of essay writing career, you are probably already familiar with these ideas. However, if you aren't, you should be. The science essay rubric is a one-page guide that explains exactly what you should be doing https://abacoexcursions.com/literature-review-model-pertaining-to-vaccine-proposal/ in order to organize your thoughts.
You will need to incorporate some elements of science essay rubrics into your science essay. This doesn't mean you have to follow a rubric completely. It means just incorporating a few parts of the science essay rubric into your thinking.
The first part of the science essay rubric you want to look at is the preposition. Prepositions are what tell the reader which concept they are following. They are broken down into singular and plural words.
Some examples of singular prepositions are I write, writing is writing, writing was writing, and the list goes on. As a general rule, you will want to keep your writing consistent and make the information clear to the reader.
You will also want to look at common prepositions. Some examples of common prepositions are How is writing word by word? Is writing, doing this or that?
The second most important science essay rubric is the idea. Essay writers who utilize the idea in their writing are usually the ones who will get taken more seriously than the other types of writers. They create great information.
These types of writers are the ones who get ideas that other writers lack. These ideas are also generally more unique. Essay writers who successfully organize their ideas are the ones who are taken more seriously by their college or university as well as the professors.
The third part of the science essay rubric you will want to look at is the thesis statement. The thesis statement is what sets your essay apart from all the other essays. Theses are unique and separate from other essays.
It is important to remember that when writing an essay that the thesis statement is your secret weapon. If you can not express your point clearly in a single sentence, you should go back and edit your essay several times before submitting it.
If you follow these steps, you will be able to use a science essay rubric to organize your thoughts and to help you make the most effective scientific statement. That is how to write a very persuasive essay.

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Comedy Central to Cut Paul Walker Jokes From Justin Bieber Roast
Most comedians consider a roast the kind of place where you can joke about anything. Everything is fair game, as they often say. But, a number of controversial jokes about the death of actor Paul Walker at Comedy Central's Roast of Justin Bieber will be cut before the show's broadcast on March 30.


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Getting Started
iDevices product setup requires a 2.4 GHz home Wi-Fi® network.
Requires an iOS device running iOS 10 or later or an Android running 4.3+ with Bluetooth® technology.
More on Getting Started
If you plan on using your device with both iOS and Android, it's recommended that Socket be setup first with the iOS device.
All iDevices products work with both iOS and Android mobile devices.


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Usually, when I go to a high-end Japanese restaurant, I get pulled in a variety of directions while deciding what to order. Of course, Japanese cuisine is most famously known for their raw fish delicacies - sashimi and sushi. Besides the fresh fish, they are also famous for beef - Kobe, Yonezawa, and Matsusaka beef - and pork - Kurobuta. In each of these cases, the food is generally prepared simply and elegantly with much of the emphasis on the quality of the ingredients. So what should I order? Well, it depends on what ingredients the restaurant happens to be carrying.
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A regular item on the menu that caught my eye was the kurobuta pork belly. Tina and I routinely lament the mild flavor of pork. Here, in the United States, hogs have been bred to be extremely lean (to the point where the pork industry marketed their pork products as "the other white meat"). This was good for business since many Americans know that they aren't living healthy lives and try to compensate by eating foods that they believe are healthy - like lean pork. Unfortunately, this came at a cost - the reduced fat meant reduced flavor. (Sometimes, I can't tell the difference between stir fry dishes using chicken breast and those using pork loin - they just taste like chewy protein. I think that's pretty sad since pork has a very nice natural flavor.) Enter the Japanese and their Kurobuta pork. Kurobuta (which means "black hog") pork comes from a variety of hog known as the Berkshire. Since the Berkshire breed has been preserved in Japan (and other nations), it's one of the few ways to get pork in the U.S. that is still full flavored and marbled with fat. Tina and I find the taste difference between regular pork and Kurobuta/Berkshire pork to be so great that we almost always order Kurobuta pork when we see it on the menu.
To top it off, we learned that the fish served at Uchi is flown in from the Tsukiji fish market (the worlds largest daily fish market where the freshest and highest quality fish are auctioned every morning). So what do we do when we need to try everything? Omakase - we let the chef and our server, Erin, arrange a meal for us. The term omakase literally means to "entrust" and that's very much what we did. Since we had never dined at Uchi before, I didn't leave it completely up to chance - I explained to Erin my personal weakness for otoro (the highest quality cut from the belly of a bluefin tuna - when the fish is good and properly cut, it has a buttery consistency and feels like it melts in your mouth) and our interest in the Kurobuta pork. Erin asked us if we had any food restrictions or food allergies, and I reassured her that had we had any allergies, we'd still eat the food and suffer the consequences.
Armed with that information, Erin put together our amazing meal and we started to dine.
amuse bouche
We started with an amuse served in a tiny cup containing a Winterpoint oyster with yuzu san bai zu (sweet vinegar sauce) and minced daikon & ginger. The oyster was super fresh - yielding a sweet and not at all fishy taste. The mild ginger and sweet citrus vinegar made this a perfectly balanced amuse bouche and really got us excited about the possibilities of the upcoming dishes.}?>hirame usuzukuri
thinly-sliced flounder, spanish olive oil, smoked sea salt, yuzu zest, daikon, crispy quinoa ($18)
The raw flounder was extremely fresh resulting in an light, delicate flavor, almost as if it was intended as a vehicle for the other ingredients (which included microbasil and microfennel). Eating all the ingredients together in the same bite was a delight when the flavors intermingled. But, when I focused, I could taste the herbaceousness of the olive oil, the mild spice of the daikon and microgreens, and the citrus of the yuzu. Keep in mind that all of these flavors were subtle, so the flavors of the dish were perfectly matched with the flounder.tombo nasu
hawaiian albacore, thai eggplant, lemongrass vinaigrette, breakfast radish, sweet chili gastrique, cucumber ($19)
This was the best course we had in this amazing dinner. It's Hawaiian albacore tuna topped with chili and lemongrass sauce served with shaved radish and crunchy thai eggplant slivers on top of a bed of sweet cucumber gelatin. The flavors and textures were working overtime on this one. Sweetness: sweet chili sauce with the natural mild sweetness of fresh tuna, highlighted by the slight citrus-acidity of the lemongrass, and the refreshing sweetness of the cucumber gelatin. Spiciness: chili sauce, radish, and fresh eggplant. Texture: crunchy eggplant slivers and radish shavings, meaty tuna, and melt-in-the-mouth gelatin. The most amazing part is that all of these different traits worked perfectly together resulting in a warming and refreshing feel as you eat it. Unfortunately, this dish does not seem to be a regular item (it's part of their nightly specials), but if you see it, make sure you order it.maguro sashimi and goat cheese
with cracked pepper, fuji apple, and pumpkin seed oil ($17)
This was another course that we thought was extremely impressive. Luckily, it is on the permanent menu, I'd recommend ordering this dish on your visit. We ate this dish by layering the bigeye tuna with goat cheese onto a slice of fuji apple and eating the bite-sized stack whole. The combination of flavors (sweet and acidic apple, bitter and astringent microgreens, creamy and earthy Texas goat cheese, and spicy and biting black pepper) activated all the taste buds simultaneously. Like the previous dish, this was simply amazing and was definitely a new taste experience.bacon steakie
twice-cooked kurobuta pork belly with green apple ($12)
The pork belly, braised then grilled, was served with an extremely flavorful sweet Indonesian soy sauce with a salad of green apple, onions, and parsley with a citrus oil. The pork was succulent and crispy, and overall the dish was very good. Excellent taste and texture, but not as amazing or world changing as the last two dishes.super toro bluefin belly ($18) and sake fresh atlantic salmon ($6) nigiri
Nigiri is probably the prime example of how simple Japanese cuisine can be and yet how amazingly flavorful, satisfying, and elegant it is when properly done. There are only really three ingredients so they must be of highest quality and properly portioned (especially if the wasabi is served as part of the nigiri and not made into a self applied paste with soy sauce as is the Western custom). Both the sake (salmon) and otoro (bluefin tuna belly) were extremely fresh, having no fishy taste whatsoever. They were naturally savory with a delicate sweetness and a buttery texture. The rice was warm with distinct grains (with a little bit of chew - almost like it was al dente pasta), and seasoned lightly with the most delicious vinegar. There is no doubt that the sushi at Uchi is top notch. Plus, it's always a pleasure eating otoro.mame aji
grilled baby blue mackerels, hearts of palm, tomato relish, sherry vinegar ($16)
The baby mackerels, which had crispy skin and tender flesh, were heavily salted, but, after the initial burst of saltiness, chewing on the flesh with the hearts of palm mellowed out the flavor. This dish had a very intense and assertive taste which contrasted with the earlier fish courses. Very tasty.hamachi cure
sugar-cured maplewood-smoked baby yellowtail, yucca crisps, asian pear, garlic brittle ($18)
The hamachi or Japanese amberjack was sweet with a mild smokiness and this paired well with the other sweet to mildly sweet ingredients - gold currants, candied garlic, asian pears, marcona almonds, and yucca chips. We placed each of the ingredients on a yucca chip and ate it like that allowing the yucca to provide crunchiness while enjoying the various sweet ingredients.mero sake
caramelized mero bass, sake lees, shiitake terrine, arugula mâche ($22)
The Hawaiian Mero bass "caramelized with miso" was tender and flavorful - meaty but in a falling apart and juicy way. The terrine, made with shiitake mushrooms, napa cabbage, and gelatin, was strongly flavored and along with the vinaigrette of sake lees served as a perfect counterpoint to the bass.wagyu tamago
cherry-wood smoked wagyu ribeye, quince jam, fried egg purée, bottarga, grilled fennel ($34)
The ribeye steak was served rare topped with fennel and fennel greens. A sweet, tart quince jam was paired with the steak along with some ramps and a sauce made of pureed fried egg. The flavor of the ribeye was subtle with the faint cherry wood smoke being the dominant tone. Although there was some gristle in the beef, on the whole it was exquisite. I commented that this course was the perfect "bookend" to the meal which began with raw fish and, now, had a finale of nearly raw beef - both subtle in flavors, similar in texture, and elegantly prepared.raisei foie
seared foie gras terrine, rhubarb pavé, fava bean, pink peppercorn ($20)
I thought the Wagyu beef course was going to be our last before dessert, but Erin asked if we'd like to have a coarse of foie gras before our dessert and while I was deciding on if I had enough space left, Tina answered for me (working on the assumption and experience that I never turn down foie gras). So, a foie course appeared and I realized that I had reached the point where I was pretty much out of words and could not describe anything anymore. The cold foie gras terrine was excellent, but, unlike the other complex dishes we had earlier, I didn't care for eating it simultaneously with it's accompaniments - the rhubarb and rhubarb gelatin. The gelatin was sweet and fruity while the rhubarb itself was fairly tart. I found that alternating between the foie and the rubarb was good, and I suspect it refreshed the palate between bites of the foie gras... Unfortunately, my ability to provide feedback on food seemed to be limited at this point in the meal.dark chocolate terrine, meyer lemon gelato, pecan nougatine, coffee caramel ($9)
The terrine (made with Valrhona chocolate) had a velvety texture that worked perfectly with the nougatine (a brown nougat made with pecans). The gelato was also velvety in texture but was refreshingly lemony but not acidic. A great end to an excellent meal.The reason why I consider this meal to be the best I've ever had is that, with this many courses, it was exceptional to have them all rate in the good to excellent range (with a couple so exceptional that they truly introduced us to new flavor and texture combinations). In the past, we've had excellent multi-course meals but there have always been at least one or two courses that could have used improvement. At Uchi's this was not the case; the execution was pretty much flawless.
Not only was the food excellent, our server, Erin McReynolds, was the best captain we've ever had at any restaurant. Besides being friendly and personable, she really knew her food, was articulate and patient when I needed ingredients or explanations repeated, and was genuinely excited that Tina and I were excited about our food. I don't know if all the staff is at the level of Erin (and I suspect they are not), but we were blessed and lucky to have her waiting on us and it certainly helped make the incredible 3-1/2 hour dinner even better.
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Shop Outside the Box
Over the last decade, shoppers have laid to rest the paper-or-plastic question once and for all by using a set of reusable shopping bags. It's a simple way to use less. Just like giving up plastic bags, eco-conscious stores and shoppers are going beyond the bag to eliminate unnecessary packaging altogether. Just imagine a shopping cart filled with food and not a single box, can or plastic wrapper in sight. OK, so that might be a stretch for the average person, but eco-grocery shopping involves more than remembering your reusable bags. Here's how to reduce your food and packaging waste (and eat healthier, too!).
Reducing waste requires more than avoiding paper and plastic. Forget the bag completely and bring your own container.
Avoid these little bags altogether to keep them out of the landfill or from the energy-intensive process of recycling. Mesh bags are light, the cashier can see through them to ring your order and you can wash and store the produce in the bag. After committing yourself to reusable grocery bags, using reusable produce bags is a cinch.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, in the U.S., packaging and containers accounted for the largest portion of municipal waste generated in 2010. Lose the food packaging and not only is there nothing to toss, but there was no energy used to produce the packaging in the first place. "There is a lot of unnecessary waste in conventional shopping," says Chelsea Davis, marketing representative and events planner for in.gredients, a package-free grocer in Austin, Texas. Because most of the food in the store is available without packaging, with the exception of dairy and meats, which must be packaged to code, a large amount of food can be accommodated in a smaller, more efficient space. The store features bulk shopping for grains, pastas, beans, cereals, cooking oils, nuts and spices. Customers bring their own clean, reusable containers, or they can purchase reusable or compostable containers from the store) and buy only what they need. Local produce, baked goods, dairy and meat are also available. You can even bring your own jug to fill with craft beer. Check out your local grocery: Many conventional stores have surprisingly large bulk selections. If not, check out health food, organic and ethnic stores, as well as farmer's markets.
Before you head to the store with canvas bags and containers, do your homework. Health codes regarding how food can be packaged, by whom and in what kind of container vary on state and local levels. Stores may have their own policies. Bea Johnson, author of the blog and book "Zero Waste Home" (Scribner, 2013), has bulk shopping down to a science. Like most people, the Mill Valley, Calif., mom of two likes one-stop shopping. She shops at Whole Foods, where the bulk food selection is good. She brings her own fabric bags and containers and fills them with exactly what she needs. She even carries a washable crayon to write the item number on bags and containers so she doesn't have to print a sticker.
The perimeters of grocery stores offer the healthiest foods, but shopping the counters has an overlooked benefit: It makes you feel like part of a community. "The way I used to shop was basically incognito," Johnson says. "I could go into the grocery store and I didn't have to look at anyone, I didn't have to talk to anyone, and I would not have any human contact whatsoever. "Now it's totally different. I actually look forward to talking to the staff that I meet every week, "she says. Johnson's shopping trips start at the bakery counter where she orders 10 fresh baguettes with no plastic sleeve. Before checking out, she picks them up and puts them in a pillowcase. Since she always has the same order, she reuses a copy of the barcode to pay so a new sticker isn't necessary. Johnson has a variety of large glass jars for storing, freezing and transporting meat. When she purchases meat, fish and cheese she asks that they be packaged in large glass jars. Yes, you will get weird looks – even at seemingly progressive stores. Again, check the health codes and company policy before you shop, but don't be afraid to question policies when health codes wouldn't be violated, Johnson says. Once managers and staff understand what you are doing, she says, they are usually willing to accommodate you.
Buying only the food she needs from bulk bins, the produce section and meat and deli counters saves money, prevents food waste and produces no packaging waste, Johnson says. This shopping style may seem extreme or out of reach, but keep in mind her family didn't go from producing a large container of trash every week, to less than a liter in an entire year, overnight. "This was a gradual process," emphasizes Johnson. "Organize yourself, and while it will take some time to figure out a system, once that system is in place it's a piece of cake – you don't have to think about it."


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Owning a home is a dream for many people. You have the opportunity to invest in a place of your own and build equity, not to mention carve out a space that reflects who you are and what you love.
However, worries about down payments, property taxes, maintenance, and insurance (and student loans) can make buying a home seem like wishful thinking, which is why you may prefer to rent a home or apartment.
But is renting cheaper than buying a home? There are more than just financial costs to consider. Let's discuss the advantages and disadvantages of renting.
You Receive No Return When You Rent a Property
As a renter, you're paying hundreds of dollars a month to live in your community, and if you want to move, it's much easier. But renting a home doesn't offer you investment opportunities.
Unlike paying off your home loan and building equity, the money you pay when you rent goes straight to the property owner or manager.
You Don't Build Credit When You Rent
As this recent Forbes article explains, your credit score often does not factor in your on-time monthly rent payments, so renting a property is not a great way to build credit.
Additionally, renting doesn't provide you with any tax benefits. If you own a home, however, you can deduct mortgage insurance and property taxes, and exclude capital gains when you sell.
You Cannot Customize Your Living Space
Not all costs are financial. There are opportunity costs of renting a home instead of buying a home, and customization is one of them.
There may be rules and regulations in your rental community that prevent you from changing your space to fit your style, such as painting the walls or upgrading the kitchen. These rules may also prevent you from living with a pet.
Owning a home means you can create your own space (with your choice of countertops and kitchen cabinets), you can invest in home improvements, and you can live with your furry companion.
You Have a Harder Time Connecting with Your Community
Forming deep connections with your neighbors is likely not high on your priority list if you're a renter, especially when you consider that you will only be living in the community for a short time. If you desire to get to know your neighbors, homeownership is a better option.
Renting vs. Buying: The Bottom Line
Renting gives you flexibility and little maintenance to worry about. Buying a home is a long-term investment that gives you a space you can customize, helps you build credit and equity, and connects you with your community.
We want to help you make the best decision, and we have important real estate market resources that you can use to help you decide if renting is cheaper for you than buying a home. Just give us a call and we can talk about your plans.


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Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni is set to sign into law a bill that would impose a lifetime jail sentence on anyone who commits homosexual acts, a government spokesman said Friday.
In January, Museveni criticized the parliament speaker for passing without a quorum the bill that would make it a crime to be gay, to talk about homosexuality without condemning it and to not report gay activity. A spokesman told the Associated Foreign Press in January that Museveni believes that gay people are sick but should not be killed or jailed for life.
But Museveni said that he would sign the bill if he was offered scientific proof that homosexuality is not genetic, according to BuzzFeed. A series of tweets from Ofwono Opondo, a spokesperson for the government of Uganda, confirmed Friday that Museveni will sign the bill after "medical experts presented a report that homosexuality is not genetic but a social behavior" recently.
The imminent signing of law will likely put international pressure on Uganda, with some nations even suspending aid to the country.
More: A Look At Nigeria's Anti-Gay Offensive


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Omar, Waj, Faisal and Barry are four Muslims living in Sheffield. Radicalised by the war on terror, they decide to martyr themselves for the cause by damaging the British state as much as possible (although Faisal favours training crows to carry explosives into buildings instead). Barry, a new convert to the religion, is furious when Omar ascends to lead the group and, along with the mentally-challenged Waj, is invited to Pakistan for training in an al-Qaeda camp. As Barry and Omar vie for leadership of the would-be terror cell, Omar faces another conflict with his pacifist brother. After the accidental detonation of some of their explosives (and a passing sheep) attracts the attention of the authorities, the cell rushes to London to carry out their plan...
Chris Morris is well-known, even notorious, in the UK for his extremely confrontational and controversial brand of comedy. He first rose to attention fronting spoof news show The Day Today in 1994 (which also gave the world Steve Coogan's character of Alan Partridge) before moving onto the considerably harder-edged Brass Eye. He's been less prominent recently, focusing on co-writing the so-so Nathan Barley (with Charlie Brooker) and having a recurring guest spot on the first two seasons of The IT Crowd. Four Lions, which he co-wrote and directed, is his first full-length feature film.
The question the film poses is, is it possible to make suicide bombers funny? Predictably, the film attracted controversy in the UK before release, but afterwards seemed to win over most of the critics by knowing when to veer between comedy and tragedy, not to mention the complex characterisation of lead character Omar (an excellent performance by Riz Ahmed), a man who is prepared to die for Islam but angers his pacifist-but-old-school brother by treating his wife as a full equal and partner. The film characterises the would-be suicide bombers as a mix of fundamental radicals and crowd-followers who earnestly believe in their faith and their cause, but also benefit from their comparatively easy lives in the West (leading to the hardcore jihadists in Pakistan labelling the British visitors as 'Mr. Beans').
The culture clash is well-handled, particularly with Barry (Nigel Lindsay) who has something of an inferiority complex due to not being born a Muslim and urgently wants to stamp his authority on the group, but constantly failing due to his moronic ideas, lack of stealth (he was in the papers for sending a cake in the shape of the Twin Towers to a local synagogue on the anniversary of 9/11) and ludicrous sense of destiny ("If we don't do this, Islam is finished!"). 'Special' Waj (Kayvan Novak) and the easily-led Faisal (Adeel Akhtar) are more played for laughs, but the writers and actors are careful to give them more depth and turn them from figures of fun into gradually more tragic figures as the film continues (the culminating conclusion between Waj and Omar is brilliantly-played).
There are some genuine, jet-black, laughs in the course of the film (look out for the police snipers arguing over whether wookies and the Honey Monster are related to bears) as it builds to an inevitably bleak ending. This gradual shift in tone, which could have sunk the film if mishandled, is masterfully executed.
On the negative front, the film fails to address exactly why the four British Muslims are radicalised in the first place (aside from Barry's issues), a question that has been often asked here in the wake of the 7/7 London bombings in 2005. Perhaps Morris felt there was no easy answer to the question and so dodged around it, but it does leave Omar in particular bereft of a convincing motivation for his actions, especially given his liberal tendencies in other areas.
Four Lions (****) is a sometimes hilarious, sometimes tragic but always absorbing film that makes the viewer laugh and raises some challenging questions without offering pat answers. The movie is available now in the UK on DVD and Blu-Ray, with no US release listed as yet.
Saturday 2 October 2010
4 comments:
- Cheerwell said...
Thanks for the review, Wert. It's a film I've been interested in since I saw a teaser of it, but never gotten around to getting.
You've addressed the fears I had about it, and I'll probably get it when I can. - 2 October 2010 at 17:10:00 GMT
- Jebus said...
I quite enjoyed it but, as happens a lot these days, I felt they put too many of the jokes in the trailers. And yeah, it got quite depressing and disturbing towards the end which I guess was the point.
- 3 October 2010 at 07:17:00 GMT
"Fuck mini-babybels!"
- 5 October 2010 at 12:59:00 GMT
The So-So Nathan Barley? Natghan Barley was true genius.
- 6 October 2010 at 14:58:00 GMT
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ZetaTalk Chat Q&A for September 22, 2012
Would the Zetas shed some light on the the purpose of the huge underground construction going on at the White House? My hunch is PX-related however the construction appears (to me) to go way beyond normal safety expectations for PX sojourn. [and from another] http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/after-huge-white-house-construction-job The construction project — officially a long overdue upgrade of White House utilities — began in September 2010 with the excavation of a huge, multistory pit in front of the West Wing, wrapping around to include West Executive Avenue, the street that separates the White House from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. The General Services Administration, which oversaw the work, said it was to replace aging water and steam lines, sewers, storm sewers and electrical wiring conduits. Heating, air conditioning and fire control equipment also are being updated. However, what reporters and photographers saw during the construction appeared to go well beyond that: a sprawling, multistory structure whose underground assembly required truckload after truckload of heavy-duty concrete and steel beams. The existing White House bunker, known as the Presidential Emergency Operations Center, is under the East Wing and dates to the Roosevelt administration.
Clearly this upgrade included a bomb shelter, as the capacity of bombs to
penetrate concrete has increased since the days of Roosevelt. The upgrade
is also in anticipation of riots, as after the Wall Street crash in the
Fall of 2008, the US and the world was clearly in the grip of a second
Great Depression. Domestic terrorism from the Far Right in the US who view
Obama as the enemy was another real possibility. None of these issues
could be admitted, the depression called a lingering recession, and the
opposition to Obama, however shrill, being labeled merely political
expression. If abortion doctors get publicly murdered, then can attempts
on Obama's life be far behind?
Washington DC is not a viable location going into the Pole Shift, as it is
lowland that would be utterly flooded during the Severe Wobble of the Last
Weeks. DC will be vacated well before
then due to the chaos caused by earthquakes and flooding. The US
government is already moving to Denver,
but until the day arrives when the city is deemed unsafe as the seat of
government, due to infrastructure damage, this will not be publicly
admitted. In 2010, when the bunker project was initiated, as today, the
date when this type of damage will tip the balance is not known.
Could the Zetas please update what the PTB are most currently concerned about with a possibility of 93% PX disclosure? Disclosure looms regardless: Scenario 1: The Tail of PX will eventually force official disclosure about PX to a public who are in shock demanding answers. Scenario 2: The 7 of 10 is gaining momentum, causing the now affected public to question mainstream official explanations for Earth Changes. Scenario 3: The intense momentum of the Awakening is creating individual and small group disclosure among Earth's inhabitants by the billions. Scenario 4: The longer an official PX disclosure statement takes after all these years of the cover-up creates its own intensity among the uninformed populace, similar to Zebras spotting a Lion in the brush.
Publicly expressed concerns differ from the real concerns of the
participants. Those who resist the announcement are thinking of rage the
public will direct against them. But publicly, for decades, the concerns
expressed have been that the public will riot, create bank failures,
refuse to attend to their jobs or pay their bills, and pour into the
highlands in such numbers that martial law would be required to protect
land owners from invasion. In short, a complete collapse of civilization.
How valid are these concerns?
Rioting has traditionally been opportunistic, with rioters cleaning out
the stores of all goods on any excuse. Long pent-up anger is
unleashed, even if it does not apply to the situation. Greed and
resentment over social inequalities are the motives. The rioters may claim
they need survival gear, but new TV sets and expensive clothing do
not qualify. But traditionally any excuse has been used. The
antidote here is police and military action, ultimately martial law. Will
such rioting occur due to the pending announcement? We predict there
will rather be a shocked calm.
Runs on banks, where any balance in a checking or savings accounts would
be withdrawn, is another concern. Since banks do not HAVE sufficient cash
to accommodate such demands, the bank must either declare a failure or
close its doors, in either case creating an emergency requiring government
intervention. Will such a run on banks occur due to the announcement? To a
limited degree, many citizens will start to carry more cash, fearing bank
closure, but when bank failures do not emerge, they will return to using
plastic instead of cash. The banks have in fact been warned to have cash
on hand, but not told the reason for this move.
The argument that the public will refuse to attend to their jobs, send
their kids to school, or pay their bills is absurd, though is used by some
when painting the complete collapse of civilization that a public
awareness of the approaching passage might cause. Certainly workers will
be distracted and the conversation everywhere will not be on sports or
gossip, but the common man will consider what they have to LOSE in such
actions, which will outweigh what they have to gain. To what end, becoming
homeless and broke? This will be a fleeting thought of most, and a plan of
action for very few.
Likewise packing up and vacating the coastlines or cities for the country
is a course of action few will take, and those who do take this action
will reconsider almost immediately and return to their homes. Do they
imagine that some friendly farmer is just waiting for their arrival, with
a clean bedroom, a plate at the dinner table, and a welcome hug? What they
will find is their cash running low, any relatives or friends they have
imposed on losing patience, and life as a homeless person looming on the
horizon. Most such impulses will result in phone calls only, to be
followed by more tempered plans.
The end result will be a shocked public contemplating a future that has
suddenly developed more paths forward than before. The talking heads on TV
will endlessly discuss the possible outcomes. Religions will suddenly find
churches and mosques filled, with prayers for salvation on the lips of the
faithful. Serious and responsible households will lay plans, and where no
plan is possible save death or starvation, will as we have predicted
prepare for this end in ways that reflect their spiritual orientation and
maturity. We have predicted that love will have a blooming, but likewise
selfish opportunism will emerge to a shocking degree.
2012/09/16 13:27. At 5 'o' Clock, a Magnetic Bully, in all his Glory. PX Revealed! http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/2012-09-16-13-27-good-capture-alt-is-still-3-degree-too-high
Alberto's photo shows a very bright object at the 5:00 o'clock position
surrounded by a lovely halo, but the object is clearly visible in the
center of that. This is the corpus of Planet X. Why so large in this
photo when normally in Alberto's photos you barely see a dim
fuzzball? You see the tail, you see the Moon Swirls as tubes or as
orbs, but you don't see Planet X. Has it come closer? It is
being enhanced by the Council of Worlds' request to appear larger on
Earth. It has not physically come closer to the Earth, but we can of
course enhance light rays. This is a snap for benign aliens. And
this enhancement will continue, steadily, until the announcement is made.
So is it visible yet to the naked eye? To some degree, yes.
People are now noticing something at that position and saying, "what's
that"? Of course they've been noticing Moon Swirls all along that
appear like very bright orbs at this or that place around the sun.
But this one will have a reddish tinge, and you can expect this to
grow. Alberto will, of course, keep you updated. It's when the
murmur on the street begins, people seeing the red object in the sky, that
the announcement will be expedited. It could happen this afternoon.
It could happen tomorrow. It could happen at anytime.
Do the China government always operating anti-Japanese demonstration for turn out the dissatisfaction of China to especially Japan? Chinese demonstrators rallied in front of the Japanese Embassy in Beijing for the 7th straight day. They're angry that the Japanese government put of the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea under state ownership. The islands are also claimed by China and Taiwan. Only a few Chinese newspapers are reporting the vandalism and looting of Japanese companies and stores across the country. [and from another] Sep. 17, 2012 http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120917_15.html 1000 fishing vessels will arrived at the area of sea of Senkaku-shoto ( the Chinese name :the fishing island ). [and from another] http://freebeacon.com/chinese-general-prepare-for-combat/ China's most powerful military leader, in an unusual public statement, last week ordered military forces to prepare for combat, as Chinese warships deployed to waters near disputed islands and anti-Japan protests throughout the country turned violent. Protests against the Japanese government's purchase of three privately held islands in the Senkakus chain led to mass street protests, the burning of Japanese flags, and attacks on Japanese businesses and cars in several cities. Some carried signs that read "Kill all Japanese," and "Fight to the Death" over disputed islands. One sign urged China to threaten a nuclear strike against Japan.
China is turning a deaf ear on protests against Japan for their takeover
of the Senkaku Island as this is preferable to going to war over such a
small issue. They are inciting, by this, a type of civil war in the
region, thus pushing Japan back. The Senkaku Islands are very close to the
China mainland, far closer than to the South Island of Japan in fact, and
will thus be the de facto owners of these small islands. What is the real
issue here? Japan feels itself being deserted by
the US, which seems to be making alliances with New Zealand and
Australia in preferences to their traditional alliances with Japan and S
Korea. This is clearly with an eye to the Aftertime. China fears Japan
taking an alliance with immigrants from SE Asia, who are losing territory
as the Sunda Plate sinks.
I want to ask about the worrying rise of far right elements and ideologies in Europe, especially in countries with serious financial problems like Greece and Hungary but also in countries like Germany. I know there is a heavy polarization happening between people as we approach the pole shift but is there more to this turn of events than this? Is it maybe a ploy of the elite of Europe to invoke martial law that will put fascist regimes in power in as many European countries as possible, or maybe another tool in the hands of the STS Overlords that will allow them to make the conditions even worse on the European continent so they can reap a better harvest? How realistic is this danger?
Early in the ZetaTalk saga we described the spiritual
polarization that would occur during the Transformation.
It is the rise in Service-to-Other influences and actions that in essence
panics those in the Service-to-Self who
have been accustomed to rigid rules and class structure. Those in
the Service-to-Self have learned to lie with a smile, con others, and
insert themselves into human society and the job market so they benefit
the most at the expense of others. What disturbs them during the
polarization period is that the rules and class structure are being replaced by cooperation among those
more comfortable operating in the Service-to-Others orientation.
At first, their distress is expressed by angry demands that the rules be
followed exactly, and in trying to argue logically for these rules that
benefit those in the Service-to-Self. This can be seen in the Republican
reluctance to have the tax breaks given to the super wealthy by Bush
expire. No relationship to creating jobs and building the economy has even
been shown, in fact statistically the opposite has been shown, but they
attempt to argue this point. The desire for martial law, expressed
likewise by those among the ultra-right, is another example. They wish
their assets protected and their slaves, the workers, to be forced
to their jobs. What will happen as their panic increases? Their demands
will become more shrill but they will likewise increasingly be ignored.
They will turn inward, seeking those of like mind behind closed doors,
while they become irrelevant.
I was reading this news at Huffington Post, and I couldn't believe it. There is a real intention to create an outbreak of this proportion in the USA? This is pure madness. [and from another] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/17/zombie-apocalypse-training-halo-corp_n_1889724.html The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is ready for a zombie apocalypse. Gun owners got prepared for a zombie apocalypse. Now, the military and law enforcement are getting ready. And next month, they'll begin training.The training comes at a time when the term "zombie apocalypse" is so viral that several branches of government have released statements on the matter. Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security reported that "the zombies are coming" as part of a hilarious bid to get citizens to prepare for a real disaster. [and from another] http://www.militarytimes.com/news/2012/09/navy-security-firm-holds-zombie-crisis-scenario-081612/
How best to get the participants focused when planning exercises on
containment when citizens will be starving, rioting, sick and injured, and
out of their heads with grief and insanity? Calling this an exercise
dealing with a zombie apocalypse puts the participants in the right frame
of mind, instantly. There is no parallel in history, to point to. And by
making it almost comical, something fictional out of the movies, those
calling for these exercises are exempt from having to explain themselves.
No need to detail the coming Earth changes and pending Pole Shift. No need
to explain why the usual social safety nets will be gone. The zombie
apocalypse label is a convenient shortcut!
King Salmon have consistently declined from Alaska rivers over the past 5 years without explanation. Is this decline associated with the worsening Earth wobble - a result of cooler air and water temperatures from the daily push by Planet X that sends southern Alaska beneath the chill of cooler air to the north? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19349265
The wobble has caused species to migrate, and to change their migration
patterns. Where temperature extremes and drought and deluge have afflicted
land masses, the oceans have been more susceptible in that water will
linger in places where it was pushed more than the atmosphere. The air
will warm and cool, or drop its moisture, where the oceans will take
longer to warm and cool, once moved, and dissipate their nutrients or
chemical composition more slowly. Thus, there is algae in the Arctic.
Salmon, as all species, react to thousands of clues during their annual
migrations – temperature, the chemistry of the water, the density of
familiar nutrients, the intensity of filtered sunlight, the length of the
day, and the hormones triggered by seasonal changes are but a few.
Any comments or more info on this report which says that the Chinese and US navy are currently fighting UFOs in the Pacific? They talk about "full combat operation against what we are told is a highly unfriendly extra-terrestrial threat" [and from another] http://www.veteranstoday.com/2012/09/17/ufo-war-chinese-and-us-navy-off-san-francisco/ This last week, reports of Chinese naval vessels off the US coast, Northern Californian in particular, have been reported but denied. Now an Asian intelligence agency reports that a combined fleet operation between the US and China has been going on, a full combat operation against what we are told is a "highly unfriendly extra-terrestrial threat." The verifications of the fleet operations have been many, there have been no confirmations from the US side though the ships have been seen by every vessel that makes it offshore. The true nature of both the threat and the extent of the multinational military force used is beyond any imaginable classification level. The actual classified memo on very short distribution mentions only the following:
* Opposition is extraterrestrial and extremely aggressive and unfriendly
* The threat represents a "clear and present danger" and is isolated to the Pacific Basin
* China is forced to carry US responsibility because our own naval capability is sitting in the Persian Gulf when America is under a very real threat.
* Attempts to seek confirmations or to directly verify these operations will lead to fatal consequences.
This serious article on the Veteran's Today website shows that this is
not a hoax but is a report on military opinions and actions of both the US
and China, incited by increased UFO activity in the Pacific. UFO activity
is increasing everywhere, so why is this newsworthy and considered a
military threat? The UFOs are those used by aliens in the Service-to-Self,
in swarms, when they were forced to vacate an undersea parking lot during
plate movement. UFO displays are done, by the Council of Worlds rules, by
aliens in the Service-to-Other. But in a panic, the Service-to-Self (who
operate in the physical 3rd density while on Earth) failed to cloak
themselves properly. Thus they burst upward, past ships in the area, and
their actions were considered aggressive.
The military reaction would likely not have happened had those responsible
for the cover-up over the alien presence been on the defensive lately. The
pending announcement over the presence of Planet X in the solar system is
bound to lead to the public questioning the continuing cover-up over the
alien presence. Those responsible for the cover-up have tried to defend
themselves in the past, for instance in the National Geographic
documentary When
Aliens Attack. Eager to make the point once again at a time when the
cover-up over Planet X is being exposed, these individuals jumped at the
opportunity to hit the press with their alien attack claims.


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Learn About the Law
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[283 U.S. 414, 415] Messrs. Lewis Edwin Hoffman and Chester I. Long, both of Washington, D. C., for petitioner McLennan.
Mr. Homer R. Hendricks, of Washington, D. C., for petitioner Simpson.
Mr. James Conlon, of Washington, D. C., for petitioner Barton.
Messrs. James G. Leovy, of Los Angeles, Cal., and John W. Fisher, of Washington, D. C., for petitioner Pyron.
Mr. J. A. Greenwood, of Cheyenne, Wyo., for State of Wyoming.
Mr. Clarence L. Ireland, of Denver, Colo., for State of Colorado, as amici curiae by special leave of court.
The Attorney General and Mr. Seth W. Richardson, Asst. Atty. Gen., for respondents.
Mr. Justice McREYNOLDS delivered the opinion of the Court.
All these causes turn on the same point of law; the records disclose facts not materially different; one opinion will suffice.
The Act of Congress approved February 25, 1920, 41 Stat. 437, intended to promote certain mining operations, contains thirty-eight sections.
Section 1. 'That deposits of coal, phosphate, sodium, oil, oil shale, or gas, and lands containing such deposits owned by the United States , ... shall be subject to disposition in the form and manner provided by this Act. ...' 30 USCA 181.
Section 9 (30 USCA 211) authorizes the Secretary to lease lands containing deposits of phosphates under such general regulation as he may adopt. By section 17 (30 USCA 226) unappropriated deposits of oil or gas situated within the known geologic structure of a producing oil or gas field 'may be leased by the Secretary of the Interior to the highest responsible bidder, ...' such leases to be conditioned upon the payment by the lessee of such bonus as may be accepted and of such royalty as may be fixed in the lease, etc. Section 21 (30 USCA 241) authorizes the Secretary to lease deposits of oil shale under such regulations as he may prescribe, for indefinite periods.
Section 2 (30 USCA 201) declares that the Secretary 'is authorized to, and upon the petition of any qualified applicant shall, divide any of the coal lands or the deposits of coal, classified and unclassified, owned by the United States, outside of the Territory of Alaska, into leasing tracts of forty acres each, ...' and thereafter 'shall, in his discretion, upon the request of any qualified applicant or on his own motion, from time to time, offer such lands or deposits of coal for leasing, and shall award leases thereon by competitive bidding or by such other methods as he may by general regulations adopt, to any qualified applicant. ...'
Section 23. That the Secretary 'is hereby authorized and directed, under such rules and regulations as he may prescribe, to grant to any qualified applicant a prospecting permit which shall give the exclusive right to prospect for chlorides, sulphates, carbonates, borates, silicates, or nitrates of sodium. ...' 30 USCA 261.
These provisions quite plainly indicate that Congress held in mind the distinction between a positive mandate to the Secretary and permission to take certain action in his discretion. Also, the difference between applicants for mere privileges and those persons who, because of expenditures, or otherwise, deserved special consideration.
The petitioners, acting separately and as directed by the general rules and regulations, either filed or sought to file applications for permits to prospect for oil and gas under section 13 (30 USCA 221). In order to effectuate the conservation policy of the President, the Secretary of the Interior by a general order either rejected or refused to receive their applications. Thereupon these proceedings were begun in the Supreme Court, District of Columbia. They seek writs of mandamus to compel the Secretary to receive or reinstate the applications and act upon each according to its merits. [283 U.S. 414, 419] Answering, the Secretary admitted issuance of the general order and action thereunder. All this he claimed was done in pursuance of the authority vested in him by law. The Supreme Court of the District held against him, and ordered receipt or reinstatement of petitioner's applications followed by definite action thereon. The Court of Appeals reached a different conclusion and reversed the judgments. 46 F.(2d) 217, 224.
The answers aver 'that under the Act, (1920) th gra nting of a prospecting permit for oil and gas is discretionary with the Secretary of the Interior, and any application may be granted or denied, either in part or in its entirety as the facts may be deemed to warrant.' Having examined the act, we cannot say that by any clear and indisputable language it refutes his position. Certainly there is ground for a plausible, if not conclusive, argument that, so far as it relates to the leasing of oil lands, it goes no further than to empower the Secretary to execute leases which, exercising a reasonable discretion, he may think would promote the public welfare.
It is unnecessary now to declare the precise meaning of the relevant provisions of the act. It was passed when according to a widely accepted view decline of petroleum production in the United States was imminent. In fact, there has been an enormous increase and a consequent troublesome surplus. Looking only at its words, one may interpret section 13 as the Secretary says he did. And this conclusion is aided by consideration of his general powers over the public lands as guardian of the people, section 441, Rev. St. (5 USCA 485); United States v. Grimaud, 220 U.S. 506 , 31 S. Ct. 480; Williams v. United States, 138 U.S. 514 , 11 S. Ct. 457; Knight v. Association, 142 U.S. 161 , 12 S. Ct. 258; also the right of the President to withdraw public lands from private appropriation, United States v. Midwest Oil Co., 236 U.S. 459 , 35 S. Ct. 309; Withdrawal Act, 1910, 36 Stat. 847. [283 U.S. 414, 420] Under the established rule, the writ of mandamus cannot be made to serve the purpose of an ordinary suit. It will issue only where the duty to be performed is ministerial and the obligation to act peremptory and plainly defined. The law must not only authorize the demanded action, but require it; the duty must be clear and indisputable. United States ex rel. International Contracting Company v. Lamont, 155 U.S. 303, 308 , 15 S. Ct. 97; Louisiana v. McAdoo, 234 U.S. 627, 633 , 34 S. Ct. 938; Work v. Rives, 267 U.S. 175 , 45 S. Ct. 252.
The judgments under review must be affirmed.
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Citation: 283 U.S. 414
Docket No: No. 618
Decided: May 18, 1931
Court: United States Supreme Court
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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ A lack of diversity on Indiana universities' boards of trustees could be hindering the institutions' abilities to adapt to increasingly diverse students and staffs, experts say.
An Indianapolis Star review ( Indystar trustee diversity review) found that women hold barely a fifth of the seats on trustees boards across the state, even though they outnumber men at most of the state's public universities.
Indiana isn't alone in its lack of diversity on the boards that make major decisions including hiring presidents and controlling multimillion-dollar budgets. Nationally, just 28 percent of public university trustees are women, according to a five-year survey conducted in 2010 by the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges. Less than a quarter are minorities.
"You can see things have pretty much been stable or plateaued or stagnant, whatever word you want to use, in terms of gender diversity since the survey in `97," said Merrill Schwartz, the vice president of the Association of Governing Boards' consulting arm who conducted the 2010 survey. "Things don't change that fast."
Many university leaders say it's OK that the governing boards don't reflect the diversity of students and staff because they aren't tasked with representing them.
"It's a matter of what individuals you have on your board," said Rick Hall, chairman of the trustees at Ball State University. "We have strong individuals that are sensitive to making sure that all members of the Ball State campus feel welcome and their needs are addressed."
Schwartz said good intentions aren't enough and that some important issues can be overlooked when a board lacks diversity.
One example, she said, is graduation rates, which are much lower for low-income and minority students than for others. If no trustee comes from a low-income or minority background, Schwartz said, critical viewpoints could be missed in solving the problem.
Christy Denault, spokeswoman for Gov. Mike Pence, said diversity is a consideration, but not the determining factor, when Pence appoints trustees.
Pence has appointed 15 men and eight women to university boards since taking office in 2012. Denault said his priority is to find the person with the right skills and experiences.
That can mean successful alumni, major donors, business leaders, attorneys or former government workers.
Schwartz said governors and universities should seek out as much diversity as possible, looking not just at gender but at age, religion, race and sexual orientation as well.
"Do I think it makes a difference?" Schwartz asked. "I do."
Information from: The Indianapolis Star, http://www.indystar.com


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Lifetime Plans Whitney Houston-Bobby Brown Movie
The Lifetime TV channel says it will air a movie about Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown's relationship, with actress Angela Bassett set to direct.
Lifetime said Thursday that the movie will follow the couple through their first meeting and tumultuous marriage, and Houston's rise to fame.
Brown and Houston were divorced at the time of her 2012 drowning death in a hotel bathtub at age 48. The couple's daughter is 21-year-old Bobbi Kristina Brown.
Lifetime says Bassett will be making her directorial debut with the project.
In a statement, Bassett says she has high regard for both Houston's and Brown's talents and feels a responsibility in telling their story.
Photo: AP Photo
File photo of Whitney Houston with Bobby Brown in Hollywood.
Lifetime says the movie, with the working title "Whitney Houston," will air in 2015. The cast hasn't been announced.


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Afghanistan and Iraq may still be in flames. A bloodbath may continue to flow from Nato's 'humanitarian intervention' in Libya. No matter, mainstream journalists are appalled that a double Russian and Chinese veto at the UN has thwarted Western efforts to do more good in Syria. The two powers rejected the latest draft of a UN Security Council resolution condemning the Syrian government and preparing the way for international sanctions.
In the Guardian, Middle East editor Ian Black wrote last week:
'Bashar al-Assad can certainly feel satisfied that powerful allies have stood by him and prevented international action that might – just – have given him pause for thought as he pursues his vicious crackdown on Syria's protest movement.'
This is the standard media version of events, repeated endlessly, for example, by the BBC and ITV. We are to understand that the Syrian government is responsible for a vicious repression of peaceful protestors along the lines of Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain and Yemen. But is it an accurate depiction of the conflict?
In May, Michel Chossudovsky, Professor of Economics at the University of Ottawa, commented on the first outbreaks of violence in Syria:
'What is clear from these initial reports is that many of the demonstrators were not demonstrators but terrorists involved in premeditated acts of killing and arson. The title of [an] Israeli news report summarizes what happened: 'Syria: Seven Police Killed, Buildings Torched in Protests.'
The initial conflict, Chossudovsky noted, 'had all the appearances of a staged event involving, in all likelihood, covert support to Islamic terrorists by Mossad and/or Western intelligence. Government sources point to the role of radical Salafist groups (supported by Israel). Other reports have pointed to the role of Saudi Arabia in financing the protest movement.'
Jeremy Salt, associate professor in Middle Eastern History and Politics at Bilkent University, Ankara, wrote this month:
'The armed groups are well armed and well organised. Large shipments of weapons have been smuggled into Syria from Lebanon and Turkey. They include pump action shotguns, machine guns, Kalashnikovs, RPG launchers, Israeli-made hand grenades and numerous other explosives. It is not clear who is providing these weapons but someone is, and someone is paying for them.'
So why do Western media keep referring to a 'vicious crackdown on Syria's protest movement'? Chossudovsky explained:
'The existence of an armed insurrection is not mentioned by the Western media. If it were to be acknowledged and analysed, our understanding of unfolding events would be entirely different. What is mentioned profusely is that the armed forces and the police are involved in the indiscriminate killing of protesters.'
He added some background:
'Since the Soviet-Afghan war, Western intelligence agencies as well as Israel's Mossad have consistently used various Islamic terrorist organizations as "intelligence assets". Both Washington and its indefectible British ally have provided covert support to "Islamic terrorists" in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo and Libya, etc. as a means to triggering ethnic strife, sectarian violence and political instability… The ultimate objective of the Syria protest movement, through media lies and fabrications, is to create divisions within Syrian society as well as justify an eventual "humanitarian intervention".'
As Chossudovsky observed, Syria is on the US list of 'rogue states.' In 2004, in an interview with Democracy Now!, former Nato chief General Wesley Clark recalled a conversation with a Pentagon general in 2001, a few weeks after the September 11 attacks:
'He reached over on his desk. He picked up a piece of paper. And he said, "I just got this down from upstairs" — meaning the Secretary of Defense's office — "today." And he said, "This is a memo that describes how we're going to take out seven countries in five years, starting with Iraq, and then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and, finishing off, Iran."'
The Guardian's Morality Play
Ian Black continued in the Guardian:
'The veto by Russia and China of a binding UN security council resolution threatening unspecified measures against Syria caps months of feverish diplomatic action at the UN. Britain, France and Portugal knew they were facing an uphill struggle, so they diluted and qualified the text of what they were proposing in order to avoid failure. But they failed anyway.
'Since military action was explicitly excluded in the final "blue" draft of the resolution, the optimists thought, or hoped, that Russia might comply.'
But the dilutions and qualifications did not rule out more aggressive action later. The final resolution allowed for the Security Council to consider unspecified measures against Syria after a 30-day period. Former Guardian journalist Jonathan Cook responded to our request for comment:
'Black mentions the exclusion of "military action" but this is not in itself a guarantee that the US won't find other ways to bring about regime change. There was plenty of evidence during Israel's attack on Lebanon in 2006 that the US and Israel were trying to widen the attack to Syria. Israel is very concerned about Syria's stockpiles of biological and chemical weapons that nearly match its own. It isn't too far-fetched to see the US using this resolution as a prelude to a variation of the Iraq strategy: demanding Syria destroy its WMD; upping world fury; isolating Damascus; and then allowing/enabling an Israeli attack.' (Email to Media Lens, October 6, 2011)
Black added:
'But on Tuesday night, officials said, there was a last-minute hardening of Moscow's position. Beijing, as ever, dutifully followed suit. Lebanon, India, South Africa and Brazil – currently on the council – abstained.'
Cook again:
'The US tries to shape the world in ways that are beneficial to its strategic and commercial interests, and does so through arm-twisting and threats to those countries that object but are not strong enough to stand up to its power…
'This is so obvious it should not even need to be stated. And yet Black's analysis totally ignores this reality, turning the Security Council vote into some kind of morality play. He is positively misty-eyed about Western interests, as though they were informed solely by a resolute determination to stand up for human rights and the oppressed. His approach is typified by this weasely line:
'"Beijing, as ever, dutifully followed suit."
'As though Britain, France, Portugal and co don't also "dutifully follow suit" when the US demands it.'
Abandoning any pretense of neutrality, Black continued:
'This is bad news for protesters in Syria, where at least 2,700 have been killed since March, and bad news for those who yearn for a UN that can prove effective, if not in tackling all the world's ills at once, then at least in responding to one of its most glaring and urgent injustices.
'The chorus of condemnation from western capitals sounded genuine.'
The resiliance of Black's faith in Western moral concern is impressive. This year, the West has supported dictators in Tunisia and Egypt to the bitter end, before dumping the tyrants, hailing a triumph for democracy, and then working for a restoration of the status quo. It continues to support tyrants killing their own people in Yemen, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. It has criminally exploited a UN resolution to achieve regime change in Libya. It has also promised to veto the Palestinian bid for statehood and membership of the UN. In fact, the West has again shown itself to be a fierce opponent of the cause it claims to be defending in Syria.
Black wrote:
'Susan Rice, Barack Obama's ambassador to the UN, expressed outrage. "This will be seen in the region as a decision to side with a brutal regime rather than with the people of Syria," complained William Hague, "and will be a bitter blow to all those Syrians who have implored the international community to take a stand."… Privately, but fairly openly, the Russians were accused of being hypocritical and cynical.'
By contrast, former British ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig Murray, commented:
'I know the American Envoy to the UN, Susan Rice, and have in the past worked with her and had great respect for her; she was genuinely committed to the fight against apartheid. But her histrionic walkout in reaction to a Russian statement which was both plainly true, and an eminently foreseeable result of America's own rash actions [in Libya], was just pathetic.'
On the World Socialist Web Site, Peter Symonds noted the breathtaking hypocrisy of Rice's walk-out: the US having, after all, vetoed numerous UN resolutions condemning Israeli crimes.
Black added in a feeble gesture towards balance:
'Arms sales and a strategic relationship with Syria certainly played a role in Russia's calculations, just as US links to Bahrain have tempered its criticism of repression in the Gulf state.'
As we have seen, Bahrain is only one example of how the West is systematically subordinating democracy to self-interest.
Although Russia and China have concerns about the way Nato interpreted UNSCR 1973 in Libya, Black noted: 'Still, Muammar Gaddafi's menacing advance on Benghazi and excoriation of his enemies as "rats" was not a western ploy.'
US analyst David Peterson responded to our request for comment:
'There are still no grounds to believe that as of March 2011, the possibility of a bloodbath carried out by the Gaddafi regime in Benghazi was anything but western propaganda to facilitate the adoption of 1973 and then immediately use 1973 to launch an aggressive war against the regime. If, inside Syria, the protests are becoming militarized — how do you suppose this has come about? The weapons and organizational capabilities just fell from the sky above. Right? Exactly like Libya from February 15 on.' (Email to Media Lens, October 6, 2011)
Black made vague mention that Russian and Chinese objections to the proposed resolution on Syria had been 'far more about their anger over Libya'. By contrast, Craig Murray heroically translated a portion of the Russian speech at the UN – a feat apparently beyond the capacity of any mainstream media Moloch – allowing readers of his blog to evaluate the reasoning. The Russian ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, said:
'The situation in Syria cannot be considered without reference to events in Libya. The international community should be alarmed at statements to the effect that the implementation of Security Council resolutions on Libya, as read by NATO, provide a model for future NATO action for the implementation of the "responsibility to protect". One can easily imagine that tomorrow this "exemplary model" of "joint defence" can start to be introduced into Syria.'
Churkin continued on Libya:
'In the view of Russia, in that case members of the UN Security Council twisted the provisions of Security Council resolutions to give them the opposite of their true meaning.
'The requirement for an immediate ceasefire instead resulted in large-scale civil war, with humanitarian, social, economic, and military consequences which have extended far beyond Libya's frontiers.
'The no-fly zone resulted in the bombing of oil installations, television stations and other civilian targets.
'The arms embargo resulted in a naval blockade of the West coast of Libya, including for humanitarian supplies.
'The "Benghazi crisis" has resulted today in the devastation of other cities. Sirte, Bani Walid, and Sephi.
'This then is the "Exemplary model". The world must abolish such practices once and for all.'
As Murray observed:
'The fact is that what the Russians say is precisely true. NATO action in Libya went way beyond what the Security Council had actually authorised, which was a no fly zone to protect civilians, a ceasefire, and negotiations between the parties.'
Peter Symonds added a rarely-reported fact:
'In an obvious reference to Libya, South African ambassador Baso Sangqu issued a statement declaring that the Security Council had been abused and that implementation of its resolutions had gone far beyond mandates. South Africa was concerned, he said, about the imposition of punitive measures on Syria, believing that they had been designed "as a prelude to other actions." Explaining South Africa's abstention, Sangqu insisted that the Council should not be part of any hidden agenda for regime change.'
Finally, Black summarised:
'The failure of diplomacy seems likely to mean further escalation on the ground, where the protests are becoming militarised and there is talk of a fully-fledged civil war.'
A likely reversal of the truth, as indicated by the ferocious civil war Nato has stoked, and perhaps caused, in Libya. It was Nato's political support for violent resistance in Libya, its air campaign in support of anti-Gaddafi forces, its flat rejection of all ceasefire and peace proposals, and its demand that Gaddafi 'step down', that created the conditions for civil war and, as planned, regime change. The same powers are surely intending to pursue the same strategy and result in Syria.
Update – October 14, 2011
We have received a number of heartfelt responses to this alert suggesting, for example, that we have 'cast doubt on the authenticity of the people's protests and the ongoing violent response of the Al Assad regime'.
To be clear, our point is not at all to contest that there has been fierce government repression of entirely authentic protest in Syria. Our point is that, unlike Tunisia and Egypt, there is also a heavily-armed opposition fighting government forces in Syria, and that the significance of this armed element is rarely, if ever, discussed by the mainstream media. As Jeremy Salt commented in the article cited above:
'There is no doubt that the bulk of people demonstrating in Syria want peaceful transition to a democratic form of government. Neither is there any doubt that armed groups operating from behind the screen of the demonstrations have no interest in reform. They want to destroy the government.'
To raise important questions about the possible involvement of our own government in fomenting violence – an infamous strategy of the West – has nothing to do with smearing peaceful protest or apologising for tyranny.
Update 2 – October 31, 2011
We have responded to a critique of this alert by Rupert Read.
The goal of Media Lens is to promote rationality, compassion and respect for others. If you do write to journalists, we strongly urge you to maintain a polite, non-aggressive and non-abusive tone.
Please write to:
Ian Black
Email: [email protected]
Also on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/ian_black
Guardian editor, Alan Rusbridger
Email: [email protected]
The Guardian readers' editor
Email: [email protected]


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The Invisalign system is a series of clear aligners used to straighten teeth.Will Invisalign fit my lifestyle?
What is Invisalign?The Invisalign system is the virtually invisible way to straighten your teeth and achieve the smile you've always wanted. Invisalign uses advanced 3D computer imaging technology to depict your complete treatment plan, from the initial position of your teeth to the final desired position. Then, a series of clear aligners are custom-made for your teeth — and your teeth only — to move them little by little. Each aligner is worn for about two weeks before being replaced by the next in the series until the final position of your teeth is achieved. Your Invisalign treatment time will be determined by your doctor based on your specific needs.What are the primary benefits of Invisalign?Invisalign aligners are clear, making Invisalign a seamless fit with your lifestyle and day-to-day interactions with others. Invisalign aligners are also removable. Unlike braces, you have the flexibility to eat and drink what you want during treatment simply by removing the aligners when you eat. You can also remove the aligners to brush and floss as you normally would for fresh breath and good oral hygiene. Unlike traditional metal braces, Invisalign treatment does not use metal brackets or wires that could cause irritation to your mouth. In addition, you'll spend less time in the doctor's chair and scheduling appointments, and more time out doing the things you love. Lastly, Invisalign's technology allows you to view your virtual results and treatment plan before you start your treatment, so that you can preview how your straight teeth will look once your treatment is complete.How many patients are in Invisalign treatment?More than 3,000,000 patients worldwide have been treated with Invisalign. The number of Invisalign smiles grows daily. At your next appointment, we can help answer any questions you might have, and get you started on the smile you've always wanted.
Read what people are saying about us.
read more


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Eatontown, NJ, June 30, 2017 –(PR.com)– For years Mark Lamplugh has been the "voice" for the treatment of responders when dealing with critical stress, PTSD, and addiction issues. Now, that voice can be heard on one of the first online radio shows dedicated to the health and wellness of firefighters and emergency services personnel.
In this new role as radio host, Lamplugh will add his expertise in not only addiction recovery but as a renowned specialist and author on the subject of first responder critical stress and PTSD issues.
Lamplugh is a fourth generation firefighter and former captain with the Lower Chichester (PA) Fire Company. Lamplugh is also nationally recognized in Crisis Stress Intervention through the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress. Lamplugh has been instrumental in creating new programs for first responders across the country as they deal with the stress and depression that often comes with their occupations.
"There will be no real rigid format," said Lamplugh as he described the new opportunity. "I envision a radio show that is easy to listen to and brings the subject matter to the forefront with guests that have struggled with these issues themselves and learned to be overcomers."
Lamplugh explained that seeing struggles throughout his career drove him to this new venue. "No matter what programs are developed, no matter what treatment center I meet firefighters in, the real success stories have all been born in personal conversations with firefighters looking for someone to listen, to share and to point them in the right direction. This is what I see happening with this new show; it's a conversation I have wanted to have with thousands of my brothers and sisters across the country, and now I can have it."
The show, which airs on July 5th, July 26th, Aug 23rd and Aug 30th, can be found on Fire Engineering BlogTalk Radio located at (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/fireengineeringtalkradio). For almost 140 years, Fire Engineering magazine has provided training, education, and management information for fire and emergency services personnel worldwide. In print and online, articles are normally written by experts in the fire service and focus on lessons-learned.
"The world is online, so this was the next step for me," claims Lamplugh. "I am excited about the potential of having such a large audience that I might never have before been able to reach."
Lamplugh, who works as the Vice President or Responder Services of a new responder treatment program called Frontline Responder Services (http://www.frontlinerehab.com) created by Advanced Health & Education (http://www.advhealth.com) and Cedar Point Recovery (http://www.cedarpointrecovery.com) who recently introduced the new responder addiction program at their facility in Eatontown, New Jersey and Sacramento, California. The group owns and operates drug and alcohol rehab centers as well as medical detox facilities across the United States.
The program, named "Frontline" is designed to quickly attend to the mental health and well-being of response community members following critical incidents or unexpected traumatic events such as the recent attack on the Orlando nightclub or the violence seen in cities like Chicago, Boston, Dallas, and Baltimore. Frontline is also designed to address the long-term effects of critical stress on responders from the daily stress and pressure of the job; the same focus Lamplugh hopes to bring to his show.
"I am not a professional radio show host," remarked the treatment expert. "This is going to be a show that meets responders where they live, how they live and touches on the subjects we all need to be talking about. This show is going to save lives and restore families, and I look forward to a long relationship with Fire Engineering." Fire Engineering has no affiliation and doesn't personally endorse the Frontline Program at Advanced Health & Education.
Contact Information:
Sprout Health Group
Mark Lamplugh
Contact via Email
Read the full story here: http://www.pr.com/press-release/721872
Press Release Distributed by PR.com


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Rick Grimes - The Walking Dead
Lifesize Cardboard Cutout
Life-size cardboard cutout standup is made of heavy cardboard with a high-quality image. An easel is attached so the cutout will be free-standing.
- 70 x 26 (height x width) inches
- High-quality laminated image
- Heavy-duty corrugated cardboard
- Attached easel included
- Free-standing or can hang on wall


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Many people visit the chiropractor for the first time because they are experiencing pain in different areas of their body. Some people also visit us because they want to begin a preventive treatment plan to ensure that they stay healthy.
We truly believe that pain is often the result of something in our body being out of alignment. We will work hard to ensure that your body gets back into alignment so that you are pain free again!
Our goal is to help you to feel better (and stay that way) as quickly as possible. It is possible to live a life without pain.


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Terms of use
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The permission to reproduce copyright protected material does not extend to any material on this site that is identified as being the copyright of a third party. Authorisation to reproduce such material must be obtained from the copyright holders concerned.
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- The information provided does not replace or alter the laws of New Zealand or any other official guidelines or requirements.
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Established in 2010, the Faith Communities Council of Victoria (FCCV) is Victoria's umbrella multifaith body. It is the successor to the Leaders of Faith Communities Forum, founded in 1995.
FCCV was created to contribute to the harmony of the Victorian community by promoting positive relations between people of different faiths and greater public knowledge and mutual understanding of the teachings, customs and practices of Victoria's diverse faith traditions.
From February 10, 2024 00:00 until February 24, 2024 21:25


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Moon's Chapel Baptist Church, located in Siler City, North Carolina, was founded in 1849. To this day, it serves as a worship center for the local community, as well as a home base for local outreach ministries. If you are looking for a church home, we invite you to learn more about our church, our staff, what we believe, and how the Gospel of Jesus Christ can change your life.
Our service times can be found here, and information about our beliefs and other ministries can be found using the links above. Our church newsletter is available on our media page, and is available in pdf form here.
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact the church during business hours at (919)-742-4569, by email firstname.lastname@example.com, or by clicking here.
Moon's Chapel Baptist Church is a member of the Southern Baptist Convention, and affiliated with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina.


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Massive B Soundsystem 96.9
Radio Station Massive B Soundsystem 96.9 | |
Genre: | Dancehall, ragga, dub |
Appearance(s): | Grand Theft Auto IV |
DJ(s): | Bobby Konders |
Massive B Soundsystem 96.9 is a dancehall radio station in Grand Theft Auto IV, hosted by Bobby Konders. It serves as a more commercialized counterpart to the more traditional Tuff Gong Radio, which plays purely reggae music, which dancehall music originates from.
The station is distinctive in that Konders radio edits songs played on the station, and will occasionally insert sound effects, echos and even his own voice into certain music tracks. In addition, Konders will occasionally act as a socially conscious voice of Liberty City and an activist, encouraging listeners to be more proactive towards the plight of the city.
As RamJam FM replaces Massive B Soundsystem and Tuff Gong Radio in Episodes from Liberty City, the station is not available in the compilation's version of The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony.
DJ: Bobby Konders
Track list
- Burro Banton - "Badder Den Dem" (2007)
- Choppa Chop - "Set It Off" (2007)
- Mavado - "Real McKoy with a Full Clip" (2007)
- Jabba - "Raise It Up" (2007)
- Bunji Garlin - "Brrrt" (2006)
- Richie Spice - "Youth Dem Cold" (2007)
- Chuck Fenda - "All About da Weed" (2008)
- Chezidek - "Call Pon Dem" (2006)
- Mavado - "Last Night" (a-capella) (2007)
- Spragga Benz - "Da Order" (2008)
- Bounty Killer - "Bullet Proof Skin" (a-capella) (2007)
- Shaggy - "Church Heathen" (2007)
- Munga - "No Fraid A" (2008)
- Buju Banton - "Driver" (2008)
- Massive B Soundsystem is based on a real radio station of the same name and logo also hosted by Bobby Konders. They have a segment Saturdays and Sundays, around midnight on Hot 97 (on which another GTA IV radio station, The Beat 102.7 is based on).
- When Niko asks a taxi driver to put the radio on Massive B, he says '96.6' instead of 96.9.
- Little Jacob likes this station.
External link
See also
- K-JAH, a radio station in Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas which plays dub.
- K-JAH West, a radio station in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas which plays dancehall and dub.
- The Blue Ark, a radio station in Grand Theft Auto V which plays dancehall and dub.


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OPC UA Complex Data Extension
You have just read some data from your OPC UA server, from a node that is supposed to contain useful, structured information. But all that you got is a seemingly undecipherable array of bytes, in a form of an extension object. What has happened?
Well, you have met a custom data type (UDT), defined using OPC UA Complex Data. The encoded data indeed contains the requested information. But you need to decode it, using information contained in a type dictionary within the server. Or, when you are writing such data into the server, you need to encode it, according precisely to the rules. And you need to navigate the information model in order to put together all the pieces necessary to look up the type dictionary and the specific definition inside it.
And there is no support for that in the stack and SDK from OPC Foundation.... What to do now?
Let QuickOPC Take Care Of It
Retrieving the metadata from the server's information model, interpreting the data type dictionaries, and decoding and encoding data according to data type descriptions is quite complicated. QuickOPC can do it for you, with the help of the OPC UA Complex Data extension, transparently. With the OPC UA Complex Data extension, you do not have to deal with binary blobs; instead, you work with meaningful structures that represent the data types and the data itself logically.
Moreover, the OPC UA Complex Data extension does not require you to perform OPC operations any differently when complex data is involved. You use the same objects and methods as with the regular data. The only difference is in the data that is being passed to or from the component. Have a look at the OPC UA Complex Data reading example to see how simple it is. No more cryptic extension objects to deal with!
For detailed information about how this all works, including internal details, refer to the OPC UA Complex Data Extension chapter in QuickOPC User's Guide and Reference.
Some Background Information
In OPC UA, servers can stick to the standard types defined in the OPC UA specifications, or they can define their own types (UDT-s). The "non-standard" data types can be completely server-specific, or can conform to some industry standard. Usage of these data types is commonly referred to as OPC UA complex data. With complex data, it is possible that the data type is not even know at compile time; instead, it can be discovered, constructed or processed during runtime, without prior knowledge of it.
Use of OPC UA complex data poses a new range of interoperability problems. When the server uses some new data type, how can the client know what the data type it is, and how is the data encoded? The data is basically a binary blob that is transferred as a block between the server and the client, and who knows what it means? In some cases, the client can be hard-coded with upfront knowledge of what this binary blob of data (called extension object) contains and how it is encoded. But that is only when the client can be written with specific knowledge about the server it connects to, and even then decoding of the data might be a tedious programming task. Thanksfully, OPC UA specifications provide ways for servers to describe the data types and their encoding to the clients, using information that can reside in the server itself, using so-called data type dictionaries. Clients can then extract the data type descriptions from these dictionaries, and be written in a generic way that adjusts to the data types that exist in the server.
Useful links: Documentation / Knowledge Base
Footnote & required disclosure: QuickOPC (including its Options) is a software development kit (SDK) for development of OPC clients and subscribers. Installing QuickOPC or its Options does not change system settings.