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I appreciate the solidarity of all Latin American and Caribbean countries that made possible Cuba's participation in this hemispheric forum on equal footing, andI thank the President of the Republic of Panama for the kind invitation extended to us. I bring a fraternal embrace to the Panamanian people and to the peoples of all nations represented here.
The establishment of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) on December 2-3, 2011, in Caracas, opened the way to a new era in the history of Our America, which made clear its well-earned right to live in peace and develop as their peoples freely decide, and chart the course to a future of peace, development and integration based on cooperation, solidarity and the common will to preserve their independence, sovereignty and identity.
The ideals of Simón Bolívar on the creation of a "Grand American Homeland" were a source of inspiration to epic campaigns for independence.
In 1800, there was the idea of adding Cuba to the North American Union to mark the southern boundary of the extensive empire. The 19thcentury witnessed the emergence of such doctrines as the Manifest Destiny, with the purpose of dominating the Americas and the world, and the notion of the 'ripe fruit', meaning Cuba's inevitable gravitation to the American Union, which looked down on the rise and evolution of a genuine rationale conducive to emancipation.
Later on, through wars, conquests and interventions that expansionist and dominating force stripped Our America of part of its territory and expanded as far as the Rio Grande.
After long and failing struggles, José Martí organized the "necessary war", and created the Cuban Revolutionary Party to lead that war and to eventually found a Republic "with all and for the good of all" with the purpose of achieving "the full dignity of man."
With an accurate and early definition of the features of his times, Martí committed to the duty "of timely preventing the United States from spreading through the Antilles as Cuba gains its independence, and from overpowering with that additional strength our lands of America."
To him, Our America was that of the Creole and the original peoples, the black and the mulatto, the mixed-race and working America that must join the cause of the oppressed and the destitute. Presently, beyond geography, this ideal is coming to fruition.
One hundred and seventeen years ago, on April 11, 1898, the President of the United States of America requested Congressional consent for military intervention in the independence war already won with rivers of Cuban blood, and that legislative body issued a deceitful Joint Resolution recognizing the independence of the Island "de facto and de jure". Thus, they entered as allies and seized the country as an occupying force.
Subsequently, an appendix was forcibly added to Cuba's Constitution, the Platt Amendment that deprived it of sovereignty, authorized the powerful neighbor to interfere in the internal affairs, and gave rise to Guantánamo Naval Base, which still holds part of our territory without legal right. It was in that period that the Northern capital invaded the country, and there were two military interventions and support for cruel dictatorships.
At the time, the prevailing approach to Latin America was the "gunboat policy" followed by the "Good Neighbor" policy. Successive interventions ousted democratic governments and in twenty countries installed terrible dictatorships, twelve of these simultaneously and mostly in South America, where hundreds of thousands were killed. President Salvador Allende left us the legacy of his undying example.
It was precisely 13 years ago that a coup d'état staged against beloved President Hugo Chavez Frías was defeated by his people. Later on, an oil coup would follow.
On January 1st, 1959, sixty years after the U.S. troops entered Havana, the Cuban Revolution triumphed and the Rebel Army commanded by Fidel Castro Ruz arrived in the capital.
On April 6, 1960, barely one year after victory, Assistant Secretary of State Lester Mallory drafted a wicked memorandum, declassified tens of years later, indicating that "The majority of Cubans support Castro […] An effective political opposition does not exist […]; the only foreseeable means of alienating internal support [to the government] is through disenchantment and disaffection based on economic dissatisfaction and hardship […] to weaken the economic life of Cuba […] denying it money and supplies to decrease monetary and real wages, to bring about hunger, desperation and overthrow of government."
We have endured severe hardships. Actually, 77% of the Cuban people was born under the harshness of the blockade, but our patriotic convictions prevailed. Aggression increased resistance and accelerated the revolutionary process. Now, here we are with our heads up high and our dignity unblemished.
When we had already proclaimed socialism and the people had fought in the Bay of Pigs to defend it, President Kennedy was murdered, at the exact time when Fidel Castro, leader of the Cuban Revolution, was receiving his message seeking to engage Cuba in a dialogue.
After the Alliance for Progress, and having paid our external debt several times over while unable to prevent its constant growth, our countries were subjected to a wild and globalizing neoliberalism, an expression of imperialism at the time that left the region dealing with a lost decade.
Then, the proposal of a "mature hemispheric partnership" resulted in the imposition of the Free Trade Association of the Americas (FTAA), –linked to the emergence of these Summits– that would have brought about the destruction of the economy, sovereignty and common destiny of our nations, if it had not been derailed at Mar del Plata in 2005 under the leadership of Presidents Kirchner, Chavez and Lula. The previous year, Chavez and Fidel had brought to life the Bolivarian Alternative known today as the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America.
We have expressed to President Barack Obama our disposition to engage in a respectful dialogue and work for a civilized coexistence between our states while respecting our profound differences.
I welcome as a positive step his recent announcement that he will soon decide on Cuba's designation in a list of countries sponsor of terrorism, a list in which it should have never been included.
Up to this day, the economic, commercial and financial blockade is implemented against the Island with full intensity causing damages and scarcities that affect our people and becoming the main obstacle to the development of our economy. The fact is that it stands in violation of International Law, and its extraterritorial scope disrupts the interests of every State.
We have publicly expressed to President Obama, who was also born under the blockade policy and inherited it from 10 former Presidents when he took office, our appreciation for his brave decision to engage the U.S. Congress in a debate to put an end to such policy.
This and other issues should be resolved in the process toward the future normalization of bilateral relations.
As to us, we shall continue working to update the Cuban economic model with the purpose of improving our socialism and moving ahead toward development and the consolidation of the achievements of a Revolution that has set to itself the goal of "conquering all justice."
Esteemed colleagues,
Venezuela is not, and it cannot be, a threat to the national security of a superpower like the United States. We consider it a positive development that the U.S. President has admitted it.
I should reaffirm our full, determined and loyal support to the sister Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, to the legitimate government and civilian-military alliance headed by President Nicolas Maduro, and to the Bolivarian and chavista people of that country struggling to pursue their own path while confronting destabilizing attempts and unilateral sanctions that should be lifted; we demand the repeal of the Executive Order, an action that our Community would welcome as a contribution to dialogue and understanding in the hemisphere.
We shall continue encouraging the efforts of the Republic of Argentina to recover the Falklands, the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and supporting its legitimate struggle in defense of financial sovereignty.
We shall maintain our support for the actions of the Republic of Ecuador against the transnational companies causing ecological damages to its territory and trying to impose blatantly unfair conditions.
I wish to acknowledge the contribution of Brazil, and of President Dilma Rouseff, to the strengthening of regional integration and the development of social policies that have brought progress and benefits to extensive popular sectors, the same that the thrust against various leftist governments of the region is trying to reverse.
We shall maintain our unwavering support for the Latin American and Caribbean people of Puerto Rico in its determination to achieve self-determination and independence, as the United Nations Decolonization Committee has ruled tens of times.
We shall also keep making our contribution to the peace process in Colombia.
We should all multiply our assistance to Haiti, not only through humanitarian aid but also with resources that help in its development, and, in the same token, support a fair and deferential treatment of the Caribbean countries in their economic relations as well as reparations for damages brought on them by slavery and colonialism.
We are living under threat of huge nuclear arsenals that should be removed, and are running out of time to counteract climate change. Threats to peace keep growing and conflicts spreading out.
As President Fidel Castro has said "[…] the main causes rest with poverty and underdevelopment, and with the unequal distribution of wealth and knowledge prevailing in the world. It cannot be forgotten that current poverty and underdevelopment are the result of conquest, colonization, slavery and plundering by colonial powers in most of the planet, the emergence of imperialism and the bloody wars for a new division of the world. Humanity should be aware of what they have been and should be no more. Today, our species has accumulated sufficient knowledge, ethical values and scientific resources to move forward to a historical era of true justice and humanism. Nothing of what exists today in economic and political terms serves the interests of Humanity. It cannot be sustained. It must be changed," he concluded.
Cuba shall continue advocating the ideas for which our people have taken on enormous sacrifices and risks, fighting alongside the poor, the unemployed and the sick without healthcare; the children forced to live on their own, to work or be submitted to prostitution; those going hungry or discriminated; the oppressed and the exploited who make up the overwhelming majority of the world population.
Financial speculation, the privileges of Bretton Wood, and the unilateral removal of the gold standard have grown increasingly suffocating. We need a transparent and equitable financial system.
It is unacceptable that less than ten big corporations, mostly American, determine what is read, watched or listened to worldwide. The Internet should be ruled by an international, democratic and participatory governance, particularly concerning its content. The militarization of cyberspace, and the secret and illegal useof computer systems to attack other States are equally unacceptable. We shall not be dazzled or colonized again.
Mister President,
It is my opinion that hemispheric relations need to undergo deep changes, particularly in the areas of politics, economics and culture, so that, on the basis of International Law and the exercise of self-determination and sovereign equality, they can focus on the development of mutually beneficial partnerships and cooperation in the interest of all our nations and the objectives proclaimed.
The adoption in January 2014, during the Second Summit of CELAC in Havana, of the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Peace Zone made a transcendental contribution to that end, marked by Latin American and Caribbean unity in diversity.
This is evident in the progress we are making toward genuinely Latin American and Caribbean integration processes through CELAC, UNASUR, CARICOM, MERCOSUR, ALBA-TCP, SICA and the ACS, which underline our growing awareness of the necessity to work in unison in order to ensure our development.
Through that Proclamation we have committed ourselves "to have differences between nations resolved peacefully, through dialogue and negotiation, and other ways consistent with International Law."
Living in peace, and engaging in mutual cooperation to tackle challenges and resolve problems that, after all, are affecting and will affect us all, is today a pressing need.
As the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Peace Zone sets forth, "the inalienable right of every State to choose its political, economic, social and cultural system, as an essential condition to secure peaceful coexistence between nations" should be respected.
Under that Proclamation we committed to observe our "obligation to not interfere, directly or indirectly, in the internal affairs of any other State, and to observe the principles of national sovereignty, equality of rights and free determination of the peoples," and to respect "the principles and standards of International Law […] and the principles and purposes of the United Nations Charter."
That historical document urges "all member states of the International Community to fully respect this Declaration in its relations with the CELAC member States."
We now have the opportunity, all of us here, as the Proclamation also states, of learning "to exercise tolerance and coexist in peace as good neighbors."
There are substantial differences, yes, but also commonalities which enable us to cooperate making it possible to live in this world fraught with threats to peace and to the survival of the human species.
What is it that prevents cooperation at a hemispheric scale in facing climate change?
Why is it that the countries of the two Americas cannot fight together against terrorism, drug-trafficking and organized crime without politically biased positions?
Why can we not seek together the necessary resources to provide the hemisphere with schools, hospitals, employment, and to advance in the eradication of poverty?
Would it not be possible to reduce inequity in the distribution of wealth and infant mortality rates, to eliminate hunger and preventable diseases, and to eradicate illiteracy?
Last year, we established hemispheric cooperation to confront and prevent Ebola, and the countries of the two Americas made a concerted effort. This should stimulate our efforts toward greater achievements.
Cuba, a small country deprived of natural resources, that has performed in an extremely hostile atmosphere, has managed to attain the full participation of its citizens in the nation's political and social life; with universal and free healthcare and education services; a social security system ensuring that no one is left helpless; significant progress in the creation of equal opportunities and in the struggle against all sorts of discrimination; the full exercise of the rights of children and women; access to sports and culture; and, the right to life and to public safety.
Despite scarcities and challenges, we abide by the principle of sharing what we have. Currently, 65 thousand Cuban collaborators are working in 89 countries, basically in the areas of healthcare and education, while 68 thousand professionals and technicians from 157 countries have graduated in our Island, 30 thousand of them in the area of healthcare.
If Cuba has managed to do this with very little resources, think of how much more the hemisphere could do with the political will to pool its efforts to help the neediest countries.
Thanks to Fidel and the heroic Cuban people, we have come to this Summit to honor Martí's commitment, after conquering freedom with our own hands "proud of Our America, to serve it and to honor it […] with the determination and the capacity to contribute to see it loved for its merits and respected for its sacrifices."


text: There are things happening in Hamilton County every day! From government events such as Commissioner meetings and public hearings to community gatherings and cultural events, you don't need to go far to find something to do. Use the links below to find things to do around Hamilton County or request to add your own event!

subset: commoncrawl


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Praise be to Allah.
You have to repent to Allah for this interest-based loan, because interest (riba) is one of the worst of major sins. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe! Fear Allah and give up what remains (due to you) from Riba (from now onward) if you are (really) believers.
And if you do not do it, then take a notice of war from Allah and His Messenger but if you repent, you shall have your capital sums. Deal not unjustly (by asking more than your capital sums), and you shall not be dealt with unjustly (by receiving less than your capital sums)" [al-Baqarah 2:278-279]
Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his Tafseer (2/657):
"This is a stern warning and a threat to those who persist in dealing in riba after having been warned. Ibn Jurayj said: Ibn 'Abbaas said: 'Take a notice of war' means, be certain of war from Allah and His Messenger… and it was narrated that Ibn 'Abbaas said: It will be said on the Day of Resurrection to the one who consumed riba: 'Take up your weapon for war.' Then he recited (interpretation of the meaning):
'And if you do not do it, then take a notice of war from Allah and His Messenger' [al-Baqarah 2:279]."
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) cursed the one who consumes riba, the one who pays it, the one who records it and the two who witness it, and he said: "They are all the same." (Narrated by Muslim, 1598).
With regard to living in this house, if you have repented to Allah then there is nothing wrong with you living in it or renting it out or using it as a place of business.
The Standing Committee was asked about a man who took out an interest-based loan and built a house: should he knock down the house, or what should he do?
They replied:
If the situation is as you say, then what you have done by taking out this loan in this manner is haraam because it is riba. You have to repent and seek forgiveness for that, and regret what you have done, and resolve not to do such a thing again. With regard to the house that you built, do not knock it down, rather make use of it by living in it etc, and we hope that Allah will forgive you for your careless action.
Fatawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 13/411.
We ask Allah to accept our repentance and to help us to do that which He loves and which pleases Him.
And Allah knows best.


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Historically, both on this blog and on BlindConfidential, I have very rarely engaged with commenters. I write articles, I post them, people read them or not and some choose to comment. While I was reading Marco Zehe's excellent Android review series , I observed him engage with his commenters both in the comments on the series and in the text of other articles in the series as they appeared. Last night, for the first time ever, I posted a comment to my own blog in response to something that an individual defending Android had posted. As there have been a pile of mostly negative comments posted regarding "The Amish User Experience, the article I posted yesterday, I chose to, instead of responding to them in the comments section, write a separate post containing my thoughts on their notions.
I am also going to explore the titular subject of this article, "Do blind technology consumers get what we pay for?" and, I'm quite certain the this subject that the Android fans will trash me again. Bring it on boys.
In most of my articles, I provide links to virtually all proper nouns and terms I think readers might find confusing. This article has a few links but I ran out of time today and didn't add them. I'm sure that any links that today's piece would have had are linked to from the one I wrote yesterday and they're links on this page to that article.
Did We Get What We Paid For?
One commenter wrote, "The gay / LGBTQ community, in the past, used to be more flamboyant. They would openly dress or do certain actions to attract haters to them, in order to raise awareness. I am seeing a shift in this as of late, the community is taking a more humble approach and accepting themselves first before seaking acceptance from others."
If we're going to use the LGBT community as a metaphor, I'll paraphrase the gay former Massachusetts congressman, Barney Frank on the day President Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act, "How long are we going to wait for our rights Mr. President? How long are we going to wait?" And, I ask you, how long are you going to wait for Google to end the discrimination they perpetrate against people with disabilities through their technological segregation?
I ask, "How would the LGBTQ community react if Google charged their community full price for a product or service and, then, only permitted them to use a subsection of the features?"
Accessibility doesn't apply to the majority of the LGBTQ community so let's suggest a hypothetical. What if Google decided to go into the hotel business and told all LGBTQ people, all racial minorities and a few religious minorities that, while they need to pay full price for their room, they cannot use the swimming pool, the gym or any other facility? Now, please tell me how the discrimination we face due to technological segregation is any different?
In the hotel example, any of the aforementioned minorities would probably start to remedy the problem by going straight to the Department of Justice and have the place closed down if changes aren't being made immediately. About two years ago, Chris Cotters, a member of the Freedom Scientific board, flew to Tampa for a meeting and tried to check into the Westshore Hotel. There, the on duty manager tried to refuse him a room. He called his employer, a big time Boston law firm, their people called the company that owned the hotel and, within an hour, that manager had been fired. That is how discrimination should and must be handled. Why then shouldn't the people in charge of making Android accessible receive the same treatment for continuing to enforce technological segregation on our community?
When I buy something, I expect to be able to use 100% of its features. I paid full price for an Android device and I bought a second one (the Nexus/7 I used for my research) second hand. In either case, I paid for all of the features on the device and, as Apple has done with iOS/7, I expect to be able to use all of the features for which I paid my hard earned dollars.
In reality, as anyone can read in the comprehensive testing I did and described in "I Give Up," there are a whole lot of features that are not accessible to people with vision impairment and, far worse, to people who are deaf-blind. Shouldn't we get a discount reflecting the percentage of inaccessible features when we buy such a device?
I don't want to hear, "Well, I can use the subsection of accessible features to do everything I want," as that's the most selfish thing anyone can say about accessibility. Readers of this blog would know that I don't write about personal use cases, I stick to objective measures things like standards, guidelines and best practices. I do this because, as a user, I am an statistically insignificant sample size of one. I also can only do functional testing based on a user who has a total vision impairment. Hence, I look at standards developed for universal accessibility so as to ensure that my testing applies not only to me but, rather, to all people with disabilities that require access technology.
If I only tested the apps and features that I would want to use, I would have saved myself a whole lot of time and frustration. Instead, I tried to test every feature, every app, every control in each and so on as I cannot predict what other people, the people who read this blog, might want to do and neither can you.
By claiming that an Android device is accessible means that your definition of accessibility means that my deaf-blind friend Scott can't use it but, in your mind, that's ok. You're saying that we don't deserve every feature for which we paid, even though we paid full price and you're saying that your personal use cases are more important than the collective use cases desired by all people with disabilities.
Shooting The Messengers
If one takes a look at the traffic on the Eyes Free mailing list, one would think that my old buddy Marco and I were the most evil villains in the blindness community. what did Marco and I do to provoke such anger? We spent our personal time, entirely without compensation, to research an Android system from as an objective way possible. You'll notice that there's no "donate" button on this blog or on Marco's either, we do this testing so as to inform readers of the results of our findings. I test against published standards, guidelines and objective measures; Marco did a functional testing process based in actually using the device.
When we each started our efforts, we both hoped that Android would be an accessibility giant, we both wanted to write really positive pieces. Instead, based on the data we gathered, we wrote articles telling the truth, Android, based in objective measures and more subjective functional testing failed on nearly every count. The reaction by the Eyes Free community, though, was to dig in and, without correcting a single fact in any of the articles we've published on the matter, toss ad hominem at us. We spent a lot of time and personal energy actually testing these systems and reported the results. So, I suppose, if you don't like the news, you'll shoot the reporter.
What amazes me, as a blind technology consumer, is that Marco and I received far more anger aimed at us than the same people who bought devices on which they could only use a subsection of the features but paid full price ever toss at Google, a company they obviously worship with some sort of religious fixation, for not being 100% accessible in the same way that Apple has done with iOS/7. You can shout at Marco and I all you like, it still doesn't change the situation, you pay full price for Android, you don't get a full feature set.
Sure, I used fairly inflammatory language in "Amish" but Marco wrote everything without the sarcasm readers expect from Gonz Blinko. Marco is a truly and incredibly nice person; the same is rarely said of me. Marco engaged with the Eyes Free community during his testing (something someone critical of my piece commented positively about yesterday); I did my testing in a black box. Even with two very different approaches, we concur, a blind person gets a subset of the features for which they paid.
Anyway, feel free to call me as many names as you like but, please, lay off Marco. I write using vocabulary that may incite, Marco does not. Be fair, he's worked for a lifetime in accessibility and has delivered a whole lot of the software blind people enjoy today including the terrific accessibility experience you Android fans have in FireFox. Read my profile, I'm a self proclaimed crackpot, stoner and loudmouth; Marco is the real deal, he works his ass off to make the world a more accessible place nearly every hour of every day.
Marco and, more so, I have been accused of having a pro-iOS bias. This is true but it's not based in "belief" that Apple does a better job but, rather, in having tested both systems extensively, gathered our data, added it all up and, voila! we find that one system is more accessible than another. We report with a highly fact based bias. So, if we have a true "bias" it is for reporting on actual testing results and not by how we feel. Data matters !.
To those of you who have accused either or both of us of bias, I have a single challenge. When you have taken an iOS device and an Android device and have, as I did, tested every aspect in every app on each, and scored with one point for everything that meets every aspect of the iOS or Android accessibility API that passes (some controls will have six or more items to test) and give 0 points when any fail. Then, divide by the total number of tests that were performed to get a score. Apple will get an A+ with 100% (in integers) and Android will get a failing grade. Don't take my word for it, don't be lazy, do the work and you'll see the results yourself. My work can be replicated and repeating an experiment is at the crux of finding the truth.
Dueling Mobile?
Years ago, there was an annual event at CSUN called "Dueling Windows." On stage, there would be a JAWS user, a Window-Eyes user and users of a few of the long forgotten screen readers on the stage. The users on stage were not employees of the screen reader companies but they were allowed to approve the users as experts. Then, side by side, with identical PCs with all of the same software (excluding the different screen readers) they were asked to perform tasks by a panel. The users were not given the tasks in advance and were always designed to test a very wide range of use cases. This was really fun and, for those of us working on screen readers back then, it was incredibly informative. Many times, we would see something happen with our user on stage and return to the office to make it better in the future. It also gave consumers a good taste of what worked well and what did not with each screen reader so they could make a buying choice. Sadly, after JAWS won the event five or six years in a row, they stopped doing it as it was like watching the New York Yankees play against a Long Island Little League team.
I'd like to propose a "Dueling Mobile" event that works similarly. On stage, we could have a user hand picked by Apple, Google and Microsoft to represent them. A panel of experts could compile a list of tasks common to mobile computing. One at a time, the users on the stage will try to accomplish the tasks. Success will be judged on the amount of time it took each to accomplish the task, the number of gestures necessary to perform the same task and I'm sure my more scholarly friends would come up with a number of more metrics against which the contestants could be judged. The CSUN call for papers went out last week, if someone wants to work on this as a proposal, I'll be happy to help.
What will be accomplished by such an event? We will have another data set based in an objective measure that we can publish and blind consumers will be better informed when they hope to make a purchasing decision.
Why Do I Write This Blog?
One commenter asked why I would take the time to write my blog. I enjoy writing, I studied writing in graduate school at Harvard, writing is what I do. I write this blog because I enjoy working through ideas in written form. I enjoy the process and I enjoy the conversation that my articles sometimes provoke.
I suppose a fair number of readers like it too as virtually all of my pics get hundreds of hits and, this year, a half dozen or so have gotten more than a thousand with one over 5000. In the past month, my blog has been featured on the front pages of Daring Fireball and TechCrunch so I suppose people in the mainstream are enjoying it too.
What I cannot answer is why readers come back to my blog as frequently as they do. When I write a piece, I never know if it will be a hit or not. I had thought, for instance, that two of my recent articles, one critical of the VoiceOver support in Safari on OS X and the other about how hard it is to find the history of access technology online, would be big hits (on my lowly standards of big hit), instead, they were two of the worst performing articles I published this year. Other articles, like "Remembering GW Micro" felt self serving even to me as it discusses my own role in AT history but it is one of the articles on which we've gotten more than a thousand hits. So, I never know, I just write what comes to mind and toss it out there and hope some people enjoy my work.
If we don't get access to every feature for which we paid, we are being ripped off.
Discrimination through technological segregation, especially now that web sites, under ruling by US Department of Justice, are, indeed, places of public accommodation, is identical to segregation in the world of bricks and mortar. We don't tolerate it there, why tolerate it in our technology?
Use data to drive your arguments and you won't be accused of ad hominem and other logical fallacies.
And, if you want to shout about the accessibility in Android, put up or shut up. Do the testing like Marco and I did. Test everything like I did. Then, publish your results. If you are unwilling to do the work Marco and I did but insist you're right, I just ask, where's the data?


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Me, a year before the last photo I posted. Age 14. Vaguely worried that I had the world's biggest lips. 1975.
...And today it was cold but sunny and clear, and I went for a walk with my dog and Bill Stiteler.
And my dog found a stick, which was the best stick any dog had ever found in the whole of history. There never was such a stick.
Labels: dog photograph, me in 1975, what's brown and sticky


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Taylor Swift Just Shared Her First Photo From the Set of 'Cats'
Taylor Swift confirmed which character she'll be playing in the upcoming Cats movie.
The "Look What You Made Me Do" singer shared her first photo from set today (Jan. 22), revealing that she'll be taking on the role of Bomballurina in the film adaptation of the musical. "Meow," Swift cheekily wrote on Instagram alongside a selfie of her character's name on her trailer.
The 29-year-old also posted a video to her Instagram Story, expressing her excitement for the movie. "So I'm on set for Cats and it is fully snowing," she exclaimed in the video.
According to the official Cats The Musical website, Bombalurina is a flirtatious cat, who's both confident and harsh. She is red with a white chest and black spots and plays a large part in the Broadway musical, including singing a few solos and duets. This character seems like the perfect fit for Swift, doesn't it?
She's not the only major celebrity cast in the film. Idris Elba, James Corden, Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, Jason Derulo, Rebel Wilson, and more will all star as well!
Cats is scheduled to hit theaters on December 20, 2019.


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Superchick: Finding Confidence in Christ
CBN.com - They're back! Superchick is breaking their two-year studio silence by releasing a new project titled Rock What You Got. It's solid Superchick material featuring their classic fist-pumping anthems and electronic rock ballads, which they now affectionately refer to as "rock-o-tronic."
Famous for their encouraging messages to teens and adults alike, Superchick lays it all out on the floor with this new CD. But, its sound and theme aren't too familiar.
"Yeah," says bassist Matt Daly in agreement. "Beauty from Pain is kind of the low point. This record is the transition out of it, talking about the hope through those horrible times."
"This record is our natural next record after Beauty from Pain," says lead singer Tricia Brock. "I feel like it reflects who we are after those situations that really matured us.
Beyond Beauty from Pain
Matt and Tricia speak of the spiritually and emotionally difficult circumstances they've had to deal with these past few years. Matt's grandfather passed away and Tricia struggled with depression after a devastating break-up.
"I just hope this record will be able to, no matter what state you're in, be able to mend your heart and encourage," Matt says. "Look, we've been there at the lowest point too. We know what death feels like. We know what broken hearts feel like, and we got out of it."
The band wants everyone to grasp this fact – life is hard, but God is still good.
No matter what "we can still be beautiful, we still have confidence, and we can still keep on going," according to Matt.
"This record's going to change a billion people's lives," says Matt, with a gigantic smile.
"…if a billion people hear it," says guitarist Melissa Brock, bringing it all into reality, but still hopeful countless are encouraged by their message.
Rockin' What They've Got
The title track, "Rock What You Got", pretty much sums up this new album, in that we should have confidence to live life to the max.
This new song is based on a scene Max Hsu, Superchick's idea guy, keyboard player, and songwriter, witnessed at a store.
"Max was at Target and there was this old guy who was in one of those mobile carts," Matt explains. "He couldn't walk, but he was also pushing another cart. And he was all lean back, and he was dressed really awesome. He was going around and giving everyone the nod like 'hey, ladies!'"
"Like he was the coolest thing in the world," Melissa adds.
"It was funny because even though the guy can't walk, he was still not afraid to go to Target and make sure everyone knew who he was," Matt says. "He was gonna get his shoppin' done."
He didn't let his physical limitation hinder him from living. In the same tone, Superchick seeks to encourage you to live without fear. Let God build confidence in you.
"I just feel like finding contentment today is a lesson that He wants us to learn because life isn't about what we get and it's not about Him making our dreams come true. It's about us being formed into who He knows we're meant to be, and doing what He knows we're meant to do," Tricia says.
Other New Tunes to Notice
"Alive" and "Breathe" are two other tracks on the new CD that speak to how life is temporary and that we should not allow difficult circumstances to keep us from really living. Matt has something to say to those who have a downcast spirit.
"Be confident in the fact that, yes, life is horrible right now. But, God is teaching you something," Matt says.
No matter how bad it may seem to get, God has given you life for a reason.
"Do not lose hope in the fact that you are alive at this moment. Let's live each moment like it might be our last. It's precious."
As is custom for Superchick, an encouraging gal-focused song is present on this new record. It's called "So Beautiful" and it talks about how we are wonderfully created by God.
"In one of the lines in ["So Beautiful"], it says, "If every girl could see her beauty, then we would be an army." It's just really cool," Melissa says. "Every girl no matter what age, no matter if it was like 30 years ago or now, knows what's it like to not feel beautiful. Getting to that point where you realize it's not based on your outward appearance is a very hard place to be at. That's kind of what that song is about. You're beautiful no matter what."
Melissa says that "So Beautiful" is the band's new anthem for chicks. But, Matt says that it's not just for the ladies.
"It's my favorite song on the record," Matt says with a smile.
"The bottom line is God, who created beauty, who created the Heavens and the Earth, created you. Therefore, He knew exactly what He was doing."
Take these words from Superchick to heart. Be confident in your beauty for God was your Creator. Be confident in your life for He is in control.


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Bonifacio hits DL, awaits MRI results on rib cage
PHILADELPHIA -- Emilio Bonifacio was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Friday with rib cage inflammation after injuring himself during Thursday night's game against the Pirates.
On the second pitch of the game, Bonifacio grounded out to short, but he never left the batter's box. As he swung, he fell to the ground, grimacing in pain. Head athletic trainer PJ Mainville had to support Bonifacio as he limped off the field.
Bonifacio had an MRI on Friday.
"We'll wait until they give us the MRI to actually find out what it is," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said.
In the meantime, the Cubs have activated Ryan Sweeney from the 15-day disabled list. Sweeney, who had been sidelined since May 3 with a right hamstring strain, got the start in center field Friday night and was put in the No. 2 spot in the order.
Sweeney, Justin Ruggiano and Junior Lake will all get time in center field with Bonifacio on the DL.
"I'm going to keep using Sweeney and Ruggiano or Lake or any number of those three guys, because they've all done it," Renteria said. "I think as we continue to move forward, we'll just continue to do what we actually have done in the recent past here. Try and kind of match up and see what we can do with the lineup."
Bonifacio's absence also creates a void atop the Cubs' lineup, as the speedy center fielder was Chicago's everyday leadoff hitter. Renteria plans on using Chris Coghlan, Lake or Sweeney to get things started from that spot.
"Of the guys that are here, [Coghlan] has actually led off before in Miami. And we have led off [Lake] in the past," Renteria said. "So we're just going to try to mix and match and see where we go with that."
Renteria said he would consider moving up Luis Valbuena to leadoff, but for the time being, he prefers keeping him in the fifth spot in the order.
"Is it tempting? Yes. But I think that the three-, four-, five-slot there for us is working pretty well," Renteria said. "Doesn't mean that we wouldn't possibly go there somewhere down the road, but right now, I think with [Starlin] Castro protecting [Valbuena] and [Valbuena] protecting Castro ... [Valbuena] has a way of putting together really good at-bats. And it'd be nice to continue to have him there, especially with runners on base."


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Okay, skip to the end if you are just after the roasted pear salad. I was back into chemo on 3rd January so we made the most of the few days beforehand with a family New Years Day and Chris' birthday lunch.
Summer is all about stone fruits and berries. Here in Australia they.are.the.best.
For the family lunch I dipped some in dark chocolate which I had tempered in the Thermomix. So easy.
There were platters of meat and Crystal Bay prawns, the only seafood I will buy from a supermarket.
....and salads made with tiny beetroot heads roasted in olive oil and a sprinkling of salt, then tossed through with some vine ripened tomatoes.
Once chemo kicked in I couldn't have cared less about food. I've taken up rag knitting. Hopefully it will make the chemo days pass quickly.
I promised you a Pear Salad so from the files here it is. After much experimenting over autumn and winter, with roasted pear as the base and various cheeses, nuts and sweeteners here is my favourite.
WARM ROASTED PEAR SALAD (quantities will depend on amount of people being served)
- ripe firm pears
- olive oil
- Salt flakes ( I use Maldon)
- feta cheese
- maple roasted walnuts. I used this recipe and omitted the sesame seeds. The nuts can burn easily so watch them constantly and keep checking they don't overcook.
- Preheat oven to 180C (350F)
- Cut pears in half,remove core, place in a baking dish
- Sprinkle pears with a few drops of olive oil and salt.
- Roast until pears are cooked thru and slightly caramalised on edges, about 20 minutes.
- Remove from oven, scatter some crumbled feta cheese over and top with some candied walnuts.


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By Ian Berger, JD
IRA Analyst
I am over 71 and have 2 IRAs, one in my name, the other is inherited.
Can I take one RMD from the inherited IRA to satisfy both?
Or must I treat them separately and do 2 separate RMDs?
Thank you!
Hi Tyler,
You must treat the IRAs separately and take two separate RMDs.
If you own more than one IRA (not inherited), you can aggregate them and take the RMD from any one (or more) of them. The same is true for inherited IRAs that came from the same original IRA owner and are of the same type (e.g., Traditional vs. Roth). But you cannot aggregate IRAs that you own and IRAs that you inherit.
I am hoping that you can help me out with one question or otherwise direct me to another format to solicit the correct answer.
Mr. Smith turns 81 on December 1, 2019. To calculate his current RMD using his 12-31-18 balances, which age factor should be used: 80 or 81?
Thank you,
Hi Mark,
The RMD calculations can be tricky.
To calculate an RMD for a particular year, you always use the factor corresponding to the individual's age as of December 31 of that year. So, in your example, you would use the age 81 factor for Mr. Smith's 2019 RMD (which is 17.9 from the Uniform Lifetime Table).


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It's A Beautiful Sunday To Leave Me Alone Sweatshirts On Sale by Appartcloth.com
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Ronald J. Deibert is Professor of Political Science and Director of the Citizen Lab and Canada Centre for Global Security Studies, Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto.
John Palfrey is President of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Before that, he was Head of the Phillips Andover Academy and a Professor at Havard Law School. Palfrey is the author of books including
Rafal Rohozinski is the former Director of the Advanced Network Research Group at Cambridge University (Cambridge Security Programme). He is a principal with The SecDev Group, a global strategy and research analytics firm.
Jonathan L. Zittrain is George Bemis Professor of International Law at Harvard Law School and Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He is also Professor of Computer Science at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Director of the Harvard Law School Library, and Cofounder and Director of Harvard's Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society.
2010. "Pakistan", Access Controlled: The Shaping of Power, Rights, and Rule in Cyberspace, Ronald Deibert, John Palfrey, Rafal Rohozinski, Jonathan L. Zittrain
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Thunderbird only: Thunderbird extension Google Contacts automatically syncs contacts between your Google and Thunderbird address books. The sync is bi-directional, and the extension is smart enough to detect Gmail accounts you've already set up in Thunderbird, so setup is a breeze. Beyond that, there's not much to it—Google Contacts does exactly what it sets out to do. We detailed how to sync Gmail contacts with Thunderbird using GCalDaemon—a command line tool that syncs Google Calendar and Contacts—a while back, but now that you can easily sync any desktop calendar with Google Calendar and sync Google Contacts with extensions like this one, it's easier than ever to keep your Google data synchronized. Thanks Pranesh!
Google Contacts [Thunderbird Add-ons]


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Nissan Bluebird Japan model of the D class.
This car is presented with gasoline engine.
The most powerful version of the car has an engine 1.8 (135 hp) gasoline with a 5 gears.
The front suspension are independent suspensions. The car has disc brakes on the front wheels and at the rear.


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Earlier I talked about what kind of questions, I do not like when I get asked. Today we will go over the question which I like when I get asked the same. One of the reader practices various steps in my earlier blog post Step by Step Guide to Beginning Data Quality Services in SQL Server 2012 – Introduction to DQS. While reading the blog post he noticed that Data Quality Services is not providing very helpful suggestions. He wrote an email to me about it. Let us go over his email.
I noticed in one of your images that DQS is not providing very helpful suggestions. First of all DQS should be able to make intelligent guesses and make the necessary correction by itself. If it cannot do the same, in that case, it should give us intelligent suggestions but in the image included here, I see the suggestions are not there as well.
Why is it so? Would you please tell me how to increase the numbers of suggestion? I do understand this may not be preferable solution in many case but all the business cases go on it depends. There are cases when the high sensitivity required and there are cases when higher sensitivities are not required. I would like to seek your help here.
–Sriram MD"
This is indeed a great question. I see that Sriram understands that every system is different and every application has a different need. I will not have to tell him this most important concept. The question is about how to change the sensitivity of suggestions for correction in DQS. Well, this option is available under the configuration tab in the DQS client.
Once you click on Configuration you will see the following screen. Click the Tab of General Settings. You will see the section of Interactive Cleansing. Under this second there is the first option of "Min score for suggestions". As this is set to 0.7 every suggestion which matches 0.7 probabilities or higher probability are displayed under the suggestion tab.
You can see in the following image that there is no suggestion as the min score for suggestions is set to 0.7 and there is no record which qualifies to that much confidence.
Now let us change the value of Min Score for suggestion to 0.5.
The lower value increased the confidence of DQS to give further suggestion to values which are over 0.5. However, in our case the suggestions which it provides are also accurate. This may not be true for your sample. Every sample is different so you should manually review it before approving them.
I guess, this is a simple blog post to demonstrate how to change the confidence value for the suggestions which Data Quality Services provides. Use this feature with care and always tune it according to your datasets and record diversity.
Reference: Pinal Dave (https://blog.sqlauthority.com)


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1 Corinthians 16
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1 Corinthians 16
The Collection for the Saints
1Now concerning the contribution for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. 2On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that contributions need not be made when I come. 3And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem. 4If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me.
Plans for Travel
5I will visit you after passing through Macedo'nia, for I intend to pass through Macedo'nia, 6and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may speed me on my journey, wherever I go. 7For I do not want to see you now just in passing; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. 8But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, 9for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.
10When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, as I am. 11So let no one despise him. Speed him on his way in peace, that he may return to me; for I am expecting him with the brethren.
12As for our brother Apol'los, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brethren, but it was not at all his willa to come now. He will come when he has opportunity.
Final Messages and Greetings
13Be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. 14Let all that you do be done in love.
15Now, brethren, you know that the household of Steph'anas were the first converts in Acha'ia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints; 16I urge you to be subject to such men and to every fellow worker and laborer. 17I rejoice at the coming of Steph'anas and Fortuna'tus and Acha'icus, because they have made up for your absence; 18for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such men.
19The churches of Asia send greetings. Aq'uila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord. 20All the brethren send greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
21I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. 22If any one has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come!b 23The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. 24My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.


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LAS VEGAS (AP) — A Las Vegas judge has ordered a cosmetologist to cover up a defendant's neck and facial tattoos that include a swastika and the words "Most Wanted" on each day of his robbery trial.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that District Judge Richard Scotti decided that Bayzle Morgan's tattoos should be concealed in an effort to get him a fair trial.
Morgan has tattoos including a swastika inside a clover under his eye, the words "Skin Head" on his eyebrows and "Baby Nazi" written across his neck.
It comes after an entire group of potential jurors said last month that they couldn't be impartial after seeing Morgan's tattoos. A new group will see him in makeup starting Monday.
Defense attorney Dan Bunin says he supports the move.
Morgan also has been charged with murder in a separate case.


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North Coast Church has sponsored a section of I-5 freeway in Oceanside/Carlsbad by participating in the Caltrans Adopt-A-Highway program. Help leave a lasting impression with hundreds of thousands of motorists each day, and sign up to help keep sections of I-5 trash-free.
Participation in this project can include one or more of the following activities:
- Removing litter (work frequency varies with location)
- Planting and establishing trees or wildflowers
- Removing graffiti
- Controlling vegetation
- Light lifting may be required.
Location: To be confirmed once you register. The team leader will give you directions on where to meet.
Bring/Wear: Long pants, closed-toed shoes, work gloves, a mask and sun protection are recommended. Bring a re-usable water bottle and snacks. The team leader will be present at start to give directions and details when you arrive.
Tools Provided: Trash bags, trash pickers, gloves, hard hats, safety vests, eye protection
Child Friendly: Minors must be 16yrs and older to participate provided they are adequately supervised.
Training/Volunteer Forms: There are two items each volunteer must watch/read, which only takes a few minutes.
Team Leader/Questions:
Mary Bishop, [email protected]
Additional Info
Openings: 10
Date/Time: 08/15/2020 - 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Will be provided after registration.


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August 31, 1891 – The Chicago Daily Tribune greets news that a new art museum will be built on the lakefront with an editorial in its favor. "The most important feature of the scheme, however, is the securing of a permanent art gallery for the city of sufficient dimensions to meet all demands for long years to come . . . It may be anticipated that the new structure will be as perfect as money and skill can make it, and as beautiful as artistic taste can suggest . . . something which will more clearly reflect the growth of enterprise, skill, and artistic taste in the World's Fair City." The paper, and the city along with it, got its wish.
August 31, 1925 – The first one-eighth mile of the new Wacker Drive, running east and west along the south side of the river is opened, a project that is expected "to take 41 per cent of the traffic congestion out of the loop." [Chicago Daily Tribune, August 31, 1925] All day motorists are attracted "into that broad one-eighth of double decked esplanade like bees to a posy." The "smooth upper level roadbed" is 72 feet wide and is bordered on one side by a 24-foot sidewalk and on the other by an 18-foot sidewalk which overlooks the Chicago River, 15 feet below. The paper reports that United States Vice-President Charles G. Dawes has recently conducted a tour of the project for General Geroge Goethals, the chief engineer of the Panama Canal, finished 11 years earlier. Goethals reportedly remarked, "There isn't anything equal to this at home or abroad." Reports the Tribune, "From the finished one-eighth he could visualize the finished stretch of concrete quays, lower level street, upper level street, circling stairways, balustrades, pylons, lamps, pilasters, pedestals and arches which will sweep gracefully along the river's south bank for three-quarters of a mile from North Michigan boulevard to the junction of Lake and Market streets". The east end of Wacker Drive begins to take shape where the barges are docked across the river from the Wrigley Building.
August 31, 1994 -- August 31, 1994 – After 137 years Continental Bank at 231 South La Salle Street, the oldest financial institution in the city to operate as an independent bank, becomes part of BankAmerica Corp., the holding company for Bank of America. With $187 billion in assets Bank of America scoops up Continental and its $22 billion in assets for a reputed $2 billion. Continental Bank was formed in 1857 as Merchants' Savings, Loan and Trust Co. with founders such as Cyrus McCormick, George Armour and the city's first mayor, William Butler Ogden. In 1924 the bank moved into an impressive new building on the southeast corner of Jackson Boulevard and La Salle Street. Standing across the street from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago the impressive headquarters had a spacious Grand Banking Hall and a second-floor chairman's office paneled in oak taken from a sixteenth-century English mansion. [Chicago Tribune, August 31, 1994] In the 1960's and 1970's the bank pulled ahead of its chief local rival, the First National Bank of Chicago, and was the first local bank to open a branch in a foreign country. By 1981 it was the nation's sixth largest bank. Things soured in the 1980's, however. In 1982 the failure of Penn Square Bank of Oklahoma City forced Continental to write off $326 million in Penn Square loans. Two years later rumors that the bank would be sold started a world-wide run on the bank that caused the United States government to step in with a restructuring plan that included a $4.5 billion commitment by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.


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Dear Query Shark:
Eleven-year-old Emma Slate doesn't know she is the last guardian of magic. Not,
For the first time in her life, Emma belongs somewhere,
When a half-human witch steals the Iris, it could mean the end of magic and the loss of everyone
THE SHADOWLANDS, middle grade fantasy, is 83,169 words.
This is my first novel, though I have been featured on Blog Her twice. I drew on experiences raising a child with selective mutism in writing my main character, who shares this trait.
I currently attempt to shepherd five book-hungry children as a single mom. In my spare time (term used loosely), I commandeer various sea- and un-sea worthy vessels down the Snake River.
I love this bio. It's fun, it's interesting, and I want to go zipping down the Snake River with you.
Thank you for your consideration,
This is so much better I'm in awe.
I think you would have caught the minor revisions if you'd let this sit another week or so.
Pare out everything you don't need. All the theres, howevers and buts. End on a climactic note. Don't try to stuff everything in the query.
I like this a lot.
Honestly, I'd probably read pages based on the bio alone. I know that will make all the non-Snake River wranglers moan with despair, but it's true. An interesting bio is a powerful tool.
Dear Query Shark,
Hi, I'm Emma Slate. (this is where I'd stop reading) I was born in the New York Public Library, where the magic leaked out of the books and into me. At least, that's what I suspect. One thing's for sure—I never knew how fully words would become my gift and my curse.
If I hadn't stopped reading after the first sentence, I'd stop here.
"Hi I'm Felix Buttonweezer" is a huge red flag. It screams inexperienced writer. It's how we wrote letters in the fourth grade. It's almost always followed by a description of a book I don't want to read.
And frankly, it's bad writing.
Don't start your letter with Hi I'm (your name)
And what's worse is that what follows makes it clear this is not actually the writer.
It's the character.
Do not EVER write your query in the voice of your character. It's not fresh and new and fun. It's gimmicky.
I wish someone had warned me.
It started the day I almost hitchhiked to Poland, when I learned my dad had married a woman I'd never met. In Brussels, of all places. Could there be a worse combo than Brussels sprouts and stepmoms? Poland was definitely an option.
You'll notice there's nothing about the New York Public Library here which is why even if I hadn't stopped reading by now I'd be confused here. That is not what you want.
Then my stepbrother Jack woke me one night in the Shadowlands, which changed everything. I befriended a troll, met the Runaway River, and toured a house filled with escaped book characters. Jack says I'm the last guardian of magic.
Notice that Dad and stepmom have fallen out of the picture?
At this point I don't know whether to scratch my watch or wind my butt**
Thing is: we only have seven days to save the Shadowlands before it's overrun with the soul-feeding, despair-filling (probably smelly) Hadrelenus. You know what sounds even more impossible? I'll have to work with Jack, come to grips with my mom's death, and figure out where I belong.
Because I have an obtuse narrator breathing down my neck, I'll tell you the boring part.
THE SHADOWLANDS is 85,000 words, and, even though said narrator thinks it's middle grade fiction, I'm telling you, this stuff happened.
This is Ms. Blackwell's first novel, though she has been featured on Blog Her from time to time. In her spare time, Ms. Blackwell corrals five book-hungry children and commandeers various vessels down the Snake River.
These are not writing credentials. These are nice things that happened to you and your work. I'm glad they happened, but I don't care. How your book came to be doesn't matter. The story matters, and I have no idea what the story is here.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Repent. Revise. Resend.
**This is one of Truvy's lines from Steel Magnolias


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For relatives not on your direct maternal or paternal line, you are not likely to share a haplogroup. The 23andMe DNA Relatives feature does not use your haplogroup to find matches, and not all people who share a haplogroup are listed as genetic relatives. Most of your genetic relatives will actually fall outside of your haplogroup, because your haplogroup only tells you about direct paternal-line or maternal-line ancestors. Typically, the DNA mutations that define a haplogroup occurred thousands of years ago, so many pairs of people who share a haplogroup are not closely related.
For closer relatives, both males and females inherit mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from their biological mothers; a mother and her sons and daughters therefore share mitochondrial DNA or maternal haplogroup. Any set of individuals who share a mother (that is, siblings or maternal half-siblings) have the same maternal haplogroup.
In addition, all sons inherit their Y chromosomes from their biological fathers; a father and his son therefore share a Y chromosome or paternal haplogroup. Any set of males who share a common male-line ancestor (that is, brothers, paternal half-brothers, male paternal cousins) have the same paternal haplogroup.
There are cases, however, where an individual's haplogroup assignment might not exactly match those reported to the individual's parent or sibling. Apparent mismatches arise when more data are available for one member of the family than for another, as in the following examples:
Not-Determined for a haplogroup-defining SNP
A son or daughter might be assigned the haplogroup H2 while his or her mother is assigned H. The two assignments are consistent with one another, but the son or daughter's assignment is at a higher resolution, probably because one SNP did not yield data for the mother. In fact, following the rules of genetics, the mother would learn from the assignment of her son or daughter that she also has the H2 haplogroup. The same example can apply to a paternal haplogroup designation.
Platform differences
Individuals tested on different genotyping chips can be analyzed for different SNPs. In these cases the individuals would have different - but consistent - haplogroup assignments.
Maternal or paternal haplogroup assignments might not appear consistent due to mutations in the mtDNA or Y chromosomes. Such mutations are very rare, however, and are therefore unlikely to be the cause of a mismatch.
Non-paternity event (Paternal Haplogroup only)
A discrepant Y chromosome haplogroup assignment may mean that a non-paternity event has occurred along the line connecting two paternally related males. To see whether one haplogroup assignment is consistent with another, you can check the phylogenetic tree located on the Scientific Details tab of the Paternal Haplogroup Report. If two haplogroup names are found along an unbranched path connecting the root of the tree to a tip, they are consistent with one another.


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Bizarre iPhone Case Looks Like a Human Face
These iPhone cases, made to look like the side of a human face, make it appear as if a person isn't really talking on the telephone. They're just, you know, hanging out with their hand up to their face doing who knows what. Kind of quirky.
Until the cell phone isn't in use and it appears as if a human ear is lying on a desk at work or buried at the bottom of a purse. Kind of creepy.
[via Laughing Squid]


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Parallel NFS (pNFS) is a part of the NFS v4.1 standard that allows compute clients to access storage devices directly and in parallel. The pNFS architecture eliminates the scalability and performance issues associated with NFS servers deployed today. This is achieved by the separation of data and metadata, and moving the metadata server out of the data path.
pNFS eliminates the performance bottleneck of traditional NAS solutions
"Parallel storage based on pNFS is the next evolution beyond clustered NFS storage and the best way for the industry to solve storage and I/O performance bottlenecks. Panasas was the first to identify the need for a production grade, standard parallel file system and has unprecedented experience in deploying commercial parallel storage solutions."
- Robin Harris, Data Mobility Group
High-performance data centers have been aggressively moving toward parallel technologies like clustered computing and multi-core processors. While this increased use of parallelism overcomes the vast majority of computational bottlenecks, it shifts the performance bottlenecks to the storage I/O system. To ensure that compute clusters deliver the maximum performance, storage systems must be optimized for parallelism. Legacy Network Attached Storage (NAS) architectures based on NFS v4.0 and earlier have serious performance bottlenecks and management challenges when implemented in conjunction with large scale, high performance compute clusters.
A consortium of storage industry technology leaders created a parallel NFS (pNFS) protocol as an optional extension of the NFS v4.1 standard. pNFS takes a different approach by allowing compute clients to read and write directly to the storage, eliminating filer head bottlenecks and allowing single file system capacity and performance to scale linearly.
NFS Challenges
In order to understand how pNFS works it is first necessary to understand what takes place in a typical NFS architecture when a client attempts to access a file. A traditional NFS architecture consists of a filer head placed in front of disk drives and exporting a file system via NFS. When large numbers of clients want to access the data, or if the data set grows too large, the NFS server quickly becomes the bottleneck and significantly impacts system performance because the NFS server sits in the data path between the client computer and the physical storage devices.
NFS Performance
pNFS removes the performance bottleneck in traditional NAS systems by allowing the compute clients to read and write data directly and in parallel, to and from the physical storage devices. The NFS server is used only to control metadata and coordinate access, allowing incredibly fast access to very large data sets from many clients.
When a client wants to access a file it first queries the metadata server which provides it with a map of where to find the data and with credentials regarding its rights to read, modify, and write the data. Once the client has those two components, it communicates directly to the storage devices when accessing the data. With traditional NFS every bit of data flows through the NFS server â with pNFS the NFS server is removed from the primary data path allowing free and fast access to data. All the advantages of NFS are maintained but bottlenecks are removed and data can be accessed in parallel allowing for very fast throughput rates; system capacity can be easily scaled without impacting overall performance.
Why is pNFS important?
pNFS is important because it brings together the benefits of parallel I/O with the benefits of the ubiquitous standard for network file systems (NFS). This will allow users to experience increased performance and scalability in their storage infrastructure with the added assurance that their investment is safe and their ability to choose best-of-breed solutions remains intact.
NFS is THE communications protocol standard when it comes to network file systems. It is widely used in both HPC and Enterprise markets today. The pNFS standard is appealing to both vendors and customers alike. It allows HPC-centric storage vendors such as Panasas to deliver the advantages previously delivered only via proprietary protocols into the NFS markets. It allows Enterprise-focused storage vendors to penetrate the HPC market more deeply. So for vendors it broadens their markets. For customers, it means more options and competition for their business. It also allows customers to simplify their IT environments by standardizing on pNFS as their standard NAS protocol.
Benefits of Parellel I/O
Delivers very high application performance
Allows for massive scalability without diminished performance
Take advantage of available bandwidth
Increase streams to parallel storage using more than one client
Growing clusters with ability to perform larger calculations
pNFS Specifications
NFSv4 Working group RFCs for pNFS
The NFS4.1 standard document is large because it includes a complete description of all of NFSv4 as well as the new 4.1 features. There are two companion documents that describe the object layout and block layout for pNFS storage.
- describes NFS version 4 minor version 1, including features retained from the base protocol and protocol extensions made subsequently.
- contains the machine readable XDR definitions for the protocol.
- provides a specification of a block based layout type definition to be used with the NFSv4.1 protocol. As such, this is a companion specification to NFS version 4 Minor Version 1.
- provides a specification of an object based layout type definition to be used with the NFSv4.1 protocol. As such, this is a companion specification to NFS version 4 Minor Version 1.
Download Source Code for pNFS
Download the latest development source code for the pNFS-enabled
Linux kernel from linux-nfs.org
(provided under the GNU General Public License, Version 2) and the OpenSolaris code from opensolaris.org (under the OpenSolaris Binary License)
An Overview of NFSv4
NFS V4.1 Specification (NFS V4 Status Page)
pNFS Problem Statement
Garth Gibson (Panasas), Peter Corbett (Netapp), Internet-draft, July 2004,
Linux pNFS Kernel Development (CITI)
Open Source NFS V4 Reference Implementation (CITI)
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Kelsey's Closet
Welcome to my closet! Starting April 16th I will be featuring a new apparel company each weekday until April 27th. Each day you will have a chance to win an item from that company by commenting or sharing on Facebook. By the of the contest my closet will be full of company's that aren't just making awesome products, but making awesome products in a way that provide dignity-giving jobs for the producers and a stronger connection with those producers to consumers.
Look, we aren't going to shop our way to a better world. Sweatshops and child labor and labor wrongs are all just symptoms of the bigger problem: poverty. The apparel industry, should and could be part of the solution in fighting poverty. The company's featured in my closet are doing just that.
Welcome to my closet! Wear a story!
Alta Gracia
Alta Gracia is one of the first living wage garment factories in the developing world. They are sold in many college book stores across the country and are connecting students and consumers with garment workers. They invited me to work at their factory, but I haven't had a chance to take them up on the offer yet.
{R}evolution Apparel
{R}evolution Apparel produces versatile (their versalette can be worn 15 different ways) that are made from organic and recycled cotton in the United States. Versatility allows you to have a lot of clothing options with one item and ultimately consumer less. I've known these ladies for a bit now. They totally inspire me.
Ethix Merch
Ethix Merch is the place for customized ethical schwag.
If your boss gives you the task of buying some cheap pins or T-shirts, contact the Merchant Adventurers (I love that job title!) at EthixMerch to help your organization practice what it preaches.
Cotton the Carolinas
Cotton of the Carolinasproduces what might be the world's most local T-shirt (dirt to shirt in under 750 miles). They also operate the most transparent supply chain I've seen.
Forgotten Shirts
The Fair Trade cotton is grown and sewn in Uganda and the shirt is screen printed by at-risk youth in Minnesota. From Uganda to Minnesota, Forgotten Shirts give opportunities to folks facing poverty. You can't get more glocal than that. During a time when so many of us have forgotten about the lives of the people who make our stuff, Forgotten helps us remember. That's a pretty cool story, one I like to wear.
SustainU (my thoughts on them here) turns yesterday's clothes and plastic bottles into today's shirts and T-shirts. Compared to a typical shirt they use 1/2 gallon less of gas, thousands liters less of water per shirt, and release 12kg less of CO2 into the air. To
top it off, all of their products are Made in the USA. Can a shirt change the world? Can a clothing company change the garment industry? Checkout SustainU and decide for yourself.
Rain Tees
Rain Tees donates school supplies to children living in endangered rainforests and asks them to document what they see. Rain Tees takes that picture and puts it on an organic T-shirt using environmentally friendly inks. A family that lives just outside a rainforest in Peru makes the shirts. The child's name and where they are from are also printed on the shirt. And for every shirt sold Rain Tees plants a new tree in the rainforest. I personally know the founder of Rain Tees, Beth Doane. She is an inspiring environmentalist, entrepreneur, author, speaker, and human being.


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Director and choreographer, Gillian Lynne, who died at the beginning of July 2018, taking a warm up with the crew.
This is from the production The Various Ends of Mrs F's Friends, transmitted in December 1981.
Included in the photo are, Gillian Lynne, floor Assistant, Mick Murphy next to Gillian, then Pete Edwards, Jack Rooke, Phil Wilson, Keith Schofield, Phil Thickett, Robin Sunderland, Andy Miekle and Keith Froggatt, Jess Bhatti (studio attendant) in the background.
Thanks to Robin Sunderland for sharing the photo.
The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Mick Murphy: 'Studio A, 'The Various Ends Of Mrs F's Friends'. Scenic services had laid a chequered floor canvas which was creased. Gillian had the idea to get the studio crew in a line to shuffle it smooth…in a dance style routine of course. I was her assistant floor manager, marking time. She was a lovely person. Great picture, happy times.'
Karen Bevins: 'I was Costume Assistant on it & Al Barnett was Costume Designer '
Kate Rolfe: 'I was the assistant on this production and we finished making it in July 1981 when I went on maternity leave. It was her first telly and she was great fun to work with'


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As I mentioned, a member of the studio audience asked me to render moral judgment on the Case of the Communion Cracker.
In my first post I discussed the original theft, attempts to use force to prevent the theft, and the series of death threats that actually followed the theft.
Now, I would like to look at PZ Myers' response to this news story, posted in the blog entry, It's a Frackin' Cracker.
Myers is clearly responding to the absurd reaction generated by what amounts to the theft of a cracker. He is clearly and accurately describing this reaction as an absurdity, and the fact that if one starts off with crazy premises (e.g., that the cracker has been changed into the body of Christ), one gets some equally crazy conclusions (the death threats and hysteria following upon the theft of a cracker).
So, what to do. I have an idea. Can anyone out there score me some consecrated communion wafers? There's no way I can personally get them — my local churches have stakes prepared for me, I'm sure — but if any of you would be willing to do what it takes to get me some, or even one, and mail it to me, I'll show you sacrilege . . .
There is a problem here in that Myers statement here calls upon others to perform immoral acts.
The morally acceptable way for a person to acquire the property of another is to ask the person for the use of their property. If one has reason to believe that there are strings attached, and the person wanting the property fully intends to violate those conditions, then the person asking for the property must state that fact. If it means that one does not acquire the property - so be it.
Now, I am not, in any way, going to treat seriously the proposition that this cracker is, was, or ever will become the body of Christ. It is just a cracker.
However, the cracker is somebody's property, and there are limits in what a person may and may not do to acquire the property of another person.
Myers asked his readers to acquire communion crackers and send them to him. There is no morally legitimate way for anybody to acquire a communion cracker. (Or, at least, it would be extremely difficult.) So, Myers has asked his readers to act immorally - to engage in deception and theft.
That's not right.
Any communion crackers acquired through deception still morally belongs to the Catholic Church and, as such, ought to be returned to its rightful owner.
If anybody happens to acquire a communion cracker honestly, then that is a different matter. But, like I said, I do not think that this is going to happen. Anybody acquiring a communion cracker has acted dishonestly (immorally) in acquiring it.
Setting that issue aside, there are charges of intolerance and 'hate speech' going on here.
If it is 'hate speech' to deny that a cracker becomes the body of Christ in the face of a religious doctrine that says that it does.
Then, clearly, it is 'hate speech' to say that a cracker does become the body of Christ in the face of a-religious doctrine that says that it does not.
Why is the denial of the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation 'hate speech', but the denial of the atheist doctrine of non-transubstantiation not 'hate speech'? What gives the Catholic Church the right to demand that their beliefs not be questioned, but denies the atheist the right to make the same claim about their beliefs?
In fact, I think it would be useful for atheists to begin to show people the absurd way in which people hide behind the accusation of 'hate speech' by using the term the way it is used against us - here every statement that asserts that an atheist has a false belief is branded 'hate speech' and is accompanied by demands that it be removed.
As long as those communications were done with tongue firmly planted in one's cheek - because the intent is to show the absurdity with which people use the charge of 'hate speech' against atheists.
If somebody denies the theory of evolution, accuse them of engaging in 'hate speech' against those who believe that evolution has taken place and, in doing so, infer that anybody who makes such a statement in the face of those who believe it is true should be morally condemned for not respecting the beliefs of others.
The claim, "It is just a cracker," is not 'hate speech'. Just as the claim, "It is not just a cracker," is not hate speech.
Now, the claim that evolution is responsible for the Holocaust - that is hate speech. Here, we are talking about an absurd implication that a person uses to promote unjustified and unfounded hatred of others. The only reason somebody would make such a claim - the only reason that a person would believe it - is because they hate the people that they are claiming to be responsible for the Holocaust, wish to promote that hatred in others, and do not care what lies they utter in order to accomplish that end.
The claim that all Catholic priests sexually abuse children would be hate speech, because it is not true, and those who assert that it is true are doing so to promote hatred and fear of people who are innocent of the accusations made against them.
Atheists have engaged in hate speech against theists. I have condemned some instances in the course of this blog. See, for example, Connecticut Valley Atheists: Imagine. I classified that as hate speech because it took an act that some religious beliefs are responsible for and used it to condemn all religious beliefs - an attempt to use false claims to promote hatred of others.
"It's just a cracker," is not hate speech - no matter how forcefully it is made.


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Julia Link Roberts is the Mahurin Professor of Gifted Studies at Western Kentucky University. Dr. Roberts is the Executive Director of The Center for Gifted Studies and the Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky. You may contact her at email@example.com.
Americans have long celebrated excellence in athletics and enjoyed excellence in the arts. However, they have been far more reluctant to celebrate and enjoy excellence in academics. In fact, barriers are often intentionally or unintentionally placed in the way of children and young people reaching excellence in mathematics, science, language arts and social studies.
Over the past decade, as schools have singularly focused on reducing achievement gaps, they have overlooked the potential for high achievement among students who were ready to learn at advanced levels. Students in the "gap" groups - children from families who are eligible for free and reduced lunch as well as children who are African-American and Hispanic - have so seldom achieved at advanced levels that barely 1-2 % of these students score at the advanced level on NAEP tests, while 8 - 12% of white students and those not eligible for free or reduced lunch are reaching those achievement levels of excellence. (NAEP tests are administered to a sample of students in all states.) Unfortunately, the gaps between subgroups on state assessments are similar to the gaps on NAEP. Mind the (Other) Gap (2010) and Talent on the Sidelines (2013) , produced by Jonathan Plucker and a team from the University of Connecticut, provide rich descriptions of the Excellence Gap. The data are discouraging and appalling for the future of our country at a time that our country has greater percentages of children from these gap groups than ever before. Now, in some states, more than half of their population is from these groups who are no longer the minority.
So how do we get academic excellence ratcheted up as a priority in all of our schools? How do we remove barriers, intended and unintended, to elementary, middle and high school students learning at advanced levels?
- We talk with school board members, superintendents, principals and other educators about the importance of students learning new things every day they are in school, and that includes children and young people who are already proficient or way beyond proficient in whatever is being studied; for some, they know the concepts and skills even before the year begins.
- We celebrate high academic achievement in addition to exceptional achievement in athletics and the arts.
- We examine decisions and policies being considered and ask:
* How will this [decision] impact our highest achieving students?
* How will the proposed [decision] help more students achieve at the highest levels?(Plucker et al, 2010, p. 30)
* How do we identify students with high ability in every population and support them to become high achievers?
Students with gifts and talents - both manifest and latent - deserve opportunities to learn at appropriately challenging levels every day they are in school; just as every other student expects and deserves to do. Students from the "gap" groups have the potential to achieve at the highest level if educators develop their skills and enhance their understanding in mathematics, science, language arts and social studies from the time they start school.
Our country cannot afford to leave talent on the table. Our country cannot succeed if only a small percentage of students achieve at top levels. It is time to get the conversation going about achieving excellence, in all academic areas, in all schools across the United States. Let's start the conversation about academic excellence and celebrate all steps along the way as students work for and achieve excellence. Focusing on excellence bodes well for the future of our country!


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Believe in yourself!Read about our handmade Cat's Eye Tiger Eye healing bracelets below to see if you connect with this crystal.***Only 1 left***Your choice of sterling silver charm & wrist size options available in checkout (GEM CARD INCLUDED WITH PURCHASE)Most recognized for bringing money, protection, courage and luck. Builds confidence and clear thinking and speaking. Allows us to recognize both our talents and our faults. Helps change anxiety and fear into practicality and logic. Draws helpful people to the wearer. MEANING: TIGER EYE HEALING CRYSTALS Tiger Eye healing stones combine the earth energy with the energies of the sun to create a high vibrational state that is nevertheless grounded, drawing the spiritual energies to the earth. Placed on the third eye (chakra 6 - Ajna), it enhances psychic abilities in earthy people and balances the lower chakras (chakra1 - Muladhara and Chakra 2 - Svadhisthana), stimulating the rise of the kundalini energy. Tiger Eye is a protective crystal that was traditionally carried as a talisman against ill wishing and curses. It shows the correct use of power and brings out integrity. It assists in accomplishing goals, recognizing inner resources and promoting clarity of intention. Placed on the navel chakra (Chakra 2 - Svadhisthana), Tiger Eye is excellent for people who are spaced out or uncommitted. It grounds and facilitates manifestation of the will. Tiger Eye anchors change into the physical body. This crystal is useful for recognizing both your needs and those of other people. It differentiates between wishful thinking about what you want and what you really need. Mentally, Tiger Eye integrates the hemispheres of the brain and enhances practical perception. It aids in collecting scattered information to make a coherent whole. It is helpful for resolving dilemmas and internal conflicts, especially those brought about by pride and willfulness. Tiger Eye is particularly useful for healing mental disease and personality disorders. Psychologically, Tiger Eye heals issues of self-worth, self-criticism and blocked creativity. It aids in recognizing one's talents and abilities and conversely, faults that need to be overcome. It supports an addictive personality in making changes. Emotionally, Tiger Eye balances yin yang energy and energizes the emotional body. It alleviates depression and lift moods. Allow this special Tiger Eye bracelet to help you believe in yourself once again! PHYSICAL HEALING PROPERTIES: TIGER EYE BRACELETTiger Eye has been used to treat the eyes and aid night vision, heal the throat and reproductive organs as it can dissolve constrictions. It is helpful for repairing broken bones. In addition to all of the properties of Basic Tiger Eye, the different colors of Tiger Eye have additional healing properties. *BLUE TIGER EYE is calming and releases stress. It aids the overanxious, quick tempered and phobic. It can slow metabolism, cool an overactive sex drive and dissolve sexual frustration. *RED TIGER EYE is a stimulating crystal that has been used to overcome lethargy and provide motivation. In healing it has the ability to speed up a slow metabolism and increase a low sex drive. *GOLD TIGER EYE aids in paying attention to detail, warning against complacency. It can assists in taking action from a place of reason rather than emotion. Gold Tiger eye is an excellent companion for tests and important meetings.


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Isaiah Chapters
1 Behold the Lord shall lay waste the earth, and shall strip it, and shall afflict the face thereof, and scatter abroad the inhabitants thereof.
2 And it shall be as with the people, so with the priest: and as with the servant, so with his master: as with the handmaid, so with her mistress: as with the buyer, so with the seller: as with the lender, so with the borrower: as with him that calleth for his money, so with him that oweth.
3 With desolation shall the earth be laid waste, and it shall be utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word.
4 The earth mourned, and faded away, and is weakened: the world faded away, the height of the people of the earth is weakened.
5 And the earth is infected by the inhabitants thereof: because they have transgressed the laws, they have changed the ordinance, they have broken the everlasting covenant.
6 Therefore shall a curse devour the earth, and the inhabitants thereof shall sin: and therefore they that dwell therein shall be mad, and few men shall be left.
7 The vintage hath mourned, the vine hath languished away, all the merryhearted have sighed.
8 The mirth of timbrels hath ceased, the noise of them that rejoice is ended, the melody of the harp is silent.
9 They shall not drink wine with a song: the drink shall be bitter to them that drink it.
10 The city of vanity is broken down, every house is shut up, no man cometh in.
11 There shall be a crying for wine in the streets: all mirth is forsaken: the joy of the earth is gone away.
12 Desolation is left in the city, and calamity shall oppress the gates.
13 For it shall be thus in the midst of the earth, in the midst of the people, as if a few olives, that remain, should be shaken out of the olive tree: or grapes, when the vintage is ended.
14 These shall lift up their voice, and shall give praise: when the Lord shall be glorified, they shall make a joyful noise from the sea.
15 Therefore glorify ye the Lord in instruction: the name of the Lord God of Israel in the islands of the sea.
16 From the ends of the earth we have heard praises, the glory of the just one. And I said: My secret to myself, my secret to myself, woe is me: the prevaricators have prevaricated, and with the prevarication of transgressors they have prevaricated.
17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare are upon thee, O thou inhabitant of the earth.
18 And it shall come to pass, that he that shall flee from the noise of the fear, shall fall into the pit: and he that shall rid himself out of the pit, shall be taken in the snare: for the flood-gates from on high are opened, and the foundations of the earth shall be shaken.
19 With breaking shall the earth be broken, with crushing shall the earth be crushed, with trembling shall the earth be moved.
20 With shaking shall the earth be shaken as a drunken man, and shall be removed as the tent of one night: and the iniquity thereof shall be heavy upon it, and it shall fell, and not rise again.
21 And it shall come to pass, that in that day the Lord shall visit upon the host of heaven on high, and upon the kings of the earth, on the earth.
22 And they shall be gathered together as in the gathering of one bundle into the pit, and they shall be shut up there in prison: and after many days they shall be visited.
23 And the moon shall blush, and the sun shall be ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Sion, and in Jerusalem, and shall be glorified in the sight of his ancients.