text:
Exploring the legacy of the rationalist Rishonim (medieval Torah scholars), and various other notes, by Rabbi Dr. Natan Slifkin, director of The Biblical Museum of Natural History in Beit Shemesh. The views expressed here are those of the author, not the institution.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Stephen Hawking Challenges God
(This essay was posted to the Zoo Torah mailing list. To subscribe to this list send an e-mail to email@example.com.)
The relationship of science to religion is always a hot topic, but it became especially fiery in the last few days with the announcement of a new book co-authored by legendary physicist Stephen Hawking. "Stephen Hawking Says God Did Not Create The Universe" is the incendiary headline in many news outlets. His new work, The Grand Design, co-authored with Caltech physicist Leonard Mlodinow, seeks to give a scientific explanation for our remarkable universe which writes God out of the picture.
Although always an atheist, Hawking had previously given more room for those who believe in a Creator. In his bestselling (albeit usually unread) A Brief History of Time, Hawking acknowledged that even if an all-encompassing set of scientific equations for the universe is discovered, it does not necessarily account for the universe's existence: "Even if there is only one possible unified theory, it is just a set of rules and equations. What is it that breathes fire into the equations and makes a universe for them to describe? The usual approach of science of constructing a mathematical model cannot answer the questions of why there should be a universe for the model to describe. Why does the universe go to all the bother of existing?"
But in his latest book, Hawking strikes a different note. In a September 3rd adapted extract that appeared in The Wall Street Journal under the title "Why God Did Not Create the Universe," Hawking and Mlodinow claim that "as recent advances in cosmology suggest, the laws of gravity and quantum theory allow universes to appear spontaneously from nothing." They further argue that many theories in modern cosmology predict the multiverse model—that "our universe seems to be one of many, each with different laws." A small number of this multitude of universes allow for the formation of life, and we inhabit one of them. Accordingly, there is no need to look for a bigger explanation for our universe. Is this true?
There are several ways in which science is employed to give rational support for belief in a Creator. (I will not be including the anti-evolution arguments of the Intelligent Design movement, to which I object on both theological and scientific grounds.) These do not automatically direct us to the God of the Jewish faith, for they do not necessarily lead to the conclusion that the designer possesses the attributes that we ascribe to God (as opposed to those ascribed to God by Aristotle and others). Nevertheless, they certainly greatly enhance religious belief and help ground it in a rational foundation.
One way in which science supports belief in God is that the laws of science themselves require a lawmaker. As Nobel Prize-winning physicist Eugene Wigner pointed out, it is "a miracle that in spite of the baffling complexity of the world, certain regularities in the events could be discovered… It is not at all natural that 'laws of nature' exist, much less that man is able to discover them." Einstein, no believer in a conscious God, nevertheless often expressed amazement at the comprehensibility of the universe. As historians of science have shown, the idea of looking for such regularities in nature was an outgrowth of monotheism, which proposed an underlying unity to creation. When the scientific revolution picked up momentum, many forgot its roots. But as science advanced, discovering relatively simple equations that govern phenomena across the universe, many physicists have begun to ask where these laws came from. Even if Hawking is correct that the laws of gravity and quantum theory allow universes to appear spontaneously from nothing, that they somehow breathe fire into themselves, he has not explained how these laws themselves came to be legislated.
The second way in which science is employed to give rational support for faith is that were the laws of nature to be different in the slightest way, our universe would not be possible. Some famous atheists such as Douglas Adams dismissed this argument, claiming that it is like a puddle marveling that its hole in the ground is exactly the right shape for it. But this entirely misses the fact that our universe is not any old universe, but rather an amazing universe that allows for the formation of such complex phenomena as matter, planetary systems, life, and intelligence.
Hawking attempts to address this with the multiverse model, claiming that since there is a multitude of universes, of course some of them will be of an extraordinary nature. In response to this, it is first important to note that the multiverse model is entirely speculative, with no actual evidence whatsoever. In an article appropriately entitled "Outrageous Fortune," which marveled at the unlikely and fortuitous nature of our universe, the leading scientific journal Nature pointed out that "there are no apparent measurements that would confirm whether we exist within a cosmic landscape of multiple universes, or if ours is the only one."
But let us suppose that it is indeed the case that there are an infinite or very large number of universes, which would mean that some of them possess remarkable characteristics. Would this mean that Hawking has successfully made his case? Others point out that it means no such thing. As renowned physicist Paul Davies once wrote in The New York Times, "The multiverse theory is increasingly popular, but it doesn't so much explain the laws of physics as dodge the whole issue. There has to be a physical mechanism to make all those universes and bestow bylaws on them. This process will require its own laws, or meta-laws. Where do they come from? The problem has simply been shifted up a level from the laws of the universe to the meta-laws of the multiverse."
As we enter Rosh HaShanah, the festival marking the new year and the creation of the universe, we still have reason to marvel at our universe—at its nature, and at the laws and possibly meta-laws governing its nature. In the words of Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch: "Each discovery in the natural sciences only confirms the fundamental truth first set forth by Judaism: There can be no thought without a thinker, no order without a regulator, no law without a lawgiver, no culture without a creative spirit, no world without God and no man without the gift of free-willed morality." Shanah tovah!
(For extensive further discussion of all these ideas, see my book The Challenge Of Creation, available in Jewish bookstores worldwide and online at www.zootorah.com)
25 comments:
R. Sacks's response to Hawking:ReplyDelete
R. Slifkin, I'm not sure if you realize this, but by being one of the few people out there actually responding to these issues in a meaningful way, you're turning yourself into an authority. The next generation will look to you for real guidance - especially on these matters, but if there's a serious Halakhic dispute about something twenty years from now, the side you take will be may heavily weigh which side "God paskens like" through history.ReplyDelete
Very well. We exist. How did we get here? We call that answer, that Creator, G-d.ReplyDelete
This leaves unanswered the ancient question of how that Creator, the Unmoved Mover, came to exist. The best I can do is that it is beyond our (or at least my) understanding, which is something of a handwave.
Pascal's Wager may be sufficient to perform actions which aren't particularly distasteful, but it seems to be a weak foundation for fundamental belief.
> One way in which science supports belief in God is that the laws of science themselves require a lawmaker.…ReplyDelete
Why? Firstly, isn't that playing with words a bit? The laws of the universe aren't a legal code handed down from on high, they're the rules we've discovered about the way the universe happens to work.
Secondly, that we're able to discover some of the rules for understanding the universe doesn't mean that Someone put them there. This seems like those who argue that the Earth must have been designed for people, because it's so perfect for us. It puts the cart before the horse. The Earth wasn't designed for us; we evolved to fit conditions on Earth. That the universe functions according to a relatively simple set of laws doesn't necessarily mean someone put them there. Instead we, as pattern-seekers, have structured our discoveries about the universe into neat patterns.
> were the laws of nature to be different in the slightest way, our universe would not be possible
The Anthropic Principle. First, according to Hawking and other theoretical physicists, our universe isn't the only possible universe and there are others with natural laws not just slightly, but radically different than our own. Second, that we observe a universe which allows for us to exist is hardly an amazing thing. As you say, if things were different, we wouldn't be here to marvel at it! It's only if you assume that people, and not just any people, but us exactly as we are, are the point of and necessary to the universe that it becomes amazing. If were just something that happened to evolve here BECAUSE of the preexisting conditions, so what?
It is exactly like Adams says, a puddle marveling at how well its hole fits. It's the wrong way around.
G*3, you are incorrect all the way through.ReplyDelete
That the universe functions according to a relatively simple set of laws doesn't necessarily mean someone put them there. Instead we, as pattern-seekers, have structured our discoveries about the universe into neat patterns.
No. That is the formalist position, which is false. The regularities of the universe are real. You can choose a different explanation for them, but there is a real, strange phenomena that requires an explanation.
First, according to Hawking and other theoretical physicists, our universe isn't the only possible universe and there are others with natural laws not just slightly, but radically different than our own.
Um, did you read my article?
Second, that we observe a universe which allows for us to exist is hardly an amazing thing. As you say, if things were different, we wouldn't be here to marvel at it! ...It is exactly like Adams says, a puddle marveling at how well its hole fits.
This universe is much more special that virtually every other universe was can conceive of - the vast majority of which would not allow for matter, let alone planetary systems or life. To say, "Well, but if we didn't exist, then we wouldn't marvel at it" is pointless. If there was no person who won every single lottery then there would be no such phenomenon to marvel at, but if there was, then some explanation would indeed be called for.
Why don't you read my book? I explain all this at much more length there.
This is the argument I try to make with people. I agree with you 100% here. The uniqueness of our universe is so statistically impossible that it is considered an impossibility without some guiding hand.ReplyDelete
Have a good Raosh Hashana.
A recent convert to non-theism myself, I found this post quite cogent and thought-provoking. Thank you.ReplyDelete
Regarding the amazing fine-tuning of our universe I highly, highly recommend the first half of the book Universes by John Leslie, first published in 1989. The man has a full grasp of the physics and his philosophical reasoning tears the issues to shreds. Even the people who disagree with it endorse it, unusual for this kind of book. Inspiring stuff.ReplyDelete
Also, in your book you cite Hawking's opinion in A Brief History of Time that a multiverse can't explain fine-tuning. It looks like he's changed his mind since then.
I also think that it may be possible to produce positive evidence of a multiverse. For example, study of the CMB may confirm chaotic inflation which, as I understand it, depends on our universe being a bubble in a region of metastable vacuum. It would then be very reasonable to assume the vacuum has lots of bubbles. There's a lot more nuance to flesh out, of course, and I recommend Leslie again. The bottom line for me is that a multiverse would only push Creation back a step.
וְיֵדַע כָּל פָּעוּל כִּי אַתָּה פְעַלְתוֹ. וְיָבִין כָּל יְצוּר כִּי אַתָּה יְצַרְתּוֹ.
Shana Tova rabbi, may you have much hatzlacha with your career.
- Y. AharonSeptember 8, 2010 at 10:41 PM
The main problem with Hawking's current thesis, aside from the fact that it's an unprovable assertion, is that it eliminates the sense of awe and mystery surrounding the universe and its origin. Einstein would have disdained such a viewpoint as pedestrian and a disincentive to truly creative thinking. One relevant Einsteinian aphorism is, "religion without science is blind; science without religion is lame".ReplyDelete
The world is filled with wonders, not the least among them is the susceptibility of natural phenomena to rationalization by elegant - even if sophisticated, mathematical analyses. One of those possibly minor wonders is how one man, Stephen Hawking, has survived a progressive and fatal neurological disease, ALS, for so many decades. That survival enabled him to create significant advances in our understanding of black-hole physics and quantum gravity. Now he appears reduced to atheistic posturing. Hopefully, he will have second thoughts on the matter.
Greetings to all on the eve of the holiday celebrating the creation of the world and man, and their often hidden governance by their compassionate Creator.
Have a good year.
This universe is much more special that virtually every other universe was can conceive of - the vast majority of which would not allow for matter, let alone planetary systems or life. To say, "Well, but if we didn't exist, then we wouldn't marvel at it" is pointless. If there was no person who won every single lottery then there would be no such phenomenon to marvel at, but if there was, then some explanation would indeed be called for.ReplyDelete
No - not at all.
To defend against possible ad hominem and related attacks: I read your books.
What you are falling far is what is called the "poker players fallacy".
Just because you were randomly dealt a royal flush doesn't mean you were "meant" to have. At least one hand must have come up and well, it did.
Of all the possible planets and universes you find yourself on one of the billions of "tries" that has just the right conditions for life. For more information you may want to look at the Drake equation.
"""No. That is the formalist position, which is false. The regularities of the universe are real. You can choose a different explanation for them, but there is a real, strange phenomena that requires an explanation."""
You are absolutely right. We do have to look for an explanation - based on the evidence. The ultimate explanation would be "the theory of everything" (a unification of all the forces)
not godditit - because you then have to ask - what caused god and how does she work?
You need to read my book again, because I specifically addressed this. The poker analogy is flawed. There are millions of poker games taking place, and of course in a certain number of these, the players will get good cards. So this would be a good analogy if there is a multiverse. But, as of now, there is no evidence for a multiverse. There are no billions of "tries."ReplyDelete
Look, there's a reason why there is such a desperate attempt to argue for a multiverse, and in my book I quoted an article from New Scientist which was quite explicit about it - because otherwise, it's just too awkward to account for the extraordinary nature of our universe.
The poker analogy is right on target. There are millions of planet-like-objects out there. Earth is but one try.ReplyDelete
Also please see the Drake equation for the existence of other life forms. Based on the speed of light it would be impossible for us to test - and thus no scientist will say they "know" its true. But statistically there are probably other life forms out there.
I'm not sure that Hawking was "always an atheist". I believe his wife left him because he became one.ReplyDelete
"There are millions of planet-like-objects out there."ReplyDelete
Heh. What you don't realize is how incredible it is to have a universe that allows for planet-like-objects in the first place. You really need to read my book (and some others).
"But statistically there are probably other life forms out there."
Could be. Makes no difference.
The drake equation:ReplyDelete
I'm curious if Hawkings knows what the latest book written in his name says.
Multiverse, or no multiverse, it still doesn't explain "What breathes fire into the equations." And I find it hard to believe that someone would do a 180 on such a position without proper explanation.
Because, if he answered that question, it would be much more fascinating and interesting than his personal beliefs.
I haven't read Hawking's new book (Although I have read similar books such as The Fabric of the Cosmos by Greene, and The Cosmic Blueprint by Paul Davies), but based on what I have read about it, it fails to achieve its lofty goals of explaining away G-d.ReplyDelete
To my (lay) understanding, the Multiverse still has to explain "The Big Bang", the creation of the Universe from absolutely nothing. The multiverse "hypothesis" is employed as a mathematical result of certain quantum phenomena, to explain interference, for example, and is leaped since it also "explains away" such delicate fine controls the Universe such as Plank's constant, without which the universe could not exist as a stable life bearing entity.
However, as a scientific theory, it fails as a "science". It is not falsifiable, I simply cannot test that the other universes exist. It's most crucial empirical observation, interference, has now been shown to be explained by more "conventional" quantum methods (the particle passes through both slits) and it increases complexity, rather than reducing it (now we must explain the origin of a infinite number of universes, each, apparently, with their own "Standard Model" rather than just one).
Cosmologist remain highly embarrassed by the question where did the Big Bang come from (as Greene pointed out in his book, asking what came before the Big Bang is a senseless question as time was created a finite time after the Big Bang), and other, less complicated and tangible models do exist that explain observations in our universe, without having to employ a multiverse model. Cosmologist are cluching at straws to hide these embarrassing questions at the limits of what science can possibly explain
Baruch Mordechai Cohen asks, can a reader please direct me to a book page of R. Slifkin or blog entry where a critique of intelligent design is explained? Thanks.ReplyDelete
Even if Hawking is correct that the laws of gravity and quantum theory allow universes to appear spontaneously from nothing, that they somehow breathe fire into themselves, he has not explained how these laws themselves came to be legislated.ReplyDelete
Isn't this just putting "the God of the Gaps" to a new level?
The scientist should respond that we will eventually explain the origin of laws without having to posit Divine intervention. Just like we have successfully explained the origin of everything else in the universe without invoking a Creator.
I think other commentors alluded to this problem as well.
The scientist should respond that we will eventually explain the origin of laws without having to posit Divine intervention.ReplyDelete
No (s)he wont. The laws of physics only came into existance some finite period of time after the Big Bang. Scientist simply do not have the tools to investigate "what caused the Big Bang" since everything we experience to make any observation are a consequence of the Big Bang
Although your god of the gaps comment is well noted. Interestingly, RAMBAN writes that only one act of creation occurred, and everything else that happened was a natural consequence of that creative moment.
Ramban writes:
"Know that the heavens and all that is in them consist of one substance and everything consists of one substance. HaShem created these two substances from nothing; they alone were created, and everything else was constructed from them." (Chavel page 23)
Sorta like the Higgs bosun.
- Student VSeptember 15, 2010 at 8:00 AM
"The problem has simply been shifted up a level from the laws of the universe to the meta-laws of the multiverse."ReplyDelete
Wow, that is indeed a fascinating point (with a succinct formulation).
Couldn't it mean that these meta laws of the multiverse or gravity which i think hawking says is at the essence of it is eternal and constantly producing why believe in an eternal G-d if one can simply believe in a simpler explanation of gravity as the thing that is and always was. (This question is not meant to be antagonistic but something I would find very personally helpful.ReplyDelete
A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME by Stephen W. Hawking - "The Tortoise" of the Old Lady is a Hinduism symbol for WAVE (energy). It is analog with DRAGON (Taoism) or MAGEN DAVID (Judaism). "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is the metaphor, which is similar with allegory of rituals Thawaf circling the Ka'bah (7 x) and Sa'i oscillating along "the sinus" Marwah-Shafa (7 x) during the Hajj pilgrimage (Abraham).ReplyDelete
PARADOX - Although Hawking is a non believer, but his book is a "genuine bridge stone" for comprehensive study of Theology.
It is an "ordinary people" poit of view, so would you mind to verify, please.
Dear friends. From a Human point of view Universe is Classified into two Major Directions:ReplyDelete
First one is with the Scope of Ultimate Perfection (God)which can be the source of all Hope,Positive thinking and feelings Love for grate and good things acting and trusting for the same or more and more and further more...
The Second one is Ultimate Imperfection(Evil) the source of all negatives; feeling of emptiness, no true love, hopelessness, lack of trustworthiness, where no light but darkness and source of Darkness The Bad Hole which is Hell according to Bible( Book of Wisdom 7: 30)and Black Hole for Stephen,a Rich Negative Thinker of So called modern physicist.
Now Mankind is in Between these two realities First one is Positive Realities which is led by Divine Spirits and Wisdom of God and selfless life style...Second one is Negative realities Led by mere materialistic and selfish life style for self glory and led by the evil spirits.
Now what all you need ...?
Claims of Jesus Christ ( Now He is called Emmanuel by certain Chosen People of God ) ...."The ever Expanding Universe which is INFINITIVE and Never Ending Universe That is ETERNAL = Heaven which is Infinitive in Space and Eternal in Time.
The Claims of Mr Stephen Hawkins A dying Universe which is Shrinking and No Space and No Time...
Do You want Jesus or Barabbas ? An Olden Question to be answered by Jews and Christians all the People....
Now the modern Question evolved in Such a Way that,
Do You want the Claims Jesus Christ...!!! or Claims of Mr Stephen Hawking...?
But, confine mind that the aim of any merchandise ought to be to assist you to be told to form higher free poker book store selections. In alternative words, to assist you to become a stronger player. To not do you're taking part in or thinking for you.ReplyDelete
Useful data concerning club PKR. PKR freepokerbookstore.com may be a GB primarily based portal commissioned by the Aldermen diversion commission.ReplyDelete
Comments for this blog are moderated. Please see this post about the comments policy for details. ANONYMOUS COMMENTS WILL NOT BE POSTED - please use either your real name or a pseudonym.
Blog Migration!
Birds migrate, butterflies migrate, whales migrate, and this blog is migrating! It's being moved over from Blogger to Substack. The URL ...
Over the last few days I have seen a number of Jews, who purport to care about the well-being of the State of Israel, criticize Israel over ...
There is a popular myth that Orthodox (and specifically charedi) Judaism represents a basically unaltered approach to Torah and Judaism that...
What a tragic week. Fortunately there is a glimmer of light that I am happy to share. One should not paint the entire charedi community with...


text:
The Cure Is Now understands that the kinds of technology we support have the potential to be game changing. Research areas such as artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, brain-machine interfaces and regenerative medicine are in their infancy in terms of what may be possible in but a few years. A new era of human health, potential and capability seems inevitable when contemplating Moore's law; technological advancement and quantum computing for example. The Cure Is Now is an organization that was founded upon a love of life and humanity. AnnMarie Nivkor founded The Cure Is Now with the intention to cure diseases and to save and preserve human life. The Cure Is Now firmly upholds humanitarian values, morals, and abides by a firm code of ethics. The organization is committed to responsible research while simultaneously ushering in an unthinkably positive paradigm shift in medical research and as such, stands behind the following promises:
- The Cure Is Now promises to never put individuals, groups of people or our culture as a whole in danger due to the kinds of technology we work with.
- The Cure Is Now will only support research whose benefit to humanity outweighs the risks
- The Cure Is Now will only support research that clearly uplifts, enhances and augments our humanity.
The Cure Is Now's mission is to cure diseases through emerging and advanced technology and that is what we are committed to do.* The Cure Is Now takes safety and risk seriously and we have chosen to partner with the following organizations:
* Ethics has been and always will be a hotly debated topic. The Cure is Now firmly stands behind these statements. However, the opinions expressed above are those of The Cure Is Now and not necessarily of the partner organizations.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
EDI WebSource Application Update
At 1 EDI Source, Inc., we are constantly looking for new ways to improve the functionality and usability of the Web-based EDI service offering by providing seamless and user-friendly EDI solutions.
We are excited to introduce a faster and more efficient EDI WebSource. Among the many administrative and development improvements which make every day EDI tasks simple and user-friendly, we have added "User Defined Folders" to the already streamlined EDI WebSource Inbox functionality.
The User Defined Folders allow EDI WebSource users to create and manage their own customer-specific folders for various internal processing purposes. Keeping standard transaction folders clean and current by managing customer-specific sub-folders under the user-defined folder will improve efficiency and eliminate confusion. Folders can be used for various organizational purposes.
Additionally, the new folders do not limit any of the actions or features available in EDI WebSource. However, by default the user defined folder is not enabled. If you are interested in using this feature, contact your EDI WebSource technician to activate the user defined folder capability and conduct a brief tutorial of this new feature.
Learn more about our innovative EDI software solutions, Contact Us Today!


text:
This case could surely elicit some giggles from the rhyme police. Lulu.com said Wednesday that it has filed suit against Hulu.com for trademark infringement on the grounds that the two names and business models are too similar and will create confusion in the market.
Lulu.com, a service that lets members publish, print and sell their own books, has been around for five years, according to the company. Hulu.com is a joint digital video partnership between NBC Universal and News Corp., whose corporate entity N-F Newsite announced the name last week. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in North Carolina, charges N-F Newsite with trademark infringement, unfair and deceptive trade practices, and federal cyberpiracy.
"We have spent more than five years and tens of millions of dollars in investment successfully building the Lulu brand and website into a place for millions of creators and consumers to publish, buy, sell and manage digital content," Lulu CEO Bob Young said in a statement.
According to gossip site Valleywag, News Corp. took over the domain Hulu.com from a small family that used the site for posting family photos.


text:
Location, location, location. Is it important? Earlier this year, a study by Growth Accelerator listed the "hotspots of growth" for businesses across the country, citing Birmingham as home to the UK's fastest growing firms.
With Birmingham closely followed by the London Borough of Westminster, Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield and Bristol, it seems urban centres have got the infrastructure and facilities that businesses need to grow.
We're keen to gain your thoughts on location. Is where you are based integral to your business? Why? Did you relocate to start your business in order to take advantage of a particular area which ticked all the boxes for what you offer? Perhaps you travel a long way to reach your company's base each day because starting up where you live wasn't quite right, or you sell online because being web-based means you can work from anywhere.
Vote in our poll and leave your comments in the thread below.
This content is brought to you by Guardian Professional. To receive more like this you can become a member of the Small Business Network here.


text:
IP crime unit arrests proxy server suspect
August 8, 2014
By Colin Mann
The UK's Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit has arrested a man in the East Midlands city of Nottingham on suspicion of running an 'umbrella' website providing access to other websites which have been subject to legal blocking orders.
The 20-year-old man was questioned by detectives from the City of London Police unit at a local police station before later being released on bail.
The operation, supported by the Federation Against Copyright Theft, uncovered evidence of the proxy server providing access to 36 other websites that had been blocked for offering illegal or infringing content. The domain names of these sites have been voluntarily handed to police and the related web pages now show a police warning banner.
The arrest is part of the City of London Police unit's ongoing drive to clamp down on websites providing access to illegal or infringing content, known as Operation Creative. Last week, it was announced that PIPCU is replacing advertising on copyright infringing websites with official force banners, warning the user that the site is currently under criminal investigation.
Head of PIPCU, Detective Chief Inspector Andy Fyfe, said the operation highlighted how PIPCU, working in partnership with the creative and advertising industries, was targeting every aspect of how copyrighting material is illegally being made available to Internet users. We will come down hard on people believed to be committing or deliberately facilitating such offences," he declared.
Kieron Sharp, Director General of the Federation Against Copyright Theft, advised that for some years, the film and music industries in the UK had been making applications to the High Court for orders requiring the major UK ISPs (Internet Service Providers) to block websites providing access to illegal or infringing content, in particular films and music. "Invariably these sites exist in foreign jurisdictions where it is difficult or impossible to take other legal action to prevent their continuing operation. Once the site-blocking orders commenced, Internet users have sought ways to continue to access the sites by getting round the blocking put in place by the ISPs. One of the ways to do this is to use proxy servers. This operation is a major step in tackling those providing such services. FACT will continue to support PIPCU in their enforcement activities" he stated.


text:
Jami Ziegler has officially filed papers to have Porsha Williams ARRESTED for assaulting her last year! According to Fulton County public records Jami Ziegler filed a warrant application against Porsha Williams in Georgia State Court. Porsha may have thought that she got away with beating Jami down in a back alley, but clearly she is NOT. Although Bravo TV cameras didn't catch the footage, there is cell phone video evidence of the assault. Plus, there is plenty of testimony from Porsha, admitting that she did get into a fight with Jami. #DoubleDummy
If Jamie and Porsha do not come to an agreement before their next hearing at the end of the month Porsha could be facing jail time. [rhymeswithsnitch]
*I've put all the tea about WHY Porsha jumped her business manager/friend Jami!


text:
Antimicrobial resistance, the emergence of superbugs resistant to the antibiotics that modern medicine depends on, is not a future threat looming on the horizon but a problem that is already here and likely to have a big impact on business – especially in sectors such as food and pharmaceuticals.
The World Health Organisation estimates there are already 700,000 deaths globally due to antibiotic resistant infections each year, and if the problem is not addressed, this could rise to 10 million deaths per year by 2050.
According to one study, 70% of bacteria around the world have already developed resistance to antibiotics, including colistin – often described as medicine's antibiotic of last resort.
The growth of factory farming has correlated closely with the development of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. Two-thirds of antibiotic consumption in the EU and 70% of usage in the US occurs in the animal farming industry.
Most often, antibiotics are not used to treat illnesses. Instead, they are preventative, as animals require regular (often daily) doses of drugs to remain healthy in their overcrowded facilities. This overuse may kill some bacteria and temporarily keep livestocks healthier, but it allows antibiotic-resistant bacteria to strengthen and increase in number, diluting the effects of antibiotics on human illnesses.
Governments have started to take action to curtail these practices and stem the rise of superbugs, which will affect all companies in the food value chain. For example, we are already seeing stricter agricultural regulation of the use of antibiotics in both the US and EU.
Denmark has introduced bans on certain drugs, and California passed a bill in 2015 to sharply limit antibiotic use in factory farms. The EU's introduction of legislation banning products in which growth-promoting antibiotics are used, led to a ban of some US beef imports that has cost the US industry many millions every year.
Antibiotic-free food
Additionally, consumer preferences are trending towards antibiotic-free meat and some companies are responding. Antibiotic-free chicken sales rose by 34% in the US in 2013, and a further 25% in 2014, constituting 11% of overall chicken sales in the US.
In the UK, sales of organic products surged by 6% overall in 2016, as consumers increasingly seek out antibiotic free products with a credible, audited supply chain. Should companies fail to adapt to evolving consumer preferences, they risk falling behind their peers in the market.
Some may look to the pharmaceutical sector for solutions, but despite the growing rate of drug-resistant bacteria, the number of new antibiotics approved each year by the US Food and Drug Administration has fallen dramatically in the last decade.
As antibiotics tend to be short-term prescriptions, the time and resources spent developing them produce low returns. Lack of innovation has exposed the pharma sector to reputational and financial risk for failing to act as resistance grows.
This year, Boston Common Asset Management joined a coalition of investors worth $1tn asking ten of the world's largest food companies, including Yum! Brands and Domino's, to end the routine use of antibiotics in their global meat and poultry supply chains.
We have seen some positive results. For example, The Restaurant Group (including brands such as Frankie & Benny's and Garfunkel's) has committed to phase out the routine, preventative use of antibiotics in its supply chain. Perdue, one of the largest poultry manufacturers in the US, announced it had ended routine use of all antibiotics in its entire operation. Similarly, McDonald's promised this summer to stop serving poultry treated with antibiotics in its US restaurants.
Slow progress
Although companies are taking first steps, the pace of change is far too slow. The vast majority of corporate policies on antibiotic use are either piecemeal or unambitious in their scope.
While McDonald's has made commitments on poultry in the US, the multinational food giant also sells beef, pork and dairy products in over 100 countries. For any commitment to be meaningful, it should encompass the company's full global operations.
The ideal business response necessary to curb antibiotic resistance is two-pronged. All major food producers and retailers should commit to phasing out the routine use of antibiotics in their entire supply chains.
Simultaneously, the pharmaceutical industry should help mitigate the crisis by spending more resources on developing new strains of antibiotics as old ones become ineffective.
At the 2016 World Economic Forum in Davos, 80 companies committed to reinvigorate the scientific research and development needed to create a new antibiotics pipeline. The new year is the time to honour these commitments.
Sign up to be a Guardian Sustainable Business member and get more stories like this direct to your inbox every week. You can also follow us on Twitter.


text:
In God We Trust: Contemporary Lessons from the Seerah
Yasir Qadhi
The Seerah of our Prophet(SAW) is one of the most important sources of our religion. It is supposed to inspire, to guide, to empower us to be better Muslims. Yet for many of us, the stories of the Seerah are abstract tidbits, historical facts that might sound good, but bear little relevance to our modern lives.
This is a mistake and a shortcoming from our part. The Seerah is supposed to be a lived message where we connect the dots from the past to our lives here in the present.
In this talk, Shaykh Yasir discusses a number of incidents from the life of the Prophet(SAW) and draw parallels with specific events and circumstances of our own time so that the Seerah becomes not just tales from the past, but lessons for our contemporary lives.
All lectures by Yasir Qadhi
Please make dua for the following who help contribute monthly to Halal Tube to cover our hosting costs:
- Abu Ilyas
- Honesty Parker
- Usman Makhdoom
- Azam Syed and Family
- Muhammad Naveed Khan
- Shabbir/Butt Family
- Nilofar Syed
- Wazir Hussein and Family
- Philip Rice and Family
- Ahmad/Arezoo & Family
- Ashfaq / Arshia Mehdi
- Sam's parents
- Halimah & Family
- Rokiah & Family
- Syed Najeeb Hyder Razvi
- Hachim&FamilySaidAli
- Joy B Walters & Family
- Abubakar
- Your Name Here


text:
In the USA, the CBRS band in 3.5 GHz – with its three-tiered system of access and sharing – could be more disruptive, in the short term, than early 5G. This is because it gives non-spectrum holders the opportunity to enter the mobile market for the first time, and leverage cellular technologies as well as WiFi.
In particular, the cablecos are interested in using the spectrum to deploy their own localized small cell networks, to improve their control over their own mobile offerings and potentially to support enterprise and city networks. Industrial IoT players like GE are also showing an interest in using CBRS for specialized vertical market applications. In both cases, the organizations would be able to have their own cellular networks in targeted locations, rather than relying only on MVNO deals, while not having to build a nationwide system. That would transform the economics of bringing 4G, and future 5G, to many industries, cities and consumers, and create new challenges to the telcos (see lead item).
There are two licensing schemes in which these new entrants can participate – buying a licence and becoming a priority access licensee (PAL), or using shared spectrum in the general access layer. GE and others are calling for the PAL licences to have short terms and small geographic areas to suit enterprise and industrial use cases, and to make them viable for non-MNOs to acquire.
And the FCC is still reviewing the final rules for the tiered scheme, and as well as disputes over the auction rules for the PAL tier, there is contention over the key use cases to which CBRS should be devoted. Various stakeholders are arguing that the spectrum should mainly be used for fixed wireless, for industrial IoT, for private networks, or for 5G (instead of 4G).
Disputes over such issues mean the CBRS spectrum is not becoming available as quickly as some supporters have wished, but the FCC did start, at the end of last month, to accept initial commercial deployment proposals for CBRS. It outlined the parameters and guidance for those deployments, and will accept proposals until September 10.
With commercial roll-outs on the horizon at last, Dave Wright, president of the CBRS Alliance, said the organization is boosting efforts behind its OnGo CBRS certification scheme – expanding its authorized test labs to eight, which now have their first devices ready for testing, and putting the final touches to its Certified Professional Installer program.
"Looking forward, the Alliance will ensure that we are fully prepared to prove out the various systems, interfaces and programs that will make full commercial service a reality as quickly as possible," Wright wrote in a blog post.
Also, the FCC has conditionally approved a group of administrators of Spectrum Access Systems (SAS), which will be needed to assign priority and avoid interference, ensuring that the top tier (federal incumbents) are protected and that PAL holders take priority over general access users. Google and Federated Wireless have been the most prominent SAS developers and have demonstrated interoperability between their respective systems, but others with conditional approval are Sony, Amdocs, CommScope and Key Bridge.
Last month, Boingo launched a private LTE network in the 3.5 GHz band at Dallas Love Field Airport, with Federated Wireless providing the SAS, and Ruckus Wireless the devices.
And Altice is the latest cableco to talk about its tests of CBRS technology to complement its plans for an MVNO-based mobile launch next year. The company's US CEO, Dexter Goei, told the most recent earnings call that he believed Altice could make a mobile business more profitable than Comcast and Charter could.
"We want to make this a profitable standalone business," he told analysts. "So, we don't anticipate, even in our first year of operation, to lose money on this. There may be working capital timing differences relative to handsets and how we treat those, but in terms of losing money, we are not going to lose money."
By contrast, Comcast has lost about $1.2bn so far on its Xfinity Mobile launch, according to calculations by analyst Walter Piecyk of BTIG. And Charter has spent $116m on its MVNO-powered Spectrum Mobile offering, which launched at the end of June, including $33m in operating expenses and $53m in capital expenses.
Altice will launch its own MVNO-based service, via a deal with Sprint, next year and has hired a mobile CEO, Jean-Charles Nicolas, formerly deputy CEO and CFO of Altice's Dominican Republic unit. It has agreed a 'thick MVNO' deal with Sprint, under which it will build out some infrastructure itself, giving it greater flexibility to launch differentiated services than on a simple MVNO agreement – for instance, to deploy small cells to improve indoor coverage or to add capacity for a certain user base. This can also improve costs by keeping some traffic on the cableco's own network, reducing MVNO fees.
Goei said: "Recall we have a full infrastructure-based MVNO, which has attractive economics and flexibility features for us. We have a dedicated and experienced mobile management team which will lead the development, launch and ongoing mobile strategy. In terms of network development, the densification of Sprint's network, which we're helping with our AirStrand deployment, is comfortably ahead of schedule as are the upgrades to and expansion of our WiFi network. We are also testing CBRS spectrum with equipment in a 3.5 GHz band as this may be good complementary capacity for us."
Sprint's said recently that it has deployed "tens of thousands of strand-mounted small cells" with Altice since making the deal late last year.
According to Altice's application to the FCC for a Special Temporary Authority Licence to test CBRS, the cableco will run tests of a new class of spectrum allocation servers to prevent interference with incumbent users. It will run trials in three towns, two in New York state and one in Arkansas, between September and next February, with equipment from Ericsson, Nokia, Airspan, Ruckus (now part of Arris) and Berkeley Vaitronics.


text:
Tropica Verde and the donation seal DZI
Since 2011, TROPICA VERDE has received the seal of approval from the German Central Institute for Social Issues ("DZI"). With the donation seal, the DZI, a generally recognized and independent organization, confirms that TROPICA VERDE is using donation funds appropriately and carefully in accordance with the statutes for project and educational work.
The donation seal has to be re-applied annually and is granted on the basis of a comprehensive review of financial documents and evidence of activity. Complete transparency regarding the structure, activity and use of funds by the association vis-à-vis for the DZI. The public sphere is also decisive for the awarding of the donation seal. Thus, the greatest possible protection of donors against a misappropriation of funds can be guaranteed and documented.
More informations about the DZI you will find here.
What You Can Do:
Inform yourself now about our projects and support our activities through donations or by adopting a cause for the conservation of primary forests or endangered species.
Become a member!
Become a member of TROPICA VERDE and support our activities. Decide what should be implemented in the future
Come with us!
Support our association as a volunteer with your knowledge
Recommend us!
Join friends and acquaintances and follow us on Facebook & Co.
All necessary information can be found on this website.


text:
Preludes Selected Poems from the Kathryn Irene Glascock Intercollegiate Poetry Contest 1924-1973.
South Hadley, MA: Mount Holyoke College, 1973. First edition. Hardcover. 72 pages. Introduction by Joyce Horner. Includes poems by James Agee, Muriel Rukeyser, Robert Lowell, James Merrill, Frederick Buchner, Donald Hall, Syliva Plath, Mark Halperin, and numerous others. A near fine copy in close to near fine dust jacket that is lightly soiled and with a laid in publisher complimentary slip. Item #149019 More
Price: $20.00


text:
Do you know about the Irish midge, those pesky little bugs that swarm around in the outdoors, especially in the evening hours?
This is a bug warning for all tourists planning a trip to the Emerald Isle.
Don't worry, Ireland is not a paradise for bugs, like some tropical tourist destinations. No fear of cockroaches, or monster mosquitoes! No need to start anti-malarial medication before your trip.
Table of Contents
Midges In Ireland
But be warned! During the summer months, Ireland is home to the mosquito's most annoying cousin, albeit a thirty-first cousin of the state bird of Texas. The insect in question is the infamous Irish "midge."
Last year on our annual pilgrimage to Donegal, we parked our car to let the kids pile out, and watch a small herd of deer bounding across the heather carpeted hillside. Not thinking, we left all the windows open in the car. Before we knew what was happening, a swarm of midges surrounded us.
"Get back in the car," I screamed out. The kids looked at me as if I was being attached by a pack of zombies.
"Hurry, hurry," I urged, as I flapped my hands in the air, whacking at the midges, shooing the kids in the general direction of the car. They piled in as fast as they could, never before having witnessed Mom in such a frenzy. But the windows at the back were the old fashioned wind-up kind. We were too late.
Lo and behold the car was swarming with little, flying nasties.
"Drive! Drive!" I urged my husband, as I stretched my hand back to reopen the rear windows. "Faster! Faster!"
We drove through Donegal with all four windows open. I flapped a magazine around trying to shoo them out, stun them, wallop them, decapitate them or whatever the case may be.
Word got out fast. Surviving midge friends feasted on my legs in revenge. They just loved my sweet tasting blood. My husband says I am the best bug repellant ever. He just needs to stand beside me and not one nibbling midge touches him.
It took over 30 minutes of open window driving, and violent magazine whacking, to tame the swarm.
I was so sorry I did not have a bottle of Skin-So-Soft in my purse, or the old fashioned cologne, 4711. They hate that stuff. Wearing it may keep a few humans at bay too, but a small price to pay for a midge-free outing.
Tips for Dealing with Midges When Visiting Ireland
Midges are so tiny, it amazes me how much of a nuisance they can be. Here are some interesting facts about these pesky, little bugs.
- Apparently only the female midges bite, and they only bite when they are pregnant, for a second or third time.
- Blood is what they are after, to feed their young 'uns.
- Luckily for us, they do not carry any diseases, like sleeping sickness, or malaria.
- Biting midges fly in swarms, and when I say swarms, I mean big, old, menacing swarms.
- They like warm, humid climates, so they emerge en masse during the damp, relatively warm, Irish summer months.
- If the wind is high, they get blown away, so you will encounter them inland more so than on the coast.
- They are not fast movers, so sometimes if you run, you can out pace them.
- They do not like bright sunshine, so they love Ireland. The lack of bright sun shine during most Irish summers, suits the midges just fine.
- Evening is their favorite time of day. Swarms can often be seen hovering over bushes and trees during the twilight hours.
- The bite does not hurt, but if you scratch, the site can get irritated.
Advice About Midges for Tourists to Ireland
So here is my advice for tourists:
- Pack some insect repellant.
- Pack some anti-histamine cream in case you do get a few bites, and need to help ease itchiness.
- Wear light colored clothes with long sleeves and long pants. Midges are attracted to dark colors.
- And please, learn from our mistake. Close your car windows if you pop out to do some sight seeing, even if you only step a few yards from your car, for the briefest of moments.
- Do not scratch! Resist the itch! Hold out! The tickle will disappear, only if you wait and DO NOT SCRATCH.
- O.K let's face it! No normal human can hold out against a niggling itch. If you do scratch, remember the anti-histamine in step 2.
And another word of warning, for anyone planning a trip to Scotland. The midges are even more dense there than in Ireland. Midges in Scotland swarm together like crazy.
Wishing you all happy, midge free travels, in the beautiful land of my birth and across the sea in Scotland. But heed my advice – be prepared.
Thanks for following my recipes and ramblings.
Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Mairéad –Irish American Mom
Pronunciation – slawn ah-gus ban-ock-th
Mairéad – rhymes with parade
Here are some more recipes and ramblings you might enjoy…


text:
If you are a fun seeker, adventure lover, and serious about your passion, Serious Sam 3 is just a game for you. It has just been released on Steam and has already won the hearts of the fans by retaining the classic gameplay action and introducing new fun elements that enhance the experience. However, the game isn't without issue but thankfully we have a Serious Sam 3 Crashes and Fixes guide to help you.
Serious Sam 3 Crashes and Fixes
It is without doubt best Serious Sam ever but if you don't like to sprint, then you may not like it. I mean, it's pretty cool for us, so should for you. It's just a damn sprint after all.
Anyway, if you are experiencing any technical difficulty in enjoying the game without any hiccups, you can refer to our workarounds below!
1# Game Locks Up – Multiplayer
Serious Sam 3 stutters for few seconds when you try to host the game.
2# Serious Sam 3 Cannot open file Error
Verify the game cache and double-check your system date, it should be set correctly. If that doesn't work, follow the instructions in this tutorial to apply certification patch, it would resolve this issue.
3# Application Has Malfunctioned
Disable your antivirus or firewall because it may cause this error by blocking the executable.
4# Serious Sam 3 Crashes
Game doesn't really go well with other applications running in the background. First culprits to cause the crash are anti-virus and other security softwares. If you have one or more running in the background, disable them, and relaunch the game.
5# ATI Low Performance
You will have to wait for the optimized drivers for ATI before you go complaining about the game being buggy and giving you horrible performance when all other games are running fine. Just wait, it will come.
6# Preparing to launch Serious Sam 3: BFE
If you get stuck on the loading message above when you try to launch the game, launch the game as administrator.
7# Serious Sam 3 Random Crashing
Make sure you have adequate free memory available for the game or it may result when you try to play the game. Good fix would be to close all the applications running in the background and try again.
8# Blurry Textures – Graphics Quality
If you are getting blurry textures in the game, make sure you aren't imposing any specific graphic setting through Nvidia or ATI control panel. Set all settings to default especially 3D Settings and run the game again.
9# Game Crashes After DirectX Install – Bluescreen
This issue has something to do with processor (AMD) and may require you to update your Bios to latest firmware if you want to resolve the issue. You can read the info here.
10# Missing/Invisible Textures
Developer suggests – open console and type:
- ren_bOcclusionCulling=0 [enter]
- ren_bGeometryInstancing=0
and see if that helps.
11# File Signature Verification Failed
Verify the game cache to resolve the issue.
12# How To Change FOV
plr_fFOVOverride = # (where # is the FOV you want, must have the = sign)
13# FPS Randomly Drop
Turn off Ambient Occlusion.
14# Poor Performance
If you are getting poor performance on your high-end PC gaming machine, you should probably run the game in DirectX 9 and avoid DirectX 11. You will notice much improvement.
If you face any other issue, you can either comment here, or post it on official Steam Forums, where Croteam support staff is helping everyone who is facing any technical difficulty in running Serious Sam 3 smoothly.


text:
Take recycling beyond the bin
If an item can't go into your curbside recycle bin, does that mean it automatically goes into the trash? Not exactly. For some things, that is the case. But for many others, there are alternative ways to recycle or repurpose materials so they are kept out of landfills.
Here are some of the most common items Resource Recovery gets questions about:
Plastic bags
Plastic bags and wrap are probably the No. 1 item that gets tossed into a curbside bin that the county cannot accept. Although plastic bags and wrap are highly recyclable if collected separately, the Tri-County recycling facility is not equipped to remove plastic bags from mixed recyclables. In fact, plastic bags and film are the No. 1 maintenance and repair issue at the recycling facility — wrapping around the equipment, causing breakdowns and delays.
• Recycling alternative: Many grocery stores and big-box retailers in our area will accept plastic bags and wrap. Collect the bags during the week and drop them off on a weekend trip to the store.
• Better yet: Bring your own re-usable bag to the grocery store so you won't need to use plastic. In addition, look for products that have as little packaging as possible.
Packing peanuts
With the increasing popularity of online ordering, you have probably run into the dreaded packing peanuts. But what do you do with them once your package has been safely delivered to your doorstep? Like plastic bags, packing peanuts are recyclable, but are not accepted in your curbside recycling.
• Recycling alternative: Pack up your peanuts and bring them to a shipping store like UPS. Many stores that deal with shipping will reuse the packing material.
• Better yet: Before you place an order to be shipped, investigate the shipping methods of the retailer and see what they use for packaging materials. Seek out stores that use recyclable materials like shredded paper and buy from them.
Coffee grounds, egg shells, fruit peels ...
In other words, food. Food — including food-contaminated containers like pizza boxes and paper plates — can't go into your recycle bin. Grease and food particles can get mixed with paper and ruin the pulp during the recycling process.
• Recycling alternative: Start composting. Mixing in compostable food like vegetables, tea bags, and even stale breakfast cereal with other materials like yard waste and grass clippings can help create rich, nutrient filled soil you can use in your garden and other outdoor projects.
• Better yet: Start recycling all of your leftover food, including food-contaminated paper products and items you wouldn't normally throw on your compost like meat scraps and bones, through the County's Food Waste & Organics Drop-off Program. Just collect your food scraps in a compostable bag and drop them off at one of two convenient locations. You can learn more about the program and register to participate at browncountyrecycling.org/food-wasteorganics.
So the next time you're wondering if an item can be recycled, do some quick checking. If it can go on in your bin, toss it in. If not, look for alternatives. Chances are it can be recycled or reused in some way.
Mark Walter is business development manager for Brown County Resource Recovery.


text:
Our movie and video library can only be streamed or downloaded by members onlyContinue to watch for FREE ➞
It takes less then 1 minute to Sign Up, then you can enjoy Unlimited Movies & TV titles.
TONIKAWA: Over the Moon for You
First comes marriage, then comes an earthbound love that is out of this world! From the day his parents named him, Nasa Yuzaki has been destined for outer space...or so he believes. But while trying to join the space program, he is thrown for a loop when an accident introduces him to Tsukasa, a mysterious girl with strange powers. Is she an alien, a moon goddess or something else? Since she insists on marrying him, Nasa has plenty of chances to find out!
Cast: Akari Kito, Junya Enoki, Yu Serizawa, Sumire Uesaka, Konomi Kohara, Yuki Nagaku
Country: Japan
Subtitle: ETC.
Studio: Tokyo MX
First Air Date: Oct 03, 2020
Last Air date: Dec 19, 2020
Episode: 13 Episode
Season: 2 Season


text:
Some quick mental calculations yielded that if I hurried, I could get in a quick half hour of photography before heading to church. So here is the best that I could capture in that 30 minutes.
Looking back up the drive. I love that S curve.
The woods slowly transition to grey
A different view of my most frequent photo
A spot to contemplate, what you can't see in the impoundments
The towering oaks form the gateway to the parking lot
The closer you got to the impoundments, the more restricted your visibility and fewer interesting shadows on your horizon.
Most of the geese were grounded
A few geese must be IFR capable
The cool damp fog, covered the cobwebs with dew. On a normal day, if you are standing at the right angle you can often see the silk threads shining in the sun. Covered with dew, you realize that they blanket most all the plants on the dike.
Evening Primrose
The perfect spider web


text:
You are here:
CRTC 2010 License Renewals
BRIEF TO: The Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission(CRTC)
RE: Licence Renewals and Amendments from:
- CTV globemedia Inc. 2010-1261-6
- Shaw Media Inc. 2010-1307-8
- Corus Entertainment Inc. 2010-1350-8
- Shaw Cablesystems Limited 2010-1306-0
- Rogers Broadcasting Limited 2010-1253-3
As contained in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2010-952-1
February, 2011
The applicants to this proceeding are many of Canada's largest communications companies. As such, they must be leaders in promoting and delivering full accessibility for all Canadians, including Canadians who are blind, deaf-blind or partially sighted. While these applicants have built various plans for expanding audio description into their proposals, the AEBC believes the CRTC must require more be done, and we request the opportunity to appear at the public hearing to further outline our position.
The Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians / L'Alliance pour l'égalité des personnes aveugles du Canada (AEBC) is a national organization of rights holders who are blind, deaf-blind and partially sighted who have come together to speak for ourselves. The work of the AEBC focuses on improving public attitudes and providing input on public policy issues affecting members of our community. For further background on the philosophy and work of the AEBC, please visit our website at: www.blindcanadians.ca.
Audio Description (AD) is additional verbal narration which explains what's happening visually on screen during television, movies, DVDs or live performances. Delivered during gaps in the dialogue, this can include description of scenes, settings, costumes, body language, facial expressions and 'sight gags' – anything that is important to a more complete appreciation of what is happening in the performance. With AD a person who has significant vision loss gains a greater appreciation of a show's content, and can share entertainment experiences with family and friends, without having to ask 'What happened?'
Persons with disabilities believe we are our own best spokespersons, as we who live our own disability know our needs and aspirations best. The current television industry working groups do not contain a majority of people with disabilities, or experts who are mandated to properly represent our interests. As a result, we are often forced to fight hard to get our point of view heard and incorporated. The process is not collaborative or consistent with the priorities of the disabled community or the coalition being spearheaded by Access 2020 of which AEBC is a participant. The AEBC believes going forward, that the work of standards and best practices should NOT be led by the television industry, but rather, by a more collaborative process involving rights holder organizations and Media Access Canada, whose sub-committees are currently collaborating with the television industry. AEBC currently participates on their Descriptive Video Production and Presentation Best Practices Sub-committee, and expects this Sub-Committee will publish a draft DV best practices by end of May 2011. Further, once the MAC sub-committees are fully funded, AEBC would be able to participate more fully on additional sub-committees that will impact 100% accessibility for blind Canadians by 2020.
Back in 1981, the United Nations spearheaded the International Year of the Disabled Person under the forward-looking theme of "full participation and equality." Even a cursory examination of the history of Canadians with disabilities - and Canadians with disabilities do have a history - reveals clearly that reliance upon the voluntary approach and the marketplace has failed us and our needs, continues to fail us and, thus, there is no reason for us to expect a miraculous turnaround to this ongoing trend. This is partly due to the industry's refusal to work collaboratively with the disabled community. As a result, we are forced to turn to, and rely upon the CRTC and other regulatory bodies to help us achieve the elusive goal contained in the motto of the IYPD.
6. AEBC's EXPECTATIONS OF THE CRTC:
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities (CRPD), Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and the Canadian Human Rights Act all support full and equitable access to Canadian society for individuals with various disabilities. As such, the AEBC believes the CRTC must take a more proactive approach and make increased use of its regulatory authority to help make all telecommunications programming and services fully accessible, including audio description of all television programming, whether over-the-air, by satellite or online regardless of the financial circumstances of the licensee or its licensed undertakings. This must be accomplished within a specified period of time not to exceed 10 years.
7. AEBC's RECOMMENDATIONS:
- The CRTC require as a condition of licence for each applicant an increase in accessibility to all its programs and services in an incremental manner to guarantee the achievement of 100% accessibility, including full audio description, by 2020 on all stations and in all programming, both regular and specialty channels;
- Provide fully accessible web sites including television programs that are fully described and captioned;
- The CRTC require as a condition of licence the submission of annual report cards on increased accessibility, that will include annual monitoring of quality and levels of accessible program content;
- Improve accessible content production technology to reduce accessibility costs; 5 Increase Curriculum development for students who want to learn how to closed caption or audio describe programs, including with digital environments;
- Establish an Accessibility Trust Fun run by the accessibility community and accessibility experts. The Fund's income would be specifically dedicated to accessibility activities;
- The CRTC require as a condition of licence that broadcasters work collaboratively with the disabled community, especially rights holder organizations such as the AEBC in the implementation of full accessibility within the next 10 years.
The broadcasting industry, including all regulatory bodies, has had many, many years to make television fully accessible to all Canadians, including Canadians with disabilities. Existing approaches haven't worked. Canada's disability community believes it's time the broadcasting sector stopped making excuses for its failure to discharge its moral and legal obligations, and work with us in a fully collaborative manner to bring about full accessibility within a specified period of time, not to exceed 10 years. we must accelerate the pace moving more quickly towards attaining full inclusion, so that 100% access, including full audio description, is in place no later than 2020. We call upon the CRTC to use its regulatory authority to help make this a reality. Our time has come!
Copies to:
CTVglobemedia Inc.
299 Queen Street West
Toronto, ON M5V 2Z5
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Shaw Media Inc.
121 Bloor Street East
Suite 1500
Toronto, ON M4W 3M5
E-Mail: email@example.com
Corus Entertainment Inc.
Corus Quay
25 Dockside Drive
Toronto, ON M5A 0B5
E-Mail: email@example.com
5125 Steeles Avenue West
Toronto, ON M9L 1R5
E-Mail: firstname.lastname@example.com and firstname.lastname@example.com
Shaw Cablesystems Limited
102- 10th Street
Keewatin, ON P9X 1C0
E-Mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Rogers Broadcasting Limited
333 Bloor Street East
7th floor
Toronto, ON M4W 1G9
E-Mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Ways To Respond
If you think you're a victim of domestic violence, these resources will assist you to take the first step in understanding your situation and what you can do about it.
This service provides 24/7 phone and online counselling, as well as access to interpreters free of charge. They have information on safety planning, support services and how you can access help.
Rape & Domestic Violence Services Australia
Provides 24/7 telephone and online crisis counselling for anyone in Australia who has experienced, or is at risk of, sexual assault or family/domestic violence.
Contact your local Police Station for advice and support. Many stations also have a specialised Domestic Violence Liaison Officer. Of course, always call 000 if there is immediate danger or you fear something may be about to happen.
No one needs to face their problems alone. LifeLine has both 24/7 phone counselling and online crisis support chat, as well as general information and resources.
Contact your local GP for advice and support. You don't need to be physically harmed to talk to a doctor.
Talk to a trusted friend or family member
Having someone to share with and talk to can help you to feel less isolated and provide you with much-needed support.
A specialised domestic violence counselling service
Look for your local women's health centre, as they can point you in the right direction. BaptistCare Relationship Services provides specialised counselling in the Western Sydney and Central Coast regions of NSW.
If you're concerned about a friend, family member, colleague, or just someone you know, you can help them. Not everyone can be an expert in domestic violence, but there are little things you can do.
Use these referral sources to
better understand the situation and
what your options are.


text:
Obama's Education Department Orders Coed Showers in High School
Obama's feds have ordered a school in the suburbs of Chicago to allow a transgender to use the girl's restroom and even shower with them. I understand that after the order, Obama celebrated because he always wanted to shower with the opposite sex too and spent the entire night in the Oval Office singing "YMCA" by the Village People. To back up his order, he is threatening to cut funds off from the school if they refuse.
According to the order, Township High School District 211 in Palatine, Ill. will have to make the girl's bathroom available for boys who dress up like girls. In unrelated news, Walmart has reported higher earnings on the strength of their dress sales. Trojan announced a 2 for 1 stock split.
The Department of Education (DOE) has just completed a two-year investigation using the "preponderance of evidence" standard, which means it only has to determine that the move is merited by 51% and even that is subjective. The DOE has given the school just one month to enact the new standard. Obama is using an obscure and deficient rule from Title IX that disallows discrimination because of sexual orientation. Of course, Title IX never intended any such perversion of the law. Ever notice that everything God sees as evil, liberals are for?
The transgender is being represented by the ACLU, who really have more experience old gay males who prey on young boys (NAMBLA) but as they say, a perversion is a perversion. The ACLU stated:
"It's one thing to say to all the girls, 'You can choose if you want some extra privacy,' but it's another thing to say, 'You, and you alone, must use them.' That sends a pretty strong signal to her that she's not accepted and the district does not see her as girl."
I guess your daughter's private parts are now a public resource?
Obama's Education Department's Office for Civil Rights added:
"Student A has not only received an unequal opportunity to benefit from the District's educational program, but has also experienced an ongoing sense of isolation and ostracism throughout her high school enrollment at the school."
Welcome to fundamental transformation.
- Bill Ayers Makes Pitch to Be Secretary of Education
- Obama Joins Lawsuit to Allow Boys to Use Girl's Bathroom
- Katy, Texas, Teaches 7th Graders That God is a Myth
- Education consultant says white paper may cause racism in young children
- Portland school sees racism in peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
If you haven't checked out and liked our Facebook page, please go here and do so.


text:
Experience Crafted OTC and Rx Capabilities
At Praxis, we have the history and experience that customers look for when it comes to over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription (Rx) pharmaceutical packaging. OTC and Rx require the highest attention to detail. From an OTC to a DEA controlled item, our team has the knowledge and expertise required to help ensure compliance. Our registrations as well as government and customer audit records demonstrate a solid, unmistakable commitment to quality.
Praxis knows how to make packaging for pharmaceuticals work for patients, physicians, and distribution, not to mention the FDA and DEA. Praxis solutions include child-resistant and senior-friendly packaging, sample packs, physician/patient starter kits, and education/compliance kits.
When dealing with highly regulated products, such as OTC and Rx pharmaceuticals, you can trust us to see it through.


text:
Privacy Protection
Position: Home> Privacy Protection
The content of this website is provided by BAHEAL Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited. We are extremely serious about the privacy of users of this website and personal information security issues. In order to fulfill "Data Protection Law", BAHEAL Pharmaceutical Holdings will be responsible for handling your personal information.
This privacy protection policy is designed to establish principles for using personal information that is likely to be obtained from you. By using this website, or registering as users to enjoy some services provided by us, you must agree to this use. For this reason, we urge you to read this privacy protection policy carefully. Any dispute concerning privacy protection will be handled in accordance with this policy, data protection precautions that may be incorporate by this website and Chinese legal regulations.
We may change our privacy protection policy at any time, and therefore we urge you to check this policy every time you access this website to ensure that you can learn about the latest regulations. The information we collect include:
Aggregation Information
Like other business organizations, we monitor the use of this website by collecting aggregation information, and in this process no identifiable personal information will be collected. A typical example is the number of visitors to the website and each page of the website and the original domain names of visitors' Internet service providers to be collected by us. Such information is used to understand the visitors' use of the website, and may be shared by other companies within BAHEAL Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited and other third parties.
Personal Information
We will collect your personal identifiable information such as your name, email address, country of residence and other information that you take the initiative to submit when you make the registration in order to use this website or to complete an online application form (such as updating the e-mail address).
We may obtain your sensitive personal information, such as your physical or mental health condition, but we can not obtain such information unless you voluntarily take the initiative to provide it to us. We may also get some of your ideas when, for example, you send us feedback or ask questions.
Sometimes we may get your personal information from other sources and add it to your personal information that we have already known to help us provide you with more improved and personalized service.
How do We Use Your Information?
We will not use your information unless the use agrees with this privacy protection policy and data protection precautions that have been provided to you.
Giving up Further Contacting with Us
We may contact you by e-mail or regular mail at any time to inform you about our products or services, or information of other companies within BAHEAL Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited. Such information (such as the latest news) may be useful to you. If you do not wish to receive such information, you can contact us by telephone and choose not to accept our messages any more. You should clearly add your name, user name, registration information (if any) and the name of this website to all of your contact information.
How do We Protect Your Information?
We store your personal information on a server that is protected with a password and a firewall. We have set up security measures to ensure, as far as possible, the security and integrity of all information including your personal information.
Use of Cookies
Cookies are small files sent to your web browser and stored on your computer's hard disk drive, and are sometimes generated and transferred to your hard disk drive when you first register on the website. They will later be used to identify your computer and allow you to access the website repeatedly without having to login repeatedly. Cookies are only used to speed up your access to the website and the information required. Most web browsers accept Cookies, and normally you can also change the browser settings to prevent the transfer of Cookies. But what should be aware is that, if you change the settings in this way, you are likely to lose some of the features.
Agents and Service Providers
We employ other companies and individuals to work on our behalf. They may obtain your personal information as needed by work, but we will guarantee that they will not use your personal information for other purposes.
Our website is for adults (such as health care specialists, investors, and individuals seeking information about my company and health care products) and does not specifically collect information about and from children.
Wrongful Acts
We may use the collected and/or received information about you to investigate and help prevent wrongful acts or acts that threaten our website or the website rules.
Access and Correction
According to the national data protection law, you are entitled to access information about you when you have made the application and paid a small fee.
You also have the right to request a free correction of any errors in your personal information. You can call to make the request and we will modify your information as requested by you.
Please clearly add your name, user name and registration information (if any) to all of your contact information
How to Contact Us
You are welcome to give your suggestions and comments on the privacy protection policy. You can call BAHEAL Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited for any reason. "BAHEAL Pharmaceutical", "Group", "us/we", "our"...herein mentioned all refer to BAHEAL Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited and its affiliated companies.


text:
December's BookCase.Club Unboxing
There's nothing better for a bibliophile than to receive books for Christmas. Except maybe receiving 2 books in your favorite genre each month in your mailbox!
BookCase.Club does exactly that! You can choose from 8 different categories:
Thrill Seeker - Mystery/Thriller
Strange Worlds - Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Teenage Dreams - YA
Read to Me - Children's picture books
Blind Date - Paranormal Romance
Booking for Love - Romance
Cookbooks - (Quarterly) Cookbooks
Military History- (Quarterly) Military History
And they just recently introduced BookCase Kids where you can receive 3 books based on your child's age.
Newborn-2 years
2-4 years
5-6 years
7-8 years
All for $9.99/month with options for everyone!
I've been getting the Teenge Dreams box because I just have a special kind of love for Young Adult novels, even at the age of 32. Each month I have been so excited to see what books were picked and this month, I was suprised to see that both books are hardback! So clearly the price of books in each ox, completely surpas the price of the box itself, making this definitely worth the subscription.
I've had to rearrange my to-reads list each month because I keep getting new books that I get so excited to read next. And being a bibliophile, I have an overflowing library of books and always get excited to add more.
A little info on the books:
Diamond Boy by Michael Williams
"Diamonds for everyone." That's what fifteen-year-old Patson Moyo hears when his family arrives in the Marange diamond fields. Soon Patson is working in the mines along with four friends, pooling their profits for a chance at a better life. Each of them hopes to find agirazi, a priceless stone that could change their circumstances forever. But when the government's soldiers come to Marange, Patson's world is shattered.
Set against the backdrop of Zimbabwe's brutal recent history, Diamond Boy is the story of a young man who succumbs to greed but finds his way out through a transformative journey to South Africa in search of his missing sister, in search of freedom, and in search of himself.
A Matter of Heart by Amy Fellner Dominy
Sixteen-year-old Abby Lipman is on track to win the state swim championships and qualify for the Olympic trials when a fainting incident at a swim meet leads to the diagnosis of a deadly heart condition. Now Abby is forced to discover who she is without the one thing that's defined her entire life.
Get handpicked books from bookcase.club and you will not be disappointed.
*Disclosure: This product was received as a sample in exchange for an honest, unbiased, review. The reviews and or opinions on this blog are 100% my own. No monitory compensation was received and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsement and Testimonials in Advertising.


text:
Last summer, as I mentioned in this post, I had the opportunity to study Arabic intensively in Morocco. It was a fantastic experience, and I also had the good fortune of being able to travel and see some of Morocco's amazing cities. Each has its own character, especially because of Morocco's unique location at the tip of Africa — in the North, most locals speak Spanish as a second language because of the country's proximity to Spain (literally — you can see Spain from Tangier), whereas in Rabat (the capital), French is much more common. Tourism is also a huge part of the Moroccan economy, and many of its more popular cities (Casablanca, Fes, Marrakesh, etc.) are centered around this industry, with markets tailored for a Western audience. This means that it's a bit challenging to get the authentic Moroccan experience (if that's what you're seeking), but often if you can bargain effectively with shop owners in Arabic (read: know numbers in Darija) you'll avoid most of the tourist pricing.
Anyway, I wanted to share some of the photographs from my trip, so I've organized them by city here. Missing are Tangier and Marrakesh, because I usually didn't have my DSLR on me to keep it safe (that camera is my baby, no kidding).
Rabat is the capital of Morocco and where all of Morocco's government buildings (including its brand-new parliament) are based. Because French is one of the official languages used in government, most of the upper class in Rabat speak French fluently (convenient for me, because my French is far better than my Arabic). Above is an inscription on a souk wall in Rabat (which I've posted before, if it looks familiar). The quote translates, roughly: "but in the remembrance of God does the heart find rest." (Correct me if I'm wrong…)
There are cats everywhere in Morocco, especially Rabat. Most of them are strays, but this one belonged to a neighbor in the city. I'm really not a cat person, but this guy's adorable!
This was taken on the drive from Casablanca to Rabat. Satellites are very popular in Morocco, and television is a big part of the culture (although its not as bad as it is here in the US).
The rest of these images are from Dar Al Hadith Al Hassinia Institute, which is a graduate-level Islamic school in Rabat (with a rigorous application process, if I remember correctly). It is pristine and absolutely stunning, inside and out. The architecture is gorgeous — lots of intricately carved wood, colorful tiling, and stained glass. We were able to go on a tour of the school and sit down for a conversation with the director, who served us traditional Moroccan tea.
Fes (not Fez, which is an incorrect transliteration of the Arabic spelling) was hands-down my favorite city in Morocco. It's a really popular tourist destination, and it's claim to fame is that it's the leather capital of the country. If you bargain effectively enough in the souk, you can purchase a leather jacket for 300-400 dirhams (about 40 USD). You'll probably get ripped off while you're here, but Fes definitely has one of the coolest souks in Morocco — not just for shopping. There's also a lot of history in the city, and it's home to University al-Karaouine, founded by Fatima al-Fahiri in 859. Many still refer to it as the oldest university in the world.
The above two photos are from an amazing riad (ree-ahd) we stayed at during our visit to Fes. (A riad is a traditional Moroccan house style — common in Fes and Marrakesh — with an open interior courtyard. This one had rooms looking over into the courtyard as well as a huge rooftop with a full view of the old city.) Stay at Riad Ahlam ("Riad of Dreams," literally) if you're ever in Fes; it's definitely one of the best bookings you'll ever make.
Above: the old city of Fes at night.
Meknes is close by Fes, in northern Morocco. We were only there for the afternoon, but again, it's a tourist city. It's also home to Bab Mansour, which was at one point the biggest door in Africa (although it's really not that impressive in person, in my opinion). It's a cool stop, but definitely not on the top of my list of favorite Moroccan cities. Above and below are images from a huge historic grain store that runs under the city. The lighting come from holes in the ceiling.
Above: Bab Mansour, supposedly the former biggest door in Africa.
The above four photographs are from the mausoleum of Moulay Ismail (one of Morocco's greatest sultans) in Meknes. The interior was beautiful, although we weren't allowed to see the tomb itself.
Walili/Volubilis is the site of a well-preserved Roman city between Fes and Rabat. Although it is only partially excavated, the city is still huge (although it's difficult to tell from the above photo) and visitors are free to walk around through the ruins (which feature some amazing architecture, views, and mosaics) without restriction — which is one of the coolest parts about visiting Volubilis, in my opinion. You would never get away with something like that in America. The city, built in the 3rd century BC (!!!), is also a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site as of 1997. It's another popular tourist stop, but it's a stunning historical experience, especially if you're like me and "old" for you is 200 years back in US history.
The view from the edge of the agricultural city is spectacular and overlooks a massive rolling plain.
Chefchaouen is nestled in the Rif Mountains of Morocco and is known for its traditionally blue houses — in fact, most of the city is painted entirely in shades of blue. (It's also the hashish/cannabis capital of Morocco, but that's another story.) We stayed at Dar Echchaouen, which I definitely recommend — it's situated slightly above the main city, so the views are really spectacular, and they had the best showers during my time in Morocco (small detail, but important).
The mountains around Chefchaouen are also great for hiking. We spent a day hiking nearby, which was exhausting, but we got to cliff dive with some really awesome Moroccans in the mountain's waterfalls.
Bottom line: Chefchaouen is a really charming city (sans the drugs) and a photographer's paradise.
We ended up at a few more cities during my time in Morocco, and I wish I had taken more pictures. Maybe next time I'll be a little more adventurous with where I take my camera….anyway, hope you enjoyed this post and thanks for reading!
{All images by me. Please contact me for permission before use.}


text:
In this update, we have Charmane Star and Asia taking equal turns in riding and sucking off a big cock.
In this update, we have Lana Croft and her equally hot Thai friend taking equal turns on a big black cock.
Asian Sexpot Double Teamed by Two Guys
Okay, today we have our favorite Asian model doing what she does best! Lyla Lei is no stranger to three-ways and she gets to prove it by taking on two monster cocks at the same time.


text:
Luke 1977 BRIAN CUFF Track Pants Funguy
Luke 1977 BRIAN CUFF Track Pants Funguy
Colour-block joggers made from tricot jersey, featuring a ribbed waist band and draw cord fastening for perfect fit and comfort. Includes zip side pockets, chrome cord ends and eyelets, and the iconic Luke Black, Gold, Red lion head embroidered logo.
Mix and Match with RON T Shirt and MOORE Tracktop
- LUKE BLACK,GOLD,RED lion head embroidery
- Iconic LUKE tri-colour trim tape
- Tricot jersey
- Cut and sew colour block
- Chrome cord end and eyelets
- Chrome zip pulls with chrome nylon teeth
- Zip side entry pocket detail
- Zip back pocket detail
- Ribbed waistband and hem
Luke 1977 BRIAN CUFF Track Pants Funguy
Orders are shipped by Royal Mail Service and a signature is required. Orders are usually processed same day if received before 4pm and you should expect delivery within 24-48 hours in the UK. Other destinations will take longer.
UK Orders-£5 (Signed For)
EU Orders - £15 (International Tracked & Signed)
Rest of World - £25 (International Tracked & Signed)


text:
A Denver City Council committee approved a plan Wednesday to transform the blighted area near the I-25 & Broadway RTD station into a vibrant place to live, work and play, but some neighbors are concerned there is no concrete plan about where to park.
"If I live in this neighborhood, and I want to get to an Avs game, this is where I park, and I can't find a place to park," said Scott Bolt, the co-president of the Ruby Hill-Godsman Neighborhood's Association, who has been involved in the planning process.
He pointed to a partially gravel and dirt lot that has been full all day long with commuters who currently leave their cars while they ride the light rail downtown.
"Under the plan, I believe that this parking lot will be developed and it will not exist," said Bolt. "RTD hasn't really got a concrete plan of how they're going to move forward."
While Bolt agreed that the blighted area needs to be developed, he is also concerned about traffic in the already congested neighborhood.
"Anybody who drives on Broadway, you realize how bad the traffic is now even before the development has happened," said Bolt.
City planners have said that the plan would make it easier for people to walk or bike to the RTD station with pedestrian bridges and improved facilities, but they are also working on a parking management strategy that happens in phases.
"Over time, that parking would become a part of the development opposed to becoming a free-standing surface parking lot," said David Gaspers, principal city planner for the City of Denver. "So, it's going to be a process to make sure we're managing parking, not only today but over the planned horizon of 20 years."
On Wednesday afternoon, a city council committee unanimously approved the proposed plan, after asking questions about concerns including parking and traffic.
"I'm excited. It's going to be good," said Bolt, who wants to see changes from blight to beautiful, but is still concerned about logistics. "Is there a thought about putting a parking garage in this area to address the commuters or is there some kind of incentive for commuters coming from the south metro area to park at other lots? These are questions that need to be asked."
The plan will be presented to the full city council on April 4.


text:
AppFriends is a HacknCraft made software to super charge any mobile or web app. We provide turn key backend REST API and well designed front end components to our customers, so that the apps can be made way faster and better than normal. Besides a giving a head start of development, AppFriends offers comprehensive features to solve the user engagement problem, provide analytics and admin control of the app.
AppFriends helped DailyBracket with user engagement. After 10 minutes integrating AppFriends to their app, DailyBracket users can chat in public chat channel, follow each other, private messaging, see activities and receive notification. It greatly improved the user engagement that we saw 300% improvement with user session duration and session length.
See AppFriends in action inside DailyBracket
Users who use AppFriends are staying 3x longer inside our app. It took 10 minutes to integrate and saved us months of development time - I'm not sure what else I can say. Jake Sutker, Co-founder of DailyBracket


text:
deliberately causing harm or damage
arch, Bad, impish, implike, kittenish, Naughty, pixilated, playful, prankish, puckish, roguish, wicked
Disclaimer: Urduwire.com is only the source of Urdu Meta News (type of Google News) and display news on "as it is" based from
leading Urdu news web based sources. If you are a general user or webmaster, and want to know how it works?
Read More


text:
February 2011I enter my sixth year as a non-person;
my, how time flies. I have saved £821 by not paying TVL/BBC and, assuming
50p a letter, cost the BBC a further £25 in postage.
No January
mailing this year, but there is a letter for February, which states that I have
left them with"no alternative but to proceed with the final stages of our
May 2011
August 2011
October 2011A visitor to this site sent in the
following letter, not dissimilar to that received by myself in May 2006. Note
the empty check-boxes, to the top of the letter, which imply that the BBC
inspector will fill them out during the visit; he won't, of course, since this
letter belongs to the recipient. It is just another example of
Stay tuned for another TVL/BBC letter,
Search terms: Television license
fee - TV license fee - Television licencing fee - TV licencing fee - TV licence
- TV licensing - TVL - TVLA - BBC licence - BBC license


text:
LAPD gets a blog
Boing Boing reports this morning that Chief William Bratton and the LAPD have gone Web 2.0, setting up a blog and a Flickr stream with the help of Sean Bonner at metroblogging. Bonner hopes "other law enforcement departments across the state, and country, will soon be following their lead." According to TechNewsWorld, the blog is part of the redesigned http://www.lapdonline.org/ which has seen its traffic more than double recently to 30 million "hits" a month, and which also includes "crime maps and an e-policing feature." While still nascent, this sort of thing puts a whole new, real-world spin on social computing. "What the blog does is allow people to take a look inside the LAPD," said Lt. Ruben De La Torre to TechNewsWorld. Beyond the financial implications for tools providers like Yahoo! (parent of Flickr), it should be interesting to see how the LAPD manages such transparency, not to mention the brave new world of user-contributed content.
Posted by Oliver Ryan 11:39 AM 0 Comments | Add a Comment
CNNMoney.com Comment Policy: CNNMoney.com encourages you to add a comment to this discussion. You may not post any unlawful, threatening, libelous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic or other material that would violate the law. Please note that CNNMoney.com makes reasonable efforts to review all comments prior to posting and CNNMoney.com may edit comments for clarity or to keep out questionable or off-topic material. All comments should be relevant to the post and remain respectful of other authors and commenters. By submitting your comment, you hereby give CNNMoney.com the right, but not the obligation, to post, air, edit, exhibit, telecast, cablecast, webcast, re-use, publish, reproduce, use, license, print, distribute or otherwise use your comment(s) and accompanying personal identifying information via all forms of media now known or hereafter devised, worldwide, in perpetuity. CNNMoney.com Privacy Statement.


text:
Laci Green, a self-proclaimed "sexuality geek", who is also a sex educator and crisis counselor, shares her experiences with street harassment in this video, using her humor and expertise to talk about what street harassment is and why it is not a compliment!
It's a fresh take on a topic that has been making news headlines since the recent release of the Hollaback! app, and the artist Tatyana Fazlalizadeh's Stop Telling Women To Smile campaign took to the streets.
The video is part of Laci's sex positive education project called Sex+, which consists of a biweekly video series, a weekly live show, daily blogging, university lectures, and a peer education network. Laci is also a host for two web shows including a science news show for the Discovery Channel and a sex education series for Planned Parenthood.
Street harassment includes catcalls, sexually explicit comments, sexist remarks, groping, leering, stalking, public masturbation, and assault. According to the Center for Disease Control & Prevention, "non-contact unwanted sexual experiences," including street harassment, are the most prevalent form of sexual violence for both men and women in the United States. Internationally, studies show that between 70-99% of women experience street harassment at some point during their lives.
The long-term impacts for victims of street harassment include depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as a reduced sense of safety that can limit earnings, decrease mobility, and interrupt victims' ability to fully engage with civic life.
If you have been a victim of street harassment or would like additional information/toolkits, etc check out these resources.