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Cryptonomy's Response to the Treasury Select Committee Inquiry April 2018
Cryptonomy Ltd is pleased to respond to the Treasury Select Committee Inquiry. Submitted 10.04.18.
Cryptonomy Ltd is pleased to respond to the Treasury Select Committee Inquiry. Submitted 10.04.18.
Submitted 10.04.18 – PDF version
Cryptonomy is pleased to respond to the Treasury Committee's digital currencies inquiry.
Established in 2012, Cryptonomy is a consultancy specialising in cryptocurrency, blockchain and DLT. We provide expert consultation and support in emerging technology design, development, security, marketing and law. Our clients include: The Royal Mint, Ethereum, Cardano Foundation, and IOHK, as well as a breadth of prominent clients in San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Hong Kong, London, Zug and Paris.
We are also the chosen partner to the popular Ledger Wallet, delivering development and support for cryptocurrencies on Ledger's devices and BOLOS platform.
Are digital currencies ultimately capable of replacing traditional means of payment?
Digital currencies and the market they represent are still very much in their infancy.
Consider the example of the largest digital currency by market cap: Bitcoin. Its approach to establishing itself as a digital currency is cautious and experimental. The bitcoins themselves will not finish distributing for around another 120 years. Arguably Bitcoin is still in its "boot-up" phase and just getting itself established as a financial vehicle.
With this view Bitcoin can be considered analogous to a boat bobbing on ocean waves. It is currently about the size of a rubber dingy but slowly growing in size to an aircraft carrier. As it matures the experience of peaks and troughs should reduce.
Therefore, one could argue that certain digital currencies, particularly those with distributed governance and a considered growth strategy, are likely to remain and become a complementary form of payment alongside traditional channels.
Taking this view, it's clear that its designer's main goal was not to get rich quick, but to create a viable currency system. Other "me-too" digital currencies have been too quick to release coins into their ecosystem and are clearly catering for the "get rich quick" mindset. Users need to be very cautions of such digital currencies as they often have a rapid valuation peak and then die off entirely.
Despite its early stage volatility, Bitcoin is still being used for trade today. Many of those we work with use Bitcoin for day to day activities such as payments and to settle debts particularly in the business to business sector.
To what extent could digital currencies disrupt the economy and the workings of the public sector?
The most obvious area for digital currency disruption is the removal of middle men and the automation of systems and processes. Many of these are areas which are automatable but for one reason or another remain intensively manual even today.
Shopping carts on websites which accept digital currencies automatically generate payment details from the distributed ledger such as a bitcoin payment from the blockchain. Fiat price (EUR, GBP, USD) value is also automatically calculated against the current spot price for user convenience.
It seems a natural next step to allow fully automated tax and earnings assessments to be generated from these transactions via an interface to a tax authority such as HMRC. For example, a business would submit its public key seed to HMRC, from this HMRC would be able to generate all the payment addresses a business will use and thus spot all payments relating to that business on the blockchain and automatically generate a tax bill or statement for the business to check and sign at year end. Other processes such as VAT cash accounting can be similarly automated and reconciled with minimal manual intervention at the end of each quarter.
What risks and benefits could digital currencies generate for consumers, businesses and governments?
We can see two prominent areas of risk.
Firstly, blockchain based digital currencies are "pushed" i.e. funds can only be sent by a user who controls them, they cannot be "pulled" in the way a direct debit is pulled each month by from the payer's account to the payee's account.
This means that if the money is sent to a malicious seller or to the wrong address it can never be recalled.
This has benefits to business, as they can be certain they will not suffer from chargebacks; a common problem with internet retail. But it can be a disadvantage to the customer as they are not covered by the Consumer Credit Act (where using a credit card) for such transactions in the UK.
At Cryptonomy we have developed a variation of blockchain which allows our clients, who will run the network, to have more control over users' funds and to freeze or seize funds if ordered to do so by a legal authority. This makes these digital currencies compliant with Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) regulation.
Secondly, banks are refusing to touch businesses and individuals who deal in digital currencies or withdraw from exchanges. This is bad in two ways, it's a short-term way to protect the business interests of banking institutions, and a failure to engage with a new market sector. It also means that users are forced to hold and use digital currencies directly, further damaging banks' abilities to operate in the long run, as people and business trade directly, instead of via their bank. So, it has been our observation that, inadvertently, the banks are hindering the processes required to improve regulation.
How is distributed ledger technology being applied in the financial services sector, and how might it be applied in future?
One key area we are aware of is resolving end of day totals for the derivatives markets. This is currently a problematic area because the current process of valuing derivatives at end of day is onerous, manual and to some degree opaque as different parties can reach different valuations for the same derivative at the end of a given day.
Migrating derivatives to a distributed ledger technology removes any requirement for manual intervention and any ambiguity in how the end of day valuation is derived.
What work has the Government (and its associated bodies) done to understand, prepare for and, where relevant, encourage changes that may be brought about by increased adoption of digital currencies?
Where a third party has custodianship of another user's funds there needs to be clear regulation because the opportunity for that third party to: act incorrectly; lose funds due to poor digital security and procedure; or simply abscond with the funds is high.
Other regulation in this space should be nuanced and considered; in Cryptonomy's opinion that this space is still young so we should not be making any final regulatory decisions as they could significantly hinder innovation and growth in this space.
How might the Government's processes adapt should digital currencies be adopted more widely (e.g. tax implications, anti-money laundering measures)?
Digital currencies are more convenient and accurate at tallying than traditional monetary systems which can be onerous, manual and expensive to monitor and reconcile. Although at a glance digital currencies seem like they could increase undesirable behaviours such as tax avoidance, we at Cryptonomy think they can reduce the overheads and increase the simplicity of orchestrating tax collection and filing for both government and citizen.
Because most blockchains and DLTs publicly list the movement of funds, should tax avoidance be a concern, they can easily have searches applied to them to infer, with a level of certainty, where tax avoidance is likely to have taken place.
Tax avoidance monitoring can be achieved by a government agency scanning the data on the blockchain or DLT in real-time.
Flagging of any unaccounted or suspicious movements of funds is achieved by referencing known addresses, either those provided by tax applicants or harvested from online searches and identifying payment patterns. Statistical certainty can be given using a number of measure such as the number of layers a suspicious payment is removed from a known recipient, i.e. a 1st, 2nd or 3rd tier connect etc.
This percentage likelihood of certain transactions being tax avoidance or fraud can then be algorithmically applied to each movement and at a certain threshold of certainty and/or GBP value human officials can be notified to investigate and recover losses as necessary.
This methodology would allow for real time identification of possible tax avoidance, not in arrears, as per the current system.
Is the government striking the right balance between regulating digital currencies to provide adequate protection for consumers and businesses whilst not stifling innovation?
Digital currencies are not covered by Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulation. Rights accorded by the Consumer Rights Act (e.g. digital content) and the Consumer Credit Act (primarily the unauthorised transaction element) do not extend to digital currencies. The extension of both legislation and regulation would bring digital currencies in line with those which are more familiar, to consumer and business alike.
The balance that needs to be struck relates to income tax. For consistency, it would be advantageous to treat virtual currencies as currencies, and be clear about the application of capital gains tax.
In the US, capital gains taxation is already too onerous to allow digital currencies to be used viably by the majority of its citizens. Take the example of a small purchase, such as a book or cup of coffee with bitcoin. If a user were to buy some bitcoin, then later make a purchase, they need to report any capital gains adjustments to account for the value change of bitcoin over the intervening period, even if the amount was a few cents.
The overhead of conducting such reporting would cause a net loss to both citizen and state, as filing paperwork to account for a few cents significantly outweighs the benefits of using a digital currency to make payments. An amendment has been proposed (US HR3708), to permit citizens to not file for capital gains if these are below $600.
Could regulation benefit digital currency start-ups by improving consumer trust?
There are two types of start-up: those who issue tokens to build a product, system or solutions (commonly creating an ERC20 token within the Ethereum network), and complete payment/store of value systems (e.g. Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum). Arguably, the latter have already built consumer trust.
We invite the committee to consider whether the FCA's approach to unregulated collective investment schemes (UCIS) has worked. If the committee concludes that UCIS (which have placed a heavy burden on the Financial Services Compensation Scheme in the past two years), have been successful, then it seems reasonable for the FCA to designate all initial coin offerings as UCIS.
If the committee concludes that the UK public requires more protection, then some of the heavier duty FCA Handbook investment chapters must apply. The committee should also consider whether the UK's listing regime ought to apply to virtual currency exchanges in some form (currently initial coin offerings are available direct to the public, with secondary market liquidity provided by such exchanges).
How are governments and regulators in other countries approaching digital currencies and what lessons can the UK learn from overseas?
To answer this question, it is important to make the distinction between coins and tokens, and between the regulation of securities, and money transmission in general.
Coins (Ethereum, Bitcoin, and Litecoin) are defined as commodities by the United States. However, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) exercises no oversight over the spot market in them, or the virtual currency exchanges which exchange them. Notwithstanding, in order to operate legally, even those virtual currency exchanges trading only in the above named coins, must register as money transmission businesses (MTB) with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN, part of the US Treasury Department), and those US States in which their customers reside. Failure to do so (and to comply with local anti-money laundering and counter terrorism financing requirements) has led to prosecution by individual State Attorneys General, and also FinCEN.
Tokens, such as those issued during an Initial Coin Offering (ICO), may be based on Ethereum (ERC20 being a common standard), or any other blockchain facilitating simple smart contracts, but are treated as securities by the Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC). This is based on the Howey test, the traditional context for this is a legal entity raising money by issuing shares in order to invest in plant, or Research and Development, which may ultimately increase the value of the shares held, or the dividends to be derived from them. Those who invest in initial coin offerings often do so in order to benefit from the sudden increase in the value in the event that those tokens are listed on an exchange with significant liquidity. The SEC treats any promises relating to exchange listings during an ICO as evidence that a management team is seeking to increase the value of the asset.
The following US enforcement notices include applicable United States Code references.
SEC application of Howey test to ICO
• sec.gov/admin
• sec.gov/investreport
Ripple (fined for failing to register as an MTB, and operate appropriate systems and controls)
• fincen.gov/Ripple_Assessment
• fincen.gov/Ripple_Remedial_Measures
Mt.GOX, accounts seized for failing to register as a MTB
• arstechnica.net/Mt-Gox-Dwolla-Warrant
CFTC vs. SEC oversight
• banking.senate.gov/clayton-testimony
• banking.senate.gov/giancarlo-testimony
US MTBs are equivalent to UK authorised payment institutions (APIs). The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) could extend its perimeter to include virtual currency exchanges within its definition of APIs, or even fully-fledged e-money institutions, depending on the business model of the exchange at hand, and the way in which it holds assets.
With regards to the protection of ICO investors, their situation is analogous to those who invest in unregulated collective investment schemes (UCIS). The existing FCA requirements are that these may only be marketed to qualified investors. We would urge the FCA to exercise more oversight in this area than it has over the distribution of UCIS.
ICOs and cryptocurrencies are subject to laws and regulations. Do you know what they are and how to comply to them? If you need advice, please get in touch and we will connect you with one of our experts.Talk to us


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To serve you better, our new website displays information specific to your location.
Please visit the site and bookmark it for future use.
Key members of our team
Please click on the photo to get a full CV
To serve you better, our new website displays information specific to your location.
Please visit the site and bookmark it for future use.
Please click on the photo to get a full CV
Practice Leader - Tim McGurk
Tim McGurk BEng, CEng, FIMMM is a Corporate Consultant (Mining Engineering) with over twenty five years' X international experience in the mining industry.
Tim has held a number of engineering and management roles for major and mid-tier mining houses in gold, diamonds, and base metal operations in South Africa Australia, and in Europe and participated in the development of Rio Tinto's Mine of the Future Tunnel Boring System (TBS) technology (2006-09)..General experience includes mine engineering design, mine construction project management, mine management and management of technical and feasibility studies. Since joining SRK in 2008, he has managed several large, multi-disciplinary technical studies in gold, diamonds, iron ore, copper, lithium, potash, polyhalite, and uranium, including the Obuasi Feasibility Study for AngloGoldAshanti, the Zanaga Iron Ore Project for Xstrata and a variety of underground mining studies for Rio Tinto, GoviEx and Sirius Minerals amongst others.
Tim is a Director of SRK Consulting (UK) and the SRK Group. He holds First Class mine manager´s certificates of competency for Queensland and Western Australia and is a Chartered Engineer.
Principal Rock Mechanics Engineer - Michael Di Giovinazzo
Michael Di Giovinazzo is a rock mechanics engineer with over 14 years' experience in hard rock underground and open cut mining. He is a Member of the AusIMM and holds a GCertEng in Mining Geomechanics (with graduation to MEng expected in 2015) as well as BSc in Applied Geology.
Michael's rock mechanics engineering experience spans over 11 years' across underground and surface mining operations, operational geotechnical team leading, and feasibility studies. He joined SRK in September 2013 from Australia where he was most recently Principal Geotechnical Engineer for Newcrest Mining at the Telfer Gold Operation including deep SLC, two open cuts, cave-pit interaction, and open stoping. Prior to this, he held Senior level roles covering geotechnical planning and guidance of numerous brownfields underground and open cut projects.
Specialisations include operations support, geotechnical risk management, rock mass classification, underground mine design (Sub-level Cave; Room & Pillar; Open Stoping), slope design and optimisation, underground and open pit interaction, static and dynamic ground support design, ground monitoring design and installation, ground monitoring data interpretation, seismic hazard management, and numerical modelling in 2D and elastic 3D.
Independant Consultant - Johan Bradley
Johan Bradley is an independant consultant and support to SRK's offices in Sweden and Finland. He is a Principal Geologist with over 15 years of experience in the mining industry. Johan has managed a number of due diligence audits, multi-disciplinary studies and technical valuations for SRK's clients, principally in the Nordic Region and Greenland, including those in support of public disclosure requirements and stock exchange listings in the UK, Canada and Australia.
Johan has also worked as an exploration geologist in the Fennoscandian Shield, Saudi Arabia and Western Australia, where he was involved in the design, supervision and management of grass-roots to pre-feasibility stage projects for a range of commodities including gold, diamonds, base metals and industrial minerals prospects.
Independant Consultant - David Saiang
David is a rock mechanics engineer with a background in both mining and geotechnical engineering. He has over 20 years of experience in mining, academic research and consulting. David holds a Ph.D. in Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering and Technical Licentiate in Rock Mechanics.
David's main technical competency is in the area of geotechnical modelling of various mining and civil engineering problems, both in 2-D and 3-D. He has over 15 years of experience using Itasca and Rocscience codes for geotechnical studies and has developed specialist skills in numerical modelling with these codes.
He was also trained in Tokyo with the Japanese Department of Transport and the Japanese Geotechnical Society in Underground Construction Technology for urban areas. As a researcher, David has published several papers and articles in the field of rock mechanics for journals and conferences and has extensive knowledge in rock mass characterization and assessment for design of rock constructions.
Presently he is also actively involved in research related to deep underground excavations with Luleå University of Technology.

subset: commoncrawl


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📅 March 29, 2018
Do you need a small, portable device to read SD and MicroSD cards that is also compatible with Linux?
The Anker USB 3.0 Card Reader is turning out to be a handy device to have on hand. It supports SD and MicroSD cards, dual mounting with one device, plugs into USB ports up to 3.0 for faster data transfers, and best of all, it is compatible with Linux.
The Anker USB 3.0 Card Reader
Packaging is very simple. A box, the reader, and some paper.
Only SD and MicroSD cards are supported. There is one slot for each on the side of the device.
"Can I insert two cards at once?"
Yes. If a MicroSD and SD card is present, the reader will treat them as two separate drives and Linux will detect and mount them. This means you can work with two cards using one USB card reader. You can even transfer data between the SD and the MicroSD card using this reader.
Linux Compatibility
Yes, this is 100% compatible with Linux out of the box. (Tested using Linux Mint 18.3.) Simply plug it into a free USB port (backwards compatible with 2.0 and lower). No driver installation was necessary.
"How Fast is the Reader?"
Using USB 3.0 and USB 3.1 ports (there was no speed increase with USB 3.1 Gen 2 since the device is limited to USB 3.0/USB 3.1 Gen 1 speeds), the Anker was tested using the Disks benchmark in Linux Mint 18.3. Compared with the previous Plugable USB Card Reader (another speedy USB 3.0 card reader). The Samsung EVO+ 256G MicroSD was the test card used for both tests in both readers. Here are the results:
Anker Card Reader with Samsung EVO+ 256G MicroSD 100x100M Test
Plugable Card Reader with Samsung EVO+ 256G MicroSD 100×100 Test
After using the Anker card reader for over a month, it has proven to be a fast, reliable reader for Linux. Never had an issue, never a problem, nary a corrupted transfer, nor a suddenly forced unmount. Its small size makes it easy to tuck away in a bag, and the only apparent speed limitations are those of the SD or MicroSD being used.
This has turned out to be a good, inexpensive purchase, so if you need a spare USB card reader for your travels, then this is worth taking a look.


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@NY NY | Individual Tickets - $15.00 | Sun - Thu 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM | Fri & Sat 10:30 AM - Midnight | Purchase Tickets at Entrance
From newyorknewyork.com
Get your thrills on the world's first coaster to feature a 180-degree "heartline" twist and dive maneuver, providing more than 1.4 million riders with heart-stopping action and excitement each year. The fun doesn't stop there! Enjoy the excitement of some of the latest video & arcade games, and attractions in The Big Apple Arcade.
Return to Our Calendar Homepage
Click to view the biggest show ticket discounts for tickets purchased online today (unusually high discounts today... many tickets being discounted to half price or better)
View the events calendars for other cities at CityEventsCalendars.com


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Now showing items 1-2 of 2
Evidence of α2-adrenoceptor involvement in B[α]P induction processes of drug-metabolizing enzymes: The effect of stress
Central to the appropriate regulation of behavioral and physiological changes induced by stress are the noradrenergic neuronal systems which have been implicated in a large number of stress-induced pathophysiological states. ...
The role of stress in the regulation of drug metabolizing enzymes in mice
The role of stress in the regulation of several enzymatic systems which are involved in the biotransformation of xenobiotics in the liver was investigated in this study using restraint stress as a stress model. The results ...


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Care For Your Latex Waist Trainer or Body Shaping Cincher
There are many distinct styles, cloth types, and structure for unique purposes; it is difficult to learn how to properly look after your outfit.
Most producers will consist of cleaning directions, but if you have more than one it may be perplexing. Additionally, it's very important to wash your coach or cincher often to prevent odor, skin irritations because of germs brought on by perspiration.
But if you observe these general principles, you may never fail.
Washing Latex Waist Trainer or Body Shaping Cincher
Never use bleach rather than rub or wash clean with a sponge because of it'll harm the clothes. A fast hand-wash is all that's necessary and wash completely. Once completed, lightly squeeze excess water, don't wring or do not twist. You can always use a wet towel to moist away the extra water particularly if it's a latex coach. Never clean you latex coach with any additional garment. The colour can bleed to other cloths.
Drying Latex Waist Trainer or Body Shaping Cincher
Following washinglet your coach or cincher atmosphere dry as level as you can. 1 good way to wash it's to utilize a drying rack. Never permit your coach or cincher to dry from sunlight. It's crucial to permit the garment to wash as sporting a marginally moist garment will stretch-out the contour after you wear it. This may be true for both latex and fabric coaches. Allow to dry out from white clothes as not to cause color bleeding of your outfit. Another important idea for latex coaches is never to let drying around leather because of it may damage the latex. You can hand-wash your cincher nightly so it is dry in the morning, or you can purchase a few so you've got a fresh fresh one every day.
Storing Latex Waist Trainer or Body Shaping Cincher
Placing both latex and fabric coaches can result in discolor if not saved correctly. The very best way to store your coach or cincher is to make certain it's entirely dried. Store separately from other clothes so that colors won't bleed and mess up your clothes. For latex coaches and cinchers, don't store near leather clothes for it destroy the material.
Following these few straightforward directions will make sure that your cloth or latex waist cincher and cloth waist trainer is going to do the task of perfectly preparing your waist to your gorgeous hourglass shape you would like and also the advantage of these lasting for a long time to come.
DO NOT wear clothes or sit on seats or car seats or whatever could absorb the colour – or you don't need the colour to emphasise on. This will definitely keep your Waist Trainer Bright amazing for quite a while!


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Article content
The TSX finished 55 points lower on a day when most world stock markets fell as investors digested the economic fallout from the deadly quake and tsunami in Japan. Uranium stocks were among the biggest TSX decliners, as Japan struggles to contain damage at some of its nuclear power plants (which produce about 35% of the country's electricity). Saskatchewan-based Cameco, the world's second-largest uranium miner, dropped 12.7 per cent and shares of Vancouver-based Uranium One — Canada's second largest uranium producer — plummeted more than 27 per cent. Spot gold was up about $5 to $1,425 US an ounce and oil prices were flat. The Dow Jones slipped 51 points to close below 12,000 and the Nasdaq was off 15 points to 2,700. Read more here.


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Endowed with a rich, warm and expressively direct lyric coloratura voice, DEBORAH LIFTON is emerging as one of today's most compelling performers of contemporary American opera and song.
Winner of the Joy in Singing Competition, Ms. Lifton's work has been honored by the National Federation of Music Clubs, the David Adams Art Song Competition and the Hellenic Foundation. Performances this season include Kwan Yin in Lotus Lives at Le Gesu in Montreal, as well as solo recitals at International Festival of Arts & Ideas in New Haven, Cincinnati Song Initiative and the Rieth Chamber Series in Goshen, IN. This gifted and unusual artist was recently featured in American Opera Projects' Composers and the Voice Series, as Sally Follet in Center for Contemporary Opera's production of William Mayer's A Death in the Family at the Avignon Opera in France and Millicent in the world premiere of Dellaira's The Secret Agent at the Szeged National Theater in Hungary, in Avignon and at New York's Merkin Hall, also with CCO. She performed in a double-bill of Philip Hagemann's works, presented by Encompass New Opera Theatre at New York's Symphony Space: the title role in Dark Lady of the Sonnets and Lady Magnesia in Poison, Passion, Petrification.
Other appearances include soloist in Bernstein's Songfest at Aspen Music Festival, Beth in Little Women and Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof with Ash Lawn Opera, Into the Woods and Little Red Riding Hood with Natchez Opera Festival, Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro with Rising Star Singers Festival, Valencienne in The Merry Widow with Bronx Opera, Ellie in Showboat with Mercury Opera Rochester, Catherine in Center for Contemporary Opera's A Death in the Family (Albany Records), Elle in La Voix Humaine with Kitchen Theater in New York, concerts with Opera Moderne and with Ridotto Opera, the title roles in Bastien und Bastienne and Haydn's Armida, as well as Elisa in Il Re Pastore. An active recitalist, Ms. Lifton has been heard at New York's Trinity Church, the Kosciuszko Foundation, Lippes Concert Hall, Yamaha Showroom, the National Arts Club and the Galapagos Art Space.
Ms. Lifton regularly performs on sound tracks for documentaries and nationally televised commercials. She has been heard in broadcast on WQXR, NY and featured in Young Opera, a new series on PBS.org.
"Her high notes were thrilling, her diction clear… a fine singing actress whose expressivity always seems to come from within."
- New York Concert Review
"Deborah Lifton as the Dark Lady [was] appealing."
- The New York Times
"Lifton never hit a wrong note, musically or theatrically. If the entire rest of the production were to collapse, Lifton's assured soprano voice and spunky charm would bail things out anyway. She's that good."
- Ann Arbor News
"An impressive display of power, and her negotiation of the extreme upper register was flawless."
- New York Concert Review


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Archive for March, 2012
The real game at the Olympics is profit
Posted by John, March 20th, 2012 - under Olympics.
Comments: 1
Dave Sewell names and shames the Olympics' fat cat sponsors—and the contractors pocketing millions of pounds of government cash from the project.
Was the rise of Stalin inevitable?
Posted by John, March 19th, 2012 - under Lenin, Russian revolution, Soviets, Stalin, State capitalism, Trotsky.
Comments: none
The ultimate defeat of the Russian revolution has little to do with the Bolsheviks at all. Debate about this or that policy of Lenin or the Bolsheviks in the period following the revolution is really a bit of a sideshow to the much more significant fact that the Russian working-class was simply unable to hold onto power.
Martin Luther King on the other America
Posted by John, March 18th, 2012 - under Martin Luther King, Racism, United States, US foreign policy, US imperialism, US politics.
Comments: 1
Reading this speech of Martin Luther King 44 years later, two things stand out. One is King's radicalism. In the final years of his life, he took up questions of institutional racism, economic justice and imperialist war–all are central to this speech. The other is the fact that all these questions remain with us to this day. King's statement that African Americans were disproportionately affected by unemployment and living through a "literal depression" could be said about the U.S. in 2012.
Saturday's socialist speak out
Posted by John, March 17th, 2012 - under Saturday's socialist speak out.
Comments: none
The brilliant victory of nurses in Victoria was won on the back of walk offs and mass meetings. The rest of the union movement, the rank and file especially, should learn this lesson. Strikes can win better pay and conditions and defend jobs.
Will the US go to war on Iran?
Posted by John, March 16th, 2012 - under Iran, Israel, United States, US imperialism.
Comments: 1
In the end, the escalating tensions and threats of war are certain to continue–no matter how obvious it becomes that the supposed "nuclear threat" from Iran isn't a threat at all. That's because U.S. imperialism is determined to dominate the Middle East in order to control the flow of the world's most precious commodity, oil, from the Persian Gulf–and this inevitably means more conflicts with Iran. The West's ratcheted-up rhetoric and escalating sanctions aren't about making the region or the world safer from nuclear weapons. On the contrary, they will make war and suffering more likely, not less.
Afghanistan: a war that guarantees atrocities
Posted by John, March 15th, 2012 - under Troops out, US imperialism.
Tags: Afghanistan
Comments: 4
If the people of Afghanistan have learned anything from the decade-long U.S. war, it is that massacres and mayhem exactly represent the U.S. military. So what is to be done? Get out now. These wars that dehumanize the "enemy" also dehumanize the citizens of warmongering nations.
Resisting job cuts at Sydney Uni
Posted by John, March 14th, 2012 - under Jobs, Resistance, Strikes, Sydney University.
Tags: Anti-capitalism, Fighting back
Comments: 2
Industrial action will be the only way we can win. We cannot rely on legal challenges or Fair Work Australia, and we must unite to fight this collectively. At the most recent rally, even the mention of the phrase "industrial action" was received with cheers from the crowd. It is clear there is support among workers and the wider community for a serious campaign to stop these cuts. We have what it takes to do it – now it's a matter of mobilising this sentiment.
Marx becomes a Marxist
Posted by John, March 13th, 2012 - under Marx, Marxism, Socialist Worker US.
Comments: 6
Marx developed his idea not just through study. Marx's Marxism is really the theoretical product of his practical efforts to build a movement for radical change, and his observations of struggles taking place around him.
Freelancers and the Walkleys
Posted by John, March 12th, 2012 - under Walkleys.
Tags: Freelancers
Comments: none
I write articles from the viewpoint of the 99%, not that of the one percent which dominates the mainstream media. I use my knowledge and understanding to balance the reporting of the mainstream media and the journalists who are part of or beholden to the one percent.
Will Syria's regime crush the revolution?
Posted by John, March 11th, 2012 - under Syria.
Comments: 1
With the SNC increasingly looking to foreign intervention, the Syrian revolution needs an organization that can articulate its democratic demands to win over the hesitant sections of the population.
It must clearly and unequivocally address the rights of religious and national minorities–which the Assad regime cynically pretends to do–while insisting on the sovereignty of Syria against foreign intervention. The revolutionary opposition must also make an appeal based on class by taking up the economic demands of workers and peasants. Only in this way can the revolution undercut the regime's efforts to manipulate sectarian and ethnic division.
Building such a revolutionary organization amid a brutal military crackdown and foreign pressure is a tremendous challenge. But the resilience of the Syrian movement over the past year shows that the potential is there to do so.


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The Ministries and Outreach Office (M&O) Youth Ministry Leadership Bursary recognizes high school students making a difference in their parishes, schools, communities, and homes. Two students will be selected to receive an award of $500 each to be applied to post-secondary schooling. Recipients will be young leaders who are making an impact, showing initiative, and inspiring others.
Applicants for the M&O Leadership Bursary will be reviewed by the Selection Committee. The Selection Committee will select the Bursary recipients based on their leadership and contribution to their parishes, schools, communities, and homes.
As an applicant, you must:
- Be in grade 12 and pursuing post-secondary education (visit catholicgapyear.ca if you are considering a catholic gap year)
- Be a practicing Catholic
- Live in the Archdiocese of Vancouver
- Be known in your parish community
- Be involved in parish and/or archdiocesan youth ministry
As an applicant, you must submit:
- An online application form (see below)
- Three short written reflections (part of the online application form)
- Two references – also online (must be from two different groups or communities: i.e. from parish, school, community group, employer, sports team, etc)
Thus, your entire submission (application form, answers to the reflection questions, and references) will be online. We will not accept hard copies.
Please obtain two references, each from a colleague or supervisor from a different setting. For example, a reference from your church could be your Pastor, Youth Ministry Coordinator, or PREP Coordinator. A reference from your school might be your Principal, Teacher, or Campus Minister. Other suggestions are coaches, community leaders, employers, etc. References should not be related to you, nor be from your peer group.
You must use the online form below to submit your application. Only complete applications (form & references) will be considered.
- Application Process now closed – Thank you to all whom have applied!
We will notify scholarship recipients by June 5, 2020
- All entries become the property of the M&O of the Archdiocese of Vancouver
- The M&O retains the right to make program rule changes at any time
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Chautauqua News - October 2015
Waxahachie, Texas
Thanks to everyone!
On Sept. 26th, the Waxahachie Chautauqua took flight!
It carried us to 1970 outer space and to the skies over Waxahachie in 1925. It led us into the past and into the future. We got to touch nature and technology. We thought and imagined and wondered.
We offer thanks to all those who supported the 2015 Chautauqua and helped make Waxahachie's Chautauqua heritage come to life again this year!
Want to get involved for 2016?
We would love for you to get involved with next year's Chautauqua! Help us make the 2016 Chautauqua better than ever. Email us at
or talk to us at the The Brainstorming on Nov. 5th.
More soon...
Sims Library Receives
"We Could Not Fail"
from Chautauqua
During the Opening Ceremonies of the Sept. 26th Chautauqua, President Nan Udell presented a copy of its 2015 Book Selection to Holly Browning, Community Liaison/Senior Services Coordinator of Sims Library.
"We Could Not Fail" (published 2015) by Texas author Steven Moss and Richard Paul profiles ten pioneer African American space workers in the early years of NASA
whose stories illustrate the role NASA and the space program played in promoting civil rights.
Brainstorming our way to next year's Chautauqua!
Bring your Brain;
Bring your Imagination;
Bring your Friends!
Save this date (Thurs. Nov. 5th) to help us move into Chautauqua 2016. We will be brainstorming ideas for programs around the theme of "water". Help us open the floodgates!
The strength of our 2015 program was built on last year's exciting Brainstorming Session. Help us dream it up all over again.
Strategic planner Carlela Vogel will join us again this year to move us through this lively and fun process on on 11/5. Carlela not only has a strong and long resume in Organizational Development, Strategic Planning and Facilitation, but she also has been an ardent supporter of the Waxahachie Chautauqua since 2001.
The meeting will take place 11/6 at 6:30pm
at the Waxahachie Parks & Recs. Dept. building, corner of Elm and Madison streets in downtown.
Fabien Cousteau to keynote 2016 Chautauqua
Ground-breaking ocean explorer and award-winning documentary filmmaker Fabien Cousteau will head up next year's Waxahachie Chautauqua program (9/24/2016) which will revolve around the theme of "water". Fabien Cousteau is the grandson of Jacques Cousteau.
WISD Artists Celebrate "Flight"
A reception was held at the WISD Administration Building on Tues. Sept. 29th to display and honor all 50 finalists in the First Annual WISD/Chautauqua Art Competition. The walls of the Boardroom were in flight! Winners were:
High School: 1st - Emily Martinez
- Riley Sample
3rd - Darek Rodriquez.
Junior High: 1st - Alejandra Hernandez
2nd - Justin Smith
3rd - Emma Shugart
Judges' Choice: 1st - Bethlehem Kretzshmar
2nd - Briana Jansky
3rd - Sydney Scruggs
Midway Airport dedicates plaque for Bessie Coleman
On Sept. 25, a historical plaque was dedicated at Midway Regional Airport to honor pioneer pilot and Waxahachie native Bessie Coleman. Actor Joanna Maddox (who presented Coleman's story the following day at Chautauqua) was on hand to help celebrate the new plaque and offer photo-ops with the bi-plane.
Photos by Greg Gorman, John Hamilton,
Kirk Hunter
Houston Chronicle
Reporter Finds "Perfect Place" at Chautauqua!
Joe Holley, free lance writer from the
Houston Chronicle,
visited the Waxahachie Chautauqua on Sept. 26th and gave our town two wonderful articles: Click below to read them:
Waxahachie a Perfect Place for Chautauqua Assembly
Brave Bessie Barnstormed the Skies as First Black American Pilot
Chautauqua Preservation Society
P.O. Box 126
Waxahachie, TX 75168
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Rajapaksa says not just him, but the all Sri Lankans could seek legal redress over the issue, as money matters affect all of them.
He adds that he will return to Colombo from Diyatalawa within days and meet his lawyers to discuss taking the matter to courts.
The ex-president on February 27 said at a function at Boralanda in Welimada that he was thankful to his successor for having appointed a presidential commission to inquire into the CB bond sales.
He went onto say that he has already met a lawyer over the accusations being leveled against him.
Meanwhile, yesterday's cabinet meeting discussed an immediately cancelling of the controversial gazette notification issuing a new one in its place.
Related articles:
Ravi advised to rectify 'criminal offence'!
Foisting responsibility for the bond scam on the Rajapaksa govt.
Attempt to destroy data relating to CB bond gazette


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Function OF REMEDIAL Training
Function of Remedial Training
In order to make improvements to arithmetic, effective remedial teaching is a ought to. Permit us examine.
Remedial teaching is not re-teaching. Any remedy nevertheless high priced or refined is ineffective except if it cures the sickness.
A remedial teacher really should have a mentality of a sympathetic health practitioner who has really like and treatment for his/her patients (college students).
A. Identification:
a) By means of tutorial achievement:
i) Course conversation: An below-achiever will give erroneous answers regularly to the inquiries questioned. He will surface to be perplexed. He might almost certainly not respond to the inquiries questioned in the class at all.
ii) Residence assignment: An below-achiever will not do the research. If pressurised to total the function, he might resort to copying, which might be effortlessly detected.
i) Device assessments and phrase assessments: He will display lousy effectiveness consistently in assessments. He will possibly not try the issue(s) at all or, will do cuttings and overwriting. He might even consider to copy the answer to the challenges from his peers.
b) By means of behavioural facet:
i) Frame of mind in the direction of tutorial pursuits: He will be disinterested in this sort of pursuits. He will consider to chorus himself from this sort of pursuits. He will consider to keep away from discussion about lecturers with his peers or lecturers.
ii) Course escapism: He will consider to bunk classes for one purpose or yet another. He will give excuses for not attending classes.
ii) Fiddle with notebooks alternatively of learning: He will be uncovered to fiddle with notebooks and textbooks alternatively of learning.
The moment the below-achiever has been recognized, the up coming stage is the prognosis of deficiencies.
B. Analysis of deficiencies:
a) Learning of principles: His strategy(s) related to a specific topic or components is not very clear. For illustration, the change involving 2×2 and (2x)2 might not be very clear to him.
b) Computational Ability: He might not be good at computations and thus might gives faulty effects regularly while accomplishing essential arithmetical functions and simplification.
c) Process of resolving problem: He is not very clear about the course of action of resolving challenges and so he/she often gets erroneous answers.
d) Software of understanding: He might not be equipped to apply the learned understanding in unique conditions. For illustration, in term challenges, he might fail to translate sentences into equations or discover the variables.
The moment, the deficiency has been diagnosed, allow us take a look at the attainable causes for the very same.
C. Leads to:
a) Memory: Specific capability of memorising points and figures.
b) Knowledge: Deficiency of comprehension-he does not adhere to what he reads.
c) Presentation: Finds problems in expressing views-vocabulary is not enough.
d) Understanding Gap: Incomplete protection models in the past class-lengthy absence.
e) Parental history: Socio-financial standing education and learning
f) Parental angle: Indifference of mothers and fathers in the direction of studies around-expectation.
g) College Primarily based: Deficiency of suited tools and ecosystem in faculty-overcrowded class.
h) Medium of instruction: Language problem.
i) Physical elements: Weak eyesight lousy audibility disease and other challenges.
j) Specific elements: Good in oral assessments but does not get ready notes and does not do property function regularly not honest in studies extremely nervous but is not able to focus on studies lacks self self esteem inferiority experience concern of failure wants business of college students who keep away from classes emotional instability.
k) Trainer centered: Deficiency of self esteem in teacher deficiency of time at teacher's disposal faulty strategy of teaching does not inspire student participation in class inadequate property assignments and challenges for practice incorrect way of correction of research and of steerage to college students at proper time and phase. understanding of the topic is not complete not able to clarify tough strategy lacks in expression not able to deliver secure and affectionate local weather in classroom and deficiency of knowing and acceptance for every person kid.
The causes obtaining recognized allow us now examine about the attainable cures and remedies.
D. Cures and Remedies:
a) Group intelligent remedial-not much more than 5 to ten college students in every class.
b) Individual and person notice by teacher.
c) No humiliation.
d) Specific carefully devised UAA (below achiever's assignment) – Less difficult-Simple-Intricate.
e) Go through-Re-read through-Produce-Re-Produce-Reproduce-Drill.
f) Team studies team mastering.
g) Micro-notes.
h) Training picked part of syllabus only.
I now propose an motion prepare to be undertaken by a remedial teacher.
THE Action System:
Out of two techniques of evaluation in vogue currently, i.e. the approach approach focusing on the effectiveness of the teacher and the solution approach focusing on the effectiveness of the college students with regard to unique targets-below to get significant rating in the exams in terms of marks and topic typical, the latter is favored for confident for noticeable reasons. This approach is centered on the theory that what ever the teacher could possibly have finished in the class home is irrelevant except if the goal (of acquiring a significant rating in the exams in terms of marks and topic typical) is realized. This then is the primary standards of evaluation of each the teacher and the taught at all degrees.
Herein lies the great importance of diagnostic and remedial teaching, which is as a result, the primary accountability of the teacher. This style of teaching requires:
i) Analysis of the unique problems of the student by conducting a suited diagnostic examination.
ii) Supplying suited remedial steps
iii) Supplying approaches and usually means for stopping them from reoccurring in upcoming.
If a teacher is equipped to do justice to his primary accountability then it might properly be presumed that the teaching job has a dazzling upcoming in retail store for confident.
For the benefit of lecturers in standard, I am now suggesting an motion prepare on these traces:
a) Be an impressive and imaginative teacher with an open head.
b) Apply suited diagnostic examination to discover the weak point of every kid.
- For this split the topic into various subtopics. For illustration, a topic in class X Mathematics "Linear simultaneous equations in two variables" –solution of equations can be split as:
i) Adding the two equations right to discover the benefit of the variables.
ii) Switching the indication and incorporating the equations to discover the benefit of one variable.
iii) Creating coefficients equal and utilizing i) or ii) over to discover the benefit of the variables.
iv) Substituting the benefit of one variable in the equation to discover the benefit of the other variable.
- II. . Established at least twenty inquiries on every subtopic (They really should ideally be understanding centered)
- Consider a examination of every kid. One subtopic to be examined at a time.
- As considerably as attainable uniformity is to be preserved while evaluating the examination.
- A student scoring fewer than 35% marks in this examination is definitely obtaining problems in the subtopic.
c) Discover the causes of weak point which might be:
i) Deficiency of knowing/misconceptions.
ii) Defective teaching strategy.
iii) Fear of the topic
iv) Bad function study habits.
v) Physical and emotional elements like lousy wellbeing, some mental shock etcetera.
vi) Teacher's angle.
d) The trigger(s) obtaining been recognized, suited remedial measure (relying upon the trigger) really should be suggested which might be:
i) Re-teaching of the subtopic—really should be resorted to only if the student has absolutely unsuccessful to recognize the subtopic owing to one purpose or the other.
ii) Computer Aided Training—really should be resorted to if the student has a imprecise notion about the subtopic and as a result finds it tough to solution inquiries relating to it.
iii) Drilling of Complications—Should usually be approved to the weak kid throughout examination instances. For this the teacher really should be equipped to style and design an effective study material that contains goal inquiries, understanding centered challenges the practice/drilling of which will cure the weak point.
iv) Other Measures:
The function of the teacher does not conclude below. He/She ought to make certain that the student consistently methods upon them to make certain that the weak point does not reoccur in upcoming.
To conclude, it might be explained that this is in fact a gigantic activity with immediate rewards a distant probability as a result demands zeal, enthusiasm and a feeling of determination on the aspect of the teacher to undertake this project.
Past but not the least the institution has to perform a pivotal part to reach the ultimate goal. The change involving supervised study (study below the supervision of a teacher) and remedial teaching be evidently comprehended. The supervised study time desk be framed in this sort of a way that a teacher really should be assigned at least two intervals a 7 days in Maths, Science, English and Social Scientific studies (the subjects in which greatest weak point is uncovered). The teacher on his aspect really should not just while away his/her time but really should conduct these pursuits as suggested over in letter and spirit and then and only then the ultimate goal can be realized. He/She ought to bear in mind that if a student fails then: the teacher has unsuccessful the examination method has unsuccessful the evaluation method has unsuccessful and by and large the education and learning method as a total has unsuccessful.
All looks well as regards the theoretical facet of it is concerned. But when we appear to its sensible facet we get perplexed as to what in fact we are predicted to do throughout remediation to reach the ideal quantitative final result (Quality will come thereafter!). Thus, until finally and except if we are very clear about it, we can't expect enhancement in the effects whatsoever tactics/motion designs we might make/adopt to do so.
I have as a result determined to deal with it in the adhering to pages using Mathematics as the topic.
Primarily based on my expertise, I have noticed that the lecturers of arithmetic are not able to detect the essential weaknesses of youngsters right from class VI onwards depart apart eradicating them and go on to instruct yr right after yr the topics to them centered on the syllabi in-order to total the very same (for noticeable reasons).
I have noticed that most of the college students experience from some essential weaknesses which are:
- Weak point in essential functions. Its elimination will empower the college students to negotiate with BODMAS rule thus building simplifications simple. Algebra really should also be simple for him/her as Algebra might be described as "Arithmetic of unfamiliar quantities". Given that the student masters essential functions, the Arithmetic/Algebra/Studies Portion of Mathematics really should be simple to deal with.
- Weak point in pinpointing (knowing) styles: Its elimination will lead to an interest of student in Geometry. This will initiate the student to take a look at the attributes of the form (shut figures) formed by them foremost to knowing of Geometry.
- Lack of ability to distinguish involving place and perimeter: Its elimination will empower the student to solve most of the challenges in mensuration.
The lecturers can device specified worksheets which might be presented to the college students regularly to around-appear their unique weaknesses when they are effectively and properly diagnosed on the basis of elements over.
Some tips for utilizing these worksheets:
- The function-sheets really should be attempted by HB pencil which is simple to erase later on on.
- Each individual worksheet is to be attempted in 5 minutes other than the past one which really should acquire fifteen minutes for completion.
- These worksheets are to be presented when a 7 days to every student.
- The teacher might use these worksheets throughout the to start with two months of the session (April and May possibly) to create an interest for arithmetic among the the college students in advance of starting formal teaching.
- Following the start of the formal teaching, the teacher really should diagnose the weak point of the college students (topic intelligent)-by making ready horizontal mark-sheet in unit assessments.
- The moment the teacher is equipped to diagnose the weak point of the kid in a specific topic worksheets might be provided to the kid on that topic throughout remedial intervals to bring the kid up to the ideal amount of competency in the topic. Bare minimum two function-sheets really should be provided to every kid and the effectiveness in them is to be judged to make certain that the kid has attained the ideal amount of competency in the topic.
- Now in which and how to attain these function-sheets?
I give beneath some rules for the lecturers on this challenge:
Rules TO Acquire Get the job done-SHEETS:
- Each teacher really should create an electronic mail account (popularly named E-Mail ID).
- The teacher really should logon to possibly: www. mytestbook.com or
www. softschools.com.
- He/ She will be questioned to sign-up.
- On clicking on this hyperlink he/ she will be questioned to fill up a variety.
- Eventually he/ she will be questioned to submit the very same.
- On clicking the submit button, the registration will be verified and the logon details will be provided on his/ her E-Mail ID.
- Thereafter the teacher might use the username and password provided by him/ her at the time of filling up the variety for logon in upcoming.
- It is an definitely free account!
- The moment the logon is effective, you really should decide for automatic function-sheet generator and lo! You are provided with the variety of topics on which function-sheets might be produced.
eight. Click on the ideal topic and attain hundreds of worksheets.


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'Six Steps' End of Life training awards for three Moorside staff
We're thrilled to announce that three Moorside staff have successfully completed a six-month 'Six Steps' End of Life programme, managed by Countess Mountbatten Education Centre. Our congratulations to Clinical Lead Anne Evans (above left), Dementia Nurse Mickey Kama-Mtshweni (above right) and Principal Carer Josie Kaluba (above, second from right) pictured here with Matron/Manager Deborah Macartney.
The pictures were taken at the celebration ceremony with the presentation of a personal certificate and a Moorside certificate.


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The Team of STAR TREK: Resolution would like to thank the Following people:
The rank insignias on this site where created by [*ku.oc.saingisni-gpr|ttoirrams#ku.oc.saingisni-gpr|ttoirrams Steven Marriott], originally for the Tango Fleet PBE-RPG. Please do not copy the images. If you wish to obtain them and an up-to-date copy either access the Tango Fleet Website, or visit the RPG-Insignias Website. You will find all the information you need on these, and many other insignia images. Steve is more than happy to pass along his work to anyone who takes the time to simply ask."
From Pat Weber, are some of the Pictures on the Ship Tour Page, including the Resolutions Bridge. The Bridge on the Main Page is also one of Pats. To find out which ones are done by Pat, visit the STAR TREK: Miranda website. Another Credit to Pat must go for the pictures of the Resolution, which are his Pathfinder Mark II Class. An Absolutely fantastic design, which he very kindly allowed us to use for the Resolution. Also, thanks to Pat for his Rank names for the Starfleet Starfighter Corp, as well as the Uniform Images that appear on the Bio Pages, and the Starfleet Uniforms Page. So thanks Pat for these contributions, you've been generous with your resources, and haven't turned us down when we've asked for your permission.
Position Descriptions located on the manifest page were originally written by John Cline for the USS Aquarius and Obsidian Fleet. Many thanks to John for letting us use them.
Mesh Kitbashed/Designed/Retextured by Patrick Weber. Mesh Parts by Firelode, Steve Davis, and Dennis Bailey. Image Backgrounds by Andrew Hodges, John Catcham, and NASA.
Kelvin Class Starship (USS Aires), Mesh, Images, and information © PATRICK WEBER
Pathfinder-Class (USS Resolution-A) Starship © PATRICK WEBER, Mesh kit bashed from Steve Davis' Excalibur, Mark Kingsnorth's Insignia, Hobbes' Ronin and Scifi-Art's Sovereign.
Expedition Class (USS Athalon), Mesh, Images, and information © PATRICK WEBER
The Crew Uniform Images were done by Zach Largo, except for the Following images - Captain Armstrong (1, 2) were done by Rich Wiltshaw, as were minor edits to the image for General Gra'Wa. That image is originally taken from the first STAR TREK: Starfleet Command game, Starfleet Command © 1999 Interplay Productions, All Rights Reserved.
The Image for Admiral Necheyev was done by Pat Weber, again for his STAR TREK: Miranda Simulation. The Images of Admiral Janeway, Captain Picard, Captain Riker and Admiral Ross were all pulled from various sources from DVD's. Janeway, Picard and Riker were all pulled from STAR TREK: Nemesis, and the Admiral Ross picture is from an Episode that I cannot remember. The Image of Kira is from the Book 'Tales From The Captains Table' Anthology. Elias Vaughn Image is from Mission Gamma Book One.
The Dedication Plaque was done by Martin, really nice work.
Gene Rodenberry for Creating this universe in which we enjoy. And Rick Berman for keeping it alive into the 21st Century.
And most importantly of all, the GM's would like to thank the players of STAR TREK: Resolution, for without them we would simply be three people with nothing to do.
David Carey, GM
Mieke Haveman, AGM


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I do a lot of things for a lot of reasons. One of the most common questions, or judgments, I get is "why?" Why did I choose that field to study in? Why am I friends with that person? Why did I do that to my hair? WHY did I get that piercing? (You know the one)
Why did I get the tattoo?
I promise you, I have reasons. And more than half the time, they aren't the reasons people think they are. (At least from what I've heard. I'm not in everybody's minds, so I'll never know for sure) but for the most part, I probably haven't explicitly told you why I did something, so you don't know.
Now's the time for your curiosity to be satisfied.
The "why" I'm going to tackle now is one of the bigger ones: The Tattoo Why.
I have four tattoos. They are all in places where they can be hidden if needed. I've gotten all of them this year (2015) and there's been a reason behind each and every one. They are works of art that I'm happy to have painted on my walls. They say something to me every time I see them.
My first tattoo is this:
I got this at Freaks on Broadway in Kansas City. It's a typography glyph that means explore. I got it with one of my best friends, Alicia, during one of the best summers and adventures of my life. It was the beginning of my canvas and it has a special place in my heart. I have a heart filled with desire to travel, to explore. I want to see everything, meet everyone, hear every story and never stop placing pins on my map. I'm filled with wanderlust. My feet carry me forward, and the tattoo on my foot reminds me not to give up on this passion. Explore. See new things. I will never be done.
Alicia said it best on her own blog, "There is unimaginable adventure awaiting, but one misses it if she is afraid to explore, possibly get lost, or encounter the unknown. It is easy to take the comfortable path and go with what is known, but I want to explore further. Be scared. Be uncertain. But know God will take me places and teach me lessons that are only obtained way beyond what's comfortable."
I never want to grow complacent. I never want to give up on chasing dreams or growing. This small tattoo reminds me of that.
It also reminds me of one of the greatest chapters of my life, YWAM. "Know God and make him known." Christians have a call to go to the ends of the earth, something I learned over and over in my time with this school. And I never want to loose that call or desire. I want to always go further with good news.
And finally, explore within, as corny as that sounds. I have to put in so much effort to figure myself out, to explore my emotions and thoughts, and sometimes I need a reminder to do this. I also want to explore knowledge of the world and the word itself. I want to explore God and his thoughts and desires.
I want to explore.
Tattoo number two I got with my wonderful father in Greenville, Texas.
I'm not sure where this quote came from, to be honest. It's been with me for YEARS. It's one of my favorites and yet I have to be reminded of it every second.
Your words make worlds. Your words have so much power. We forget how much strength is in our words. What we say matters. That's why we need to speak truth over our lives and others.
When I don't feel in my heart that my God is a good God, I still say he is, because it's true. Those words have power.
When I feel a horrible demonic presence, I speak OUT LOUD, no matter where I am, because my words have power.
When I'm feeling incredibly insecure about something, the people who love me say aloud the truth. They tell me with their words that I am beautiful, kind, talented. Because their words mean something to me.
Our words make worlds.
And my words make worlds for a much more obvious reason. I'm a writer. I literally spend days putting together words to create a whole other world. And I never want to let that passion go.
Tattoo number three. Done at Zodiac Tattoo in Fayetteville, AR.
I love all of my tattoos, but I think this one is my favorite. First of all, it's gorgeous. Seriously, the artists over at Zodiac are SUPERB. (Thanks, Buzz)
But mainly, this tattoo has so much emotion behind it.
I have a journal that is dedicated solely to prophetic words. Some are words I've gotten for others, but mostly it's filled with what God has said to or for me through other people. People who love me and the Lord enough to speak into my life.
A significant portion of these are extremely similar.
Whenever diamonds are being photographed, they are put against a black backdrop so their edges and shine are seen more prominently. Because of the black background, the diamond is even clearer and brighter.
So many have told me I am/will be a diamond in this way. I will be put against a black backdrop. I will be surrounded by darkness. But through this I will shine. God will be seen. My edges will be known as beautiful.
And this is something I will never forget.
Last but not least, Phoenix. Also done at Zodiac by the wonderful, Phoenix.
This one was less thought out than the others. It's on the bottom of my foot, so it won't be around forever, but I still love it a lot.
It's random. It's cool. It's stunning.
I want to live a life that's unpredictable. I want to have fun. I don't want to take things too seriously. I want to love and be loved. This spontaneous, fun tattoo, reflects that. I want to be approachable.
I could make up other reasons. "I want to rise from my ashes", "strength, renewal, rebirth", or "I just really love Harry Potter" and to an extent, these are all true. But mainly I just loved the idea and was having fun.
People will be quick to disagree on this tattoo, and that's okay. I apologize if somehow this offends you, but it is my body. And this one means something to me, as well.
Even if you don't see the meanings, they are there. Even when I'm doing something spontaneously with no huge deeper meaning, there's still a reason or I wouldn't have done it. And no, it wasn't to make a point or to offend or shock a specific individual.
And even if the reason is lacking, who cares? Art is fun. Life is fun. Express yourself.


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Blog Archives
Afraid of Dying
What I fear most about dying, is not knowing for sure where I'm going. I remember when I was in training as an orderly at a nursing home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the training instructor taught us to never just get behind the wheelchair of a patient and start pushing. She explained that while a resident is sitting in their wheelchair, perhaps even dozing off, that the initial start can frighten them half to death, and that not informing the resident beforehand like this, "I'm going to take you to the dining room now, Mr. Schmitz", erodes the dignity of a resident. They may feel a loss of control.
Would mother Universe please tell me what it will be like? I have begun to form my concept. By working on this gradually, I've noticed that my anxiety over transitioning has lessened to a degree. My version that I'm comfortable with for now, goes something like this:
My version is much like what the renowned psychic, Sylvia Browne suggests in her books, which is gleaned from her own psychic journeys beyond with her spiritual guides and from her impressions during psychic readings. In her version, which I easily claim as my belief, is that the real transition itself is painless, and that there is no further attachment to this physical world in the mind.
A tremendous and brilliant white light is our Guide and we will have an overwhelming sense of trust and love in our Guide. Others who have gone before us are there to greet us. Even those beloved pets we lost are there! I'll see my grandfathers, my mom, even my dogs Heidi, Jessie, and oh my dear CoCo. And my cats Samantha and Maya!
Everyone on the other side looks the way they did when they were around 35 years of age. Communication isn't through words any longer but rather telepathically. There is a continuous beautiful melody of music everywhere. Time on the other side is different from this world that we know now. What we know as a lifetime to us here is a mere blink of the eye on the other side. Before we know it, those that we left in this world, are right behind us.
It has been explained to me that we didn't know where we were going when we were born, or came to this world, and that it is OK not knowing or fully understanding where we're going when we make our transition. That's something I'll have to work on; trusting in mother Universe's ability to take care of me. Even the last leg of life's journey is packed full with lessons. Right up until the bell sounds for the next class to begin.
Posted in Life, Opinions, Personal Growth, Spirituality
Tags: Anxiety, death, Death and Dying, Eternity, Fear of dying, Heaven, Life's Journey, Life's Lessons, New Age, Sylvia Browne, Transition
In Memory of My Other Mom, Dorothy
January 23 is the "death day" of my second Mom. Dorothy Eshenbaugh was the step-grandmother of my last partner. I've blogged about Dorothy on many occasions. During our brief five years as my "Mother-there-ought-to-be-a-law," we experienced a lot of life together; there were ups and many downs. But the love between Dorothy and I was always stable. We had a hell of a lot of fun together; we played a lot of Dominoes, laughed our asses off, and cried some too. We'd get mad at one another, like everyone does, but it never lasted for very long. She always knew the easiest way to solve a family argument would be through me and not her step-grandson. Dorothy didn't like it when we weren't talking. I remember how she would often hold my hands and those of my partner's in hers and she'd say; "Now fella's we have to stick together. We're all we've got as family goes." You see, Dorothy had a respect for communication between family members. Dorothy was in end stage renal failure, and hadn't spoken in a few years to her sister, Betty or her mother. But Dorothy and I worked on a beautiful letter that she mailed to her sister so proudly one day. Dorothy was going to put an end to the silence.
Dorothy hardly gave the envelope enough time to get through her own post office before she started checking her mail for a response from her Betty or mother. Then, weeks went by and then months. Dorothy's sad attitude gradually lifted and she shrugged it off and said, "Wasn't meant to be I guess."
Dorothy died on January 23, 2008 of end stage renal failure. I often feared that when the end would come for her that she'd be alone; I knew that was one of her biggest fears as well. When she transitioned from our earth, her beloved companion Rascal was at her side. Dorothy joked that Rascal in a strange way looked a bit like her deceased husband, Robert, who was the love of Dorothy's life! You know, I never could really disagree with her! I think somehow Robert reincarnated into that dog!
My former partner and I knew that Dorothy's prognosis didn't assure us any real definitive time with her before the end would come. So, we made every birthday and holiday as special as we could for her. In the five years that Dorothy was in my life, she lived life. She went to church every Sunday and put in a prayer request for my ex and me every Sunday as well. Dorothy was a good mother to me, at a time when I didn't have one. My own mother died many years before I met Dorothy. When Dorothy learned my mother was deceased, I could see how she put herself in that role for me. I never complained one bit. It felt nice to be loved again in that way that only a mother can.
I know Dorothy is at rest and still living fully in another plane of existence with her beloved Robert. These beautiful memories I hold of our time together and knowing that Dorothy is once again reunited with her husband who she loved so much, make it easier each day to feel a little less pain about the loss and the feeling of that space filled by joy and happiness that things are as they should be.
Dorothy's mother and sister eventually learned of her death. I always knew and felt so strongly that someday, even though my former partner and I were no longer together, that I would, in some way shoulder the responsibility of informing them of the details of their family member's demise. The situation did unfold that way as my ex-partner never told them. When Betty reached me and I had given some of the details of Dorothy's life those last few years, I inquired about that damn letter, which, they never received. Dorothy's sister Betty and I have, through this odd process, become a unique pair of friends. Good friends in fact. We've never met in person (at least not yet anyway) and most of our communication is through email. Betty and I have a connection though. I have made a personal commitment to myself that this summer, I am going to make a trip to the small Texas town Betty and her family lives in, and have an opportunity to meet them all. In a strange way, they already feel like family to me. I almost found myself writing to Betty the other day, "We've got to stick together Betty, we're all we've got you know…" I know Dorothy is smiling as she's standing next to her Robert, as she watches the friendship form between us.
To Dorothy, I send wishes of eternal peace, love and happiness, and all the "Robert time" possible. Before you know it Mom, someday you're going to realize I'm there with you too, and then you better get out a good set of Dominoes, OK? Love you so much, Mom.
Your son,
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Posted in About Me, Death and Dying, Family, Gay Relationship, Life, Life's Lessons, New Age, Opinions, People in your life, Personal Growth, Self concept, Self Will, Self-improvement, Shortcomings
Tags: Afterlife, christianity, death, Death and Dying, Family, Family of Choice, Intimacy, Life, Love, People, Personal Growth, Positive Thinking, Reincarnation, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality, Texas, Transition
Death in the Abstract
"It's not that I'm afraid to die, I just don't want to be there when it happens." — Woody Allen
Even after a recent near death experience, I tend to think of death in the abstract, as a fact rather than a reality. I know that everything passes and that we are bound to die, but I rarely allow myself to accept the reality of dying and being dead.
Is this my way as well as that of others who refuse this fact our way of avoiding the reality of death? It may be that we can only think of more worldly, mortal acts as a new beginning, a false sense of perpetual renewal, even a kind of rebirth. Especially in fantasy and maybe even in our relationships, we are always "falling in love" all over again. Always young, always beginning again, always keeping our options open. Never settling into the contentment of a commitment.
As we begin to mature and develop through our efforts of personal growth, we can learn to integrate our thinking and feelings about death into our daily lives. We can sense death as an integral part of life, and not just as an abstract finality. This can become part of our process of learning to experience reality in all its stunning diversity. Life can become more precious as we realize that we must leave it.
Posted in 12 Step Program, Addiction, AIDS, Chemical Dependency, Drug Addiction, Health, HIV, Life, Mental Health, New Age, Opinions, Personal Growth, Purpose of Life, Recovery, Spirituality
Tags: Addiction, Afraid to die, death, Death in the abstract, dying, Eternity, Falling in Love, Fear of dying, Life, Near death experience, Personal Growth, Recovery, Relationships, renewal, Transition


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Climber Activity Badge
To gain this badge, Scouts must complete the requirements below:
Show knowledge of the rope types used for rock climbing and explain how to coil and maintain them.
Demonstrate the ability to fit a climbing harness and tie in correctly.
Show understanding of the calls used in climbing.
Demonstrate the ability to abseil down a face (typically not less than 10 metres).
part in four separate climbs of up to 'Difficult' standard each using a
different route. An experienced climber must supervise the climbs and
will evaluate competence.
Explain the safety rules for climbing on both natural and artificial rock faces.
Show an awareness of the environmental issues around climbing on natural rock faces.
Reference should be made to the Activity Rules in chapter nine of Policy, Organisation and Rules and the Adventurous Activity Permit Scheme.
There is no requirement for the Scout to lead the rock climbs, only to be a competent second. Wherever possible, natural rock-face should be used.
If you need help designing alternatives to these requirements for those with special needs please contact the Special Needs Office at Gilwell Park.


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Yusho Japanese Grill & Noodle House wasted little time making a name for itself after opening outside of the Monte Carlo. To take the experience even further for guests, Yusho has put together a series of late night cooking events aptly named "Yusho After Dark," which has Executive Chef Brian Lhee teaming up with other Las Vegas chefs in a tasty cooking collaboration.
Yusho After Dark will be taking place on March 3rd and will have Chef Brian teaming up with acclaimed Chef Michael Chen of Simon Restaurant & Lounge. The two chefs will team up on such creations as Bacon Baked Oysters with habanero BBQ and a Ham Hock Ssam served with a spicy shrimp and oyster sauce. This cooking extravaganza takes place from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. and for the $25 ticket price guests are treated to one of Yusho's signature draught cocktails, passed hors d'oeuvres and the spectacular dishes created by Chef Lhee and his guest chef. With this event being as much of a party with a local DJ providing the soundtrack to go along with the food, guests can also enjoy specially priced draught cocktails, unique craft beers and premium sakes from the cash bar.
While enjoying the show through Yusho's open kitchen, you can treat yourself to the all-you-can-eat Yusho snack menu which will include items such as; Mapo Tofu Ramen with pork and scallion, Lamb Tacos loaded with slaw and pico de gallo, and PB&J Mochi. This is probably the best $25 you will ever spend in Las Vegas!
Upcoming Yusho After Dark Event:
•March 3: Michael Chen, chef at Simon Restaurant & Lounge at The Palms Casino Hotel
For more information visit Yusho and Monte Carlo
Published on Dec 16, 2014


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Research point: Ben Nicholson
'All the still lifes are in fact land-sea-sky scapes to me' – Ben Nicholson in a letter to artist Patrick Heron in Feb 1954 (Button, 2007).
Find out about Ben Nicholson. Why does he simplify still life forms and negative space and superimpose them on the Cornish landscape?
Ben Nicholson (1894-1982) was an English painter and sculptor. His life and career are well documented elsewhere, so I shall give just a summary of them here. The son of artists William Nicholson (a noted still life painter) and Mabel Pryde, Nicholson turned to Modernism in 1920 – prior to that, he'd worked in a traditional manner, influenced in part by his father's work. From this point, however, 'strength of expression was valued over accuracy of description, and 'integrity' and 'freshness' of formal invention esteemed over practised facility in delineation' (Oxford Art Online, 2013). He was particularly influenced by Cubism, with an emphasis on uncomplicated themes. During the 1930s, he moved away from landscape subjects, preferring non-figurative themes, and began working on a series of abstract white reliefs. At the end of the thirties, he and Barbara Hepworth moved to Cornwall. This shift saw a return of colour to his reliefs. Nicholson was greatly inspired by the work of Alfred Wallis, a self-taught St Ives artist whose work deviated from the conventional rules of perspective. He gradually returned to still life and landscape themes, albeit organising them 'in terms of flat and hard-edged planes' (Oxford Art Online, 2013). This was one way of balancing his need to make money with his desire to pursue abstract ideas.
'The typical composition of the later 1940s is a relatively small-scale crystalline formal cluster, based on a series of well-practised still-life motifs, edged either towards abstraction through a flattening of the pictorial space, or towards naturalism through the addition of a landscape background; see 1943–45 (St Ives, Cornwall)' (Oxford Art Online, 2013). Here, abstraction and naturalism combine in a style that seems quintessentially 'Nicholson'. Even as he painted a scene recognisable as St Ives, he treated the picture planes in an undeniably Modernist way, flattening first the curtains, then the sill with its collection of equally-compressed objects, then the glass pane, the houses beyond, the water, boats and landscape. It reminds me of a child's paper theatre, each element sliding in behind the one before. The arrangement of negative space is fascinating, too – the verticals of the curtains and the horizontals of the sill framing the entire scene, and all in the subtlest of palettes (Union Flag notwithstanding).
It was during the 1920s that Nicholson began to experiment with presenting still lifes in an abstracted way. 1926 (Still Life with Fruit – Version 2), 'illustrates his developing concern with the way simple, trivial objects are formalised into expressions of durability, stillness and permanence. Nicholson never merely describes an object: he suggests it through outline and a sense of the relationships it forms with the elements that surround it'. Objects are seen as 'simply flat planes' (British Council, 2011). The very description, 'durability, stillness and permanence', evokes ideas of landscape to me for, while the details of it may change, the land itself endures.
Nicholson would sometimes scour the surface of his paintings, as in 1946 (Window in Cornwall), to reveal the real depth of the canvas surface, an act which contrasted with his compression of the subject matter. In this way he 'achieves spatial ambiguity in the painting'. 'The delicate tonal and textural modulations the technique creates are contrasted elsewhere by area of intense, flat colour' (Treves, 2000).
Increasingly, Nicholson's still life paintings became further abstracted. This is evident in 1946 (St Ives). There is still a suggestion of curtain, but nothing immediately recognisable as a sill. Almost as though the objects are edging their way out towards the landscape beyond. Likewise in Trendrine (2) December 13-17, 1947 (below).
This trend continues in 11 November 1947 (Mousehole) (below). Here, there is no window frame and no curtain. The still life objects are grouped together tightly and leaning towards the scene outside. In fact, they could be outside already. The space they occupy is indeterminate – the assumption they are inside is based solely on still life conventions. The objects themselves are moving away from the solid, with volume being merely suggested.
In this painting, 'the colours of the still life appear borrowed from the landscape'. 'The textures, too, are significant, binding each of the separate elements together'. This painting 'is a perfect example of what Chris Stephens has termed Nicholson's "domestication" of the English landscape. Nicholson compared his manner of working with the memory of his mother scrubbing the kitchen table, revealing his determination "to show that the making of art was ordinary and domestic, as essential as housework"' (British Council, 2011).
By the time Nicholson painted June 11-49 (Cornish Landscape), he had dispensed with solid still life objects almost entirely. Instead, the viewer is presented with a series of outlines superimposed upon the landscape. 'In such compositions Nicholson was interested in being able to unite objects in the foreground with those in the background, allowing the eye to travel over large distances and periods of time at one glance' (Christies, 2008).
To return to the question 'Why does he simplify still life forms and negative space and superimpose them on the Cornish landscape', one can only speculate. Many reasons are possible, but the following are what seem most likely to me:
• His early interest in Modernism led his work to be interpretative and expressionistic, rather than purely representational.
• For Nicholson, treatment of space seemed paramount. He created spatial ambiguity through fusing the different picture planes, and unified them further through use of colour and texture.
• His desire to marry abstraction with naturalism, via expressing still life as landscape. The quote with which I began this post would seem to support this: All the still lifes are in fact land-sea-sky scapes to me. His work conveyed a fusion of still life with landscape, the two things gradually becoming indistinguishable as framing devices such as windows and curtains were less in evidence over time – thus the domestic sphere merged with the outdoors, the land and sea, allowing the eye to take everything in at a glance (echoing the way human vision tends to work).
• Related to the point above, it is possible that his work may have been influenced by the war, leading him to explore the connections between home and the land. What constitutes home? What is our relationship to place?
This approach to space and connection is intriguing to me. It stops still life being merely a collection of unrelated objects existing in isolation. I already look at still life as a kind of portraiture – portraits of objects – making an effort to understand the essence of whatever it is I'm drawing. This takes that idea a step further.
'Nicholson wanted to make abstract art accessible. In 1941, he wrote that looking at abstract paintings should be easy: "There is no need to concentrate; it becomes a part of living"' (Art Cornwall, 2013).
Art Cornwall (2013) Ben Nicholson [Online], Available at http://www.artcornwall.org/profiles/Ben_Nicholson.htm (Accessed 21 July 2013).
British Council (2011) 1926 Still Life with Fruit (Version 2) [Online], Available at http://collection.britishcouncil.org/artist/artist/30783/17773/object/44653/0 (Accessed 21 July 2013).
British Council (2011) November 11-47 (Mousehole) [Online], Available at http://collection.britishcouncil.org/artist/artist/30783/17773/object/45107/0 (Accessed 21 July 2013).
Button, V. (2007) Ben Nicholson, London, Tate Gallery Publications. (Accessed 21 July 2013).
Christies (2008) June 11-49 (Cornish Landscape) [Online], Available at http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/paintings/ben-nicholson-om-june-11-49-5088891-details.aspx (Accessed 21 July 2013).
Oxford Art Online (2013) Ben Nicholson [Online], Available at http://www.oxfordartonline.com/subscriber/article/grove/art/T062342pg3?q=ben+nicholson&search=quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit (Accessed 21 July 2013).
Treves, T. (2000) 1934-6 (painting – still life) [Online], Available at http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/nicholson-1934-6-painting-still-life-t07007/text-summary (Accessed 21 July 2013).