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Tu BiShvat
Tu BeShvat
Spring to Life
By Rabbi Naphtali Hoff
When we speak of Tu B'Shvat (the 15th of Shvat), the New Year for trees, thoughts of joyous tunes, tree planting ceremonies and the consumption of fruit come to mind. Certainly it is a day that we all look forward to. But what exactly is Tu B'Shvat, in terms of its legal status? It isn't a festival, as neither the Torah nor the Talmud make any mention of celebrating or observing this day. No commandments are recorded. Nor are any special prayers inserted within the liturgy. The only things that we find regarding Tu B'Shvat pertain to things that we should not do. These include not reciting special supplications in our prayers, not eulogizing a lost one, and not fasting – all three due to the joyous nature of the day. So if Tu B'Shvat isn't a festival, what is it?
Looking exclusively at the Torah it would seem that the significance of Tu B'Shvat is entirely limited to the realm of agriculture.
When you come to the Land and you plant any food tree, you shall surely block its fruit [from use]; it shall be blocked from you [from use] for three years, not to be eaten. In the fourth year, all its fruit shall be holy, a praise to G-d. In the fifth year, you may eat its fruit; [do this, in order] to increase its produce for you. I am G-d, your G-d. (Leviticus 19:23-25)
These three verses form the basis of two commandments. The first is that of orlah literally "blocked" or "closed" fruit. We are commanded not to derive any benefit from fruit that grows in the land of Israel during the first three years of a tree's growth (or for the first three years after a tree is replanted). The second commandment is that of neta revai. All fruit from the tree's fourth year can be eaten, however it may only be consumed by its owner in Jerusalem (unless it is redeemed – see Leviticus 27:34). From the fifth year and beyond the fruit can be eaten completely at the owner's discretion, whenever and wherever he wishes.
What is the reasoning behind the commandment of neta revai? Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch comments that when a person sits in Jerusalem eating the fruit of his labor, he comes to appreciate the true synthesis between the spiritual realm, as illustrated by Jerusalem and its Bais HaMikdash, and his physical reality, symbolized by the fruit.
G-d instructs us to take something that is otherwise mundane (chulin) and infuse it with a spiritual dimension (kedusha). The word chulin is closely related to the word challal, meaning empty or dead. It lacks any spiritual vitality. Kedusha, on the other hand, means a complete surrender to a higher purpose (see Hirsch to Deuteronomy 23:18). We surrender our actions, our possessions, even the very food that we eat, to G-d. Until now it was a piece of fruit; now it's an item through which we can serve Him. Through His word, the physical becomes a manifestation of the spiritual.
Once Tu B'Shvat arrives in the fourth year, the fruits of this tree are infused with the status of neta revai. Why is it that we look specifically to Tu B'Shvat as the cut off date? Our question becomes stronger when we realize that the month of Shvat actually marks winter's mid-point. How is it that we can identify a date in the heart of the winter in connection to commandments that are so intimately associated with harvesting?
The Talmud (Rosh Hashana 14a) offers the following explanation as to why Bais Shammai (who argue with Bais Hillel by stating that the new year for trees is actually the first of Shvat) maintain their particular view. Although (once the first of Shvat arrives) the greater part of the winter cycle is still to come, yet since the greater part of the year's rain has fallen (and the trees now begin to blossom), therefore we celebrate the new year for trees on the first of Shvat.
When we look to identify a date as the cut off point between one agricultural year and the next, we have to focus on the date by which the tree normally begins to blossom. Once it blossoms, its fruit belong to the new year. It marks a new process of growth. Though there is still much time left in the winter season, the beginnings of a spring can already be perceived today. Such beginnings are enough to call this day the New Year for trees.
There is a deeper message here as well. As we analyze the yearly cycle, we notice that the seasons in many ways parallel our own lives. Concepts of growth and development, and, eventually, stagnation and decay, appear in both the vegetative and human realms. The Torah itself alludes to this when it compares us to trees (Deuteronomy 20:19).
Of all of the yearly seasons, there is perhaps no greater disparity than the one that exists between the seasons of winter and spring. Winter represents stagnation and unrealized potential, when all signs of growth lie hidden inside of the trees. There are no external signs of development, no expressions of vitality. All we see is an empty tree trunk; the fruit and leaves of last season have long since fallen away.
Spring, on the other hand, symbolizes burgeoning vitality. Everything is new and exciting. Trees that have remained dormant for the past few months start to show new signs of life. Buds begin to sprout, flowers start to open. Nature once again reveals its true beauty.
For, behold, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing bird has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. (Song of Songs 2:11-12)
This contrast is true in human life as well. Circumstances sometimes force us into our own personal "winter," when struggles and challenges strip us of our innate vitality. There are other times in which we seemingly experience only joy and excitement in our lives. Everything points towards growth and accomplishment.
We must realize, however, that there are two distinct ways for a person to approach the winter-like situations in his own life. The aforementioned contrast between winter and spring is only true if one views winter as the death-knell of summer. The beauty of the seasonal cycle, however, is that one can alternatively view winter as ushering in the upcoming spring. No matter what challenges a person faces, there are always better days awaiting him. Such a person knows no limitations, no dormancy. Life is a continuous cycle pointed in the direction of growth.
This is the message of Tu B'Shvat. In the middle of the winter, when everything around us seems so cold and bleak, think of spring. Eat fruit. Sing joyous tunes. Plant new trees. Always look for the good.
But the message goes one step further. Not only are we charged to maintain a continuously upbeat attitude regardless of our personal circumstances, we must also realize that those very circumstances are the ones that form the basis of our eventual success. Though we might not have noticed it, most of the "rain" necessary for growth has already fallen. The basis for our success, namely the trials and challenges that we have had to overcome, is already in place. The only difference is that this foundation still lives in the realm of potential, hidden from the outside world. It takes the warmth of spring, literally and in our own lives, to allow that potential to blossom into its eventual reality (see Ramban's commentary to Genesis 22:1).
Interestingly, the Hebrew word for winter itself, choref, illustrates this exact point. Rav Hirsch notes that choref is related to the word charfi, a word which means dormant vigor. As I was in the days of my winter (I.e. dormant vigor) (Job 29:4). Winter here alludes to the days of a persons youth, a time in which his vast talents are waiting to emerge. It is a persons "spring" that helps to bring those latent talents to the forefront.
Our discussion began with an attempt to understand the true function of Tu B'Shvat. We noted how Tu B'Shvat played a significant role in determining the legal status of produce, by identifying the year to which it "belonged." We also showed that Tu BShvat provides us with many essential, real-life lessons. We celebrate Tu B'Shvat knowing that we will continue to weather the storm of life, no matter what that particular "season" has in store. This is because G-d, the Source of all blessing, is behind us, providing us with the means to succeed.
Text Copyright © 2008 by Rabbi Naphtali Hoff and Torah.org.
Rabbi Naphtali Hoff, M.Ed., is an instructor of Jewish History at Hebrew Theological College (Skokie, Illinois) and serves as associate principal at Yeshiva Shearis Yisroel in Chicago. More information about Rabbi Hoff can be found on his website, www.rabbihoff.com


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Ellen Barone
Santa Fe: Bishop's Lodge Ranch Resort & Spa
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subset: commoncrawl


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Following my recent series on Facebook ads, I came across a helpful ebook by Hubspot on how to run a successful Facebook Ad. Chock-full with useful links, examples and statistics, the report includes some great tips on the ideal ad:
- The most popular Facebook ad headline length is 4 words
- The median length for ad post text is just 15 words
- You/Your, Free, Now, and New are the Top Words:
- You/Your: our brain is activated by hearing or
thinking of our own name and ourselves.
- Free: this is the ultimate word for any viewer of an
ad. Include it in an ad and it's almost guaranteed to
catch the eye.
- Now: this creates scarcity in the reader's mind and
urges them to action.
- New: using this word is a great way to show you
are offering something fresh.
- Audiences are naturally drawn to these words.
Using these words in ads means you have a natural
advantage over all other advertisers.
- You/Your: our brain is activated by hearing or
- Almost half of all ads contained a number in the headline,
description, or text
- The top Calls To Action are 'Learn More', 'Shop Now', and 'Sign
- 'Contact Us', 'Buy Tickets', and 'Subscribe' were the least popular


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We all know Wikipedia is not always accurate, and sometimes biased. We all know that most internet quotations are wrong attributed or misquoted. We all know that the Web is full of useless, trivial pap like "psychic" hot lines, astrology, creationism and Ann Coulter. Plus it's replete with the shallow: salacious gossip, celebrity skin, innuendo, pornography, political extremism, angels, UFOs, crop circles, anti-vaccine advocates, religious fundamentalists – the intellectual-nourishment equivalent of a box of greasy fries and a sugar-laden soft drink.
But they are content-rich, compared to the truly useless material collected on The Useless Web. Well, maybe not Ann Coulter. She's still pretty much the standard by which trivial and shallow are measured. Even the colour of Kim Kardashian's latest shoes are more relevant to the real world than anything Coulter has to say.
If you really want to waste a whole lot of time exploring the pointless edge of the internet, beyond Ann Coulter that is, go to the link in the previous paragraph and click away. Be prepared: you will be sucked in. It's hard not to see just one more…
But it's not alone. true to the meme-like nature of the internet, others join in pointing out the pointless. For example, Pointless Sites and Pointless Web Pages (don't bypass the older site list either). Some, like I-Am-Bored.com seem to pile on user-submitted links of varying levels of worthlessness into their pages.Others, like House of Geekery and Makeuseof.com, compile lists of uselessness, with some pointless commentary to muddy the waters. Useless added to useless equals…? Right.
[pullquote]Ann Coulter is still pretty much the standard by which trivial and shallow are measured.[/pullquote]Other aggregators of non-utilitarianism include 15.com, Squidoo.com, Ambitweb.com, About.com, the Daily What, Splitsider, PCWorld, Digital Trends (and check the video for the Japanese World Cup, linked below the list!) and many more.
Useless doesn't mean they are not artistic, however. Some are outright brilliant (check out www.xkcd.com/1110/ for an example of weirdly wonderful useless).
Okay, so it's a waste of time. But it's an entertaining waste of time, so not entirely without merit. Some people apparently have taken to studying these sites with all seriousness. Know Your Meme has a short history of them, deferring intellectually to them as "single serving" sites (a long list of such sites is here). Codehesive tracks the story of a single, single-serving site.
Jason Kottke wrote about this phenomena back in 2008, and coined the term. Since then it has entered the language age even made its way to Wikipedia.There's even a single-serving site webpage generator.
But don't get stuck in the intellectualizing. When you have ten minutes to waste, just go back to the top of the post and find the first link. Click and enjoy. Don't think too hard about any of it. Just celebrate the useless.
- The Social Contract - © September 17, 2023
- Review 9: Son of Godzilla - © August 20, 2023
- Review 8: Ebirah, Horror of the Deep – 1966 - © July 23, 2023


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It's no secret the world has become a much more dangerous and complicated place in the 21st century. Terrorism itself has evolved, and so has the way our federal government is combatting and defending against it.
What has become clear is that violent extremist groups like ISIS and Al Qaeda have evolved to become influencers and master manipulators online and abroad. They're not as focused on becoming an army of covert foot soldiers attempting to penetrate U.S. borders. The result of this is the evolution of the lone wolf attacker, a typically misguided and desperate soul who loses touch with reality and is somehow convinced or brainwashed into inflicting maximum damage through violence. We've seen this play out recently in the United Kingdom.
Since 2001, the United States has suffered over 40 lone-wolf terror attacks perpetrated by a diverse array of personality types. Although there is no single, universally accepted definition of a lone-wolf terror attack, academics generally define a lone wolf as a single attacker who plans and commits violent acts alone, outside of any command structure and without material assistance from any group.
The perpetrators of these terrible atrocities may be influenced by extreme political ideologies claiming religious motivations, or they may be disgruntled or mentally ill. In many cases, a combination of these factors are at play. The point is, profiles for these lone-wolf terrorists are consistently challenging to identify, which therefore makes prevention of individual attacks particularly difficult. The threat, needless to say, is even greater with those in positions of trust. Airport or airline employees and contractors with access to military installations with secure credentials are examples of individuals who are sometimes susceptible to these downfalls.Since 2001, the U.S. has suffered over 40 lone-wolf terror attacks. #homelandsecurity Click To Tweet
Where lone wolves or any violent threats are concerned, the goal is to stay "left of boom." Popularized in military circles during the months and years after 9/11, the phrase "left of boom" refers to the moments before an explosion or attack – a period when you still have time to prepare and avert a crisis. Right of boom, by contrast, includes the chaotic and deadly moments after the explosion or attack.
Law enforcement, public safety, and military officials associated with the people who perpetrate these terrorist acts. Research suggests early detection through preventative measures like situational awareness, monitoring Internet and social channels, and if needed, psychological screenings and interventions, are the best approaches to thwarting lone wolf attacks.
Individuals who carry out these attacks do follow a similar path from ideological influence to radicalization to violence. This path begins with a grievance that leads to moral outrage and anger projection, which leads to some sort of trigger point or justification for violence. At this point in the process, most people do not act.
However, for the few who do act, either alone or in a group, the perpetrators tend to wade into an ideological end-state culminating in a terror attack. The fact that a process exists provides officials with some map to begin gathering information that might lead to prediction and prevention. Our public servants want to get left of boom in order to disrupt the chain of events that could lead to an attack.
At NEC, we're passionate about the safety and security of all citizens. We are committed to providing solutions that assist our clients in identifying people, patterns, and predictions. For over 40 years, NEC Corporation has provided screening and background check information for purposes of law enforcement and applicant background checks. Our systems have cast the widest nets in identifying these individuals from searching local, state, FBI, DHS, Interpol and other biographic and biometrics databases.
NEC adheres to FBI, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and other industry standards for data exchange, as demonstrated by our customer install base. These deployments could allow law enforcement agencies to receive immediate notification of fault. Other random and frictionless screening with use of facial recognition may provide clues on relationships, associates and more. Such existing services can be augmented with publicly available biographic data including travel and purchase patterns to form the foundation of a collective dataset that would assist in analysis and identification of suspicious patterns leading to a prediction.
If we can look at an individual's identity, patterns of life, and associations – among other data points – we can help our clients get closer to predicting and preventing lone-wolf attacks. We pride ourselves on being passionate problem solvers with an eye toward cutting-edge solutions that deliver precise and trusted results. If you'd like to hear more about our solutions and how we are solving the challenge of the threat among us, please contact us today.
People. Patterns. Predictions.
NEC Corporation of America's Advanced Recognition Systems team is committed to developing and delivering public safety solutions that keep people safe.
Fill out the form, and we'll have a solutions expert reach out to you.


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Writing "ribs & breasts" just made me hungry. Have been eating clean for days. God I would love a rib. Just one rib.
Gwyneth Paltrow gave us ribs last night at the Met Gala with a serving of side breast. I don't actually mind the side breast. That's G, you know? G can flaunt a side breast without looking cheap. I mean, you might not like what she's wearing but you still wouldn't characterise it as inexpensive. Gwyneth looks expensive all the time. Expensive ribs, expensive breasts.
And what of her Prada dress? I like it from the back and the side a lot more than I do from the front. It's actually flattering from the side and the back, even with the mulleting. The front is a problem, again, because of the shine. There were many worse examples elsewhere at the event last night but not even super toned Gwyneth can escape the light hitting a certain area of the fabric and calling attention to an unsightly imaginary lump.
I do like her hair pulled back rather than left down and straight-ironed. Agree or disagree? Also, she's wearing my favourite earrings of the night. You will note that both of G's BFFs Cameron Diaz and Beyonce came out worse off than she did. We need to mic her when they're all getting ready together. What, exactly, goes on in that dressing room?
Met Gala Ribs & Breasts: Gwyneth Paltrow
Writing "ribs & breasts" just made me hungry. Have been eating clean for days. God I would love a rib. Just one rib.


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The tiger mother and you: Are we preparing our kids for a better financial future?
Those of you who are parents — and those of you who came from them — may have already read the Wall Street Journal article by Amy Chua (which is an excerpt from her new book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother). If you haven't read it, this excerpt will give you an idea:
A lot of people wonder how Chinese parents raise such stereotypically successful kids. They wonder what these parents do to produce so many math whizzes and music prodigies, what it's like inside the family, and whether they could do it too. Well, I can tell them, because I've done it. Here are some things my daughters, Sophia and Louisa, were never allowed to do:
- attend a sleepover
- have a playdate
- be in a school play
- complain about not being in a school play
- watch TV or play computer games
- choose their own extracurricular activities
- get any grade less than an A
- not be the No. 1 student in every subject except gym and drama
- play any instrument other than the piano or violin
- not play the piano or violin.
As shown in this Today Show interview with Chua — a Yale law professors and the daughter of Chinese immigrants — when her daughter gave her a plain handmade birthday card, Chua handed it back and said, "I reject this."
We namby-pamby Western parents may cringe at such harshness, which is one of Chua's points. Western parents, she says, are too worried about their kids' self-esteem. Chinese parents, on the other hand, "assume strength, not fragility," and thus can get away with calling their kids "garbage" or "fatty."
The article has set off a conflagration of debate, mostly critical of Chua. However, as typical of my deliberate, contemplative nature (read: wishy-washiness), I'm not quite sure what to make of it all. If this is indeed the way most Chinese (as well as other Asians) raise their kids, and if this indeed is the reason Asians, as a group, are more academically successful, I can't help but pay attention. My job, my kids' future jobs, and my non-Asian investments all depend on being able to compete in an increasingly globalized world. Herein, I'll lay out thoughts on why Chua's style of parenting may be off the mark, and then discuss why she may be on to something.
"Yes, Mommie Dearest"
The criticism of this style of parenting falls along these lines:
A's aren't everything. A Motley Fool freelance contributor, who during the day works for one of the biggest companies in the world, recently took a company-sponsored class. One of the things the instructor said was this: "The 'A' students typically work for the 'B' students, but it's the 'C' students who own the company."
While that's very simplistic, it was somewhat confirmed in a recent interview I conducted with Thomas Stanley, co-author of The Millionaire Next Door and author of the more recent Stop Acting Rich. He said that, according to his research, the typical American millionaire "owns his own business, went to a four-year public college, and was a B or C student." (The interview will be posted on Get Rich Slowly next month.) I won't encourage my kids to be C students, but a person's success will be determined by more than a transcript — things like interpersonal skills, self-confidence, creativity, and a certain amount of independent thought, among others.
The "Chinese" way doesn't produce innovators or entrepreneurs. If you read through the 7500-plus comments to Chua's article on WSJ.com, you'll see plenty along the lines of "Yeah, well, why does the U.S. have three times the GDP of China with one-third the people?" Or "Have the Chinese invented anything great since gunpowder?" Or "Why do the vast majority of Nobel Prize winners comes from the West?" Most of these are chauvinistic throwaways. But they do touch on a fair question: Does very rigid parenting produce too-rigid adults? Would there be a Microsoft or Apple if Bill Gates or Steve Jobs were raised this way? The Chinese themselves are wondering this.
The principal of the Peking University High School wrote (also in the Wall Street Journal):
Now that China is a market economy hoping to compete globally, it's jealous of America's ability to turn its brightest students into the world's best scientists and businesspeople.
That sounds like a miserable childhood. No Sesame Street? No drums? Sure, Chua's daughter has performed at Carnegie Hall. But is that worth not getting your hand dipped in water by your friends while you're asleep…and all the other fun stuff that happens at sleepovers?
Among the comments to her article, you'll find plenty of people who were reared this way and didn't appreciate it. One example:
I am Chinese-American and I hate the way that my parents raised me. As a child I lacked complete freedom to make my own choices. I was not able to freely hang out with friends and I was forced to study all the time.
To be fair, you'll also find plenty of comments along the lines of "I was raised that way and am thankful for it."
Fat, Drunk, and Stupid Is No Way to Go Through Life
On the other hand, maybe we Western parents are too easy on our kids. Here are some thoughts along those lines:
American kids are getting out-worked. Whitney Tilson, a hedge-fund manager and indefatigable education reformer, has written a lot on this topic (and Chua's article) on his blog. Here's a sample:
I find what Chua describes (no sleepovers, playdates, or ability to make any decisions at all) to be extreme, but if one were to put parental expectations of/pressure on/control of kids on a 0-10 scale, with 10 being what Chua describes, I think the ideal is much closer to 10 than 0 — maybe an 8.
In a world filled with endless, cheap, mind-rotting entertainment via hundreds of TV channels (heavily weighted toward 24/7 sports, cartoons, and other junk), the Internet, video games, music and movies, I'm firmly convinced that nearly all children will spend every waking hour messing around with these activities and wasting their lives, unless their parents AND schools (but the former much more importantly) keep a very close eye on them, tightly restrict what they can do, and make them do many things they don't want to do, such as study hard, read books, have a reasonable diet, go to bed on time, dress decently, etc…
For more on how Chinese (and Indian) youth are just HUSTLING a lot more than America youth are, I highly recommend a great documentary, Two Million Minutes.
American kids are getting out-educated. You've likely already heard all the stats about America's flagging education system, so I won't dwell on the topic. I'll just quote one study — from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development — which found that American 15-year-olds ranked 17th in reading, 23rd in science, and 31st in math. Tops in each category: the kids in Shanghai, China.
My kids have to compete with these kids. I live in a county with a high school that is regularly ranked as the best in America. It's a public school, but you have to apply to get in, and it's tough. Among the class of 2014, 57.5% are Asian. To what extent are my kids competing against kids with "Chinese mothers" (a term the Chua explains can be applied to parents of any ethnicity who are equally strict)? And that's just for high school; what about the rest of their lives?
Maybe we do care too much about self-esteem. I have to include this quote from former D.C. schools chancellor Michelle Rhee (whom I respect a great deal):
We've lost our competitive spirit. We've become so obsessed with making kids feel good about themselves that we've lost sight of building the skills they need to actually be good at things. I can see it in my own household.
I have two girls, 8 and 12, and they play soccer. And I can tell you that they suck at soccer! They take after their mother in athletic ability. But if you were to see their rooms, they're adorned with ribbons, medals and trophies. You'd think I was raising the next Mia Hamm.
I routinely try to tell my kids that their soccer skills are lacking and that if they want to be better, they have to practice hard. I also communicate to them that all the practice in the world won't guarantee that they'll ever be great at soccer. It's tough to square this, though, with the trophies. And that's part of the issue. We've managed to build a sense of complacency with our children.
For more from Rhee, and a funny/sad snippet on American kids' self-esteem, watch this trailer for the excellent movie Waiting for Superman:
Building Better Brokamps: Project 21
My wife and I have discussed this article and our parenting quite a bit. We don't want to be overly strict; we want our children to have happy childhoods. But we also want them to be equipped to compete in the job markets of tomorrow and have their own shot at getting rich slowly.
Our solution for now is something we're calling "Project 21" (working subtitle: Raising Our Own Best Guests). We're imagining that it's several years from now, and our kids are 21-plus years old and home for Thanksgiving dinner. What kind of people do we hope to see around the table?
We've just begun this, so the list hasn't been finalized yet. But it includes a range of skills and characteristics, such having a work ethic, being financially prudent, and, yes, doing well in school (what would you expect from two parents who each have a master's degree in education?). It will also include some touchy-feely — but very important — stuff, such as being polite, being adept at the art of conversation, demonstrating compassion to others, having interests and passions that they want to share, and appreciating creativity, cleverness, and a good joke.
Last night my wife said, "Bad parenting is a major threat to national security." I heartily agree. But the question is, what exactly is bad parenting? I'm not sure I'd want to be Chua's kid (though, in this hilarious interview with Stephen Colbert, Chua explains that her book is a bit more nuanced than the WSJ article). But I do appreciate that she's spurred a national debate about how our kids are raised.
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text: http://www.smbtechadvice.com/2008/04/kde-on-linux-now-de-facto-platform-for.html -- Ernest de Leon http://www.smbtechadvice.com "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - A common 18th Century sentiment voiced by Benjamin Franklin "A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government." - Edward Abbey "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke, English statesman and political philosopher (1729-1797) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://linuxmafia.com/pipermail/sf-lug/attachments/20080424/18d19aba/attachment.html>


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How to Watch Jio Cinema From Anywhere? — TheSoftPot
Is it possible to watch Jio Cinema from outside India? In this quick guide, we'll teach you how to watch Jio Cinema from anywhere in the world.
Jio Cinema is a streaming platform that allows TV episodes, movies, and other content. Due to geo-blocking and limitations, Jio Cinema is only available in India.
If you live in a country where Jio Cinema is not available, you will be unable to use its services.
The simplest way to unblock Jio Cinema in your country is to use a VPN. A VPN effectively substitutes the network that you are using with the network of nations where Jio Cinema is accessible, tricking the player into thinking that you are streaming from within the nation.
Why Do You Require a VPN to Watch Jio Cinema from Your Country?
If you are trying from outside India, it shows an error like " Not Found ".
A VPN, in essence, unblocks geo-restricted sites by concealing your true location. It gives the impression that you're browsing from a location where Jio Cinema is available. As a result, Jio Cinema will not prevent you from seeing its material.
Nord VPN is the finest VPN for watching Jio Cinema from anywhere on the planet. It has lightning-fast speeds that let you watch without interruption, and it easily unblocks Voot. You can also try it for 30 days danger-free with a money-back guarantee provided by the vendor.
As a result, you'll be able to access Jio Cinema from anywhere with the help of a VPN!
Step by step guide to watch Jio Cinema from your country
A reliable VPN allows you to view Jio Cinema from anywhere in the globe. In this article, we will show you how to stream Jio Cinema in countries where it is not available.
- Jio Cinema is now only accessible in India. To watch Jio Cinema in your region, you'll need a VPN, which will hide your exact location and link you to a VPN server where Jio Cinema is available.
- VPN should be downloaded and installed. To watch Jio Cinema, we personally recommend NordVPN.
- Connect to an Indian server after installing NordVPN.
- Reopen the Jio Cinema App or Refresh the Jio Cinema website.
- You may now watch movies and TV series on Voot.
What Can a VPN Do for You?
In a range of methods, a VPN may help you secure yourself. Some of these are as follows:
VPNs encrypt all data exchanged over the web.
When you link to a VPN server, all of your web traffic is encoded. This ensures that no one, not even your internet service provider (IPS), will be able to see what you've done on the internet.
This prevents your ISP from limiting your speed, which it commonly does when you're doing anything bandwidth-intensive, such as streaming or gaming.
Encryption prevents hackers from seeing critical information, such as passwords, that you submit on websites. This is particularly significant if you use public WiFi, since fraudsters may just monitor your connections.
A VPN, on the other hand, ensures that no one, even if your information is collected, can decode or comprehend it.
Your IP address is also concealed by the VPN.
Websites and organisations, such as Voot, use your IP address to determine your location. When you connect to a VPN server, the webpages you browse see only the VPN's IP address.
Because they can't see your genuine IP address, they can't know where you are. This is necessary if you want to torrent or bypass geoblocks and restrictions.
It means you may watch any TV show, movie, or game from anywhere on the globe and surf freely in whatever nation you visit.
Some VPNs prevent access to dangerous websites, advertisements, and trackers.
Malicious websites have the ability to covertly put viruses and trackers on your gadgets. VPNs with built-in security help to avoid infection by screening these sites before they can do harm.
Some individuals also disable ads and pop-ups. This stops harmful advertisements from infecting your device with malware, allowing you to enjoy ad-free streaming channels such as YouTube.
Best VPNs For Watching Jio Cinema If It Is Unavailable In Your Country
NordVPN — Reasonable prices for unblocking streaming platforms
NordVPN is a favorite of OTT content watchers. Up to 6 simultaneous connections and a colossal number of servers make NordVPN desirable for content watchers as they use multiple devices for watching.
The NordLynx protocol, developed around the new WireGuard VPN protocol, is an eye-catching feature only on NordVPN.
- Nord VPN has a network of whacking 5,348+ servers from 59 countries
- Superfast speed and unlimited bandwidth for streaming.
- Control up to 6 devices at the same time.
- Risk-free 30 days money-back guarantee.
- Unblocks all streaming platforms like BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix etc.
- Compatible with: Windows, Android, iOS, macOS, Chrome, Linux, Firefox, routers etc.
A 2-year plan starts at just $4.13/month, whereas a year-long subscription costs $4.92/month. There is also a 30-day money return guarantee in case you find something missing from the VPN.
ExpressVPN — Best security and high speed streaming
ExpressVPN is one of the best VPNs that are currently operating in the market and has huge potential.
- With over 3000+ servers scattered all over the globe, in around 94 countries.
- Fast speed for HD streaming.
- Connect up to 5 devices simultaneously.
- 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Unblocks all streaming platforms like BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO, Amazon Prime Video
- Compatible with: Windows, Android, iOS, macOS, Chrome, Linux, Firefox, routers.
Get 3 months free on 1-year subscription at just $4.85 per month and 6-month subscription at just $7.27 per month. There is also a 30-day money return guarantee in case you find something missing from the VPN.
Why do we recommend NordVPN?
Below are some reasons why we use NordVPN and recommend it to our users.
- Unblocks 400+ streaming platforms like BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, etc.
- Unblocking Jio Cinema was very simple in Japan, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, South Korea, Italy, Germany, France, Switzerland, Egypt, Mexico, Canada.
- Fast speeds on both domestic and foreign servers. Although it is quicker on local servers, it is still fast enough for seamless streaming, gaming, and torrenting on foreign servers.
- Safety and confidentiality features are unrivaled. You'll remain secure and incognito online with AES 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, split tunneling, and a rigid no-logs policy.
- Connecting to a server that is closer to your actual location will usually result in quicker speeds.
- You can connect to 12 distinct UK servers, and they all offer you unrestricted access to BBC iPlayer.
- Compatible with Mac, Windows, Android, and other platforms.
- NordVPN may also be installed on a router to secure all of your devices at the same time. Read our quick guide on how to use vpn on windows, android and iOS.
- It provides a 30-day money-back guarantee. NordVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee that allows you to test its services for free.
NordVPN offers transactions with all major credit cards, Direct Debit, WeChat, AliPay, Sofort, Google Pay, Union Pay, Amazon Pay, Ripple, and iTunes.
Adyen, as well as for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Monera, zCash, and Dash, are accepted as payment methods.
It is also available at stores like BestBuy and Target. PayPal is accepted by the company in a select few countries, like Germany, France, and Japan.
Is using a VPN legal?


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THURSDAY, July 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Young children with strong reading skills may be on a fast track to a brighter future, a new study suggests.
Kids with above average reading skills may have higher intelligence levels as they get older, according to British researchers.
The study included 1,890 identical twins from Great Britain who were given reading and intelligence tests when they were ages 7, 9, 10, 12 and 16. Because each pair of twins had the same genes and home environment, any differences between them had to be due to factors they didn't share, such as the quality of their teachers or friends who encouraged reading, the researchers suggested.
Differences in reading skills between the twins were linked to later differences in intelligence, including areas such as vocabulary and reasoning. The reading abilities associated with later enhanced intelligence were evident by age 7. This suggests that even early reading skills may affect a child's intellectual development, the study authors said.
The study findings were published July 24 in the journal Child Development.
"If, as our results imply, reading causally influences intelligence, the implications for educators are clear," study leader Stuart Ritchie, a research fellow in psychology at the University of Edinburgh, said in a journal news release. "Children who don't receive enough assistance in learning to read may also be missing out on the important, intelligence-boosting properties of literacy."
The findings may also help to explain why different children in the same family can have different levels of intelligence, even though they share genes, living conditions, and parents, the researchers said.
The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Edinburgh and King's College London. It was funded by the the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the U.K. Medical Research Council, and the European Research Council.
More information
The U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development outlines the best way to teach children to read.
This article: Copyright © 2014 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


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RFP Announcement: An Integrated Approach to Understanding Host-Pathogens Interactions - RFP NIAID-DMID-NIHAI2010100
Release Date: April 19, 2011
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
The Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, NIAID has a requirement to establish multi-disciplinary centers that focus on understanding at a molecular level the host-pathogen interaction using a systems biology approach. The primary goal of the activities carried out under this contract will be to investigate and identify the metabolic, regulatory, signaling, and other biological pathways generated by host-pathogen molecular interactions to help explain and predict clinical manifestations of infectious diseases, host responses, disease progression, and outcomes. Studies will focus on persistent or recurrent infections with well-defined, highly-specific phenotypes. Examples of such infections include, for example, tuberculosis, malaria, leishmaniasis, histoplasmosis, and infections caused by cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, herpes virus, Salmonella spp., Group A streptococci, and Chlamydia trachomatis. Although a systems biology approach could be used to investigate complex biological events, such as cell behavior or microbial communities, the focus of this contract is only on molecular cellular events of the interaction of the pathogen and the host, such as those involved in the biological, biochemical and biophysical processes of microbial organisms or in pathogenesis and disease progression in humans.
Each multi-disciplinary center, composed of teams of investigators with a wide breadth of skills and scientific and technical expertise, will carry out these investigations through one or more Research Projects. The research findings of such projects should have the potential to be applicable or relevant to a variety of pathogenic organisms, which may help to identify common molecular mechanisms that cause persistent and recurrent infections and should lead to a better understanding of the biological, biochemical and biophysical processes of host-pathogen interaction or of the initiation and progression of infectious diseases in humans. Examples of Research Projects include:
Research Projects conducted under this contract should employ a combination of innovative, experimental systems biology approaches, including high-throughput "omics" technologies, such as transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, glycomics or lipidomics. Rigorous novel algorithms and analytical methods, including bioinformatics should also be included. It is expected that integrated data sets will be used to build mathematical models of host-pathogen interactions that can be validated by experimental approaches, explaining the molecular basis of clinical manifestations of infectious diseases, including severity and response to treatment and vaccines. Furthermore, results obtained from these studies should identify novel, unique, as well as common molecular signatures that may represent future targets for intervention and could aid in the identification of emerging pathogens and in the development of drugs, immunotherapies, vaccines and diagnostics for prevention and treatment of diseases caused by potential agents of bioterrorism and emerging/reemerging infectious diseases.
Please Note the Following:
Examples of research areas that are not responsive include:
The detailed solicitation (RFP: NIAID-DMID-NIHAI2010100) is available on FedBizOpps at: http://www.fbo.gov, with instructions for submission of proposals and evaluation criteria.
Please direct all inquiries to:
Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Division of Extramural Activities
Office of Acquisitions
6700-B Rockledge Drive
Room 3153, MSC 7612
Bethesda, MD 20892-7612
George Kennedy
Contract Specialist
Office of Acquisitions, Division of Extramural Activities, NIAID, NIH, DHHS
6700-B Rockledge Drive, Room 3153, MSC 7612
Bethesda, MD 20892-7612
Phone 301-451-2607
Fax 301-480-2248
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices
Office of Extramural
Research (OER)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
9000 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, Maryland 20892
Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS)
Note: For help accessing PDF, RTF, MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Audio or Video files, see Help Downloading Files.


text:
Story highlights
Homeboy Industries helps gang members get off the streets
Father Greg Boyle, the founder, has counseled thousands of gang members
Program provides jobs for people who want to turn their lives around
Homeboy Industries also provides services such as tattoo removal
There are few people who can say their job saved them, but former gang member Rafael Jimenez says he's one of them.
"If I wasn't working here I'd be on the streets looking for problems or, even worse, selling drugs," Jimenez told CNN en Español.
"Working here saved my life," said Jimenez, dressed in his blue uniform and cooking cap.
The 44-year-old works as a baker at Homeboy Bakery, part of Homeboy Industries in East Los Angeles, the largest gang rehabilitation program in the country. The program was founded in 1992 by Father Greg Boyle, who has counseled and mentored thousands of gang members.
This month marks Jimenez's one-year anniversary of getting off of drugs and out of the 4th Street Flats gang in East L.A. The youngest of six siblings, he says he joined the gang at age 11 and spent the next 30 years selling drugs, in and out of jail and gang banging. It wasn't until he started thinking about what his son's future would look like that he decided to leave the gang life.
"I knew if I kept going at it, I would be dead or in jail. I can't believe I wasted all that time," Jimenez said. "And, now I'm baking pastries with rivals that I would've never spoken to just last year."
Homeboy Industries' program has been so successful that other gang rehabilitation programs around the country are now looking to them as a model. Boyle hopes to soon launch National Homeboy Network, a yearly conference that would connect programs around the world to share best practices and explore what works for different communities.
"About 46 programs, in different degrees of progress, have come to us for technical assistance, or we have gone to them to help them set up," Boyle told CNN. "And that's when I thought, what if we were to start a network to help even more people?"
Known as the "gang capital" of the nation, Los Angeles has more than 450 active gangs with a combined membership of 45,000 people, according to the LAPD.
Few organizations have lasted as long as Homeboy Industries, said Nane Alejandrez, director of Santa Cruz Barrios Unidos, a nonprofit organization helping former prisoners and gang members integrate back into society. Over the years, Alejandrez has partnered and worked closely with Homeboy Industries and Boyle.
Alejandrez returned from the Vietnam War to find his neighborhood facing its own street war. He founded Barrios Unidos in 1977 to help struggling youth reclaim and restore their lives by providing them with life-enhancing alternatives.
"When you meet someone like Father Greg, a man of the church, you're able to sit one on one with him and share that pain with him, it makes you see that we all make mistakes and we can change," Alejandrez sabid.
According to the study from the University of California Los Angeles, six out of 10 gang members who go to Homeboy Industries are able to integrate back into society successfully and stay away from violence and gang-related activity.
"Homeboys Industries has been so helpful and supportive," said Jimenez. "If you want to change, this is the place to start."
Ex-gang member Mario Lundes, weary of being in and out of jail, decided to make a positive change and seek out a regular job. But extensive tattoo removal from his forehead, cheeks and neck – a service Homeboy Industries offers – would be a vital part of the process.
"I have so many tattoos on my face and hands, I can see why people don't want to give me a chance," Lundes said in an interview with CNN en Español. "Looking like this, they'll think I'm going to steal their money or things like that."
Homeboy Industries has helped thousands of high-risk youths with a variety of free programs: mental health counseling, GED classes, job training and legal services. The program's motto: "Nothing stops a bullet like a job."
Boyle says one of the key components of Homeboy Industries is compassion.
"What if we were to invest in gang members, rather than just seek to incarcerate our way out of this problem?" Boyle wrote in his book, "Tattoos on the Heart: the Power of Boundless Compassion."
Besides Homeboy Bakery, other small businesses that serve as a transitional employers for those ready to leave the gang life include Homegirl Café & Catering, Homeboy Silkscreen & Embroidery, and the Homeboy Cafe & Bakery in the American Airlines terminal at Los Angeles International Airport.
Gang membership in L.A. is still going up, said civil rights attorney and gang prevention expert Connie Rice, but many gang members also want out, and Boyle's connection to the Catholic Church has made an impact among Latinos.
"Latino gangs are very different from African-American gangs in that if you are allowed to leave it's only if you are going to go with God," she said. "The influence of the Catholic Church in the Latino culture is so powerful."
Fabián Debora, who started out as a baker at Homeboy Bakery after leaving an East L.A. gang, is now lead substance-abuse counselor for Homeboy Industries. He said most gang members "really want to have a life that is better and more stable, but they just don't know how to get out of the gang life."
"But when a person has a reason to wake up in the morning and come to work …. they're already on a path for change," said Debora, who went through the program six years ago.
Debora, who's also a painter, has been commissioned to do his first solo mural – at Dolores Mission Elementary School in Los Angeles.
He spoke of his turbulent past without any hesitation.
"I had to go through two suicide attempts and rehab before I rediscovered my higher power, my God, to believe that I do belong in this world," Debora said to CNN.
Debora says it's hopelessness and a broken spirit that leads a person to join a gang.
"When you're poor and have nothing, and see how gang life is full of girls, money – and you're surrounded by others who you can relate to, with their fathers and mothers in jail or on drugs, the gang life can be tempting."
There are times when Jimenez runs into former "homies," and while they exchange pleasantries, he does everything he can to avoid contact because he's worried it might set him back. So, now he lives far away from his old neighborhood with his older sister.
"It feels good coming back from a long day at work and just staying home," Jimenez said, "And, when I'm not at the bakery, I'm playing with my son, memorizing recipes, studying for my GED, reading, and I even go to my sister's church on Sundays. Things are better."


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Identified a Gene with a Key Role in Neuronal Survival
During the development of the brain, hundreds of thousands of neurons die if they do not establish the necessary connections - synapses - with their cell targets. The process of regulating neuron survival and death is fundamental in the organization of brain connections forming the adult brain.
The effect of synaptic activity on the survival of these neurons however is not limited to the developing brain; it is also fundamental in the adult brain. The loss of synaptic activity, which results into the characteristic cognitive impairment seen in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, precedes and contributes to the neuronal death observed in these pathologies. Despite the importance of this process, there is no exact knowledge of the molecular mechanisms implied in neuron survival generated by this activity.
INc researches
In the study directed by José Rodríguez Álvarez, researcher of the UAB Institute of Neurosciences, scientists determined the relation of a gene and the neuron survival regulated by synaptic activity. Through a massive analysis of gene activity, researchers identified several dozens of genes whose functions are regulated by this activity. Of all the genes, the research demonstrates the key role played by the Nurr1 gene in the survival of neurons. Among the discoveries made, researchers observed that when the activity of this gene is silenced, the neuron dies. The research concludes that this identification provides a better understanding into the relationship between early synaptic deficits and the posterior neurodegeneration observed in Alzheimer's disease.
Nurr1 Protein Is Required for N-Methyl-D-aspartic Acid (NMDA) Receptor-mediated Neuronal Survival". Bruna Barneda-Zahonero, Joan-Marc Servitja, Nahuai Badiola, Alfredo J. Miñano-Molina, Rut Fadó, Carlos A. Saura, and José Rodríguez-Alvarez. Journal of Biological Chemistry. Vol. 287. Num. 14. March 30, 2012


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Nicholas West
The outsourcing of human jobs as a side effect of globalization has arguably contributed to the current unemployment crisis. However, a growing trend sees humans done away with altogether, even in the low-wage countries where many American jobs have landed.
Citing brutal working conditions, inefficiency and corporate bottom lines, human beings are gradually becoming redundant. Moreover, there are indications that even skilled labor will soon be replaced, rendering humans obsolete in a variety of new ways.
At this point is doesn't seem like the outsourcing of human abilities to our robotic counterparts is leading us toward the life of leisure that has been promised, but instead is leading to humans being perceived as nothing more than a troubling quantity within a new economic algorithm. How can we ensure that we maintain relevance during a time of such rapid change?
Product Fulfillment Process: We all have become incrementally familiar with the ways that our orders, requests and demands are handled by non-humans. Fulfillment can range from ATMs, automatic grocery checkout, online order processing, having a movie delivered by mail or Internet, to automated answer systems for nearly all of our products.
Order fulfillment by machines is nearly ubiquitous. A component of this is the warehouse — finding an item, packaging, and shipping it. The following personal account titled, "We are Obsolete" sums up perfectly the company reasoning behind getting rid of humans in this part of the workplace:
My boss informed me that another employee was replacing me. The new employee was far better then me and would never take a day off. The new employee would never fall sick, never ask for overtime pay, and had nothing to do with the union. The new employee would not waste time near the water cooler socializing with other employees and would never waste time on Facebook. The new employee would never get stressed out, or have a nervous breakdown. The new employee would never get tired and will work tirelessly forever. Most importantly, the new employee will never get injured and sue the company for compensation.
Meet 1557. The new employee is a robot. This robot just replaced me in the warehouse today. This is the reality. (Source)
The fulfillment process also takes place in the medical field. We are now seeing robotic assistants in surgery and diagnostics, as well as research, manufacturing and dispensing. Artificial neural networks have been implemented to help make diagnoses, thus reducing human error. Some speculate that with the advent of nanotechnology it won't be long before autonomous robotic diagnosis and surgery from the inside out will be possible down to the DNA level.
Manufacturing: The Taiwanese Company Foxconn, answered criticism of its brutal working conditions by replacing its human force of 1.2 million people with 1 million robots to make laptops, mobile devices and other electronics hardware for Apple, Hewlett-Packard, Dell and Sony. The company previously had made workers sign contracts that they would not commit suicide, and would even install "suicide nets." But even these measure seem to be too much of a hassle for executives to deal with. (Source) As computer engineer, and author Martin Ford has stated, it is not merely the repetitive and precise needs of the assembly line that are being met by machines in a variety of industries, but more skilled labor as well.
How could management get rid of these skilled workers?
They could simply build a remote controlled robot to perform the task, and then offshore the control function. As we have pointed out, it is the ability to recognize a complex visual image and then manipulate a robot arm based on that image that is a primary challenge preventing full robotic automation. Transmitting a real-time visual image overseas, where a low paid worker can then manipulate the machinery, is certainly already feasible. Remote controlled robots are currently used in military and police applications that would be dangerous for humans. We very likely will see such robots in factories and workplaces in the near future. (Source)
Domestic Service: A host of lifelike, even humanoid robots, have been developed with a range of motion and ability that is leading to a growing possibility of a "bot in every household." An article written back in 2004 titled, "From Outsourcing to Botsourcing" posited a disturbing near-term future at the time of its writing:
If you're middle-aged now, perhaps your closest companion in your dotage will be a wirelessly connected android that traipses after you, bringing iced tea or martinis, and reminding you to take your medications, send a birthday card to your grandson, and sell your Cisco stock. (Source)
Eight years is an eternity in computing, so where do we stand here in 2012 relative to the above scenario? The following is a short list of commercially available service robots, the prices of which have fallen at warp speed to be within reach of an increasing number of people. When Bill Gates says that this industry can change the world we should probably listen. So much so that even the world's oldest service profession can be outsourced, which should lead us to wonder just how attached we already have become to the machines in our lives. (Source)
- Automatic vaccum cleaners: both for the home and business.
- Weeding and grass cutting: (Source)
- Snow removal: (Source)
- Excavating: (Source)
- Construction: (Source)
- Housesitting: (Source)
- Butlers: (Video)
- Nursing care: (Video)
- Companionship and Assistance: for pets and people
- Personal Entertainment and Companionship: See ASIMO, and Romeo.
Warfare: In a matter of just a few years, we have gone from the idea of drones in America being a secret, to having the open announcement that there are now 63 drone bases on American soil. Machine warfare very well could be our greatest existential threat, as autonomous intercommunicating systems are being developed with the capability for unilateral threat assessment and war theater decision making. However, there is also the human toll. It is once again cited that robotic warfare lessens the dangers to humans, but at some level it becomes an outright replacement, such as DARPA's amazingly human PETMAN and other warbots at its disposal. Similar to the machines in a factory, robots don't have human frailties such as sickness, tiredness, mental health issues, clouded judgement based on emotions … or conscience. Where do the human resources of war go when they have been outsourced?
Artificial Intelligence: This is the overlay X-factor for each of the categories above that are already in place and affecting the global economy. Until now, robotic systems have been no better than how they have been programmed to behave. Yes, they are more efficient, durable, and predictable in most cases; however, we are now on the cusp of the next stage of development where full-blown autonomous self-learning systems take us into the realm of science fiction — delivery systems and self-driving vehicles alone could change day-to-day life as we know it, not to mention the social implications. (Source)
Two future areas which could have the largest transformative effect on what it means to be a human member of society are in the areas of education and governance.
It is a logical extension to presume that the above-listed abilities applied within medicine, healthcare and domestic services could apply quite easily to teaching. In fact, economist Kim Shin-hwan at South Korea's Hyundai Research Institute says, "By 2015, robots should be able to assist teachers in the classroom. By 2018, they should be able to teach on their own, and this will cause many teachers to lose their jobs." (Source)
Likewise, "positive futurist" Dick Pelletier considers the greater impact of the loss of skilled jobs, right up to and including law makers, judges and police officers. The above-mentioned PETMAN project at DARPA makes it clear that they are actively seeking humanoid replacements in war, so law enforcement can't be far off. However, an even greater ethical debate is raised when we look at government, which is currently filled stem to stern with all manner of corruption. Pelletier cites National Science Foundation consultant Pamela McCorduck for this argument:
I'd rather take my chances with an impartial computer,' referring to conditions where she would prefer to have automated law makers, judges, and police that have no personal agenda. (Source)
Beyond ethics, such widespread replacement of humans would remake the economy far beyond what we currently see. Pelletier notes that nearly 50 million jobs are expected to be lost to machines by 2030, and perhaps half of all human jobs by 2040.
Technology always has been a double-edged sword. The possibilities presented by artificial intelligence and robotics hold massive positive potential that actually could challenge elite power structures. In the meantime our economy is transforming away from human inefficiency and variability to a robot economy that could threaten the self-determination of billions of people. Without a massive paradigm shift in the ability for the average person to tap into the growing potential for a massive reduction in cost of goods and services, we will be left with another system of haves and have nots.
Futurist, Peter Diamandis, states with certainty in the video below that the developments over the coming decade or two will lead us to superhuman powers that will render us "Godlike." Notice that he states "all of us." Really? If so, it is an ethical decision we need to commit to before that decision is made for us either by those who aim to control the technology, or the technology itself.
For an excellent compendium on the latest in robotics and artificial intelligence, I highly recommend that you visit ROS Robotics News.
For a positive outlook with some proposed solutions for humanity within the ongoing evolution of robotics and automated systems, visit Dick Pelletier's website Positive Futurist. In a similar vein, I also would recommend Tony Cartalucci's fantastic article "Elite Power Threatened by Global Technological Progress."
A positive outcome is certainly worth considering, as we have our fair share of dystopian works of science fiction to serve as a collective cautionary tale against permitting intelligent machines.
I would love to hear what you think about the current and future role of robotics — will this lead to unbridled freedom for humanity or planned obsolescence? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.


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KRISTA DAVIS: I am not one of those writers who is in constant contact with my agent. Two series are enough to keep me busy writing. But, as many of you know, a couple of years ago, there was a great disturbance in the mystery force, and that launched me into many, many phone calls with my agent, Jessica Faust.
7 smart and sassy crime fiction writers dish on writing and life. It's The View. With bodies.
Thursday, March 15, 2018
Color Me Murder by Krista Davis
KRISTA DAVIS: I am not one of those writers who is in constant contact with my agent. Two series are enough to keep me busy writing. But, as many of you know, a couple of years ago, there was a great disturbance in the mystery force, and that launched me into many, many phone calls with my agent, Jessica Faust.
45 comments:
Congratulations, Krista . . . the coloring mystery series really is an exciting concept. Perhaps coloring has become such a rage with adults because those of us who've spent years coloring with children and grandbabies know there's a certain calmness about it. I'm looking forward to reading "Color Me Murder" and maybe even doing a little coloring on those covers . . . .ReplyDeleteReplies
Oh, I can't wait! What a great cover and concept. I am so glad someone thought to put mysteries together with coloring and then found you to do the writing. My TBR is teetering.ReplyDelete
Welcome Krista! I happen to have that very book on my nightstand:). I would love to hear how in the world you're juggling all those books! And how do you keep your protagonists straight in your mind?ReplyDeleteReplies
Hi Lucy! Funny, I was just thinking about that. Each of the protagonists is so different that I look forward to switching gears and going somewhere else. But writing three series is a lot. I am not a swift writer. Wish I were.Delete
It is a lot. We should coloring therapy sessions to get through it, you know, if we had time!Delete
Krista is one of my all-time favorites! :) Loved this interview, and can't wait to start reading this series!ReplyDelete
These days, I don't read too many cozy mysteries. (So many books, so little time). That said, this one is such a clever idea and with that beautiful cover, I simply must check it out. Even the jacket copy made me smile (sketchy, colorful characters, not so black/white, etc). Well done all!ReplyDeleteReplies
What a brilliant idea! It does seem as if everyone is coloring these days - beautiful coloring books have become one of my go-to gifts. Combined with a mystery... Dang, I wish I had thought of it myself.ReplyDelete
I'm one of the world's worst colorers... my 4-year old granddaughter is excellent at it. Embroidery, which is easier to stay within the lines, is more up my alley. It does lend itself to a perfectly splendid cover. Cngrats, Krista! You're on a roll, that's for sure!!ReplyDeleteReplies
Congrats on the new series. What a timely idea. Just wondering, is Jessica in Schenectady? Harlan Ellison used to claim that he got all his ideas from an "idea service" in Schenectady.ReplyDeleteReplies
LOL! That sounds like Jessica, but she claims to be in New Jersey. If you haven't heard, she has now added Bookends, Jr. for children's books! Even with all she does, she loves to brainstorm. But now I want to find that idea service in Schenectady!Delete
Krista, you are my complete idol! Yay. (I hate coloring, though, just saying, I am coloring impaired, and even as a kid, couldn't do it. And then, there was the whole outline-or-not controversy. Just like today!)- ) But your covers are brilliant, colored-in or not, and the idea is brilliant.ReplyDelete
Now I'm wondering if you could somehow include an extra clue, or benefit of some kind, to those who color the cover. And do you hand out little crayon packs as gifts?Replies
Hank, I was stunned when I went in search of coloring gifts. There are special coloring pencils that run over $100 for a pack. They make special ones for shading and gel pens as well. It's a big business! I have given away some 72 pencil packs, but I had to ask around to know what was popular.Delete
Wow! I had no idea!Delete
I love the cover, Krista. Have any of your readers shared finished colored covers with you?ReplyDelete
Krista, what a clever idea, and the cover is really stunning. So different. I love Ingrid's question about readers sharing finished covers with you. What sort of research did you have to do to learn about coloring book artists and the coloring book business?ReplyDeleteReplies
Deborah, I was quite worried that I was out of my zone of comfort because I am not an artist. I did some research on how artists think. One of the most telling things was a comment someone left on Facebook. She said when she was a child, she thought everyone saw blank pages as filled in. Happily, I do doodle. While I can't doodle a recognizable face, I can dream of doing it!Delete
That's fascinating. I see a blank page as needing words :)Delete
When I saw this series was starting, I couldn't believe that someone hadn't started writing it already. And this debut is so much fun, too.ReplyDeleteReplies
love , love the coverReplyDeleteReplies
Krista, it's always interesting to me when someone comes up with an idea that once put out there, people do the smack-your-head gesture wondering why no one had started it before. What a perfect, brilliant blend to combine the coloring mania with mysteries. And, there's a bookstore, too. With all of those fascinating elements, how could you go wrong? Your new series has given me an idea for a blog post that includes your series. Good luck with this clever series. I know I'll be taking a look at it.ReplyDeleteReplies
Oh, I love that! I'm looking forward to your blog post. The bookstore just sort of fell in place and seemed like a good full time job for the protagonist.Delete
Serendipity or just paying attention - hard to say what generates the good ideas but I'm always happy when I see new inventive story lines.Delete
Congrats on the new series, Krista! I wonder how many people will have to color the cover BEFORE reading, as opposed to after?ReplyDelete
I can see myself enjoying the mystery, but I do NOT enjoy coloring! Like Hank, I was never good at it. In the last couple of years I've received a couple of "adult" coloring books, along with color pencils. Believe me, coloring in those books was far from relaxing! I ended up with knots in my stomach! (If my sixth grade teacher is still around, she'll verify that I'm lousy at coloring:-)ReplyDelete
Someone ought to write a mystery that comes with dark chocolate bars. THAT would be relaxing! Nibble some chocolate, enjoy the mystery, have a cup of tea...
You thought of everything! Hopped over to view kindle ......and yes....Digital version contains link for downloadable color page!ReplyDelete
Congratulations on this fresh new idea for a series


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Green Nintendo DS Bundle for Spring
Nintendo News
Green Nintendo DS Bundle Sprouts for Spring
Ah, spring. The time when everyone's fancy turns to … video games. To celebrate the season of growth and rejuvenation, Nintendo announces the blooming of a new Nintendo DS™ system color: Green. The cool new color comes bundled with a hip carrying case and a copy of the Personal Trainer™: Cooking video game, which serves as an interactive cooking coach.
The new bundle will be available on May 3, which just happens to be a week before Mother's Day (hint, hint). Just like everyone else, moms are always looking for new and interesting meal ideas. Personal Trainer: Cooking includes more than 245 recipes from around the world, along with step-by-step instructions for how to prepare them.
No matter who the recipients are, they'll love the fact that they can play a whole array of cool games on their new Nintendo DS systems. Whether they're into training their brains, solving mysteries, playing with puzzles or racing, Nintendo DS provides fun experiences that can be played for a few minutes at a time or for hours on end – anytime, anywhere.


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Option 3: Sports Drink
As I mentioned above, some runners are unable to comfortably consume 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour while running. If you're among these runners, then you should just aim to take in as many carbohydrates as agrees with your tummy. You can still use a scaled-back version of Option 1 or Option 2 to meet your individual needs, but you might find it easier to get all of your fluid and carbs from the sports drink offered at aid stations.
More: Sports Drinks Myths Debunked
Provided you're at least able to drink as much as the average runner during races, you will be able to get 30 to 40 grams of carbs per hour by drinking a sports drink according to thirst and stomach comfort, which isn't too bad.
Option 4: Water
In any given marathon, approximately four percent of marathon participants suffer from severe gastrointestinal symptoms. A majority of these runners are unlucky people with sensitive stomachs who often experience GI problems while running. If you are such a runner you may not be able to consume any carbohydrates in your marathons, yet you may still be able to limit dehydration by drinking water according to your thirst.
It's a lot better than nothing. A study done by English researchers found that subjects were able to sustain moderate-intensity exercise for one hour and 17 minutes on average when they drank nothing. With plain water, they were able to last for one hour and 43 minutes.
More: Fluid Facts for Athletes
Option 5: Nothing
Some runners with sensitive stomachs are unable to tolerate even plain water in races. Is it even possible to run a marathon without drinking anything? Yes. Until the late 1960s, runners seldom drank during marathons, and even today some very accomplished marathon runners drink little or nothing when they race. For example, Shalane Flanagan drank only four ounces (about two swallows) of Gatorade during her debut marathon in New York City in 2011. She finished second.
If you are a runner with a sensitive stomach, there are a couple of tricks you can exploit to minimize your disadvantage in marathons. I share them in my latest book, The New Rules of Marathon and Half-Marathon Nutrition.
Check out Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5 of this series.
More: How to Deal With Marathon Race-Day ProblemsSign up for your next marathon.
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Nuts about a salad
|Green beans with an Asian-style dressing get a flavour kick from crunchy toasted almonds
Fear of fat? - look no further. Nuts despite being high in fat (unsaturated) can be good for you.To put this into perspective, think of the oil in olives. Nuts like olive oil, play a part in lowering cholesterol.Of course, since nuts are high in fat, they are also high in calories, so I´m not saying start eating pounds of pistachios every day, but incorporate them in moderation into your diet, and enjoy.
This easy to make salad is a cracker, as a side order, a great picnic box filler, but also as a great springboard for combining with other ingredients such as salmon to make a more substantial meal.The saltiness of the nuts and the simplicity of the salad and its fresh zingy dressing doesn´t allow it much time on the plate before being devoured in its entirety.Well not in our house any way. As an alternative, if you want to go for haute presentation the nuts can be placed around the rim of the plate as an edible decoration.I served it this weekend as a companion to a light lunch of Pinchos Morunos.
Green bean salad with Coriander and Soy- glazed almonds
serves 4
1/3 cup Marcona almonds ( about 50g / 1.5 ounces )
4 teaspoons Soya sauce
500g green beans trimmed, cut into short pieces
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove pressed
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons thinly sliced spring onions
1/3 cup fresh coriander leaves
Put the almonds in a small non-stick frying pan.Stir over a medium heat until the almonds are lightly toasted, about 5 minutes.Increase the heat to medium high. Add 3 teaspoons of the soya sauce and stir until soya sauce has evaporated and coated the almonds, about 1 minute.Set aside and cool.
Cook the beans in a large pan of salted boiling water until just tender about 5 minutes.rinse well under cold water and drain well.
Whisk the oil and vinegar, garlic, ginger and the remaining teaspoon of soya sauce in a large bowl. Add the beans and toss to coat. season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the spring onions coriander and almonds over the salad and serve.
PANTRY POINTER: The almonds and beans can be prepared up to 6 hours in advance.Cover the almonds and store at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate the beans; return to room temperature before serving.


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This is the entry page to the Reavis Family of Vance (Old Granville) County, North Carolina. The site is contained on pages hosted on both FamilyTreeMaker and Angelfire.
The site contains data about Samuel Reavis (1721-1789), who relocated to the Vance County area about 1787, as well as information about his descendants, covering ten generations to present day. There are nearly 100 family surnames representing individuals currently living in Vance and surrounding counties that are descendents of Samuel Reavis. Some predominant families include Brame, Coghill, Fuller, Harris, Hester, Howell, Parham, Wortham, and Wyche.
There is a special tribute section to Confederate Reavis Soldiers.
The author of the site is David C. Reavis, and may be contacted via the Website for his historical novel noted below.
NEWS FLASH - David published his first historical novel in December 2012. The name of the book is "Upon These Steps," which received the 2013 "Clark Cox Award by the NC Society of Historians." Visit the book's website to learn more.
Upon These Steps


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Clemson Win Streak Stopped, FSU Evens Series
TALLAHASSEE, FL (CU SID) — The #8 Florida State Seminoles scored two runs in the first inning and held on for a 2-1 victory over #14 Clemson in front of 5,086 fans at Dick Howser Stadium on Friday night. The Seminoles, who evened the series 1-1, improved to 43-11 overall and 19-10 in the ACC. The Tigers, who saw their nine-game winning streak come to an end, fell to 39-16 overall and 18-11 in the ACC. Florida State scored two runs in the first inning and had runners at the corners with no outs before the Tigers worked out of the jam. Those were the only two runs of the game the Tiger pitching staff gave up. Clemson put its leadoff batter on base five straight times from innings 3-7, but only managed one run in those five frames and fell one run short. Seminole starter Luke Weaver (6-2) earned the win by pitching a career-high 7.1 innings. He allowed seven hits, one run, and two walks with eight strikeouts. Billy Strode retired the only batter he faced in the eighth inning, then Robbie Coles pitched a hitless and scoreless ninth inning to record his ninth save of the season. Matthew Crownover (7-2) suffered the loss, as he yielded five hits, two runs, and no walks with three strikeouts in 4.1 innings pitched. Clate Schmidt, who was making his first appearance since suffering an injury on May 6, pitched 3.2 innings in relief, allowing no hits, no runs, and no walks with one strikeout. Crownover and Schmidt combined to allow only two hits after the first inning. The Seminoles grabbed the game's first lead in the first inning. Brett Knief led off with a single to right-center and DJ Stewart laced a double down the left-field line to advance Knief to third. After Stephen McGee loaded the bases with no outs on a hit-by-pitch, Marcus Davis grounded a 1-2 pitch through the right side for a single to score Knief and Stewart. It marked the first time in 13 starts in 2013 that Crownover gave up a run in the first inning. But with runners on first and third and no outs, Crownover retired the next three Seminoles without allowing another run. Steve Wilkerson led off the sixth inning with a single to left-center. Two batters later, Garrett Boulware ripped a one-out double down the left-field line, then Shane Kennedy grounded out to short to score Wilkerson. In the ninth inning, Kennedy drew a one-out walk, but Tyler Krieger lined into a game-ending double play. Davis had both of Florida State's RBIs, while Knief and Stewart scored the Seminoles' two runs. Wilkerson was the only player in the game with multiple hits, as he went 3-for-4 with a steal. Kennedy added two walks, but his 11-game hitting streak came to an end. Clemson outhit Florida State 7-5 and had two more batters reach base than the Seminoles. Clemson and Florida State will play game-three of the three-game series on Saturday at 3:00 PM on ESPNU. With a win on Saturday, Florida State can clinch the ACC Atlantic Division title. A Clemson win and an N.C. State loss at Duke on Saturday would give Clemson the division championship, while a Clemson win and a Wolfpack win would give N.C. State the division title.


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1981 Grammy Awards
Updated September 9, 2022 | Infoplease Staff
|Record of the Year
|"Bette Davis Eyes," Kim Carnes
|Double Fantasy, John Lennon and Yoko Ono (Warner Bros/Geffen)
|Song of the Year
|"Bette Davis Eyes," Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon, songwriters
|Best New Artist
|Sheena Easton
|Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male
|Breakin Away, Al Jarreau
|Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female
|Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music Live On Broadway, Lena Horne
|Best Pop Vocal Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal
|"Boy From New York City," Manhattan Transfer
|Best Pop Instrumental Performance
|"The Theme From Hill Street Blues," Mike Post featuring Larry Carlton
|Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male
|"Jessie's Girl," Rick Springfield
|Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
|"Fire and Ice," Pat Benatar
|Best Rock Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal
|"Don't Stand So Close to Me," Police
|Best Rock Instrumental Performance
|"Behind My Camel," Police
|Best Rhythm and Blues Song
|"Just the Two of Us," Bill Withers, William Salter and Ralph MacDonald, songwriters
|Best Rhythm and Blues Performance, Male
|"One Hundred Ways," James Ingram
|Best Rhythm and Blues Vocal Performance, Female
|"Hold On I'm Comin'," Aretha Franklin
|Best Rhythm and Blues Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal
|The Dude, Quincy Jones
|Best Rhythm and Blues Instrumental Performance
|"All I Need Is You," David Sanborn
|Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male
|"Blue Rondo a la Turk," Al Jarreau
|Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female
|Digital III at Montreux, Ella Fitzgerald
|Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Duo or Group
|"Until I Met You" (Corner Pocket), Manhattan Transfer
|Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist
|Bye Bye Blackbird, John Coltrane
|Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group
|Chick Corea and Gary Burton in Concert, Zurich, October 28, 1979, Chick Corea and Gary Burton
|Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band
|Walk on the Water, Gerry Mulligan and His Orchestra
|Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Vocal or Instrumental
|Winelight, Grover Washington, Jr.
|Best Country Song
|"9 to 5," Dolly Parton, songwriter
|Best Country Vocal Performance, Male
|(There's) "No Gettin' Over Me," Ronnie Milsap
|Best Country Vocal Performance, Female
|"9 to 5," Dolly Parton
|Best Country Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal
|"Elvira," Oak Ridge Boys
|Best Country Instrumental Performance
|Country, After All These Years, Chet Atkins
|Best Gospel Performance, Contemporary or Inspirational
|Priority, Imperials
|Best Gospel Performance, Traditional
|The Masters V, J.D. Sumner, James Blackwood, Hovie Lister, Rosie Rozell and Jake Hess
|Best Soul Gospel Performance, Contemporary
|Don't Give Up, Andrae Crouch
|Best Soul Gospel Performance, Traditional
|The Lord Will Make a Way, Al Green
|Best Latin Recording
|"Guajira Pa la Jeva," Clare Fischer (Pausa)
|Best Inspirational Performance
|Amazing Grace, B.J. Thomas
|Best Ethnic or Traditional Recording
|There Must Be a Better World Somewhere, B.B. King (MCA)
|Best Arrangement of an Instrumental Recording
|"Velas," Quincy Jones and Johnny Mandel, arrangers
|Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s)
|"Ai No Corrida," Quincy Jones and Jerry Hey, arrangers
|Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices
|"A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square," Gene Puerling, arranger
|Best Instrumental Composition
|"The Theme From Hill Street Blues," Mike Post, composer
|Best Cast Show Album
|Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music Live on Broadway, various composers and lyricists (Qwest/Warner Bros.)
|Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special
|Raiders of the Lost Ark, John Williams, composer (Columbia/CBS)
|Best Classical Album
|Mahler, Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, Sir Georg Solti conducting Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus (London)
|Best Classical Orchestral Recording
|Mahler, Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, Sir Georg Solti conducting Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus (London)
|Best Chamber Music Performance
|Tchaikovsky, Piano Trio in A Minor, Itzhak Perlman, Lynn Harrell and Vladimir Ashkenazy
|Best Classical Performance, Instrumental Soloist(s) (With Orchestra)
|Isaac Stern 60th Anniversary Celebration, Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman and Pinchas Zukerman; Zubin Mehta conducting New York Philharmonic Orchestra
|Best Classical Performance, Instrumental Soloist(s) (Without Orchestra)
|The Horowitz Concerts 1979/80, Vladimir Horowitz
|Best Opera Recording
|Janácek, From the House of the Dead, Sir Charles Mackerras conducting Vienna Philharmonic; solos: Zahradnicek, Zitek and Zidek (London)
|Best Choral Performance (Other Than Opera)
|Haydn, The Creation, Neville Marriner conducting Chorus of Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields
|Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance
|Live From Lincoln Center, Sutherland-Horne-Pavarotti, Joan Sutherland, Marilyn Horne and Luciano Pavarotti
|Best Comedy Recording
|Rev. Du Rite, Richard Pryor (Laff)
|Best Spoken Word, Documentary or Drama Recording
|Donovan's Brain, Orson Welles (Radiola)
|Best Recording for Children
|Sesame Country, Muppets, Glen Campbell, Crystal Gayle, Loretta Lynn, Tanya Tucker; Jim Henson (Sesame Street)
|Best Album Package
|Tatoo You, Peter Corriston, art director (Rolling Stones/Atlantic)
|Best Album Notes
|Erroll Garner, Master of the Keyboard, Dan Morgenstern, annotator (Book-of-the-Month Records)
|Best Historical Album
|Hoagy Carmichael: From "Star Dust" to "Ole Buttermilk Sky" (Book-of-the-Month Records)
|Video of the Year
|"Michael Nesmith in Elephant Parts," Michael Nesmith
|Producer of the Year (Non-Classical)
|Quincy Jones
|Classical Producer of the Year
|James Mallinson
Sources +
See also:
Here are the facts and trivia that people are buzzing about.


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By Chris Peck on 19 March 2013
An alliance of cycling organisations in Spain has demanded that the Government withdraw proposed anti-cycling measures which threaten to undermine the increase in cycling and deter green tourism. You too can write to the Minister with your comments.
Cycle tourism would be undermined by the proposals
CTC first reported on these concerns at the beginning of March.
Since then the Spanish government has backpedalled on the earlier proposal to prevent children cycling on their own.
However, many negative aspects of the proposals remain:
- Cyclists must wear approved helmets at all times on all roads. The only exception being that professional cyclists, and cyclists in competition or training, will be governed by their own association regulations.
- Cyclists should preferably ride on the hard shoulder or as close as possible to the curb on roads with a speed limit of 50 kph or more.
- Cyclists should preferably use the right edge of the right lane on roads with a speed limit of less than 50 kph and facilitate overtaking by faster motor vehicles.
- Cyclists under 18 may not cycle on A-roads (autovías in Spanish).
- Passengers and cargo cannot be taken on A-roads (autovías in Spanish).
- Prior permission will be required for cycling events and some of the policing costs must be met by the organisers.
In response ConBici organised a protest by cyclists in 7 cities across Spain. Cyclists descended on the Dutch, German, French and Danish embassies and consulates, applying for 'cyclist asylum' against the laws. Below is a photo from the protest in Valencia.
Criticisms made by ConBici
ConBici – the organisation that represents Spanish cycling organisations nationally – does not accept the manner in which the proposals presented by the national traffic authority (Dirección General de Tráfico or DGT) have been prepared and drafted.
The starting point for this reform was a document prepared over a period of several years in cooperation with cyclist organisations and the bicycle industry. However, according ConBici's technical director, Manuel Martin, the newly appointed director of the DGT has ignored this previous work and issued cycling organisations with a copy of new proposals at the same time as it sent them to the media and the Interior Ministry – so excluding the possibility of any real discussion beyond the presentation of written submissions and alternative proposals.
As the draft reform also proposes the modification of regulatory items that do not affect bicycles, ConBici recommends that bicycles are excluded from this current reform and that work is restarted in a proper manner for the creation of a coherent consensus on bicycle regulations.
If this recommendation to exclude bicycles is dismissed by the DGT, then ConBici proposes the following modifications, deletions, and additions to the draft proposals.
Bicycles are treated as obstacles and their use is not encouraged
The introductory text to these draft proposals discusses how the reform is intended to legislate in favour of vulnerable road users. However, this statement of intent disappears in the actual drafting of the regulations. In the supposed interests of safety, regulations are proposed for bicycles that are unproven in their effectiveness and which penalise the use of bicycles. No thought is given to the consequence of these proposals; while priority on the roads continues to be given to the all-powerful motor vehicle.
Under Article 176 of the current regulations (road positioning), the bicycle enjoys all the advantages of being considered a vehicle. However, the DGT proposes relegating the bicycle to the category of 'obstacle' and states that bicycles should be positioned on the right of any lane so as not to impede the progress of faster motor vehicles. This is despite the fact that many motor vehicle drivers commit serious offences by overtaking cyclists too closely.
City speed limits
The draft proposals recommend lower speed limits for town and city roads; however, the standard speed limit will remain 50 km per hour – while 30 and 20 km per hour limits will be exceptions. The introduction to the draft regulations states: 'In urban areas, the motor vehicle has begun to lose its dominating role and sharing the road with pedestrians and cyclists is becoming more important.'
For this reason, ConBici proposes that 50 km per hour limits become the exception for urban roads, and that cyclists and pedestrians are suitably protected on these faster roads.
Proposed Article 175 states: 'Cyclists will take the appropriate measures to ensure a safe coexistence with other vehicles.' This proposed article shows how the DGT discriminates against cyclists, views cyclists as the cause of safety problems on the roads, and imposes a duty on cyclists that is impossible to fulfil.
Mandatory helmets are rejected by almost all affected groups
ConBici's technical director, Manuel Martin said: 'The DGT continues to ignore the innumerable studies that advise against implementing mandatory helmets and has ignored this opportunity to rectify this situation until a major reform of the Road Safety Act enables the repeal of mandatory helmet use in all circumstances'.
Numerous city councils throughout Spain have already expressed their opposition to mandatory helmets because this measure will discourage the use of bicycles and threaten the viability of public bike sharing systems.
Possible unconstitutionality
According to ConBici, Articles 55 and Annex II of these proposals contravene the Spanish constitution by attributing to the DGT powers which it does not have with respect to the exceptional use of the road. These articles aim to limit the right to organise meetings and demonstrations and place a special emphasis on meeting and processions organised by cyclists.
Article 179 proposes the mandatory use of cycling helmets under all circumstances. This proposal contradicts the current Road Safety Act and eliminates the various technical reasons for not wearing a helmet that are permitted under current legislation – leaving the existing exemption for professional and competing cyclists as the only exclusion.
Proposals will stop the growth of green tourism and the bicycle industry
ConBici believes that this is the moment to encourage the development of bicycle touring and 'green tourism' and cannot understand why measures would be imposed that will prevent the growth of bicycle-related tourism (already well established in other European nations). Moreover, these measures will endanger the growing bicycle industry – one of the few businesses that is expanding despite the economic crisis.
Write to the Minister
If you are concerned about these proposals you can send a message to the Minister in charge of tourism using a form on the Department's website (Spanish - but feel free to write your comment in English).
Source: ctc.org.uk
Related articles:
Spanish cyclists seek asylum at European embassies over helmet law
Sustainability.org.il > תחבורת אופניים >


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Buy 3000 Instagram Video Views
- Split views option available only above 5k views orders.
- You can submit upto maximum 3 video post links.
- Make sure your Instagram account in public before placing an order.
- Order starts instantly and will get completed on the time frame depending on the volume of the order.