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The execution of four democracy activists on 25 July 2022 by Myanmar's military junta accused of helping to carry out "terrorist acts" sparked widespread condemnation and outrage. The four were sentenced to death in closed-door trials in January and April. Since seizing power in February 2021, the junta leader Min Aung-Hlaing has launched a series of repressive measures, killing over 2,100 people, detained 8,000 people and put in custody, displacing over 1 million people, and sentenced to death 140 persons. The reports that over 382 children have been either killed or maimed and 1,400 arrested are indeed chilling news. One feels tempted to compare the situation in Myanmar today to what the Pakistan military did to its own civilian people then in East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, in 1970-71 triggering the influx of over million refugees entering to India. What happened thereafter need not be told.
As a member of the ASEAN grouping, the junta has put the organisation into a crisis. At a time when promoting democracy world-over is the buzzword, the junta's action is a setback to Myanmar's experiment with its nascent democracy. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, chair of the organisation this year, appealed to the junta not to carry out the executions, thereby expressing the concern of other ASEAN members. As it transpired, such appeal fell on deaf ears of the junta.
Internally, Myanmar's National Unity Government (NUG), a shadow administration outlawed by the junta, condemned the executions. The NUG appealed the global community to punish the junta for its cruelty on its own people. The UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, was outraged and devastated at the junta's escalating atrocities. [1] Andrews feared that there could be more executions as there are at least 140 people sentenced to death. The executions also triggered international outrage, with the US, Britain, Australia, the European Union and senior United Nations officials accusing the junta of cruelty.
The last judicial execution to be carried out in Myanmar is generally believed to have been of another pro-democracy activist, student leader Salai Tin Maung Oo, in 1976 under a previous military government led by dictator Ne Win. In 2014, during the period of democratic reform, the sentences of prisoners on death row were commuted to life imprisonment, but several dozen convicts received death sentences between then and last year's takeover. The execution in 1976 was by hanging but this time there is no information how the four democracy activists were executed since there was no proper judicial process.
Prior to the executions, a military court had convicted them over "terrorist" acts. They lost appeals against their death sentences. The junta had also rejected the possibility of a pardon for the condemned men. That was not surprising as creating fear and terror seems to be the chosen strategy of the junta.
The junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun defended the death penalty, saying that it was justified and used in other countries. Lashing out against international condemnation of the executions, the junta condemned foreign statements as "reckless and interfering", saying further that two of the four executed were prominent democracy fighters who "deserved many death sentences".[2] Given the ground situation, the junta has chosen a dangerous gamble as the agitation has spread nationwide, despite the fact that the army has crushed mostly peaceful protests, thereby attracting global opprobrium. By executing four pro-democracy activists, the junta might be sending a stern and ruthless message to the people that more such killings could take place.
If the junta thinks that executions are demonstration of its strength, it would be a serious miscalculation as it would snowball sooner or later into a large-scale revolution, which the junta would find incapable to control. For all the excesses committed by the junta, there would be inevitable consequences.
The independent UN human rights expert for Myanmar, Michelle Bachelet, called for a strong international response as she saw blatant disregard for international rights law. If the military resorts to more killings, it will only deepen its entanglement in the crisis that it its own creation.
Earlier in June, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had appealed that the charge be dropped as the protestors were only exercising their fundamental freedoms and rights. He called for the immediate release of all political prisoners in Myanmar.[3]
In a rare rebuke, ASEAN denounced the executions as "highly reprehensible" and destructive to regional efforts to de-escalate the crisis. Malaysia slammed the junta for making a mockery of regional bloc's five-point consensus to restore democracy in Myanmar. The bloc was right in stating that the junta displayed "a gross lack of will" to return the member-state to normalcy. Terming it as a "crime against humanity", Malaysia urged other members of the bloc not to allow any representative of the military regime to any meeting of the bloc. Malaysia was irked that Myanmar junta broke the spirit of consensus based on which the 55-year-old bloc operates. [4]
Other bloc members were too perturbed with the executions. The bloc's distrust of the military regime has only increased. Indonesia, chair of the bloc in 2023, was worried that the bloc's standing would be weakened by the junta's actions. Indonesia indicated that it would not be business as usual. Cambodia, the 2022 holder of the ASEAN chair, was "strongly disappointed" that its appeals were ignored. Sensing that the global opprobrium and condemnation over the executions could escalate the situation further, Cambodia with its responsibility as chair chose to sooth the prevailing bellicose mood of concerned citizens and countries around the world. Thailand too was concerned about the developments and feared that these could foreclose all efforts towards achieving peace.
The executions coming a week before the 55th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting was a setback to Cambodia's efforts to expedite progress on the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus (5PC), which meant building trust and confidence to engender a dialogue among all parties concerned, in order to end violence and alleviate the suffering of the innocent people. As per the Five-Point consensus agreed in April 2021, the junta had accepted to restore democracy in the country soon. Among other conditions the consensus contained were to end violence, engage in constructive dialogue among all parties, mediation of such talks by a special ASEAN envoy, to accept the ASEAN-coordinated humanitarian assistance and a visit to Myanmar by an ASEAN delegation to meet with all parties. The executions negated all such promises.
Singapore too was perturbed. Its Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan termed the executions as "grave setback" for ASEAN's efforts to facilitate reconciliation in the country.[5]Reiterating the bloc's call for the release of all political detainees, including President Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, Balakrishnan observed that a peaceful resolution of the crisis can only be achieved through constructive dialogue among all parties concerned.
Even for China seen as being soft towards the military regime, was taken aback over the executions. The military junta had spurned the sane advice of the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for reconciliation and rational consultation. [6]China's position stems from its concerns that the worsening of the situation in Myanmar would damage its economic interests in that country. Even without this, Beijing is expected to use its leverage for the larger interest of regional peace and stability. China's position is such that even if it expresses displeasure over Myanmar's decision to execute four democracy activists, it would not interfere in the internal affairs of Myanmar. Beijing may have been miffed that the military junta ignored Wang's call to hold talks with the political opposition and went ahead to execute the four activists, knowing well that Beijing would not deviate from its official position of not interfering in other countries' internal affairs. But as one of Myanmar's largest economic backers, China has the leverage to respond. The big question is: will China do it?
Because of the strategic location of Myanmar and India's long history of engaging with the military leaders, India's role seems limited. India's Northeast shares a 1,642 km border with Myanmar. Historical links between the Northeast and Myanmar have existed for centuries. When the McMohan Line was drawn by the British, many families and communities were separated. There are many villages in either side where the people travel through the Indo-Burma Border freely on daily basis. The border is porous and a lot of informal trade takes place. In the event of any political turbulence, refugees crossing the border are inevitable. India cannot afford to remain shy and not respond pro-actively to both reaching out to the junta as well as handling the refugee issue which have strategic consequences. If India remains reticent, it would have yielded space to China to expand its influence. Such a situation would be detrimental to India's strategic interests. It is in India's interests to reinvigorate its foreign policy response and put its best efforts forward for the restoration of normalcy in Myanmar.
[1] "Myanmar executes four democracy activists, drawing condemnation and outrage", 25 July 2022, https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/myanmar-junta-executes-democracy-activist-2833101 [3]
[2] "Executed Myanmar prisoners deserved 'many death sentences': Junta spokesman", 26 July 2022, https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/myanmar-junta-prisoners-activists-execution-2836106 [4]
[3] "Myanmar junta's execution of four democracy activists condemned by UN", 25 July 2022, https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/myanmar/2022/myanmar-220725-unnews01.htm?_m=3n%2e002a%2e3388%2eon0ao069c5%2e3577 [5]
[4]Muzliza Mustafa, Alvin Prasetyo, Subel Rai Bhandari, and Nontarat Phaicharoen, "In rare rebuke, ASEAN scorches Myanmar for 'highly reprehensible' executions", 26 July 2022, https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/myanmar/2022/myanmar-220726-rfa01.htm?_m=3n%2e002a%2e3389%2eon0ao069c5%2e358u [6]
[5]Ng Hong Siang, "Myanmar executions a 'grave setback' for ASEAN efforts to facilitate peace: Vivian Balakrishnan", 26 July 2022, https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/myanmar-junta-execution-grave-setback-asean-peace-efforts-vivian-balakrishnan-2836331 [7]
[6]Maria Siow, "Myanmar's executions were a slap in the face for China. It's time to 'speak in one voice' against the junta", 29 July 2022, https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3186872/myanmars-executions-were-slap-face-china-its-time-speak-one-voice?utm_medium=email&utm_source=cm&utm_campaign=e [8]
(The paper is the author's individual scholastic articulation. The author certifies that the article/paper is original in content, unpublished and it has not been submitted for publication/web upload elsewhere, and that the facts and figures quoted are duly referenced, as needed, and are believed to be correct). (The paper does not necessarily represent the organisational stance... More >>
[1] https://www.vifindia.org/article/2022/august/04/executions-in-myanmar-disturbing-news-for-the-region-and-the-world
[2] https://www.vifindia.org/author/prof-rajaram-panda
[3] https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/myanmar-junta-executes-democracy-activist-2833101
[4] https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/myanmar-junta-prisoners-activists-execution-2836106
[5] https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/myanmar/2022/myanmar-220725-unnews01.htm?_m=3n%2e002a%2e3388%2eon0ao069c5%2e3577
[6] https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/myanmar/2022/myanmar-220726-rfa01.htm?_m=3n%2e002a%2e3389%2eon0ao069c5%2e358u
[7] https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/myanmar-junta-execution-grave-setback-asean-peace-efforts-vivian-balakrishnan-2836331
[8] https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3186872/myanmars-executions-were-slap-face-china-its-time-speak-one-voice?utm_medium=email&utm_source=cm&utm_campaign=e
[9] https://media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-1240w,f_auto,q_auto:best/rockcms/2022-07/220730-myanmar-execution-protest-mjf-1514-0920b8.jpg
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Ellen van Dijk signs two-year contract with Team Liv-Plantur
Fresh from her fourth place in the Olympic Games time trial, a result which could have resulted in a medal had she not lost time with a near-crash, Ellen van Dijk has signed a two year deal with Team Liv-Plantur. The Dutchwoman is one of the world's best time trialists…
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Fresh from her fourth place in the Olympic Games time trial, a result which could have resulted in a medal had she not lost time with a near-crash, Ellen van Dijk has signed a two year deal with Team Liv-Plantur.
The Dutchwoman is one of the world's best time trialists and has notched up 28 professional wins. She has been part of the powerful Boels-Dolmans team for the past three seasons, but has decided to head to pastures new in 2017.
She hinted that the chance of greater personal freedom is a factor in her decision.
"I am very excited about my move to Team Liv-Plantur," she said on Friday. "It's the opportunity I was looking for, since the team has, and shows, great ambition to grow. I want to contribute to that growth and to develop myself accordingly with the chances I will have.
"The team is attractive in its professional way of working and solid structure. We will have a great mix of talent and experienced riders and this is a great motivation for me to join."
Van Dijk's victories thus far are impressive. She has won a stage of the Giro Rosa, the Ronde van Vlaanderen, the 2013 Boels Ladies Tour, the 2011 Ladies Tour of Qatar, plus two overall wins in both the Lotto-Belisol Belgium Tour and Energiewacht Tour.
The 29 year old has also taken gold medals in world championships, winning the time trial in Florence in 2013 and the scratch race in Manchester 2008.
She will join Dutchwomen Floortje Mackaij, Sabrina Stultiens, Lucinda Brand and Canada's Leah Kirchmann, as well as the team's other riders. The team has said that it wants to become one of the top squads in the women's WorldTour.
"Ellen is an absolutely world-class rider and we are proud to sign her," said team coach Hans Timmermans. "In our talks it was immediately clear that we were a good match. She wants to be important to a team and for us teamwork comes above everything else.
"In Ellen we have an excellent TT specialist and Classics rider which makes our team a lot stronger. She values our philosophy and expertise that we have in the team. We think this will be the recipe for success, and [help us] grow towards being one of the leading teams in women's cycling."

subset: commoncrawl


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This post consists of four articles from the HuffPost. Each is followed by a brief commentary that points out double standards, disparity, bias and hypocrisy in the media and Trump. Despite traditional media's role in coddling white criminals and helping Trump incite violence, it's vital Americans vote to curtail the power of the madman who currently occupies the white house.
The bomber, Cesar Sayoc, was motivated by Trump's incendiary remarks and support of violence towards his critics.
Cesar Sayoc Identified As Mail Bomb Suspect
Police have arrested a suspect in connection with at least a dozen packages containing likely pipe bombs mailed in the past week to people critical of President Donald Trump.
Cesar Sayoc, 56, of South Florida was taken into custody on Friday, FBI Director Chris Wray confirmed at a press conference.
Sayoc has been charged with five federal crimes ― interstate transportation of an explosive, illegal mailing of explosives, making threats against former presidents and certain other persons, threatening interstate communications, and assaulting current and former federal officers ― the Department of Justice said. He faces up to 48 years in prison.
When law enforcement arrested him on Friday in Plantation, Florida, they also took possession of a van covered in stickers supporting Trump and criticizing Democratic officials.
Sayoc is a registered Republican and a self-described promoter and booking agent. He has a history of multiple arrests, including for felony grand theft and misdemeanor retail theft.
Authorities were initially vague about the content of the packages, calling them simply "suspected explosive devices." Wray elaborated at Friday's press briefing that each device contained roughly 6 inches of PVC pipe, as well as a small clock and wiring. "These are not hoax devices," he said.
Wray noted that the investigation was ongoing and warned there could be other packages not yet intercepted.
Read the full story at Cesar Sayoc Identified As Mail Bomb Suspect
Note there were no charges of domestic terrorism, will those come later or not at all?
While Sayoc was charged with five felonies, none mentioned terrorism. One source reported further investigation might result in additional charges. Will this act of domestic terrorism be downplayed or called out? If Sayoc crimes are not acts of domestic terrorism, this terrorist bomb scare before the midterm election will be another example of how structural racism sustains itself by stacking the stats to feed stereotypes.
Cesar Sayoc 'Found A Father In Trump,' Family Attorney Tells Anderson Cooper
An attorney for the family of bomb suspect Cesar Sayoc said in a CNN interview Friday that the troubled Florida man "found a father in Donald Trump."
Sayoc, 56, was arrested Friday and charged with five federal crimes. He's suspected of sending mail bombs to 14 Democratic political figures and other targets of the president's harsh attacks. The van he was apparently living in was plastered with photos of Trump and pro-Trump slogans.
"This was someone lost," attorney Ron Lowy told Anderson Cooper on CNN Friday.
He said Sayoc was "abandoned by his father" and was desperately seeking an identity. He "was looking for anything and he found a father in Trump," said Lowy. Sayoc had never been politically active until Trump's campaign for the presidency, said Lowy, who represented Sayoc in the past on various criminal charges.
Read the full story at Cesar Sayoc 'Found A Father In Trump,' Family Attorney Tells Anderson Cooper
According to Cesar Sayoc's lawyer, the 56-year-old man had 'daddy issues.' He found a father in Trump. Although Sayoc has a long history of violence, already traditional media appeared sympathetic, his lawyer's statement nationally published and barely any recent images of him blasted on social media. His life struggles have received more national coverage than the recent racially-motivated murders of two elderly black people by a white man or the continued killings of innocent black men by police officers.
The disparity in coverage when a white person commits a crime is what causes many POC not to trust traditional media. Also, it's a reason why Trump's criticisms of the media works. He's correct the media is biased and does misinform the public.
Bomb Mailing Suspect Cesar Sayoc Was A Big Trump Fan With A Criminal History
The man arrested on suspicion of mailing at least a dozen suspicious packages to Democrats criticized by Donald Trump is a big fan of the president, with a long criminal history.
Sayoc is a registered Republican and called himself a promoter and booking agent. He was also an amateur bodybuilder and worked as a stripper, according to The Associated Press. He was once sentenced to probation for a bomb threat, the AP reported.
According to The New York Times, Sayoc threatened a power company customer representative in a dispute over a utility bill. He said the bombing would be worse "than 9/11" and that he planned to blow the agent's head off, according to records released by the Miami-Dade state attorney's office, the Times reported.
Sayoc appeared to be living for years in his van, which was parked in a lot outside a strip mall in Aventura, Florida, and was showering at a nearby beach or at a local fitness center, according to the AP. The van was plastered with pro-Trump slogans, photos of the president and at least one sticker saying, "CNN sucks."
Read the full story at Bomb Mailing Suspect Cesar Sayoc Was A Big Trump Fan With A Criminal History
Donald Trump Claims Media Is Using Pipe Bomb Scare To 'Score Points' Against GOP
President Donald Trump attacked the news media yet again at a rally on Friday, just hours after law enforcement apprehended a suspect in connection with over a dozen package bombs mailed to Democratic public figures and CNN this week.
"The media has a major role to play, whether they want to or not. They have a major role to play as far as tone," Trump said, as the crowd booed and chanted "CNN sucks!" "The media's constant unfair coverage, deep hostility and negative attacks only serve to drive people apart and undermine healthy debate."
"For example, we've seen an effort by the media to use the sinister actions of one individual to score points against me and the Republican Party," he added, in an apparent reference to this week's pipe bomb suspect, who was a big fan of Trump. The suspect's van was covered with decals and messages praising Trump and attacking the president's critics ― including a sticker saying "Dishonest Media" and "CNN Sucks," echoing Trump's own frequent vilification of news media.
The mail bombs were all sent to people who have been critical of Trump, including former President Barack Obama, former President Bill Clinton, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.).
Read the full story at Donald Trump Claims Media Is Using Pipe Bomb Scare To 'Score Points' Against GOP
After the man arrested turned out to be an avid Trump supporter galvanized to violence by Trump's rhetoric, instead of apologizing for calling the bomb scare a hoax or false flag or blaming CNN and Democrats Trump continued to incite violence towards the media and all those who oppose him. Is this the behavior of a president who wants to make America great?
I want a president who is not a coward. I want a president who is an adult. I want a president who will be accountable and not blame others for his cruelty, inhumanity, and incompetence. How about you?
We have an opportunity to reduce his power on November 6. Please vote despite evidence of election fraud and voter suppression in the red States. Early voting is adviced, if possible.


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A Look At Russian President Putin's Strategy In Ukraine
Steve Scher talks with Columbia University Professor Stephen Sestanovich about today's meeting between U.S., Ukrainian, EU and Russian officials in Geneva. Sestanovich also discusses what President Vladimir Putin's strategy might be in his involvement in Ukraine.
Sestanovich is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and is the author of the book, "Maximalist: America In The World From Truman To Obama."


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Unwelcome to the Dollhouse
While we were out on our first date, Kathleen asked me if I wanted to meet her family that night. I told her that I'd be fine meeting them, but I also asked if it would be appropriate to include them on a first date.
"I don't see why not," was her reply.
After dinner, she led me to her car. In her back seat were five seated, plastic, naked dolls. Each doll was exactly the same: blonde, female, and spooky. She introduced each one: "This is Betsy, George, Ralph, Brad, and Maura. My family. What do you think?"
"It's good to meet them," I said, playing along.
She then gave me a big, unexpected hug. "I'm so glad you think so. I was worried," she said, then let go of me. "We're all tired, so we're going home now."
"All right," I said, looking forward to ending the date. Kathleen gave me a nice smile, then waved, entered her car, and drove away.
6 comments:
Crazy, the new normal.ReplyDelete
Well, that's ONE way to use the carpool lane...ReplyDelete
The best "Bad Date Escape Plan" EVAH!!!!!!111!!!!1ReplyDelete
"My mom thinks you're cute! Maybe we can go back to my dungeo...er apartment and I can watch you two make out!"
So I assume that means she lives in her car? That's really kind of sad. I've visualizing an orphan who has nowhere to live and wants a family so badly that she pretends her car (the most significant thing that she owns) is a house and the dolls are her family whom she lives with. :-(ReplyDelete
Look, the Barbies are just placeholders until CSI gets done restructuring her family from what remains could be recovered. Then she'll need a station wagon to cart about all that taxidermied goodness.ReplyDelete
@Jared - Love love love the title, as you well know :) Makes me feel all warm and slick to have that great me on my first day back to work.
This story is missing a word. It should read "5 seated, plastic, naked, INFLATABLE dolls".ReplyDelete
Now that's a party.
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HYDERABAD: In an unprecedented action in state legislature history, Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar tonight disqualified 16 MLAs of ruling Congress who had voted against the party government during a no-trust motion in December last year sailing with expelled Congress leader Y S Jaganmohan Reddy.
The Speaker also accepted the resignation of Praja Rajyam Party MLA B Sobha Nagi Reddy who too had backed Jagan.
The development brings down the strength of Congress from 154 to 137 in a House of 294 but does not threaten the Congress government headed by Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy which enjoys the support of 17 members of PRP and seven of Majlis Ittehadul Muslimin. There are already seven seats vacant in the assembly.
All these MLAs, owing allegiance to YSR Congress President and Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, were disqualified under the anti-defection law after they had defied the party whip and voted against the Kiran Kumar Reddy government on the no-confidence motion moved by main opposition Telugu Desam Party on December 5 last year.
Congress and Praja Rajyam Party, which is still recognised as a separate group in the state Assembly despite its merger with Congress, had filed petitions on December 12 seeking disqualification of the 17 rebel MLAs for defying the parties' whip and voting in support of no-confidence motion.
Sobha Nagi Reddy subsequently tendered her resignation from the House even as she challenged the locus standi of PRP in issuing a whip when the outfit no longer existed.
The MLAs disqualified by the Speaker were: Balineni Srinivasa Reddy, Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose, Konda Surekha (all former ministers), Mekapati Chandrasekhar Reddy, Dharmana Krishna Das (brother of state R&B Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao), M Sucharita, Amarnatha Reddy, T Balaraju, G Babu Rao, G Srikanth Reddy, Kapu Ramachandra Reddy, Srinivasulu, Prasada Raju, Gurunath Reddy, Chennakesava Reddy and P Ramakrishna Reddy.
Of the 16, Surekha, Srikanth Reddy and Amarnath Reddy were disqualified under Rule 2 (1) (a) and 2 (1) (b) of the antid-defection law as petitions seeking their disqualification were submitted previously as well (even before the voting on no-confidence motion) for defying Congress and sailing with Jagan.
The 13 other legislators were disqualified under Rule 2 (1) (b) of the law Schedule for voting and going against the party whip, the Speaker noted in his ruling.
Manohar followed the precedent, set by one of his predecessors Suresh Reddy in disposing of the disqualification petitions and the resignation of Sobha Nagi Reddy.
He also followed his own verdicts in the case of two rebel MLAs Pocharam Srinivasa Reddy and N Prasanna Kumar Reddy who had defected to TRS and YSR Congress respectively by resigning from their posts even as disqualification petitions were pending against them.(PTI)


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Its been a while since I gave you an update on my Liberty scarf collection ( at least 2 weeks!) Here are my new additions.
Lovely large brown paisley, 35" square with a hand rolled hem. I wonder when the 'c' and the 'r' were introduced on the imprint. Were they made for another country or store?
Two earlier ones, from the 1950s I think, both with a wee label, my favorite sort. Soft, gentle colours. I love the rose block print, alas it is very dirty, even I can't get the stains out.


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12/03/2021 / By News Editors
The press release claims the variant's emergence "further emphasizes the importance of vaccination" for everyone ages five and up and boosters for everyone 18 and up, but White House COVID czar Dr. Anthony Fauci acknowledged in separate remarks that the individual was "fully vaccinated," though he had not yet gotten a booster.
(Article by Calvin Freiburger republished from LifeSiteNews.com)
It is not yet known how long ago the individual was vaccinated; whatever protection the COVID vaccines confer wanes substantially after just six months (or less, depending on the vaccine), driving the government's push for booster shots.
The omicron variant has been detected in several nations, including Botswana, South Africa, Hong Kong, and Israel, sparking various travel bans, border closures, and new lockdown measures. The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that the Omicron variant can spread more quickly than other variants, but some experts believe increased fear is unwarranted.
"The virus is behaving just how viruses behave," says Dr. Paul Elias Alexander, former Trump administration COVID adviser and assistant professor at McMaster University in evidence-based medicine and research methods. "They are mutable and mutate and, via Muller's ratchet, we expect this to be milder and milder mutations and not more lethal ones given the pathogen seeks to infect the host and not arrive at an evolutionary dead-end."
The federal government considers more than 197 million Americans (59% of the eligible) "fully vaccinated" against COVID-19, though the metric is something of a moving target given the vaccines' temporary nature and the possibility of changing the definition of "fully vaccinated" to include boosters.
It is unknown how the vaccines will hold up against omicron, but a body of data suggests that the mass vaccination strategy has failed to defeat the COVID strains already in America. In October, data from Johns Hopkins University showed that more Americans died of COVID-19 this year (353,000) than in all of 2020 (352,000).
"In the USA, a total of 10,262 COVID-19 cases were reported in vaccinated people by April 30, 2021, of whom 2,725 (26.6%) were asymptomatic, 995 (9.7%) were hospitalized, and 160 (1.6%) died," Dr. Günter Kampf, associate professor for hygiene and environmental medicine at the University Medicine Greifswald, wrote last month, which he suggested may be explainable by the vaccinated population's misconceptions about the shots' effectiveness and could lead them to behave less cautiously than they did last year.
The first four cases of the omicron variant of COVID-19 identified in Botswana were also among fully vaccinated individuals.
Read more at: LifeSiteNews.com
Tagged Under: Big Pharma, covid-19, fully vaccinated, immunity, infections, omicron, outbreak, pandemic, pharmaceutical fraud, truth, vaccine failure, vaccines
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Enveed CBD Oil Tincture – Relief, Relax & Clarity
Enveed Clarity Tincture is perfectly suited to help you keep working on the task at hand. Its refreshing citrus & lemon flavor profile lights up the senses, and it uses a proprietary terpene blend to help the CBD keep your brain in check without stifling your imagination or creativity.
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Enveed Relief Tincture uses the power of CBD oil and a special terpene blend to maximize its pain relief properties using the plant's own all-natural components.
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The FTSE 100 seems to be entering crash mode as it plummets towards 6,000. In just the last month it's lost over 10% of its value with no sign of a slowdown. Panicked investors everywhere are looking for an exit.
It is at times like these that a little reflection on history may be useful. In particular, reflection on the kind of valuations, dividend yields and so on, that the market has had in the past, which may illuminate, at least to some degree, what might happen in the future.
For example, could the FTSE 100 fall below 6,000? That seems likely as it has just fallen below 6,100 as I write; but what about 5,000, or 4,000? Could it really go that low?
In the last two major bear markets in 2003 and 2009 it fell as far as 3,500. Perhaps that 6-year pattern will be repeated in 2015?
Using Shiller's CAPE as a guide to what might happen
Robert Shiller's CAPE (Cyclically Adjusted PE) is a handy tool for producing reasonable guestimates of what might happen in the future, based on where we are today.
For example, at 5,000 the FTSE 100's CAPE would be 10. If it fell to 4,000 then its CAPE would be 8 and at 3,500 its CAPE would be 7.
To give you something to compare those numbers to, in 2009, when the FTSE 100 stood at 3,500 and everybody thought the financial world was about to end, the market's CAPE was 9.5.
So assuming the CAPE approach is correct, for the FTSE 100 to reach 5,000 investors would need to be as pessimistic as they were when we were days, or even hours, from a global financial collapse.
Currently, that seems a little unlikely.
Using dividend yield as a guide to what might happen
Alternatively, you could look at dividend yields.
The Capita Dividend Monitor expects total FTSE 100 dividends in 2015 to be around £85 billion, which equates to approximately 201 index points.
If that were correct then at 5,000 the FTSE 100 would have a yield of 4%. That's high, but not unfeasible high.
At 4,000 the large-cap index would be yielding 5% and at 3,500 it would be yielding 5.7%.
For some context, the market was yielding about 6% at the very bottom of the financial market crash in 2009.
So from a dividend yield perspective, 5,000 looks quite possible, but would probably require bucket-loads of bad news. 4,000 may require something like a financial hurricane and to see 3,500 we would probably need to be on the brink of Armageddon (again).
As to how likely any of those scenarios are, your guess is as good as mine.
Selling in a bear market: The worst investment strategy in the history of mankind
And what if the FTSE 100 does fall to 5,000 or even 4,000? Would it then be time to sell?
Perhaps, but just think about what happened the last time the market reached those levels.
In late 2002 the market fell to 4,000 as investors everywhere ran for the hills, but within 3 years it had gained 50%. It reached 4,000 once again in 2008, after which it took barely 2 years to gain 50%.
So there is a pattern.
When the market falls dramatically, it's unpleasant. But those investors who can endure the bumpy ride are usually rewarded, eventually, with exceptional short-term returns. On the other hand, investors who choose to get off the bus are often left sitting in the dust, going nowhere.


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On paper, it looked like a great two months: We brought on 16 new clients in our target market. Most advisors would have been happy with those numbers over a year.
The problem? Both the team and yours truly were going crazy with the service work to support our existing clients and the prep needed for the new ones. Frankly, I was most concerned about the team. We have great people, It is truly the dream team. Everyone is smart, dedicated, ethical and willing to do whatever it takes to help our clients. They are so great, I didn't want to burn out a single one.
Here are the steps we are taking to reduce stress from too much business.
1. Meet as a Team
The very first thing we did was meet as a team. I wanted every member to know how much we valued them and how committed we were to improving their stress levels.
I then asked them to make a list of their three biggest stressors and come back with some suggestions on how to fix them.
The team had some great ideas and they seemed to appreciate being open and candid with us. Sometimes it just helps to vent and know someone else cares. I think we are much stronger as a group going through this exercise.
Immediate changes: We were able to hire some temporary help to prefill some of the paperwork and more skilled assistance in creating the financial plans. We also started interviewing for hiring a permanent addition to the team to start in January.
This provided both temporary relief and hope for the future. We also explained that while we were happy to make these changes, unfortunately they would eat into our budget for holiday bonuses. We asked how they felt about that. Every member was happy to give up a little of the bonuses for the additional help.
2. Eliminate Non-Essential Steps
We reviewed the details of our client experience and eliminated portions that didn't actually improve our clients' experience. As you may know, I hate the words "sales process," because I so strongly believe that we are not sales people but problem solvers. We call the whole process of "loving up" a client "the client experience."
We sat the entire team down and talked through our process. Now I hesitate to change anything that is working. Clearly our process works well—we are constantly getting unsolicited referrals. However, there is a limit to how much we can take on and still live a sane life.
Small changes here could have a big impact. For instance, we have been drafting a detailed, customized action plan for every case, even cases that are so small we are losing money. After reviewing our process we decided some cases would be fine with a template version of the gaps/solutions. We save the customized ones for our largest, most complicated cases. Time savings: about one hour per case. In the last two months, this would have saved us at least 12 hours of staff time.


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Owl Stuffed Animal
Cozy up with this super soft alpaca wool owls from Shupaca. Each of these fuzzy animals is responsibly made in Ecuador with natural sheared wool from alpacas. Rest assured no alpacas were harmed in the process – these highly respected animals are sheared yearly to keep cool during warmer months.
Inspired by their love of Ecuadorian culture, husband + wife team Lori and Andrew Schuster founded Shupaca; an environmentally conscious company dedicated to responsibly making alpaca products with a commitment to fair trade business practices.
- 100% Alpaca Wool
- Approximately 8 inches
- Colors will vary on each stuffed animal due to the handmade nature
- Spot wash with mild detergent
- Handcrafted by Peruvian Artists


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Undefeateds Meet in Tuscon as Nicholas Rhoads and Eduardo Ayala Clash
Nicholas Rhoads vs Eduardo Ayala
On Thursday, 23 May 2019, Nicholas Rhoads (5-0-0 2 KOs) will take on Eduardo Ayala (4-0-0 1 KOs) at the Casino Del Sol in Tucson, Arizona. The middleweight bout is scheduled for 4 rounds.
You can check out more from this event here.
Be sure to keep it here for all the latest and great boxing news.


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Paula Evers is a self-taught painter who was born in Bergen, North Holland. She started drawing as a child and later switched to painting in oils and acrylics. She works spontaneously without the use of sketches and without an intended subject matter. Yet, within her seemingly abstract compositions lie recognizable forms and figures. Her work is most known for her poetic use of color and the delicate, but striking silhouettes that appear to be communicating with one another. She also developed an abstract style in which we see symbolism from antiquity. Paula is an established, popular artist who shows her work all over the world.
Yolanda Döpp
Yolanda Döpp designs unique jewelry that can be sold overall in the Netherlands.
Her jewelry is sleek, well finished, striking and highly fashionable.
Yolanda produces new collections twice a year from her design studio in Amsterdam. Her unique style is always recognizable, allowing her jewelry to be combined in many beautiful combinations.
Yon Nicolas
Yon Nicolas is a graduate from a Dutch Art academy in Breda. She started her career 55 years ago in America. She was one of the those lucky few who could earn a living as a commercial artist. Since then, she developed herself in many ways and experimented with many artistic disciplines. Ultimately she created a unique abstract style of painting with a refreshing use of color and form. She has changed styles along the way because she abhors repeating herself. Therefore, she continually explores the upper limits of fascination. She has a light hearted approach to painting, yet her paintings emit drama and substance and never bore you. Yon has been showing her work in the Netherlands and elsewhere for several decades.
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Full Spectrum Multivitamin and Mineral. Health. Wellness. Vitality. Vegetable Capsules. Core MULTI is a clinical serving size, full-spectrum multi-vitamin with critical vitamins and minerals shown in clinical research to: Support healthy cardiovascular function. Support healthy brain function. Support healthy nutrient metabolism.
Supplement Facts
Serving Size 4 Vegetable Capsules
Servings Per Container 30
Amount Per Serving
% Daily Value*
Biotin 300 mcg1000%
Folic Acid 400 mcg100%
Vitamin A (as Beta Carotene) 900 mcg100%
Thiamine 100 mg8333%
Vitamin C (as Ascorbic Acid) 500 mg555%
Calcium (as Calcium Carbonate) 246 mg19%
Niacin (as Niacinamide) 50 mg312%
Chromium (as Chromium Picolinate) 120 mcg343%
Choline (as Choline Bitartrate) 102 mg-
Zinc (as Zinc Aspartate) 30 mg273%
Vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxine HCl) 83 mg4882%
Vitamin E (as Mixed Tocopherols) 22.5 mg150%
Vitamin B12 (as Methylcobalamin) 250 mcg10417%
Panthothenic Acid 100 mg2000%
Boron Citrate 20 mg-
Copper (as TRAACS Copper Bisglycinate Chelate) 1.5 mg167%
Molybdenum (as TRAACS molybdenum glycinate chelate) 50 mcg111%
Spectra 100 mg-
Vitamin D3 (Cholecalicferol) 100 mcg500%
Iodine (as Kelp(Ascophylum nodosum)) 150 mcg100%
Magnesium (as Albion Di-Magnesium Malate) 84 mg20%
Manganese (as manganese citrate)v 2 mg87%
Berberine HCl 150 mg-
(Consisting of green coffee extract, green tea extract, broccoli sprout concentrate, onion extract, apple extract, acerola extract, camu camu concentrate, quercetin, tomato concentrate, broccoli concentrate, acai concentrate, basil concentrate, cinnamon concentrate, garlic concentrate, oregano concentrate, turmeric concentrate, carrot concentrate, elderberry concentrate, mangosteen concentrate, blackberry concentrate, blackcurrant extract, blueberry extract, chokeberry concentrate, raspberry concentrate, sweet cherry concentrate, spinach concentrate, kale concentrate, bilberry extract, brussel sprout concentrate.)
Other Ingredients: Rice Flour, Magnesium Stearate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Hypromellose, Silicon DioxideOther Ingredients: Natural And Artificial Flavors, Citric Acid, Silicon Dioxide, Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium.


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In this sound portrait, Sandi Stromberg tells the story of how she became a poet, and she reads her poem, "Giving up the Herd."
Born in the Texas Panhandle and raised in the Midwest, Sandi Stromberg spent the first 20 years of her adult life in Europe where she was a freelance magazine feature writer and expatriate wife. She began writing poetry after moving to Houston in the 1990s. She had a career in magazine feature writing and editing at MD Anderson Cancer Center. For four consecutive years, she was named Best Public Relations Communicator of the Year in the Lone Star Awards. For 20 years, she also taught writing classes at Houston's Jung Center.
Stromberg has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and been a juried poet in the Houston Poetry Fest anthologies. Her work has also appeared in several Dos Gatos Press publications (Texas Poetry Calendars, Lifting the Sky: Southwestern Haiku and Haiga, Bearing the Mask: Southwestern Persona Poems), in Mutabilis Press anthologies (TimeSlice, The Weight of Addition, Improbable Worlds and Untameable City: Poems on the Nature of Houston) and in other small journals and anthologies, as well as online.
Giving up the Herd
When my uncles took away his chickens
and his car, Granddad laid down to die
in my aunt's white frame house that smelled
of fried chicken and tired furniture.
"There's nothing wrong with him,"
the doctor said. "Just stubborn." What
did that young whippersnapper in his fancy
blue Buick know about a man born
to drive cattle, live rough in bunkhouses
and rougher on the trail, to wear his Stetson
proud and white—long before city ordinances
and faltering eyesight fenced him in;
a man who buried three wives, watched
a fourth go back to her kin, raised seven kids?
Around him change was galloping faster
than he'd ever ridden his horse. It was nothing
he could rein in with a "whoa, boy" or ride
herd on. All he wanted was to pass the morning
with his chickens, to sift feed through his fingers,
gather eggs, and enjoy the conversation—his tut-tutting,
their responding clucks. To rock on the porch,
seasons marching across the boundless
Panhandle sky, to chew tobacco and aim
with sharpshooter precision at the spittoon.
This poem was published in the 2011 Texas Poetry Calendar and is reprinted with permission by the author.
To learn more about this series, go here.


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The Kinship of Singing
It's the time of year for caroling, a practice beloved by some and resisted by others. I sing with a local chorus, and we're currently rehearsing our holiday repertoire for visits to assisted-living facilities, an annual endeavor that reassures and challenges me. As performer Kat Patton puts it, "The ultimate for me is when a song connects with an elder's memory and elicits a joyful response."
But it has taken me years to reconcile my place in groups of singers. Music was a solitary pursuit at first. After school, as a tween, I liked to sift through 45s in a dusty shop in downtown Boothbay Harbor, Maine (one main street, one stoplight). I recall the jangle of the door chime, the smell of rose perfume, and the modest collection of latest hits. I took my time and the proprietor, a woman with grey curls and floral shawls, left me alone. The 45s were one or two dollars and change (the prices handwritten on the sleeves) and this seemed like an investment.
I invested: Prince, Madonna, Laura Branigan, Band Aid ("Do They Know It's Christmas?"—a pop star bonanza featuring George Michael, Sting, and Boy George). I had a little carrying case with cartoon figures disco dancing and I brought this back to my childhood home deep in the woods. In my tiny bedroom, I listened for hours to singles and B-sides on my record player from Sears. Then, in an experimental leap, I tried to copy these sounds myself.
As you might have guessed, I was an only child; singing along connected me to other voices. The warmth that built in my throat was substantial, a salve. I could use it to soothe myself from disagreements with my parents, from name-calling at school, from the sting of unanswered notes passed to crushes.
As so often happens with age, I forgot about this sensation. I acquired CDs and my carrying case gathered dust. I sang for others (but not with others) in choruses and in musicals, where I competed and performed, where I could always do more to improve. Singing became less about personal joy and more about severe self-judgment. For a time, I stopped singing completely.
Many years later, at Kripalu, I attended an evening kirtan in the Main Hall. I thought I was there to listen and clap. We sat in rows facing the seasoned kirtan leader, who happened to wear a shawl. She played chords on a small droning keyboard (a harmonium, I learned) and invited us to repeat the Sanskrit phrases, call and response style.
"Put your ego aside," she said, as if speaking to me. "This has nothing to do with you."
I resisted. But as I listened, the unabashed voices around me provided a healthy form of peer pressure. I remembered my record player, the discs I'd chosen. I tried to let go of getting it right, of having to be "good."
Eventually I felt the warmth in my chest again, en masse, because willing voices surrounded me. I didn't have to be locked in my room. I kept going to kirtans and remembered I love to sing.
There's a physiological basis for this joy: In yogic terms, the fifth chakra, vishuddha, is located in the hollow of the throat. Represented by the color blue, vishuddha means purification. When the throat is warm and open, it's easier to communicate, to say what's true. By contrast, I know well that sensation of swallowing my words, of tightness in my throat. My singing practice allows me to observe these shifts more readily.
"Singing makes me feel connected to emotions I otherwise have difficulty expressing," says writer Heather Lynn Levy. "Sometimes, it feels like the song I'm singing is a ghost passing through me, carrying the voices from centuries before I existed."
Singing does link us to ages and ancestors past, say Chris Loersch and Nathan L. Arbuckle, who authored a study for the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Music developed as an evolutionary tool for communal living, they found, a way to build kinship among early humans.
Teacher Jill Topham says, "When I sing with my students (pre-kindergarteners), it helps me teach them new things, it helps bring us together in a seamless way, and it helps them to know our routine by the songs we always sing at certain times of the day. Plus, it brings them happiness. When you're always bursting into song, life can be kind of like a musical!"
I asked others why they sing: "It releases a ton of stress." "It's my affordable therapy." "It's my blood pressure medication." "When I was little I stuttered and my grandmother would have me sing, 'Can I have some milk, please?'" "It elevates my mood like nothing else." "It's when I feel the most me, the most relaxed, emotionally open, and natural. It's home." "It makes me feel warm inside." "Sometimes when I'm singing, it almost feels like I'm meditating. I'm aware but not aware." "I feel grounded in my body. It harmonizes disparate parts of my mind and makes me feel more settled and smooth."
These personal benefits can multiply in a supportive group setting.
"One time a friend asked me what I think the most beautiful sound in the world is," said Krista Jack, a Reiki master and healer. "I told him it's a group of people singing together."
To find a singing group near you, visit Choir Place. But first dig out your cassette tapes, your eight-tracks, your records, if only to remember what songs have generated for you over the years, what they've taught you about using—and perhaps sharing—your voice.
Lara Tupper sings, writes, and teaches in the Berkshires.
Find out about upcoming programs with Lara Tupper at Kripalu.
© Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health. All rights reserved. To request permission to reprint, please email email@example.com.
Lara Tupper, MFA, is the author of two novels, Off Island and A Thousand and One Nights, and Amphibians, a linked short story collection forthcoming in 2021.Full Bio and Programs


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Answer with a Desert Eagle #cyberpunk
Welcome to part 5 of the cyberpunk adventure The Nothing's Child. If you are new to the story you can catch up with the links below. Each section contains the links for the parts within their respective section.
Section 1
The Nothing's Child
Section 2
Life is a Dumpster Dive
Answer with a Desert Eagle
Warehouse Intruder
Section 3
Bleuthor Encryption
Section 4
Behind the Bookcase
Section 5
Interrogation with no Egg to Stand On
Section 6
Mental Warfare
Section 7
Cracked Eggs
Answer with a Desert Eagle
They did a number on my apartment. Sure, I didn't keep much there anyway, but still. My back up decks were gone. Three hand built decks, just gone, bastards. At least I kept a safety in 'em. Those decks will fry and take the connections down with them. Goes to show, you can't trust anyone.
Greybunny35 was here, in the flesh. For the life of me I never thought I would actually meet her. Well, Michelle, I should say. She insisted on her given name. Felt wrong to me, she looked too much like her avatar in the Net.
"How did you find me?" I asked. "Our only contact is the Net. We always exchange through burner IDs."
"You're good, but I'm better." Her smile, so smug, drove me nuts. "One of the crew must have blabbed. I knew I should have changed out the Greybunny avatar a while ago."
"They had my contact id through text. But still, burner ID."
"You ever hear the legend of Ghost?"
"Who hasn't, one of the best runners ever. I heard he took down three corp runners at the same time."
"They hired him for security at UC. At least that's what I've been hearing." She sighed and pulled her legs up to her chest. She chose the floor instead of the couch. Looked uncomfortable to me as she rocked back and forth.
"What the hell are they hiding?" I stepped out of the living room into the bedroom. Took a bit of digging but I found the spot. I hid some of my more important stuff under a loose floorboard in the corner of the room.
The hidy hole still held my Desert Eagle and a few burner cred sticks. It wasn't much but it would have to do. The loss of my back up decks hurt. Creds were easy to come by, the work on those decks was time I would never get back.
I shoved the Desert Eagle into the back of my pants and put the cred sticks and a box of rounds in a back pack. Back in the living room, Michelle dug through the wiring shambles that used to be my hub.
"You needed an update anyway," she said.
"This isn't how I wanted to go about getting it," I said. "You never answered me. What are they hiding?"
"Something big," she said. "That's the best I got right now. Something big enough to bring in Ghost to run Net security."
Michelle grew quiet. The look on her face, relief, did not still my heart. Something was wrong. You could call it intuition, or gut reaction, didn't really matter to me. Something wasn't right.
There are two entrances into my apartment, part of the fire code. One through the living room and one through the kitchen. Either one would be a great place to mount a siege. Attack through the one and wait for escapees at the other. Of course, you could just attack through both at once.
Guess what they did. Bingo, both doors crashed in at the same time. Whoever it was they didn't take chances. The person in the living room had on riot gear with a billy-club in hand. Fisticuffs was out of the question. But then in times like this I like to let my trigger finger do the talking.
I had my desert eagle in hand, shoved right under the chin strap of his riot helmet. That thing filled with blood and brains. We didn't wait around for the guy from the kitchen. Out the door and down the backstairs led into the alley behind my building. I hoped that they weren't as clever here as they were in breaking through my doors.
The alley was clear. Open on both ends, each way led to a main street. At this point, Michelle was pulling me along. I shoved my gun back into the back of my pants and kept up as best I could. We pushed it on the street running away from the front of the building.
So, they were looking for us. We didn't even know who they were. But we weren't going to let a little thing like that hold us back. First things first, we needed a place to lay low. I couldn't go back to Jen's. No sense putting her in that position.
That is the biggest difference between a free-lance runner and the corporates. We didn't have a corporate backer to protect us when things went south.
If you enjoy these stories, consider leaving some coffee money in the jar or you could buy a book or two. Either way helps keep the stories flowing.


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A month ago, I had the opportunity to report on the "world's oldest record store" banning post-punk icon Morrissey's new album due to his anti-SJW, pro-British culture criticism of British immigration policies and radical Islamic violence towards people and animals.
And, despite being targeted as if by a modern witch hunt, Morrissey is not backing down. In fact, he has stood his ground with powerful ethical integrity and great erudition.
In an interview published June 24 on his official website, he logically reiterated and amplified his positions on numerous issues that have, thus far, inspired the British left to unfairly denigrate him.
On being labeled "hateful" and "Islamophobic" for criticizing Halal slaughter of animals, this long-time animal advocate and vegan said:
I can't see how opposing Halal slaughter makes me racist when I've objected to ALL forms of animal slaughter all of my life.
One of the best-known musicians to have emerged from the Manchester, England, music scene, Morrissey also offered his difference of opinion when it comes to the prevailing attitude behind a charity music event in honor of the victims of the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017.
He was not invited. And that does not surprise him.
Because I DO look back in anger! (A reference to the Oasis song that has become a kind of city-wide anthem in honor of the victims.) I would have sang "World Peace Is None Of Your Business" or "Life Is A Pigsty" – or something truthful and meaningful. If my child had been killed at Manchester Arena I wouldn't be lighting candles and swaying … I'd be in a complete rage.
Certainly, it is important to forgive, to look ahead. But it does seem as if Morrisey's very natural anger is seen by many in the UK pop media as uncouth, that only the "light-a-candle-and-hug" reaction is de rigueur.
But perhaps, as John Lydon, lead singer of The Sex Pistols and Public Image Limited said, "Anger is an energy." Perhaps it's unwise to toss aside that natural kind of energy, and, instead, one might drive it towards positive, realistic outcomes.
And Morrissey has reaffirmed his support for Brexit leader Nigel Farage to become Prime Minister, as many average Brits look towards Farage to fight for their vote to separate from the EU. A vote that was supposed to have seen England leave the giant Euro-super-bureaucracy already.
I didn't vote in the referendum although I can see how there is absolutely nothing attractive about the EU. My view has always been that the result of the referendum must be carried through. If the vote had been remain there would be absolutely no question that we would remain.
But any non-conformity against the politically-correct, autocratic, London-based, leftist power block is seen as evil, is demonized. And Morrissey offered his thoughts on this poisonous political climate in England:
The UK is a dangerously hateful place now...
In fact, political disagreement has been reduced to hyperbolic and inappropriate, slanderous name-calling, part of the postmodernist M.O.:
If you call someone racist in modern Britain you are telling them that you have run out of words. You are shutting the debate down and running off. The word is meaningless now.
Of course, his comments will not make the social justice warrior left of Britain happy. But he, like many other people who believe in free speech, will not be cowed.
That's the key to modern Britain … only the mentally castrated are eligible for praise and awards. It's against the law to be intelligent! The dumb have inherited the earth. Because of this, British arts are controlled by completely limited possibilities, and the same faces appear everywhere.
And he is not shy about expressing his thoughts about the Notre Dame fire:
Let's be realistic … it's arson. Everybody knows that. You can judge it by the speed by which the corporate media rushed to call it an accident even though the fire had just started and no one was in any position to know anything. Brainwashing! It's a bit like hearing the full reason behind a plane crash even though the plane has yet to hit the ocean.
For many years, Morrissey, who for a long time was embraced by the "radical" British music scene, has stood tall to promote the ideas of individualism, free speech, and free cognition against relentless attacks by those who used to adore him.
One need not agree with each of his positions to respect him for his diligent adherence to his principles, especially as he stands in the tortuous whirlwind of attacks from so many lemmings in the pop media.
He's not only talented. He's principled. Good for him for not bowing in the face of the attacks.


text: Jeff Flowers on July 23, 2016 15 Comments Is Bottled Water or Tap Water Better? You Decide. The decision between drinking tap water or bottled water isn't as straightforward as you might think. Neither option is inherently safer than the other. To ensure quality, US federal government regulates both bottled and tap water. For bottled water, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees labeling and content, while the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets standards for both tap water and ground water. That means that in most cases, the water you drink will be free of common contaminants, such as pesticides, microorganisms, chemicals and heavy metals. So, how do you decide which option is better for you and your family? Below we'll take a look at the two options, provide you with the pros and cons of each and give you some of our recommendations. Our goal is to provide you with the information you need, so you can make the best possible decision for you and your family. Overview of Tap Water We get our tap water from local sources, such as rivers and lakes. This water may contain bacteria, industrial pollutants, agricultural runoff, and heavy metals and minerals leached from the soil. In order to make the water safe to drink, a treatment plant must filter out particulates, disinfect the water to kill microorganisms, and remove any minerals or other chemicals that exceed the standards set by the EPA. Benefits of Tap Water There are many reasons to choose tap water. The most obvious reason, of course, is convenience. We can turn on a faucet and have drinkable water whenever we want it. Tap water is also what's served at most restaurants, dispensed in public drinking fountains, and otherwise readily available in a whole host of public places. Tap water is inexpensive, costing a fraction of a penny per gallon. It doesn't require disposable packaging, and while there is still a level of waste involved, it is minimal when compared to bottled water. None of this waste goes into the landfill or recycling after consumption (with the exception of disposable cups). Is Tap Water Safe? Yes. Generally speaking, thanks to municipal water treatment facilities, the water that comes out of the faucets in our homes is safe to drink. In rare cases, such as what happened in Flint, MI, for those with older plumbing, lead and copper can leach into our drinking water from the pipes, solder and fittings. If you own an older home, it may be worth contacting your city or state health department to learn how to get your water tested. Many people find that they don't like the taste of tap water, or think that it smells funny. In order to remove microorganisms from our water, treatment facilities frequently add chlorine or other chemicals to sanitize the water. These chemicals are still in the water when it reaches our homes. While considered safe to drink, chlorine can alter the smell and taste of the water, giving it a "swimming pool" odor. Additionally, some of our water is "hard", meaning it has a higher concentration of minerals that are harmless but can affect taste. Like with chlorine, some consumers find this off-putting and choose either to filter their water or purchase purified water in bottles. How to Purify Tap Water If you are worried about exposing your family to certain contaminants, there are many ways that you can purify the tap water in your home. Here are a few ways you can easily filter your tap water. Countertop, Faucet & Water Filter Pitchers — These filtration systems are the most convenient way to purify your tap water. You can easily filter out many additives, such as chlorine. Water filter pitchers are extremely popular and allow you to store purified tap water in the fridge and ready to drink. Reverse Osmosis & Distillation — To filter out other chemicals or minerals, most notably lead and fluoride, you will need a slightly more advanced filtration system. The most popular way is to install a reverse osmosis system in your home, which purifies your water before it even comes out of the faucet. Overview of Bottled Water Bottled water offers a quick beverage option. It's easy to buy a cold bottle at the store or grab one from the refrigerator after a workout. It's estimated that people around the world spend $100 billion a year on bottled water, and each American drinks 21 gallons per year, almost two gallons a month. Because of its popularity, bottled water can be found virtually everywhere, and seems like a great alternative to lukewarm, boring tap water. But, is it? Let's take a look at what bottled water actually is, where it comes from and whether it is actually safe to drink. Types of Bottled Water There are two types of bottled water. Much of what you see on store shelves is purified water or drinking water, and it's actually nothing more than filtered tap water. If you want to make sure you're buying water that comes from a natural source — either an underground source or a fresh spring — look for one of the following three FDA-approved labels: "artesian water," "spring water," or "well water." Well water and artesian water come from underground aquifers, while spring water comes from surface water. The main difference is that these waters did not go through a municipal water treatment plant. Artesian, well, and spring waters still must meet FDA water quality standards, however, and may be filtered or disinfected (possibly through reverse osmosis or using ultraviolet light rather than chlorine) to make them safe to drink. If the water meets the FDA standards, it is then bottled and sold. A further classification is "mineral water". Like the others, this water comes from underground aquifers, but to earn the mineral water classification it must contain a minimum of 250 parts per million total dissolved solids (minerals and other trace elements) that originate at the water source. Why You Should Read the Fine-Print on the Label If you come across bottled water that is labeled or branded as "mountain water" or "glacier water," please know that these are often used for marketing purposes. These two terms are not regulated by the FDA, which means that those terms can be printed on the label to help entice you to buy it, but the water inside the bottle has likely never touched a mountain or glacier. In these instances, look on the back of the label to find the water source. Benefits of Bottled Water Why choose bottled water over tap water? First, bottled water is convenient. While it's not as easy as turning on a faucet, it takes little effort to pull a cold bottle from the fridge. You can also carry a bottle with you to class, the gym or in the car. Outside of the convenience factor, one of the main reasons people choose bottled water over tap water is the taste. Whether the water originates at a natural source or is filtered tap water, it doesn't have the unpleasant taste and odor that some tap water has. It must be stated, however, that over the years and in different cities, groups as varied as ABC News, Boston University, and Mother Jones magazine have conducted blind taste tests that indicate many people will actually choose tap water over bottled water. When it comes to taste, one thing bottled water can offer is flavorings and other enhancements. Forced carbonation, adding citrus or berry flavors, and adding electrolytes to water can make them taste better and feel more refreshing, which has the added benefit of encouraging you to drink more water overall. Hydration is important, and with medical professionals recommending we drink six to eight glasses of water a day, knocking back a few 16 oz. bottles of flavored water a day makes that goal seem a little easier. Is Bottled Water Safe? Yes. Plain bottled water itself is generally safe to drink, but because of the handling and packaging process, it's possible to introduce germs into the water that may normally not be found in tap water. For example, some bottled water has tested positive for E. coli bacteria. While it may be rare, bottled water recall efforts are not unheard of. Can You Reuse Water Bottles? The plastic from the bottle itself may also pose a bit of a health hazard, depending on certain circumstances. The plastic used for most disposable water bottles is known as polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE), classified as "#1" out of the seven types of plastics. It has long been believed that reusing or refilling plastic bottles can leach carcinogenic chemicals into the liquid you are filling the bottle with, which you ultimately ingest. These chemicals include diethylhexyl adipate (DEHA) and benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), both of which may play a role in your health and well-being. However, the belief that either DEHA or BBP can leach into water by simply refilling them seems to be unfounded. The FDA has tested and approved PET as an acceptable and safe way to package food, including bottled water. However, there is one caveat to this. If the water bottle is exposed to high levels of heat, it may be possible that some phthalates could leach out of the container and into the liquid. So, if you decide to reuse a water bottle, it would be wise not to fill it with hot liquids. The Downsides of Bottled Water For the consumer, bottled water is significantly more expensive than tap water. The International Bottled Water Association calculated that in 2013, the average price of a gallon of bottled water was $1.21. Meanwhile, the EPA estimated that the average cost of a thousand gallons of tap water was $2. In other words, you could fill a single bottle hundreds of times from the tap for the same price as you spend on a single bottle from the store. The biggest downside to bottled water, however, is the environmental cost. A few of the environmental problems caused by plastic bottles include: Most plastic bottles end up in landfills, where they decompose very slowly and release toxic chemicals as they do break down. Packaging, transporting and refrigerating bottled water uses significant fossil fuels. Pumping water for bottled water drains aquifers and causes local water scarcity. Creating the bottles uses petroleum products, and a byproduct of the production releases toxic chemicals into the air. Many bottles end up in the world's oceans, contributing to the massive problem of plastic pollution. The Bottom Line Are You Drinking Clean & Pure Water? While there are some definite advantages (primarily in terms of convenience and taste) to choosing bottled water, in our opinion, the drawbacks seem to outweigh those advantages. Bottled water is far more costly and hazardous to the environment for us to be able to recommend it as the better option. However, we do realize that the decision on what's best for your family is solely dependent on your lifestyle. You may find that the convenience of bottled water is better for your family. And if so, then go with that. Perhaps you may start to realize how much money you are spending or the amount of waste being generated, and decide to start drinking tap water more frequently. We would suggest a compromise between tap water and bottled water — one that's both easy on the bank account and convenient for your family. Think about how much money you spend on bottled water and use it to invest in a filtration pitcher or reverse osmosis unit. These will give you drinking water straight from the tap that is comparable to bottled water. This allows you to dispense water into reusable bottles of glass, aluminum or steel, all options that don't have you worrying about ingesting leached chemicals. No matter what type of water filter you go with, it will quickly pay itself off. And you can rest easy knowing that your family is drinking safe water, not generating truckloads of wasted plastic and you're using your money in a more constructive manner that will benefit your family.


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ISIS suffers heavy casualties in failed offensive north of Palmyra
The so-called "Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham" (ISIS) launched a large-scale offensive in the northeastern countryside of Homs on Thursday, targeting the Syrian Arab Army's (SAA) defenses near the desert village of Huwaysis and the Jazal Mountains located north of Palmyra.
ISIS reportedly began the attack by sending two waves of fighters to storm the Syrian Arab Army's defenses near Huwaysis, resulting in heavy clashes that lasted for most of the morning on Thursday.
Unable to penetrate the Syrian Arab Army's first line of defense outside of Huwaysis, the Islamic State terrorists were forced to withdraw north in order to avoid the Syrian Arab Air Force's (SAAYF) swarming fighter jets.
According to local media, the Syrian Arab Army killed over 60 Islamic State terrorists, while also destroying 8 armored vehicles that belonged to the aforementioned terrorist group – Al-Masdar News cannot verify these numbers at the moment.


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Mitchell et al v. Carrington Mortgage Services LLC
Filing 7
MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER that the 4 MOTION to Remand is DENIED as more fully set out in order. Signed by Judge C Lynwood Smith, Jr on 7/1/2016. (AHI)
Disclaimer: Justia Dockets & Filings provides public litigation records from the federal appellate and district courts. These filings and docket sheets should not be considered findings of fact or liability, nor do they necessarily reflect the view of Justia.


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|My avatar in the virtual world of Second Life®
Back again, and honestly I've been busy. Busy doing what? Busy learning the various new developments in digital technology and learning to implement that to improve Yababa World™(Yababavideo). Been learning to maintain focus on goals such as learning to program mobile apps, develop new websites and protect various assets uploaded to the internet. Must keep things SECURE! as the internet develops and involves. I refuse to let anything created by Yababa World™ to fall into mediocrity.
In 2012, prepare to discover new improved developments and features added to the Yababa World™ Blog, the production value of The Yababa Show™ , the release of - The Tao of Yababa (more information in this later in the week), new High Quality(High Definition) Yababa™ logo, in addition to many more extras. Expect more of a developed community for the future citizens of Yababa World™ established via Facebook® , Twitter®, in addition to the recently established Google+ .
With that said, I hope to improved my health, my mind and spirit and let if reflect through this blog till it becomes a full fleged website and beyond. Support is well appreciated - be it a view pages, donations, or simply sharing it with friends. I often times want success to come fast, but I know I must have my priorities right and show the universe me along with my creations are ready to ascend.
The Yababa Show™ on Youtube® !
Follow us on Twitter: @YababaVideo
Add us on Facebook: @YababaVideo
Subscribe to us on Youtube: @YababaVideo
E-Mail: [Basic Inquiries] E-Mail: [Business & Sales]


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GooReader by GooReader is a piece of software that will help you download and read eBooks and magazines found using the Google Books search engine. Even if there is no version of GooReader for Mac available on the market, there are other eBook readers that you can use шn your system. This list contains some alternatives to GooReader for Mac.
calibre is an open source Mac utility for managing your e-books. With its help, you can read and convert your favorite e-books, fetch metadata for any of your electronic books, download the latest news articles, and so much more.Not an alternative? Report a problem
The Kindle app is optimized for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, giving users the ability to read Kindle books, newspapers, magazines, textbooks and PDFs on a beautiful, easy-to-use interface.Not an alternative? Report a problem
ePub Reader is a handy ePub (electronic publication) document and ebook reader. Main features: - Open ePub documents instantly - Tab browsing - Auto detect and manually select text encoding - Search (find on page, search in file, and search in TOC)Not an alternative? Report a problem
EPUB is a popular eBook file format that can include text content, images, hyperlinks, and even media files. EPUB Viewer is a Mac application capable of displaying all of the aforementioned components accordingly so that you can enjoy reading...Not an alternative? Report a problem
Cool Reader is fast and small cross-platform XML/CSS based eBook reader. Main features: - Read electronic books in FB2, TXT, RTF, DOC, TCR, HTML, EPUB, CHM, PDB, MOBI formats. - Stylesheet support.Not an alternative? Report a problem
Clearview is a program designed for Mac users who wish to read PDF, EPUB, MOBI, and CHM documents on their computers. The application features a straightforward interface, lets you organize your books into groups, provides you with plenty...Not an alternative? Report a problem
iBouquiniste is an ebook reader tool for Mac computers. Main features: - FB2, EPUB, PDF, MOBI and DJVU formats support. - Eyes Tracking. - ZIP and RAR archives support. - TXT support. - Real page numbers. - Unique library sort mode.Not an alternative? Report a problem
ezReader is an ebook reader for plain text. It is really easy to use, simple and super fast. For now, it only offers support for txt file. The application is simple, super fast, elegant, and has the ability to auto detect file encodings.Not an alternative? Report a problem
eBook Reader is an affordable digital book reader compatible with Intel Mac computers running Tiger (OS 10.4) or later The User is assisted with downloading free eBooks and removing unnecessory characters.Not an alternative? Report a problem
This is an eBook reader for Windows and Mac OS X. The application is absolutely free and it can open PDF files. It converts files and it changes their layout and formatting so that they are easier to read on your computer screen.Not an alternative? Report a problem
Wondershare MePub is an application that lets you create ePub files. ePub is a format that has gained a lot of popularity recently, mainly because of the advent of eBook readers, especially the iPad. iBooks is a great eBook reader for the iPad.Not an alternative? Report a problem
Tofu is a handy application that enables you to read your favorite Ebooks or Powerpoint presentations a lot easier; this easy-to-use program will reduce the line's width, a significant advantage that will improve your reading speed...Not an alternative? Report a problem
BookReader is a utility that lets you open and read different e-book formats. The app has support for the following formats: ePub, FB2, DOC, RTF, RTFd, xHTML, Webarchive and TXT.Not an alternative? Report a problem
Wattpad by Wattpad is an app for readers and amateur writers...
Bluefire Reader by Bluefire Productions is a piece of software that will let you read EPUB and PDF...
EPUB File Reader by EPUB File Reader is a free to use piece of software that will allow you to open...
Manga Reader by Manga Reader is an application that allows comicbook...
Icecream Ebook Reader by Icecream Apps is an application...
Feel free to add any alternative to GooReader for Mac that you know of.Suggest Alternatives


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Should You Be Sleeping Naked?
Mattress Advisor weighs in on the sleeping naked debate with research from the experts.
Dec 13th, 2022 •
Do you want to sleep better? Would you also like key body parts to be healthier? How about more sex? Maybe you'd just like to lose a little weight and look younger?
Well, get naked. Not, like, right now though. Do it before bed, preferably in private or with a willing bystander.
Despite the fact that only about eight percent of Americans sleep naked, the science has shown that stripping off your skivvies before bedtime can positively affect your health in a number of ways.
It's gettin' hot in here…
We're all animals, whether we like to think so or not. Still slaves to the rule of Darwin, it's important we keep in mind our evolution when it comes to how we live our lives.
We, in an era before industry and society, did not have Champion hoodies and Nike sweats to cozy up in before jumping into bed. Being a bit chilly under your blanket was the norm, and it turns out the human body has adapted to perform best under these conditions.
…so take off all your clothes. (Seriously.)
Turns our Nelly was right. One of the most important effects of going to the cot commando is reduced body temperature during the night. The benefits are myriad, including but not limited to:
Being cooler during sleep helps create and activate something known as brown fat. In order to keep the body at a comfortable temperature during the night, we burn this brown fat as a fuel source. Much as we destroy the environment and level mountains for more coal to heat our furnaces, our body destroys white fat (belly fat) and converts it into brown fat to heat the body during a chilly night.
As an added bonus, activating brown fat has been shown to have positive effects on bone health, insulin levels, and sensitivity, and has a (tenuous) link with living longer through the production of a hormone called adiponectin.
This is an easy one. With less clothing comes less constriction of the body and blood vessels, and less constriction means blood has an easier time getting around the body. Taking off those pesky pants means your extremities will be awash in fresh, oxygenating, and life-giving blood during the night hours.
The body's temperature decreases at night before and during sleep and rises prior to and during waking. This period of decreased body temperature leads to feelings of lethargy and relaxation, helping us fall and stay asleep.
When you're unnaturally warm at night, i.e. wrapped up in your favorite fleece pajamas, you'll have both a harder time falling asleep and staying asleep. If you're falling asleep easily, regularly, and without interruption, you'll wake up feeling more rested.
Getting the proper amount of restful sleep at night is vital for wakefulness, memory, learning, and a whole host of other positive effects on daytime mental performance.
Cooler sleep means better sleep, and better sleep means less cortisol. Sleep deprivation, or disrupted sleep, has been shown to raise levels of cortisol, a hormone involved in stress response. Cortisol is also known to have a host of deleterious effects.
Who doesn't love a nice nether-region? Really. No matter your sex, gender, orientation, creed, color, religion, or any other identifier, we can all appreciate having or looking at (when appropriate) a handsome, healthy, and hygienic lower region.
Sleeping in the nude means no fabric rubbing on your landscaped down-there hair, which carries with it reduced risk of things like rashes or infected ingrown hairs.
Additionally, experts have voiced their support for sleeping in the nude to help avoid bacterial issues like yeast infections.
Even the guys out there benefit.
The testes exist on a sack outside of the body not because they're used as a counterweight like a cheetah's tail, but to keep them at a slightly cooler temperature from the rest of the body. Trapping the testicles in constricting and heat-trapping boxers may be hazardous to your sperm.
Looking for an excuse to get naked with your partner?
So we've discussed the benefits of getting naked and cooling things off in the bedroom, but what about heating things up?
Besides being one of the few truly good things in life, cuddling is great for your health – and it's made even better by doing it in your birthday suit.
Oxytocin is a hormone involved in pair bonding among humans – it is secreted during events like pregnancy and childbirth, sex, and – most importantly for us – cuddling and touching. Skin to skin contact, even without a sexual connotation, gets the love chemical flowing.
The hormone and neurotransmitter is the poisoned tip of cupid's arrow; couples who let the oxytocin flow freely and often have stronger and longer relationships. It stands to reason that couples who get naked and nuzzle more have stronger relationships.
There are a host of other benefits of oxytocin release. It can also increase trust, generosity, bonding with peers, wound healing, act as a natural antidepressant, and decrease inflammation. It's an incredible molecule, and it comes at the low cost of a snug.
That's not enough? Well, sleeping naked may boost your sex life too.
We don't think a citation is necessary when we state it's a whole lot easier to get in the mood when you and your partner are already naked.
Couples that sleep together in the nude, therefore, may end up with a healthier sex life than those of their clothed counterparts. A study conducted by Cotton USA showed that those who strip together, stay together; 57 percent of couples who sleep completely nude report being happy in their relationships, compared to only 48 percent for fully-clothed lovers.
If that isn't a good reason to have a naked nuzzle party with your partner, we don't know what is.
Go show this to your partner
Sometimes getting to sleep and staying asleep can be impossibly difficult – requiring medication, expensive equipment like a CPAP machine, or rearranging your entire nighttime routine. In this case, though, it's easy as pie.
All it takes is taking it all off.
For more on excuses to get naked, tips on the best mattresses to get your freak on upon, and everything sleep and sleep health, stay tuned to Mattress Advisor.
Related Content
Sleep Resources
Naked at Night
We surveyed over 1,000 people to understand their clothing preferences at night and how this impacts sleep quality and relationship satisfaction.
Sleep Resources
How Long Does it Take to Get Comfortable Sleeping with a Partner?
At what point in a relationship are people comfortable spending the night with a significant other? We surveyed 1,000 people to find out.


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Click the above text "Save our Tomales Bay – Part 28 Stakeholders meeting" to see this entire post
The following was sent to me on 20 July by the Department of Fish & Wildlife. Presented to you as received (with minor edits for clarity).
I hope you can join us for an informative and productive gathering.
Join agencies, shellfish growers, and resident stakeholders in identifying concerns unique to Tomales Bay shellfish cultivation and discuss solutions, including proposed best management practices and clean-up efforts.
CA Dept Fish & Wildlife and the State Aquaculture Coordinator invite interested stakeholders for a discussion on:
Tomales Bay – Keeping It Free of Debris – Stakeholders Meeting
Thur, Aug 6th, 2015 (1pm)
Marconi Conference Center – Pine Lodge
18500 Shoreline Hwy (SR 1)
Marshall, CA
See attached map for directions and parking
please confirm your interest by sending and RSVP to: firstname.lastname@example.com
[gview file="https://coastodian.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Pine-Lodge-map.pdf"]
Next related post may be found here.
Previous related post may be found here.
See the first post in this series "Save our Tomales Bay" here.


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|Raven Billie
Meet Raven Billie, a senior at Maple Mountain High School. Raven is Navajo/Caucasian. She is the daughter of Natalie and Monte Billie. Her friends describe her as funny, shy and athletic. She loves to play soccer and is very good at it. Soccer is her favorite sport. She hopes to go into the medical field, maybe that's why her favorite TV show is Grey's Anatomy. Raven likes all kinds of foods but sushi. Her color of choice is sea foam green.
Raven can't wait to graduate and begin college at Utah Valley University. Her favorite part of high school was lunch when she could visit with friends and have fun. One item on her bucket list is she wants to be in a street race. (Wear your seat belt Raven and don't forget your helmet!) Her favorite quote is, "If the world was perfect, it wouldn't be". by Yogi Berra. We wish Raven lots of good times, great opprotunites and many more memories. We are proud of you!


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CIMA is a manufacturer of cash management equipment and cash automation machines that include smart safes, back office/front of store cash recycling machines, and software. We help businesses across Banking / Financial, Retail, Hospitality and Gaming significantly reduce the cost of managing cash. CIMA Cash Handling America Inc, based in Houston, Texas is the wholly-owned US subsidiary of CIMA SpA. (Italy).
Our Markets
Our Products
A complete range of Teller Cash Recyclers (TCRs) that allow banks / credit unions of any size to implement a cash recycling solution.
A wide range of note and coin deposit machines. Compact / high speed / high capacity solutions for any smart safe application.
A diverse range of back office and front-of-store note and coin recycling solutions for any retail, gaming, hospitality application.
Software solutions that ensure staff perform daily functions with ease and deliver highly customizable reporting, analytics and device management.
CIMA is a private Italian, family-owned and operated business spanning three generations. For almost 65 years, our family has redefined the cash handling industry through innovation, continuous investment in research and development and by understanding our customer-specific needs in the various markets we serve. Our family ownership gives us the flexibility to make fast decisions in product development that no other organization in our industry can. We are committed to the US market, and our US office in Houston, TX is the first outside our headquarters in Italy. Our products are sold in over 45 countries via a network of capable and certified partners.


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Mid-Engine Corvette: 1968 Astro II Concept0
Sponsored Links
In 1967 Chevrolet unveiled their new Astro I concept to the crowds at the New York Auto Show. The car was designed by Larry Shinoda and was a radical prototype experiment meant to produce a low drag coefficient. The Astro I looked nothing like a Corvette and was powered by a modified version of the Corvair's flat-six, but in 1968, Chevrolet introduced the Astro II, which looked strikingly similar to the third-generation Corvette of the time.
Not only did the Astro II look like a C3 Corvette, it sounded the part too. Chevrolet engineers exchanged the Astro I's flat-six for a liquid-cooled 390 horsepower big block V8 engine, which sent its power through a two-speed transaxle torque converter from a Pontiac Tempest. This effectively made the car the first in a line of experimental mid-engine Corvette concepts.
Chevrolet engineers cobbled the Astro II together quickly using parts pulled from General Motors massive parts bin. Because of this, some components on the car weren't up to the task of handling Big Block V8 power, mainly the Tempest transaxle. However the car was mostly built to showcase that Chevy was indeed capable of producing a car with a mid-mounted powertrain, like its rivals at Ford had already proved with the GT40.
The Astro II was rather capable during handling tests thanks to Chevrolet engineer's unique packaging solutions and its light construction. The Astro II weighed in at 3,300 lbs, 300 less than a production C3 Corvette. This coupled with its mid-engine layout helped it achieve 1.0 G of cornering grip on street tires while being tested by Zora Arkus Duntov, an impressive feat even today.
The Astro II served as the inspiration for other mid-engine Corvette concepts, such as the XP-882 that soon followed it. When Chevrolet pulls the wraps off their rumored mid-engine C8 ZR1, we'll have the Astro II and it's engineers to thank for getting the ball rolling.
- Sweepstakes Of The Month: Win a Corvette Z06 and 2024 Silverado. Details here.