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It seems as though I hear stories of infidelity in marriage every other week. Husbands cheating on their wives, wives leaving their families behind for another man, and marriages falling apart from addictions and lies. It's beyond heartbreaking and wakes me up to the depravity of man.
We live in a broken world, and we have to keep our guard up. No one is immune to the temptations of sin.
If you have ever experienced the pain brought on by marital infidelity, I think you would benefit from listening to our conversation with TheCourage contributor, Andrea Stunz, during a recent exclusive audio interview inside Kirk Cameron's The Campfire.
Andrea and her husband are both followers of Christ, and with years of marriage and years of raising a family under their belt, infidelity was the last thing she expected to confront this year. If there's anyone that knows the feeling of shock and betrayal, it's Andrea.
She shares, "I just got a phone call from my husband in April of this year that would change the rest of our lives."
We wanted to interview Andrea because we know that she is not the only one fighting this battle right now. And from what we know about her, she is fighting with grace and strength. We asked her how she would encourage someone going through this and her initial response is beautiful:
"It's really tough to say what words I would say because I think I would just want to cry with them first."
How many of you need someone that will just listen and cry with you in your pain? Whether it's infidelity, loss of a loved one, or just a bad day, often times the best encouragement you can receive from a friend is a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on.
She goes on to encourage the listeners with a simple but powerful statement: "God is enough. I had to get to the point of thinking, 'If I lost everything that I held so dear, is God enough?' And I can now say that He is."
To hear more of her uplifting, hope-filled words, listen to a clip from the interview below:
We enjoyed our conversation with Andrea so much because of her vulnerability and honesty, two things we need more of in our church communities. If you want to hear more of her story and how she is moving forward in this struggle, visit The Campfire today.


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Onto TToT.
1. If you look around my house, what you'll see on a normal day is a fairly organized uncluttered home. My kitchen window however is where I tend to decorate and add all kinds of things that I like. I spend a lot of time in my kitchen and feel it should appeal to my eyes.
|How many pieces of stained glass can you find?
3 & 4. Today is day three of this week that I've felt better than I have in the past year. My energy is high, my mood is great, and I'm enjoying life to the fullest.
5. I was typing away on my laptop yesterday and I kept getting a message saying my memory was low. I said to my laptop, I know, but how did you know. Seeing that I consider my computer my lifeline most days I was a little worried. I stopped everything I was doing and thought why would the memory be low. Thinking back I remembered that I'd installed Dropbox and Skype recently. Immediately I went into the msconfig and cancelled these two programs to start during start up. All is now well and my computer is actually running a lot faster.
6. Take out food when you have one of those days where you don't want to cook.
7. Good friends that you can catch up with in a moments notice. A friend and I were talking on Facebook the other day and I thought this is plain ridonculous. I picked up the phone and called her. We had such a nice conversation and it was much easier than typing back and forth to each other.
8. Good Coffee. There's nothing quite like that first cup of coffee you have when you start your day off.
9. Warm fall days that are full of beautiful colors erupting all over.
|Lake Couchiching, Orillia, Ontario
10. The TToT blog hop. Each week I now look forward to writing a post for Ten Things of Thankful.
This is part of a blog hop called TToT or Ten Things of Thankful. If you'd like to participate please follow any one of the following links and join in. You don't have to post every week so don't let that scare you off.
Your hosts
A Fly on our (Chicken Coop) Wall, Amycake and the Dude, Considerings, Finding Ninee, Getting Literal, I Want Backsies,Mother of Imperfection, Rewritten, Thankful Me, The Wakefield Doctrine

subset: commoncrawl


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Webinar: eBPF Tooling and Debugging Infrastructure
Oct 9, 2018 - 11:00 a.m. EDT, Registration required
Watch the Replay Now Presented by Quentin Monnet eBPF, in particular with its driver-level hook XDP, has increased in importance over the past few years. As a result, the ability to rapidly debug and diagnose problems is becoming more relevant. This session will cover common issues faced and techniques to diagnose them, including the use of bpftool for map and program introspection, the disassembling of programs to inspect generated eBPF instructions and other methods such as using debug prints and how to apply these techniques when eBPF programs are offloaded to the hardware. Agenda 1. Introspection with bpftool 2. eBPF disassembly 3. Printing debug information 4. Other available tools and documentation 5. Next steps for the debugging infrastructure Three common questions will be answered during the webinar: Question 1: What are the existing tools available to help debug network processing eBPF programs? Question 2: How do you inspect the programs at different stages of the workflow on the host or SmartNIC? Question 3: How do you troubleshoot the most common issues encountered with eBPF programming? About the Presenter Quentin Monnet is a senior software engineer at Netronome, where he works on advanced technologies at the driver level, such as the software pieces of eBPF offload, and modestly contributes to several open source projects. Before joining the company, he was part of the Research & Development team at 6WIND, and was involved in European research projects that focused on fast, flexible and stateful packet processing for SDNs. Quentin holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Université Paris-Est, France.


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SOON: Live Coverage of Gamescom
ShootBlood will be present at Gamescom 2013, for IgCent, on Saturday August 24!
So stay tuned for the latest news! Full coverage of that day will be available exclusively on IgCent!
3D TV is dead! - Long live 4K OLED!
Kaz Hirai presenting a 80" 4K OLED TV.
Next-gen: What we know so far
The console wars continue! ..or not?
Read More
The Sims 4 Release Date
The Sims 4 has been officially announced. More than that, EA announced that it will come out next year, in 2014.
So EA is making some kind of schedule with The Sims. The Sims 2 came out in 2004, The Sims 3 in 2009 and now The Sims 4 is going to come out in 2014. Let's hope that the difference of 10 years between TS 2 and TS 4 is going to be big.
For me the difference between the second part and the third part of this addictive game was not that clear.
From the poster you really can't tell if the characters are from the next sims or they are from TS 3. I'm looking forward to graphics improvements and a fresh gameplay. EA would be nice if they would include several expansion packs in the base game and will not do the same thing they did with the pervious games when they made a lot of EP's for small things like Nightlife, new furniture, holidays.
More news are going to be released in the next few hours, maybe even some screenshots and trailers so keep checking back our website for more updates on The Sims 4!


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New Listings - Clarendon Ave - Wildwood Ln
2383 Clarendon Ave, Louisville, KY 40205 - $195,000
Fully renovated ranch home, just off Brighton Ave and Bardstown Rd. Home's floor plan has been opened up with high-grade cabinetry, appliances and finishes throughout. The open kitchen/living area is great for entertaining especially with the built in breakfast bar. Large master bedroom provides ample living space and storage. Back patio and large, shady backyard, leads to additional patio and spacious 2-car, insulated garage. Garage entry is from private dead-end alley.
115 Wilwood Ln, Louisville, KY 40223 - $195,000
Lovely 3 bed/2 full bath ranch in Wildwood Subdivision. Features hardwood floors in living room, office & all bedrooms. Home includes eat-in kitchen with french doors leading to large screened in deck overlooking large, level backyard with full wood privacy fence... perfect for entertaining! Kitchen opens to office & the large living room with fireplace, built-in bookcase, crown molding & large picture window. Main level also includes the master bedroom with crown molding & an attached full bath, 2 additional bedrooms & another full bath. Basement has a lot of potential. It has already been drywalled into a great room, laundry/storage room & bonus room...just needs flooring. Exterior also includes an inviting front porch. Whole house backup generator. Convenient location. Must see!


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Most of the 3,700 people travelling on Carnival's Diamond Princess appear to be of retirement age and might not have enough medicine for their underlying health conditions to survive through 2 weeks of being locked away
At least 14 Israelis appear to be on a cruise liner anchored off Japan after health officials confirmed on Wednesday that 10 on the ship had tested positive for coronavirus and more cases were possible. Around 3,700 people are facing at least two weeks locked away on the liner.
While the infected patients were transferred by Japan's coast guard to hospitals on the mainland, the remainder of the passengers and crew on board the Carnival Corp ship were placed in quarantine.
Israeli passengers quarantined on a cruise ship off the coast of Japan say there is a lot of confusion as the personnel of the cruise line did not make the instructions clear to them. "We do not understand the information the ship's crew are telling us and whether we're supposed to stay in our cabin for 14 days," said Nicole Ben David, who is with her mother on the ship.
Ben David said so far, the crew have been providing the passengers with food but banned them from leaving their cabins, without explaining what the further steps will be.
"The consul and the political adviser at the Israeli Embassy in Japan were briefed by Japan's Foreign Ministry, along with the representatives of the state whose nationals were on the ship," said the Foreign Ministry in a statement.
Most of the quarantined passengers are believed to be of retirement age and have underlining health problems, hence raising fears most will run out of their prescribed medicine by the time the quarantine is over.
"I want to take sufficient care of the health of passengers and crew and make every effort to prevent the spread of the virus," Japan Health Minister Katsunobu Kato told reporters in Tokyo.
The decision meant that passengers on Carnival's Diamond Princess, which had arrived back in Yokohama on Monday after a 14-day round trip, will now spend another two weeks on the ship off Yokohama port near Tokyo.
Passengers on the ship took to social media to detail their predicament, posting photos of officials in masks and gowns conducting health checks, room service meals, empty corridors, and a barren deck.
British passenger David Abel said all passengers were confined to their cabins on Wednesday morning, with staff delivering food room-by-room.
"The challenging situation for me is that I'm an insulin dependent diabetic," Abel said in a video taken in his cabin and posted to his Facebook page, adding that regular and timed food intake was a key part of managing his condition.
"We don't have a choice in what we can eat, the announcement recently was that they're starting on the bottom deck and working their way up – I'm on the ninth deck."
"This is not a good situation for me as a diabetic and I'm certain that there are many, many more diabetics on the ship."
Another passenger, using the handle @daxa_tw, tweeted that he was "hearing from many sides that people are troubled and uneasy."
The cruise ship was caught up in the global coronavirus epimedic after an 80-year-old Hong Kong man, who joined for part of the 14-day cruise, tested positive for the virus after disembarking in Hong Kong on Jan. 25. The man had joined a shore excursion in Kagoshima, southwestern Japan, on Jan. 22, local media reported.
Everyone on board on the ship since Monday had received initial health screening, Kato said on Wednesday, a process that identified 273 people for testing. Of that smaller group, 31 results had been received so far, revealing the 10 confirmed cases.
Kato said that officials would continue to monitor the remaining passengers and crew for the potential development of symptoms, suggesting that more test samples could be taken.
None of the 10 infected people – three each from Japan and Hong Kong, two Australians, one American and one Filipino crew member – had severe symptoms, public broadcaster NHK reported.
In an effort to soothe quarantined passengers, Carnival's Princess Cruises said they would receive free internet and telephone services "in order to stay in contact with their family and loved ones, and the ship's crew is working to keep all guests comfortable."
The ship would go out to sea to perform "normal marine operations", it added, including the production of fresh water, before receiving food and other supplies from Yokohama.
Carnival said that passengers trapped on the Diamond Princess would receive both a full refund and a future cruise credit. It cancelled another two cruises that had been scheduled for the same ship to leave Yokohama on Feb. 4 and Feb. 12.
Not all passengers were overly concerned about the major change to the itinerary. American Ashley Rhodes-Courter posted a text message exchange on Instagram with her parents, Gay and Phil Courter, who are on board the ship.
The couple joked that "the food is great, the staff is in good spirits and we're all in the same boat .. Plus they have not run out of some great pinot noir."
As reported by Ynetnews


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By Zach Bourque //
Local Natives with Middle Kids //
Hollywood Palladium – Los Angeles
June 22nd, 2019 //
Hometown indie heroes Local Natives packed the Hollywood Palladium to its capacity while on tour in support of their fourth studio album Violet Street. Selling out the venue is a pretty rare achievement that's often reserved for more popular acts such as LCD Soundsystem and Nine Inch Nails, but low and behold, the local boys made it happen with Middle Kids on the bill as the evening's opener.
A brand-name indie show on a weekend night normally draws a big crowd in LA, but this one proved to be even grander. By the time Local Natives took the stage around 10 p.m., there was nary a space to stand unless you were camping out through Middle Kids' exceptional opening set. The Aussie rockers have been making a name for themselves on the festival circuit of late, and they did a fine job filling up the Palladium's expansive floor. With Hannah Joy cementing the power trio's sound on guitar and vocals, it was a performance that seemed to catch many spectators off guard. Middle Kids' songs possess the perfect amount of 90's nostalgia to keep things catchy while remaining unpretentious and accessible, so expect big things from them in the future.
Local Natives, subsequently, began with "Vogue" off Violet Street before cranking up the heat during fan favorite "Sun Hands" from their 2009 debut LP Gorilla Manor. Midway through the tune, Taylor Rice (vocals, guitar) launched himself into a sea of arms in what appeared to be a joyful exercise, which apparently didn't bother the ecstatic crowd that was pressed up against the barricade. The harmonies didn't stop with the quintet's vocals either, as fans experienced a 21-song set that ebbed and flowed between old hits and new sounds with relative ease. Even more, material from all four Local Natives records coalesced into one fluid live experience that put the exceptional musicianship of Rice, Kelcey Ayer (vocals, keyboards, percussion, guitar), Ryan Hahn (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Matt Frazier (drums) and Nik Ewing (bass, keyboards, vocals) on full display.
The band's subdued lighting setup let the music do the talking and echoed its simple formula for success. Sometimes three amazing vocalists singing in harmony is all that you need to sell out a 5,000-person theater. While Local Natives haven't taken a whole lot of risks over the last decade, including on the 10-track Violet Street, they still know how to hit you right in the feels every time. Nonetheless, time will tell which room they can sell out next. Here goes nothing …
Sun Hands
You & I (extended intro)
I Saw You Close Your Eyes
Megaton Mile
Someday Now
Heavy Feet
Past Lives
Fountain of Youth
Café Amarillo
Wide Eyes
Garden of Elysian
Dark Days
When Am I Gonna Lose You
Gulf Shores
Tap Dancer
Who Knows, Who Cares


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The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) and Coris Bank International have entered into a Joint Strategic Collaboration to establish Islamic windows. ICD is assisting Coris Bank International's subsidiaries in launching four dedicated Islamic windows in Cote d'Ivoire, Mali, Senegal and Benin. The advisory agreement was signed by the CEO of ICD, Mr. Khaled Al Aboodi and Mr. Idrissa Nassa, CEO and Chairman of Coris Bank International. Mr. Nassa stated that the signature of this advisory agreement with ICD aims to achieve the bank's objectives. The current strategy of the group is to implement an Islamic Window in all its banking network. In midterm the group aspires to create sharia compliant subsidiaries.
The Islamic Development Bank (BID) has given Benin 216.4 million U.S. dollars to support development projects in the higher education sector and an integrated micro-finance program. The first part of the BID aid of about 166.4 million dollars will be spent on funding development projects in the higher education sector. The other 50 million dollars will support the integrated micro-finance program. The program aims to contribute to the improvement of living conditions for rural communities in Benin. It will help to increase access to funding for small scale traders and reinforce capacities of micro-finance institutions, among others. The latest aid brings BID's total funding to Benin to around 824 million dollars.
Cotonou will hold a two-day 'Islamic Development Bank (IDB) days' from Tuesday to strengthen cooperation between the bank and Beninese public and private stakeholders. The event aims particularly at familiarizing the Beninese public and private stakeholders with the different policies and actions implemented by the IDB group in the country. The assistance covers various areas such as education, health, agriculture, infrastructure and environment. For this year, the bank's projects include a the Tovegbamè bridge for which US$9 million has been approved and US$120 million for a basic education project. The bank will also give technical assistance and donations to flood victims in Benin.
Two new Islamic banks are planned to be opened in Mali and Benin by the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD). The openings are scheduled for next year. The initiative is part of the efforts to expand the industry's consumer base in Africa. According to Khaled Al-Aboodi, the development of Islamic banking in Africa is more important in terms of supplies than in terms of the potentially massive demand. ICD further intends to establish Islamic financial institutions including banks and takaful insurers in Africa. The established in 2009 Tamweel Africa Holding (TAH) is to contribute to the establishment, acquisition and management of Islamic financial institutions in West Africa.
The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) considers opening two new Islamic banks in the countroes of Mali and Benin in the coming year. This was announced by the CEO of the ICD - H.E. Khaled Mohammed Al-Aboodi - at the Islamic Banking Summit Africa in Djibouti. This way, Islamic financial services can be provided in a greatly underserved area. Furthermore, the corporation intends to issue a $200 million Sukuk which is to serve the Government of Senegal to provide liquid Islamic products for Islamic banks.


text: The role of the CSO and CIO has been changing dramatically as technology becomes more and more vital to business strategies. Sometimes, it can be hard to keep up.Amol Joshi, SVP of business development at Redwood City, Calif.-based Ivalua Inc., suggests that CSOs and CIOs can pick up a few tricks from Chief Procurement Officers.1. Create and use contract templatesMany CIOs and CSOs are faced with the responsibility of creating or reviewing contracts with outsourcers, contractors, part-time help, software vendors, data centers, cloud services providers and other vendors and suppliers.CPOs have been doing this for a long time, and one trick that the use is create a library of clauses that they can put into a contract when needed.These clauses have to be kept up to date, Joshi said. For example, cloud SLAs evolve all the time, as do compliance requirements.Plus, companies are always learning from their mistakes -- and, hopefully, the mistakes of their competitors -- and amending their contracts as a result."CIOs and CSOs need to standardize those clauses and make them available in a central repository so anyone trying to write a contract can use that particular clause," he said.2. Create a system for compliance monitoringDuring contract negotiations, vendors are going to be on their best behavior, using the best security practices, and otherwise complying with your requirements. All their certificates and certifications will be up to date, their insurance policies are in place.Over time, though, things can start to slip.This is where a monitoring system is critical.CPOs know that they need to ensure that their providers have, say, paid their bills for their liability insurance, or that any new personnel assigned to a project have the required professional licenses. Letting things slide can result in big problems down the line."CPOs are using technology platforms that make that information available instantly to both suppliers and to the enterprises," said Joshi.CIOs and CTOs need something similar, he said.3. Make more use of procurement prosIn some organizations, the procurement department handles everything except technology purchases, and IT handles its own vendor relationships and risk exposure.But procurement departments have staffers who are experts in ensuring that vendors stay compliance on a day-to-day basis."CIOs and CSOs should leverage those skill sets," Joshi said."Having the CIOs and CSOs also use the purchasing group can make it more streamlined and formal," he added. "And lead to more effective contracts and higher savings."


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A little learning is a dangerous thing ;
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring :
There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
And drinking largely sobers us again.
Fired at first sight with what the Muse imparts,
In fearless youth we tempt the heights of Arts ;
While from the bounded level of our mind
Short views we take, nor see the lengths behind,
But, more advanced, behold with strange surprise
New distant scenes of endless science rise !
So pleased at first the towering Alps we try,
Mount o'er the vales, and seem to tread the sky ;
The eternal snows appear already past,
And the first clouds and mountains seem the last ;
But those attained, we tremble to survey
The growing labours of the lengthened way ;
The increasing prospect tires our wandering eyes,
Hills peep o'er hills, and Alps on Alps arise !


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Yesterday I received news that momoeagle, one of the active cbox member here, decided to call it quits after adsense pulled a fast one on him. You can read about it here and the email that they sent to him. It's the very same email that I received from them when I was about to cash out my earnings from the advertisements. I blogged about that many moons ago here and I was still disgusted over it. Basically beyond appealing that's nothing much we can do here.
But I guess I never looked back since. I started to find other sources of ad-venue since adcents are not giving me much returns anyway, so who the hell needs them? Anyway, the point of me starting this is not to be famous or to even earn a living out of it. I reflected upon my blog's objective several times throughout its lifespan - it's always the same, I'm blogging because I wanted to record my journey and idiosyncrasies for my own record. If others find it enriching and amusing, and continue to support me my reading them, I'm very honoured. I think what makes me continue blogging is the immense support found online and offline amongst the superfriends. If not for this, I would never have met so many like-minded people, so diverse in their views and so willing to share. I'm even inviting a few people whom I've met many times online but never face-to-face for my wedding. That's the extent of the community built up over many nights of chats in my 'infamous' cbox.
|I don't like white roses...it's like a red rose drained of passion, of spirit
What WILL make me sad is when my entire blog articles got removed, perhaps when the server for hosting the sites suddenly goes kaput. That will really ruin my day. It's not just the removal of a source advenue for me that makes me disappointed but rather the loss of my recorded memories. It's like someone came over and remove a few years of my life...ouch...I hope that never happens.
So, momo, if you're reading this, please continue to fight the good fight. I've learnt some valuable stuff over at your blog and will be hoping to read more of what you dish out.


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Nasim Gheidi & Parham Zahedi, Gheidi & Associates*
Part one – Historical Background
Following the historic deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany, Iran is again at the center of companies' attention from all over the world. Iran, with vast area of land and extremely rich natural and human resources, undoubtedly stands as a major target for sustainable foreign investment. Despite being enthusiastic for doing business in Iran, companies may still remain baffled as to legal implications and consequences of their entering into the market, in particular, as to the efficiency of the dispute settlement system.
Investors have always preferred arbitration to national courts so that a fair and professional trial is ensured. The question, however, arises as to whether Iran's legal system guarantees resorting to such internationally recognized and renowned method.
The Iranian legal system is based on Sharia, which is derived from the religious precepts of Islam, particularly the Quran and the Hadith, so that every code will be in compliance with Sharia. The perennial question as to emergence of each legal institution is whether it could be adopted by Sharia. As regards dispute settlement, arbitration is suggested by Quran in family disputes under Nesa Surah Verse 35 and by various Hadiths in business affairs. Therefore, this is certainly a consensus between Islamic law experts that disputes can be referred to arbitration rather than to the courts.
Arbitration laws are adopted by Iranian legislative powers since the beginning of new legislation era as part of procedural law first and then as a separate law governing arbitration independently. After the Islamic revolution and further challenges and developments with regard to legislation, the Law on International Commercial Arbitration ("LICA") enacted in 1997 and Civil Procedure Law ("CPL"), last modified in 2001, are the latest applicable laws governing international commercial disputes and local disputes respectively.
Chapter 7 of the CPL deals with arbitration. The provisions of this chapter is applicable only to arbitration where both parties to the dispute have Iranian nationality. In 1997, in order to harmonize and facilitate the provisions of the arbitration with international practice, the parliament passed the LICA, which is largely based on the UNCITRAL Model Law on "International Commercial Arbitration". According to Art 1 (B) of LICA, "International arbitration is in the case where one of the parties, at the time of conclusion of the arbitration agreement, is not a national of Iran under the Iranian laws." LICA applies to arbitration in international commercial relationships including, inter alia, sales of goods and services, transportation, insurance, financial matters, consulting, investment, technical cooperation, representation, factoring or similar activities as per Art 2 (1).
LICA recognizes the autonomy of the parties to organize the arbitral proceedings e.g. the right to appoint arbitrators, choose the applicable law, location and language of arbitration proceedings. Other features of LICA to be noted are competence of arbitral tribunal to rule on its jurisdiction, non-intervention of Iranian courts in the proceedings, severability of the arbitration clause, power of the arbitral tribunal to take provisional measures and above all recognition of institutional arbitration, allowing the parties to refer subject matter of their dispute to arbitration institutions.
The major (and the most active) arbitration institutions in Iran are Arbitration Center of Iran Chamber ("ACIC") and Tehran Regional Arbitration Center (TRAC), which provide an immune and secure environment for conducting arbitration proceedings. As cited in their websites, ACIC was established in 3 February 2002 by virtue of a specific piece of law called "The Law on Articles of Association of ACIC" approved by the parliament of Iran. ACIC is organized as an affiliate to the Iran Chamber of Commerce but enjoys independent legal personality. ACIC is the first Iranian independent arbitration institution established for the purpose of settlement of both domestic and international disputes through arbitration or conciliation. Tehran Regional Arbitration Centre (TRAC) is an independent international organization under the auspice of the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization ("AALCO"). TRAC has been established pursuant to the Agreement signed on 3 May 1997, between the Islamic Republic of Iran and ALLCO. TRAC enjoys the necessary privileges and immunities provided for an international organization. The TRAC Rules of Arbitration (the "Rules") are essentially based on the UNCITRAL Rules of Arbitration.
In subsequent years to the enactment of LICA, in 2001, Iran ratified the United Nations Convention on Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards (the "NY Convention") to take a notable further step to be known as a suitable country for foreign investment. The accession to the NYC has paved the way for foreign investors to refer their disputes to international arbitration outside of Iran as foreign arbitral awards are recognized and can be enforced in the country as long as there is no ground for refusal in accordance with Article V of NY Convention.
The above-mentioned developments, including enactment of LICA based on UNICTRAL Model Law, accession to the NY Convention, establishment of international arbitration institutions and above all organizing and conducting training and commercial seminars for students, lawyers and businessmen have opened up novel convenient avenues for the development of international arbitration as one of the prerequisite for foreign investment promotion and protection in Iran.
In addition, Iran has signed more than 60 Bilateral Investment Treaties (52 of them are in force) with capital-exporting and neighboring countries to encourage and attract foreign investments. Under all these BITs, International arbitration is allowed in the event of investment disputes, which is a key protection and promotion for foreign investment.
However, despite all these valuable developments, Iran as a developing country is still struggling with some ambiguities in its legal system especially when it comes to recognition, enforcement or annulment of arbitral awards. Some conflicts exist between laws and practice and some improper judicial precedents are in place. The role of legal scholars and professionals in the country is to attune special attention to the challenges and obstacles so that a more favorable environment is provided for international arbitration and foreign investment in general.
In this first article of our upcoming series, we tried to give a historical introduction about arbitration in Iran. We will further discuss the potentials to be realized and developed as well as obstacles and barriers to be tackled. In the next article the focus will be laid on Principle 139 of Iranian Constitutional Law, which challenges arbitrability of the disputes where public or governmental properties are involved and the conflicts therewith arisen with BITs that Iran has made with other states. In the end, possible solutions will be presented for the purpose of foreign investor's protection.


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About My Mobile Bar Hire
We are one of the leading mobile bar hire companies in the UK.
We offer a wide range of mobile bars for hire and equipment hire for temporary events such as outdoor festivals, sporting occasions, weddings and corporate hospitality events, to name but a few. We will work with you to customise the style, shape and size of the bar hire that you need, along with determining a bar package in terms of drinks, budget and staff that will be required to cater for your event.
With years of experience in the hire industry, our team look forward to working with you to create stunning and memorable events with My Mobile Bar Hire.
At any event, the bar area is one of the most important to get right. Do it well, and you are half way to a memorable event. Get it wrong, and your event is likely to be remembered for all the WRONG reasons! Of course, the styling of the bar and the bar area is extremely important as it needs to be stylish and in-keeping with the look and feel of your overall event. In other words, there's no point in having a traditional ale house bar at a modern corporate event, and likewise there is little point in hiring a modern cocktail bar when you are aiming for a vintage tea party style effect. Here at My Mobile Bar Hire, we are able to provide you with the complete range of choice when it comes to temporary event bar hire, from cocktail bars through to mirror bars, LED bars and wedding bar hire, so that your bar is in keeping with your event.
Not only is the appearance of your mobile bar important, it also needs to be efficient. We provide expertly trained bar staff who are friendly and welcoming, adding to the experience. But, even more importantly, they are efficient. The last thing you want at your mobile bar hire event is for there to be a build up of queues and guests getting annoyed at the slow service. It's amazing, when you go out to bars and pubs and even restaurants, how often this slow service seems to occur and how it negatively it impacts the impression you form of the venue or event. Bar staff need to be engaging and efficient, and that's precisely what you will get from My Mobile Hire. We realise and understand how important it is to get the service right, and we always go the extra mile to ensure this happens.
We're here to help you build an event that lives long in the memory - contact the mobile bar hire experts at My Mobile Bar Hire today to discuss your requirements. We very much look forward to your call.


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Chances are, if you were to pull out your latest pay stub, you would see two important lines among the list of taxes taken out of your wages: FICA and MEDFICA. If you were to do the math, these two lines, standing for Federal Insurance Contributions Act and Medicare Federal Insurance Contributions Act respectively, take up 7.65 percent of your wages.
However, when it comes to these payroll taxes, as they are commonly known, there is a lot more than meets the eye. In two separate blog posts, we will dive into several important issues: what payroll taxes are exactly, who pays them, how effective they are, and some of the controversy that surrounds them. This blog post covers the first two topics, while the next will cover the latter two.
What are Payroll Taxes?
Put simply, payroll taxes are taxes paid on the wages and salaries of employees. These taxes are used to finance social insurance programs, such as Social Security and Medicare. According to recent Tax Foundation research, these social insurance taxes make up 23.05 percent of combined federal, state, and local government revenue – the second largest source of government revenue in the United States.
The largest of these social insurance taxes are the two federal payroll taxes, which show up as FICA and MEDFICA on your pay stub. The first is a 12.4 percent tax to fund Social Security, and the second is a 2.9 percent tax to fund Medicare, for a combined rate of 15.3 percent. Half of payroll taxes (7.65 percent) are remitted directly by employers, while the other half (7.65 percent) are taken out of workers' paychecks.
Who Really Pays Payroll Taxes?
Perhaps one of the best-kept secrets of payroll taxes is that employees effectively pay almost the entire payroll tax, instead of splitting the burden with their employers.
This is because tax incidence is not determined by law, but by markets. In fact, the person who is required to pay a tax to the federal government is often different than the person who bears the tax burden. Usually, the marketplace decides how the tax burden is divided between buyers and sellers, based on which party is more sensitive to changes in prices (economists call this "relative price elasticities").
It turns out that the supply of labor – that is, workers' willingness to work – is much less sensitive to taxes than the demand for labor – or employers' willingness to hire. This is because workers who need a job are not as responsive to changes in wages, but businesses are able to "shop around" for the best workers or shift production to different locations. The graph below roughly illustrates how the labor
market distributes the payroll tax burden. The fact that the labor supply line is steeper than the labor demand line is a way of showing that workers are less sensitive to changes in wages than employers.
This means that, rather than workers and employers each paying 7.65 percent in payroll taxes, employers send their portion of the tax to the government and then decrease workers' wages by almost 7.65 percent. Next, workers pay their 7.65 percent share on those wages. In effect, there is hardly such a thing as the "employer-side" payroll tax, because almost the entire burden of the payroll tax is passed on to employees in the form of lower wages.
Payroll Tax Transparency
Besides the fact that the federal government's imposition of "employer-side" payroll taxes is misleading, it also leads to a possible problem: it masks the costs of the programs that payroll taxes pay for. That is, rather than directly listing the ordinary taxpayers' share of payments for Social Security and Medicare, half of the taxes that fund the programs are hidden from workers, in the form of lower wages.
This is an issue because it violates the principle of tax transparency: a tenet that states that tax burdens should not be hidden from taxpayers in complex structures. Because roughly half of the payroll taxes that fund Social Security and Medicare are hidden in the form of lower wages, rather than being entirely spelled out on our pay stubs, voters may underestimate the true budgetary impact of these social programs.
In summary, payroll taxes are a significant source of government revenue, but the burden of the payroll tax and the government programs they pay for may not be entirely apparent to taxpayers, due to how the taxes are levied.


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Referees are finally having their day
Even those most refs/officialsumpires won't agree, all of us beer leaguers actually love them…. well most of them. The ones that call us "mother fuckers" we don't like. Yeah I'm still talking to that one Chicago referee. You're trash. Hear that story on the next podcast. But I digress…. Sure we argue calls, call you names, and (pretend to) think that you're an idiot but deep down we respect the shit out of you. We know if it wasn't for you we'd just be playing pick up games and calling our own penalties or balls/strikes. You make the games competitive and so what if you miss a ton of calls, you're human.
Well at a recent NHL game the refs finally had their day and I'm all for it.
There is an entire section of zebras at this Islanders game and they are chanting "let's go refs" and going NUTS for every icing and offside call. pic.twitter.com/lPfY0Bx5j9
— Barry Petchesky (@barry) February 1, 2020
Thanks for all you do officials…. now get your head out of your ass and make some calls.
February 1, 2020
Categories: Beer League


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Unfortunately, this is not good news, considering the Western United States is already plagued by fierce wildfires and drought. The Western U.S. is about to be hit by a potentially historic and prolonged heat wave, according to Climate Central. The heat wave is forecast to hit parts of Nevada, Arizona, and California starting from as early as Thursday and lasting through next week.
Climate Central reports that the prolonged heat wave will be the result of a "stuck" weather pattern that's emerging across Canada and the United States. All-time temperature records are likely to be reached in locations that usually experience the hottest temperatures, such as Death Valley, California. To date, the top temperature in Death Valley is 134°F, which also happens to be highest (reliably) recorded temperature on the planet, ever.
Excessive heat warnings are in effect for the cities of  Las Vegas and Phoenix from Friday through Monday. Temperatures in those two cities are expected to approach records, which are 117°F and 122°F respectively.  The number of straight days heat could be above 110°F is also of concern. Climate Central maintains that it could stretch past the 10 day mark in Las Vegas and some other areas.
The heat wave during the weekend and on into early July is also expected to impact inland areas of Southern California, where heat warnings have been issued. The hottest temperatures are not expected to impact Colorado and parts of New Mexico, where the biggest wildfires have been burning.
If you are in any of the areas expecting the very high and prolonged heat, remember to drink plenty of water, and stay indoors as much as possible during the hottest parts of the day. Also, sometimes forgotten, remember to keep pets safe by keeping them in cool places during the heat wave. Stay safe.
Image:Â Heat forecast graphic from NWS forecast office in Phoenix.


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Who among us can say we have never had any regrets in our life? We all travel that road. If you disagree, maybe you are not being totally honest with yourself.
In my opinion, regrets primarily come from bad decisions we make throughout life and even from missed opportunities. Some regrets may be the result of sins in our lives and some may not, but they are there nonetheless. Some affect us deeply, and some do not.
Allow me to point out several examples and the possibility of eliminating the regrets that haunt us.
Your test score arrives and the result is clear you did not study. (Some of us have felt that regret.) So how did you fix it? You studied for the next test and your score reflected your effort. Didn't the sun shine a lot brighter on that day?
You were warned by family and friends, but you married the "love of your life" anyway. Everything was peaches and cream for a while, but when the honeymoon was over, the person you couldn't see arrived to make your life miserable. Is this regret fixable? Yes it is possible, but it will take a lot of work from both parties involved.
You bought a beautiful new red sports car, but after only a week it is clear that it should have been painted yellow. You have had it in the garage so many times you have lost count. Regret! Regret! Can you fix this? Yes, but it will cost you.
You regret that you did not finish school. Go back and finish. You regret that you never learned to play a musical instrument. Start now and learn. It won't be easy, but these regrets can be turned into joy.
Most of the world today scoffs at any mention of the Rapture, but soon and maybe very soon, it will happen. Jesus Christ will come down from His Father's house in Heaven and remove His bride (the true Church) from this earth. He will take all who know Him as Savior and Lord to Heaven while He pours out His judgment upon this earth for a period of seven years. Immediately after the Rapture occurs where will you be, on earth, or in Heaven? One will result in overwhelming joy, but the other a frightening regret.
You have died. You are in hell, awaiting judgment. This is the worse regret, by far, you have ever experienced. Can it be fixed? You know the answer. Your regret comes from knowing that if you had come to Jesus before you died and asked Him to save you, you would be with Him in Heaven instead of hell, waiting for Him to judge you. This regret will be an albatross around your neck for eternity.
When we are alive upon this earth, everyone will have regrets of some kind, believers and unbelievers, but a believer in Jesus Christ will go into eternity with no regrets … only everlasting joy.
While upon this earth, many regrets can somehow be reversed (some can never be reversed), but once an unbeliever dies, the regret of denying Jesus will never go away. It will be a constant reminder. Maybe you, as an unbeliever have made some terrible decisions while upon this earth, but the worse decision you will ever make is rejecting salvation through Jesus Christ.
Take a minute and consider the regrets in your life. Now don't tell me you have none, we all have them. How do they make you feel? Is there a smile on your face that hides a broken life? If you could change anything in your life, would you?
Maybe society sees you as the most successful and blessed person of the century. On the other hand, maybe society sees you as the biggest failure who ever walked the earth. Depending on the cause of your regrets, some could be like a pebble in your shoe or a hungry bear on your back. Whichever it is, it doesn't matter. You do have regrets, but will you have eternal regrets when your time is up on this earth?
Four of the promises Jesus gives us, from over 7,000, in the Bible are:
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)
"All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away." (John 6:37)
To all believers Jesus promises:
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you." (Isaiah 41:10-13)
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)
For those who are interested in spending eternity in Heaven with Jesus and being regret free forever, consider this. There is only one way, and that is through Jesus Christ (John 14:6). Hear Him as He speaks:
"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost." (Isaiah 55:1)
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Grant Phillips
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com
Rapture Ready: https://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html


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|(617) 435-4693
eric [dot] smalley [at] gmail [dot] com
Post: @esmalley
|Eric Smalley is Technology Editor for The Conversation, a non-profit media outlet that publishes articles written by academics and edited by journalists for a general audience.
He's also a freelance writer and editor. He writes about science, technology, public policy, public health, international aid, sustainable development, social movements and journalism.
Eric has been a regular contributor to Wired, CNet and Columbia University's Case Consortium @ Columbia. He's also freelanced for Discover, Nature, Science, Scientific American, The Boston Globe, Data Informed, Computerworld, CIO, and InfoWorld, among other publications.
Eric has covered renewable energy, climate science, climate and energy policy, nanotechnology, quantum computing, robotics, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, cancer research, supercomputers, big data, the Internet, HIV-AIDS, aid to Haiti, and education in South Africa, among other topics.
Earlier, Eric co-founded Technology Research News. During its run as a weekly newswire and Web publication from 2000 to 2005, TRN grew to 650,000 page views per month and achieved a Google PageRank of 8, equal at the time to Discover and Scientific American. MIT's Technology Review carried TRN's news brief feed on its website from 2003 to 2004.
|Selected recent writing
|More clips


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The tea smells of raspberry and I can certainly see pieces of pineapple, but I only tasted a vague fruitiness. Perhaps if I use more leaves next time, though I did use the recommended amount, I will get more flavor.
SN for me: Backlogged from the morning
175 °F / 79 °C 2 min, 0 sec


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Search Global Themes
Monday, July 16, 2007
Blue Pacific
One of my favorite views: the Pacific Ocean between San Francisco and Stinson Beach - a small resort north of S.F. on Highway One.
3 comments:
beautiful place...am planning my next vacation there :)ReplyDelete
This is a beautiful place, I think iv seen some more pictures from the same place, is it a popular stop?ReplyDelete
sorry for answering late - I have a pug puppy who takes up all my time, especially as he also has a blog now:) anyway, this stop is very popular - mainly because it's one of the few points you can stop with your car between S.F. and Stinson Beach. The entire area is beautiful and really worth visiting if you are in Northern California.ReplyDelete
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New round of funding focuses on blockchain, digital ID and increasingly important role of start-ups in the future of payment technology
The recent announcement by Mastercard that it is to support a further 11 later-stage fintech and tech start-ups through its Start Path programme has highlighted a number of key trends for payments technology.
The 11 selected companies from across five countries are working on the largest array of innovations the programme has seen to date, including the development of new blockchain uses, protection of digital identity, and the digitisation of donations, among other solutions.
Mastercard launched Start Path in early 2014 to provide operational support, commercial access and strategic investment for start-ups that are building innovative solutions in financial services and commerce. Since launch, the Start Path team has evaluated roughly 1,600 start-ups per year and engaged more than 150 of them around the globe.
"The diversity of Start Path proves how quickly the pace of innovation is happening in so many areas," said Amy Neale, vice president, Mastercard Start Path. "Providing a range of companies with the resources and introductions they need to scale allows us to enable new ways to build the future of commerce together."
The latest Start Path companies are:
AID:Tech delivers digital entitlements transparently through blockchain technology and digital identity.
b.well makes managing health care and insurance simple by unlocking insights on patients.
Flutterwave is fostering digital payments acceptance and infrastructure for banks and businesses across Africa.
Goodworld powers the world's only technology for frictionless hashtag payments on social media.
HYPR reduces the risk of data breaches by eliminating the need for a centralised credential store.
Mobeewave enables smartphones to accept contactless payments without external hardware.
Railsbank gives companies access to a global banking network through simple APIs.
Sensibill's platform turns everyday purchase receipts into a core part of the digital banking experience.
ShieldPay's instant digital escrow facility enables everyone, everywhere to transact with each other in total confidence.
Trunomi unlocks the power of customer data using data rights management.
Zeta Optima is a new way to manage employee claims, fuel card, medical allowance and other tax-saving benefits.
Revealing trends
Mastercard's latest selection of organisations highlights a number of paytech trends that we can expect to see in 2018 and beyond. These include:
- An increased need for transparency through the likes of blockchain
- Growing demand for payment inclusion through innovative payment acceptance solutions
- Development of payment partnerships outside the payments ecosystem
- Growing diversity of the paytech environment
- True globalisation will be at the heart of payment technologies moving forward
- Anywhere, anytime access via as many platforms as possible is being demanded
- The growing importance of the payment journey, payment experience and social payments.
The final point on the list ties in with one of the central trends of this year's Money20/20 Las Vegas event. There, Kahina Van Dyke from Facebook commented: "A couple of years ago, no-one understood the social aspect of payments. But actually, every payment has a story and a concept, whether you're donating to a charity or sending money to friends. Payment is a conversation."
Payment security
Of course, underpinning all payments technology trends is the need for security, highlighted by several of the Start Path beneficiaries.
Recognising the continuing rise of transactions between people who don't know each other, ShieldPay has developed a unique and patent-pending technology that protects both buyer and seller in any payment by verifying both individuals, securing funds from the buyer and only releasing them to the seller when both sides are happy. It's mission, it says, is to eliminate peer-to-peer fraud and enable everyone, everywhere, to transact with each other in total confidence.
Then there's HYPR – the provider of enterprise-facing decentralised authentication solutions. Hot on the heels of HYPR's recently announced Series A funding round of $8m, Mastercard's strategic investment further enables HYPR's solutions to extend to the millions of users across the Mastercard payments ecosystem.
With 30 billion devices predicted to be connected to the Internet of Things (IoT) by 2020, ensuring they are secure and properly authorised when used to make a purchase is critical. HYPR's solution improves security and reduces the risk of an enterprise data breach by putting consumers' credentials on the device itself instead of in a central database.
This approach provides consumers with greater security and usability. It also has applications for online banking, merchant services, connected cars and other IoT initiatives.
"People need the peace of mind that their personal information, their money, and their identity are secure in the digital age," added Bob Reany, Executive Vice President of Global Products and Services for Identity Solution at Mastercard. "We are committed to advancing a consumer-centric vision of security grounded in giving people the ability to maintain control of their data. HYPR's technology is a smart way to keep critical data where it belongs – close to the consumer."
Mastercard has put its cards firmly on the table; its clear the organisation recognises the fundamental shift from physical plastic cards to digital payments – and the way this digital evolution is transforming the way consumers and businesses interact with payments.
Applications open
Applications for the next 6-month virtual program will be accepted until Monday 15 January, 2018. The program is open to start-ups who are rethinking banking, payments and commerce and have raised a significant seed or Series A round of investment. Interested start-ups can visit https://www.startpath.com/ for additional information and to submit an application.
Related reading
Diversions on the ISO 20022 journey
While ISO 20022 is still ongoing, this year has seen several delays to the migration strategies of SWIFT and various major market ... read more
Bank of Canada: Digital currencies raise stability questions
Financial stability is a key talking point within central banks as they discuss the possibility of launching digital currencies. "The one thing ... read more
SunTec CEO: Bank branches need to become Apple stores
The bank branch of the future must become an experience centre like Apple stores, according to SunTec CEO Nanda Kumar. In August, ... read more
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New technologies have burst onto the scene but may take years to mature Over the past few years, new entrances to financial ... read more


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So the morning routine is running smoothly but how about the after school madness? There's also a free printable to help tackle that obstacle. Amy hangs her after school routine chart right at the front door where her son hangs his backpack so when he comes in he knows exactly what to do. Click here for the free printable routine chart.
While your visiting Amy's website be sure to check out the other printables pages where you can find more cute and fun printables that are completely FREE!!!!


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Radical meets attainable. Our custom chromoly DJ delivers serious shredding at a budget friendly price.
CNC machined integrated 1.5" tapered head tube paired with a RST Dirt 80mm-travel fork with an extra firm HD spring.
Tektro Aires mechanical disc brake with 160mm stainless steel rotor for performance braking control.
Lightweight Verde Hex 1-piece seat/post combo with quick-release clamp for on-the-go adjustments.


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- I am the student of a female Church History professor at SWBTS, against whose dismissal I lobbied at SWBTS.
- I do not know Dr. Klouda, and what I know by reputation I find admirable.
- I do not have any problem with a woman teaching languages.
- If Dr. Patterson explicitly promised tenure to Dr. Klouda, and then broke his personal promise, then I believe he is wrong.
I offer the following for your consideration:
- Dr. Klouda is being used politically. I don't doubt that she would rather be used politically than be dismissed from a teaching position. Nevertheless, given the history of the past year, I have yet to meet anyone who believes that this uproar is simply about Dr. Klouda. It is clear what side her advocates' bread is buttered on.
- The zealots who have taken up this cause are perfectly willing to wreck American religious liberty in her defence. Do you have a written employment policy at your church stipulating what ministry positions women can hold and what positions they cannot? This group of people would apparently argue in federal court that the federal government has the right to suspend your church's exemption from federal anti-discrimination laws if you cannot demonstrate that your actions are in line with internal policies. The implications of a federal lawsuit upon churches and other parachurch ministries are not being taken into consideration. Southern Baptists have perfectly good internal processes capable of addressing any problem at any institution, yet this modern-day Hyrcanus would appeal to the Romans for us all, and we know how well that worked out for Judea.
- They are further perfectly willing to sacrifice the ministry preparation of every student at SWBTS. I do not believe that they will be successful in undoing SBWTS's accreditation, but that is certainly the objective of the letters being sent to accrediting agencies right now. Where will that leave the thousands of students whose degrees are in progress at SWBTS right now? Do our "radicals" care about them? Apparently not.
- This is not simply a campaign to redress procedural issues or obtain due process for Dr. Klouda. The posts and comments on this subject make it clear that the design is to discredit the conservative interpretation of 1 Tim 2:12 and to change Southern Baptist theology at this point, labelling the historic practice of Baptist seminaries and universities as "strange" and demonstrating once again that Burleson will only accept labels and insults if they are applied rightward.
- The ultimate design of it all is a revolution in the SBC in the vein of Saul Alinsky (see an interesting article about Alinsky, the father of liberal community organization, here. See a series of articles linking this insurgency to Alinsky here, here, here, and here. And, just for fun, see Alinsky's other prominent modern-day disciple here.) Alinsky's methodology is not hard to decipher—maniuplate the "ordinary people" to achieve the political goals of your elite cadre without becoming a true believer (see here for quotes to that effect). According to Alinsky, no cost is too high for victory. I disagree.
Clearly, whether they win or lose in San Antonio, they intend to try to have their way through the federal courts and the accrediting institutions. That fact, in and of itself, is enough to mobilize me to write 19 posts in January and to do much more.


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[edit] Overview
As always at DebConf, accommodation for attendees traveling from outside the host city will be provided. However, the arrangements for DebConf17 are a little more complex than those seen in recent years, so please read this page carefully as it does contain a lot of important information.
August is high tourist season in Montreal, which will make finding accommodation at the last minute difficult. This problem is compounded by the fact that the city's 375th birthday celebration events are expected to attract a higher than usual number of tourists. Furthermore, OSHEAGA, a major musical festival, will be held August 4-5-6, pushing accomodation rates even further up. Don't wait to plan and book your accommodation!
[edit] Three options
Three accommodation options are available for DebConf17:
- On-site, consisting of shared classroom dorms equipped with Red Cross cots
- McGill Royal Victoria College Residence, student residences located in downtown Montreal
- Hôtel Universel, a hotel located near the venue
See below under Recommendation for details about how accomodation will be attributed for bursary recipients.
For attendees who intend to book and pay for their own accommodation (henceforth self-booking), all three options are available. See below for details and conditions.
Please note that for DebCamp, July 31 to August 4th, the only accommodation arrangement available for bursary recepients is on-site.
[edit] Details
[edit] On-site
- Dates: July 31 to August 13
- Capacity: up to 90 beds
- WiFi: yes
- Bathroom: shared
- Showers: shared (locker room with private booths)
- Laundry: nearby laundromat
- Parking: available for 12 CAD per day
The on-site accommodation will consist of classrooms converted into shared dorms for up to 5 guests each. The rooms, located in a recently-built wing of the College, are approximately 74 square meters in size, with a ceiling height of 4.2 meters, and has windows equipped with rolling blinds as well as power outlets. Temperature and humidity are controlled by the central system. For the duration of the event, each room will get a unique door lock and key (guests will be lent a copy).
Beds will consist of cots (76cm wide by 198cm long) and pillows rented from the local Red Cross.
As an alternative to the cots, attendees may bring an air mattress. A pillow (60x40x3,8cm) will be provided, that guests can keep.
Attendees will need to bring their own bedding, blankets and/or (light) sleeping bag.
If you want to buy them in Montreal, we suggest you to consider one of the following stores:
- A bit pricey but usually high quality gear. It's a cooperative and charges a 5$ CAD membership fee that can be paid in the first order. Rocksolid guarantee and ships free on orders of 50$ CAD or more. Usually takes 1-2 business day to get the order delivered. Has a physical store in Montreal.
- Candian Tire:
- Cheap stuff, usually offer nice deals, no delivery but has a physical store not far from the venue.
Lockers will be available for extra storage, bring a padlock or combination lock.
[edit] Showers
Attendees accommodated on-site will be able to use the venue's gym shower block, located on the 5th floor of C-block.
To get there, take the staircase or elevator in D-block up to the 5th floor, and follow the signs.
No towels, facecloths, soap or shampoo will be provided, so these will need to be brought along.
The showers are open from 06:00 to 09:00, and then again from 16:30 to 01:00. During daytime hours there is construction work.
Make sure to take the same way back, since the doors on level 1 to 4 connecting to the rest of the building are locked.
[edit] Laundry
There is a self-service laundromat 5 minutes on foot from the conference. They only accept cash (coins) but there's a cashier on the premises that can provide change. The costs are likely to be $2.50 for washing and $1 for 10 minutes of drying. The cashier can fix stuck coin issues with the machines and speaks English and French. The wifi SSID is VIDEOTRON4570 and the password is 4vl19s636c.
Washing takes about 30 minutes, and drying roughly the same.
The address is Hochelaga 3561 and there is a map showing how to get there.
Opening hours:
Monday-Friday: 830-2000 Saturday: 730-1800 Sunday: 730-1800
[edit] Self-booking
You may book and pay for your stay on-site through the conference registration form. The fee charged per night is 30 CAD.
[edit] House rules
- Please be respectful of your dorm mates' sleep. If the light are out, be as quiet as you possibly can.
- No smoking anything (including e-cigarettes) or drinking alcohol in the rooms.
- 2.1 While you may know the Canada is in the process of legalizing a certain leafy substance, be aware that this hasn't happened yet.
- Please take care not to lose your room key, as we may not have spares to replace lost keys.
- Valuables need to be stashed safely. We take no responsibility for lost or stolen objects.
- Please avoid storing anything strong smelling.
- 5.1 Cheese can be stored in a fridge on-site.
- As a courtesy to the next person using the facilities, please clean up after yourself.
- Unclaimed property left in the dorms will be donated to charity.
- 7.1 A lost & found box will be located at Front Desk.
See DebConf17/Venue about night-time access.
[edit] Photos
[edit] McGill Royal Victoria College Residence
Royal Victoria College is one of McGill University's student residences in downtown Montreal. The front desk can be reached at 514-398-6378.
It's close to a subway station on the metro green line so that getting to and from the venue is straightforward.
- Location: 3425 University Street, Montréal
- Dates available: August 5 to 13 (see below if self-booking)
- Capacity: 80 single rooms, 8 double rooms (see below if self-booking)
- Check-in/out times: after 15:00 / before 11:00 (Front-Desk is operating 24/7)
- WiFi: yes
- Bathroom: shared
- Showers: shared
- Laundry: on-site laundry room ($)
- Parking: available for 20 CAD per day (limited number)
There is no curfew: guests are able to come and go as they wish at night.
Full housekeeping service is not included in the base price, and is an extra 25 CAD. Guests can pick up a change of linens at the front desk for 2,50 CAD.
Bed sheets, a blanket and pillow are provided, as well as a bath towel and shower necessities (shampoo, soap and facecloth). Extra soap or shampoo can be obtained at the front desk at no charge.
For the wifi, the setting for Network-Manager are:
- ESSID: "wpa.rez.mcgill.ca"
- Authentication: "Protected EAP (PEAP)" or "Tunneled TLS"
- 'No CA certificate is required' checkbox: checked
- Inner authentication: "MSCHAPv2"
- Username: provided by RVC
- Password: provided by RVC
[edit] Directions to and from the venue
[edit] Subway
From RVC to Collège de Maisonneuve, go south on University street, which is named Robert-Bourassa boulevard below Sherbrooke. The McGill subway station is on the corner of Maisonneuve and Robert-Bourassa. Inside, take the train in the Honoré-Beaugrand direction. Get off at Joliette station, which is 8 stations from McGill. Walk 2 blocks east on Hochelaga street, then turn left on Nicolet and walk north. Collège de Maisonneuve will be on your right. Use the entrance next to the bike racks with the big 2701 address sign.
From Collège de Maisonneuve to RVC, follow the above itinerary in reverse, taking the metro in the Angrignon direction at Joliette station. The last train of the evening leaves the station at about 0:45 (1:15 on saturday nights).
The trip inside the metro car takes about 20 minutes.
See Getting_Around#Public_Transit for fares and other details.
[edit] Night bus
If you miss the last subway train late at night to get back to RVC from Maisonneuve, you can take the night bus line 364. The stop is just in front of the Maisonneuve (corner Valois / Sherbrooke, north side), and takes about 20 minutes to reach the corner of René-Lévesque / Robert-Bourassa. From there it's a 10 minute walk on Robert-Bourassa to get to RVC.
The schedule of the 364 night bus for the Valois / Sherbrooke stop is 1:17, 2:03, 2:48, 3:33 and 4:17. If you want avoid missing the bus, be at the stop at least 5 minutes in advance.
[edit] Self-booking
DebConf has a room block of 30 single rooms at RVC for attendees who will be self-booking. Due to limited availability we were only able to reserve this block from August 7 to 13. Pricing is 52 CAD for a single room, taxes included.
Reservations must be made by June 23rd by phone (1-514-398-5200) or e-mail (email@example.com). You must mention in your reservation the name of the room block: DebConf17.
[edit] Photos
[edit] Hotel Universel
The Hôtel Universel Montréal is a four-star hotel about 1.8 km away from the conference venue. Cribs and cots are available upon demand.
- Location: 5000 Sherbrooke Est, Montréal
- Dates available: August 5 to 13
- Capacity: 10 standard rooms (2 double beds)
- Check-in/out times: 15:00 / 12:00 (noon)
- WiFi: yes
- Bathroom: private
- Showers: private
- Laundry: not available
- Parking: included with reservation
- Extras: on-site ATM, pool, gym
[edit] Directions to and from the venue
A free shuttle service provided by the hotel will be available to bring attendees to and from the venue between 8:00 and 22:00. The service is on-call at 514-253-3365 extension 0.
Other options are to:
- walk (20 mins)
- ride a city bike (10 mins)
- take a city bus (5 mins)
[edit] Self-booking
DebConf has a 10 room block at Hotel Universel for attendees who will be self-booking. There may be more rooms available beyond that number, but you need to book early. Prices are as follows (taxes included):
- August 5: 297 CAD
- August 6: 297 CAD
- August 7: 142 CAD
- August 8: 142 CAD
- August 9: 154 CAD
- August 10: 154 CAD
- August 11: 154 CAD
- August 12: 178 CAD
Total for 8 nights: 1518 CAD (standard room, taxes included)
Reservations must be made by
May 10 June 1st by phone (1-800-567-0223, toll-free from US & Canada or 1-514-253-3365 from elsewhere). You must mention in your reservation the name of the room block: Debian conference
[edit] Recommendation
If you're asking for a bursary, we ask that you consider requesting on-site accommodation. Not only is this option in keeping with the DebConf spirit, but the low cost will also allow us to offer travel bursaries to more attendees requesting it. If this arrangement isn't acceptable to you, you may request alternative accommodation during registration. You will be assigned a single room at the McGill Royal Victoria College Residence, unless you specify a special need in which case we may assign you either a double room at the McGill RVC (couples) or a room at Hotel Universel (families, mobility-impaired).
If you're paying for your own accommodation, you're welcome to stay on-site for the duration of the conference. This option will be most kind to your budget. Alternatively, you may stay on-site on August 4-5-6 and then move to a booked room at McGill RVC or the Hotel for the remainder of your stay. If expense isn't a concern, you may book a room at the Hotel for the entire duration of the conference.


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The Spirit rover acquired this mosaic on Sol 610 (September 20, 2005). The view spans about 120 degrees. Pancam's 753nm, 535nm, and 432nm filters were used to create this image. Two versions are provided at full resolution: an approximate true color rendering, and a false color rendering which enhances the subtle color differences between different rock and soil units in the scene.
Jim Bell
Pancam Instrument Lead
June 20, 2006


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Tap to Call: (208) 459-6346FAX: (208) 459-7700
20565 Academy RdGreenleaf, ID 83626
P.O. Box 368Greenleaf, ID 83626
Because Greenleaf Friends Academy is a private school, we receive no funding from federal or state money
Home » News and Events » FIRST QUARTER HS HONOR ROLL
Greenleaf Friends Academy20565 Academy RdGreenleaf, ID 83626
Mailing AddressP.O. Box 368Greenleaf, ID 83626
Main Office:(208) 459-6346FAX: (208) 459-7700


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Gendered advertising sucks. Seriously.
Just last weekend, I was in the grocery store with my partner when we stumbled upon some energy drinks marketed specifically toward women, called Her, which were so uniquely (sarcasm) colored bright pink. Because apparently, all other energy drinks weren't "feminine" enough, we needed one just for women. Just like we need our own beer. And other alcoholic beverages that cater to the fact that all we want in life is to be skinny (again, sarcasm).
The most recent annoyance I've seen in gendered advertising was pointed out by blogger Libby Anne.
The first photo she shared was of study guides for AP exams; the English and History exam books feature girls, while the Calculus and Physics exam books feature boys. Coincidence? I think not. Let's keep perpetuating the "girls aren't good at math" myth and see how that goes.
The next photo the article features is of Barnes and Noble sets of classic books, one for boys and one for girls.
This immediately reminded me of the recent story about the London department store, Harrods, pulling their How to Be Gorgeous book for girls and How to Be Clever book for boys from their shelves.
The Barnes and Noble set for boys features books focusing on action and adventure, while the set for girls contains books with steady themes of friendship.
Last time I checked, friendship was good for all people, regardless of gender. And who doesn't enjoy action and adventure? Especially children!
Children of all genders would benefit from reading the stories in each of these sets. Why not condense them down to one set, with books of varying themes, and have a "Classics for Children" book set, rather than separating them into categories for boys and girls?
Lastly, Libby Anne points out some gender-marketed cookies and crayons, because we've got to start putting them into those gender boxes while they're young, folks!
The cookies for girls are hearts while the cookies for boys are footballs. Geez, what happened to just animal cookies?! For children (and adults) of all genders?
The crayon set has a similarly stereotypical theme, with one blue set in the shape of a truck and a pink set in the shape of a princess crown. Of course. Because a regular Crayola cardboard box of crayons was much too gender-neutral.
Don't get me wrong, I think that princess crowns and blue trucks are great; I just think that those things should be presented as gender-neutral as well, and not marketed specifically toward one gender or the other.
And children shouldn't be scolded for wanting the product that might not be typically marketed to their gender.
The author of the article said it best: "Because boys are supposed to be out there being active and building and making things while girls are supposed to be practicing being pretty princesses and showing off their clothing, right?"
This theme of boys as active and girls as passive in advertising and marketing is old. If companies really want to stand out from the crowd, they should knock it off, stop drenching things in pink and calling them girl toys, while drenching things in blue and calling them boy toys, and join us in 2013.
Is that too much to ask?
Stacey Jean Speer earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Women and Gender Studies at San Francisco State University. While she waits to discover her calling in life, she enjoys utilizing the tools she gained as a student of Women and Gender Studies to critique media and the world around her from a feminist perspective.


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It's been going well, but there is always room for improvement, and one area of the budgeting system that we don't have down is the actual organization of our system. This post is what inspired me to make this budget binder*, which I spent way too much time on and am super excited about sharing with you!
The first part of the binder is the zippered pouch for my pen and calculator. These are very important budgeting tools. Next, we have the larger zippered pouch, which is where we will put receipts. I wrote "checked in" on the pouch so we would know those have already been written down on....
...our monthly budget sheet!
This is the budget sheet we have used every single month since August of 2011. It has the 7 main categories on it--entertainment, gifts, misc., personal, medical, gasoline, and grocery--and we write down every receipt amount, add it by week, and total it at the end of the month. We always know exactly where we're at and how much money we have left at any time.
I'm excited about this budget sheet. I just made it for 2013, and I think it will help see how much we're saving every month. This will be especially good to know because we're currently saving up for a down payment on a house.
I also add this checkbook register sheet, which I downloaded for free here. I think this will be much better and more organized than the stupid blue checkbook book I've carrying around that has pages falling out.
This last page is the one I am really excited about. The blog where I got this budget binder inspiration is called iheartorganizing (a great blog for organizing fools like me), and she has an Etsy shop where she sells some of her spreadsheets. I bought this finance checklist for $3.00.
Yes, I spent money on a spreadsheet.
But I will reject your scoffs, because I am certain this will revolutionize our system. Here's why: With this sheet, I can better keep track of the bills that have been stacking up on our counter. I've even paid a bill or two late because--shock!--I forgot. Good grief, what have I become?!
I added this spreadsheet to our budget binder along with a pocket folder so I can put our bills away as they come in and immediately note them on this sheet, adding a checkmark after I've paid it.
And that, my friends, is three dollars well spent.
So the budget binder is complete, along with extra sheets and a few more pocket folders for paystubs and coupons. I'm oddly excited about my bright red binder, and the nerd in me just wants to get to the end of January so I can write some stuff down on my new sheets!
I'm kidding, but I'm serious.
For more inspiration, go here.
*I bought all the materials you see in this post at Staples. Approximate cost: $35
Hooray for organization!
UPDATE Part 2: Take a closer look into our budget system.
UPDATE Part 2: Take a closer look into our budget system.


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Random Thoughts from the High Desert
Written by Sig Silber
The article on loss of middle skill jobs really intrigued me.
It of course raises the question what if anything can or should be done to deal with it.
The full report from the Dallas Federal Reserve is only four pages so why not read it? (Use link above to access report.)
This is probably the most important set of data in the report.
It is very simple to interpret. Over the last twenty-five years, the percentage of low-skill and high-skill jobs has increased while the percentage of middle-skill jobs has decreased. Could this be a factor in the observed increase in income inequality? Could the labor market be telling us something?
Other important findings in that report include:
- The decline in middle-skill i.e. routine jobs occurs during recessions but starting about twenty-five years ago, these jobs have not come back after the recession but remain gone. The replacement jobs as the economy recovers are in either high-skill or low-skill categories.
- Female workers seem to have done a better job of adaptation than male workers generally moving from middle skill routine jobs to the high-skill category. Male workers appear to have moved equally to low-skill and high-skill categories.
- Unlike the studies that I read when I was formally studying economics in the early eighties (when the returns to education were highly questionable), now the rewards for higher eduction are substantial.
All of this raises the question of how, if at all, government should react to this clear trend. The standard response which to me displays a misunderstanding of the above and other relevant factors is to increase the minimum wage.
This would seem to imply that compensation is not determined by the supply of and demand for labor with certain characteristics. On the other hand, it may be based on an assumption that employers have no alternative in that it is not cost effective to attempt to automate low-skill, and in the absence of minimum wage laws, low-pay jobs or that these jobs can not be off-shored.
This table may provide solace to those who advocate raising the minimum wage as a way of dealing with the changing structure of the work force and demand for labor.
Employers may indeed not be able to reduce their employment of non-routine manual labor. They may indeed be able to be held hostage by government and be forced to pay compensation that exceeds what a free market would determine to be the appropriate compensation. That is how things are handled by centrally controlled economies. But will this approach work in today's World economy?
Employers may have no option, but consumers do. It is more difficult to enforce higher prices on consumers. So the higher pricing resulting from increases in the minimum wage and other cost increases to business resulting in higher prices for goods and services may result in consumers reducing their consumption of such goods and services possibly by self-supplying these goods and services. After all, they are goods and service that require the lowest skill level to provide.
So again one wonders if policies that appear to me to be more politically motivated than well thought out may in the end harm those who presumably are the intended beneficiaries of such policies. The recent Congressional Budget Office (CBO) assessment of two minimum wage proposals concluded that there would be only moderate harm to low-wage employees and those seeking low-paying jobs. That analysis to me seemed fairly static, not considering the longer-term impacts but rather simply the initial impacts.
A better strategy might be to facilitate a better match between employer needs and worker capabilities. But that requires that government do something rather than simply dictating what others do. It is a lot easier to order others to do things than actually provide education, defense, public safety, highways, and other services usually considered to be primarily the role of government. That is why the U.S. is more and more becoming a command and control economy as many nations which formerly had a command and control economy are attempting to have an economy where the market has more impact than government on decisions that are made regarding production, consumption and, of course, investment.
I have had a lot of experience in the private sector and so far I have never seen a situation where government attempts to regulate prices were successful. Of course most of my experience has been with government attempting to prevent the increase in prices. Now we see government attempting to mandate increases in the price of labor and unfavored forms of energy and even mandating purchases which was, of course, the central aspect of the Affordable Care Act.
It is not new for government to require private sector expenditures but usually the reason is clearer. It is one thing to require bonding or insurance in the event of causing damage to someone else. The nexus is quite clear in that case. But now we increasingly are working off of far less direct causations such as requiring school children to purchase a meal with fruit to reduce society's cost to provide healthcare fifty years later. It seems like a slippery slope towards a very invasive government both economically and with regards to personal freedom.
But I will reserve the topic of forced expenditures for another day as this article is about how to deal with the changing structure of the labor market and the impact of government intervening between the buyer and seller of labor. The general assumption in economics is that if you force a change from an equilibrium, generally the new solution will be suboptimal.
This is an important field of research in economics as indicated by this quote from Wikipedia which can be found here. I have removed the references from the quote since I have not provided the links to the individual reference documents but they can be found at the full Wikipedia article at the above link.
"In economics, market failure is when the allocation of goods and services by a free market is not efficient. That is, there exists another conceivable outcome where a market participant may be made better-off without making someone else worse-off. (The outcome is not Pareto optimal.) Market failures can be viewed as scenarios where individuals' pursuit of pure self-interest leads to results that are not efficient – that can be improved upon from the societal point of view."
So basically government is saying that this changing mix of skills demanded by employers is some sort of conspiracy to damage society that needs to be dealt with.
"Market failures are often associated with time-inconsistent preferences, information asymmetries,non-competitive markets, principal–agent problems, externalities, or public goods. The existence of a market failure is often the reason for government intervention in a particular market. Economists, especially microeconomists, are often concerned with the causes of market failure and possible means of correction. Such analysis plays an important role in many types of public policy decisions and studies. However, some types of government policy interventions, such as taxes, subsidies, bailouts, wage and price controls, and regulations, including attempts to correct market failure, may also lead to an inefficient allocation of resources, sometimes called government failure. Thus, there is sometimes a choice between imperfect outcomes, i.e. imperfect market outcomes with or without government interventions. But either way, if a market failure exists the outcome is not Pareto efficient. Mainstream neoclassical and Keynesian economists believe that it may be possible for a government to improve the inefficient market outcome, while several heterodox schools of thought disagree with this."
And again government, without having identified the flaw in the marketplace which needs modification, is endeavoring to change the outcome. I suspect that the love affair with the concept of driving prices up in order to redistribute purchasing power to increase aggregate demand and tax revenues will not be more successful than the record with respect to government trying to drive prices down or at least prevent price increases.
None of this worked in the Soviet Union., I have studied how central planning does not work. It has not worked particularly well in Europe. Although it might seem ridiculous to those proposing minimum wage increases, it is exactly the way a monopoly works. The goal of a monopoly is to raise the price above the price which otherwise would be set in the marketplace. It is one of the reasons why we have anti-trust legislation. If we thought that monopolies resulted in prosperity they would not be illegal but be encouraged. The general feeling is that monopolies reduce prosperity while benefiting the monopolists. And yet governments are immune from prosecution as conspirators in creating labor monopolies.
However, it is hard to even to come up with examples of monopolies that have benefited the monopolist over an extended period of time. Most assessments of monopolies are that they initially raise prices by as much as twenty-five percent but ultimately lead to the failure of the monopolist. If not for OPEC, oil companies would not be utilizing horizontal drilling and fracking to extract oil and gas from source rocks in the United States thus putting the future of OPEC in doubt. Has the tin cartel been successful? How about the match cartel or the various salt cartels (both sodium and potassium salts)? One notes the recent beginning of the demise of the marijuana cartel. How about the sugar cartel? How about the various state dairy cartels? How about the De Beers diamond cartel? According to Wikipedia:
"De Beers' market share fell from as high as 90% in the 1980s to less than 40% in 2012"
De Beers no longer even exists as a separate company. AT&T is long gone in terms of its former self. So is IBM which once had a lock on the computer market based on a cartel strategy of renting not selling. It resulted in the personal computer and mid-sized computers called servers.
The market has a way of finding ways to defeat attempts to regulate prices whether those attempts are made by the private sector or government. Low-skilled labor with essentially an infinite supply of illegal immigrants and producing non-differentiable products and services that can in many cases be self-supplied (people do not have to go to fast food restaurants so the price elasticity becomes important) would appear to be one of the more difficult commodities to "cartelize". That is why I believe the minimum wage is truly an ignorant policy advanced by people with little understanding of the way the world works and with perhaps a low-opinion of the intelligence of voters. Well, they may have correctly assessed the astuteness of the electorate – but perhaps not.
A well worded advertisement can entice people to try a product or a political philosophy. But subsequent purchases are based on the experience with the product, service or political philosophy. There is nothing like not being able to find a job or hold the job to focus the mind. As middle-skill jobs are migrated to either high-skill or low-skill jobs, people will figure out which government policies are facilitating moving up or at least having a job if you are unable to move up but instead must move down.
This of course raises the question: "Is government a high-skill high-complexity job and if so is it staffed with those having the skill set to perform this job?"