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Saudi Writer Badryah al-Bishr: Be the Action, Not the Reaction
The popular Saudi writer and TV commentator Badryah al-Bishr appeared at this year's Emirates LitFest, where she talked about the explosion in production of Saudi novels, how she deals with controversy, her latest novel, and more:
By Sawad Hussain
Badryah al-Bishr is a Saudi writer whose last novel Love Stories on Al-Asha Street was longlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2014. Through her fiction, newspaper articles, and television programme (Badryah on MBC), she explores the position of Saudi as well as Arab women as a whole in contemporary society. Her views have generated much controversy, as though she is poised and elegant, she does not mince her words. Hend Saeed of the Dubai International Writers' Centre – which ran a reading and discussion group session on Al-Bishr's novel in the lead-up to the festival – moderated the session.
The following are excerpts from her session at the Seventh Emirates Airline Literature Festival.
Your articles and novels have stirred up much heated controversy in the media, primarily because you challenge what society deems as normal. Can you expand on this?
After thanking the audience for attending the session, Al-Bishr's remarked that controversy is a healthy sign of how successfully ideas and thoughts have made an impact. Debate, she stated, is a beneficial and wonderful thing. To her, a writer is someone who will make you confront your ideas and how you reason.
Relating the question to her own life experience, she said: "Traditional societies have one mould, [and] it's alarming if you don't fit into it. It's appalling if you don't resemble your mother or father. In the face of such confrontation, people ask, 'How do you go on?' To be honest I don't see those who don't support me, I don't see their insults. I focus on those who support me."
There is always a small section of society, she continued, that contradicts and believes that its view is the right one. This section voices its view the loudest, giving the impression to the rest of society (which is silent) that this minority represents all of society. But in truth, those who remain silent are a much larger group than those who loudly oppose.
In spite of all the controversy, she asserted that as a writer she is completely preoccupied with the profession and thoroughly enjoys what she does.
Many people stall in the development and advancement of their writing out of fear of criticism and what society will say. What is your view on this?
"Before 1990, we were living an illusion, that Saudi Arabia was not a place fit for writing novels. We can't write novels, only short stories. Why? Again and again it was said, 'Just write stories, short stories.' As I grew up, I would hear from those older than me that Saudi wasn't fit for novel writing; society is conservative, people will go to court if we write a novel.
"In 2005, the Internet revolution took place. A young girl came along, twenty-four years old, who didn't ascribe to or believe this illusion. We always thought the door was locked. A young girl came along, opened the door, and walked through it. She wrote a novel called Girls of Riyadh. Though it's a simple novel, there was much commotion. Between 1930 and 2005, only sixty novels were published [in Saudi Arabia]. But in 2006, Saudi Arabia published sixty novels in one year alone – because the illusion was broken!"
Al-Bishr shared her conviction that, as no one had taught this young girl that writing a novel is wrong or not the 'done' thing, she went ahead and did.
In your latest novel, you mention that the street Al-Asha is named after a poet called Al-Asha who lived on the street. Is there any other significance to the name?
Al-Bishr attested that, indeed, she intentionally tried to make the name symbolize more than one idea or thing. Asha literally means one who is deficient in sight, or incapable of seeing. The idea of not being able to see relates directly to one of the main characters, Aziza, who after struggling with an eye disease loses her sight. She also wanted to express that this period that "we lived through as Saudis," that her characters lived through, was one where they had shortcomings of sight.
Another real-life link is that Al-Asha Street still exists today in Riyadh. She said it was to Riyadh in 1975 what Sheikh Zayed Road is to the city of Dubai today, and lined with neighbourhoods. Due to a gap in recorded history between the poet's generation and hers, no one knows who this poet was or what happened to him.
Through the introduction of the colour television and the phone, it seems that familial relations as well as those between neighbours change in the novel. Would you agree?
Al-Bishr prefaced her response with a brief history of Riyadh's societal dynamics:
"Before families moved to the city, they lived in villages and in the desert. Love stories were not unheard of in the desert, and they would happen quite often as the Bedouins had a shared code of values between families in their society. When meeting possible suitors, who were inevitably cousins or neighbours, families were secure in knowing that their daughters wouldn't be harmed. We have the old love story of Qais and Layla, which happened in the desert. Everyone knows the story, and no one charged Qais with crime or accused Layla of impropriety …
"Such stories also took place in the villages and were allowed.
"Families migrating to cities were thrust into a strange environment among strangers. Fear and worry came to rule relations in the city. I didn't intend to portray this sort of relational transformation in my novel, as it takes place earlier in history, but rather I aimed to illustrate how the neighbourhood changed after the events of 1979.
"Prior to the occupation of Al-Masjid Al-Haram in 1979, every house had and used a radio. People would listen to the news, songs and the happenings in Cairo. The neighbourhood in my novel was more tolerant towards women, as is depicted in their reaction to Wadha's arrival. She came without a man, without a mahram, with no family except for her children…. They welcomed her, accepted her, adopted her and gave her a house. She also became a formidable trader in the market. The neighbourhood environment was laid-back and relaxed.
"After what happened in 1979, a wave of religious extremism came to the forefront. The neighbourhood lost its quality of tolerance towards women, became stricter with them and imprisoned them at home. People began to harass Wadha in the market, simply for being outside. They started hating music. Fairuz's voice disappeared from the radio and women's faces disappeared from the press."
Al-Bishr confirmed that not only did the introduction of technology change the dynamics in her novel's neighbourhood, but that real-life events from Saudi history played a critical role as well. One of the strongest themes running throughout the entire novel, which is strongly tied to the reality of Saudi women during the period the novel portrays, is each of the three main characters' quest for freedom in their own way: Aziza is a young girl who falls in love with a man simply because his accent reminds her of the Egyptian film stars she daydreams about — she marries a man she doesn't love, all in the effort to escape Al-Asha Street and get a passport; Wadha is a dirt-poor Bedouin woman seeking to free herself from the shackles of poverty by establishing her own source of livelihood; Atwa is an orphan who was abused by her father and mistreated by her step-mother before escaping by taking advantage of the boys' clothing that she was forced to wear after her mother passed away. Disguised as a boy, in pants, Atwa can roam freely. If she wore an abaya, people would ask what a girl was doing out on the street, where she was going, and what was her purpose for being outside.
You've been inspired by real-life events that took place in Saudi Arabia's history. Was there an influence from your own life on the events and progression of the novel?
"Since Hind and the Soldiers was published, I've been asked this question time after time. I always answer that if it were meant to be an autobiography, I would have labelled it as such. I don't have the desire to write one. Rather, I try to express the views of and speak up for many women. I never intended to put a part of myself in the novel."
On the other hand, in a follow-up question, Al-Bishr shared how, when writing a novel, she lives among her characters. She describes them as family members that come and go, think aloud to her and grow before her eyes. She shared the most intriguing insight, which was that she always hears her characters before she sees them, and in Love Stories on Al-Asha Street, she made a concerted effort to distinguish each character by their voice rather than their appearance. She also shared with the audience that she is currently working on another novel called Man harraka al-kanaba?, or Who Moved the Couch? Like Love Stories, it also delves into contemporary women's issues.
Why do creative beings such as yourself tend to leave Saudi Arabia? Is it because you have more freedom to be creative outside of Saudi Arabia than in it?
"That's a difficult question," Al-Bishr offered with a chuckle, and the audience echoed her laughter. "I'm married to an artist, his name is Nasr Al-Qasibi, and he too endures another type of battle as an artist. As a writer, I need space to work, so that I can write without [feeling trapped in a] constant state of struggle and conflict. If I'm not being clear, I want my sentence to be for me, mine, and not simply a sentence responding to the comment of another. When I was writing articles for Arshaq Al Aswat, I found myself always being [in a state of] reaction, and not action. I believe a successful person is someone who does and doesn't simply react. I think an intellectual shouldn't spend all his time debating others."
She elaborated that in a conservative society, any sort of talk outside accepted topics is considered shocking. Even simply talking about love is controversial. She challenged the room to imagine how many times a day one would be confronted with thoughts deemed as shocking. Dubai, she said, offers both her and her husband an environment where they can be free to imagine and not be confronted on a daily basis by societal restrictions.
"I have a café and I write in it. This is something in Dubai that really supports me as a writer. I have a café I write in, and where I drink coffee. I was surprised that my aspirations were as basic as these. I used to frequent places where my friends would go, but then I would end up chatting instead of writing. So now I go to places where I don't know anyone, and simply write."
* * *
Through it all, one could not help but admire Al-Bishr's bravery, as she, through her writing and speaking, continues to shine light on topics usually seen as taboo. That she delivered her answers with eloquence and insight brought home why she is regarded as a literary and cultural force.
Sawad Hussain is an Arabic teacher, translator and litterateur residing in Dubai.


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Cypress HD – is a wireless portable video control system, which is capable of transmitting uncompressed Full-HD video signal.
The main features of the system are the following:
without delay and compression
metadata transfer from camera
SDI/HDMI inputs/outputs
transmission distance with omni antennas is up to 500 meters (LOS)
If Shield directional antenna is used, the distance range can increase up to 1,200 meters (LOS).
The weight of the transmitter is just 380 grams. SDI and HDMI inputs make it possible to use Cypress HD with any modern camera.
The support of Multicast allows users to connect up to 6 receivers or radio monitors simultaneously to one transmitter.
For more: WICAM.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
*MISPRINT*Death Before Dishonor Hoodie
Prix régulier $50.00 Prix réduit$38.00
Taxes incluses. Frais d'expédition calculés lors du passage à la caisse.
- Size guide in product photos
- Free worldwide shipping over £100
- Free UK postage Over £75
- No EU Import Fees
- Hassel free returns
- Printed in-house by Artist
- Eco-Friendly Water Based Ink
- En stock
- Inventaire sur le chemin
This is a misprint product meaning it has misprinted design/ small stains or smudges from printing.
To reduce waste and to offer new customers a chance to test the quality of t-shirt Dark As Day prints on.
The defects are not huge but enough to make them not suitable for sale at full price.
Misprints may come without neck prints or hem tags.
This item is none refundable and sizes can not be exchanged.
- Death Before Dishonor design embroidered center chest.
- DA logo embroidered on bottom right.
- Regular fit
- Mid weight, 290g / 8.5oz
- 80% cotton 20% polyester anti-pill fleece
- Pullover hood
- Raglan sleeves
- Kangaroo pocket
- Lined hood
- Tonal drawchord
- Sleeve cuff ribbing
- Preshrunk to minimise shrinkage
Artist: @vaclav_tattoo
All sizing guides are at the end of product photos.
All caps and beanies are one size fits all.


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Collaborative Space Base
This large space base was built over five months by Jason Briscoe, Gary Davis, Tim Goddard, Andrew Hamilton, Rhys Knight, Peter Reid and me. Each side is over a metre long. The base was first displayed in July 2017 at Bricktastic in Manchester. It then travelled to Brick Live in London later in the summer and Jason drove it to the Skaerbaek fan weekend in September. It will be at the Great Western Brick Show in Swindon from 7-8th October.
There's rocky terrain on the surface section, as well as Jason's landing pad and imposing control tower. On the landing pad are Tim's Inexorable and my Galaxy Explorer. On the left hand side you can see solar panels and storage tanks, with Jason's white rover towards the front. On the right-hand side is my ore processing rover which is a mobile refinery plant.
Here's a shot of the surface from a different angle:
I'll update this post at some point with more information about the subterranean sections of the base. In the meantime you can see lots more photos of each section of the space base in this Flickr album.
October 3, 2017


text: These concrete pieces begin as a wood carving, usually in pine, that I then use to create a a two part polyurethane rubber mold. I then mix a special blend of concrete specifically designed for the mold and piece. Once the piece has been cast, it goes through a finishing and polishing process that results in a marble look.


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A typical graduate student seeking a PhD in physics or in physics and astronomy would follow a path such as this:
- Learn about the fundamentals of physics and astronomy in formal courses such as PHY 407 Quantum Mechanics, PHY 415 Electromagnetic Theory, PHY 403 Modern Statistics and Exploration of Large Data Sets and PHY 418 Statistical Mechanics.
- Explore current research activities in seminar, colloquia and through personal contact with faculty throughout th efirst year of the program - aiming to find the right research group match for a trial summer after the first year of coursework is completed. Our admissions process handlies general admission into the program, not into specific research groups at the outset. Research group placements are up to the enrolled students and the faculty advisors to sort out during the first year of the program, with the goal of joining a group for a trial summer after the first year coursework is completed.
- Learn to teach physics and/or astronomy by serving as a teaching assistant, fulfilling the two semester teaching assistant requirement for our program. The vast majority of our graduate students complete the teaching requirement in the first two semester of the program.
- Demonstrate proficiency in the fundamentals of physics in the preliminary assessment, based on the first year of coursework along with the first research experience.
- Join a research group; demonstrate proficiency in a specialty area, and a capability for performing research, by passing the qualifying examination before the completion of the fourth year of study. The goal of the qualifying exam in physics and astronomy is to show that you can do independent research, it is not designed as a thesis proposal in our department. Whether or not the qualifying exam subject/brief material end up as a part of your thesis is a choice for you and your advisor to make at a later time.
- Conduct research, write and publish articles describing the work, and identify a specific thesis subject requiring independent and original work that could be included in a dissertation.
- Write and defend a dissertation, a substantial and original contribution to knowledge in physics or astronomy.
It usually takes five to seven years to complete the PhD program. The length of the program is entirely dependent upon your progress through coursework and research, and is different for each student. Along the way, students develop the skills to create and conduct innovative research, advancing the frontiers of physics or astronomy.
Please visit the AS&E Graduate Student Handbook.
Please contact Linda Cassidy at email@example.com with any questions.
Interested in applying? Visit our application page for instructions and a link to our online application.
Support and Fellowships
Students receive support in the form of either teaching or research assistantship stipends. The physics and astronomy assistantship stipend rate covers most reasonable living expenses here in Rochester. The majority of students will complete the two semester teaching assistantship requirement in the first year of study and it is this teaching assistantship that pays the stipend in the first year. After the first year, the majority of students will join a research group and will have their stipend paid by their research advisor for the remainder of the PhD program. All students admitted into our PhD program receive a full tuition wavier from AS&E.
There are also many fellowships, that may be awarded through the department or through outside agencies, to supplement the base teaching or research stipends. See the financial support page for more details.
Incoming Students
Welcome to our incoming class! Check out our incoming students page for information on important dates, and to see our pre- and post-arrival checklists.
Have questions? Contact Linda Case at firstname.lastname@example.com or fill out our inquiry form.


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Varactor – The Core of Voltage Controlled LC Tuner
In hybrid system, analog system with digital control, a voltage controlled things is very important since it can be interfaced by DAC from digital system. For radio tuning with digital control, a voltage controlled LC circuit is needed. If we can turn a knob of variable capacitor mechanically, microcontroller system prefer outputting a voltage rather than controlling a variable capacitor mechanically with a motor.
In reverse bias, a varactor diode uses a p-n junction and has a structure such that the capacitance of the diode varies with the reverse voltage. Electronic tuning circuit as in television or FM radio tuners is a popular application of the varactor. The capacitance of the varactor is varied by the DC control voltage, retuning the resonant circuit.


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Permitted Development England
How to build a
home extension without Planning Permission using your PD rights - Oct. 1st
Permitted Development Extensions - Oct. 1st
Extensions for permitted development to domestic dwellings fall under class A of the GPDO in most
cases. There is other criteria for extensions to a dwellings roof for example but this section will simply
concentrate on permitted development for home extensions.
The PD rules have changed from a building volume or area based assessment to a more impact
based assessment which now has dimensional limits one can extend a property usually from the original rear or side
elevation of the existing dwelling house wall.
This combined with eaves & roof heights limits & minimum distances to boundaries make for a more
reasonable assessment of what the permitted development rights are for extensions. This does allow greater freedoms
for people who wish to install extensions to their properties without the need for Planning Permission but the
dimensional limits and physical size of what you can do under the PD rules needs to be fully understood.
Another major trap that can make your extension fall outside of the Permitted Development allowances is the fact
that the 4M & 3M maximum projection distances for single and two storey extensions relate to the 'original'
house wall. Therefore if you are intending to extend from a previous extension wall no matter how old, then you
will probably fall outside of the PD rules and require formal planning consent.
Side windows on the upper floor the permitted development extension are also prevented unless they are obscure
glazed and any opening sash must be at least 1.7M above the floor level which is a new restriction compared to the
previous permitted development rules.
Download a pdf guide for Permitted Development on domestic
guidance on permitted development and domestic extensions
The concise and detailed criteria of the permitted development wording for domestic extensions can be located
elsewhere on this web site.
As always, you are advised to obtain professional drawings completed by a Building Designer which can be used as
part of a formal Certificate of Lawful Development application to the Council that will formally and legally
confirm that your project is indeed permitted development.
©2020 - Christopher Hunt :: This page
last updated:


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Government Research
(Website links and downloads)
California Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking
U.S. Department of State Trafficking in Person's Report 2014
U.S. Department of Justice Human Trafficking Report, 2010
National Colloquium Report 2012
Study of HHS Programs Serving Human Trafficking Victims 2009
Human Trafficking Into and Within the United States – A literature review
U.S. Department of Justice – Raising Awareness About Sexual Abuse Facts and Statistics
President's Interagency Taskforce to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons
California Child Welfare Council – Ending CSEC – A Call for Multi-System Collaboration in California, 2013
California Department of Justice The State of Human Trafficking in California, 2012
California Alliance to Combat Slavery and Trafficking Taskforce, 2011
Louisiana Human Trafficking Report 2014
Academic Research
Study of sex workers and pimps reveals how the market for underage sex actually operates.
Conflict and Agency among Sex Workers and Pimps: A Closer Look at Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking, Journal of the Academy of Political and Social Science
Research to Action: Sexually Exploited Minors (SEM) Needs and Strengths. 2012, WestCoast Children's Clinic
Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in the US, Canada and Mexico, University of Pennsylvania, Estes & Weiner, 2002
Pathways into and out of commercial sexual victimization of children: understanding and responding to sexually exploited teens. 2009.
The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in NYC, 2008
An ECPAT-US discussion paper about the lack of recognition of the commercial sexual exploitation of boys in the United States. 2013.
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Key Facts
Sexually Exploited Boys
Demystifying the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Boys – Our Forgotten Victims. Jodie Gummow
Internet Studies
Cox Teen Internet Study 2009-teen-survey
Covenant Eyes Pornography Statistics
Exploiters and Sex Buyers
Victims to Victimizers: Interviews with 25 Ex-Pimps in Chicago, DePaul College of Law 2010
Comparing Sex Buyers Report 2011
Percentage of Men (by country) Who Paid For Sex At Least Once.
Prostitution Research and Education, Melissa Farley
Human Trafficking Research Shared Hope
Labor Trafficking
National Institute of Justice: Thirty percent of San Diego Migrant Laborers Experience Trafficking Violations.


text: Sorry, I'm not yet convinced that making two requests -- the first of which retrieves a full HTML document -- is the way to go, when all we really want is the URL's capabilities, and we have additional requests to make later, eg OpenID. (Yes, I'm aware a HEAD request *could* be used for the first request, but no matching headers is found, then the consumer would need to re-request via GET in order to check for a pointer in the HTML, for a total of 3 requests. ) So, I'm going to pursue another tangent here briefly. Feel free to shoot it down. :-) On Thursday 17 November 2005 14:26, Ernst Johannes wrote: > So I think what we've established so far is that: > - the capabilities lookup needs to be orthogonal to the content type snip > We also have the goals: > - we should not introduce new HTTP verbs (too messy, too hard) Has anyone considered using the existing HTTP OPTIONS method (verb)? My reading of the HTTP spec indicates that it was designed for just such an "orthogonal" purpose. It has also been in the spec for a long time, so *should* have decent support in webservers and proxies. Here's the relevant section of the HTTP 1/1 spec. The first paragraph reads a lot like our problem description: 9.2 OPTIONS The OPTIONS method represents a request for information about the communication options available on the request/response chain identified by the Request-URI. This method allows the client to determine the options and/or requirements associated with a resource, or the capabilities of a server, without implying a resource action or initiating a resource retrieval. Responses to this method are not cacheable. If the OPTIONS request includes an entity-body (as indicated by the presence of Content-Length or Transfer-Encoding), then the media type MUST be indicated by a Content-Type field. Although this specification does not define any use for such a body, future extensions to HTTP might use the OPTIONS body to make more detailed queries on the server. A server that does not support such an extension MAY discard the request body. If the Request-URI is an asterisk ("*"), the OPTIONS request is intended to apply to the server in general rather than to a specific resource. Since a server's communication options typically depend on the resource, the "*" request is only useful as a "ping" or "no-op" type of method; it does nothing beyond allowing the client to test the capabilities of the server. For example, this can be used to test a proxy for HTTP/1.1 compliance (or lack thereof). If the Request-URI is not an asterisk, the OPTIONS request applies only to the options that are available when communicating with that resource. A 200 response SHOULD include any header fields that indicate optional features implemented by the server and applicable to that resource (e.g., Allow), possibly including extensions not defined by this specification. The response body, if any, SHOULD also include information about the communication options. The format for such a body is not defined by this specification, but might be defined by future extensions to HTTP. Content negotiation MAY be used to select the appropriate response format. If no response body is included, the response MUST include a Content-Length field with a field-value of "0". The Max-Forwards request-header field MAY be used to target a specific proxy in the request chain. When a proxy receives an OPTIONS request on an absoluteURI for which request forwarding is permitted, the proxy MUST check for a Max-Forwards field. If the Max-Forwards field-value is zero ("0"), the proxy MUST NOT forward the message; instead, the proxy SHOULD respond with its own communication options. If the Max-Forwards field-value is an integer greater than zero, the proxy MUST decrement the field-value when it forwards the request. If no Max-Forwards field is present in the request, then the forwarded request MUST NOT include a Max-Forwards field.


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Transmitting Signals With Fubre Optic Cables
Fibre optic cables are used for many telephone and TV transmissions. Fibre optic cables are long, thin, strands of glass or clear plastic and carry signals in the form of electromagnetic wave – light or infrared. The electromagnetic waves are transmitted as pulses, with the signal being switched on and off many times a second to produce a string of zeros and ones. In the transmitter, electrical signals are changed into light signals by a light emitting diode (LED) or a diode laser. At the receiving end, the light signals are picked up by a photodiode and changed back into electrical signals.
Optical fibre cable is thinner, lighter and cheaper than copper cables and can carry more signals. Signals in copper cables get weaker very quickly – and the loss in signal depends on the frequency of the signal - so many amplifiers are needed if the cable is long. The signals also accumulate noise unavoidably and these are also amplified, reducing the quality of the signal. Signals in optical fibres get weaker much more slowly and are less prone to interference.
The amplifiers can be much further apart. Optical fibres also have the advantage that they cannot be 'tapped', so that conversations are inherently more private.
Most long distance telephone calls are now carried by fibre optic cables, as is most computer data and internet traffic.


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Wish there was a word more awesome than awesome. Because this would be that. Above is the original animation reference footage for the original Price of Persia. From 1985. That's PoP creator Jordan Mechner's little brother, running around in baggy pants. Mechner took this footage, tracked his bro's movements then based the Prince's animation on them. The likeness manages to be both amazing, creepy and amazing all at the same time. October 20, 1985 [Jordan Mechner, via Boing-Boing]
11 Minutes Of Cozy Railway Planning In Station To Station


text:
ProgressivismCalculation and Knowledge
Noneconomists struggle to realize that scarcity results in the necessity of tradeoffs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this difference in thinking causes them to wrongly accuse economists of "prioritizing money over lives."
Philosophy and MethodologyPolitical Theory
How can paternalists say that when they make it more difficult for you to smoke they aren't interfering with your freedom? They've come up with a bizarre rationale.
Taxes and Spending
The government may claim that it needs the funds to provide essential social services: are the poor to be left to starve? But these assertions do not justify its policy of forcible seizure.
Philosophy and Methodology
Media and CultureWorld History
The Bill of Rights doesn't mention that freedom of speech is restricted to a special class of establishment journalists. Freedom of speech is a universal property right, regardless of what the establishment-media gatekeepers say.
The FedMoney and BanksGold Standard
Stated simply, gold-standard proponents seek a dollar that is widely trusted as a constant measure of value. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Big GovernmentPolitical Theory
If you believe The Atlantic, rejection of PC culture is hardly limited to the Right.
Money and BanksTaxes and Spending
Some inequality arises naturally from freedom of choice. Some comes from government meddling. One is good and the other is bad. …


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Dear Readers,
I am fundraising for my latest film project, Oyster Bay Brewing Bloodsuckahz. It's a maritime-themed vampire saga featuring Oyster Bay Brewing Company, a new brewery in Oyster Bay owned by Gabriel Haim and Ryan Schlotter.
Gabriel Haim's wife's cousin, Kevin Matalucci, was brewmaster of Broad Ripple Brew Pub in Indianapolis, Indiana for 23 years, so beer obviously flows in the family's veins.
A clan of aquatic vampires, or BLOODSUCKAHZ, desire Haim's precious beer-laced plasmajuice, so Oyster Bay Brewing Company will use nuclear brewfare to destroy evil and save humanity.
While I am confident with the synopsis of Oyster Bay Brewing Bloodsuckahz, I have no script, filmmaking experience, or, again, money; There is only a tagline for the VHS box:
Vampires love blood…and beer!
Morgan Freeman is also confirmed for the role of Vorloft, main antagonist and warlord of the BLOODSUCKAHZ.
Thank you.
[Electronic Signature]
Niko Krommydas
Oyster Bay Brewing Company
76 South Street
Oyster Bay, NY 11771
(516) 802-5546
Gabriel Haim has beer in his blood.
Haim's wife's cousin, Kevin Matalucci, was brewmaster of Broad Ripple Brew Pub in Indianapolis, Indiana for 23 years and often poured his beers at holidays and other family functions. Inspired by the "growlers of flavorful and complex brews," Haim purchased a homebrewing kit with Ryan Schlotter, a friend and co-worker at Westbury's Rallye BMW, and "started experimenting in their kitchens" in 2011. They also brewed regularly at Broad Ripple Brew Pub with Matalucci. His professional guidance triggered the start of Oyster Bay Brewing Company.
"There aren't any big kettles or hoses in a homebrew kit, so working on a real brewhouse was a great experience and pushed us to take it seriously," says Haim. "[Matalucci] gave us direction and we would do everything, from mashing to measuring hops. We've been trying to apply everything we learned on our own equipment now."
Oyster Bay Brewing Company's equipment is a three-barrel brewhouse with two fermenters and four brite tanks. After test-batching two days per week since December 2012, the brewery opened on June 09 with Amber Ale and IPA. The latter is 8.70% ABV and has a "nice floral aroma and hop bite," says Schlotter, who created the recipe.
While Haim and Schlotter are still employed at Rallye BMW, the duo are serious about correcting the severe brewery-neglect in Nassau County; prior to Oyster Bay Brewing Company, Oceanside's Barrier Brewing Company was the county's sole beer-maker.
"There's no beer on the north shore of Nassau County, and Oyster Bay has such a rich history and a great community vibe," says Schlotter. "We're trying to give them a craft brewery with bold flavors, but something for the masses, as well."
Super Neat Beer Descriptors//Oyster Bay Brewing Company IPA


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Eric Schmidt, the chairman of Google opined that Internet will soon disappear as there would be so many IP addresses, so many interactive devices that it would be difficult for people to discern what falls in the paradigm of the world wide web. All that is part of the internet will become a part of one's being. This truly has been the premise of the Internet of Things (IoT) that started entering different industries since 2015. IoT has spread from Smart Homes to wearable devices to even the event management industry.
IoT as the future wave of event management
Event management industry has seen a sea change since its inception. With increased penetration of technology, event managers are no more dependent on manual attendee logs and direct collaborations. From mobile apps that can take care of event registration and program agenda to augmented reality for those unable to attend the event in person, event managers are exploring different technologies to engage their attendees as much as they can. With event management industry using technology increasingly, Internet of Things (IoT) has also made its foray into this sector. In fact, nowadays event managers are looking at using event apps beyond event registration. IoT is being increasingly used to create engagement opportunities throughout the event.
What is making event managers increasingly explore the potential of IoT? IoT allows you to connect wirelessly through different devices that can be managed remotely. Connectivity is the key behind the use of IoT devices in event management. One of the basic uses of IoT has been in attendee management through different registration apps that saves the attendees from standing in long queues. Introducing the idea of Smart Parking has empowered attendees to choose their own parking slots. One of the best innovations of IoT has been the introduction of RF mats to track attendee attendance. Connecting these mats to the attendees' mobile devices via Bluetooth can give them a fair idea about the floor plan and floor traffic. These IoT applications are indeed giving an edge to the event management industry.
Power efficiency of IoT devices
For IoT devices to achieve seamless interconnectivity, silicon implementation in the form of system-on-chip (SoC) is considered to be the best solution. SoCs are able to use a single chip to integrate the functionalities of computing resources and sensors. This enables IoT devices using SoCs to consume less power, thereby reaching power efficiency. Power efficiency coupled with wireless interconnectivity is what is making SoCs the ultimate answer to all the limitations faced by IoT devices.
Technology companies developing SoCs are intending to use sub-threshold or near-threshold techniques to develop IoT devices with long lasting batteries. There has been practical application of this technology where Ambiq Micros's sub-threshold power technology platform has been adopted and implemented by Huawei in its fitness wearable product line, Huawei Band Pro 2.
The global SoC-IoT innovation trends of 2018 has shown that power efficiency is one the key benefits of SoC-IoT collaboration. Hence from health industry to retail industry to event management, power efficient IoT devices are currently in vogue. Different technologies like fully depleted silicon-on-insulator (FD-SOI) and implementing memories with reduced leakage during sleep mode are being experimented on by the current SoC design.
In the event management industry it is very important that the event managers and the attendees are connected pre-event, during event and even post-event. If smart devices are being used to promote virtual collaboration, then the first thing that the industry needs is power-efficient devices. As IoT devices are flooding the event management industry, SoC enabled power efficiency is slowly becoming the driving force behind technological advancement.
Power efficiency is becoming one of the key global SoC-IoT innovation trends. SoC enabled IoT devices are finding increasing acceptance in different industries as power management and interoperability are the two driving forces of any IoT device; and these key attributes are being achieved through SoC integration. As interconnectivity and power-efficient devices are becoming a basic necessity for 'Smart' event management, SoC-IoT collaboration is becoming a niche driver of the event management industry.
Author bio:
Kevin Maddox is the internet marketer of one of the emerging tech giants in USA. He has nine years of experience in technological research, especially on interconnectivity through IoT. He has published her insights on global SoC-IoT innovation trends on various established websites.


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"Just inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Site: Ivrea, industrial city of the 20th century, #Italy. Congratulations!" With this Tweet, UNESCO announced the listing of the Piedmontese city as the 57th Italian site considered a World Heritage. The decision was taken during the 42nd World Heritage Committee that is taking place in Manama, Bahrain, and that will go on until July 4th.
Founded in 1908 by Camillo Olivetti, the industrial city of Ivrea developed mainly between the 1930s and the 1960s under the direction of Adriano Olivetti – in parallel with the family company, "Olivetti", manufacturer of typewriters, mechanical calculators, and office computers – and comprises a large factory and buildings designed to serve the administration and social services, as well as residential units. This architectural ensemble, designed by leading Italian urban planners and architects, reflects the ideas of the Community Movement. As a social project, Ivrea expresses a modern vision of the relationship between industrial production and architecture.
The Minister of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism, Alberto Bonisoli, said that he is "happy and excited, both as Italian citizen and as Minister of Cultural Heritage, for the recognition of Adriano Olivetti's humanistic conception of work."
The nomination was promoted by the municipality of Ivrea and the Adriano Olivetti Foundation, together with the Guelpa Foundation, the Piedmont Region, the Metropolitan City of Turin and the municipality of Banchette.
(Ilona Catani Scarlett)


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Early morning here in Northern Virginia was perfect today. That is, before the sun burned through the haze and climbed higher into the sky. It got hot… fast! The good news is, I had Ryan out on the patio before this. It was a comfortable seventy-degrees and the humidity was bearable. We did some of his therapy — the ActivCycle — before it became uncomfortable and I brought him back into the house.
He finished his monthly Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment (HBOT) yesterday, so we were able to take advantage of the time he's normally in the chamber to get outside. It's always been my want, since getting the patio, to exercise him at daybreak. Until now, I've only had a handful of opportunities. I'm hoping this next thirty days (HBOT cycle off) we can do this much more, provided it isn't too hot or rainy.
As for me, it was uplifting to drink a cup of coffee and listen to the birds as I watched and worked with Ryan. Sure, it wasn't complete relaxation but it was something… something more than I usually get. Hey, I wasn't able to kick up my feet, close my eyes, and enjoy the smell of the morning like any other person, but I did my best to take in every iota of peace between tasks. Well, that's kind of true because, technically, I didn't get a break. More precisely, I did this when I would sit down to work on a supply list of all we need to take Ryan to Johns Hopkins later in the week. I suppose I define peace and rest quite differently than most. Actually, I know I do.
As for the Johns Hopkins list I was working on, I was able to get it mostly complete. It's just a lot of stuff that needs to happen and get packed up to take Ryan out somewhere. This makes no matter how long we'll be out. Most items need to come regardless of the duration. The difference is, more of some of the items must be put into his "Go" bag, which is rally more like packing for vacation (minus the beach toys and board games).
Think of it this way, it's like packing for an infant taken to the tenth power. In our case, we have an infant that weighs 175 lbs and the equipment and supplies to accommodate this increased mass. Instead of a ten pound compact stroller we need a one-hundred fifty pound stretcher (and I'm not even adding in the weight for the oxygen tanks, vitals monitor, and everything else that is onboard). On top of this, the complexity is increased. It's not a matter of simply snapping him into a car seat. Hell, no. Not even close! There are mechanized lifts, multiple belts to secure him to the stretcher and multiple anchors to secure the stretcher to the ambulance cabin. Getting him out is even worse!
Now let's look at feeding time. It's not as easy as opening a jar of food or giving a bottle of prepared formula. Medication and supplements must be crushed and added. To get the food into his stomach means we need to bring antibacterial soap, examination gloves, a g-tube extension, bulb syringe to check residual and pour the food into, a pill crusher, distilled water to flush the tube, measuring cups, stirrer, g-tube de-cloggers, and sterile bags. It's equally awful and tedious.
Hospitals are the worst, because of the infection risk. I ask you, when was the last time you packed sterile masks and isolation gowns for a day out? We put these on him for his protection. We discard and change these with each old area we leave. I always have to laugh when the staff asks me if he has an infection. "No", I tell them, "we're walking into one".


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An official of FIFA, the governing body of international soccer, maintained an opulent lifestyle that included a luxury apartment in New York–for his cats.
The Wall Street Journal
"Put down the Friskies and nobody gets hurt."
As I turned the key in Apartment 31G, high above Manhattan, I closed my eyes and braced myself for the spectacle I was sure to encounter once I entered. I opened the door and, just as I expected, saw empty bags of Iams Less Active Catfood in the distinctive turquoise bag strewn across the floor. A Fancy Feast Classic Seafood Variety Pack was sitting on the counter, with three cans empty. My roommate Rocco had apparently used the sports page to relieve himself rather than make the arduous trek all . . . . the . . . way back to the kitty box like a civilized cat.
Working on a six-pack.
The situation was nearly intolerable, but I had no one to blame but myself. After all, I'd acted in The Odd Couple in high school, and should have remembered that roommates were like drinking–never mix, never worry. But there was something about Rocco–the tuxedo cat I lived with–that made him hard to turn down when he asked if he could move in with me.
Maybe it was his lack of manners, the way he bowls over everything and everybody in his way to get what he wants. He's an alpha male, and I'm a beta. He's Oscar Madison to my Felix Unger; he's a slob, and I'm–well, let's just say I'm . . . fastidious.
I heard a burp from the vicinity of the couch and knew he was home. I supposed that should have been some consolation, that he hadn't left his mess for me to clean up. On the other hand, if he were out somewhere I could straighten things out without his interference; the infuriating indifference he shows to any attempt whatsoever to maintain a luxury apartment in a state that wouldn't warrant condemnation by the Board of Health.
"Geez, ya scared me," he said as he lifted his head up from the sofa cushion.
"I hardly think so."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because if I'd truly scared you, you would have at least jumped out of that heap of trash you're lounging in."
"I'm comfortable with whom I am."
"Who not whom," I said.
"Geez–I woulda thought you'd go the other way on that one. I was tryin' to use proper English."
"I'm glad I've had some influence on you, even if it's only superficial. The relative pronoun functions as part of the relative clause, not the main clause. So think of it as 'I am comfortable with the person who I am.'"
"If I ever think of it again, I will." He sat up, grabbed the remote and turned on "Top Cat," the 60s cartoon that's his favorite–dare I say "only"–artistic interest.
"You know, our master works very hard to provide us with a luxury apartment–it's the least you could do to pick up after yourself every once in a while."
"Define 'hard work,'" he said with a skeptical tone. "Is it 'hard work' to open up an envelope with a large cash payment from a television network?"
"Well, probably not."
"Is it 'hard work' to accept sexual favors from a precocious jeune fille sent to persuade you to site the next World Cup in Moldavia, or Upper Volta, or Burkina Faso?"
I had him dead to rights now. "Upper Volta and Burkina Faso are the same country, you dingbat."
"You get my drift," he said as he stretched his arms before hopping up onto the counter and popping the top off another can of Fancy Feast.
"Oh, give it a rest, wouldya?"
"You're getting quite a gut from lying around all day eating that . . . junk."
"You know and I know that being an international soccer official is just about the most corrupt job in the world, after New Jersey traffic court judge and Massachusetts Democratic elected official."
"So you're in this up to your whiskers, don't come on all high and mighty with me. You're in pari delicto with the whole scam."
It struck me that there ought to be a Latin logical fallacy for what Rocco had just done–"argument by changing the subject" or something–but there wasn't, so he had a smug little smile on his face as he made his way back to the couch.
We went our separate ways, as always. It's no fun having a roommate who doesn't share your interests which, in my case, include washing myself 6 times a day. Still, we were very fortunate. It isn't every cat who has a luxury apartment, and a room of his own to sleep in–on the bed!–to look out the window of, to retire to when the din of the television in the living room becomes too annoying, to . . .
"Holy crap!" It was Rocco, screaming at the TV.
"What?" I called out to him. He doesn't usually get excited, it had to be something important, like a Today Show interview with the editor of Cat Fancy or something.
"They just indicted a bunch of soccer officials for bribery!"
I came around the counter and looked at the screen. There was our master, doing the perp walk, while the announcer droned on about a $150 million kickback scheme. I shook my head in disbelief. "We're doomed," I said finally with disgust.
"Why do you say that?" Rocco asked.
"All of this," I said, sweeping my paw before him. "You can kiss it goodbye."
But as always, the Roc-man saw things a bit differently. "Don't be a sap," he said. "We'll turn state's evidence and write a true crime tell-all book."
"Isn't that prohibited by 'Son of Sam' laws?"
"You mean the guy who claimed he was possessed by a demon in the form of a dog named Harvey?"
"Yeah, that's the one."
"Wrong species–we're cats!"
Available in Kindle format on amazon.com as part of the collection "Cats Say the Darndest Things."


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The Welcoming Communities Forum identified strong community support and interest in building a more inclusive and welcoming approach to a wide range of newcomers. This was demonstrated through active engagement and attendance by the 70 participants at the Forum. The discussion and panel clearly identified community needs and a list of recommended actions to improve our communities ability to attract and retain newcomers.
One key recommendation was to increase coordination between existing agencies and services. Existing services need to be more coordinated and learn about the information needs of newcomers. Existing services can be more proactive identifying barriers to participation (ethnic, language, religious, cultural, sexual orientation, disability) and in the development of collective strategies to address these. There was a suggestion to include Newcomer Strategies with the Poverty Task Force.
See the full report for recommendations and next steps: Summary Community Forum May 9 2013 (final)


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An automobile is the 2nd biggest investment most of us make after a property, so it just makes good sense that we wish to rely on the individual who is visiting be repairing it. And while you may believe discovering a trusted vehicle service center and a great technician may be a challenging task, it truly isn't really if you understand exactly what to seek. We'll help you get on the right track.
Call Us Now at 210-202-4343!
When to Seek a Good Auto Garage
The greatest means to guarantee you find a great garage is to start seeking that quality store before your auto requires repair works. Once your vehicle is broken you are forced to rush around searching for an area to have it dealt with, and you won't have time to look into the high quality of the store.
It's much better to develop a partnership with a service center and the mechanic lengthy before things break. Normal upkeep will lower the danger of your auto breaking down and it's the best means to determine whether you like exactly what a shop has to offer. Begin small with an easy oil modification and create from there.
Exactly what are you looking for in an Auto Service center in San Antonio?
Automobile Repair Work Suggestions From Buddies
Rely on word of mouth when you start your search. Listen to what others have to say about different repair shops. Ask friends, family, and co-workers who they would recommend. You can also check with the BBB to find out who has had complaints against them.
Call Now at 210-202-4343 to Get Your Car Fixed
Never base your decision on merely the cost. A reduced cost doesn't always indicate a cheaper expense. Some shops have a flat price fee for every repair kind regardless of just how long it takes them. Others charge for each hr that it takes, which might work out less expensive however it might also function out to more if the mechanic runs in to a snag. A much higher price does not always indicate better solution, yet a lesser rate doesn't always suggest unsatisfactory service. Do your research.
As soon as you think you have actually discovered the appropriate store snoop around a bit. Check to see that the store appears well arranged and orderly.
San Antonio Transmission Repair Shop
Inquiries to Ask When Selecting a Vehicle Service center.
There are additionally some concerns worth asking:
- Do they have up to date tools?
- Exactly what type of diagnostic tools do they have?
- Can they give references from other consumers?
- Do they concentrate on a certain kind of automobile?
- Are their professionals accredited?
- Just what brand name of parts do they utilize?
- Exactly what is their policy connecting to customer contentment?
- Just what is their manufacturer's warranty?
- Exactly what kind of payments do they accept?
- Exactly what is their effort rate?
Keep Good Automobile Repair Records


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Bats are the only flying mammals. Finland has 11 known species of bats. Most of the species hibernate in Finland, although a few of them migrate to the south.
According to the Nature Conservation Act, bats are protected. They are also under the strong protection defined in the appendix IV of the EU nature directive, and protected by several international agreements. If you are considering getting rid of bats in your building, you should first contact your regional Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment, which will provide further instructions.
All Finnish bats are insectivores. They hunt in the dark with the help of the echoes of the high-pitched sounds they make. Each species has its own typical sounds. The bats form an exact image of their environment through the echoes they hear.
Damages and their prevention
Bats can hide in attics during the day time, and may, thereby, cause some disturbances. Bats living in the attic may also bring in common bedbugs and their guano may cause odour problems, so their access to the building should be blocked by obstructing their access routes. Bats can crawl in through holes less than two centimetres wide.
Their access holes are usually on the west and south walls of the building. Sometimes, the access routes can also be found due the staining around the hole or the guano underneath it. Nearly all bats leave buildings during the night time, which enables their access to be blocked while they are gone. Bats cannot be evicted between May and September.
Bats that come indoors in human residences are usually young individuals who have gotten lost. Most often, they will leave by themselves if a door or a window is left opened and other exits are closed. Bats are not aggressive and do not attack, but they may bite, if they get caught. Do not handle bats with your bare hands, as some of them may carry the rabies virus.


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The ancients strove to make sense of the world just like we do and in their search for understanding they focused their gaze on the stars in the sky.
They gathered astrological knowledge, but it's unknown if these ancient astrologers had calendars, clocks and atlases or if they understood the technicalities of chart calculation.
Their astrological legacy includes birthcharts, progressed aspects and authentic astrological information and thanks to Ptolemy, and the stars in the sky, humanity can now benefit from their astrological wisdom.
The fundamental astrological text that became the standard reference for all astrologers during the Age of Pisces was Tetrabiblos.
It was written by Claudius Ptolemy in the 2nd-century.
Working in the library at Alexandria – where an estimated 700,000 papyrus rolls were carefully catalogued – he summarized the astrology of the ancients.
His famous text is an exposition of the art of astrology and a compendium of astrological law.
In it he systematically explains the rules for drawing up a chart.
The planets, he claims, exert their influence on the personality as do race, country and upbringing and the birth chart should be constructed for the precise moment of birth.
But the precise time is difficult to know without a reliable clock and there wasn't one in the 2nd-century when Ptolemy wrote Tetrabiblos.
What's the date?
A calendar divides the year into months, weeks and days.
It's a method of ordering the years – an essential part of the astrology story.
Way back….the Sumerian calendar divided the year into 12 lunar months of 29 or 30 days and today the Jews, Chinese and Muslims have calendars based on lunar and solar cycles, each with a different starting date.
But it doesn't matter where you are you just want to know what day it is.
In 46BC the Julian calendar was invented by Julius Caesar, but it had an in-built error and in 1582 Pope Gregory eliminated the error and avoided its recurrence by restricting century leap years to those divisible by 400.
The changeover to the Gregorian calendar was gradual and England didn't make the change till September 2, 1752 when the error amounted to 11 days.
That's when September 3, 1752 became September 14 and births before and after this date were referenced as Old Style or New Style.
Germany had already made the change in 1700 but Russia didn't make the change till February 14, 1918.
This calendar is the one you use today, unless you live in China.
What's the time?
Clocks time the hour and minute of the day, but the common wristwatch is a quite recent invention.
Back in the 2nd-century when Ptolemy was writing Tetrabiblos there were water clocks, candle clocks, sundials and hour glasses.
They weren't very reliable – there was no hour or minute hand – but back then the need to know the time wasn't a five-minute imperative like it is today. This seems to be a recent cultural phenomenon.
So fast forward to the 1500s when early timepieces only had an hour hand.
Their accuracy was so poor that they were practically useless.
Then, in 1657 a great leap forward occurred when Christiaan Huygens, a Dutch physicist, made a successful pendulum clock and in 1675 Huygens devised the spiral balance spring.
This paved the way for increased accuracy – from perhaps hours per day to 10 minutes per day.
Pocket watches now had a minute hand, but most people didn't have one – they were costly symbols of a person's wealth and social standing and this meant that only the rich were likely to own one.
In the 1700s mechanical timekeepers – clocks and pocket watches - were uncommon.
Then in 1854 the Waltham Watch Company in Massachusetts pioneered the mass production of watches.
In 1900 wristwatches were mostly worn by women and in 1969 the introduction of the quartz watch was a revolutionary improvement in watch technology.
It made the precise timing of births – to the exact second – possible.
Ptolemy is looking on with envy.
Where are you?
An atlas is a book of maps and the zero-degree line of latitude was determined by Ptolemy as early as 150AD.
He explained it in his famous atlas, Geography – his impressive attempt to map the known world giving the latitude and longitude coordinates of major places. And even though the coordinates were hopelessly inaccurate it was a standard source of geographical data until the 16th-century.
The first modern atlas was completed in 1594, but its accuracy standard was still very poor.
The zero-degree line of longitude doesn't have an obvious starting point – like the equator – so English navigators in the 1700s used the longitude of their home port, Greenwich.
Then in 1759 John Harrison perfected his marine chronometer and this paved the way for accurate longitude measurements and accurate map making and accurate latitude and longitude coordinates were just what the astrologer needed.
Pisces and the age of inaccurate birth charts
But, by all accounts, astrologers during the Age of Pisces applied Ptolemy's astrology to inaccurate birthcharts.
It begs the question – how could William Lilly, Elias Ashmole, Nicholas Culpepper and John Dee get it right when the clocks and atlases were wrong?
Uranus was discovered in 1781, Neptune was located in 1846 and Pluto was discovered in 1930 so they mostly worked with seven planets and it was not until 1795 that a listing of the planets' sign positions appeared for the first time in Raphael's Ephemeris.
And who knew what house system to use?
The Italian astrologer, Placidus de Titus, had published his Table of Houses in 1650, but it wasn't translated into English until 1814.
The calculation of an accurate birth chart requires an accurate birth time and accurate birth place coordinates.
It involves a difficult set of calculations that very few so-called astrologers during the Age of Pisces could understand and do.
Is it any wonder that the chart was used as a divinatory device?
An almost accurate birth chart
Now in the Age of Aquarius there's been a revolutionary change.
The computing power of new-age technology calculates an almost accurate birth chart in seconds.
And with an almost accurate birth time recorded on your birth certificate it's a best case scenario.
An almost accurate birth chart and evidence-based scientific astrological data allows you to live an examined life.
Astrology for Aquarius – sharing our knowledge


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The winner of Cyber, Creative Effectiveness and Glass Lions, BBDO's 'Dads #ShareTheLoad' campaign won the Entertainment Lion, and is also up for the awards in Film, Film Craft & Integrated categories to be held today
BestMediaInfo Bureau | Mumbai | June 25, 2016
Of the two shortlisted Indian campaigns in this category, BBDO India won a Bronze Entertainment Lion for its campaign Dads #ShareTheLoad for Procter & Gamble. Dads #ShareTheLoad campaign by BBDO India won the medal in the 'Online: Fiction 15 minutes or under in Length' sub-category.
BBDO India had won a Bronze Cyber, Bronze Creative Effectiveness and a Glass Lion for its #ShareTheLoad campaign. The campaign is also up for the awards in Film, Film Craft and Integrated categories to be held today.
The campaign which has two parts to it, one is #ShareTheLoad and the other is Dads #ShareTheLoad has been applauded for the change it is trying to bring in the Indian society. The campaign aims at making the male counterpart equally responsible to the female counter part when it comes to household chores. Indeed a fabulous message in the most effective manner.
There were no shortlists from India in the Entertainment Lions for Music category.
Watch Dads #Sharetheload campaign:


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Kurdistan's Man in Washington.
After ten years' toil, Iraqi President Jalal Talabany's 32-year-old son has become an unquestionably effective spokesman for the Kurdistan Regional Government's cause in Washington. Sleek, suave, and Savile-Row-suited, with an easy manner and considerable persuasive powers, he delivers a powerful message about a rare U.S. success story in the Middle East: a mostly peaceful and prosperous region with little need for outside ground forces, and an emerging democracy where 80 percent of the voters turned out for the July 25 regional parliamentary elections.


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1/18/2007Utah Considers 80 MPH Speed Limit
A Utah Senate committee approved an upgrade in the maximum speed limit to 80 MPH.
Utah's legislature is considering a boost in its maximum highway speed limit to 80 MPH. A unanimous vote of the Utah Senate Transportation and Public Utilities and Technology Committee on Tuesday recommended adoption of legislation that updates and improves the way speed limits are determined in the state. If approved, Utah would join the state of Texas which implemented the nation's top legal speed of 80 MPH last year.
State Senator Scott K. Jenkins (R-Plain City) introduced the legislation giving state transportation officials the discretion to increase the legal speed on highways where engineering and safety surveys show most motorists are already safely traveling at that speed. His proposal also encourages reasonable limits on other roads based on scientific engineering studies.
Jenkins' measure also creates a new crime of "careless driving" which happens when a motorist commits any traffic violation while: on a cell phone, eating, drinking, smoking, tending to children or other passengers, looking for something dropped in the car, or grooming oneself. The police may use unmarked police cars to issue tickets for careless or reckless driving, but not ordinary speeding. It also outlaws driving slowly in the left lane of a freeway, saying that dawdlers, "may not impede the movement or free flow of traffic in the left general purpose lane."
The full Senate will now consider the legislation.
Article Excerpt:Text of legislation:
Chief Sponsor: Scott K. Jenkins
General Description:
This bill modifies the Motor Vehicles Code by amending traffic code provisions.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
- provides that an unmarked vehicle may be used for routine enforcement of certain violations;
- provides that an authorized emergency vehicle may violate certain provisions while engaged in routine patrolling activities;
- repeals speeds in certain locations as lawful;
- requires the Department of Transportation to establish the safe and prudent speed limit on each section of highway under its jurisdiction and requires that each speed limit be based on a traffic and engineering study;
- changes the maximum posted speed limits;
- provides that an operator of a vehicle traveling in the left lane may not impede the free flow of traffic and shall, upon being overtaken by a vehicle in the same lane, yield to the vehicle;
- provides that if an operator is not following a vehicle in the left lane within a certain distance, it is prima facie evidence that the operator is impeding the free flow of traffic;
- provides that an operator of a vehicle shall follow another vehicle so that at least two seconds elapse before reaching the location of the vehicle directly in front of the operator's vehicle;
- provides that a signal of intention to turn right or left shall be given continuously for two rather than three seconds before making the indicated action;
- provides that an operator of a vehicle that observes another operator indicating the operator's intention to turn shall adjust the vehicle as necessary to accommodate the other operator's intended action;
- defines and prohibits careless driving; and
- makes technical changes.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 41-1a-407 is amended to read:
41-1a-407. Plates issued to political subdivisions or state -- Use of "EX" letters --
Confidential information.
(1) Except as provided in Subsection (2), each municipality, board of education, school district, state institution of learning, county, other governmental division, subdivision, or district, and the state shall:
(a) place a license plate displaying the letters, "EX" on every vehicle owned and operated by it or leased for its exclusive use; and
(b) display an identification mark designating the vehicle as the property of the entity in a conspicuous place on both sides of the vehicle.
(2) The entity need not display the "EX" license plate or the identification mark required by Subsection (1) if:
(a) the vehicle is in the direct service of the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, state auditor, or state treasurer of Utah;
(b) the vehicle is used in official investigative work where secrecy is essential;
(c) the vehicle is used in an organized Utah Highway Patrol operation that is:
(i) conducted within a county of the first or second class as defined under Section
17-50-501, unless no more than one unmarked vehicle is used for the operation;
(ii) approved by the Commissioner of Public Safety;
(iii) of a duration of 14 consecutive days or less; and
(iv) targeted toward careless driving, aggressive driving, and accidents involving:
(A) violations of Title 41, Chapter 6a, Part 5, Driving Under the Influence and
Reckless Driving;
(B) speeding violations for exceeding the posted speed limit by 21 or more miles per hour;
(C) speeding violations in a reduced speed school zone under Section 41-6a-604;
(D) violations of Section 41-6a-1002 related to pedestrian crosswalks; or
(E) violations of Section 41-6a-702 related to lane restrictions;
(d) the vehicle is provided to an official of the entity as part of a compensation package allowing unlimited personal use of that vehicle;
(e) the personal security of the occupants of the vehicle would be jeopardized if the "EX" license plate were in place[.]; or
(f) the vehicle is used in routine enforcement on a state highway with four or more lanes involving:
(i) violations of Section 41-6a-701 related to operating a vehicle on the right side of a roadway;
(ii) violations of Section 41-6a-702 related to left lane restrictions;
(iii) violations of Section 41-6a-704 related to overtaking and passing vehicles proceeding in the same direction;
(iv) violations of Section 41-6a-711 related to following a vehicle at a safe distance; and
(v) violations of Section 41-6a-804 related to turning and changing lanes.
(3) Plates issued to Utah Highway Patrol vehicles may bear the capital letters "UHP," a beehive logo, and the call number of the trooper to whom the vehicle is issued.
(4) (a) The commission shall issue "EX" and "UHP" plates.
(b) In accordance with Title 63, Chapter 46a, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the commission shall make rules establishing the procedure for application for and distribution of the plates.
(5) For a vehicle that qualifies for "EX" or "UHP" license plates, the entity is not required to display an annual registration decal.
(6) (a) Information shall be confidential for vehicles that are not required to display the
"EX" license plate or the identification mark under Subsections (2)(a), (b), (d), and (e).
(b) (i) If a law enforcement officer's identity must be kept secret, his agency head may request in writing that the division remove the license plate information of the officer's personal vehicles from all public access files and place it in a confidential file until the assignment is completed.
(ii) The agency head shall notify the division when the assignment is completed.
(7) A peace officer engaged in an organized operation under Subsection (2)(c) shall be in a uniform clearly identifying the law enforcement agency the peace officer is representing during the operation.
Section 2. Section 41-6a-212 is amended to read:
41-6a-212. Emergency vehicles -- Policy regarding vehicle pursuits -- Applicability of traffic law to highway work vehicles -- Exemptions.
(1) Subject to Subsections (2) through (5), the operator of an authorized emergency vehicle may exercise the privileges granted under this section when:
(a) responding to an emergency call;
(b) in the pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law; or
(c) responding to but not upon returning from a fire alarm.
(2) The operator of an authorized emergency vehicle may:
(a) park or stand, irrespective of the provisions of this chapter;
(b) proceed past a red or stop signal or stop sign, but only after slowing down as may be necessary for safe operation;
(c) exceed the maximum speed limits, unless prohibited by a local highway authority under Section 41-6a-208; or
(d) disregard regulations governing direction of movement or turning in specified directions.
(3) (a) [Privileges] Except as provided in Subsection (3)(b), privileges granted under this section to the operator of an authorized emergency vehicle, who is not involved in a vehicle pursuit, apply only when:
(i) the operator of the vehicle sounds an audible signal under Section 41-6a-1625;or
(ii) uses a visual signal with emergency lights in accordance with rules made under Section 41-6a-1601, which is visible from in front of the vehicle.
(b) An operator of an authorized emergency vehicle may exceed the maximum speed limit when engaged in normal patrolling activities with the purpose of identifying and apprehending violators.
(4) Privileges granted under this section to the operator of an authorized emergency vehicle involved in any vehicle pursuit apply only when:
(a) the operator of the vehicle:
(i) sounds an audible signal under Section 41-6a-1625; and
(ii) uses a visual signal with emergency lights in accordance with rules made under
Section 41-6a-1601, which is visible from in front of the vehicle;
(b) the public agency employing the operator of the vehicle has, in effect, a written policy which describes the manner and circumstances in which any vehicle pursuit should be conducted and terminated;
(c) the operator of the vehicle has been trained in accordance with the written policy described in Subsection (4)(b); and
(d) the pursuit policy of the public agency is in conformance with standards established under Subsection (5).
(5) In accordance with Title 63, Chapter 46a, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the
Department of Public Safety shall make rules providing minimum standards for all emergency pursuit policies that are adopted by public agencies authorized to operate emergency pursuit vehicles.
(6) The privileges granted under this section do not relieve the operator of an authorized emergency vehicle of the duty to act as a reasonably prudent emergency vehicle operator in like circumstances.
(7) Except for Sections 41-6a-210, 41-6a-502, and 41-6a-528, this chapter does not apply to persons, motor vehicles, and other equipment while actually engaged in work on the surface of a highway.
Section 3. Section 41-6a-601 is amended to read:
41-6a-601. Speed regulations -- Safe and appropriate speeds at certain locations
-- Prima facie speed limits -- Emergency power of the governor.
(1) A person may not operate a vehicle at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the existing conditions, giving regard to the actual and potential hazards then existing, including when:
(a) approaching and crossing an intersection or railroad grade crossing;
(b) approaching and going around a curve;
(c) approaching a hill crest;
(d) traveling upon any narrow or winding roadway; and
(e) approaching other hazards that exist due to pedestrians, other traffic, weather, or highway conditions.
(2) Subject to Subsections (1) and (4) and Sections 41-6a-602 and 41-6a-603, 20 miles per hour in a reduced speed school zone as defined in Section 41-6a-303 is a lawful speed.
(3) Except as provided in Section 41-6a-604, any speed in excess of the limits provided in this section or established under Sections 41-6a-602 and 41-6a-603 is prima facie evidence that the speed is not reasonable or prudent and that it is unlawful.
(4) The governor by proclamation in time of war or emergency may change the speed limits on the highways of the state.
Section 4. Section 41-6a-602 is amended to read:
41-6a-602. Speed limits established on state highways.
(1) (a) The Department of Transportation shall determine the reasonable and safe speed limit for each highway or section of highway under its jurisdiction.
(b) For each highway or section of highway, each speed limit shall be based on a traffic engineering and safety study consistent with the requirements and recommendations in the most current version of the "Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices."
(c) The traffic engineering and safety studies shall include:
(i) the design speed;
(ii) prevailing vehicle speeds;
(iii) accident history;
(iv) highway, traffic, and roadside conditions; and
(v) other highway safety factors.
(2) In addition to the provisions of Subsection (1), the Department of Transportation may establish different speed limits on a highway or section of highway based on:
(a) time of day;
(b) highway construction;
(c) type of vehicle;
(d) weather conditions; and
(e) other highway safety factors.
(3) (a) Except as provided in Subsection (3)(b), a posted speed limit may not exceed 70 miles per hour.
(b) A posted speed limit on a freeway or other limited access highways may not exceed 80 miles per hour.
(c) This Subsection (3) is an exception to the provisions of Subsections (1) and (2).
(4) When establishing or changing a speed limit, the Department of Transportation shall consult with the following entities prior to erecting or changing a speed limit sign:
(a) the county for state highways in an unincorporated area of the county;
(b) the municipality for state highways within the municipality's incorporated area;
(c) the Department of Public Safety; and
(d) the Transportation Commission.
(5) The speed limit is effective when appropriate signs giving notice are erected along the highway or section of the highway.
Section 5. Section 41-6a-704 is amended to read:
41-6a-704. Overtaking and passing vehicles proceeding in same direction.
(1) On any highway:
(a) the operator of a vehicle overtaking another vehicle proceeding in the same direction:
(i) shall, except as provided under Section 41-6a-705, promptly pass the overtaken vehicle on the left at a safe distance; and
(ii) enter a right-hand lane or the right side of the roadway only when safely clear of the overtaken vehicle;
(b) the operator of an overtaken vehicle:
(i) shall give way to the right in favor of the overtaking vehicle; and
(ii) may not increase the speed of the vehicle until completely passed by the overtaking vehicle.
(2) On a highway having more than one lane in the same direction, the operator of a vehicle traveling in the left general purpose lane:
(a) shall, upon being overtaken by another vehicle in the same lane, yield to the overtaking vehicle by moving safely to a lane to the right; and
(b) may not impede the movement or free flow of traffic in the left general purpose lane.
(3) An operator of a vehicle following a vehicle in the left general purpose lane at a distance so that more than two seconds elapse before reaching the location of the vehicle directly in front of the operator's vehicle when space is available for the operator to travel in a right-hand lane is prima facie evidence that the operator is violating Subsection (2).
(4) The provisions of Subsection (2) do not apply to an operator of a vehicle traveling in the left general purpose lane when:
(a) overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction in accordance with Subsection (1)(a);
(b) preparing to turn left or taking a different highway or an exit on the left;
(c) responding to emergency conditions;
(d) avoiding actual or potential traffic moving onto the highway from an acceleration or merging lane; or
(e) following the direction of a traffic-control device that directs the use of a designated lane.
Section 6. Section 41-6a-711 is amended to read:
41-6a-711. Following another vehicle -- Safe distance -- Exceptions.
(1) The operator of a vehicle:
(a) may not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, having egard for the:
(i) speed of the vehicles;
(ii) traffic upon the highway; and
(iii) condition of the highway; and
(b) shall follow at a distance so that at least two seconds elapse before reaching the location of the vehicle directly in front of the operator's vehicle.
(2) Subsection (1)(b) does not apply to funeral processions or to congested traffic conditions resulting in prevailing vehicle speeds of less than 35 miles per hour.
Section 7. Section 41-6a-804 is amended to read:
41-6a-804. Turning or changing lanes -- Safety -- Signals -- Stopping or sudden decrease in speed -- Signal flashing -- Where prohibited.
(1) (a) A person may not turn a vehicle or move right or left on a roadway or change lanes until:
(i) the movement can be made with reasonable safety; and
(ii) an appropriate signal has been given as provided under this section.
(b) A signal of intention to turn right or left or to change lanes shall be given continuously for at least the last [three] two seconds preceding the beginning of the movement.
(2) A person may not stop or suddenly decrease the speed of a vehicle without first giving an appropriate signal to the operator of any vehicle immediately to the rear when there is opportunity to give a signal.
(3) (a) A stop or turn signal when required shall be given either by the hand and arm or by signal lamps.
(b) If hand and arm signals are used, a person operating a vehicle shall give the required hand and arm signals from the left side of the vehicle as follows:
(i) Left turn: hand and arm extended horizontally;
(ii) Right turn: hand and arm extended upward; and
(iii) Stop or decrease speed: hand and arm extended downward.
(c) (i) A person operating a bicycle or device propelled by human power may give the required hand and arm signals for a right turn by extending the right hand and arm horizontally to the right.
(ii) This Subsection (3)(c) is an exception to the provision of Subsection (3)(b)(ii).
(4) A person required to make a signal under this section may not flash a signal:
(a) on one side only on a disabled vehicle;
(b) as a courtesy or "do pass" to operators of other vehicles approaching from the rear; or
(c) on one side only of a parked vehicle.
(5) An operator of a vehicle that observes a proper signal under Subsection (1), (2), or (3) by another operator of a vehicle shall adjust the vehicle's movement as necessary to accommodate the other operator's indicated action.
Section 8. Section 41-6a-1715 is enacted to read:
41-6a-1715. Careless driving defined and prohibited.
A person operating a motor vehicle is guilty of careless driving if the person:
(1) commits two or more moving traffic violations under Title 41, Chapter 6a, Traffic Code, in a series of acts within a single continuous period of driving: or
(2) commits a moving traffic violation under Title 41, Chapter 6a, Traffic Code, while being distracted by one or more activities not related to the operation of a motor vehicle, including:
(a) using a wireless telephone or other electronic device;
(b) eating, drinking, or smoking;
(c) physically attending to a passenger;
(d) searching for an item in the vehicle; or
(e) attending to personal hygiene or grooming.