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Sep 24, 2023
Sep 24, 2023
Deciphering its Historical Implications
In 1620, one hundred Puritans boarded the 'Mayflower,' the ship in which the Pilgrim Fathers sailed from Plymouth to Massachusetts. These people saw little chance of England becoming a country in which they wished to live. Viewing it as un-godly, they moved from a bad to worse state. They believed that a new start in the New World was their only chance. "The colonization of South and Southeast Asia may not start with the Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, French, and Americans. Two great human civilizations spilled beyond the Indus Valley and the Yangtze Valley. The ancient Hindu empire of Madjapahit dominated both peninsular and insular Southeast Asia, reaching up to Central Philippines. So did the later Shri Vijaya Empire." [1]
Like the Americans, who traced their ancestry to the Pilgrim Fathers, the Balinese trace their ancestry to the once all-powerful empire of Ma(d)japahit, whose sacred emblem was the totemic deer head.[2] "Deer heads are a symbol commonly used in the origin temples of descent groups who claim a common ancestry. The deer offering may thus be a hint that the relationship to Batur is in part based on common descent. Even though this origin narrative does not comment on matters of ancestry, such a link is widely believed to exist. My comparative data on village organization support the idea that the two villages may have a common historical origin." [3]
Batara Mas Pahit is thought to be the one who brought the shrine for the god of Majapahit (manjangan saluwang) to Bali, occasionally also as the culture hero Mpu Kuturan.[4] The Maospait shrine was dedicated to the totemic gods of the settlers from the Madjapahit.
Barat National Park, located on the north western side of Bali, is by far the most popular part of Indonesia. Bali Barat, Pulau Menjangan, is a group of 420 tiny islands just 8 kms off Bali's north coast. This uninhabited island, fringed with very beautiful mangroves, is conspicuous as the home to the rare Java deer and Bali white mynah.[5] Menjangan is an old Javanese literary word for 'deer.' The Dutch called the island Hertenbeest, which means the same thing. [6]
Cemeteries in the rice fields and even in the beaches of Bali, called 'the morning of the world,' one can find thousands of places of worship. The small shrines are meant for daily worship, besides each family maintaining its own small temple. There is always a shrine including one dedicated to Mt. Agung, and the Mt. Batur. The tallest of Bali's volcanic mountains, Agung is the most sacred mountain, venerated as the throne of the sun deity.[7] Gunung Agung and Gunung Batur/ Batukau are dedicated to the spirit of the mountains. The deity of the Gunung Batur or Lake Batur is Dewi Danu, thought to be Gunung Agung's 'wife.'[8]
Numerous deer inhabit the West Bali National Park, which also hosts Pura Agung Pulaki, an important shrine initiated by Nuranth, a prominent priest.[9] Manjangan seluang, the seat of Batara Mas Pahit, is the shrine in which one always finds the head of a deer (with or without antlers), carved out of wood.[10] The manjangan saluang, situated at the western end of the kaja row of shrines, is the one shrine with the carving and antlers of a deer, dedicated to Mpu Kuturan, the great legendary priest, the high-priest from Java. Six different species of deer like the kidang, Cervus mantjac, and the manjangan, Cervus rufa, Rusa, sambar and atau menjangan exist. The shrine for the deer-god Mendjangan Seluang, the Javanese masters of Bali, received special attention from noble people.[11] Medjangan (med/angan) seluang means "the original deer." "This can be recognized by a small sculpture of a deer's head or by the stylization of antlers carved in wood." [12]
All masks of animals such as tiger, wild boar, dog, cow, elephant and others in Bali can be called barong. It is externalized in the shape of a mask with four legs. The deer, like barong, a protective spirit, is an important symbol in Bali. Each Balinese family temple includes a shrine featuring a wooden deer's head with actual antlers called Manjangan Sluang, dedicated to Empu Kuturan. Tradition identifies Mpu Kuturan with Bhatara Maspahit, -the latter is sometimes regarded as the deity of the manjangan saluwang.[13] It was he who created the forms for all Bali Hindu religious rituals.
Thousands of temples with shrines named Madjapahit, carry the sculpture of a deer's head or antlers.[14] The monstrous face over the central door in front of the enclosing walls of the shrine made of brick is highly carved. It is in the form of a karang tjewiri bearing the deer's antlers of Madjapahit. On each side of the door, there is a carved stone-pierced panel let into the wall in the form of a window. [15]
Of the shrines, located within the house compound, the first one, a roofed shrine with one compartment, is called Sanggah Pengijeng Karang or the shrine of house compound guardian. The word 'sanggah' means 'shrine' and 'pengijeng,' the one who stays at home. It is derived from the word 'ijeng' which means 'to guard' or 'to stay at home.' The word 'karang' means 'house compound.' Positioned more or less in the middle of the house compound, not in the family temple, it serves as the home of the spirit, which acts as a guardian or caretaker of the property.
The Paneduh ritual held at Pura Batu Madeg, the sanctuary of Vishnu, Lord of the waters, required offerings of a sorohan bebangkit on this occasion, the head of a deer (kidang) which was carried around the temple in a kind of dance.[16] Menjangan ranggah refers to a hand position resembling a deer with antlers.' It refers to the dancers positioning the arms and body, imitating the shape of the antlers of a deer. It characterizes the kembangan of that name. "The hand is held near the shoulder; the fingers are stretched and point upward, while the thumb stands out at a sharp angle, its tip touching the outside of the shoulder. The wrist and the elbow are flexed, the upper arm being near the side of the body. The position may be performed by just one or by both hands." [17]
Heliacal rising of Orion's belt and agricultural schedules
Legends are galore, connected with Orion, since earliest days. In Indian mythology, Orion is Mrigasiras or the deer-headed. It is the head of Brahma in the form of a stag, which was struck off by Siva. The story goes like this. Sandhya, the twilight, is personified as the daughter of Brahma and wife of Siva. When Brahma attempted violence on Sandhya, she changed herself into a deer to escape from the evil intention of her father. Assuming the form of a stag, Brahma pursued her through the sky. When Siva saw this, he shot an arrow, which cut off the head of the stag. Reassuming his own form, Brahma paid homage to Siva. The arrow remains in the sky in the sixth lunar mansion, called Ardra, and the stag's head remains as the fifth mansion, Mriga-siras.
There are traces in the Vedic texts of an older calendar in which the vernal equinox fell in Orion (Mrigasiras). Agriculture in Java was once scheduled according to the heliacal rising of Orion's belt. The only constellations that the people of Bali observe for the purpose of correcting their lunar calendar by intercalculation are Orion.
We have seen that the Balinese farming activities are scheduled according to the heliacal rising of Orion's belt which they call kidang. The Greeks, from the earliest times, named certain prominent stars and groups of stars. Homer speaks of the Pleiades, the Hyades, Orion, Boötes, the Bear (also called the Wain), and the 'Dog of Orion' (Sirius). Hesiod mentions all of these. He uses their heliacal risings and settings to mark the seasons and times for agricultural operations. The rising of the Pleiades and their setting were marked for harvesting and ploughing respectively. The later 'astronomical calendars' of Meton, Euctemon and their successors elaborated and codified this traditional 'agricultural calendar.' The above are the only stars and star-groups known to have been named in archaic times, and the division of the whole visible sky into constellations seems not to precede Eudoxus. However, the twelve signs of the zodiac were introduced from Mesopotamia long before then.
The four seasons in the Javanese Calendar: archeo-astronomy
In Javanese, constellations are called lintangan (lintang = bintang, which means star[18] and we(a)luku means the plough). The waluku constellation of the Javanese in Indonesia is bintang waluku - Star of Plough. Known in the west as the Orion, this constellation has an important role in the astronomical aspects of the arrangement of seasons.
The Central Java Calendar (Pranoto Mongso) is the traditional Javanese craft of time-keeping. Many generations of rice farmers in rural Java, Indonesia, considered Orion and not the stars of Ursa Major as the one that formed the plough. Here, close to the equator, the constellation appears on its side and Orion's belt along with three of the outer stars (excluding Betelgeuse - thiruvathira in Malayalam) were seen to resemble a weluku, traditional Javanese plough. They constituted the constellation bintang weluku. The modern Javanese agricultural year is called mangsa calendar. Based on the observations of the moving of one star, the Orion, it determined the phases of rice cultivation.[19] Its rising at dawn is a cue signal for farmers to start ploughing the field and planting.
The constellation of three very bright stars, called the belt of Orion, is called bentang kidang. Literally, the word means roe-buck, a small variety of deer. Cervus muntjak is called minchek in Sunda. It is assumed that the Sunda people have very likely borrowed the designation of the constellation from the Malays. The position of this constellation in the sky regulates the time for cutting forest for yearly paddy cultivation.[20] The first sighting of bentang kidang and bentang kartika on the eastern horizon signifies the beginning of the annual farming year in an absolute way: though the stars may be invisible, the astronomical cycles are unvarying. Usually the bentang kartika appears two weeks earlier than bentang kidang, when the sun is in the northern hemisphere. According to the Baduy, at that time, the soil is 'cold' (tiis). Conversely, when bentang kidang disappears over the western horizon and for approximately two months cannot be seen, it is inappropriate to plant rice, because the soil is too 'hot' (panas), and insects (kungkang) inhabit the 'present world', buana tengah. "The position in the heavens of this kidang constellation regulates the time for cutting forest for yearly paddy clearings."[21] Next to kidang, the Pleiades (bentang kerti, kartika or gumarang) are the most important astronomical indicators. The appearance of the kidang (Orion's belt) and the kereti (Pleiades), the position of the bentag kidang, in particular are significant for deciding when to begin the series of farming activities, which commences with clearing, felling, burning and planting rice. The actual planting begins when the constellation kidang (Orion) appears in the late evening sky.[22]
"These various positions of bentang kidang are reflected in the following verses:
When kidang first appears, a chopping knife should be used;
When kidang appears in a position similar to that of the sun at 8.00-10.00 a.m, vegetation should be burned;
When kidang appears overhead or sideways to the west, rice should be planted;
When kidang disappears, insect pests will appear, and rice planting should stop."[23]
It was the main task of the pamakayan (agricultural ritual specialist) to observe the stellar constellation. He reports the matters to the chief elder who announces to the whole community the start of the farming season. [24]
The Javanese called the kereti, the constellation of the Pleiades, variously as guru desa (village teacher/ monitor), as the paddy cultivation is regulated by its rising. The Pleiades are named after Krittika, the nurses of Karthikeya,[25] the six faced God of war. The annual cycles of Orion and the Pleiades,[26] its changing appearance over the year, provided traditional rice farmers of Java various rules of thumb to regulate the different seasonal activities associated with inundated rice cultivation. "They say that when the first of the three stars in the girdle of Orion shows brightest, the padi must be sown in the commencement of the time of the year recognized as seedtime. If the central one is the most brilliant, it should be sown in the middle of this period, if the most easterly, at the end."[27] The traditional rice cultivators of Java regulated the beginning of an agricultural year by the heliacal risings and culminations of the Pleiades (binlang kereti) and Orion.
The brief appearance of a star in dawn sky just ahead of the sun is called heliacal rising. The morning appearance and evening disappearance are parts of the phenomenon called 'heliacal rising and setting.' The yearly course of the sun through the ecliptic repeats itself every year at the same date. The same happens with the moment at which a star rises in the evening twilight (the end of the observable risings) or sets just before dawn. In general, the term acronichal/ acronychian refers to any stellar apparition which occurs at first gleam.
Tenggala is called bintang waluku by some people, which is just High Balinese for 'plow.'[28] The Orion is called waluku. Tenggala / tangala in Malay, for plough, is a loan word from Sanskrit name langala.[29] The rise in the sky of the Plough, in the constellation of Orion, at sunset in the sixth month of the lunar year (sasih kenem), is taken as an announcement for the beginning of the rainy season and, in the past when the slow maturing padi taun was grown, the beginning of work in the fields as well.[30] The rise of this bintang, its standing straight up, in the southern skies of the Northern Hemisphere, makes it a bit difficult to make out any sort of plow in Orion. "But, in Bali, Orion rises lying on his side and it is easy to see the star group as plow. The 'blade' of the plow is Orion's belt. His sword is the horizontal handle of the plow, which attaches to the cow at the southwesterly star, Saiph. The farmer holds on to and leans on the topmost 'belt' star." Visualisation of a curve between the bottom of the 'sword' and Saiph makes the image complete.
The old Javanese on the Java Island determined the ten months (mangsas) observing the position of Orion's belt and the Pleiades, because the appearance of these constellations marked the seasons for the various labours of the husbandman.[31] With dusk and dawn of the Pleiades and Orion, when it is invisible, work in the fields ceases, and its morning rise indicates the beginning of the agricultural year. "The Javanese did observe such heliacal risings at dawn of both the Pleiades and the Plough. In addition, they observed the heliacal apparitions of these two groups of stars at other positions in the sky at various times during the year." [32]
Orion's three center stars of the second magnitude are situated close to each other in a right line at an equal distance of somewhat over one degree. This Orion's Belt serves to point out the Sirius in the Great Dog, the brightest star in the sky, to the south-east, and Pleiades, or Seven Stars, to the north-west, in the neck of the bull. To the south of the three stars in Orion's Belt is a row of stars called his Sword, and the nebulous stars of Orion.[34] Sirius rises about seven o'clock during the first half of January.
The celestial plough appears twice a year upright on its handle, similar to the earthly ploughs when in use. Its first occurrence is around June solstice and the next one when the plough eventually rose at sunset (acronical rise). The heliacal rise at pre-dawn sky marks the beginning of the new agricultural year. The womenfolk marked the time, when the plough eventually rose at sunset, for sowing the rice in the nursery and the men start plowing the fields. Three months in between, "with bintang weluku rising progressively earlier each night, came the onset of the rainy season and the time to prepare the tools and check the water channels." Men began the process of harrowing the fields and women, transplanting the seedlings into the fields, around the time of the December solstice. The phase of the moon also regulated planting. Appearance of bintang weluku at its highest point in the sky after sunset marked the end of this period by its culmination at dusk.
At the end of four months, the celestial plough appears progressively lower in the western sky after sunset. At this time, the celestial plough was perceived as upside down, like a farmer's plough when the work is done. Soon afterwards, it disappeared completely (heliacal set).[35] During this season the rain stops, the rice ripens, making the way for the harvest. Bintang weluku remained in use until around the late nineteenth century and is still prominent in folk memory, despite the co-existence of two other methods of dividing the year. [36]
Rice-growing was closely connected with certain notions about the sky. The sign to begin cultivating is served around mid-December with the appearance of the Pleiades on the eastern sky after sunset, followed in January by the belt of Orion which the Javanese call the Plough. The Plough, around mid-May, disappears on the western horizon and the work of the cultivators too comes to an end.[37]
It can be concluded that the traditional Javanese rice farming saw the annual cycles of Orion and the Pleiades as a part of a complete system of cycles, both natural and numerological, operating in Javanese cosmology. They conducted farming with a rather acute awareness of the height of Orion and the Pleiades above the horizon. This height is taken either at night-fall, half an hour after sun-set, or in the morning, half an hour before sunrise.
Origin of rice cultivation in Java - a folktale
Long ago, the people of Java had only cassava for their daily food and rice was unknown to them. That was a time when humans and the gods could mutually visit heaven and earth. One day when a youth went to heaven he was surprised to see the gods eating rice. Dewi Sri, goddess of rice, taught him how to cultivate rice. Several years of hard toil in heaven made him a seasoned farmer. Then he intensively desired visiting his kith and kin living on the earth. With permission from Dewi Sri, he descended to earth. He carried with him several ripe rice stalks, which he planted on reaching home. Eventually, rice cultivation transformed Java Island with golden yellow colour and the Javanese began to thrive. One day, the gods visited the earth and, to their surprise, saw it lavishing with rice. On hearing the report, Dewi Sri descended to the earth, and met the youth who had helped cultivate rice in heaven. He begged pardon for stealing the food meant for the gods. Dewi Sri's anger subsided when she learnt that he had stolen rice for the sake of his fellowmen. Dewi Sri pardoned him, but decided not to allow anyone from the earth to enter to heaven again. The youth was allowed to cultivate rice but on condition that he would take care of cultivating rice as she taught him. Before ascending to the heavens, Dewi Sri spoke: "In order to make rice plants grow best, follow nature's rules. Plant the rice at the right time. I will give a sign from heaven by dropping jasmine flowers from my hair bun. These flowers will become waluku stars (Orion). This is the sign that the season for planting has come." Ever since then, Dewi Sri's ruling is followed. The farmers started to plant rice, when they sighted the waluku stars in the night sky. [38]
In Kerala, the grain of rice kept for seed is dried for 10 days while nellu, the rice for consumption, is dried for two days. In Malayalam, waluka means to sow seeds, cultivate. In Javanese, waluku means a plough and muluku is to plough, to turn up with the plough.[39] In Palghat, thoduppu mulayuka is to finish ploughing. Thoduppu means harnessing and a plough. Thoduppiduka is to plough. Thoduppu vilanju/ mulanju means the field is ploughed. Investigation of Java words like waluku and muluku lead one to the corresponding Malayalam words. This finding makes one think that the heaven where the Javanese youth spent time, learning the technique of cultivation of rice, is none other than the ancient Kerala itself. No wonder, even in these days, Kerala is known as God's own country.
Creation myth
In the Hindu creation myth, a single golden egg, found floating in the primeval waters, produced Prajapti, who was neither male nor female, but an all-powerful combination of both. The first two words he spoke became the earth and the sky respectively, which he divided into seasons. Prajapati, who was lonely, desired a mate in this vast emptiness. As such, he divided himself into two beings- a husband and a wife. Together they created the first gods, the elements and mankind. By these acts of creation, time was created; Prajapati became the embodiment of time itself. Other gods including the evil Asuras and beautiful Dawn [usas] were born. Prajapati, to separate good from evil, hid his evil offspring deep into the earth. However, disguised as a stag, too fast and powerful, he came to his lovely daughter Dawn, who was on the earth in the form of a doe. She tried to flee, but later gave birth to all the cattle of the world.
Finding the relationship incestuous, the other gods created the monstrous Rudra, shot him with an arrow and flung him into the dark sky. Prajapati thus became the 'Deer's Head' (Capricorn) [40] constellation in the night sky. Dawn returned to the sky but never got too close to the night.
In the Aitareya Brahmana, it seems to be connected to the constellations visible at the dawn of the year. In accordance with this myth, the three stars in the head of the Mighty Hunter formed one of the Hindu lunar stations known as "the antelope's head."[41] Sirius, selected by the indignant gods to shoot him,[42] is the brightest star in the sky and, now thought of as one of Orion's hunting dogs, was the deer piercer who shot the arrow. The creation myth found told in the Rg Veda is the oldest known document in any Indo-European language. The fact that it was passed down orally for several centuries before it was written shows the antiquity of the myth.
The emerging antelope
The brightest star in Taurus, Aldeberan (Rohini), represents the female deer, which fled across the sky with Mriga in hot pursuit. Lubdhaka, the Hunter, however, saw what was happening and shot an arrow at Prajapati transfixing him forever to the sky where he now stands helplessly between Rohini and Lubdhaka. In honour of this exploit, Lubdhaka has since been known as Mrigavyadha, or Deer Slayer (the star Sirius, in Canis Major).[43]
The constellation Orion represents Prajapati. The deer family found in the firmament as a constellation shaped like the head of a deer is named Mrigasira. The little group of stars in Orion's head is called Mrgasiras. The five stars in Orion's head, named invaka (ilvala/ ilvaka),[44] are like the tip of the antler. Mrgasirsa or Mrgasiras, also called invaka (invaga), seems to be the faint stars, Orionis. They are also styled in the Santikalpa of Atharvaveda as andhaka, "the blind," apparently from dimness.[45] Aryika, is "honourable, worthy" and invaka is of doubtful meaning: this latter epithet is also found in some manuscripts of the Amarakosa, as various reading for ilvala, which is there expressly declared to designate the stars in the head of the antelope.[46] Exactly at the back of this star, the form bearing a bow and arrows, emitting its bright light, is named Lubdhaka.
The row of three stars, considered Orion's belt in western tradition, is the arrow that pierced Prajapati. The three arrow (belt) stars, Agni (the fire god), Soma (both the god's ambrosia and the moon), and Visnu (solar or supreme god) represent the shaft, head, and point of the arrow.
mrigashirsham mrigashira
taraka nivasanti yah [47]
The three stars in the Orion's belt close to one another are amongst the brightest in the sky. Arranged in an almost straight line, they are the most recognizable of all constellations. Around the belt, we see four conspicuous stars form an irregular four-sided box. Rigel, a hot, blue star, is to the south. Betelgeuse (Thiruvathira, Ardra, Aathira in Malayalam), a cool, red star lies to the north. Bellatrix, bright for a second magnitude star, but overshadowed by its first magnitude neighbours is a few degrees west of Betelgeuse. [48]
To view an antelope, one has to consider the ardra, the sixth asterism, and a star in Gemini, as the front leg of the deer. The hind leg is the southern short side. The deer's small head is made by Bellatrix and other small stars. From that Bellatrix, the largest star, the antler, is held northward. The tip of the tines indicates the five stars called ilvala. The three dots in the belly of the deer are the three stars of the yard-stick. The 5th constellation, the head of Orion, is makayiram in Malayalam and maarkazhi in Tamil. Madhaviyam says that Bellatrix is makayiram, mrigothamaangam, mrigasiram (deer's head), etc.
Stars that form a constellation are named for the direction to facilitate the recognition of guidelines. Ursa Major or the big bear constellation helps to guide the direction of North. A line projected from the Pole-star, through the middle star in the triangle of Ursa Major, leads to Spica. A line drawn through the side of the square of Ursa Major, opposite to the Pointers, and continued southwards, leads to Regulus.
By tracing a line diagonally from Betelgeuse, and passing beneath the hunter's three-star belt, Rigel (pronounced RYE-jel) can be reached. Actually, a triple star (three stars close together, giving the illusion of being just one), Rigel appears to be rather dim in comparison with Betelgeuse. Astronomers say that Rigel is actually the brightest star in the constellation, and that it would take more than 50,000 to 60,000 suns to equal the brightness of Rigel. [49]
The ancient Sanskrit name for the sixth asterism, ardra was Bahu, which means the arm. According to R.H. Allen, what was probably really meant was the foreleg of an antelope being hunted by Sirius.[50] In fact, the word baahu in Malayalam also means the front leg of animals. Taking this name in connection with that of the preceding group, it seems probable that the Hindus figured to themselves the conspicuous constellation Orion as a running antleope, of which some stars mark the feet, left fore-foot, or arm. Perhaps the name Mrgavyadha, "antelope- hunter," given to the neighbouring Sirius, is connected with the same fancy.[51]
The three stars of Orion's belt point just in the direction of Sirius. The special arrow Rudra used to hit Prajapati with, was called isu trikanda (the belt of Orion), i.e., the arrow of the three knots/ three-jointed arrow.
The antelope's or deer's head (mrgasiras) has been generally understood to be the little group of inconspicuous stars in the head of Orion, constituting one of the series of asterisms, while the brilliant star in his right shoulder constitutes another, called ardra (wet). The whole constellation of Orion has been viewed as the antelope (mrga); and correspondingly, the neighboring Sirius is named mrgavyadha 'deer hunter.' Vyadhan means piercing, a hunter. Vyadhabheetham is an antelope.
Roughly speaking, the Orion period (from 4000 BC to 2500 BC) is the most important period in the history of the Aryan civilization. A good many suktas (hymns) in the Rgveda (i.e., vrsakapi, contains a record or the beginning of the year where the legend was first conceived) were sung at the time."[52] Bala Gangadhara Tilak is also aware that agrahayanam is not used in the Vedic works to expressly denote the constellation of Mrgasiras. ln spite of these difficulties, he takes agrahayanam to be Mrgasiras and further assumes that Mrgasiras is the mouth of the naksatras. [53]
Margasirsa, the month of Agrahayanam, is regarded as the best of all months.[54] Hayanam means a year. Agra means first. Agra(ha)yanam means the commencement of the year, the new year day. To put in another way the word agrahayan means the month of ayan (travel of the sun, equinox).
In solar religious calendars, Agrahayana/ Maarkazhi begins with the Sun's entry into Sagittarius, and is usually the ninth month of the year. Agrahayana/ Maarkazhi begins about the middle of November. Agrahayana is the ninth month of the year in the Indian national civil calendar (22 November and ending on 21 December). Dhanu, is the fifth month of the Malayalam era. As the name agrahayana or margasirsa signifies, the year may have begun in mid-November, in the remote past.[55] The constellation called margasiras is agrahayanam, makayiram in Malayalam. The names of all the months are the names of twelve constellations. But the name, agra(ha)yana, is an exception. It directly tells us the commencement of the calendar year. Tilak points out that the hymns of the Rgveda refer to the word agra(ha)yana, and this suggests that the Rgveda must have been composed at a time when the year began with the Sun in the constellation of Orion or mrigasirsha ie, before 4000 BC.[57] B.G. Tilak traces in his book the Greek tradition of Orion and also the name of that constellation to Sanskrit agra(ha)yana; and the word means ' beginning of the year,' and is recognized as a name for the month of miirgasirsha. The word agrahayana / margasirsho means the month of equinox. Literally, Agra(ha)yana means the first month of the year, the beginning of the year. The asterism of Margasirsa/ Mrigasiras is also called Agrahayana. Any calendar that counts its year beginning with this month is not known, as all of India's calendars have different starting points. Probably, the beginning of the year was once counted from the vernal equinox, in some parts of the country.[58] The cultivators considered the period from the middle of Karthika to early Agrahayanam (November) as the ideal time for sowing. [59]
According to the Malayalam era, Medam/ Chithra is the ninth month. Meda vishu is the festival of vernal equinox observed on first of Medam. The first month of the Tamil year, corresponding to Medam (April-May), is Chitthira. Ancestor worship is prevalent amongst Bengalee Buddhists, on the day of Chaitra Sankranti (equinox). [60]
Yet another ceremony called Mustigrahana is held in the month of Agrahayana (Nov-Dec). After worshipping the plants on an auspicious day with sandal paste, flowers, offerings (naivedya) and incense, the farmer reaped two and a half handfuls of crops in the north-eastern corner of the field, and silently carried them home on his head.[61] The Krsiparasara requires the performance of this ceremony before the actual commencement of reaping, and non-observance is said to create difficulties for the cultivator at every step and to lead to the loss of the crops.[62] In the month of Agra(ha)yana, navanna (new rice), a ceremony of first fruits, is performed after the harvest has been gathered.[63] On the new-moon day of the month of Agrahayana, every woman worshipper is to take seven grains of paddy and the same number of three-pronged blades of grass on a new-born leaf of the plantain tree along with vermilion, red sandal paste, China-rose flowers (all symbolizing the rising sun), and offer these articles on a flat copper plate, to worship the Sun.[64]
A group of three stars in Orion's belt, positioned in a straight line, is called muzhakkameen. The word meen refers to star in the Indus valley civilization. Muzhakkameen is the name in relation with a yardstick, as the three stars formed an imaginary line, uniting them three degrees in length, like an old-fashioned yard-stick. Measurement based on a measuring stick used in sculpting stones is called muzhakkol. Measuring rod is the muzhakkol.[65] In Tamil and Malayalam, muzham refers to half of an arm's length and kol means stick.
Orion's belt thus forms a graduated standard for measuring the distances of the stars from each other. A little careful practice with this celestial measuring –rod will enable the observer to give, at a glance, a nearly accurate judgment of the relative distances of the stars. [66]
A line of just three degrees in length is a yard, a measure of three feet, or thirty-six inches. "The central star divides this line into two equal parts like a yardstick; hence, taking the 3 degrees in suggestion of 3 feet, the term 'yard' has been applied to these stars as a graduated standard for cosmic measurement. These stars are variously called the "Three Kings," "Jacob's rod," and "the Rake," and in Job are entitled the "Bands of Orion." They also receive the appellation, "Our Lady's Wand." [67]
Antler Worship in Travancore
There are several agrestic families in south Travancore, who still prefer to live in their traditional houses oriented towards a large stretch of paddy field. In the family shrine called ilankam, attached to these ancestral homes, we find ancestral spirits or tutelary deities ceremoniously installed, for worshipping. The tradition of worshipping antler installed on a stool (peetam) is yet another practice they inherited from their ancestors. Also called the thekkathu, these shrines are dedicated to Devi (goddess) or Easwarakaala Bhoothathan, a lieutenant of Lord Siva.
Now we shall proceed to examine few ilankams where the antler worship is still in practice.
The area between Jawahar Nagar and Sasthamangalam, in the heart of Thiruvananthapuram city, till a few decades ago, was a large gathering of paddy fields. But the sprawling real-estate boom soon began to grab them one by one. Pulling down several old buildings enabled the concrete forest to meet the requirements of the ever-increasing demand for living space. In the rage for more space for living, many a traditional house was demolished.
The ancestral home of Madachandath family amidst the hustle and bustle of city life is an exception. If one passes nearby this house, during the evening twilight, he will have an insight of such a twilight moment in the era that has gone by. The thekkathu, in the serene atmosphere, has an antler installed in it and regular puja is being conducted. The karanavar of this house sees the antlers as representative of Devi, while some other old timers assert that it is Lord Shiva. The ilankam of Kollapazhanji family at Neduncaud had the tradition of worshipping antlers in the past. But the antler they inherited from their ancestors, worshipped for years, was ceremonialy offered to the flame, giving way to the installation of a Devi idol. Prof. (Dr) Ravindranathan Nair, former Director of the Government Pharmacy College, Thiruvananthapuram is the trustee of the Kollapazhanji temple. In Vellaikadavu, the ancestral home called Kattarathala had worshipped an antler in their thekkathu. The doaty state of the thekkathu caused it to fall, along with the antler and the peetam on which it was seated. In the renovated Panchami Devi temple, they installed a stone idol of the goddess. In the process, the antler that used to be worshipped there was lost. But the family is keen to reinstall the antler if that would be possible. At Koottamvila there is an age-old family called Chhittattinkara. The antler worshipped in this thekkathu too collapsed. But the members of the family restored the antler and installed the same in a new temporary shrine and the worship is going on uninterruptedly. The late Kizhakkemadam Govindan Nair, who kept the history of Travancore at the tip of his fingers, was spellbound when he was asked to comment on the antler worship. He recalled his memories of childhood days in his family shrine in Arumana in Kanyakumari district. Later, the shrine got relocated to the Arumana Amma Veedu compound in Thiruvananthapuram city along with the antler worship. The ancestral home of Sridharan Nair, an awardee for Thottam Pattu, is Narasimhathu veedu in Malayinkeezh. They too worship antler in their thekkathu. But they do not have an immediate explanation for the worship held for generations.
All these ancestral homes of Travancore are located in large stretches of erstwhile paddy fields. This suggests that these manors of landlord families engaged in the cultivation of rice worshipped the antlers, neither questioning the practice nor knowing the actual meaning of the practice. It can be likened to the observation that perhaps 90 per cent of the Balinese, who give offerings at their temples, do not know what the name Madjapahit stands for in historical fact.[68] But where did the paddy fields go? Along with the paddy field, all the rice-based rituals too have become a part of the nostalgic memories of the elders.
Continued to The antiquity of the tradition of antler worship
More by : Dr. V. Sankaran Nair


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A friend of mine this morning mentioned a magazine ad she saw promoting a new "breakthrough" weight loss product that used "metabolic conditioning". It was supposedly so scientifically advanced that if you used it and didn't lose at least 5kg (11lb) in the first week without any strenuous exercise, you get your money back.
I immediately knew the person behind it, he was running TV ads recently claiming that on average users of his program lost 6kg (13.2lb) in the first week. This is clearly absurd. And I'm ashamed to say that he is a quite highly-regarded trainer in Australia.
The fact it's BS is actually a good thing, because if it were true, the majority of the weight loss would have been from muscle and water, and the users would most likely plateau within weeks.
The lesson here is that you can't always trust someone based purely on their qualifications. Perhaps even more disturbingly, the above mentioned trainer was actually at one stage promoting his program on TV in partnership with a qualified doctor. The doctor no longer appears to be associated with the product however, for what reason, I can only guess.
How effective this weight loss program actually is in reality I have no idea, but given the fact that the promoter needs to resort to such blatantly false advertising can only raise alarm bells. It's just pure marketing hype, designed to sucker in gullible or vulnerable people who don't know any better.
My philosophy has always been that if you hear claims that sound too good to be true, run the other way. If these people were telling the truth with their claims, weight loss would have been revolutionized at least once a week for the past 20 years. And yet, obesity is increasing.
Unfortunately, tricksters know that regardless of what they sell, statistically only 5-15% of buyers will ultimately ask for a refund. So they can sell total rubbish, if they market it well they'll still make a killing, no problem.

subset: commoncrawl


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The US has added prominent El Salvador businessman and Texis Cartel founder "Chepe Diablo" to its "Kingpin List," a move that may further erode the aura of immunity that until recently surrounded the powerful drug trafficking and money laundering organization.
On May 30, US President Barack Obama informed Congress that Jose Adan Salazar Umaña, alias "Chepe Diablo," had been named a Specially Designated National by the US Treasury Department under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act.
John Feeley, the principal deputy assistant secretary of the US Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, noted that this designation does not necessarily imply judicial investigations have been opened against an individual, reported La Prensa Grafica.
El Salvador's Justice Ministry considers Salazar to be at the head of the Texis Cartel. In April, he was formally charged with tax evasion amid an ongoing investigation into cartel associates.
Two more drug traffickers were also added to the Kingpin list, including Victor Ramon Navarro Serrano, alias "Megateo," a former guerrilla from Colombia's Popular Liberation Army (EPL) who is now the leader of a dissident rebel faction and a major drug trafficker.
InSight Crime Analysis
The Texis Cartel has long managed to remain under the radar of Salvadoran authorities, due in part to its high-level political and business connections, which have allowed its leaders to disguise their illicit drug trafficking activities under a cloak of legitimacy. The group has also favored tactics like bribery and corruption over violence, thus attracting less attention.
SEE ALSO: Texis Cartel Profile
Until recently, Salazar was a prime example of this, as the president of El Salvador's first soccer division and owner of a hotel chain.
However, authorities have been edging closer to the cartel leader since last year, beginning with the July 2013 arrest of Roberto "El Burro" Herrera -- another of the founders -- on charges of car theft. Months later, 16 alleged Texis Cartel members linked to "El Burro" were arrested.
The United States' decision could push El Salvador to speed the process of shutting down the cartel's operations, and will also place economic sanctions on any US-side operations in which he may be involved. However, Salazar has thus far demonstrated an impressive ability to evade justice, and it is questionable to what extent his operations in El Salvador will ultimately be affected by the designation.


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It has changed online dating forever whether you love or loathe Tinder , there is no denying.
As an outcome there was now no end of apps utilizing the aim that is same of you fall in love and reside happily ever after, or at least find you to definitely go out with next week-end.
Whether it is matching you on your own favourite interests or someone that is finding you share shared buddies with. Right right Here, we make the greatest options to Tinder and provide them a spin to learn exactly exactly exactly what (if such a thing) they are doing differently and just just exactly what sets them aside.
The USP: Match together with your pal's pals (on Facebook).
Pros: The brashness. In the event that you earnestly pursue a romantic date on Hinge, discernment mustn't be a presssin issue – your pals are bound to learn. This implies having a handy shared connection to discuss / slag down whenever you get together for products.
Cons: It is all a little too near to house: what is to quit her feeding your dating tekkers right back to your pal? It may make future beers with your pals just a little embarrassing.
Verdict: you are allowed by this app to remove the middleman. In the event that you lack inhibition, Hinge could put the home wide open.
The USP: with over 400 million users, Badoo is just one of the earth's many popular relationship apps and an element of the exact exact same umbrella company as Bumble. They fancy and the app serves up members who look similar on it users upload a picture of a celebrity or famous figure.
Advantages: It really is a non-swiping software and gives you a smaller sized pool of possible dates tailored to your flavor.
Cons: simply because somebody seems like Tom Hardy or Jessica Alba does not mean they will behave love them.
Verdict: if you really specific preferences Badoo could work for you personally but fancying some body since they appear to be a high profile is indeed seldom exactly how attraction works.
Guardian Soulmates
The USP: among the standing that is longest internet dating sites on the net, The Guardian's Soulmates solution does not need certainly to show its qualifications. Maybe that's why it is one of many only apps that calls for a compensated membership to completely utilise (and also at ?35/month, it does not come low priced.)
Just what exactly are you currently getting for that cash? None of this bells and whistles that we've come to expect from contemporary dating apps, that's for yes. It is a back-to-basics service that hinges on its like-minded and user that is loyal (a lot more than 80 % of people see the Guardian, and unlike many dating apps guys just somewhat outnumber females). In addition it provides regular singles activities for users, a frequently updated Soulmates web log and a search function that is highly refined.
Benefits: a very good reputation and suitable audience
Cons: Not as packed or innovative with features as newer dating apps.
Verdict: Worth the cash if sitting when you look at the pub on A sunday quietly reading the observer is certainly one of your kinks.
Coffee Suits Bagel
The USP: Their mantra and methodology is explained hence: " Each at noon, guys will receive up to 21 quality matches – known as 'Bagels' day. They have been offered the choice to either LIKE or PASS. Then, Coffee Meets Bagel will curate the most effective possible matches for ladies among the list of males whom expressed interest."
Professionals: a far more selection that is curated simply endlessly swiping through everyone else.
Cons: you are required by the app to give over control of to another person to determine for you personally.
Verdict: CMB just enables you to see individuals who have liked you, therefore no torturing yourself about 'the one which got away'. Think about it being a time-effective dating software.
The USP: offers you the opportunity to inform your buddies (in the place of strangers) that you want to rest together with them.
Advantages: there is certainly a thrill that is strange to be able to 'swipe' that acquaintance you've always fancied, asking them for a Gaydar mobile site night out together (up) or telling them you need to rest using them (down). It is until you realise how pathetic.
Cons: It brings in almost every solitary woman whom is actually your buddy on Facebook, even when they have not accompanied Down yet (your cowardly think about it will soon be waiting around for them should they ever do), which makes it rather useless.
Verdict: The greater you consider it, the less feeling Down makes. Is not the entire point of internet dating you could fulfill somebody new? This app that is hook-up buddies (and buddies of buddies) could be the exact carbon copy of moving 'we as you' records in class.
The USP: Hook up with the individuals you walk last in the road.
Professionals: when you have within the stalker that is slight Happn instils for you by showing ladies who strolled past your door one hour ago, matching with users inside a 250-metre radius is really quite handy. Odds are you live or work with the exact same area, therefore organizing a night out together becomes a great deal easier.
Cons: In the event that date goes horribly, there aren't any assurances you may not bump into her if you are purchasing milk a days that are few. Additionally, invest a lot of time you start getting paranoid you're seeing 'someone you liked on Happn' every time you sit in your local cafe on it and.
Verdict: perhaps one of the most effective – and convenient – dating apps available to you. Until it is not.
The USP: Endless personality test questions that provide you a match percentage with would-be partners.
Advantages: you'll weed out people who have faculties or points of view you see merely unsatisfactory. Racists, bigots and Mumford & Sons fans, then.
Cons: way too many fundamental functions are limited to compensated account.
Verdict: Worth an attempt, only if to kill time responding to questions that are bizarre your self.
A Lot Of Fish
The USP: It really is an ocean that is huge with an increase of users than any of this other people (around 70 million).
Advantages: Unlike almost all of the other apps, doing the basics on PoF – considering pages, giving and messages that are reading is absolutely free.
Cons: a top range sexually frustrated virgin-trolls means all women find utilizing it an experience that is harrowing which understandably makes them cagey once you, a standard guy, arrives. It is disheartening exactly just just how a lot of women have actually to resort to 'please no intercourse bugs' appendices to their profile information.
Verdict: an easy task to navigate, free and simple to utilize, void of distracting gimmicks. And unlike Tinder, users have a tendency to compose a little with) than just your five least-worst selfies about themselves, meaning you have more to go on (and sell yourself.


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Learn about the state of voting rights in your state
Not long ago, Americans could trust the integrity of our elections. Sadly, this is no longer the case.
More than a year after the failed attempt to violently overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, disinformation campaigns about non-existent voter fraud have led to persistent and damaging attacks on voting rights in multiple states, putting our democracy at risk.
Storming State Capitols is a report from The Democracy Initiative Education Fund (DIEF).
DIEF assessed the current landscape for elections and voting rights in each of the 50 states and DC. Read the reports below to learn about voting rights in your state.
Report Disinformation
How to Make Your Voice Heard
Here you can find your representatives, how to contact them, bills they've introduced, committees they serve on, and political contributions they've received.SEARCH
Having your voice heard is an integral part of determining the future for your families, communities, and country. Use these secure, free tools to register to vote, check your registration status, request and absentee ballot, and moreSEARCH
Why Do We Still Have the Electoral College?
Alexander Keyssar
The problem with the controversial Electoral College System
Unrig: How to Fix Our Broken Democracy
Daniel G. Newman
Influence of Power and Money in Politics
Unrigged: How Americans Are Battling Back to Save Democracy
David Daley
A revelatory account that will give you hope that America's fragile democracy can still be saved
They Don't Represent Us
Lawrence Lessig
Reclaiming Our Democracy
The Democracy Fix: How to Win the Fight for Fair Rules, Fair Courts, and Fair Elections
Caroline Fredrickson
How to Win the Fight for Fair Rules, Fair Courts, and Fair Elections.
Vote for US: How to Take Back Our Elections and Change the Future of Voting
Joshua Douglas
An encouraging piece on the current efforts to make voting more accessible to the masses
One Person, No Vote
Carol Anderson
How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy
Daring Democracy
Frances Moore Lappé & Adam Eichen
Igniting Power, Meaning, and Connection for the America We Want
David Daley
The True Story Behind the Secret Plan to Steal America's Democracy
Plutocrats United
Richard L. Hasen
Campaign Money, the Supreme Court, and the Distortion of American Elections
Give Us the Ballot
Ari Berman
The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America
The Business of America is Lobbying
Lee Drutman
How Corporations Became Politicized and Politics Became More Corporate
Capitalism v. Democracy
Timothy Kuhner
Money in Politics and the Free Market Constitution
When Money Speaks
Ronald K. L. Collins
& David M. Skover
The McCutcheon Decision, Campaign Finance Laws, and the First Amendment
Making Democracy Fun
Josh Lerner
Drawing on the tools of game design to fix democracy
The New Jim Crow
Michelle Alexander
Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
Democracy's Edge: Choosing to Save Our Country by Bringing Democracy to Life
Frances Moore Lappé
How ordinary citizens are changing the way we live, work, and govern
The Right to Vote: The Contested History of Democracy in the United States
Alexander Keyssar
The story of a struggle to achieve this right by our society's marginalized groups
The System
Robert Reich
Who rigged our system, and how we fix it.
Hate, Inc.
Matt Taibbi
Why today's media makes us despise one another
On Corruption in America
Sarah Chayes
Corruption is an operating system of sophisticated networks in which government officials, key private-sector interests, and out-and-out criminals interweave to maximize profits.
Laboratories of Autocracy
David Pepper
Democracy's biggest problem is in your state capitol.
Submit your suggestions to email@example.com
End the Filibuster
Demos, Just Democracy, and Truth & Conciliation
How a Relic of Jim Crow Could Block Our Progressive Agenda
America Goes to the Polls 2020
Nonprofit VOTE
Official state rankings in voter turnout and turnout growth in 2020 election
Fix the Senate: End the McConnell Veto
Democracy Initiative
The Key to Progress: Senate Governance Reform
Democracy on the Ballot 2020
Common Cause
Democracy Successes from the 2020 Election
Democracy Wins 2020
Small Planet Institute
Click on a state or city to learn more about the democracy reform win in the November 2020 election!
Frontlines Climate Justice Executive Action Platform
Policy Proposal: A set of actions the executive branch can take to equitably address the climate crisis
The State of Voting in 2020: Executive Summary
Democracy Initiative
Roadblocks and Remedies to Voting in the 2020 Election
Whitewashing Representation
Common Cause
How using citizenship data to gerrymander will undermine our democracy
Zero Disenfranchisement: The Movement to Restore Voting Rights
Common Cause
An Overview of Felony Disenfranchisement in the U.S.
Campaign Finance in the United States
Bipartisan Policy Center
Assessing an Era of Fundamental Change
The Case for Automatic Voter Registration
Brennan Center for Justic
How Automatic Voter Registration Would Change Electoral Politics in the United States
Democracy Agenda
Brennan Center for Justice
How We Can Fix America's Broken Democracy
What Is and What Could Be
Campaign Finance Institute
The Potential Impact of Small Donor Matching Funds in New York State Elections
Democracy at a Crossroads
Democracy Initiative Education Fund
How the One Percent Is Silencing Our Voices
Blueprints for Democracy
Campaign Legal Center & Issue One
Actionable Reforms to Solve Our Governing Crisis
A Timeline
Campaign Legal Center
How Corporations and Labor Unions Came to Bankroll Our Nominating Conventions
Our Voices, Our Democracy
Center for Media and Democracy, Common Cause, Demos, Every Voice, People for the American Way, Public Citizen, US PIRG
"Victories Since Citizens United and the Road Ahead Empowering Voters Over Wealthy Special Interests"
State Supreme Court Diversity
Brennan Center for Justice
24 states have an all-white Supreme Court. How this lack of diversity impacts court rulings and systemic injustice
Freedom in the World 2020
Freedom House
Countries around the world are becoming less democratic and are electing more authoritarian leaders. How the US is a beacon for the loss of democracy around the world
Autocratization Surges – Resistance Grows Democracy Report 2020
V-Dem Institute
How a rise in autocratization around the world has been matched with a rise in civilian disobedience and unrest
Campaign Finance Glossary
Direct dollars given to a candidate, political party, or PAC.
Example: Jane is running for president. John gives money to Jane to help run her campaign.
The FEC mandates a "three-pronged test" to determine whether a communication is coordinated:
- Who paid for it?
- Is its content an election communication?
- Did it result from a request or suggestion from the candidate, campaign, or committee?
All three "prongs" must point to coordination for a communication to be deemed "coordinated." Given the explosive growth of independent expenditures, however, Commissioner Ravel notes that relevant FEC rules need updating.
Example: Jane is running for president. Without consulting Jane or her campaign, John spends money on his own or donates it to a super PAC to support Jane's winning the presidency.
Dark Money
Funds given to "social welfare" organizations—sometimes called by their tax code status"501c(4)"—that are then used to influence elections. Originally conceived as a way to allow traditional charities also to take part in political action, they have grown massively in the last decade. By law, these organizations are required to devote a majority of their activities to social welfare rather than political purposes, so they wouldn't appear to be an efficient channel for campaign funds. But, for donors who prefer to keep their identities secret, they work: Neither the FEC nor IRS requires 501c(4) organizations to disclose the sources of their funds. Thus the moniker "dark money."
Example: Jane is running for president. John gives money to a 501c(4) organization, which in turn donates that money to a campaign or super PAC, effectively hiding John's name from the record.
Federal Election Commission (FEC)
Established by Congress through a 1974 amendment to the "Federal Election Campaign Act," the FEC began its work in 1975. Its mandate is to oversee and enforce campaign finance rules, though a series of court cases have removed or weakened some of the rules that the agency was established to enforce. The FEC's six commissioners are appointed by the president with approval from Congress. By law, no more than three can be affiliated with the same political party. Commissioner Ann Ravel observes that many FEC rules are not currently being enforced because "three Commissioners repeatedly and consistently vote against enforcing the law," even though, she stresses, such deadlock has not been the historic pattern.
Independent Expenditure
Any spending by an individual or group for political objectives that is not coordinated with a candidate or the candidate's campaign committee or party; and therefore is not restricted.
Joint Fundraising Committee
A joint fundraising committee (JFC) allows a single entity [SM1] to raise funds on behalf of:
- National campaign committees
- State campaign committees
- National political party committees
- State political party committees
- Multiple candidates
Rather than a donor giving the legal individual maximum to those groups individually, the donor can write a single check for the combined legal maximum values to a JFC. For donors, this doesn't change the possible total amount that could be donated, but it greatly simplifies the process by allowing them to give large amounts of money at once. For the committees that make up the JFC, it allows them to combine fundraising costs and then split the proceeds.
Use of JFCs:
Individual total giving was limited — the more committees there were in a JFC meant each committee got a smaller amount of the money given, as the total amount of money from an individual cannot change. Therefore, there was less incentive to band together.
Individual total giving is not limited — more committees in a JFC means a larger single check an individual can write, enabling wealthy individuals to easily give massive donations.
Example: Jane wants to run for President. Rather than asking her wealthy donor to give to her party, her national campaign, and 50 different individual state campaigns, Jane can ask for one very large donation to her joint fundraising committee. This committee will then do the work of dispersing the money appropriately according to individual contribution limits for each group in the committee.
PAC (Political Action Committee)
Originating in 1944, a political action committee is a group affiliated with a party, issue, or candidate that raises or spends money for political purposes. Regulated by theFEC, PACs must reveal the source of their donations in regular reports. Contributors to PACs are limited in what they can donate and PACs themselves are limited in what they can donate to other political bodies. Unlike super PACs (see below), however, these groups may coordinate directly with candidates and campaigns.
Example: Jane is running for president. Any group that wants to work with Jane's campaign can form a PAC, but that group will have to register with the FEC and report its donations and spending to the FEC.
Political Spending
Any money spent for political ends. In addition to contributions (see above), this term also includes expenditures directly by candidates, PACs, and parties, as well as independent expenditures by groups or individuals. Of all the types of political spending, courts have ruled that only contributions directly given to registered PACs, parties, or candidates can be limited by the law.
Example: Jane is running for president. Anyone, including Jane, who spends any money to support (or counter) Jane's campaign through any means is engaging in political spending.
Super PACs
Technically known as "Independent Expenditure-Only Political Action Committees," these groups emerged following two major 2010 court decisions (Citizens United v. FEC, SpeechNow.org v. FEC), which made them legal. These groups are required to submit records of donors and political spending to the FEC, but are not limited in terms of how much they can collect or spend. Unlike regular PAC's, however, these groups can only make independent expenditures.
Example: A group collects as much money as they'd like and spends it on commercials to support Jane for president. As long as they don't "coordinate" with Jane or her campaign, they can raise and spend as much money as they like.
"Super-Duper PACs"
As of early 2016, several efforts are underway to create hybrid PAC models that have separate accounts so they can (A) collect and spend all they want on independent expenditures like a super PAC from one account, and (B) give directly to candidates like a regular PAC from another account. Only spending under section B would be regulated by the FEC and therefore subject to limits on donors and spending. Courts have not weighed in on this model's constitutionality.
527 (PACs, Political Parties, Political Committees or Super PACs)
PACs, Political Parties, Political Committees:
Strictly political groups monitored by the FEC and subject to all FEC requirements and limits. They are allowed to work directly with candidates and campaigns to coordinate activity.
Super PACs:
PACs that only make independent expenditures (see above). They are exempt from FEC spending and fundraising limits.
PACs, Political Parties, Political Committees (527)
Strictly political groups monitored by the FEC and subject to all FEC requirements and limits. They are allowed to work directly with candidates and campaigns to coordinate activity.
Super PACs (527)
PACs that only make independent expenditures (see above). They are exempt from FEC spending and fundraising limits.
Major US Supreme Court Cases
Buckley v. Valeo (1976)
Decision by Supreme Court except where noted otherwise:
Limits on contributions to individual parties or campaigns are constitutional. But limits on most types of independent, total political spending by an individual are not constitutional because they limit free speech.
Resulting Rule Change:
All limits are eliminated for:
1.) Independent expenditures by individuals
2.) Total campaign spending by a campaign itself
3.) Use of personal funds by a candidate or candidate's family for a campaign.
Citizens United v. FEC (2010)
Decision by Supreme Court except where noted otherwise:
Corporations acting as groups of individuals have many of the same political rights as the individuals within that group. Therefore, the 1976 Buckley v. Valeo decision applies equally to corporations and individuals.
Resulting Rule Change:
Corporations and unions can now, like individuals, spend unlimited amounts on independent expenditures.
McCutcheon v. FEC (2014)
Decision by Supreme Court except where noted otherwise:
While limits on contributions to PACs, parties, and candidates are constitutional, aggregate limits for individual contributions to these entities are not.
Resulting Rule Change:
Since 1976, individuals and groups have been limited in how much they could give directly to a candidate, party, or PAC; and until McCutcheon, total political contributions within a given two-year period were also limited. This ruling, however, eliminated aggregate limits so that individuals and groups can now give the maximum legal amount directly to campaigns, parties, or PACs in every race during every electoral season.
SpeechNow.org v. FEC (2010)
Decision by Supreme Court except where noted otherwise:
The D.C. Court of Appeals, in the first major decision to cite Citizens United, rules that if individuals and corporations can make unlimited independent expenditures, it is unconstitutional to limit contributions to independent expenditure-only political groups.
Resulting Rule Change:
The decision enabled the emergence of super PACs—a.k.a. independent expenditure-only organizations—that can receive and pool unlimited contributions and spend as much as they want, as long as that spending is not "coordinated" with a campaign or party.
Shelby County v. Holder
Decision by Supreme Court except where noted otherwise:
In a 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court decided to strike down the coverage formula. The coverage formula determined which jurisdictions had to have their voting rules checked over by the federal government before implementing them, based on their history of race-based voter discrimination.
Resulting Rule Change:
By erasing this formula, states like Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama were able to institute strict photo-ID laws which had previously been considered unconstitutional by the federal government. This also allowed states such as North Carolina to get rid of provisions that made it easier to vote such as same day registration, annual voter registration drives; and eliminated the authority of county boards of elections to keep polls open for an additional hour.
Educational Resources
Learn more about the Freedom to Vote Act.
Access resources about congressional redistricting.
Learn about gerrymandering.
Listen to the "How to Citizen" podcast.
Read the report from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences' Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship, which makes 31 recommendations to address the challenges to American democracy from our dysfunctional political processes, and the related weaknesses in civic culture and institutions of civil society.
Read the Democracy Reform Blueprint for Accountable, Inclusive, Ethical Government from Citizens for Ethics.
View this analysis of Seattle's democracy vouchers.


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Most of the focus will be on stars like Zach Parise, Ryan Suter and Alexander Semin when the NHL free agent period opens on Sunday. Not every team can afford to bring those players in, however, which means they will have to search for more cost-effective options.
It's not the deepest market by any means, but there are some gems out there that should be available for more reasonable prices than the most coveted names. Let's examine three players who aren't generating much hype but should provide plenty of bang for the buck.
Kyle Wellwood
Wellwood enters free agency after the best season of his career. Normally, that would be a bad sign, because teams would have to pay for that production. That's not the case here, though, because there are so many mid-level centers available.
The 29-year-old forward scored 18 goals in 77 games for the Winnipeg Jets. That should just be the beginning of his peak seasons, which makes now a perfect time to invest in him. He's the type of depth scorer that every team in the league could use.
To go along with his improved offensive game, Wellwood has always been sound in his own end and can be a key piece of a team's penalty kill. That type of two-way ability not only makes him a smart target, but a safe one as well.
Dustin Penner
After enduring the worst regular season of his career, it appeared Penner was going to enter free agency at the worst possible time. But then he raised his level of play in the postseason, scoring 11 points in 20 games, including a couple clutch goals. That should give him the confidence boost he needed to bounce back next season.
It was only three years ago that he tallied 32 goals and 31 assists for the Edmonton Oilers. So he clearly has offensive ability despite his lackluster campaign.
Penner represents the perfect buy-low opportunity for teams. He should come at a reduced cost, and he'll be looking to prove last season was nothing but an aberration. If he comes anywhere close to his prior levels of production, he'll be a steal.
Spacek has played for seven different franchises during his NHL career. He's never been an elite defenseman and has limitations now that he's in his late 30s. That said, teams can and will do a lot worse to fill out their blue lines.
The veteran scored five goals in 34 games after joining the Carolina Hurricanes last season. He still has a rocket for a shot and would be a welcome addition to any team's second power-play unit. Assuming he stays healthy, he can approach double-digit goals in that role.
Spacek has also become a lot more sound in his own end in recent years. Although he's not somebody who can lead a defense corps like Suter, he will come at a much smaller price and will carve out a useful niche for himself.
Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com


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Pandora appoints ex C&A exec Delphine Medaouri as France General Manager
Delphine Medaouri was appointed France General Manager for Danish jewellery brand Pandora last September. Formerly COO for Dutch fashion retailer C&A in France, Medaouri succeeded Patrick Szraga, who was in charge of the Danish jewellery retailer's French subsidiary since 2011.
Delphine Medaouri joined the C&A group in 2012 as Retail Director France, and then became Marketing Director in 2014. Before C&A, she worked at fashion retailer Caroll, notably as France and international retail director, and for other brands such as Georges Rech and Lamarthe.
Pandora designs, manufactures and distributes its jewellery directly, and is present in France since 2011. It currently operates over 70 stores in the country, plus a series of retail corners in department stores and multibrand retailers. The jewellery brand was founded in Denmark in 1982 and in 2016 it generated a revenue of €2.7 billion. Its forecast for 2017 is to reach €3.2 billion.
Pandora jewellery is sold in over 100 countries worldwide through a network of 7,900 stores, of which over 2,100 are monobrand retailers.
Copyright © 2023 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.


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Sockeye Smoked Salmon Wholeside Pre-Sliced 600g030
Regular price $100.00
Unit price
Sockeye salmon is lightly brined and slowly cold smoked with alder wood chips for 8~10 hours at low temperature. Serve with a garnish of lemons, capers and onions. The perfect addition to a party or other special occasion. Comes in a lovely gift box.
Unit Size: 600g
Frozen Product


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Companion App
Flüüfff is proud to announce you that this year we will have a companion app again. You can find it in the Google Store and Apple's App Store. Also it comes back with some new and very useful features:
- Notifications: in case the schedule changes you'll receive a notification.
- Schedule auto-update: the schedule now automatically updates.


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Modulate Series 1 20ft Fabric Backwall Kit 01
Modulate™ is a versatile, reconfigurable exhibit system. Modulate pre-defined 20ft wide inline kits can reconfigure easily into 10ft wide displays and be repurposed as individual banners with no extra parts, pieces or packaging. Modulate magnetic kits are comprised of various aluminum tube frame banners with unique curves, shapes and corners. Frames feature printed pillowcase fabric graphics that slip over easily and zip at the bottom. Twist-lock feet connect the tube frames at the bottom. Displays come in durable, portable carry bags and optional expandable cases are available as an upgrade.
Modulate 20ft Kit 01 consists of four curved, magnetic fabric banners. Kit 01 can reconfigure into a 10ft display (MOD-FRM-05-M-TL) and can also be repurposed as individual banners. Versatile, simple and smart displays help exhibitors maximize their display value. Modulate Reconfigurable Kits
- Toolless assembly; aluminum tube frames connect with snap buttons and all units come with easy-to-use twist-lock feet
- Kits include banner frames, twist-lock feet, zipper pillowcase fabric graphics and portable carry bags
- Easy to assemble, store and ship
- An expandable storage/transportation case (OCE) is an optional upgrade
|Display Shape
|Double Sided Capability
|Assembled Dimensions
|233.83"W x 96"H x 31.74"D
|Display Size
|20' Inline
|Hardware Only Weight
|71 lbs
|Shipping Dimensions
|Ships in: 3 x BOX (54"L x 12"H x 5"D) 1 x BOX (64"L x 15"H x 5"D)
|Approximate Shipping Weight
|143 lbs


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38 Ashley Avenue | Home For Sale | Mount Pleasant Real Estate
38 Ashley Avenue Charleston, SC MLS# 18024957 - Residential Fantastic opportunity to live South of Broad! Completely renovated 3 bedroom, 3 full ...Read More
38 Ashley Avenue Charleston, SC MLS# 18024957 - Residential Fantastic opportunity to live South of Broad! Completely renovated 3 bedroom, 3 full ...Read More
341 residential properties under contract 1.19 -1.25.18! Wow 260 single family homes under contract with a median list price. $275k, ...Read More
It's an awesome week for technology and business in The Silicone Harbor, as Charleston hosts DIG Icon. Now in its 5th year, DIG Innovation ...Read More
We would like to take a moment to wish all of our clients, friends and followers a very blessed Easter. We consider ourselves especially ...Read More
Its Easter in the Lowcountry, and for many the long weekend has already begun. Whether you are here visiting, or just home on Spring Break, there are ...Read More
Baseball season is back! Our hometown team, the Charleston Riverdogs had an awesome season last year and we are excited to see what they do in 2017. ...Read More
Its that time of year when the produce is fresh, the flowers are in bloom, and local artists are sharing everything from canvas to candles. Its ...Read More
Happy Friday! It's a beautiful weekend in the Lowcountry, and we aren't fooling, there is a lot happening around town! Saturday is the Cooper River ...Read More
Have you ever taken a stroll South of Broad and peeked through the elaborate iron gates, into the magical gardens and wondered what they look like ...Read More
Happy St. Patrick's Day! The Irish and Irish-at-heart continue celebrations throughout the weekend, from Red's Ice House to Mac's Place, every bar ...Read More
It's a beautiful Friday in Charleston, time to plan your weekend! Foodies near and far will flock to the Charleston Food and Wine Festival. Don't ...Read More
331 Charleston properties under contract 1/13 - 1/19/17! 265 Single family homes under contract past week with a median list price $264k, ...Read More
Gullah Walking Tour (FRI 6/10, 10:45-1PM) Starting Location: Charleston Visitors Center, 375 Meeting St.Ending Location: ...Read More
359 Charleston Properties Under Contract 5/27 - 6/2/16! • 292 single family homes under contract had a median ...Read More
3570 Holmgren Street Mount Pleasant, SC MLS# 16009535 - Residential Exclusive builder's personal home on 1/2 acre lot in Darrell Creek! This ...Read More
Hey all our music friends! Ed is playing with his good friends and fellow songwriters Bob Tobin and David Owens along with Bruce Roberts on bass, ...Read More
We all know Charleston is a great place to be during the holidays and Independence Day is certainly no exception! Here's a list of our favorite 4th ...Read More
June is one of our favorite months of the year here in the Lowcountry! Spring has turned to summer and the beach couldn't get ...Read More


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For bulk orders, shipping inquires or special projects, feel free to get in touch with our customer service staff by vising our contact page.
Video Game Trophies
Create the perfect video game trophies by choosing from our great selection of video game trophies. We make it easy by providing video game trophies for every budget and work to create that special award by adding a unique message, date of accomplishment, and/ or title of achievement. Get free engraving with every purchase today! We want to guarantee your award is just right for any occasion that's why we offer quality help and service to ease any concerns you might have. Contact us today to order your video game trophies through Buyawardsandtrophies.com
Video Game Trophy
Wii Neck Medal
Wii Column Trophy
Wii Trophy
Wii Gold Cup Trophy
Wii Traveling Trophy


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Official Documents and Visa
Petrozavodsk State University provides visa support for all incoming international students.
Most foreign applicants need to obtain a student visa in order to study at PetrSU. This type of visa requires an invitation letter from an educational institution. Our coordinators prepare an invitation for you after you submit all the necessary documents.
The first step to get a visa invitation is to send us a scanned copy of your passport and a filled application form to firstname.lastname@example.com
Before you send an application and a scan of your passport to us, please make sure that:
- your passport is valid for 1,5 year (or 18 months) since the date of your arrival to Russia. Otherwise, you need to renew your passport before applying for the program.
- you submit your application not later than 8 weeks before the expected date of arrival. We need this time to prepare an invitation letter for you. Note that an invitation letter is only valid for three months after being issued.
Upon arrival in Russia every foreign student should take special care of the following documents:
- Passport
- Student visa
- Migration card (given to all the foreigners upon crossing the Russian state border)
- Registration (a Notification of Arrival)
- Medical insurance (DMS/"ДМС")
The initial student visa is a single entry visa issued for 3 months only. With such a visa you can travel within Russia, but you cannot go abroad.
Since semesters in Russia last longer than 3 months, students have to extend the visa. A multi-entry visa is extended for the whole period of your studies. Visa extension is done in Petrozavodsk and costs 1600 RUB. For this procedure please address PetrSU Registration and Visa Department
Migration card
A Migration card is given to every foreign citizen at Russian border checkpoint. This document is valid through the entire period of your stay in Russia. If you leave Russia and then come back again, you will be given a new Migration card at the border checkpoint. In this case you will also need to update your Registration upon arrival to Petrozavodsk at PetrSU Registration and Visa Department.
Registration (Notification of arrival)
Every foreign citizen must inform local Migration service about his/her arrival and address in Russia. This can be done at PetrSU Registration and Visa Department. The documents for migration registration must be brought to PetrSU Registration and Visa Department on the next working day upon arrival of a foreign student to Petrozavodsk.
For getting a registration the following original documents are required:
- passport with a valid student visa issued by PetrSU invitation;
- migration card with the stamp of crossing-border checkpoint.
Medical insurance
Upon arrival to Russia, all foreign citizens must have the medical insurance certificate (DMS/ДМС) which is valid during the whole period of stay in Russia. The insurance cover must be not less than 100 000 rubles and include all the general kinds of diseases and repatriation of a deceased body. The insurance can be made at the university.
! In case of travelling to other Russian cities, a foreign student must bring the documents for the new registration on the next working day upon returning back to Petrozavodsk.
!!! In case of a loss of any documents (including a passport, an ID, a migration card, a notification of arrival or a visa) the student must immediately notify both the Migration service and PetrSU Registration and Visa Department about the loss and wait for further instructions of the officers.


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Storage is the kind of thing that we always like to pick up whenever we see it pop up at a discounted rate, and the storage we have on offer here is not only cheaper than it normally would be, but it's also more rugged than most, too. The Silicon Power 2TB Rugged Portable External Hard Drive Armor A60 (breathe!) is super rugged, in fact, and that makes it pretty awesome in our eyes.
While this is compatible with game consoles including the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, that would perhaps be a little bit of a waste of the drives main selling point – it's protection.
With military-grade shock proofing as well as IPX4 water resistance, this is one drive that should be capable of keeping all of your data safe no matter what you throw at it.
It's great for super quick file transfers thanks to USB 3.0 support, and it even comes with a handy carrying solution for the USB cable so you will never find yourself in a position where you have your drive and your computer, but no way to connect the two to each other.
We don't know how long this better-than-half price deal will be around for, but if getting some extra storage that can take a beating sounds like a good idea to you, get your order in now before it's too late.
Buy: Silicon Power 2TB Rugged Portable External Hard Drive Armor A60 from Amazon: $69.99 | Original price $135
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You can follow us on Twitter, add us to your circle on Google+ or like our Facebook page to keep yourself updated on all the latest from Microsoft, Google, Apple, and the Web.


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This article will provide you solutions on common error which the users may come across while using their digital signature in ProxKey Token on GST portal www.gst.gov.in
Error 1 : 'Failed to establish connection' – DSC Registration
Indicative Solutions
Solution 1
Install latest version of Java on your computer. Click here to install Java
Ensure that you have installed 'EM Signer' on your computer. Refer article 'GST System Settings'
Solution 2
Even after 'EM Signer Installation same error appears' then right click on 'EM Signer' Icon on desktop and run as administrator
Solution 3
For Windows 10 users, if this error appears even after implementing previous 2 steps, use 'Microsoft Edge' browser for filing
Solution 4


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Sunday, 4 April 2010
Happy Easter
Posted by John Grimshaw at 09:19
3 comments:
Are these blooming for you now? We are at the tail end of blooming for complex hybrid Helleborus, with the yellows especially. It has been an unusually wet Spring, which I believe is exacerbating the situation.ReplyDelete
Our hellebores are just at their peak, delayed by our hard winter.ReplyDelete
- and I can just see the first leaves coming up here. My first year with hellebores and if they do well - many more will be added.ReplyDelete
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, one of the world's biggest infrastructure and real estate investors, is holding off on major investments in London real estate amid uncertainty over the impact of Britain's planned exit from the European Union.
Canada's second-biggest public pension fund has been an enthusiastic investor in Britain and earlier this year agreed to finance the expansion of London's Heathrow Airport in which it is one of the biggest shareholders.
Until recently, London was one of the cities the Caisse was most committed to investing in along with New York and Shanghai.
"That is still certainly true for Shanghai, true for New York," Caisse Chief Executive Michael Sabia told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday.
However, the Caisse has turned more cautious on Britain's capital after Prime Minister Theresa May lost her majority in a parliamentary election in early June, giving her a weaker hand in negotiating Britain's exit from the EU.
"We're pretty cautious right now about making meaningful and significant investments in London real estate," Sabia said.
The Caisse has not seen any impact yet on valuations of its existing real estate portfolio in London which is primarily in high-end office buildings. However, Sabia said valuations of less desirable properties were being affected.
"The question is how far does this go, does it spread? That is why we're being careful until we have a better sense."
Sabia also said Britain's economy, which initially withstood the shock of the Brexit vote, was starting to hurt. "I think you're going to see slowing in the UK as the reality of Brexit begins to affect decision making more, I think we're already seeing some of that."
The Caisse, which manages public pensions for retirees in Québec, has a duel mandate both to maximize returns for depositors and support economic growth in the Canadian province.
A US$1.5 billion investment in Bombardier, headquartered in Québec, has been slammed by U.S. rival Boeing as an unfair subsidy but Sabia rejected that characterization as "absolute nonsense" on Wednesday.
Caisse is embarking this year on the construction of the world's third-biggest public transit system in its home city of Montréal, a groundbreaking project which will see the pension fund take responsibility for both the funding and construction.
The $6 billion project, which has also received funding from the Québec government and Canada's federal government, is seen as a test case by other pension funds which normally prefer to invest in 'brownfield' infrastructure that has already been built rather than take on the construction risk through a 'greenfield' project.
But competition for assets such as roads, bridges and tunnels that have already been built has intensified as investors look for alternatives to low-yielding government bonds and volatile equity markets.
Sabia said he believes the Caisse will have an advantage over rivals from developing the skills in-house to manage the construction of new infrastructure and wants to replicate the model in the United States and Europe if it succeeds.
He also argued that much infrastructure development falls between the two, citing Heathrow Airport, where the infrastructure is being expanded, labeling them 'khaki' projects. "You've got to have the capacity to work across that spectrum, to have a full product offering is something that's going to differentiate yourself in the market."
The Caisse invests money on behalf of workers and retirees in the province of Québec and Sabia admitted that there would be reputational risk if money was lost on the Montréal transit project.
"Doing things differently and some degree of innovation always comes with some risk. If those reputational issues are so big in your mind then you're condemned to live in the status quo for ever.
"In an investment world that's changing as much as we think it is changing, staying in the status quo means you're toast."
By Matt Scuffham
(Editing by Carmel Crimmins)
(This story has been edited by Kirk Falconer, editor of PE Hub Canada)
Photo courtesy of Reuters/Philippe Wojazer


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Module 4: Credit and debt management
Today, many people need to borrow money to do things like buy a house, get an education, buy a car or pay for home renovations. This is called credit.
Credit is neither good nor bad. It's a tool to help you pay for big-ticket items and meet your financial goals.
However, credit must be used wisely—and unfortunately, many Canadians borrow more than they can handle, as these figures show:
- Household debt in Canada reached a record $1.4 trillion in 2009. This works out to $41,740 per person.Footnote 1
- Canadian households owed $1.44 for every dollar they earned in 2009, up from $1.16 in 2005. Footnote 2
- A total of 145,233 Canadians filed for personal bankruptcy or filed a consumer proposal between June 2009 and June 2010, an increase of 6.2 percent over the previous 12-month period.Footnote 3
This module teaches you about different types of credit and how to borrow responsibly. In it you will learn:
- the different types of credit available, their purposes and how they work
- the real costs of borrowing
- what a credit report is and how to improve yours
- what to do if you run into problems with debt.
By the time you finish this module, you will be better able to evaluate your own needs for credit and to manage the debt you take on. You will learn what questions to ask when borrowing, and you'll understand your rights and responsibilities as a borrower.
Throughout the module, you will find learning tools that you can use now and in the future:
- quizzes to test your knowledge of different aspects of borrowing
- calculators to add up the costs of borrowing
- videos to help you be a better consumer of credit
- checklists to help you recognize the danger signals of excessive debt
- an action plan of steps to track your progress as you manage credit in the future.
Page details
- Date modified:


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GET-TECH's motto is: Implement, Succeed, Inspire
We are passionate about new technology! We find that our clients and partners are usually extraordinary individuals who are looking optimistically in the future of Smart Cities in Construction, IoT , automation and artificial intelligence (AI). They want to disrupt the status quo, improve their processes, achieve their goals and join innovative industry leaders who set example for others to follow in a dynamically changing world.
BIM and VDC services are a backbone of digitalization and machine learning in the AECOO industry. GTI's mission is to increase our client's awareness of current and future technological possibilities. By getting to know their needs and providing our solutions for utilizing IoT we help them to manage their assets and resources at the world class Smart Cities level.
Smart Cities are urban developments utilizing IoT , which aim to improve the quality of life, sustainability, efficiency and connectivity at the same time reducing cost and environmental impact.
The ultimate goal of Smart Cities and IoT in AECOO industry (Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Owner and Operators) is to bridge the gap between design, construction and operation of a building asset by utilizing smart and lean technologies that will help to identify, preserve and monitor important information at every stage of its existence.
It is achievable by:
A. Creation of a 3D model – Digital Twin, as a product of BIM/VDC design and construction
B. Integration of required Asset Data within the 3D model
C. Utilization of an intelligent Digital Twin during operation to provide centralized technical database of the building and reduce maintenance and facility management costs to the benefit of the owner
D. Utilization of IoT devices and apps during operation, by connecting with the Digital Twin, to monitor and adjust the building performance and manage energy use, thus providing additional cost savings
Please contact us to find out more about our Smart Cities and IoT Services and Products.


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Welcome to the Cosmetology Continuing Education Courses Online service designed for any licensed cosmetologists employed within the State of Texas and North Carolina.
These courses are for any cosmetologist, Hairstylist, Manicurist, or Esthetician who needs to obtain continuing education credits in order to meet the State of Texas continuing education requirements; this may include Hairstylists, Manicurists (Nail Technicians), Estheticians, Licensed Specialists, or any individual who desires training.
All courses have been approved by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) and have been designed for those who want the best training in the least amount of time.
Information: www.CosmetologyEduClasses.com
Take your course at:
Highly recommended for all cosmetologists employees working in the cosmetology industry, this cosmetology continuing education course teaches and reviews the fundamental components of cosmetology safety practices. Completion of this material will enable cosmetology industry professionals and employees on all levels to implement these practices in a standardized manner within their respective cosmetology establishments.
State of Texas TDLR Provider #: 1962
Cosmetology Edu Classes Online Service (CEC) is approved as a Texas cosmetology continuing education provider for the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), provider # 1962.
SHERMAN, Texas - (May 11, 2015) - Innovative North Texas-based technology company DSBWorldWide, Inc. is pleased to announce the release of Texas.CosmetologyEduClasses.com. This newly unveiled collection of continuing education courses was designed specifically to satisfy the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) continuing education requirements for the renewal of a cosmetology operator license, or an esthetician, manicurist, esthetician / manicurist or eyelash extension specialty license, or a hair weaving, hair braiding or wig specialty certificate.
"All of these courses have been approved by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and were designed for those who want the best training in the least amount of time," says Tony Dean, founder and CEO of DSBWorldWide, Inc. "Each course is self-paced. At any given point, users may start or stop the training material, then come back later, and log in with a unique username and password, and pick up where he or she left off."
The TDLR requires licensees to complete a total of 4 hours of continuing education through department-approved courses for licensees with licenses expiring after September 1, 2012. The courses are geared toward specific cosmetology interests. Each 4-hour course includes two hours of continuing education instruction in Sanitation, one hour of CE instruction in Health and Safety, and one hour of CE instruction in the licensee's preferred specialty area, such as Skin Health, Nail Health or Hair Health. There is also an available 1-hour Sanitation course designed for licensed cosmetologists employed within the State of Texas who are at least 65 years old, who have held a cosmetology license for at least 15 years and who need to obtain continuing education credits in order to meet the State of Texas continuing education requirements for Hair Stylist, Manicurist, Facialist, Hair weaving, Shampoo and Wig Technicians.
"Our goal and mission with texas.cosmetologyeduclasses.com is to provide an elegant online Cosmetology Continuing Education course at a minimal cost to the student," Dean continued. "CEC's certification system allows cosmetologists to sign up easily, study at their own pace, and to receive their State of Texas Accredited Cosmetology Continuing Education certificate with the least amount of hassle possible."
CEC even helps cosmetologists keep up with their certificate. The simple online system maintains a copy so users can log in to their account and print off another Cosmetology Edu Classes certificate whenever they need to.
Texas.CosmetologyEduClasses.com is a service provided for cosmetologists employed within the State of Texas through Cosmetology Edu Classes, a subsidiary of DSBWorldWide, Inc.
DSBWorldWide, Inc. is a professional creative graphic services agency geared towards providing businesses with a full range of online marketing tools and web based materials. As a creative design house our team of website developers, web designers and online marketing experts provides consultation, strategic thinking, branding, brand positioning, brand development, artwork, graphics, video and a full range of online design solutions. DSBWorldWide is recognized as one of the top Web Site Design and Development firms in Dallas and North Texas, offering international and national level creative graphic agency services for businesses throughout the state of Texas and across the country.
For more information about DSBWorldWide, Inc., visit www.dsbworldwide.com.
If you are looking for an online cosmetology continuing education course, then you have found it. CosmetologyEduClasses.com provides online course packages for cosmetologists, hairstylists, manicurists, or estheticians who need to obtain continuing education credits in order to meet their continuing education requirements.


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St. Pete! It's got a dog track!
It's hard to get up for Marshall vs. FIU not because of the lackluster bowl, or the setting, or even Mike Patrick silently mourning his lost broadcast partner and fellow deranged hobo-hunter, Craig James. No, excitement is scarce beneath the queasy green lights of the Tropicana Dome because this is Marshall and Florida International AND all of those other things, and don't forget it.
Florida International gets into this game after a magnificent reconstruction project completed by Mario Cristobal, and congratulations! If they win, Cristobal may be hired as Pitt's coach, leaving them plummeting back into the dark jungles of the Sun Belt. If Marshall wins, they get above .500 and get to go back to the hotel, change, and then go out to Ybor City. If they lose, they get to go back to the hotel and go out to Ybor City.
No one has any reason to win this game, but thank goodness life revolves around incentives no one really understands. Sadly, the owner of MagicJack is too busy abusing his employees to sponsor a bowl game, so Tampa's own Beef O'Brady's has stepped in (along with ESPN, who owns this game) to provide you with the only piece of original programming on television tonight not involved in the Storage Hunters series. By the way, if you are involved with Storage Hunters, thank you for egging on our eventual apocalypse by giving us another sign of a just and swift end to our species.
Listen here, or in the player below.


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Foxconn Said to Manufacture iPhones and iPads in India
After marching out of India after its client Nokia went belly-up, Foxconn is ready to enter India once. This time, Apple's long-time assembly partner is in talks to build plants to manufacture its bread and butter product, the iPhone, reports Reuters.
Foxconn is looking for locations to build 10–12 facilities in India – both factories and data centres – by 2020, the company has told to Reuters. The news corroborates earlier reports from April, when the Economic Times learned that Foxconn had plans to build twin smartphone manufacturing plans, one in each of Gujarat and Noida, besides a small trial production plant in Sri City in Andhra Pradesh.
"Foxconn is sending a delegation of their officers to scout for locations in a month's time," Subhash Desai, Industries Minister of India's western state Maharashtra, told Reuters.
It is worth noting that Apple's assembly partner had three plants on the Chennai–Bengaluru highway, all committed to making phones and components for Nokia. After losing its client, it ultimately shut down all three of them, the last one in February.
A move back to India would help lower production costs and help Foxconn mitigate wage inflation in China, says Reuters.
The government is still awaiting confirmation from Foxconn, but company reps say the group is looking to manufacture iPhones, iPads, and iPods for both international and local markets.