text:
States try to combat election interference as Washington deadlocks
With the White House and Congress paralyzed over how — or even whether — to act on intelligence agency warnings about foreign interference in U.S. elections, Maryland opted to take matters into its own hands.
The state adopted transparency rules for political advertising on Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere online. The pioneering move drew praise from election reformers as a blow against foreign meddling.
Then came the backlash. And it wasn't from Russia.
Newspaper publishers hauled the state into federal court. The new rules ran afoul of the 1st Amendment and created burdens on media organizations that could push struggling local papers under, they protested.
Even one of the world's most vocal advocates for transparency, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, joined the objectors. Along with the Washington Post, Associated Press and others, they successfully blocked the state's effort in federal court.
Three years after a presidential campaign in which foreign operatives used social media platforms to mislead and manipulate voters, the nation still can't figure out how to shore up its defenses. With partisan divisions preventing any effective federal action, the states have responded with a patchwork of moves of their own, some of which, as in Maryland, run up against other cherished American values, including free expression.
"We haven't come to grips with the sophistication and scale of the attack in 2016 and the coordinated action that is needed to confront it going forward," said Nathaniel Persily, co-director of the Cyber Policy Center at Stanford University. "There is plenty of blame to go around."
Even as other nations take aggressive action, some 40 election security bills in Congress have been left to fester. President Trump's refusal to admit that Russia intervened in the election on his side, coupled with Republican unwillingness to contradict him, has blocked any congressional action.
That leaves states to try to figure out piecework solutions — an effort that security experts say is inevitably too limited.
"This doesn't seem like the kind of thing that ought to be worked out in a laboratory," said Andrew Grotto, who was director of cyber security policy in the White House for Presidents Obama and Trump, nodding to the role states can play as laboratories of democracy. "There should be a federal answer."
Maryland's plan spooked newspaper publishers, who warned the online rules would create costly reporting requirements that could force them to stop running political ads. Some of the much bigger, and far more financially stable, online platforms planned to stop accepting paid state and local political ads because of the same concerns.
Platforms already ban such ads in Washington state, which has its own law.
Those state efforts parallel the approach taken in Canada, which is pushing ahead with strict transparency rules for ads and a new government agency that will work with intelligence officials to alert the public when foreign disinformation campaigns get traction with voters. Several platforms have halted selling political ads in Canada as a result.
President Trump has derided U.S. cities since he took office. He's turned his fire on Los Angeles of late, where he's visiting for fundraisers. His anti-urban rhetoric plays well with his mostly rural base, and plays on a longstanding division in the U.S.
State legislators championing such rules in America have no plans to pull back, though several are working with media groups to mitigate their worries. State officials see their efforts as crucial to nudging Congress and the Trump administration along. The bigger the patchwork of state laws, the thinking goes, the bigger the headache for Facebook and Google and Twitter, and the more pressure companies will put on Washington to act.
"Each time a state creates a new regulatory system, it adds impetus to devising a federal solution to this," said Adav Noti a senior director at the nonprofit Campaign Legal Center.
California plans to require social media companies to keep ads in a publicly accessible archive, along with information about who purchased them. The new Social Media Disclose Act, which takes effect in January, creates other burdens for the tech firms. They will be required to clearly reveal on each political ad who paid for it, along with background information on the purchaser and the amount spent. New York has adopted a similar law.
"Individual states are raising the floor," Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), said Tuesday at a forum that the Federal Election Commission hosted in an effort to break the federal logjam. "You are ending up with a much tougher floor than you would if you collaborated with us [Congress] on the front end," he warned tech executives.
Facebook and Twitter officials were in the audience but declined invitations to participate in the forum. An executive from Google, which owns YouTube, warned of the dangers of a slippery slope.
"Quite often, solutions have tradeoffs that are not easy to navigate without causing harm in other ways," said Clement Wolf, Google's global public policy leader for information integrity.
But it is unclear how much the state measures will actually do to curb interference. Archiving and transparency requirements can be effective at deterring and rooting out paid ads by foreign entities. But propaganda campaigns often don't involve ads but unpaid — or "organic" — social media postings that are amplified by bots.
Confronting that challenge is proving more fraught. That much was clear after the Democratic National Committee recently alerted Beto O'Rourke's presidential campaign that he was the target of a misinformation attack which aimed to link the shooter who killed 22 people in El Paso in August to O'Rourke's campaign.
The falsehood lives on in social media. One tweet amplifying the lie has been retweeted 11,000 times, including by a member of President Trump's campaign advisory board, who has 89,000 of his own followers. A single Facebook post repeating the false claim, apparently with the help of bots, got 34,000 shares.
"As a campaign, we're almost entirely powerless to stop misinformation," Jen O'Malley Dillon, O'Rourke's campaign manager, wrote on Twitter. One of her colleagues was more blunt in an interview: "We're all sitting ducks if these are the rules the social media companies are going to follow. It's insane."
Scholars are struggling to gauge the effectiveness of disinformation campaigns. Tech companies so far aren't giving them much of the data they say they need. The firms express support for the scholarly efforts, but they are moving slowly amid worries about trade secrets baked into their algorithms and protecting user privacy.
Facebook's hesitance to turn over such data now threatens to sidetrack an alliance between the company and academics tracking disinformation. An ideologically diverse coalition of foundations sponsoring the effort, called Social Science One, has warned it will suspend funding at the end of this month if Facebook does not start releasing more data.
The company, which says it has 20 staffers working diligently to deliver the data, is still reeling from the fallout of the 2016 election, when it inappropriately shared reams of private user data with political operatives. Now, it's under fire for not being more open with such data. Those are not ideal conditions for swift action, and the lack of clarity from Washington isn't helping.
Researchers like Sinan Aral, an MIT professor investigating how social media misinformation affects voters, voice frustration that the charged politics around meddling are making it impossible to forge common-sense solutions.
"There has to be a nuanced approach," he said. "We need to understand who is exposed to which messages. We don't have that data. The platforms do."
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text:
Go to the corresponding LIPIcs Volume Portal |
Ben-David, Shalev ;
Kothari, Robin
Quantum Distinguishing Complexity, Zero-Error Algorithms, and Statistical Zero Knowledge
LIPIcs-TQC-2019-2.pdf (0.5 MB)
We define a new query measure we call quantum distinguishing complexity, denoted QD(f) for a Boolean function f. Unlike a quantum query algorithm, which must output a state close to |0> on a 0-input and a state close to |1> on a 1-input, a "quantum distinguishing algorithm" can output any state, as long as the output states for any 0-input and 1-input are distinguishable.
Using this measure, we establish a new relationship in query complexity: For all total functions f, Q_0(f)=O~(Q(f)^5), where Q_0(f) and Q(f) denote the zero-error and bounded-error quantum query complexity of f respectively, improving on the previously known sixth power relationship.
We also define a query measure based on quantum statistical zero-knowledge proofs, QSZK(f), which is at most Q(f). We show that QD(f) in fact lower bounds QSZK(f) and not just Q(f). QD(f) also upper bounds the (positive-weights) adversary bound, which yields the following relationships for all f: Q(f) >= QSZK(f) >= QD(f) = Omega(Adv(f)). This sheds some light on why the adversary bound proves suboptimal bounds for problems like Collision and Set Equality, which have low QSZK complexity.
Lastly, we show implications for lifting theorems in communication complexity. We show that a general lifting theorem for either zero-error quantum query complexity or for QSZK would imply a general lifting theorem for bounded-error quantum query complexity.BibTeX - Entry
author = {Shalev Ben-David and Robin Kothari},
title = {{Quantum Distinguishing Complexity, Zero-Error Algorithms, and Statistical Zero Knowledge}},
booktitle = {14th Conference on the Theory of Quantum Computation, Communication and Cryptography (TQC 2019)},
pages = {2:1--2:23},
series = {Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
year = {2019},
volume = {135},
editor = {Wim van Dam and Laura Mancinska},
publisher = {Schloss Dagstuhl--Leibniz-Zentrum fuer Informatik},
address = {Dagstuhl, Germany},
URL = {http://drops.dagstuhl.de/opus/volltexte/2019/10394},
URN = {urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-103944},
doi = {10.4230/LIPIcs.TQC.2019.2},
annote = {Keywords: Quantum query complexity, quantum algorithms}
Quantum query complexity, quantum algorithms
14th Conference on the Theory of Quantum Computation, Communication and Cryptography (TQC 2019)
Issue Date:
Date of publication:

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Baker Mayfield was at the center of my boldest preseason NFL prediction. For a variety of reasons that we'll get into more below, I told anyone who would listen that Mayfield would be the 2019 NFL MVP. For the sake of doubling down, telling myself, 'It will all correlate anyway, right?', I predicted Mayfield would be the top scorer in fantasy football. As Mayfield fantasy owners can attest to heading into Week 5's Browns vs. 49ers Monday Night Football matchup, he's been a lot closer to a huge bust than he has been to the MVP of anything. Browns' fans are probably wondering whether their season still has the hope it once did, or if Mayfield is truly not a high-level quarterback.
So, I set out to discover what has me looking so wrong right now. My bold prediction is probably a lost cause -- Mayfield has dug himself too deep a ditch to get all the way to the top of the mountain this season. But either I was just totally incorrect about Mayfield, or there should be signs that he'll bounce back. As is usually the case on these sorts of things, there are points to be made on both sides, so let's get right into it.
The reasons for Baker Mayfield's hype
It starts with Mayfield himself. He had checked the boxes that get football fans appropriately excited -- a Heisman Trophy and top-overall pick status are good tings to put at the top of a rookie QB's resume. It wasn't that big a worry that the 2018 Browns began the year with Tyrod Taylor as their starting quarterback. After all, he was a veteran who we knew wouldn't stand in Mayfield's way when he was ready.
Mayfield was forced into action in Week 3 when Taylor sustained a concussion, and the job was his for the rest of the season. He completed 63.8 percent of his passes at 12 yards per completion while throwing 27 touchdowns compared to 14 interceptions. Sure, he took some chances, but they turned out positively more often than not. Mayfield led three fourth-quarter comebacks and four game-winning drives.
Things began changing for the better around Mayfield last season and through this offseason. Hue Jackson was let go by Cleveland, putting offensive-minded Freddie Kitchens into the head coaching role. Kitchens brought in Todd Monken in the offseason from Tampa Bay to be his offensive coordinator, a year after the Buccaneers threw the ball more than any team in football. It looked almost for sure that Mayfield would get to throw more frequently in 2019 than '18.
And, of course, Cleveland traded for Odell Beckham Jr. Jarvis Landry was a so-so No. 1 WR, but he's a great No. 2 WR. Moving every other pass-catcher a rung down the pecking order should've allowed them to succeed against more friendly matchups while OBJ soaks up the defensive attention.
So, my reasoning, summed up simply, went something like this: Mayfield's strong pedigree + promising rookie year + offensive coaching upgrade + OBJ = superstar. Why hasn't it been that simple?
Is the Browns' offensive line bad?
In 2018, Mayfield set up to pass on 511 plays and was sacked 25 times. So far this season, Mayfield has taken 12 sacks on 151 pass plays -- nearly half last year's total on less than a third of the dropbacks. Interestingly, though, Cleveland's offensive line has allowed 15 total QB hits through the first four games, meaning almost every time Mayfield's been hit, he's taken the sack. The Browns are on pace to allow less hits to the quarterback this year than last.
Cleveland's offensive line saw only one change from a season ago, plugging in Austin Corbett at right guard. Corbett was the No. 33 overall pick in 2018, so it's not like he's some bum off the street. And those QB hit numbers suggest that Mayfield has been taking more sacks while not necessarily under more overall pressure.
It's true that the mere act of being sacked more frequently probably gets into a young quarterback's head, so the next time he sees a similar amount of pressure, he may rush the ball out instead of going through his reads. But it doesn't look like the physical reason Mayfield's struggled is his offensive line, despite it probably being some of the mental aspect.
Baker Mayfield's struggles seeing the field, making accurate throws
On some of Mayfield's worst plays so far this season, he's either failed to see an open man or not executed on the literal act of throwing the football. He's thrown six interceptions through four games, including three in Week 1 against the Titans and one in each week since. Let's take a look.
Baker Mayfield throws 3 interceptions .. ALL in the 4th quarter, including this Pick-6⃣:pic.twitter.com/6d6FrOwhTj
— The Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) September 8, 2019
Here's one of Mayfield's three Week 1 interceptions. He has two players coming on slants, but he doesn't get that close to hitting either of them. If the throw was meant to Landry out of the slot, it was behind him and high. If it was to the wider man, it was too far out in front of him.
One of Mayfield's earlier interceptions in that game was well behind a receiver down the field. In addition, as you watch the play below, look at the defensive back that lines up at the top of the screen -- it's as if Mayfield doesn't see him correctly. The Titans were playing zone coverage, but Mayfield threw the ball (still inaccurately) as if that defensive back was going to continue guarding the Browns' receiver.
OH NO BAKER MAYFIELD INTERCEPTION YOU HATE TO SEE IT! pic.twitter.com/fLm43LmNYF
— October Randazzo (@JimmyRandazzo) September 8, 2019
In the Rams game in Week 3, Mayfield displayed his struggles on consecutive plays inside the 10-yard line. First, he overthrows the ball toward the back of the end zone, but it was actually a decent ball, as he put it in a spot only his teammate would have a chance to get it. The problem is how he missed Landry out of the slot, even as Landry ran through the same part of Mayfield's vision as the man he targeted. Check it out.
Looked like Baker Mayfield missed Jarvis Landry on a slant that would have put the Browns in position to kick the game-tying extra point on third down. Look at Jarvis' reaction after the play. On fourth down, the Rams bring the blitz and Mayfield throws an interception. pic.twitter.com/xo1FDc36Pc
— Nicholas Moreano (@NicholasMoreano) September 23, 2019
A play later, Mayfield was intercepted. Even going back to the preseason, you can see Mayfield's struggles recognizing coverage (or maybe he simply is such a gunslinger that he sees it and doesn't care). Regardless, the Bucs drop into zone in the clip below and Mayfield throws it right to a Tampa Bay player.
Here's the INT by Baker Mayfield before the end of the half.pic.twitter.com/qUeENi7bsH
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) August 24, 2019
With the exception of the preseason play, on which Mayfield is hit about when he's throwing the ball (still not a good decision), the others weren't pressure-based interceptions. It's impossible to know whether the extra sacks Mayfield is taking in the early going have gotten in his head and have him rushing through his progressions and his mechanics. But regardless of the reason, Mayfield is missing on his throws.
It's even worse when you watch the couple plays where he seemingly fails to diagnose the opponent's coverage. On one of Cleveland's prime-time broadcasts this season, the announcers talked about how Cleveland is limiting pre-snap motion to simplify things for Mayfield. It seems, despite his general success in 2018, that he isn't always up to snuff on what the defense is trying to do against him.
Why isn't Baker Mayfield running?
Because of the way Mayfield plays, occasionally showcasing dynamic scrambling ability, the sort of general thinking is that he's a running quarterback. He really isn't, though, as he carried the ball less than three times per game in 2018 for fewer than 10 rushing yards per contest. It's not something likely to pick up in 2019, as he's run four times through four games for zero total yards.
College rushing numbers for quarterbacks are always tricky to look at because college stats count sacks as rushing attempts, but if we look at the raw totals, we can see Mayfield as a bigger rusher of the ball at Oklahoma -- 893 rushing yards across three years with 18 rushing touchdowns.
A purely speculative take on this would suggest that because Mayfield isn't the biggest of quarterbacks, not in the Cam Newton mold so much as a slightly bigger Russell Wilson, he's avoiding running to prevent injury risk. Wilson's already run 19 times for 88 yards and two scores this season, though. It's obvious that a combination of Mayfield not wanting to run and the Browns' offensive scheme not including room for him to run will continue the trend of him simply not running.
Whether Mayfield is a successful NFL quarterback won't come down to whether he can carry the ball for five yards five times a game. It does matter to fantasy football players, though, because rushing yards can provide a quarterback a strong floor. Even before Lamar Jackson came out firing in 2019, he was viewed as a safe fantasy option because of the built-in productivity his legs gave him. At least in the near term, it looks like that won't be something we get with Mayfield.
What's Baker Mayfield's rest-of-season fantasy outlook?
I'm not here to make any sort of judgments on the NFL career Mayfield will have. He has high-end quarterback talent, as his Heisman Trophy, No. 1 draft selection, and rookie year stats can attest to. What's more concerning in 2019, for both Browns' fans and fantasy owners who drafted Mayfield as their starter, is that some of the issues he's don't look like easy fixes.
Mayfield hasn't consistently diagnosed defenses correctly. He hasn't consistently put the football on target. Add in the fact that Nick Chubb is an integral part of the Cleveland offense, which means that the Browns can ride their rushing attack for as long as Mayfield needs to work out the kinks.
My view of Mayfield has fallen dramatically from my preseason prediction of MVP. On SN Fantasy's Week 5 preview podcast, I said I'd sit him in a matchup with a middling 49ers defense on Monday Night Football, and I'll say now that if he does have a good game, I'd be looking to sell high.
There will be good moments for Mayfield this season, especially in two meetings to come with the Bengals and another with the Dolphins. But Mayfield wasn't just supposed to be a quarterback who beat up on bad teams in 2019. He was supposed to be an every-week stud, and a matchup in two weeks with the Patriots was supposed to look like a potential AFC Championship preview, not a game New England might run away with.
Long term, Mayfield has a lot of promise. Even this season, he'll almost surely look better in Week 14 than he did in Week 1. But he has flaws that opposing teams have been able to expose, and I can now say one thing pretty much for sure: Baker Mayfield will not win the 2019 NFL MVP award.


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news article
Progress made at the future home of the UNY Conference
Demolition and construction has begun at the future UNY Conference Center at 7481 Henry Clay Blvd. in Liverpool. It is early, but this is the start of a whirlwind of activity that has been years in the making for the Upper New York Conference.
Rev. Barbara Brewer, Chair of the Design/Construction Oversight Team, is excited about the start of renovations at the new building. She said, "I am joyful over the prospect of seeing construction begin after months of careful planning. I anticipate a building coming alive again with people utilizing the many resources that will be provided to accommodate the daily activities that will derive fellowship and missional connection. So far, it has been a blessing working with the contractor, Irish-Millar and I am most grateful for their willingness to find affordable opportunities in bringing this building back to life."
The Conference Trustees have worked diligently to purchase and begin renovations at the new Conference Center. The new, building will house all the conference offices and much more, including a chapel, large meeting spaces, Media Resources Center, Archives, Crossroads District Offices,and eventually a new Mission Central. More than just a new building, the Conference Center will be a place of hospitality, mission, and ministry. Most importantly, it will serve as a fantastic ministry resource for local churches across Upper New York.
As often is the case with large-scale building projects, this has been a long process with lots of moving pieces. It is difficult to assess the exact cost and an exact move date for projects like this. For example, negotiations over the building purchase were greatly extended following inspections that reviled there would be additional costs to make the building move-in ready. While it took a good deal of time, this resulted in substantial reductions to the purchase price. Conversely, renovations had some increased costs.
Rev. Rich Barling, the President of the Board of Trustees explained, "Our conference office remodel has started and we are hoping to have this done by the end of the year. The planning that has been done so far will make it possible for this location to become a very useful tool for our mission and ministry. As with any project of this size, there is no way of predicting every hidden cost. We are working diligently with the teams at King and King and Irish-Millar to control costs as they arise. We have had to identify more funds to complete the work and with the help of the staff at our conference office we have been able to make that happen.
As careful planning was done for the renovation project, several building systems including electric, heating and air conditioning, plumbing and additional site work, which were originally hoped to be able to be reused, were found in need of replacement. This has resulted in the need for additional funds to complete the project. With the changes in the scope of the renovations and remaining good stewards of this new conference center asset, in consultation with the Conference Council on Finance and Administration, and the Conference Leadership Team, the Trustees have approved up to $600,000 in additional monies from undesignated interest income of property related funds under the control and responsibility of The Board of Trustees to finish renovations. This creates a "not to exceed cost" for the total project of $4 million, which includes the purchase of the building, land (four acres) renovation of 27,305 square feet of the building, and all fees, permits and related costs. Of course, there will be continued efforts to find cost savings as renovations go on and adjustments will be made as needed or possible.
This will continue to be a long process with many moving pieces but the end is in sight and there is much more to follow now. Beginning with this update the Communications Team will be giving weekly updates in the Upper New York Conference Weekly Digest and in other Conference communications channels. These updates will vary from standalone photos to in-depth updates like this, but there should always be something to share moving forward. Now that active renovations have begun, the hope is for the whole Conference to be able to share in the process and excitement of this new tool for ministry in Upper New York being realized.
Trustee President Rev. Rich Barling summed up the feeling of the Conference Trustees and others involved in getting the Conference to this point, "We have a very good building and when it is done, it will be one that we can be proud of, that will provide a welcoming space for all to gather, train and build the Kingdom of God."


text:
from Weekly News Update on the Americas
On Aug. 4, a group of more than 500 organized indigenous Colombians from the municipalities of Jambalo, Caloto, Toribio and Caldono in Cauca department began occupying the Zulema estate in Caloto in what they call a process of "recovery and liberation of mother earth." On Aug. 6, the mayor and municipal procurator of Caloto arrived at the estate and tried to persuade the indigenous community to go into town for talks on the situation; the community responded that the talks could happen on the estate. Later in the day, agents of the National Police arrived and stayed for several hours. On Aug. 8, three truckloads of agents from the notoriously brutal Mobile Anti-Riot Squad (ESMAD) of the National Police arrived and set up camp at the nearby El Japio estate, which was occupied last Oct. 12 by a group of Nasa indigenous people. [It is not clear whether the Nasa communities are continuing to occupy El Japio estate]. (Messages from Nietos de Manuel Quintin LameAug. 4, 10, both via Colombia Indymedia)
On July 24, a group of 10 displaced families seized La Victoria estate in Silvania municipality, Cundinamarca department, to demand they be resettled there. The Colombian Rural Development Institute (INCODER), a government agency, had resettled the families on the Los Colorados estate in nearby Jerusalen municipality on June 10, 2005, but the families consider Los Colorados inadequate because of the poor quality of the soil and the absence of drinkable water in the area. INCODER has taken possession of La Victoria for the resettlement of displaced families, but has refused to grant it to the families from Los Colorados. The families hope their occupation of La Victoria will pressure INCODER to let them stay. The mayor of Silvania has ordered them removed by force. (Message from Desplazados, July 26 on Colombia Indymedia)
In Florida municipality, Valle del Cauca department, on Aug. 4 a group of hooded armed men forced 64-year-old Rosa Tulia Poscue Ortiz from the vehicle in which she was traveling in the Triunfo Cristal Paez [Nasa] indigenous reservation. Hours later she was found stabbed to death. On Aug. 6, an unidentified armed group stopped 67-year-old campesino Jose Olmedo Pillimue as he was driving a bus from Villa Pinzon, on the same reservation, toward the town center of Florida. The assailants killed Olmedo with three bullets to the head. The army has also been carrying out bombings on the reservation. (Message from Indigenous Authorities of Florida Municipality, Aug. 9 via Colombia Indymedia)
Luis Evelis Andrade, director of the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (ONIC), said that 32 indigenous people were murdered in Colombia in the first six months of 2006. In the same period, 28 indigenous people were forcibly disappeared, 5,731 were displaced by violence from their ancestral territories, 33,000 properties belonging to their communities were attacked by armed groups, and more than 63,000 indigenous people were trapped within their own territories, stranded by combat or paramilitary blockades. (Prensa Latina, Aug. 9)
At 5 AM on Aug. 9, International Indigenous People's Day, five hooded armed men arrived in the rural village of Altaquer, in Barbacoas municipality, in the southwestern Colombian department of Nariño. Selecting their victims from a list, the paramilitaries abducted five Awa indigenous people from the homes where they were sleeping, took them outside the village, made them lie face down on the ground and executed each of them with a bullet to the head. The victims were Jairo Ortiz and teacher Adelaida Ortiz, both from the Las Vegas indigenous reservation; Marlene Pai and Mauricio Urbano, both from the Chagui reservation of Chambuza; and Jesus Moran, a former council member and former indigenous governor. They were among a group of some 1,350 indigenous people who had taken refuge in Altaquer and Ricaurte after being forced to flee their reservations in Narino on July 11 due to military operations in the area. The National Police and the Colombian Army have permanent posts in Altaquer and Ricaurte. (Coordinador Nacional Agrario, Aug. 9)
Later on Aug. 9, indigenous former congressional deputy Gerardo Jumi asked the United Nations to spearhead an investigation into the possible participation of Colombian government forces in the massacre. Jumi told the press that state security forces control the area where the massacre took place, and that the paramilitary group that killed the five Awa accused them of being supporters of the leftist guerrillas. (Prensa Latina, Aug. 9)
On Aug. 2 in the Serrania de Perijá region of the northern Colombian department of La Guajira, indigenous Wiwa campesino Roman Vega Nieves disappeared after heading out from his home in the Loma del Potrero community to go work on a nearby farm, La Mina. On Aug. 3, a day after his wife reported his disappearance, the National Army's Juan Jose Rondon Mechanized Cavalry Group 2 reported that a "terrorist" from the Marlon Ortiz unit of the 59th Front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) had been killed in combat on Aug. 3 at a site known as La Mosca camp, in the municipality of Jagua del Pilar. Witnesses said they had seen armed men with military uniforms take Vega away, and on Aug. 4 Vega's wife identified her husband in photos as the man who was allegedly killed in combat. He had been dressed in an olive green t-shirt and was buried as "no name." At least nine Wiwa community members have been killed in similar circumstances since July 2004. (Actualidad Etnica, Aug. 4 via Colombia Indymedia; Article by Adriana Matamoros Insignares, Aug. 4 via Colombia Indymedia)
In another recent incident, a hired killer shot to death Wayuu indigenous street vendor Martin Edgardo Galvan Arpushana in the center of Riohacha, capital of La Guajira. Galvan tried to escape, but the killer followed him into a nearby business and finished him off before fleeing on a waiting motorcycle driven by an accomplice. (Guajira Grafica, Riohacha, July 5-20, via Colombia Indymedi)
Representatives of the Catholic Church meanwhile are blaming a blockade by paramilitary groups for the death of 17 indigenous children from hunger and tuberculosis in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta region of northern Colombia. The paramilitary groups are not allowing food or medicines to enter the region. (Vanguardia Liberal, Juy 29 via Colombia Indymedia)
Weekly News Update on the Americas, Aug. 13
On July 7 in Bogota, Colombia, two agents of the Metropolitan Police arbitrarily detained and physically abused and tortured 14-year-old Duvier Daniel Villazon Pinto. Villazon is the son of Kankuamo indigenous leader Imer Villazon Arias, who had come to Bogota from his native Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta region to carry out efforts on behalf of his community, displaced by violence.
The attack against the younger Villazon took place in the afternoon as he was talking with a friend in the Santa Lucia neighborhood. The agents handcuffed the boy to their motorcycle and dragged him at high speed for several blocks. When they stopped, and Villazon tried to look at the motorcycle's license plate number, the agents got angry and repeated the torture. One agent also hit Villazon repeatedly on the head with his helmet. Eventually the agents took Villazon to the local police station (Immediate Attention Center, CAI), where he was released without charges. Three months earlier, when Villazon was in a store in the Gustavo Restrepo neighborhood of Bogota, agents from the neighborhood CAI had held a gun to his head and forced him to leave. (Corporacion Juridica Humanidad Vigente, July 17 via DHColombia.info)
The Kankuamo people have been active in protesting the presence of military troops and bases on their reservation in the Sierra Nevada region of Santa Marta, in violation of their indigenous autonomy. They are also demanding the right to make decisions about large-scale development projects in the region, such as a planned hydroelectric dam in Besotes. (Adital, July 2)
On July 23, two hired killers traveling in a taxi shot to death union activist Jorge Guillen Leal at his home in the Coviba neighborhood of Barrancabermeja, in the northeastern Colombian department of Santander. Guillen had worked for the past 10 years at the Fertilizantes de Colombia S.A. company and was a member of the Sintrainquigas union, which represents workers in the chemical, agrochemical, gas and related industries. He served on the union's governing board until last year.
On July 19, in the Catatumbo region of Norte de Santander department, troops from the Colombian army's Mobile Brigade No. 15 murdered campesino Luis Angarita in the rural community of El Limon, Teorama municipality. Residents say the army killed the young man as he was on his way to work as a laborer on a nearby farm. The troops then dressed Angarita in camouflage and displayed him as a "subversive" killed in combat, although there is no rebel presence in El Limon. In a similar incident last June 5, army troops murdered campesinos Jose Guver Lopez and Jose Ortiz and presented them as leftist rebels killed in combat. The community has protested the killings and other human rights abuses committed by the Colombian army in the region, including numerous arbitrary detentions. (Asociacion Campesina del Catatumbo, July 26 via Colombia Indymedia)
On July 12, more than 2,000 people–some 700 families–displaced by violence from various parts of Colombia began a protest encampment in the central park of Bosa, one of 20 localities within the capital, Bogota, to protest the government's failure to address their basic needs. On July 20, with no response to their demands, five of the displaced people buried themselves up to their necks in front of the Bosa mayor's office. On July 15, police agents tried to break up the encampment and disperse the protesters; several people were injured. Police tried again to break up the protest on July 26. (Periodico El Turbion, published by Movimiento por la Defensa de los Derechos del Pueblo-MODEP, July 23 via Servicio Prensa Rural; Message from Desplazados posted July 26 on Colombia Indymedia)
Weekly News Update on the Americas, July 30
Weekly News Update on the Americas
See also:
WW4 REPORT #124, August 2006
"Colombia: UN sees crisis for indigenous peoples,"
WW4 REPORT, Aug. 24
Reprinted by WORLD WAR 4 REPORT, Sept. 1, 2006
Reprinting permissible with attribution


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Lokta Paper Die Cut Craft Pack- Sea Creatures
Sold out
Die cut paper sea creatures are ideal for paper projects like scrapbooking, for use in collage, card making or decorating a special wrapped gift.
This package features 4 each of 5 different sea dwellers, 20 pieces in total. Package includes turtle, whale, sea horse, fish and mermaid. Sizes vary from 2 by 3 inches (turtle) to 3 by 5 inches (mermaid).
Lokta paper comes from Nepal. It is made from sustainably harvested Daphne bushes. The paper is made by hand and all colors and patterns are also done by hand. All processes use ancient techniques with very little electricity.


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Regency Wood Pet Urn Large
SKU: udc-1623-01
Beautifully designed and crafted with love, this Wood Pet Urn is manufactured with pride in the USA. These pet urns come in Oak, Dark Oak, Walnut, Cherry and Maple.
You may choose one with or without a photo bezel to place the picture of your beloved pet. (Urn shown in oak)
- Dimensions: 9 1/4" W x 6 1/2" D x 6" H Capacity: 120+ lbs
- You may also add a Nameplate to personalize your pet urn


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Canary chief executive Neil Doncaster this afternoon found himself firmly in the supporters' sights as he sifted through some of 250 questions posted online on an hour-long webchat hosted by the club's official site.
Inevitably given events of recent weeks, two names figured large – Dickson Etuhu and Robert Earnshaw . That and their respective get-out clauses of ?1.5 million and ?3.5 million respectively.
Richard Chilver led the Dickson charge asking: "One, why was Dickson allowed to negotiate an escape clause when he was playing for Preston reserves and hardly in a strong negotiating position?
"Two, if Dickson was so admired by Peter Grant and he knew of this escape clause why was a new contract only offered to him last weekend when it was too late?"
Doncaster's response followed familiar lines – if with one extra revelation: that the Canaries had Southampton and Harry Redknapp for company when they tried to pluck the Preston powerhouse out of Billy Davies' hands.
"Unfortunately, Dickson was in a stronger negotiating position when he came to Carrow Road than many suspect," said Doncaster.
"The fact was that his agent was in talks with Harry Redknapp, then at Southampton, who were happy to meet Dickson's demands and to agree to the buy-out clause.
"In those circumstances we had a stark choice: either to buy Dickson with a ?1.5 million buy-out clause in his contract, or to lose him to Southampton.
"The Board, the manager and the executive team discussed the issue and agreed unanimously on the pragmatic course of action – to sign Dickson with the clause in his contract.
"As to the second part of your question, we had been in talks with Dickson's representatives for some while prior to last weekend.
"Dickson's representatives showed no appetite to agree to a new deal – given events of last weekend perhaps that is not a surprise."
Which, for me, gets nearer to the hub of this whole debate. Because the most pertinent comment of a clearly troubled week for the Carrow Road club came not from Doncaster who – whether he likes it or not – will always be viewed in certain quarters as merely spinning a story to suit the club line, but from a Drayton sports shop owner who doubles as Danny Mills' agent, Neil Featherby.
Quoted in this morning's Eastern Daily Press, Mills' Mr Ten Per Cent said: "Buy-out clauses have changed the face of football. You can't have lower league sides holding back a player's career by demanding over-inflated transfer fees."
Featherby told the paper, buy-out clauses went: "right down to the non-league scene".
His remarks are particularly valid for a number of reasons – not least in that it is probably going to be about as 'spin-less' as you are going to get. Of course, he'll have his own 'Sportlink Promotions' interests at heart, but there is no immediate reason for him to be 'spinning' in Doncaster's defence.
But the point is important – because Featherby's revelation comes from the other side of the fence; from the men in the shadows who have barely got a mention in the whole Earnshaw/Etuhu debate, the agents.
Why is it in an agent's particular interest to make sure that his star clients – and, indeed, his League One and Two clients – have a get-out clause in his contract?
Because it keeps them in money; it keeps the market active; fluid; prosperous.
"You can't have lower league sides holding back a player's career by demanding over-inflated transfer fees…" was his quote.
But, nine times out ten, it's not just a player's career that an "over-inflated" transfer fee is holding back – it's that of his agent's; sure, he'll make money in negotiating a new and better deal with the same club, but it is relative peanuts compared to the money – and the network brownie points – an agent can make via a transfer.
Take Dickson. Minus a get-out clause, would he have really, really felt that Norwich was "holding back" his career by hanging out for, say, ?3 million?
Nah, not Dickson. He'd still be centre stage, top end of the Championship; still be knocking about with his mates Hucks and Crofty; still the apple of the gaffer's eye. For another year in Norfolk – particularly if the manager had topped up his wages again – Etuhu could have lived with being a Norwich player.
Probably, quite easily.
Who couldn't have lived that easily with a laid-back Dickson staying put will have been his agents; there's the real 'restraint of trade'; there's the real people who are choking at the bit to get someone away on a 'cut-price' deal; they are the people for whom a 'get-out' clause is absolutely heaven-sent. The agents. It's the grease that oils their wheels.
Little wonder that Harry Redknapp wasn't about to bat an eye-lid over snapping up Etuhu with a 'get-out' clause installed; that's where Harry lives his life – ducking and diving on the transfer merry-go-round; having fun with a gee-gee with Willie Mackay.
Because the lower the get-out clause, the more money that is left in a buying club's kitty to splash out on a player's wages – 10 per cent (minimum) of which then comes back to the agent's hands.
Look at it another way. Let's say you had four clubs chasing Earnie's signature – all of whom had allocated ?5-6 million from their summer transfer budget to buy a proven goal-scorer.
With the agent have already insisted that clubs only have to jump over a bar ?3.5 million high in terms of his transfer fee, unless Earnie has a long-held love for Pride Park, he goes to the club that offers him the most money. Over the longest number of years. Same with Etuhu. Set the get-out bar low, get your boy out, away and pick up your percentage. That's the game; that's what it is all about.
Unless you find someone like Huckerby who says: 'No, my Mrs likes it here… we're staying put… Sort me a deal at Norwich…'
At current market rates – Luke Varney set the bar at ?17,000 per week for four years at Championship Charlton earlier this summer – Etuhu's four-year deal in the Premiership is likely to be worth there or thereabouts. Say ?15,000 per week. He's a midfielder, after all. But he's 25; coming to the peak of his physical and playing powers.
That's a ?3 million deal; of which his man has just picked up 10 per cent – ?300,000. Minimum.
Not bad work for half a dozen phone calls and a taxi ride up the A1. No wonder each and every agent is insisting that his client has a get-out clause installed.
It keeps them in business. Big, big business.
That's your beast; that's what Grant is talking about when he doesn't even know who is representing Youssef Safri any more – other than someone, somewhere, is quibbling over whether his man gets ?6,000 or ?10,000 per week at The Hawthorns.
And only then will someone at Albion pick the phone up to either Doncaster or Grant to make them an offer for the Moroccan. Or else send them a text to say: 'A bid's on its way…' as happened with Etuhu on Saturday night.
Get-out clauses aren't there for the club's benefit. Nor always for the players. The biggest beneficiaries are the agents – it oils their wheels, greases their palms. That's the way it works.
That's football.
Question: 'Why was Dickson allowed to negotiate an escape clause when he was playing for Preston reserves and hardly in a strong negotiating position?'
Answer: He didn't. His agent did.


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The first in a series of limited-edition single-malt whiskies from the distiller, Tales of The Macallan Volume I pays tribute to Captain John Grant. who built the manor house on the 485-acre Easter Elchies Estate in 1700 which has been the distillery's spiritual home since its foundation in 1824.
Tales of The Macallan Volume I is made from spirit distilled in 1950, bottled in 2021 in 350 handcrafted Lalique crystal decanters retailing for £60,000 ($80,000) each. The Macallan's lead whisky maker, Sarah Burgess says, 'Just like The Macallan Estate and Easter Elchies House, this precious whisky echoes of a very old tale. Wood spices, sweet wood smoke and antique oak are omnipresent and make a perfect liaison with the delicate symphony of ripe fruits and spices.'
The Macallan collaborated with illustrator Andrew Davidson, renowned for his traditional print techniques using wood engravings, to create a collection of illustrations contained within an antique style leather-bound book decorated with 24ct gold. The book, bound by conceals the decanter of precious whisky.
Tales of The Macallan Volume I: Notes from the distiller
Colour Golden Aiguillette
Nose Grapefruit zest, antique oak, vanilla, melon, wood smoke, nutmeg, ripe plum and almond.
Palate Peach and apple, wood spice with ginger and hints of clove, sweet wood smoke and yuzu.
Finish A medium finish with citrus and sweet oak.


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Neoprene Three Finger Winter Sailing Glove
The Neoprene Three Finger Glove backed with soft Amara palm, stylish comfortable and ergonomic the perfect three season sailing glove. Featuring half index finger and thumb, adjustable wrist strap and grip patch. Pre shaped for added comfort.
- D-FLEX: Durable neoprene backed
- Soft Amara Palm with foam padding
- Adjustable wrist strap
- Half-fingers
- Grip Patch
- Pre-Shaped for comfort
Size Shown is UK Size


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How The Iowa Caucuses Work
ResumeHere & Now's Robin Young is in Iowa, and paid a visit to experts at Iowa State University to get a better understanding of how this first-in-the-nation presidential contest works. She speaks with Steffen Schmidt, a professor of political science, and Dave Andersen, an assistant professor of political science.
- Steffen Schmidt, Ph.D., professor of political science at Iowa State University. He tweets @DrPolitics.
- Dave Andersen, assistant professor of political science at Iowa State University.
This segment aired on January 29, 2016.


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In a split-second decision, a Winnipeg police officer said he made eye contact with a teen driving a stolen Jeep and fired his gun two times – striking and fatally wounding Eishia Hudson. Manitoba's police watchdog has determined the officer will not face any charges.
The details of the deadly shooting have been revealed in a final report released Thursday by the Independent Investigation Unit (IIU).
An alleged theft from a Liquor Mart in Sage Creek quickly escalated on the evening of April 8, 2020, when multiple suspects, who police said were driving a stolen vehicle, attempted to escape from pursuing officers – leading them on a destructive chase that ended at Lagimodiere Boulevard and Fermor Avenue when an officer fired his gun two times at the driver.
The driver – who was later identified as Hudson – was taken to hospital where she died of her injuries.
"I want her name to be known out there," Hudson's father William said during a news conference with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs hours after the report was released.
William said he remembers his daughter's smile – one that could light up the room. Hudson was 16 years old when she was shot and killed.
"When a cop pulls out his gun, think twice about what you are doing. This has to stop. In Canada, in Manitoba, in law enforcement."


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We are using Benjamin Moore low VOC paints, their "Eco-Spec" line. When the tinted primer was applied to a new drywall job, it smelled almost like sewage and made the crew feel awful. It flashed off within 24 hours and the next day they sprayed the color coat, which had no odor whatsoever. It was a streaky, uneven mess. Since then, they have applied two more coats, with no better results. Was the primer bad? Theoretically, there shouldn't have been any smell at all. Is this a "shelf-life" problem?
There was no mineral oil in the sprayer, and the crew are pros. To their credit, BM is working with us trying to solve this dilemma. The drywall came from Lowe's and was labeled, "Made in America". The drywall crew used both quick drying mud and regular mud. We are totally baffled. Please share your insights and wisdom.
The primer is bad! You're correct that the primer shouldn't smell like that. The drywall had no effect on the outcome, no worries there. Most likely the primer was old and simply rotted in the bucket(s). I have had PVA primer that smelled like this, too bad it wasn't noticed before application.
The only way to fix this is to reprime with a shellac primer, 2 coats. The painters could try oil base Kilz but it probably won't seal this stuff completely.
Ask Benjamin Moore what they are going to do about it and suggest they supply the new primer and some cash for fixing this mess.


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Couples in Hong Kong are finding space to get intimate with their partners.
By Charmaine Choi
Charles* is one of the many youths who chooses to enjoy intimacy with their lovers in hotels instead of at home.
The 29-year-old, like many others in Hong Kong, shares a flat with his family. Despite having a room of his own, he still thinks that it is not an ideal private space to "Netflix and chill".
"I want to keep my sex life and my family life apart," he says. He considers visiting hotels for sexcation an act of respect towards both his parents and his partner.
"I want to keep my sex life and my family life apart."
Tommy*, a 21-year-old student who lives with his family, also chooses to visit hotels for sex. He is worried that his parents may return home when he is making love with his girlfriend.
Tommy adds that sexcation allows him to spend quality time with his lover. "It is easier to get flirtatious with my girlfriend when we have sex in hotels rather than at home. The atmosphere is very different," he says. "It feels like a private space where we can hang out, not just to have sex," he adds.
The need for private space and privacy leads many youngsters in the city to indulge in their sexual desires at hotels instead of at home. According to a 2016 By-census report, 95 per cent of people aged 15 – 24 in Hong Kong were living with their parents.
Jakub*, a 20-year-old student, who also lives with his family, is a frequent sexcationer. He prefers spending romantic moments in hotels because he wants to have some privacy. "My parents always go into my room without knocking on the door," he says.
He goes on sexcation at hotels once every two weeks and spends about HK $2,000 per month on accommodation.
Since the pandemic, hotel prices have decreased significantly. The average hotel price per day marked a 13.97 per cent decrease from December 2019 to March 2020 according to Colliers International, a global real estate investment firm.
A weekend getaway in a superior room at the Marco Polo Hong Kong Hotel, a five-star hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui, cost only HK $675 last February.
Jakub thinks that price is a major factor to consider when choosing hotels. "Sometimes I look on sexcation sharing pages on Instagram to find affordable hotels," he says. Many Instagram pages are set up to share sexcation information, including prices, quality and services of different hotels for sexcationers.
Room Busters is a sexcation sharing Instagram page run by Chloe* and Hugo*. They started the page because they found a lack of sexcation information on the Internet. "Like how a foodie reviews different restaurants, we also review different hotels we visit for sexcations," Hugo says.
Goopenroom, another sexcation-sharing Instagram page with 11,300 followers, is run by Mr. K* and his girlfriend. Unlike other sexcation sharing pages, they also started a YouTube channel to share video reviews on top of text and photo reviews.
"Photos are not comprehensive enough for followers to get a clear view of the hotel rooms," Mr. K says. Their videos feature thorough information about hotels, including transportation route, interior design and facilities.
"Many travel vloggers have filmed hotel reviews, but not many film reviews of hourly hotels. We may even be the first to do so in Hong Kong," he says.
Mr. K and his girlfriend hope to provide more information on budget-friendly sexcation for young couples. "Most youths do not have much money, but they want to visit high-quality hotels at lower prices," he adds.
Other than four-star and five-star hotels, hourly love hotels are also popular alternatives for sexcationers.
Mansion G Hotel is an hourly hotel co-founded by Jenson* in 2017. It is the first hourly hotel in Hong Kong offering self-service check-in. A passcode is provided to customers prior to check-in through an instant-messaging application. Customers can then use the passcode to unlock the reserved room without any contact with a receptionist.
"Some people feel awkward talking to a receptionist, and not everyone likes to have their sex lives revealed to strangers," Jenson says.
Jenson reveals that his relatives do not approve of what he does and told him he would end up in hell for operating an hourly hotel. But he does not think so. "Booking a room for sex is just like booking a badminton court for badminton," he says.
No.7 Fortress Hill Hotel is another hourly hotel that provides contactless check-in service. Yee*, the hotel owner, started a new branch in February amid the pandemic. "The pandemic did not have a significant impact on our business. People have more time to go on sexcations," she says.
Yee also sells sex toys at her hotel. Customers can order sex toys during room reservation and the toys will be placed inside their rooms in advance. Among different types of sex toys she sells, disposable sex toys are the most popular.
"Customers do not dare to bring sex toys home. Even if they have purchased non-disposable ones, they would rather throw them away after using them than bring them home," she says. She adds that disposable sex toys offer trouble-free and affordable sexual pleasure to sexcationers.
Sonia Wong Yuk-ying, lecturer of Gender Studies Programme at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, says as sexcation becomes more common, people finally have a place to fulfil their natural needs.
"Sex is supposed to be something happy, why do people have to act like drug smugglers when they go on sexcation?" she adds. Wong especially appreciates the contactless check-in service offered by some hourly hotels. "It is a nice gesture to destigmatise sexcation. People can just go there to relax and be in control of their privacy," she says.
"Sex is supposed to be something happy, why do people have to act like drug smugglers when they go on sexcation?"
Wong points out that the need for sex and intimate space is always there, but the rise of sexcation sharing pages on social media has brought it to light.
"Being potent and sexually desired is great in our society. But at the same time, sex is still considered something shameful to talk about," she adds.
*Names changed at interviewees' request
Edited by Agnes Lam
Sub-edited by Bonita Wong


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If you were considering a Riverdale-inspired Betty and Jughead couples costume for Halloween 2019, you're in luck because, despite the rumors, Bughead may not be dead after all. In a recent interview with Coveteur, Lili Reinhart was asked about her Halloween costume plans, and she hinted that she and her boyfriend have a TV duo in mind — her boyfriend, of course, being Cole Sprouse. "I think I'm leaning in towards a character for Halloween," she revealed. "I think I'm going to do it with my boyfriend, Cole." Oh, really?
Though I have no idea what TV duo Reinhart has in mind (or whether this actually counts as confirmation that the breakup rumors earlier this summer were never true), I do know that their Riverdale characters always make for the perfect dress-up duo. Jughead is a creature of habit and can almost always be found wearing a fur-lined denim jacket, plaid shirt, and his trademark beanie. Betty, however, has too many iconic looks to count, though if she's not in her River Vixens uniform, she usually steps out in a sweater worn over a collared shirt and a high ponytail. But one of my favorite looks from these two has to be their outfits from "Chapter Ten: The Lost Weekend."
The actual sweater worn by Betty (which she later wears again in "Chapter Fifty-One: Big Fun," because this outfit is just too good not to repeat) is Alice + Olivia's Nikia Crown Sweater. Unfortunately, the sweater is sold out everywhere and — oh, yeah — retails for over $200, so that's out. I'd suggest going with a look-a-like sweater alternative instead, which you can pair with the following:
- Gray Crown Sweater, $20, Amazon
- White Oxford Shirt, $15, Amazon
- Black Skinny Jeans, $29, Amazon
- Beige Ankle Boots, $29, Amazon
Slick your hair back into a high ponytail, put on some (fake) pearl earrings, and you're Betty Cooper! For bonus points, spend the night carrying around a birthday cake.
Though not quite as iconic, Jughead's outfit in this episode is still very on-point with his brand. You can transform yourself into Betty's brooding bae with just the beanie alone, but if really want to nail his look, I'd recommend going with the following:
- Gray Beanie, $17, Amazon
- Gray Fleece-Lined Trucker Jacket, $35, Amazon
- Brown T-shirt, $5, Amazon
- Green Flannel Shirt, $18, Amazon
- Tan Corduroy Pants, $30, Amazon
Bring a notebook around with you for the night and try your best to look as moody and mysterious as possible.
Bughead may be a classic, but with this look, you and your SO are sure to go home with the best costume award. Feel free to thank me later.


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Earlier this week are volunteers have been making up Christmas Gift Bags for all the children on Ward 84, each bag contains a beautiful Harrods Christmas penguin and a bag of chocolate treats from LouLou's Meringues. They also made up bags of chocolate treats for the wonderful staff on Ward 84, Bone Marrow Transplant Unit and Ward 84 Day Case.
We combined our Christmas delivery with taking over a further 20 Milly Bags. We are grateful that even during the pandemic our Milly Bags are seen as essential for the families and we have been allowed to continue to support newly diagnosed families throughout this difficult time.
Our fabulous volunteers David and Vicky made to journey over to Manchester, the Christmas Gifts will need to be quarantined for a few days before they can be given out to all the children.
We send all our love and best wishes for Christmas, being in hospital anytime is hard but Christmas is especially difficult and if we can put a smile on children's faces, even for a little while, it makes us smile too.


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Saturday, 18 April
My elder daughter and granddaughter empty the rest of my self-storage facility and bring the boxes here. Everything fits in reasonably well and my flat still looks like a library and not a somewhat chaotic warehouse (in the eyes of this beholder…).
I have some translation work but the market is quiet just now. It seems sensible to prune unnecessary costs and make one's money work harder.
By early evening, it's done on that front, at least for the day. I start work on Dorset churches with the Norman period. There's more available than the few Anglo-Saxon remnants, including the very fine Studland church, one of the most complete Norman village churches in England according to Pevsner.
Aesthetically it's very pleasing with churches in a harmonious style although I also enjoy "patchwork" churches.
Wimborne Minster has a lot of Norman work and I grapple with the meaning of minster and collegiate churches and realise that I need to know more about how churches organised their finances to understand this.
There were a lot of monasteries (and probably nunneries) in Dorset during the Norman period but the visible remains are very partial and scattered.
And once you get into this period, the neat model for allocating features to a particular period gets more complicated with mixtures of early and late features that don't fit the model. It would be interesting to know more about how thinking about church architecture developed – the history of the categorisation into Anglo-Saxon, Norman, Early English, Decorated and Perpendicular. I don't know how that pattern plays out in other countries – I think there is an equivalent in France and Germany but maybe this kind of periodisation is not so important everywhere.
I realise when I get into the Norman period that I need to know more about the specific features of the period. Round heavy arches and zig-zag decoration I'm familiar with and I know what a tympanum is but large scallops, multi-scalloped capitals, trumpet scallops, waterleafed, moulded, crocketed and stiff-leaf capitals induce a feeling of panic, threshing around, drowning in architectural details.
I want to study the development of architectural and building knowledge ability in England but also in Normandy and the rest of Europe. The various names of periods reflect the development of this knowledge and are an abstraction from the actual buildings. It will be less confusing to focus on the spread of knowledge, to understand what was achieved in the buildings and to look at what information is available from the patterns of development. And then there's the stone the churches were built from and other more slender threads to the past, which contain information.
My interest in Dorset churches is beginning to become like a mediaeval cathedral – potentially spread over a few centuries, except that the cathedral builders were better at maintaining the focus on what they wanted to achieve (probably not "blessed" with my asteroid-belt brain full of ideas whizzing about in eccentric orbits).
As bedtime reading, I picked up "Sällsamheter i Uppsala" (Curiosities in Uppsala, more or less). It's not in dispute that Gamla (Old) Uppsala was a centre for Christians in Sweden and had been important in pagan times as the burial place of the Kings. It also seems reasonable that the Christians would have wanted to cancel out the power of the pagan site by making it a centre for Christianity. But, according to the book I'm reading, which is a few years old (1993), the exact location of the site of the sacrificial rites and the golden temple described by Adam of Bremen in 1070 is disputed. "Sällsamheter" provides an interesting account of the various theories on the location of the temple (placing it more centrally in what is now Uppsala at Odinsburg or close to Trefaldighets (Holy Trinity) church and how this became entwined with the ideological underpinnings of Sweden's period as a great power (Rudbeck among others).
I also find a description of another pagan burial site a couple of kilometres from my flat and once I have worked my way through my morning rituals, I will peer out of Fortress Kendall (through the venetian blinds not arrow slits) and decide whether to give my puce-coloured bicycle an airing or to walk to this place (or to forget about it for a while if spring looks like a weakly-based theoretical construct).


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The first 2015 verbal commit is now officially a Demon Deacon. T.J. Haney has signed to play football at Wake Forest University. Haney is a 6'6" 315 pound offensive tackle from Gaffney, South Carolina. According to 247 sports, the Gaffney High School product is ranked as the 786th best player in the country and the 18th best player in the state of South Carolina.
This is a tremendous commitment for Dave Clawson as well as position coach Nick Tabacca. T.J. told Blogger So Dearthat Tabacca was a "one-in-a-million guy and that they communicate nearly every day." Tabacca sent T.J. mail nearly every day and clearly establishing that solid of a relationship paid off.
Since committing to Wake last April, Haney has been on a Twitter tour promoting Wake Forest football to other recruits. He has been incredibly vocal about this program and this university. And it definitely paid off, with the best recruiting class in recent memory.
When T.J. arrives on campus, it is expected that the following offensive tackles would be on the roster:
Joel Suggs
Will Smith
Cameron Gardner
Dylan Intemann
Justin Herron
Haney chose Wake Forest over Vanderbilt, Marshall, Old Dominion and Yale.
Here is a link to T.J.'s highlights where you can view here.
Please join me in welcoming T.J. to Wake Forest! Go Deacs!


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GROHE Grandera Collection
Classic, extravagant, and yet contemporary, the iconic and timeless Eiffel Tower serves as the inspiration for the GROHE Grandera range.
This collection, which draws inspiration from the geometric "squircle," also features understated nods to the timeless game of chess, bringing disparate traditions together in a single harmonious design. As a result, a remarkable variety of hardy fixtures, thermostats, showers, accessories, and excellent ceramics are available.
Many decorative components demonstrate great craftsmanship and high standards of quality, resulting in crisp and accurate shapes. Because of GROHE StarLight technology, which also helps them keep their shine over time, the fixtures are exceptionally resistant to smudges and scratches.
Grandera Accessories
The GROHE Grandera line offers a variety of distinctive products for creating your own personal refuge, letting you design each element of your bathroom to your tastes and needs. An abundance of white porcelain accessories, each ideally matched to the design, completes the amazingly wide selection. It's the best method for adding fashionable accents to the bathroom.
Grandera Free-Standing Bath/ Shower Mixer
The floor-mounted, free-standing bath fittings provide you with a great deal of choice when designing your bathroom because you can place your bath tub and bath inlet precisely where you want them. GROHE SilkMove technology, which ensures mobility for many years, matches this convenience.
Grandera Thermostats & Showers
The whole GROHE Grandera range epitomises perfection. Because of this, everything in the range is flawlessly synchronised, from the head shower to the thermostat and from the washbasin fitting to the soap dispenser.
The GROHE Grandera offers endless creative versatility and is available in two colours: cool chrome and warmer, romantic chrome-gold. The collection's delicately moulded ceramic soap dispensers, bowls, and holders are just a few examples of accessories that showcase attention to detail. The next time you think about planning your bathroom, don't forget to include a touch of Paris. Let GROHE Grandera lend that note of delicacy to your concept in every last detail.
For more info visit: https://www.grohe.co.in/en_in/
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Orphan Grain Train is a 501c3 Nonprofit Christian volunteer network that shares personal and material resources with needy people in America and around the world. Grain Train volunteers gather donations of clothing, medical supplies, food, Christian literature, and other aid to meet real needs.
Read-Aloud Volunteer Program is a relationship-based program that fosters in children the joy and love of learning through reading and story-telling.
Read-Aloud is looking for people to volunteer to read weekly with kids via Zoom, from October through end of April.
Our volunteers serve as valued partners in fulfilling our mission to help homeless youth and youth in crisis. Everything you do makes a difference!
Various: Fundraising to Childcare, apartment cleaning, etc.
Our mission is simple: positively impact the Baltimore community by connecting people and organizations through meaningful volunteer opportunities and easy-to-use tools.
Various opportunities in Baltimore.
Improving Baltimore through increasing volunteerism.
Wesley Housing provides safe, quality and affordable housing to residents across the Washington DC metropolitan area. We're committed to cultivating supportive communities where families can build up their lives.
Various: After-school homework helper, lead enrichment activities, teach computer skills, instruct fitness classes, teach financial literacy.
About the CADD Foundation
The goal of the CADD Foundation is to create an enduring, impactful and agile foundation that helps employees, customers, partners, family and friends find their passion for making positive change. We act as facilitators to help people engage with causes that are important to them.
The CADD Foundations builds successful and impactful programs that achieve our mission of connecting everyone with opportunities to help them make a positive impact. We design programs that incorporate education, volunteering, fundraising and other efforts to encourage participation.


text: The Wars of Scotland is the story of the pivotal period in Scottish history between 1214 and 1371. The century and a half between the death of King William the Lion and the accession of the Stewarts witnessed major changes in the internal character of the kingdom and its place in the wider European world. The opening decades of this era seemed to be dominated by the continued development of a defined Scottish realm but the crisis which engulfed the kings and their people meant that issues of war and allegiance would make fourteenth-century Scotland a very different place. This book is the first detailed discussion of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries as a single period of both developing and fragmenting political hierarchies and communities. The Wars of Scotland provides a political narrative which places events in their immediate context as well as highlighting special issues and groups in thematic chapters. It also introduces a new discussion of the stability and unity of Scotland as a realm and community and of the impact of war and dynastic crisis on a Medieval state.


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When you are overweight, there are many things that need to change in order to get back on track. This can be difficult, especially if you don't know where to start or what to do first. But one of the most important steps in healing your chakra – is because having an out-of-balance chakra can affect your diet and exercise habits in a way that doesn't allow them to be as effective. Learn how the kundalini chakra helps with effective weight loss.
On This Page
Chakra for Weight Loss: How to Lose Weight by Healing Your Chakras
If you want to know the secret behind chakras and weight loss, you need to dig a little bit deeper and take a look at the emotional imbalances that could be holding you back. Our chakras can help us manage our weight while not depriving us of the food we love!
your chakras are the energy centers that connect your inner and outer worlds, and they can help us balance the spiritual, mental, and physical aspects of our lives.
How Your Throat Chakra Is Causing You To Gain Weight
What many people do not realize is that it isn't only our mental and emotional well-being that is affected by a blocked Throat Chakra, our physical health can suffer as well. unbalanced, this can cause stress in the thyroid gland which is connected to our metabolism which in turn relates to how fast or slow we burn fat.
A blocked heart chakra can lead to fatigue and respiratory problems. A crown chakra that is out of balance can cause vision issues which then lead to headaches.
Another common result of blocked chakras is weight gain or the inability to lose weight, or the opposite problem, trouble gaining and maintaining a healthy weight.
Sacral Chakra Healing
Healing crystals that are perfect for the sacral chakra include amber, coral and orange calcite, citrine, orange aventurine, carnelian, and hematite," Poon says. Place these on your sacral while you meditate or just carry them around with you throughout the day to soak up their good vibes.
How Kundalini Chakra Helps With Effective Weight Loss
Kundalini Yoga techniques will attack your weight on two different levels. The rigorous stretching and movement will increase your metabolism while the breathing techniques will quiet your mind and relieve stress. Once you are centered and more relaxed, your body will not produce as much cortisol. Many yoga practitioners believe that if your body stays in a relaxed state your body will also be free from fat.
Working with chakras allows us to identify, heal and clear energy blocks that also negatively impact and prevent success in weight management.


text: Purchase Our Folding Chair Trolleys for Easy Storage & Transport of Our Range of Folding Chairs, such as our Folding Plastic Chairs. These trolleys are designed to last, and to help with both storage and transport of folding chairs. They are designed to fit plastic, wooden or resin folding chairs.


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Hello cyclists, previously on Esoulbike, we sort of talked about tips to preserve Esoulbike's batteries. In this blog, we will briefly walk you through the original electric bikes and modified electric bicycles.
That is rather important because the debate in the community regarding original vs modified e-bikes has been quite intense. People who bet their money on the original bicycles do not trust the quality of electric kits and batteries provided by the third party. Others argue that modification introduces more flexibility and cost management for cyclists. Now, Esoulbike's take on this matter is not siding with one or another because it's not a black or white scenario. We believe that the two parties are arguing for different things. If quality can be ensured, certainly the people for original bikes won't mind more DIY to their rides. People who are willing to take the risk in exchange for flexibility and lower cost also won't object to more qualified and safer kits and batteries in order to modify their bikes. Now let's talk about it a bit more in detail.
As a matter of fact, in terms of the price and quality, the gap between original electric bikes and modified electric bikes is no longer clear. We no longer live in the early stage of electric bikes where it was expensive and top-secret to manufacture them such that the customers can only expect poorly made and expensive products with low quality from the third party. On the contrary, thanks to the technological progression and optimization of supply chains in the industry over the years, today manufacturing electric bicycles and kits have been "democratized". Naturally, with more competition in the market, customers can expect electric bikes and kits that are both cheap and durable. Because of this, it's no longer a disadvantage for a cyclist to modify his/her bike. In theory, a modified electric bike can be as cheap and competitive in speed and safety as an original electric bike. In some cases, the former could be even much than the latter.
As an illustration of that, Esoulbike is a brand that is known for its battery performance. The competitive advantage of Esoulbike over the producers of original electric bikes is that while the latter has to focus on the overall quality of the bike, Esoulbike can specialize in developing a better battery. For instance, an Esoulbike Tube battery can last for 600 cycles which is more than the life cycles of generic batteries by most of the original e-bike. With more and more third-party electric kits producers like Esoulbike, many customers have taken the modification of electric bikes into consideration.
For customers, there are two ways of modification. One is that they have the original electric bike but they need to replace some of the electric kits or maybe just the tires. Another group happens to be that one has a normal bike but he/she needs to upgrade that to an electric bike. In both cases, third parties like Esoulbike have been very targeting the customers in terms of fitting the products to the bike of the customers. With the instruction on the website, the customers can choose the kit package compatible with their bicycles and follow the video instruction to manually install/replace them.
In short, technology and market development have democratized the electric bicycle either in terms of the original e-bike or modification. It's getting both affordable and reliable. We therefore highly recommend the customers, especially those who are new to the cycling community, DIY their original e-bikes.


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the police were criticized for using high-pressure tactics such as Illustrator Artwork tear gas and water cannons on protesters, while rights groups accused the authorities of indiscriminate arrests, brutal beatings and abuse of detainees in custody. Leung Chun- made these pro-Beijing remarks on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong's sovereignty on July 1. Hong Kong's new chief executive, Li , was sworn in on July 1. He was a former leader of the Hong Kong police force and is also seen as a pro-Beijing official. He was elected chief executive as the only candidate and was appointed by Beijing in what was seen as another measure by Beijing to tighten its grip on Hong Kong.
"The truth is that Hong Kong is part of China, and people have to recognize that," Leung said. This article is reprinted with permission from "BBC News Chinese" , the original text is published here Further reading The Umbrella Revolution is not just about the vote of the chief executive: five shocks and contradictions after Hong Kong's return to China Question 17 of "Reverse Extradition":
Why do Hong Kong people oppose the amendment of the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance? Why is Leung Chun-y so annoying when populist policies do so much? [Join Key Comments Network Member] Every day, wonderful and good articles will be delivered directly to your mailbox, and you will enjoy exclusive weekly editorial selections, current affairs selections, art and literature weekly and other special electronic newspapers. You can also leave a message to discuss the content of the article with authors, reporters, and editors. Click to join for free now. Responsible editor: Ding Review editor: Weng you may also like Not only will Taiwan not be the "Second Afghan", but it will have an unexpected "Afghan dividend" How many


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Iconic fig tree that lived to tell the Christmas story
The lighting of the iconic fig tree along Waiyaki Way in Westlands, Nairobi on Thursday to usher in Christmas Day would not have happened.
The more than a century old, between 125 and 150 years, tree was to be cut down to pave way for the ongoing construction of the multi-billion Nairobi Expressway.
But just like Isaac in the Bible survived from being sacrificed at the hands of his father Abraham, the giant tree escaped at the last minute following spirited outcry from conservationists.
The future of the indeginuous tree had looked bleak but it was spared and lived to tell the Christmas story, a situation that looked impossible two months ago when it dominated both national and international headlines.
And when President Uhuru Kenyatta rose to speak during the ceremony, he unveiled a Presidential Declaration on the conservation of the iconic tree.
With the Presidential declaration, the giant fig tree was officially adopted by the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) for preservation as a beacon of Kenya's cultural and ecological heritage.
The President said conserving the tree was a reaffirmation of Kenya's commitment to its cultural values of coexistence, peace and unity as reiterated his administration's commitment to restore Nairobi's lost glory as the 'Green City in the Sun'.
"We are here today on the eve of Christmas to celebrate,I believe our past, our present and our hopes for the future which this iconic tree represents," said President Kenyatta.
"Indeed, we had this recognition world over of the 'green city in the sun' but unfortunately, over the years we abandoned it and we are here to reaffirm and to declare our commitment as a country and as a people to our environment," he added.
The Head of State pointed out that by preserving the fig tree, the country is demonstrating the possibilities of actualising development while at the same time preserving the environment.
"There can be no greater significant symbol of that commitment than our presence here in front of this fig tree that was here long before Nairobi ever was," said the head of state.
"By conserving and preserving the tree is a clear indication that it is possible for us to live with nature. It is possible for us to preserve and conserve, while at the same time develop our infrastructure rapidly and our capacity to ensure that our citizens live decent clean lives that each and every person is entitled to," he added.


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Turkish-backed Syrian rebels shot down a government helicopter west of Aleppo in Syria's northwestern Idlib region, where violence and displacement has spiked in recent weeks, Turkish and Syrian state media said on Friday. This is the second Assad forces helicopter shot down in 3 days.
A rebel military source and eyewitnesses told Reuters Russian jets had been targeting areas in the countryside west of Aleppo. However, after the rebels downed the helicopter, they evacuated back to the city.
Syrian state news agency SANA cited a military source as saying:
One of our military helicopters was hit by an enemy missile in the western countryside of Aleppo…where armed terrorist organizations supported by Turkey are deployed, and this led to the fall of the helicopter and death of its crew.
The Assad regime considers everyone is a "terrorist" if they oppose the Assad regime of terror.
Turkey's military has sent additional arms and troops to Idlib. Their mission is to confront a push by Syrian government forces to retake the country's last major rebel stronghold after nearly nine years of war. Russia backs the Assad regime with personnel and materials.
The Syrian Observatory war monitor said on Friday that Turkey had deployed around 6,500 soldiers to reinforce existing units in northwest Syria. It also deployed some 1,900 military vehicles since early February.
The rebels struck then helicopter as it flew over the front lines after leaving Aleppo. It came from a region the Syrian government controls, Turkish state-owned Anadolu news agency said. Rebels downed another government helicopter on Tuesday near the town of Nairab, to the south.
Syrian state-run al-Ikhbariya TV meanwhile broadcast what it said was its crew driving for the first time into Aleppo via the M5 international highway. The M5 has been a focal point of Assad's latest military campaign.
Ikhbariya said the Damascus to Aleppo roadway that runs through Idlib province was fully under the control of Syria's army.
Reuters contributed to this article.


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Volkswagen takes down corporate social responsibility in its plunge to the bottom of the sea
A few quotes from the latest 156 page VW Corporate Social Report from 2014:
"Our conviction that stable, long term business activity based on ethical criteria is a precondition for acting in and environment-friendly way and playing a responsible part in shaping the future...[applies to our business in all regions around the world]",
Volkswagen tells us on page 14.
"Resource efficiency is a topic of exceptional strategic importance for Volkswagen." (page 93).
"We have learned that sustainability, environmental protection, and social responsibility can be power value drivers" (page 12).
Knowing what we now know has been going on in the company for many years, the irony of some statements in the report seem ready for Hollywood. Volkswagen brags about its "development of new software solutions that...open up additional business opportunities for our company" on page 13. (The "defeat device" that allowed cars to exceed air pollution standards by as much as 40X was a piece of software.) and that the company has seeded sustainability across all departments and brands with a call of having "every individual in our well-informed, qualified workforce to be actively involved [in sustainability strategies, measures and projects, and joint action plans]" (page 27).
Still impressed that the company was "the first and only automaker to commit to the ambitious goal of reducing its European new car fleet average emissions to 95g CO2 by 2020" (page 92)? I didn't think so.
And what are we to make of the fact that the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) just this month crowned Volkswagen as the 2015 industry leader for sustainability in the auto sector (??!!) thereby awarding the company the gold star for investors concerned with corporate sustainability performance?
Not yet in the headline news is the broad effect that the Volkswagen cheating scandal may have on the corporate social responsibility movement - a movement that has taken at least ten long years to gain any credibility at all and is now vulnerable to losing it in ten short minutes. Volkswagen may not go down alone here. It will probably severely tarnish this entire movement and may take a few environmental certification and sustainability ranking systems down with it.
Cynics of the social corporate responsibility movement, which has boomed over the past decade, have long questioned the depth, breadth, and sincerity of these voluntary efforts, which generally seem much more like PR advertisements than professional environmental protection programs. In my work on the impacts of globalization, in which companies have fled countries with mature regulatory systems to manufacture in those with neither the technical capacity nor political will to curtail their emissions, I have called out the shortcomings of many of these programs in curtailing pollution from manufacturing abroad, noting that far too many corporate sustainability initiatives are silly side shows designed to draw attention to the cause, rather than to curtail the actual impacts of a company's mainstream production.
And how do we explain that Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) award? I'll tell you what is going on there, two big problems: First and foremost, the criteria DJSI and other similar ranking efforts, such as the widely used Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), provide more than 100 boxes to click and check, awarding points for a crazy number of sometimes trivial activities that do not direct attention to the issues that matter the most or activities that can actually deliver results. Fundamental matters core to protection of human health and the environment -- like basic compliance with air pollution rules on smog and soot -- are not scored at all or wash out in the clutter of other much less important stuff.
Perhaps worse, these systems are based very substantially on self-reported data from the companies themselves, which are obviously not going to turn themselves in on any problems or weaknesses in their sustainability work.
Of course no evaluation system can be fool-proof and expected to catch sophisticated fraud schemes like the one from Volkswagen. But I've been amazed that environmental professionals, who should know better than to be satisfied with the self-reported nature of corporate sustainability efforts for years, have lent so much cred to these efforts. After all, the PR push around these programs have enabled the biggest companies in the world to go from being legally bound and accountable for their pollution by regulation in the early 1990's -- with permits, inspections, and enforcement in America and Europe -- to writing their own rule books and then shamelessly bragging about successes under those rules in ubiquitous glossy brochures and infographics available around the world. Not exactly progress!
Concurrently, with even more gusto, many of these companies have demonized our EPA, thereby successfully slashing its budget through lobbying Congress year after year and have convinced a surprising number of otherwise thoughtful and intelligent individuals that government oversight is actually keeping corporations from doing the right thing, through its supposed misguided and lumbering rule books.
What are they really up to, some of these companies? We have to re-evaluate based on what we see was behind the curtain at Volkswagen.


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Get Dressed for It
The Beverly Hills Tennis Club offers a variety of branded tennis apparel for members to enjoy on and off the court. We also offer equipment rentals and refreshments. Visit the clubhouse to inquire about our current offerings and to purchase items on site.
We also offer tennis clothing via pre-order before the tennis season starts and also during mid season. Please check back for details as the season approaches, or ask at the clubhouse.
In keeping with tradition, players are expected to wear tennis whites when on the courts. Order yours next time you are at the clubhouse!


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biting the hand that feeds you
"Must good be repaid with evil?" —Jeremiah 18:20
Jeremiah sacrificed and suffered to be a prophet and turn away God's wrath (Jer 18:20) from "the men of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem" (Jer 18:11). Although Jeremiah saved many people's lives, they did not realize this. They hated Jeremiah and plotted to kill him. They reasoned that Jeremiah's death would not be a loss (Jer 18:18) but their gain. The good Jeremiah had done was "repaid with evil" (Jer 18:20).
We all want to be appreciated. So we are disappointed when we are not thanked. Even more so, when those who have benefited from our good acts repay us by doing evil against us, we are often crushed. At this point we feel like quitting, and we definitely will quit if we are serving the Lord for any other reason than for the Lord alone.
Are you serving the Lord only for the Lord? If not, you will burn out. Love for the Lord is the only motivation which lasts. Thank the Lord when you get nothing out of serving Him but Him. This is our opportunity to love unconditionally as He loves us. This is our opportunity to be crucified with Jesus (Gal 2:19).
Prayer: Father, I accept Your grace to forgive those who have hurt me unjustly.
Promise: "The Son of Man...has come, not to be served by others, but to serve, to give His own life as a ransom for the many." —Mt 20:28
Praise: Praying the Stations of the Cross, Anna's own misery melted as she experienced Jesus' overwhelming sacrificial love for her.
Reference: (For a related teaching on Crucified to the World, listen to, download or order our CD 40-A3 or DVD 40-A on our website.)
Rescript: "In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from February 01/2022 through March 31, 2022 Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio June 16, 2021"
The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.