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Written By Naphtal
Edited By Brian Dixon
Legally Reviewed by Brian Dixon
Last Modified: January 30, 2024
Edited By Brian Dixon
Legally Reviewed by Brian Dixon
Last Modified: January 30, 2024
A car wreck in Enumclaw can be life-changing to deal with. The accident usually marks the beginning of a relatively long process of establishing who was at-fault, filing an insurance claim, and getting closure on the matter to help you move forward with your life.
Taking on your insurance provider and the law to get the rightful compensation you deserve can be pretty intimidating. You don't have to go through this process alone.
Our team at Legal Giant is dedicated to helping car accident victims like you in Enumclaw navigate the complex aftermath of such incidents. We have an established networked of highly experienced Enumclaw car accident lawyer ready to help you fight for the rightful compensation you deserve.
Call us today and let our team connect you with a highly experienced Enumclaw to review your car accident case and offer legal help.
In the bustling city life of Enumclaw, WA, car accidents can be all too common. Dealing with the aftermath of a car accident can be stressful to say the least.
However, you don't have to worry because Legal Giant stands as your trusted partner in navigating the aftermath of a car accident in Enumclaw.
We understand the challenges you face after a car accident, and our mission is to provide you with seamless access to the best Enumclaw car accident lawyers.
We are a dedicated car accident lawyer referral service that serves as your guiding light in times of uncertainty.
What sets us apart is our commitment to ensuring you receive the best legal support you deserve at no extra cost. We firmly believe that every car accident victim should have access to the best legal representation without worrying about attorney fees.
Our network features highly trusted car accident attorneys in Enumclaw , each with a proven track record of success. We promise to match you with a reliable partner who will stay by your side throughout the legal process.
We streamline the journey to justice ensuring you focus on what matters most; your recovery. Trust us to be your advocate in your pursuit of justice.
Car accidents are a fact of life. In fact, the United States consistently records the largest number of car accidents in the world, thanks to our huge road network. The statistics below show just how common collisions are on U.S. roadways
On average, there are over 6 million passenger car accidents in the U.S. every year
At least 45% of these car accidents lead to injuries and property damage
At least 36,000 Americans are killed in car accidents every year
Car crashes are the leading cause of death in the United States for people ages 1 to 54
A car accident happens in the country every ten seconds while a fatal wreck happens every 12 minutes
The leading causes of car accidents in the U.S are drunk driving and speeding
These statistics highlight the prevalence and severity of car accidents in the United States and things are not different in Enumclaw. Therefore, it is important to have an experienced Enumclaw car accident lawyer on your side to help you fight for fair compensation.
Contact us today to get connected with a local Enumclaw car accident lawyer who will help you seek the rightful compensation you deserve!
Have you been involved in a car accident in Enumclaw? If so, you probably have questions. Here are some answer to frequently asked questions about car accidents in Enumclaw:
Immediately after a car accident, your first priority should be seeking medical attention for yourself and any others who may have been injured.
Once you have done so, gather as much information as possible, such as the names and contact information of all parties involved, photos of the accident scene, damage to vehicles, witness statements, and police reports.
Once you have taken care of your immediate needs, it is recommended to seek legal representation to ensure that your rights are protected and you have the best chance at receiving fair compensation for damages.
Car accidents can lead to a wide range of injuries, from minor cuts and bruises to more serious injuries such as traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries. Whiplash, broken bones, and soft tissue injuries are also common.
Even if you feel fine after a car accident, it is important to seek medical attention. Some injuries may not be immediately apparent and can worsen over time if left untreated. You will need a comprehensive medical evaluation to rule out any potential injuries.
There are no obligations for hiring a lawyer when you are filing an insurance claim. However, the numerous benefits of hiring a qualified attorney go beyond the legality.
When you hire an experienced lawyer, you will benefit significantly from their experience with car accident claims in Enumclaw so you can focus on other things that matter.
Not every car auto crash in Enumclaw case needs a lawyer. Although it is okay to file for a car accident claim against your insurance provider on your own, this route may only be viable if you have suffered minor injuries.
However, some crashes may result in severe injuries and expensive hospital bills that can drain you so much. In such a case, you need to work with a qualified car accident attorney in Alameda to help you fight for the rightful compensation you deserve.
Your personal injury & car accident attorney will know all the applicable laws surrounding your claim and will be there to help you with legal filings. An attorney will represent you throughout the life cycle of your case and act on your behalf.
The settlement amount for car accidents varies from one state to another, depending on the jurisdiction in which the crash happened, among other factors.
Factors such as car repair bills, hospital bills, and other damages play a significant role in determining the cost of an accident. The estimated cost of the accident will subsequently determine what an insurance provider will pay.
When you use our service, we ask you to provide details about your case. Our team then uses this information to match you with an attorney in our network who has the necessary expertise and experience for your specific case. We strive to match you with a local attorney near you.
Legal Giant's matching service is completely free for users. If you decide to hire an attorney through our platform, they will work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you only pay if they win your case.
Being involved in a car accident in Enumclaw can be overwhelming. But we are here to hold your hand and guide you through the legal part of seeking compensation.
When we match you with the best Enumclaw car accident attorney to handle your car accident claim, you'll feel better knowing you are in good hands.
No matter the situation you are facing Legal Giant will help support your legal needs through our network of highly experienced Enumclaw car accident attorneys.
As long as you have been involved in a car wreck due to someone else's negligence, we shall do everything possible to help you find an attorney for your situation.
Call us now to speak with an experienced car accident attorney in Enumclaw:
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Before lawmakers get back to the business of arguing about taxes, deficits and other issues as they open a new session of Congress today, there was just a nice moment outside the Capitol.
Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., who suffered a stroke last Jan. 21, came to the Capitol for the first time since then. And as C-SPAN cameras watched, he made a very public return — slowly walking up the steps of the Capitol with assistance from Vice President Biden and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W. Va.
Kirk, 53, was cheered on by other members of Congress, including his Democratic colleague from Illinois, Sen. Richard Durbin.
As The Associated Press wrote earlier this week, Kirk's climb up those steps was:
"Significant not just for Illinois' junior senator, but also for medical researchers and hundreds of thousands of stroke patients. It's estimated only one-third of patients return to work after a stroke, said Dr. Elliot Roth, medical director of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago's New Patient Recovery Unit and AbilityLab, where Kirk recovered. ... The Illinois senator's return will be inspiring to fellow stroke patients, said Frank Watson, the former Republican leader of the Illinois Senate who resigned from office after his 2008 stroke. 'For us in the stroke fraternity, we're very happy to see this occur, to see somebody taking their life back,' Watson said. 'There are so many people who don't make it back.' "
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

subset: commoncrawl


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As Phil Jackson continues a tour to promote his new book, "11 Rings," he keeps making it sound as if Chris Hansen would have let him run the Sonics franchise, were Hansen to have sprung the Kings from Sacramaento.
On the "Dan Patrick Show" Tuesday, Jackson reiterated his interest, this time saying had a deal, and seem to be very impressed with Hansen.
"I had an agreement with the guy that put the deal together for Seattle — Chris Hansen," Jackson said. "I thought he was dynamic. I thought he had great ideas. He went through the whole process of getting an arena. He did everything right except win the franchise."
Hansen, the Seattle native and hedge fund manager, offered $625 million buy the Kings, but NBA owners, by a vote of 22-8 heavily influenced by commissioner David Stern, thwarted the Jackson-Hansen partnership by denying relocation.
"But his vision I could buy into," Jackson said. "I thought he had the right vision for a team. And he made basically the offer of, 'Take what you want to take as a job. As a consultant? If you want to be an owner, be a part owner . . . Work in the basketball operations side if you want to or coach.'"
It didn't matter to him. We talked about a number of things."
The portion of the video interview addressing his interest in Seattle begins at about the 11:45 mark.


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"This is winter wheat we're sowing, and other hands will harvest."
Elizabeth Cady Stanton, American Universal Suffrage Leader
For as long as I can remember, I've loved sunsets and impressionist oil paintings. The subtle interplay of color and light has always struck me as beautiful, even sublime. I couldn't imagine anything being more lovely.
So much so, that I was dumbstruck to learn at the age of 18 that I was color blind. "It can't be," I insisted to the eye doctor. He matter-of-factly explained that I had failed the full Ishihara color-vision test. Out of a series of 38 polka-dotted circles, I could only see the embedded numbers in four of them. There was no doubt. I was color-blind.
My denial was complete. I didn't believe him. "I can see colors," I insisted. "My jeans are blue. My shirt is light blue. Your slacks are dark grey." He tonelessly explained that yes, I could see some colors. But what I saw was not nearly as vivid or as complete as seen by people with "normal color vision." My color vision was radically muted.
I still didn't believe him. I showed the test to my sisters. They both passed, easily.
It took me a while to process this discovery and accept that I was one among the 20% of men who are color-blind because of a genetic defect. It was nobody's fault. Nothing to be embarrassed about. Just bad luck.
But this discovery and my experience with overcoming denial enabled me to finally confront something else. I was able to confront another area where my perception of the world is significantly diminished. This area is diminished in a way that I never imagined possible. It is another place where my perception of the world is not nearly as vivid or as complete as "normal people."
The area I'm talking about is my sexual perception – my physical appreciation of normal sexual contact. My sexual perception is radically muted, too. But this time, it is not a blameless, unlucky genetic defect. This was done to me by other people. My sexual perception was taken from me.
It was taken intentionally. It was taken by doctors. It was taken without my knowledge or consent. It was taken when I was a defenseless baby. And, perhaps most shockingly, it was taken with my parents' approval.
This time the denial was harder to overcome. This time the denial didn't just protect my self-image of being fully "normal." This time the denial protected me from knowing that the people who I have trusted the most, who I loved the most – had betrayed me. The denial guarded me from fully knowing and feeling the painful discovery that I had been hurt badly, and forever, in the most intimate and personal part of my life. I was permanently sexually maimed. Intentionally. By the people who claim to love me the most – my parents.
This has been a very hard path of self-discovery to follow.
But, in confronting all of the feelings that were waiting for me behind my curtain of denial, I found more than just pain and anger and depression. They were there, certainly, in large amounts. But, I also found understanding and personal growth and some hope.
I understand now why I sometimes have difficulty maintaining an erection or achieving orgasm. This isn't a shameful failure of my masculinity. This isn't evidence of my physical and emotional disinterest in a sexual partner. This isn't proof of my shortcomings as a man. I've learned that this is proof of the operation's success. Erectile dysfunction and diminished sexual pleasure are THE desired surgical outcomes of circumcision. My operation was a success!
Many people believe that sex is wrong. They believe masturbation and recreational sex are immoral. Sometimes these beliefs are religiously motivated, sometimes not. Genital cutting is the intervention that directly addresses the evil of human sexuality. Medical textbooks used to be very specific about the effectiveness of male and female circumcision in preventing masturbation. That is what genital cutting is designed to achieve – undermining human sexuality by dramatically reducing sexual pleasure. I understand that now. I also understand that this intention was never explained to my parents.
I understand now that my radically muted sexual sensations aren't the result of a botched, or extraordinarily aggressive, circumcision. They are greatly dulled because my circumcision went the way it was supposed to. I am more numb than a normal man, an intact man. The most sensitive parts of my penis are gone. The "lips" of my prepuce were taken. My Ridged Band was taken. My Frenulum was taken. My Outer Foreskin was taken. And lastly, my Glans and Inner Foreskin are desensitized from constant chaffing from contact with the outside world. I also understand that these exquisitely sensitive parts of my anatomy and their functions were never explained to my parents.
Effectively, the "eyes and ears" of my system of sexual perception are gone. I can still have sex and I can still conceive a child, but most of the fun and much of the frequency are gone. I know about the reduced frequency from my experience with failed efforts – and fear of failed efforts. The loss of pleasure, the fun, is something I can only try to understand about by reading.
But, I know about numbness and loss. The memories of being unable to maintain an erection with women who I loved, who I was deeply attracted to both physically and emotionally, are still very sharp. So too, are the memories of my feelings of inadequacy and their feelings of being undesirable to me. As are the memories of those relationships drifting apart and inexplicably ending. Now, I understand why. I also understand that these predictable results of my circumcision were never explained to my parents.
I know about numbness and disease. I was taught about safe sex and I understand how important it is. But I also know that when I've tried to use condoms, I become totally numb. For me, condoms equal abstinence. With a condom, I am rarely able to maintain an erection and I'm never able to achieve orgasm. I understand why that is now. But faced with the choice of unsafe intercourse or no intercourse, I chose to be unsafe. And I paid the price. Circumcision isn't the only thing that lasts forever. Some diseases last forever. So too, do the memories and anguish of an unwanted pregnancy. I'll carry both of these for the rest of my life. Now I understand why. I also understand that my parents never knew that circumcision would put me in a situation where I'd need to take those risks in order to share intimacy with a loved one.
I've undergone a lot of personal growth throughout this process of dealing with my circumcision. I've researched about my body – what I was born with and how it functions. I've researched about how the medical community has deceived generations of parents about the practice of circumcision. I've researched about the difficulty of overcoming denial and breaking the cycle of ritual abuse that can exist within families. And I've researched the changing trends in choices that families are making for their sons – and this gives me hope.
Hope isn't a word that easily comes into my heart and mind when I think about genital cutting. I am a survivor of an abusive sexual assault that I don't remember…but can never forget. I will never know what sex is supposed to be like for a man. I will never look in the mirror and see a complete male form. But, I have learned that I can forgive my parents for letting strangers hurt me so badly. I have learned that I can love them still, in spite of my pain and anger. And that gives me hope.I have hope because I know that I can love and forgive. I can love and forgive because my parents were misled and they didn't know any better. They had no easy access to research through the internet. They heard no voices of child advocacy pleading on my behalf. They had no reassurance from a large and growing group of parents who were challenging and rejecting the horrifying violation of routine infant genital mutilation.
My parents weren't unwilling to learn – unwilling to protect me. They were deceived. And I forgive them.
I have hope because I can channel my negative feelings of betrayal, anger, pain and depression into something positive. I can advocate protecting the newborns of today who will become a generation of men tomorrow. I can help in a small way to educate today's parents and be the voice for them that I wish was available to my parents. I can help break the cycle of violence against baby boys in the same way that it has been broken for baby girls.
Hope won't return to me what was taken so long ago. But if I can help even a few parents choose to courageously challenge their doctors and their families in defense of their sons, it will be worth enduring all of the pain that I found hiding behind my own curtain of denial.
A million baby boys a year are crying out for someone to help them. I cannot remain silent. I cannot collude through inaction. I must try to do my part to help them however I can. Please join me in this effort. Our generation can protect the next generation.
"This is winter wheat we're sowing, other hands will harvest." ~ ECS
In deep and sincere solidarity with my newborn brothers,


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PRTG Manual: Hyper-V Virtual Machine Sensor
The Hyper-V Virtual Machine sensor monitors a virtual machine (VM) that runs on a Microsoft Hyper-V host server via Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) or Windows performance counters, as configured in the Windows Compatibility Options of the parent device.
For a detailed list and descriptions of the channels that this sensor can show, see section Channel List.
- Dutch: Virtuele Hyper-V-Machine
- French: Hyper-V machine virtuelle
- German: Hyper-V Virtuelle Maschine
- Japanese: Hyper-V 仮想マシン
- Portuguese: Máquina virtual Hyper-V
- Russian: Виртуальная машина Hyper-V
- Simplified Chinese: Hyper-V 虚拟机
- Spanish: Máquina virtual Hyper-V
- This sensor has a high performance impact. We recommend that you use no more than 200 of this sensor on each probe.
- This sensor requires at least Windows Server 2008 R2 on the probe system.
- This sensor requires that the Remote Registry Windows service runs on the target system.
- This sensor requires that the parent device is a Windows server that runs Hyper-V.
- This sensor requires credentials for Windows systems in the settings of the parent device.
- This sensor does not support Live Migration.
- This sensor supports IPv6.
- To monitor a VM with this sensor, disable User Account Control (UAC) in the control panel of the Windows operating system that runs on this VM. Otherwise, the sensor might change to the Down status and show the error message The virtual machine is not running or is powered off.
- Make sure that the names of your VMs do not contain unsupported characters, especially avoid the number sign (#). We recommend that you not rename VMs once you have set up monitoring. For more information, see the Knowledge Base: Why don't my Hyper-V sensors work after changing names?
- Knowledge Base: Why don't my Hyper-V sensors work after changing names?
You cannot add this sensor to the hosted probe of a PRTG Hosted Monitor instance. If you want to use this sensor, add it to a remote probe device.
Requirement |
Description |
To work with Windows performance counters, this sensor requires that at least Windows Server 2008 R2 is installed on the probe system (on every cluster node, if on a cluster probe). WoW64 must be installed on target systems that run Windows Server 2016. This allows 32-bit applications to be run on 64-bit systems. This is necessary because the PRTG probe service only runs with 32-bit support. Without it, WMI sensors do not work. |
To work with Windows performance counters,this sensor requires that the Remote Registry Windows service runs on the target system. If this service does not run, a connection via performance counters is not possible. However, WMI connections might still work. To enable the service, log in to the respective system and open the services manager (for example, via services.msc). In the list, find the respective service and set its Start Type to Automatic. |
This sensor requires credentials for Windows systems in the settings of the parent device. We recommend that you use Windows domain credentials. If you use local credentials, make sure that the same Windows user accounts (with the same user name and password) exist on both the probe system and the target system. Otherwise, a connection via performance counters is not possible. However, WMI connections might still work. |
Hybrid Approach: Performance Counters and WMI
By default, this sensor uses WMI to request monitoring data. You can change the default behavior to a hybrid approach in the Windows Compatibility Options of the parent device's settings on which you create this sensor: if you choose this option, the sensor first tries to query data via Windows performance counters and uses WMI as a fallback if performance counters are not available. When running in fallback mode, the sensor tries to connect via performance counters again after 24 hours.
Sensors that use the WMI protocol have a high impact on the system performance. Try to stay below 200 WMI sensors per probe. Above this number, consider using multiple remote probes for load balancing.
For a general introduction to the technology behind WMI, see section Monitoring via WMI.
Setting |
Description |
Sensor Name |
Enter a name to identify the sensor. By default, PRTG shows this name in the device tree, as well as in alarms, logs, notifications, reports, maps, libraries, and tickets. If the name contains angle brackets (<>), PRTG replaces them with braces ({}) for security reasons. For more information, see the Knowledge Base: What security features does PRTG include? |
Parent Tags |
The tags that the sensor inherits from its parent device, parent group, and parent probe. This setting is for your information only. You cannot change it. |
Tags |
Enter one or more tags. Confirm each tag with the Spacebar key, a comma, or the Enter key. You can use tags to group objects and use tag-filtered views later on. Tags are not case-sensitive. Tags are automatically inherited. It is not possible to enter tags with a leading plus (+) or minus (-) sign, nor tags with parentheses (()) or angle brackets (<>). For performance reasons, it can take some minutes until you can filter for new tags that you added. The sensor has the following default tags that are automatically predefined in the sensor's settings when you add the sensor:
Priority |
Select a priority for the sensor. This setting determines the position of the sensor in lists. The highest priority is at the top of a list. Choose from the lowest priority () to the highest priority (). |
Setting |
Description |
The globally unique identifier (GUID) of the VM that this sensor monitors. |
Virtual Machine Name |
The name of the VM that this sensor monitors. |
Description |
The description of the VM that this sensor monitors. |
Powered-Off VM Handling |
Define how the sensor reacts to VMs that are powered off:
If the sensor is in the Down status, it does not record any data in any of its channels.
Result Handling |
Define what PRTG does with the sensor result:
In a cluster, PRTG stores the result in the PRTG data directory of the master node. |
Setting |
Description |
Primary Channel |
Select a channel from the list to define it as the primary channel. In the device tree, the last value of the primary channel is always displayed below the sensor's name. The available options depend on what channels are available for this sensor. You can set a different primary channel later by clicking below a channel gauge on the sensor's Overview tab. |
Graph Type |
Define how different channels are shown for this sensor:
Stack Unit |
This setting is only visible if you select Stack channels on top of each other above. Select a unit from the list. All channels with this unit are stacked on top of each other. By default, you cannot exclude single channels from stacking if they use the selected unit. However, there is an advanced procedure to do so. |
By default, all of these settings are inherited from objects that are higher in the hierarchy. We recommend that you change them centrally in the root group settings if necessary. To change a setting for this object only, click under the corresponding setting name to disable the inheritance and to display its options.
For more information, see section Inheritance of Settings.
For more information, see section Root Group Settings, section Scanning Interval.
Schedules, Dependencies, and Maintenance Window
You cannot interrupt the inheritance for schedules, dependencies, and maintenance windows. The corresponding settings from the parent objects are always active. However, you can define additional schedules, dependencies, and maintenance windows. They are active at the same time as the parent objects' settings.
For more information, see section Root Group Settings, section Schedules, Dependencies, and Maintenance Window (default).
For more information, see section Root Group Settings, section Access Rights.
Which channels the sensor actually shows might depend on the target device, the available components, and the sensor setup.
Channel |
Description |
CPU Usage Guest |
The CPU usage of the guests (%) |
CPU Usage Hypervisor |
The CPU usage of the hypervisor (%) |
CPU Usage Total |
The total CPU usage This channel is the primary channel by default. |
Downtime |
In the channel table on the Overview tab, this channel never shows any values. PRTG uses this channel in graphs and reports to show the amount of time in which the sensor was in the Down status |
IDE: Read Bytes/Sec |
The disk read speed of the IDE |
IDE: Write Bytes/Sec |
The disk write speed of the IDE |
Why don't my Hyper-V sensors work after changing names?
What security features does PRTG include?


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This story's been out there for a day or two, but it's too tasty to ignore. So here's a slice:
"Italy's biggest buffalo mozzarella maker, Giuseppe Mandara, has been arrested on charges he had close ties to the mafia. Mandara, 56 — who once dubbed himself the 'Armani of Mozzarella' — was arrested with three associates near Naples, reports said." (Global Post)
"Things have turned sour for the cheese magnate: according to the AFP, the police claim that Mandara and his group have links to clans of the Camorra mafia, based around Naples. Police Chief Maurizio Vallone alleges that when the [Mandara] group faced economic troubles in the early 1980s, it accepted a bailout from the La Torre clan of hundreds of millions of euros."
There's more. The BBC says Mandara Group also "allegedly mixed cow's milk with more expensive buffalo milk that is the key ingredient in the trademark soft white cheese, and passed off batches of provolone cheese as a more expensive kind."
The company's cheese, adds the BBC, "is sold across the world." And it helpfully reminds us that mozzarella is "a key ingredient in some classic Italian recipes such as caprese — a simple tomato, basil and mozzarella salad — and the trademark Neapolitan pizza."
By the way, the investigation that led to Mandara's arrest was called "Operation Buffalo."
Agence France Presse adds that the Alival Group, of which Mandara's company is a part, "declined to comment on the investigation. Alival Group's website said Mandara was a third-generation family business and the country's top producer of buffalo mozzarella."
(H/T to NPR.org's Wright Bryan.)
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Behold the humble cardboard box - our house is full of these,
and today I am taking a break from sewing to extol its virtues
as a craft medium.
Museum a couple of years ago, she wanted to recreate the
experience of sorting and delivering letters. Over the ensuing
months, we collected various accessories (scroll down) to
help her do just that - a small mail bag, re-used envelopes,
square stickers for stamps, rectangular stickers for address labels,
and a random coat or two for her uniform. This weekend, watching
her and Jenna make a multitude of letters, an idea formed in my head
that I couldn't get out. So while they were napping, I found a large
cardboard box that once contained diapers and made this mailbox
The girls were thrilled - Jenna mostly because it was
something else in she could use her markers on.
We also collected all the floating stationery into a sort
of mail kit: a box of envelopes, hand-drawn postcards,
and plain white labels of different sizes for home-made
address labels (just names for now) and colorful stamps.
They prefer to enclose entire drawings in their envelopes
to text, which is just as well since no one can read
their letters anyway.
sorted, they go (theoretically) into individual mailboxes like these:
These were made last year, when Jenna was a bald baby
and Kate wasn't yet born. We used whichever flat boxes
were lying around in the house at the time - Kleenex boxes
and muffin mix boxes, for instance - and wrapped them with tissue
paper, because I hadn't gotten round to buying construction paper
then. Adding faces made it easier for Emily to identify family
members. Eventually we will add Kate's face and change Jenna's
to avoid mixing up the babies. I later found another mailbox
design here which was faster to make. Smart.
we have for our house. This was our maildrop for a long time,
so Emily would put all her stamped envelopes here to be picked
up by the "mailman". Now with the new mailbox made this
weekend, this one might be out of a job.
You make them, the kids play with them, and when they
outgrow them or they disintegrate, you throw them away.
Here's a collection of things that I made in response to the girls'
different pretend-play themes over the few years we've lived here.
Small kennel made out of a diaper wipes box.
We had just moved into our house and my real guitar was
being shipped with our other possessions. One of Emily's (then 1)
first words was "guitar". With all the cardboard lying around
after moving and time on my hands in the winter, I made the
first of the cardboard toys. Sadly, this guitar eventually
fell apart so we threw it away.
Boat. The mast is a PVC pipe - we thought it was probably sturdier.
Oven. The idea came from an old issue of Family Fun magazine -
paper plates for burners, inexpensive plastic knobs from a
hardware store so they actually turn, and the inner cardboard tube
of a paper towel roll for the door handle. The design had to be
tweaked slightly to allow for heavy-duty baking - the one in
the magazine had a simpler door that stayed shut by friction
because it fit exactly in the opening. I added an inner frame
with velcro (tried magnets but they didn't work as well)
for smoother opening and closing. I couldn't find a link to the
original oven at the Family Fun site, but here's a link to their
very neat kitchen in a box.
Puppet stage with fabric curtains sliding on an
internal wooden rod with small circular rings.
Jenna has been at it with her markers, too, decorating.
from Ikea. The turrets/towers are the inner tubes of
paper towels topped with cardboard cones. The entire
thing is covered with aluminum foil except for the drawbridge.
Emily decorated it with adhesive jewels and stuck in the flags.
This was a little fancier than the other cardboard playthings
because it was the centerpiece for Emily's princess party and we
wedged a disposable baking tray inside it to hold her princess cookies.
made out of a large freezer box. I cut several windows
and a skylight in the roof to brighten the interior but we
still needed one of those push-on-push-off night lights.
Anyone know where to get a little battery-powered
kerosene/camping lantern?
for stocking jars of play candy, foam lollipops or sock donuts,
depending on whether Emily feels like selling sweets
Some have been decorated to death. And some, like this
donut house, is a work in progress. I recently added
the floor to give it more stability. Sometime soon I want to
have the kids paint the outside with some waterproof paint
(and markers, no doubt) . And turn, with chalkboard paint
(most craft stores will have tins of these) an area or two
(like where the donut shop sign is now) into chalkboards
for the kids to write the store name or the daily menu.
Must get to it before winter.
with the humble cardboard box. The hardest part for me
is sequencing in my head - you know, determining which part
to attach or cut before which - very much like sewing, actually.
All you need are these - scissors (utility scissors work best),
craft knife/utility knife/box cutter, wide masking tape and glue.
UHU glue is my very favorite craft glue - dries clear in seconds,
will not cause bodily harm like superglue, needs no electricity
and unlike white glue, actually works.
of Scotch tape, with which I'd assemble all sorts of things
around the house, including my own broken eyeglasses.
There was nothing Scotch tape couldn't fix or make.
And mum and dad liked to push their limits and make things
other people had written off as impossible or just not worth
the effort. I make stuff with cardboard now sometimes to push
my own limits, occasionally because it's easier to make something
than go scouting in stores or online for it, often because it's
daylight robbery what some places charge for similar toys in plastic,
largely for pure fun, but mostly so that the kids get used to the idea
that they can make anything if they want to.
and this even newer tutorial on How To Work With Cardboard,
with links to 40 cardboard projects I've done since.


text:
In the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2012, Princeton University's endowment earned a 3.1 percent investment gain, raising the 10-year annualized return to 9.9 percent. The endowment value stood at $17.0 billion, a decrease of about $100 million from the year before. The decrease in market value was primarily due to University spending from the endowment that exceeded investment gains.
The Princeton University Investment Co. (PRINCO), the University office that manages the University's endowment, certified the results at its directors meeting on Oct. 18, 2012.
The 10-year average return on the endowment places the endowment among the top percentile of 294 institutions reporting to the Trust Universe Comparison Service.
"Despite the extreme market volatility of the past decade, PRINCO's excellent stewardship of the endowment has generated significant growth and ensured that the University can successfully pursue its key priorities. We have maintained our commitment to generous financial aid, supported superb teaching and world-class research, and attracted excellent faculty and staff," Princeton University Provost Christopher Eisgruber said.
The University increased the financial aid budget for the 2012-13 fiscal year by 5.6 percent to $116 million, continuing a trend in which Princeton's scholarship spending has outpaced fee increases for a decade. As a result, the average "net cost" for Princeton students today is lower than it was in 2001, even before adjusting for inflation. About 60 percent of undergraduates receive financial aid in the form of grants that do not have to be repaid, making it possible for them to graduate debt free, Eisgruber said.
"As a result of the endowment's performance over the last three years, the loyalty of our alumni and friends, and the budget discipline of managers throughout the campus, Princeton has successfully rebaselined its budget in the wake of the market losses we experienced four years ago. We are pleased that we were able to achieve this result while continuing to provide our students with the generous financial aid that enables them to graduate from Princeton with little or no debt," Eisgruber said.
Eisgruber said that the University's spend rate of 4.4 percent of the market value of the endowment in fiscal year 2012 was well within the spending policy that aims for spending between 4 percent and 5.75 percent. The spend rate for the current fiscal year is expected to rise to approximately 4.7 percent.


text:
Pete's 1997
Psyched to have this up on the Rock & Ice
Then and Now: Hueco Rock Rodeo Celebrates its 20th Year
Monday, 14 January 2013 12:22 | by Melissa Strong
Jan. 14, 2012 The Hueco Rock Rodeo is celebrating its 20th year in 2013, making it one of the longest-running outdoor climbing competitions! In 1989 the El Paso Climbers Club (EPCC) started the Rock Rodeo before any restrictions came into place at Hueco Tanks. In the early days the event was small and the after party was held at Pete's—an aged sun and sand blasted Quonset hut on the road to Hueco Tanks. Pete and his wife Keta made food and a home for climbers in their front yard, which was typically lined with tents during the Texas climbing season. The Rodeo proceeds went to things like bolt replacement and the festivities. Dave Head remembers fondly some of the early Rodeos: "We would get Croakies and give them out—then the next few weeks you would see all of the people at Hueco wearing their Croakies. It was simple back then. There were trophies, velvet Elvis posters and the most injured climber got a bottle of tequila."
For six years the Rodeo continued to attract up to 150 participants including Dale Goddard, Hans Florine and Matt Samet. There were some changes in the Rodeo's format because of ongoing access issues due to over use and vandalized pictographs, but the Rodeo went on still hosted by the EPCC and held at Pete's. In 1995, due to continuing problems, the Rodeo was suspended. In 1996 the Rodeo continued, but was called the 7th Rock Rodeo. The 8th and 9th Rock Rodeo occurred before the Public Use Plan (PUP) was put into place in 1998. After the PUP went into effect, the Hueco Rock Rodeo tradition was put on hold in 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002.
In 2003 Rob Rice appealed to the park and was able to put on the 10th annual Rock Rodeo–the first Rodeo hosted by the Rock Ranch. For seven years Rob and the Rock Ranch continued the tradition, putting a lot of heart into the event. Late in 2010 a group of climbers came together and offered to help run the Rodeo and the Hueco Valley Foundation was started and immediately elevated the event by getting more sponsors, offering more activities, and trying to include the community of El Paso and the local community of Hueco Valley in the festivities. The HVF has successfully organized three Rodeos.
This year the Rodeo is celebrating 20 years. The event continues to be put together by the local climbing community with the help of the newest member—the American Alpine Club. With the recent purchase of the Hueco Rock Ranch, the AAC has helped the Rock Rodeo continue.
Over the years, the bottle of tequila and the velvet Elvis posters eventually gave way to cash prizes, and along with the difficult problems established in Hueco, the attraction for the world's best climbers grew. This year Daniel Woods is returning to see if he can win the Rodeo for what would be his fourth consecutive year and top his performance from last year—one of the best climbing days of his life where he sent: one V11, two V12s, one V13 and two V14s! Paul Robinson is also returning for the first time since he won the Rodeo in 2009 and hopefully we will see some friends form overseas come back, like Jorg Verhoeven and Katharina Saurwein who took second and first in 2012.
Attracting big name athletes means more than just cash prizes awarded and hard problems going down. The athletes are helping the event grow with their presence, slideshows and climbing clinics. The long weekend this year will include the legendary Fred Nicole, who is going to be cooking pancakes to fuel everyone up Saturday morning. Paige Claassen and Abbey Smith are presenting the Inca Odyssey slideshow and Paul Robinson is premiering his movie Chasing Winter. After the comp Angie Payne will be presenting her sideshow titled, Discovering and Establishing Boulders in Greenland. The festivities Saturday will also include our 2nd Annual Art Show featuring local photographer Sam Davis and artist Vanessa Compton, our 2nd Annual Dyno Comp, and the mechanical bull, which is returning by popular demand! Also for the first time we are proud to include some of the cultural aspects of Hueco Tanks into the Rodeo, with the Rock Art Tour set up by the staff at Hueco Tanks. The Rock Art Tour is Friday February 15th at 2:00 pm
The 2nd Annual Youth Comp is Sunday February 17th. Sunday evening the competitors and the clinic participants are all welcome back to the Ranch for the first ever Rock Rodeo Round Up BBQ. The 20th Hueco Rock Rodeo is being presented by 5.10 and hosted by the American Alpine Club at the Hueco Rock Ranch. Registration also includes dinner three nights, breakfast two mornings and beer. Sign up at huecorodeo.com.
Poster for the 1993 HRR
1997 award's ceremony
9th HRR poster


text:
1.75 oz powdered fruit pectin
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup*
3/4 cup apple cider
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
extra sugar for dredging
Warning: this is a two day project. Oil a flat sided loaf pan. Whisk together pectin, apple cider and baking soda in small pan. Cook on high heat. At the same time, bring the sugar and corn syrup to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally. When it reaches boiling, add the pectin/cider mixture. Cook for about 1 additional minute stirring constantly. Pour into the prepared pan and allow to cool, loosely covered with plastic wrap, overnight. The next day invert the pan on to a plate full of sugar. If you have trouble unmolding the candy, use a knife to loosen it from the perimeter of the pan and carefully slide your fingers underneath the candy to gently peel the candy out of the pan. Press both sides of the candy into the sugar. Use a pizza cutter to cut the candy into 1/4 inch slices, then cut each slice into cubes. Roll each cube in sugar.
*I use HFCS-free corn syrup.
My thoughts:
Last winter I had this dessert plate at Woodberry Kitchen which had a variety of miniature sweets including one that seemed to be a homemade apple cider jelly candy. Every since then it has been on my "to make" list. I had to wait until I could buy apple cider at the farmers market but it was worth it. This might be my new favorite fall candy, it tastes just like cider in solid form.


text:
The national public ice and snow season attracts nearly 100 million people, covering 184 cities
Date: 2020-12-27
This ice and snow season is expected to host nearly 1,200 national or regional linkage mass events.
The seventh national public ice and snow season will start on the 29th. Recently, the Winter Sports Management Center of the State General Administration of Sports held a media briefing at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics training venue-"Ice Altar" to introduce the current situation of the ice and snow season. According to Ding Dong, deputy director of the center, this ice and snow season will cover 184 prefectures and cities across the country, with nearly 100 million people participating.
Since its establishment in 2014, the National Volkswagen Ice and Snow Season has been successfully held for 6 sessions. Over the past six years, tens of thousands of mass ice and snow events have been organized across the country.
With the theme of "inspiring the Chinese dream and brewing a new chapter in ice and snow", this ice and snow season will continue to carry out a series of ice and snow events in various forms, rich in content, and close to the masses. It is expected that mass events with national or regional linkage will be held. Nearly 1,200 games, including not only traditional ice and snow events and activities, but also ice and snow parks, training camps, fun games, Nadam, online answering questions, rollers, etc. The Winter Sports Center will also provide the masses with splendid, online and offline ice and snow events and experiences through demonstration, guidance and display. On this basis, the coverage of this event is expected to reach a new high. 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities and 184 prefectures and cities across the country will participate. More than half of the prefectures and cities across the country will hold related activities to directly participate in ice and snow events and accept ice and snow. The number of sports knowledge propaganda and training has reached nearly 100 million person-times, the largest number in previous ice and snow seasons.
Ding Dong said that the current ice and snow season is the eve of the Beijing Winter Olympics preparations for the "sprint", a concentrated display of the development of my country's ice and snow sports in the new era. The organizing committee will actively explore new methods, new methods, new ideas, and new technologies for the promotion and popularization of ice and snow sports under the normalization of epidemic prevention and control, and extensive use of modern science and technology such as 5G, combining online and offline, and innovative The design and arrangement of the events are focused, hierarchically and targeted to carry out mass ice and snow events nationwide.
According to the arrangement, the launching ceremony of this ice and snow season will be held at 10 am on the 29th at Jingyuetan Scenic Area, Changchun City, Jilin Province. There will be cross-country skiing competitions, mass ice and snow events and activities, and Northeast folklore exhibitions at the ceremony site. The branch venues in Shijingshan District of Beijing, Chengde City of Hebei Province, Shennongjia District of Hubei Province, and Sanya City of Hainan Province will also hold the launching ceremony simultaneously and start with the host The ceremony was simultaneously presented through 5G video connection, creating a scene of "mass ice and snow gala" and further showing the prosperous situation of the ice and snow sports "south expansion, west expansion, east advancement".
In addition, the "China Ice and Snow Map" jointly created by the Winter Sports Center and related units will also become a highlight of this ice and snow season. Ice and Snow Map is a "data, visualization, and fusion" big data product that integrates ice and snow sports experience, ice and snow event participation, and ice and snow tourism customization. It subsidizes ice and snow sports venues, ice and snow event information, and ice and snow venues across the country. Information, etc., are displayed online in a centralized and unified manner, and the public can enjoy the "one-stop" service of inquiry, ticket purchase, transportation, and accommodation, and easily enjoy the fun of ice and snow sports. (*Article source: Beijing Daily)


text:
agp(4) [freebsd man page]
AGP(4) BSD Kernel Interfaces Manual AGP(4) NAME
agp -- generic interface to the Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) SYNOPSIS
device agp DESCRIPTION
The agp driver provides uniform, abstract methods for controlling the following devices: Ali: M1541, M1621 and M1671 host to AGP bridges AMD: 751, 761 and 762 host to AGP bridges ATI: RS100, RS200, RS250 and RS300 AGP bridges Intel: i820, i840, i845, i850, and i860 host to AGP bridges Intel: i810, i810-DC100, i810E, i815, 830M, 845G, 845M, 852GM, 852GME, 855GM, 855GME, 865G, 915G and 915GM SVGA controllers Intel: 82443BX, 82443GX, 82443LX, 82815, 82820, 82830, 82840, 82845, 82845G, 82850, 82855, 82855GM, 82860, 82865, 82875P, E7205 and E7505 host to AGP bridges NVIDIA: nForce and nForce2 AGP controllers SiS: 530, 540, 550, 620, 630, 645, 645DX, 648, 650, 651, 655, 661, 730, 735, 740, 741, 745, 746, 760 and 5591 host to AGP bridges VIA: 3296, 82C597, 82C598, 82C691, 82C694X, 82C8363, 8235, 8237, 8361, 8367, 8371, 8377, 8501, 8601, 862x, 8633, 8653, 8703, 8753, 8754, 8763, 8783, KT880, PM800, PM880, PN800, PN880, PT880, XM266 and XN266 host to PCI bridges The most common application of agp is for running X(7) on the Intel i81x controllers. IOCTLS
The following ioctl(2) operations can be performed on /dev/agpgart, which are defined in <sys/agpio.h>: AGPIOC_INFO Returns state of the agp system. The result is a pointer to the following structure: typedef struct _agp_info { agp_version version; /* version of the driver */ uint32_t bridge_id; /* bridge vendor/device */ uint32_t agp_mode; /* mode info of bridge */ off_t aper_base; /* base of aperture */ size_t aper_size; /* size of aperture */ size_t pg_total; /* max pages (swap + system) */ size_t pg_system; /* max pages (system) */ size_t pg_used; /* current pages used */ } agp_info; AGPIOC_ACQUIRE Acquire control of the AGP chipset for use by this client. Returns EBUSY if the AGP chipset is already acquired by another client. AGPIOC_RELEASE Release control of the AGP chipset. This does not unbind or free any allocated memory, which is the responsibility of the client to handle if necessary. AGPIOC_SETUP Enable the AGP hardware with the relevant mode. This ioctl(2) takes the following structure: typedef struct _agp_setup { uint32_t agp_mode; /* mode info of bridge */ } agp_setup; The mode bits are defined in <sys/agpio.h>. AGPIOC_ALLOCATE Allocate physical memory suitable for mapping into the AGP aperture. This ioctl(2) takes the following structure: typedef struct _agp_allocate { int key; /* tag of allocation */ size_t pg_count; /* number of pages */ uint32_t type; /* 0 == normal, other devspec */ uint32_t physical; /* device specific (some devices * need a phys address of the * actual page behind the gatt * table) */ } agp_allocate; Returns a handle to the allocated memory. AGPIOC_DEALLOCATE Free the previously allocated memory associated with the handle passed. AGPIOC_BIND Bind the allocated memory at given offset with the AGP aperture. Returns EINVAL if the memory is already bound or the offset is not at AGP page boundary. This ioctl(2) takes the following structure: typedef struct _agp_bind { int key; /* tag of allocation */ off_t pg_start; /* starting page to populate */ } agp_bind; The tag of allocation is the handle returned by AGPIOC_ALLOCATE. AGPIOC_UNBIND Unbind memory from the AGP aperture. Returns EINVAL if the memory is not bound. This ioctl(2) takes the following structure: typedef struct _agp_unbind { int key; /* tag of allocation */ uint32_t priority; /* priority for paging out */ } agp_unbind; FILES
/dev/agpgart AGP device node. SEE ALSO
X(7) (ports/x11/xorg) HISTORY
The agp driver first appeared in FreeBSD 4.1. BSD
November 28, 2007 BSD


text:
We love our planet as much as you do. We are proud that many of our products are Cradle-to-Cradle® Certified on the Silver level. This means they meet strict requirements for (re)use of materials, renewable energy, water stewardship, and social fairness. How beautiful is that!
Brabantia represents durability and quality. That's why we give you a 10-year guarantee on this product. Thus, we not only offer a smart solution for you, but for the planet too.


text:
- tells your browser to reload a new specially selected random homepage every 12 seconds, allowing you to sit back and watch the web go by.
Capibara Software and consultancy
- A public domain www to e-mail gateway (cgi/perl) with full mime compliancy (even multipart), and verry extended user configurability.
- CGI.h defines a CGI object via a C++ include file.
- A HTML Editor.
HTML Table Generator
Java(tm): Programming for the Internet
- korn shell utilities, tools, programs, and applications. Also javascript, perl, CGI, and HTML code.
- A CGI script that implements server push video streaming.
NCSA HTTPd Home Page
Netscape UNIX HELPER APPLICATIONS
Render Factory - - Addbevel to and Image
- Makebevel around an Image
- This page contains scripts that have been written in C for Unix based httpd servers.
- A modularised, object oriented World Wide Web HTTP/1.0 compliant server
Viewer Test Page
- Test functionality of your browser/viewer.
Web Based Management Page
- Web page dedicated to web based system and network management.
- Everything you need to create the world's best Web pages, combined with the server technology powering the highest-traffic sites on the Web.


text:
Please select products you wish to purchase using the tick boxes, and specify the quantities required. Once your happy with your selection click the Add to Basket button.
This website uses cookies. By navigating around this site you consent to cookies being stored on your machine. Learn more
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text:
- City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
- Dubai 04:04 05:27 12:18 15:42 19:04 20:28
A sunset wedding ceremony aboard a hot air balloon got off to a bumpy start when a gust of wind forced the pilot to make a crash landing in the yard of a San Diego home.
San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokesman Maurice Luque says one of the 14 people onboard suffered a minor back injury Monday.
The marrying couple told KGTV the gust caught the balloon just after they exchanged their vows, causing it to sway over the Rancho Penasquitos neighborhood.
The landing on a hillside fence behind the house was filmed by a member of the wedding party. Video showed the blue-and-yellow balloon draped over trees near the house afterward.
The couple continued to their reception.
Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.


text:
Chad Billingsley (15-10, 3.02) vs. Zach Duke (5-14, 4.84).
COMMENTS: Lest we start getting cocky, with a 4.5 game lead over the Diamondbacks with 11 to play, plus having won the first two games of this Pirates series with ease (assuring the Dodgers of at least a series split), let us remind you: This is Zach Duke about which we're talking. Fifth in the voting for NL Rookie of the Year in 2005. Only two starts removed from a complete game shutout. And Duke is 1-0 against us this year. So we should approach this hazard, and today's game, with the requisite amount of seriousness. (No need to wear the Daisy Dukes, Manny!)


text:
Harry Garlick painted The drover in response to the 'Federation drought', which began in 1895 and reached its climax in the summer of 1901–02. Officially lasting until 1903, the drought had a devastating effect on the sheep, cattle and wheat-farming industries throughout much of Australia. Garlick had painted earlier responses to the drought, such as Drought stricken1902 (present whereabouts unknown). It is possible that The drover was painted in the Orange or Bathurst regions of western New South Wales where Garlick was born and lived until 1896. In the heat of the midday sun a drover leads his flock along an arid stock route, the artist's use of perspective emphasising the distance between the drover and his flock and the hills on the horizon.
The drover is indicative of Garlick's interest in pastoral scenes. As a young man he travelled each week from Orange to Bathurst to attend painting classes with Sydney painter Arthur Collingridge. After relocating to Sydney from Orange in 1896 he attended night classes with Julian Ashton, worked as a clerk and occasionally published drawings and cartoons in the Bulletin. Garlick was one of a number of artists, including Julian Ashton, Sydney Long, Charles Conder and Arthur Streeton, who visited Griffiths's farm on the Richmond side of the Hawkesbury River on outdoor painting trips.


text:
Lohan sues over fashion line
Lindsay Lohan sued her former collaborators on a clothing line on Thursday, seeking more than $US1.1 million ($1.06 million) and renewed control of the brand's trademarks.
The lawsuit claims a clothing manufacturer who previously worked with Lohan continues to sell items under the actress's 6126 Collection, which started out as a legging brand and had ambitions to expand into other clothing items.
The breach of contract, fraud and trademark infringement lawsuit filed in a Los Angeles federal court seeks royalties and other payments from D.N.A.M. Apparel Industries LLC.
The suit claims D.N.A.M. has failed to pay Lohan more than $US1 million in royalties and has not abided by an agreement to seek the Liz & Dick star's input on merchandise. D.N.A.M. also agreed to promote and expand the 6126 into swimwear, cosmetics and other apparel and open a showroom in New York, according to the lawsuit.
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READ NOWThe case asks a judge to order the company to stop using the 6126 name and trademarks. Lohan named the clothing line after the June 1, 1926, birthdate of her idol, Marilyn Monroe.
A phone number for D.N.A.M. Apparel was unanswered on Thursday morning and other attempts to reach the company for comment were unsuccessful.
"Lindsay's very passionate about her apparel line and about designing," her lawyer Perry Wander said. "The purpose of this suit is to wrest control of her trademark away from this company that's been selling items overseas and online under the 6126 trademark."
He said Lohan is looking forward to designing a new line and will negotiate with a new company to licence her trademarks.
The actress, who faces possible jail time over charges she lied to police about a car crash, briefly appeared in a criminal court on Wednesday.
She has sued several times over alleged misuse of her name and image, including a lawsuit she settled in 2010 against E-Trade over a Super Bowl ad that featured babies talking about a "milkaholic" named Lindsay.
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text: Guardian Masterclasses is a unique programme of learning embedded within one of the world's most forward-thinking media organisations. Masterclasses offer a broad range of short and long courses across a variety of disciplines from creative writing, journalism, photography and design, film and digital media, music and cultural appreciation. Harnessing the expertise and specialisms within the organisation, our courses are led by first class and award-winning Guardian professionals whilst also drawing on the skills and expertise of other leading figures at the forefront of the creative and digital industries. The programme is aimed at anyone interested in personal or professional development whether that be refining your skills, focusing your ambition or simply broadening your mind and gaining inspiration.


text: Founder and President of the Media Research Center, L. Brent Bozell III runs the largest media watchdog organization in America. Established in 1987, the MRC has made "media bias" a household term, tracking it and printing the compiled evidence daily. Mr. Bozell is a nationally syndicated writer to more than 50 newspapers around the country, whose work appears in publications such as Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Washington Times, The New York Post, The L.A. Times and National Review.


text:
Person: Ohmygod, I love your scarf!
Me: Haha, thanks! I mean, I didn't make it, but-
Person: *snorts* well duh, yeah, obviously. I got that.
...I am not known for being crafty, okay?
And now Elizabeth and I have a mutual obsession. You don't get much more bonkerz (WL slang) than a Minnie headband and multi-colored chain scarf, ladies and germs.
Some punk at school came up to me and tried to obnoxiously stick his head through Da Chain. By impulse/reflex I kicked him. If injury doesn't express my love for it, I don't know what does.
Yokoo was sneaky and put a couple thrifted thangs in my package as well. The flannel I'm wearing above and the quilted dress I wore today, along with a couple other epic items you'll be seeing soon. It's all so unbearably epic. All of it.


text:
Beyond Prisons:
- Think Outside the Bars
- Share
Think Outside the Bars
Why real justice means fewer prisons.
A white woman with gray hair pulled neatly into a bun raises her hand. She keeps it up, unwavering and rigid, as she waits patiently for her turn to speak. Finally, the microphone is passed to the back of the room, and she leaps to her feet. With an air of desperation she blurts out, "You know white people suffer in this system, too, don't you? It's not just black and brown people destroyed by this drug war. My son, he's been in the system. He's an addict. He needs help. He needs treatment, but we don't have money. He needs his family. But they keep givin' him prison time. White people are hurting, too." She is trembling and sits down.
There is an uncomfortable silence in the room, but I am in no hurry to respond. I let her question hang in the air. I want people to feel this discomfort, the tension created by her suffering. The audience is overwhelmingly African American, and a few of them are visibly agitated or annoyed by her question. I've spent the last forty minutes discussing my book, The New Jim Crow. The book argues that today, in the so-called era of colorblindness, and, yes—even in the age of Obama—racial caste is alive and well in America. The mass incarceration of poor people of color through a racially biased drug war has birthed a new caste system. It is the moral equivalent of Jim Crow.
Racial Politics, Not Crime
The audience has heard the facts: Our prison population quintupled in a few short decades for reasons that have stunningly little to do with crime or crime rates . Incarceration rates—especially black incarceration rates—have soared regardless of whether crime was going up or down in any given community or the nation as a whole. Mass incarceration has been driven primarily by politics—racial politics—not crime. As part of a backlash against the Civil Rights Movement, our nation declared a "War on Drugs" that has turned back the clock on racial progress in the United States. Although people of color are no more likely to use or sell illegal drugs than whites, African Americans have been targeted at grossly disproportionate rates. When the War on Drugs escalated in the mid-1980s, prison admissions for African Americans skyrocketed, nearly quadrupling in three years, then increasing steadily to a level in 2000 more than 26 times the level in 1983. In some states, 80 to 90 percent of all drug offenders sent to prison have been African American.
As a nation, we've been encouraged to imagine that this war has been focused on rooting out violent offenders or drug kingpins, but that is far from the truth . Federal funding has flowed to those state and local law enforcement agencies that boost dramatically the sheer number of drug arrests. It's a numbers game. That's why the overwhelming majority of people arrested in the drug war are the "low-hanging fruit"—poor people of color who are stopped, frisked, and tossed to the sidewalk by law enforcement, forced to lie spread-eagled on the pavement, simply because they "looked like" criminals while standing on the corner talking to friends or walking home from school or the subway.
Michelle Alexander teaches law at Ohio State University. "Mass incarceration has been driven primarily by politics—racial politics—not crime" Alexander says. YES! Photo by Nick Koogler.
The U.S. Supreme Court has given the police license to sweep poor communities of color, stopping, interrogating, searching anyone or everyone—without any evidence of criminal activity—so long as they get "consent." What's consent? When a police officer, with his hand on his gun, approaches a 16-year-old on the street and bellows, "Son, will you turn around so I can frisk you?" and the kid says, "Yeah," and complies, that's consent. Usually the exchanges are less polite.
And once the police get consent, the Fourth Amendment ban against unreasonable searches and seizures no longer applies. According to the Supreme Court, these "consensual" encounters are of no constitutional significance, even though they may wind up sending a 19-year-old kid to prison for the rest of his life: Life sentences for first-time drug offenses were upheld by the Supreme Court in Harmelin v. Michigan. The race of the defendant in that case was key to the sentence in the first place. It is nearly impossible to imagine a judge sentencing a white college kid to life in prison for getting caught with a bag of weed or cocaine. That's how this system works: Poor people of color are swept into the criminal justice system by the millions for drug crimes that go largely ignored when committed by middle- or upper-class whites. And release from prison or jail marks just the beginning of punishment, not the end.
Once branded a criminal, people enter a parallel social universe in which they are stripped of the rights supposedly won in the Civil Rights Movement. The old forms of discrimination—employment and housing discrimination, denial of basic public benefits and the right to vote, and exclusion from jury service—are perfectly legal again. In some major American cities, more than half of working-age African American men are saddled with criminal records and thus subject to legalized discrimination for the rest of their lives. These men are part of a growing undercaste—not class, caste—a group of people, defined largely by race, who are relegated to a permanent, second-class status by law.
Uniting Poor People
The white woman is waiting for me to speak.
I know a great deal rides on my response. It is not an overstatement to say that the success or failure of the emerging movement to end mass incarceration may turn on the ability of advocates like myself to respond to people like her in a manner that validates and honors her experience, while not brushing aside—even slightly—the thoroughly racial nature of the prevailing caste system. Is it possible to join poor whites like her with poor people of color in a movement to challenge a political and economic system that harms them all, though differently?
The mass incarceration of poor people of color through a racially biased drug war has birthed a new caste system.
There was a brief moment when it seemed clear that the answer was yes. As the Civil Rights Movement was gaining full steam, Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders made clear that that they viewed the eradication of economic inequality as the next front in movement building—a Poor People's Movement was required. Genuine equality for black people, King reasoned, demanded a radical restructuring of society, one that would address the needs of black and white poor throughout the country.
In 1968, having won landmark civil rights legislation, King strenuously urged racial justice advocates to shift from a civil rights to a human rights paradigm. A human rights approach, he believed, would offer far greater hope than the civil rights model had provided for those determined to create a thriving, multiracial democracy free from racial hierarchy. It would offer a positive vision of what we can strive for—a society in which people of all races are treated with dignity and have the right to food, shelter, health care, education, and security. "We must see the great distinction between a reform movement and a revolutionary movement," he said. "We are called upon to raise certain basic questions about the whole society." The Poor People's Movement seemed poised to unite poor people of all colors in a bold challenge to the prevailing economic and political system.
White Backlash
But a backlash was also brewing. Anxiety and resentment among poor and working class whites was on the rise. The truth is that poor and working class whites had their world rocked by the Civil Rights Movement. Wealthy whites could send their children to private schools and give them all of the advantages that wealth has to offer, yet they were a tiny minority that stood apart from the rest of whites and virtually all blacks. Poor and working class whites—the regular folk—were faced with a social demotion. Their kids were potentially subject to desegregation and busing orders; their kids were suddenly forced to compete on equal terms for increasingly scarce jobs. Poor whites were better off than African Americans for the most part, but they were not well off—they, too, were struggling for survival.
Genuine equality for black people demanded a radical restructuring of society, one that would address the needs of black and white poor throughout the country.
What lower-class whites did have, in the words of W.E.B. DuBois, was "the public and psychological wage" paid to white workers, whose status and privileges as whites compensated for low pay and harsh working conditions. In retrospect, it seems clear that, from a racial justice perspective, nothing could have been more important in the 1970s and 80s than finding a way to create a durable, interracial, bottom-up coalition for social and economic justice. But in the years following King's death, civil rights leaders turned away from the Poor People's Movement and began resisting calls for class-based affirmative action on the grounds that whites had been enjoying racial preferences for hundreds of years.
Resentment, frustration, and anger expressed by poor and working class whites—as they worried aloud that blacks were leapfrogging over them on their way to Harvard and Yale—were chalked up to racism, leading to little open or honest dialogue about race and an enormous political opportunity for conservative strategists. "Get tough" rhetoric provided a facially race neutral outlet for racial frustrations and hostilities. H.R. Haldeman, President Richard Nixon's former chief of staff, summed up what came to be known as the "Southern Strategy" this way: "The whole problem is really the blacks. The key is designing a system that recognizes this while not appearing to."
The War on Drugs
And so the "War on Drugs" was born. Richard Nixon was the first to use the term, but Ronald Reagan turned the rhetorical war into a literal one. When he declared his drug war in 1982, drug crime was actually on the decline. It was a couple years before—not after—crack ripped through inner-city communities and became a media sensation. From the outset, the drug war had little to do with drug crime and much to do with racial politics. As numerous historians and political scientists have now shown, Reagan declared his drug war in an attempt to make good on campaign promises to "get tough" on a group of people identified not-so-subtly in the media and political discourse as black and brown. Once crack hit the streets, the Reagan administration seized on the development, actually hiring staff whose job it was to publicize inner-city crack babies, crack dealers, and the so-called crack whores. Once the enemy in the war was racially defined, a wave of punitiveness washed over the United States. Democrats began competing with Republicans to prove they could be even tougher on "them." Some black legislators joined the calls for "get tough" measures, often in desperation, as they sought to deal with rising crime and joblessness in ghetto communities. They found themselves complicit—wittingly or unwittingly—in the emergence of a new caste system. And many civil rights advocates found themselves exacerbating racial divisions, fighting for affirmative action even as they abandoned the Poor People's Movement that sought to restructure our nation's economic and political system for the benefit of people of all colors. They had accepted a racial bribe: the promise of largely superficial changes benefiting a relative few in exchange for abandoning the radical movement born in the 1960s that sought liberty and equality for all of us.
Once the enemy in the war was racially defined, a wave of punitiveness washed over the United States.
Poor whites had accepted a similar racial bribe when they embraced Jim Crow laws—laws which were proposed following the Civil War as part of a strategic effort by white elites to destroy the Populist movement, the nation's first interracial, political coalition for economic and social justice in the South. Time and time again, the divide-and-conquer strategy has worked to eliminate the possibility that poor people of all colors might see themselves as sharing common interests, having a linked fate.
It's time for me to break the silence.
"Your son is suffering because of a drug war declared with black folks in mind," I say after a long pause. "White people—especially poor whites—are suffering because of the politics of racial division. Latinos are suffering, too. The drug war as we know it would not exist today, but for the demonization of black men, and now your son, a young white man, is paying the price. Poor whites are collateral damage in this drug war. But whether you're the target or collateral damage, the suffering remains the same. Thanks to the drug war, we have the opportunity to see clearly how caste-like systems hurt us all, even though they hurt us differently or in different degrees. We must go back and pick up where Martin Luther King Jr. left off and do the hard work of movement building on behalf of poor people of all colors. Are you willing to help build a movement to end racial caste in America, a human rights movement on behalf of all of us? All of us or none?"
"Yes, I am," the white woman shouts loudly, unaided by a microphone. The crowd erupts in applause. She wipes a few tears and smiles. "I just need to know that my son matters, too. I guess we all need to know that we matter. That's what it's all about, right?"


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The conflicting accounts could put pressure on both sides for more details on U.S. reconnaissance and Iranian counter-measures.
They also point to other questions, including how Iran could manage to snatch the Boeing-designed ScanEagle drone without noticeable damage to its light-weight, carbon-fiber body or whether the aircraft could be from another Gulf country that deploys it.
There is even the possibility the drone is authentic but was plucked from the sea after a past crash and unveiled for maximum effect amid escalating tensions over U.S. reconnaissance missions - including a Predator drone coming under fire from Iranian warplanes last month.
But unlike the larger Predator, which can carry weapons and sophisticated surveillance systems, the much smaller ScanEagle collects mostly photographic and video images using equipment with little intelligence value, experts said. One called the craft a "large seagull" with cameras.
Monitoring of Gulf air and sea traffic is considered of high importance for the U.S. military. Iran has taken steps to boost its naval and drone capabilities, unsettling Washington's Gulf Arab allies. Iran also has threatened in the past to try to block the strategic Strait of Hormuz - the route for one-fifth of the world's oil - in retaliation for Western sanctions over Tehran's nuclear program.
"We had warned American officials not to violate our airspace. We had formally protested such actions and had announced that we protect our borders," state TV quoted Foreign Minister Ali Abkar Salehi as saying.
Washington denies it has crossed into Iranian airspace, but Iran's definition of its jurisdiction could be far broader. State-run Press TV said any surveillance of Iran was considered "a violation of territory."
Asked about Iran's assertion that it had captured a U.S. drone, White House press secretary Jay Carney said "we have no evidence that the Iranian claims are true."
Cmdr. Jason Salata, a spokesman for the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet in Bahrain, said there are no Navy drones missing in the Middle East.
"The U.S. Navy has fully accounted for all unmanned air vehicles operating in the Middle East region," said Salata. "Our operations in the Gulf are confined to internationally recognized waters and airspace."
He noted that some ScanEagles operated by the Navy "have been lost into the water" over the years, but there is no "record of that occurring most recently."
Other countries in the region, including the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, also have ScanEagle drones in their fleets. It's used by other militaries, but not among Iran's close allies.
The Iranian announcement did not give details on the time or location of the claimed drone capture.
It's certain, however, to be portrayed by Tehran as another bold challenge to U.S. reconnaissance efforts in the region.
Last month, the Pentagon said a drone came under Iranian fire in the Gulf but was not harmed. A year ago, Iran managed to bring down an unmanned CIA spy drone possibly coming from Afghanistan.
Iran claimed it captured the drone after it entered Iranian airspace. A report on state TV quoted the navy chief of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Ali Fadavi, as saying the Iranian forces caught the "intruding" drone.
"The U.S. drone, which was conducting a reconnaissance flight and gathering data over the Persian Gulf in the past few days, was captured by the Guard's navy air defense unit as soon as it entered Iranian airspace," Fadavi said. "Such drones usually take off from large warships."
Al-Alam, the Iranian state TV's Arabic-language channel, showed two Guard commanders examining what appeared to be a ScanEagle drone with no visible damage or military markings on its gray fuselage or wings.
The semiofficial Fars news agency, which is close to the Guard, said it was the captured drone, a propeller-driven craft with a 10-foot (three-meter) wingspan that's sent aloft from a pneumatic launcher from even a small vessel - undermining Iranian claims that it needs a warship to be deployed.
The drone, built by Boeing subsidiary Insitu Inc., typically would have no high-value intelligence and is used mostly for aerial photographs and video.
"With a ScanEagle, you just throw it off your boat to have a look over the horizon. It's not, like, a major system," said aviation expert Paul E. Eden. "In military chest-beating terms, the U.S. is likely to just laugh at the Iranians for making so much of having captured one."
Eden also expressed skepticism that the ScanEagle could have been shot down, calling it akin to a "large seagull" because it's slow and very small, making it a tricky target.
"If you did hit it with any anti-aircraft weapons, there wouldn't be much left," said Huw Williams, a drone expert at Jane's International Defense Review.
In the Iranian TV footage, the two men then point to a huge map of the Persian Gulf in the background, showing the drone's alleged path of entry into Iranian airspace. "We shall trample on the U.S.," was printed over the map in Farsi and English next to the Guard's emblem.
If true, the seizure of the drone would be the third reported incident involving Iran and U.S. drones in the past two years.
Last month, Iran claimed that a U.S. drone had violated its airspace. The Pentagon said the unmanned aircraft came under fire - at least twice but was not hit - and that the Predator was over international waters.
The Nov. 1 shooting in the Gulf was unprecedented, and further escalated tensions between the United States and Iran, which is under international sanctions over its suspect nuclear program. Tehran denies it's pursuing a nuclear weapon and insists its program is for peaceful purposes only.
In late 2011, Iran claimed it brought down a CIA spy drone after it entered Iranian airspace from its eastern borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan. The RQ-170 Sentinel drone, which is equipped with stealth technology, was captured almost intact. Tehran later said it recovered data from the drone.
In the case of the Sentinel, after initially saying only that a drone had been lost near the Afghan-Iran border, American officials eventually confirmed it had been monitoring Iran's military and nuclear facilities. Washington asked for it back but Iran refused, and instead released photos of Iranian officials studying the aircraft.
Iran meanwhile, has claimed advancements in drone technology.
In November, Iranian media reported that the country had produced a domestically made drone capable of hovering. Earlier, Iran said it obtained images of sensitive Israeli bases taken by a drone that was launched by Lebanon's Hezbollah and downed by Israel.
Iran also claimed other drones made dozens of apparently undetected flights into Israeli airspace from Lebanon in recent years. Israel has rejected the Iranian assertions.
Murphy reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Cassandra Vinograd in London and Julie Pace in Washington contributed to this report.


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This country report is part of a series of reports on vocational education and training produced for each EU Member State plus Norway and Iceland by members of ReferNet, Cedefop's European network of expertise in vocational education and training.
This VET in Europe report provides readers with a concise, basic insight into the state of the vocational education and training system of Germany. It situates the German education and training system within a broad political, social, economic, and labour market framework.
CHAPTER 1. External factors influencing VET
CHAPTER 2. Provision of VET
CHAPTER 3. Shaping VET qualifications
CHAPTER 4. Promoting participation in VET
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Vocational education and training in Europe: Germany 2018