text:
Today, the World Wide Web turns 29. This year marks a milestone in the web's history: For the first time, we will cross the tipping point when more than half of the world's population will be online.
When I share this exciting news with people, I tend to get one of two concerned reactions:
- How do we get the other half of the world connected?
- Are we sure the rest of the world wants to connect to the web we have today?
The threats to the web today are real and many, including those that I described in my last letter—from misinformation and questionable political advertising to a loss of control over our personal data. But I remain committed to making sure the web is a free, open, creative space—for everyone.
That vision is only possible if we get everyone online, and make sure the web works for people. I founded the Web Foundation to fight for the web's future. Here's where we must focus our efforts.
Close the digital divide
The divide between people who have internet access and those who do not is deepening existing inequalities—inequalities that pose a serious global threat. Unsurprisingly, you're more likely to be offline if you are female, poor, live in a rural area or a low-income country, or some combination of the above. To be offline today is to be excluded from opportunities to learn and earn, to access valuable services, and to participate in democratic debate. If we do not invest seriously in closing this gap, the last billion will not be connected until 2042. That's an entire generation left behind.
In 2016, the UN declared internet access a human right, on par with clean water, electricity, shelter, and food. But until we make internet access affordable for all, billions will continue to be denied this basic right. The target has been set—the UN recently adopted the Alliance for Affordable Internet's threshold for affordability: 1GB of mobile data for less than 2% of average monthly income. The reality, however, is that we're still a long way off from reaching this target—in some countries, the cost of 1GB of mobile broadband remains over 20% of average monthly income.
What will it take to actually achieve this goal? We must support policies and business models that expand access to the world's poorest through public access solutions, such as community networks and public wifi initiatives. We must invest in securing reliable access for women and girls, and empowering them through digital skills training.
Make the web work for people
The web that many connected to years ago is not what new users will find today. What was once a rich selection of blogs and websites has been compressed under the powerful weight of a few dominant platforms. This concentration of power creates a new set of gatekeepers, allowing a handful of platforms to control which ideas and opinions are seen and shared.
These dominant platforms are able to lock in their position by creating barriers for competitors. They acquire startup challengers, buy up new innovations, and hire the industry's top talent. Add to this the competitive advantage that their user data gives them and we can expect the next 20 years to be far less innovative than the last.
What's more, the fact that power is concentrated among so few companies has made it possible to weaponize the web at scale. In recent years, we've seen conspiracy theories trend on social media platforms, fake Twitter and Facebook accounts stoke social tensions, external actors interfere in elections, and criminals steal troves of personal data.
We've looked to the platforms themselves for answers. Companies are aware of the problems and are making efforts to fix them—with each change they make affecting millions of people. The responsibility—and sometimes burden—of making these decisions falls on companies that have been built to maximize profit more than to maximize social good. A legal or regulatory framework that accounts for social objectives may help ease those tensions.
Bring more voices to the debate on the web's future
The future of the web isn't just about those of us who are online today, but also those yet to connect. Today's powerful digital economy calls for strong standards that balance the interests of both companies and online citizens. This means thinking about how we align the incentives of the tech sector with those of users and society at large, and consulting a diverse cross section of society in the process.
Two myths currently limit our collective imagination: the myth that advertising is the only possible business model for online companies, and the myth that it's too late to change the way platforms operate. On both points, we need to be a little more creative.
While the problems facing the web are complex and large, I think we should see them as bugs: problems with existing code and software systems that have been created by people—and can be fixed by people. Create a new set of incentives and changes in the code will follow. We can design a web that creates a constructive and supportive environment.
Today, I want to challenge us all to have greater ambitions for the web. I want the web to reflect our hopes and fulfill our dreams, rather than magnify our fears and deepen our divisions.
As the late internet activist John Perry Barlow once said: "a good way to invent the future is to predict it." It may sound utopian, it may sound impossible to achieve after the setbacks of the last two years, but I want us to imagine that future and build it.
Let's assemble the brightest minds from business, technology, government, civil society, the arts, and academia to tackle the threats to the web's future. At the Web Foundation, we are ready to play our part in this mission and build the web we all want. Let's work together to make it possible.
Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web in 1989. This post originally appeared on the Web Foundation.


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Later this week I'll be giving a talk in Berlin as part of the Apocalypse Now (And Then) festival. The week after, I'll be in Tartu, Estonia, to give a talk as part of the Prima Vista literary festival
Apocalypse Now (And Then): The End of the World in Pop Culture (Thursday 3 May — Saturday 5 May 2012)
My talk - "The Endless End, or, Better To Burn Out Than To Fade Away" - is at 7-30pm, Thursday 3 May.
It is followed at 9pm by a discussion with myself, Jens Balzer, Falko McKenna and Tobias Rapp.
Apocalypse Now (And Then) is curated by Christoph Gurk and Tobias Rapp. Other festival participants include Greg Tate, Kodwo Eshun, Kode 9, The Caretaker, Diedrich Diederichsen, Christina Striewski, Jens Balzer, Tracey Rose, Aethenor...
Location: HAU 1 theatre, Stresemann Strasse 29. Hebbel am Ufer, 10963 Berlin
Telephone +49-(0)30-25900427 and website

subset: commoncrawl


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Rangers of the North (book)
|Rangers of the North, The Kingdom of Arthedain
|John David Ruemmler
|Iron Crown Enterprises
|ICE stock no.
Rangers of the North: The Kingdom of Arthedain is a module (in the Campaign-series) for Middle-earth Role Playing, 1st Edition.
Material from this product was included in Arnor, The Realm.
Cover/Jacket Text[edit | edit source]
This package details all of the Northern Kingdom of the Dunedain and includes:
- 9 layouts including villages & the Evil Seer's stronghold
- 4 full-color maps depicting Fornost, Annuminas, the Shire and the Northern Frontier
- a complete description of the Palantiri
- complete stats for Aragorn the Ranger, Gandalf the Wizard, and many important Hobbits
- adventure near the Witch-King's western border
- search for the lost Palantiri in the frozen waste of Forochel
Cradled between the mighty Misty Mountains and the Blue, Arthedain is home to the faithful of fallen Numenor, once inhabited by the highest of men. Renowned seers gather at the Royal Court in Fornost to contemplate the obscure visions of the Palantir. To the east the Witch-King of Angmar is poised like a hungry wolf, anxious to devour the last remaining Dunedain Kingdom.
Against this threat stand a few whose noble heritage is obscured by the course clothing of the frontier. A secretive, wandering people are these Rangers; woodwise as Elves. Tutored by the Wizard Gandalf, and using birds and beasts as their agents, they guard and protect the eastern borders against the forces of Darkness.


text:
Source: Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
ENTREMONT, SIMON D', agriculturist, politician, and office-holder; b. 28 Oct. 1788 at West Pubnico, N.S., third child of Bénoni d'Entremont* and Anne-Marguerite Pothier; d. 6 Sept. 1886 at East Pubnico, N.S.
Philippe Mius* d'Entremont, lieutenant to Charles de Saint-Étienne* de La Tour, the governor of Acadia, was granted the barony of Pobomcoup; near Cape Sable, by the latter in 1651 or 1653. During the expulsion of the Acadians by Governor Charles Lawrence*, Simon d'Entremont's father was driven out of Pobomcoup some time between 1756 and 1758; he was one of the first to return to this region, settling at West Pubnico around 1766.
According to George Stayley Brown, Simon d'Entremont did not go to school, there being none at the time, but he nevertheless managed to learn to express himself in writing in both French and English and to acquire the rudiments of Latin and Micmac. On 20 June 1810 Simon married Elizabeth Larkin, of East Pubnico. He then took up residence on the east side of Pubnico harbour, where he had received quite a large piece of property from his father. Nine children were born of the marriage. His first wife died on 16 Feb. 1830, and the next year he married Élisabeth Thériault, of Meteghan, N.S.; they also had nine children.
In the provincial elections of 1836, Simon d'Entremont stood for Argyle Township, established as a constituency that year. The population of this township in Yarmouth County was largely Acadian. D'Entremont won the election and, according to Clarence J. d'Entremont, he and Frederick Armand Robicheau, of Corberrie in Digby County, were the first Acadians in North America elected to a house of assembly.
In 1823 the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia passed a resolution permitting Catholics who were elected members to assume their seats without taking the oaths under the Test Act, which denied tenets of the Roman Catholic faith. However, tradition has it that at the opening of the 15th session on 31 Jan. 1837, when Simon d'Entremont stepped forward to take his place, the test oath apparently was brought to him. After reading it, he said: "You can take back your document . . . . I would rather swallow a dogfish, tail first, than swear that." Moreover, he well knew that he was right to refuse to take the oath, for it had been abolished eight years earlier by the British parliament. Simon d'Entremont was allowed to take his seat after swearing a simple oath of loyalty to the laws of the land. He sat from 1837 until dissolution in 1840.
D'Entremont stood again in the 1840 elections but was defeated by John Ryder of Argyle; he then withdrew from the political arena but not from public life. Two years earlier, in 1838, he had been appointed a justice of the peace for Yarmouth County, and he held this office to an advanced age. He had also been appointed supervisor of sewers in Canton Township in 1839. From 1854 to 1864 he was customs officer for the ports of Argyle.
D'Entremont ended his long career in public service on 6 Sept. 1886. Four days later the parish priest of West Pubnico, Father William McLeod, noted: "I have today inhumed Simon d'Entremont, Esq. with all the rites of the Church he served so well. He had a large funeral, attended by many English-speaking families." He left 136 descendants – children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Arch. paroissiales, Saint-Pierre (Pubnico-Ouest, N.-É.), Reg. des baptêmes, mariages et sépultures, 10 sept. 1886. Centre acadien, Collège Sainte-Anne (Church Point, N.-É.), Paroisse Sainte-Marie (Meteghan, N.-É.), Reg. des baptêmes, mariages et sépultures, 1818–29. Centre d'études acadiennes, univ. de Moncton (Moncton, N.-B.), Fonds Placide Gaudet, "Notes généalogiques sur les familles acadiennes, c.1600–1900" (mfm. at the Centre acadien, Church Point). Le Moniteur acadien (Shédiac, N.-B.), 16 sept. 1886. Directory of N.S. MLAs, 90. G. S. Brown, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia: a sequel to Campbell's history (Boston, 1888), 482. H. L. d'Entremont, The baronnie de Pombcoup and the Acadians: a history of the ancient "Department of Cape Sable," now known as Yarmouth and Shelburne counties, Nova Scotia (Yarmouth, N.S., 1931), 54. C. J. d'Entremont, "À la mémoire de Simon d'Entremont," Le Petit Courrier (Pubnico-Ouest), 9 mars 1967; "Simon d'Entremont de Pubnico-Est, 1788–1886 . . . ," Soc. hist. acadienne, Cahiers (Moncton), 2 (1966–68): 233–35.
© 1982–2023 University of Toronto/Université Laval
Image Gallery
Cite This Article
Louis R. Comeau, "ENTREMONT, SIMON D'," in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 11, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed September 30, 2023, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/entremont_simon_d_11E.html.
The citation above shows the format for footnotes and endnotes according to the Chicago manual of style (16th edition). Information to be used in other citation formats:
|Author of Article:
|Louis R. Comeau
|Title of Article:
|Publication Name:
|Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 11
|University of Toronto/Université Laval
|Year of publication:
|Year of revision:
|Access Date:
|September 30, 2023


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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7673758362916429937.post7302264334558239460..comments2023-09-22T01:46:20.030+10:00Comments on Jack Lacton: Bosnian Muslim shoots 6 dead - MSM doesn't even ask a question of motiveJack Lactonhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7673758362916429937.post-85939352696994717452007-05-11T07:50:00.000+10:002007-05-11T07:50:00.000+10:00READ THE FOLLOWING PASSAGES FROM THE BIBLE AS IT H...READ THE FOLLOWING PASSAGES FROM THE BIBLE AS IT HAS IMPLICATIONS ON THE WAR AGAINST TERROR/ISLAM and the claim of Israel that god gave them the land. If the child is an infant than the Judeo-Christian version becomes null and void and we are wasting our time and resources i.e. we could save trillions of dollars and create a more peaceful world rather than fighting against Islam the religion of Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (peace be upon them all).

The COVENANT with Abraham and his DESCENDANTS is central to JUDAISM/CHRISTIANITY/ISLAM.

Please note this is not a competition between faiths but an attempt to decipher fact from fiction.

Genesis 21:14 Contemporary English version se below link

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=GENESIS%2021;&version=46;

Early the next morning Abraham gave Hagar an animal skin full of water and some bread. Then he put the boy on her shoulder and sent them away.

GENESIS 16:16
And Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ish'mael. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ish'mael to Abram.

GENESIS 21:5
Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

At Genesis 22 Abraham had only 2 sons others came later. The Quran mentions that it was Ishmael that was sacrificed hence the reference in genesis 22:2 your only son can only mean someone has substituted Ishmael names for Isaac!!

BY DOING SOME KINDERGARTEN ARITHMATIC USING ARABIC NUMBERS (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10)
NOT ROMAN NUMERALS (I, II, III,IV,V,VI,VII,VIII,IX,X) NB no concept of zero in roman numerals.

100 years old – 86 years old = 14 ADD 3 YEARS FOR ISSAC'S WEANING

THAT WOULD MAKE ISHMAEL 17 YEARS OLD IN GENESIS 21:14-21
BUT IT IS A DESCRIPTION OF AN INFANT.

Carefully read several times the above passage and then tell me the mental picture you get between the mother child interactions what is the age of the child. If the mental picture is that of a 17 year old child being carried on the shoulder of his mother, being physically placed in the bush, crying like a baby, mother having to give him water to drink, than the Islamic viewpoint is null and void. Why is there no verbal communications between mother and (17 YEAR OLD) child?

GENESIS: 21:14 - 21
So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the (17 YEAR OLD) child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-Sheba. When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the (17 YEAR OLD) child under one of the bushes. Then she went, and sat down over against him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot; for she said, "Let me not look upon the death of the (17 YEAR OLD) child." And as she sat over against him, the (17 YEAR OLD) child lifted up his voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the (17 YEAR OLD) lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, "What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not; for God has heard the voice of the (17 YEAR OLD) lad where he is. Arise, lift up the (17 YEAR OLD) lad, and hold him fast with your hand; for I will make him a great nation." Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the (17 YEAR OLD) lad a drink. And God was with the (17 YEAR OLD) lad, and he grew up; he lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow. He lived in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

The age of Ishmael at this stage is crucial to the Abrahamic faiths. If he is 17 than the JUDEO/CHRISTIAN point of view about the Abrahamic covenant is correct. This has devastating theological consequences of unimaginable proportions.

This makes the conflict between Ishmael and Isaac and there descendants a work of fiction. I would strongly suggest it is clear cut case of racial discrimination and nothing to do with god almighty. The scribes have deliberately tried to make Isaac the only son and legitimate heir to the throne of Abraham??

Please can you rationally explain this anomaly?

I have asked many persons including my nephews and nieces - unbiased minds with no religious backgrounds but with reasonable command of the English language about this passage and they all agree that the child in the passage is an infant.
AS THE DESCRIPTION OF ISHMAEL IN GENESIS 21:14-21 IS THAT OF AN INFANT IT CAN BE ASSUMED SOMEONE HAS MOVED THIS PASSAGE FROM AN EARLIER PART OF SCRIPTURE!!! AND HAVE GOT THERE KNICKERS IN A TWIST.

For background info on the future religion of mankind see the following websites:

http://www.islamicity.com/Mosque/Muhammad_Bible.HTM

(MUHAMMAD IN THE BIBLE)

http://bible.islamicweb.com/

http://www.islamicity.com/

http://www.islamonline.net/english/index.shtml

http://www.islamalways.com/

http://ifamericansknew.com/

http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Books/MB_BQS/default.htm

(BIBLE, QURAN and SCIENCE)

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/ANTI-WAR

http://www.harunyahya.com/
(EVOLUTION DECEIPT)

http://www.barnabas.net/

http:/www.answering-christianity.com/ac.htm

HOLY QURAN CHAPTER 37 verses 101 - 122

101. So We gave him the good news of a boy ready to suffer and forbear.

102. Then, when (the son) reached (the age of) (serious) work with him, he said: "O my son! I see in vision that I offer thee in sacrifice: Now see what is thy view!" (The son) said: "O my father! Do as thou art commanded: thou will find me, if Allah so wills one practising Patience and Constancy!"

103. So when they had both submitted their wills (to Allah., and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (for sacrifice),

104. We called out to him "O Abraham!

105. "Thou hast already fulfilled the vision!" - thus indeed do We reward those who do right.

106. For this was obviously a trial-

107. And We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice:

108. And We left (this blessing) for him among generations (to come) in later times:

109. "Peace and salutation to Abraham!"

110. Thus indeed do We reward those who do right.

111. For he was one of our believing Servants.

112. And We gave him the good news of Isaac - a prophet,- one of the Righteous.

113. We blessed him and Isaac: but of their progeny are (some) that do right, and (some) that obviously do wrong, to their own souls.

114. Again (of old) We bestowed Our favour on Moses and Aaron,

115. And We delivered them and their people from (their) Great Calamity;

116. And We helped them, so they overcame (their troubles);

117. And We gave them the Book which helps to make things clear;

118. And We guided them to the Straight Way.

119. And We left (this blessing) for them among generations (to come) in later times:

120. "Peace and salutation to Moses and Aaron!"

121. Thus indeed do We reward those who do right.

122. For they were two of our believing Servants.

ISHMAEL IS THE FIRST BORN AND GOOD NEWS OF ISSAC DOES NOT APPEAR UNTIL AFTER THE SACRIFICE?????
Therefore the claim that god gave the land to Israel is destroyed without the need of any WMD's.
HADITH

Volume 4, Book 55, Number 583:

Narrated Ibn Abbas:

The first lady to use a girdle was the mother of Ishmael. She used a girdle so that she might hide her tracks from Sarah. Abraham brought her and her son Ishmael while she was suckling him, to a place near the Ka'ba under a tree on the spot of Zam-zam, at the highest place in the mosque. During those days there was nobody in Mecca, nor was there any water So he made them sit over there and placed near them a leather bag containing some dates, and a small water-skin containing some water, and set out homeward. Ishmael's mother followed him saying, "O Abraham! Where are you going, leaving us in this valley where there is no person whose company we may enjoy, nor is there anything (to enjoy)?" She repeated that to him many times, but he did not look back at her Then she asked him, "Has Allah ordered you to do so?" He said, "Yes." She said, "Then He will not neglect us," and returned while Abraham proceeded onwards, and on reaching the Thaniya where they could not see him, he faced the Ka'ba, and raising both hands, invoked Allah saying the following prayers:
'O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring dwell in a valley without cultivation, by Your Sacred House (Kaba at Mecca) in order, O our Lord, that they may offer prayer perfectly. So fill some hearts among men with love towards them, and (O Allah) provide them with fruits, so that they may give thanks.' (14.37) Ishmael's mother went on suckling Ishmael and drinking from the water (she had).
When the water in the water-skin had all been used up, she became thirsty and her child also became thirsty. She started looking at him (i.e. Ishmael) tossing in agony; She left him, for she could not endure looking at him, and found that the mountain of Safa was the nearest mountain to her on that land. She stood on it and started looking at the valley keenly so that she might see somebody, but she could not see anybody. Then she descended from Safa and when she reached the valley, she tucked up her robe and ran in the valley like a person in distress and trouble, till she crossed the valley and reached the Marwa mountain where she stood and started looking, expecting to see somebody, but she could not see anybody. She repeated that (running between Safa and Marwa) seven times."
The Prophet said, "This is the source of the tradition of the walking of people between them (i.e. Safa and Marwa). When she reached the Marwa (for the last time) she heard a voice and she asked herself to be quiet and listened attentively. She heard the voice again and said, 'O, (whoever you may be)! You have made me hear your voice; have you got something to help me?" And behold! She saw an angel at the place of Zam-zam, digging the earth with his heel (or his wing), till water flowed from that place. She started to make something like a basin around it, using her hand in this way, and started filling her water-skin with water with her hands, and the water was flowing out after she had scooped some of it."
The Prophet added, "May Allah bestow Mercy on Ishmael's mother! Had she let the Zam-zam (flow without trying to control it) (or had she not scooped from that water) (to fill her water-skin), Zam-zam would have been a stream flowing on the surface of the earth." The Prophet further added, "Then she drank (water) and suckled her child. The angel said to her, 'Don't be afraid of being neglected, for this is the House of Allah which will be built by this boy and his father, and Allah never neglects His people.' The House (i.e. Kaba) at that time was on a high place resembling a hillock, and when torrents came, they flowed to its right and left. She lived in that way till some people from the tribe of Jurhum or a family from Jurhum passed by her and her child, as they (i.e. the Jurhum people) were coming through the way of Kada'. They landed in the lower part of Mecca where they saw a bird that had the habit of flying around water and not leaving it. They said, 'This bird must be flying around water, though we know that there is no water in this valley.' They sent one or two messengers who discovered the source of water, and returned to inform them of the water. So, they all came (towards the water)." The Prophet added, "Ishmael's mother was sitting near the water. They asked her, 'Do you allow us to stay with you?" She replied, 'Yes, but you will have no right to possess the water.' They agreed to that." The Prophet further said, "Ishmael's mother was pleased with the whole situation as she used to love to enjoy the company of the people. So, they settled there, and later on they sent for their families who came and settled with them so that some families became permanent residents there. The child (i.e. Ishmael) grew up and learnt Arabic from them and (his virtues) caused them to love and admire him as he grew up, and when he reached the age of puberty they made him marry a woman from amongst email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7673758362916429937.post-19442450895720793472007-02-16T16:38:00.000+11:002007-02-16T16:38:00.000+11:00How long? I'm on the CAIR Alert list, so I'll let ...How long? I'm on the CAIR Alert list, so I'll let you know when I get one bleating about this.Nilkhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com


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text:
C&O Mfg 1970
Chet did all this hand labor: electrical, plumbing, cement, and steel
Cement poured
Construction of C&O's first two Front Loader
Picture taken 45 days after first cement. These two Top Packs went to Jackson's Disposal
Chet Ott
30 Days after first cement
C&O and Dean's Equipment 1971
Photo Taken From Desk In Small Original Office and Part Trailer
First Real Office
Added 10x50' Office Trailer approx 1976
Additional Work Area and Cover added on steady basis
C&O March 1980
Person: Roberto Aguilar "El Chivo"
"These next three photos were taken shortly before we moved to the Marquardt add-ons.
The rain was heavy that year and the men were standing on pallets to stay out of the water and weld.
When the machines started to blow up we shut down.
We had completely outgrown everything. Electrical, Plumbing, Rest Rooms, Work Area, Equipment and Landlord
Peoples Disposal Bemars Half Pack in the background
New offices on Marquardt
Note: Ray Gaskin Full Pack Front Loader in the foreground
Notice the Dempster Route King tailgates in the yard
Roll-off truck in for service
C&O Apr 1985
I have no idea what this contraption is.
Nice Midway City Partial Pack in the background tho!
I have no idea what this contraption is
I have no idea what this contraption is
Midway City Partial Pack in background!


text:
Confused About Solar Energy? This Is For You
Solar energy is something that has become very popular in recent years. As the damage humanity has done to the environment is becoming more visible, more folks are seeking ways to protect the Earth but still get power. Keep reading for solar energy. If you're leasing your solar energy system rather than buying it, be sure that your contract lets you transfer your lease. You should feel comfortable with the person you concerning solar energy system from. You must spend sufficient time gathering information if you are to make a good choice. Buying immediately from any high pressure is not good concerning the wrong choice and wasting your money. A panel system is a great way to get started with generating solar power. This sort of system moves with the sun's path across the sky. The initial investment will be much higher than with a basic system, but the output will always be greater than static models. Check the inverter every so often if you have solar panels.You want to find a


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NO Hidden Fees!
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This product is a brand new and unused Total War: ROME II - Caesar in Gaul CD Key for Steam
This product is a unique and unused CD Key which can be activated on Steam. After your payment, you will be instantly sent a unique activation code by our automatic delivery system, called 'Autokey'. This unique activation code can be entered into the Steam client (available free from steampowered.com). This will then grant you to a full digital download of the game.
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Caesar in Gaul is a standalone campaign pack for Total War: ROME II covering Julius Caesar's war of expansion against the Gaulish tribes. Players can choose from four playable factions in this conflict: the Gallic Arverni, the Germanic Suebi, the Belgic Nervii and Rome, in a campaign inspired by Caesar's Commentarii de bello Gallico (Commentaries on the Gallic war).
Offering a tighter scope in terms of time and geography than Rome II (58-51BC), the Caesar in Gaul Campaign Map is an expanded, more detailed vision of Gaul and the south coast of Britannia.
Compared with ROME II's map of Gaul, Caesar in Gaul contains more regions and provinces, more factions (both playable and non-playable), and a series of famous generals and statesmen from history which the player will employ or fight against depending on their chosen faction.
A war of great profit and glory for Caesar, this conflict made him extremely popular with the people of Rome… though less so with the senators, who saw him gathering power to himself in a series of events that ultimately lead to his ascension to Dictator.
Caesar in Gaul differs from the core ROME II experience in a number of important ways:
New Campaign Map:
The Caesar in Gaul campaign map is an enhanced, more detailed representation of Gaul, with players able to expand across 18 provinces dotted with resources, new settlements and new provincial capitals.
Greater focus on characters:
Many factions employ great generals and statesmen from history (for example, Rome fields Gaius Julius Caesar himself, Mark Anthony and others). Each of the four playable factions also has a faction leader who acts as the player's avatar during the campaign.
24 turns per year:
As Caesar in Gaul deals with a considerably shorter time-span (58-51BC) than the grand sweep of the ROME II campaign, each turn represents two weeks rather than a year. This means seasons make a return. The gameplay effects of these aren't always predictable however, and may vary from province to province. A late autumn may bring a good harvest for example, but a long, dry summer may damage your food production.
Compact, focussed multiplayer campaign:
For those generals looking for a more rapid MP campaign game, Caesar in Gaul presents a series of interesting options. Due to the geographic scope and the opposing 48 factions, co-op or competitive 2-player campaigns are tighter, more focussed, and less time-consuming than a full Campaign.
New mid-game challenge mechanics:
For those players making it through to the mid-game, there will be new challenges to face as a more suitable replacement for the Civil Wars of ROME II. As a Gallic tribe, you'll feel the mailed fist of Rome respond with heavy intervention forces, and as Rome, you'll see the Gallic tribes rebelling and forming alliances against you.
New historical battle:
Caesar in Gaul adds the Battle of Alesia as a playable historical battle. Alesia marked the turning point of Caesar's Gallic War, and resulted in the capture of Vercingetorix, who was later taken to Rome and executed at Caesar's Triumph.
Set from Caesar's perspective, Alesia tasks the player with maintaining the siege of Vercingetorix's Gallic stronghold. The battle begins with the Roman forces deployed within their own investment fortifications outside the hill-fort. The player must guide the Romans as they weather attacks from both a huge relief army and within the fort itself.
New Total War: ROME II full campaign playable factions:
Alongside the factions playable within the new Campaign, Caesar in Gaul also adds three new playable factions to the main game; they are:
• Nervii (barbarian, Belgic)
The most fierce and powerful of the Belgic tribes, the Nervii are a melting pot of Celtic and Germanic heritage. Their unit roster reflects this mix of cultures, opening up the possibility of creating new, unique army compositions.
• Boii (barbarian, Gallic)
One of the largest of the Gallic tribes, the Boii occupied Cisalpine-Gaul, Pannonia, Bohemia and Transalpine Gaul. Their numbers make them a force to be reckoned with but they are somewhat disconnected from other the Gallic tribes geographically and are directly exposed to the ferocious Germanic clans and the Dacians.
• Galatians (barbarian, Anatolia)
The Gauls of the East, the Galatians migrated to Asia Minor following the Celtic invasion of the Balkans. They arrived through Thracia at around 270 BC, led by generals Lotarios & Leonnorios. As Celts deep within Hellenic territory and factions hostile towards them, the Galatians offer interesting and challenging new gameplay.
New units:
Alongside their usual unit rosters, the playable factions of Caesar in Gaul (and playable factions in the main ROME II campaign provided by Caesar in Gaul ownership) also gain the following new units:
Boii (ROME II)
• Sword Followers (sword infantry)
Where a lord commands, the sword is thrust.
• Veteran Spears (spear infantry)
Battle hardens the sinews and the heart, and deafens the ear to the cries of cowards.
Galatians (ROME II)
• Galatian Legionaries (sword infantry)
The Celts have taught the Romans more than they're prepared to admit, but this is a two-way street.
• Galatian Raiders (javelin and sword cavalry)
Broken enemies know it is better to flee than face riders who will not spare their lives.
Gallic tribes (ROME II and Caesar in Gaul)
• Chosen Swordsmen (sword infantry)
These men fight with proven bravery and well-honed skill-at-arms.
• Chosen Spearmen (spear infantry)
Chainmail does not chill a warrior's heart, or still his lust for battle.
• Gallic Hunters (stealth bow infantry)
The skills of the hunt, hiding and a sudden strike, are the skills of a warrior.
Nervii (ROME II and Caesar in Gaul)
• Fierce Swords (sword infantry)
Once he has earned it, a Celt will only be parted from his longsword by death itself.
• Guerilla Swordsmen (stealth sword infantry)
• These swordsmen strike wherever and whenever their enemies least expect.
• Mighty Horse (spear cavalry)
A strong mount and a savage swing make these warriors a fearsome prospect.
• Naked Spears (spear infantry)
Who needs clothes when you have more than your share of courage?
• Gallic Hunters (stealth bow infantry)
The skills of the hunt, hiding and a sudden strike, are the skills of a warrior.
• Auxiliary Gallic Hunters (stealth bow infantry)
The skills of a hunter should be used in the service of Rome.
• Auxiliary Noble Horse(spear cavalry)
A mounted, armoured fist is always useful in a Roman army.
• Auxiliary Naked Swords (sword infantry)
The savage gods of war should be used to Rome's advantage.
• Auxiliary Short Swords (sword infantry)
Bravery in battle, rather than skill, sometimes gives worth to a man.
• Mercenary Gallic Hunters (stealth bow infantry)
The hunting of other men often has the greatest of rewards.
• Mercenary Noble Horse (spear cavalry)
Even a nobleman has his price, and will fight for gold.
• Mercenary Naked Swords (sword infantry)
The gods of war will bless mercenaries as long as they fight bravely.
• Mercenary Short Swords (sword infantry)
It is often enough to sell bravery and a taste for glory.


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Metacreativity (Creation)
Level: Shaper 4
Display: Material; see text
Manifesting Time: 1 round
Range: 0 ft.
Effect: 1-inch-diameter dollop of quintessence; see text
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Power Resistance: No
Power Points: 7
You collapse a bit of time from the continuum, forming a 1-ounce dollop of thick, gooey material called quintessence. This substance shimmers like a silver mirror when viewed from some angles but is transparent from other viewpoints. You can smooth a dollop of quintessence around any extremely small object.
Objects sealed within quintessence are protected from the effects of time; in practical terms, they enter a state of stasis. Living flesh with only partial contact with quintessence is also partially pulled out of the time stream (the manifester is immune to this effect). This disruption deals 1 point of damage per round beginning 10 rounds after partial contact occurs.
Quintessence can be manually scraped away from a protected object, freeing it to rejoin the time stream. When you do this, there is a 75% chance that the quintessence evaporates back into the continuum. Otherwise, it coalesces again into a 1-inch-diameter bead, available for later use.
Large quantities of quintessence could theoretically be gathered to preserve large items or structures (or even a complete living creature; if completely immersed, a living creature would not take the damage associated with partial contact). However, psionic characters and creatures are generally loath to do so because accumulations of quintessence weighing 1 pound or more hinder psionic activity within a 5-foot radius of the accumulation: Powers require twice as many power points to manifest, unless the manifester makes a successful DC 16 Will save each time he or she attempts to manifest a power. Also in these circumstances, manifesting a psi-like ability that is usable at will is a full-round action rather than a standard action.


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A Study of Aarogyasri in Andhra Pradesh, EPW
By-N Purendra Prasad (pur[email protected]) teaches at the department of sociology, University of Hyderabad
and P Raghavendra ([email protected]) is a research scholar in the department of sociology, University of Hyderabad.
The experiment in restructuring the healthcare sector through the Aarogyasri community health insurance
scheme in Andhra Pradesh has received wide attention across the country, prompting several states
governments to replicate this "innovative" model, especially because it supposedly generates rich electoral
dividends . However, after a critical scrutiny of this neo-liberal model of healthcare delivery, this paper
concludes that the scheme is only the construction of a new system that supplants the severely underfunded
state healthcare system. It is also a classic example of promoting the interests of the corporate health
industry through tertiary hospitals in the public and private sectors.
Medical neo-liberalism is characterised by the commodification of health that transforms individuals
from patients to consumers. Unlike patients, consumers who seek healthcare bear the responsibility for the
choices they make or fail to make regarding their health. As consumers are positioned to make choices about healthcare,
they also have the obligation to utilise products and services that are available to ensure good health or to treat illness and
disease. Fisher (2007) points out that patients as consumers have embraced the neo-liberal logic of healthcare so that they
too see illness in reductionist terms and seek pharmaceuticals as targeted magic bullets. With growth in customised products
and medical costs, access and affordability to healthcare has become a key issue across the world.
In the Indian context, the increased disease burden on the poor along with rapidly growing healthcare costs has been the
subject of debate for sometime now. Services in government healthcare institutions have declined over the past two decades
at the primary and secondary level, leaving the sick-poor with no option but seek private healthcare services. Several
studies have pointed out that rising expenditure on health and education is one of the main contributory factors to high
indebtedness and subsequent suicides among peasants in different parts of the country in the last 10 years (Sarma 2004;
Ghosh 2006).
Clearly, healthcare has assumed huge political signifi cance for the neo-liberal state with new and innovative (populist)
healthcare programmes being launched in several states in different forms. Among these, Rajiv Aarogyasri, a community
health insurance scheme introduced by the Government of Andhra Pradesh (AP) on a pilot basis in 2007 and implemented
in 2008 is being hailed by many experts as a model to be emulated – the scheme covers 6.55 crore people belonging to
183 lakh below the poverty line (BPL) families.Aarogyasri needs special attention as it is supposed to have mobilised a large number of voters for the ruling Congress Party during the 2009 assembly elections who helped it return
to power for a second term. This scheme's popularity is so huge that several delegations from different states in India have
been regularly studying its logic in order to replicate it and reap similar political benefi ts. States such as Kerala, Tamil
Nadu (Kalaignar Scheme), Delhi (Apka Swasthya Bima Yojana), and Karnataka have already formulated a similar template
and are in the process of implementing it. The Maharashtra government too announced the Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayee Arogya Yojana, a free medical care scheme for the poor in 2011, committing Rs 800 crore in the fi rst phase to benefi tnearly 50 lakh families earning below Rs 1 lakh per annum ineight districts.
A national social health insurance scheme called the Rashtriya Swashthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) waslaunched as a centrally-sponsored scheme in 2008 to cover 2.3 crore families and seven crore benefi ciaries. The AP government has already announced that Aarogyasri will soon become a universal health scheme and cover non-BPL families as well.
Given the pre-eminence of the scheme, it is important to assess the scheme by locating it in the historical evolution of healthcare systems in India in the context of its underlying socioeconomic and political dynamics.


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|RSS Feed
@theMarket: Investors Reach for New Highs
The stock market won't quit. It has been on a tear since the day after Christmas. It feels like it wants to keep climbing. That would be a fairly simple feat at this point, since we are only a percent or so away from regaining those historical highs. What will happen once we get there.?
You may ask why am I so confident that the markets won't just give up the ghost right here, right now? A look under the hood at the underlying sectors that make up the market indices gives me a clue. Let's take the semiconductor sector. Throughout the last year or more, semiconductors, a sub-segment of the technology area of the market, have led stocks higher (and lower) time and time again.
Semiconductors made a new all-time high this week. That usually precedes a similar move in the major indices. In the case of the NASDAQ, we are within spitting distance of the old highs.
Other sectors, such as the Transportation Index — trains, planes, railroads, etc. — is nowhere near their historical highs, but that's not unusual. Another positive indicator is that just about all sectors are participating in this rally. The same is true overseas, where even the weak sister of the world, the Eurozone, is witnessing good gains within the European stock markets.
Over the last month, as readers are aware, I have repeatedly cautioned that somewhere out there lurks an expected pullback. Remember, we should expect 2-3 such pullbacks in the stock market each year at a minimum. It is the price of doing business in the stock market. A decline of as much as 9-10 percent would not be surprising, although I expect the next drop won't be of that magnitude.
In any case, as the markets climb, more and more equity experts that I respect are calling for a time out for the markets. Ned Davis, for example, runs a global research shop that is highly respected. He has a good number of years under his belt calling the twists and turns of the market. In his April research report he recommended that, "we would hold off adding equity allocation until a correction has taken place."
Davis worries that global fundamentals are deteriorating. "We will need to see evidence of improving fundamentals" before getting bullish again. Ned also points out that there has been a dangerous rise in complacency. The Ned Davis global sentiment indicators are registering the highest levels of optimism on record, dating back to 2002.
The US Advisory Sentiment Indicator, while not as high as the Ned Davis Index, still registered its highest reading in nine straight weeks of gains. It now stands at 54.8 percent, just shy of 55 percent, which indicates an elevated level of risk for the stock market.
Remember, however, that the investor sentiment contrary indicator is not the final say in whether the markets continue their run. We are now in the midst of the first quarter earnings season. So far, many of the company reports are coming in better than expected. As a result, despite the cautionary technical signals popping up in the markets, earnings and revenue "beats" are providing support for the bulls, at least for now.
My advice is to just stay the course, since timing a pullback and getting back in would be just too tricky in this market. You would have more luck in Las Vegas, if you want to gamble.
Bill Schmick is registered as an investment adviser representative and portfolio manager with Berkshire Money Management (BMM), managing over $400 million for investors in the Berkshires. Bill's forecasts and opinions are purely his own. None of the information presented here should be construed as an endorsement of BMM or a solicitation to become a client of BMM. Direct inquiries to Bill at 1-888-232-6072 (toll free) or email him at email@example.com.


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Today's guest post is from parenting coach, public speaker and classroom teacher Faith Collins, and you can go ahead and skip it if your child never, ever has meltdowns.
Great, you're all still with us!
* * *
Connecting in a warm, loving way to your children when they act out takes tremendous patience. But research shows that parents who have high levels of warmth and connection along with high expectations are the most likely to end up with happy, well-adjusted children.
Unfortunately, this can be easier said than done. In dealing with real children, in real life, it often seems like we have to choose: Do we maintain our connection, or do we enforce that boundary? If you're a parent who is committed to respectful parenting, how do you maintain those boundaries when your toddlers and preschool-aged children push back?
Maintaining high levels of warmth while setting expectations and following through is critical because it supports children in learning that all-important skill of self-regulation.Children with higher levels of self-regulation at age four are more likely to do better decades later in their careers, relationships and personal lives.
Apply these four tips to respond to meltdowns and defiance without losing your own cool.
1. Set boundaries earlier. Permissive parents are often uncomfortable setting firm expectations and doing what's needed to help their child follow through. But such follow through is exactly what their relationship needs, and is often what children are asking for with their extreme behavior. Children need you to be the loving authority, where you guide, correct and help them with warmth and compassion. When you wait until you're at the end of your rope to finally lay down the law, chances are that you'll do it in a way that's punitive and disconnecting.
Children are just learning to manage emotions like disappointment and anger; you can only support them in this process when you aren't flooded yourself. Set that firm boundary as soon as you start to feel annoyed, and then you can respond with compassion when your child gets upset. Allow the feelings, be empathetic and then help your child learn to move on.
2. Extend "olive branches" of connection. When you ask your child to do something and are met with defiance, the first step is to make a connection. Does your child need a hug, a joke or to run down the hall and back before she's ready to do what you've asked? Try being silly before becoming stern. This will help you manage your own level of arousal and, who knows, your child may respond with delight. If your attempts at connection are rebuffed, help your child do what you've asked in a calm, matter-of-fact way. Every 30-90 seconds, extend an olive branch to see if your child is ready to reconnect. Sing a little song, tell a little story or try a gentle touch. If she rejects the olive branch, go back to being calm and matter-of-fact.
Once children realize things are going to progress whether they go along happily or not, they'll often choose to do them the more enjoyable way. When children choose to make the best of things, they're practicing managing their level of emotional arousal — an important aspect of self-regulation. However, children can only do this if we adults manage our own annoyance and offer connection.
3. Side-step anger. Many times anger stems from baggage from the past. Perhaps you were once bullied, and when you see your preschooler push another child and laugh when he cries, your brain rolls out a future in which your child goes through life bullying others. While it would be nice if we could just put our parenting on hold for a few years of therapy, this isn't practical. Instead, learn to side-step your anger. Ask, "What am I afraid of when he does that?" Thank your reptile brain for bringing up this possibility, and then consciously list other possibilities: Perhaps he needs more positive attention or more social tools. Perhaps he recently dropped afternoon naps and that time of day is challenging.
Come up with a plan of action. Set your phone alarm for every hour and take two or three minutes to really connect. Tell stories of people being kind, generous and inclusive, and give him some phrases to use instead of pushing. Set up calming activities for the late afternoon, like a sink of warm, soapy water and some dishes or water toys. If you calmly and consistently correct the misbehavior, the behavior will stop.
4. Restore the connection. Despite our best intentions, sometimes we don't handle things as well as we'd like. Perhaps your child was defiant and you lost your cool by yelling or punishing. When that happens, some repair work is needed once things calm down. If things were only somewhat bad, you can let your child know that the incident can be put behind you and things can return to normal. You might say, "Whew! I'm so glad that's over!" as you exaggeratedly collapse into a chair. Then have a snuggle, tell a story or engage in some fun physical play. Once giggles flow again, the connection is restored.
But if the episode was a full-on power struggle, it's important to reassure your child in an age-appropriate way. This doesn't mean abject apologies and wallowing in your guilt. It might start with, "Wow, I was really mad, wasn't I? I'm learning to keep my temper just like you. I'm done being mad now." Then, in addition to reconnecting, take some time to think about how you'll react differently in the future. How can you take a moment to connect before asking your child to do this same thing? How can you make the activity itself more enjoyable? Could you skip it altogether? One thing that's wonderful about parenting is that you'll always have an opportunity to try again.
* * *
Faith Collins is a parenting coach, public speaker and classroom teacher dedicated to supporting relationships with the young children in our lives. Her new book, Joyful Toddlers and Preschoolers: Create a Life that You and Your Child Both Love(Hohm Press, Oct. 1, 2017) guides parents in forming mutually responsive parent-toddler relationships. She lives in Denver, Colorado, with her husband and young daughter, where she runs outdoor parent-child classes in her Play Garden, and is Co-Director of the Rocky Mountain LifeWays Training. Learn more at joyfultoddlers.com.


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High-fiber bioactive breads 'could become mainstream', says TNO
The taste testing marks the final stage of the four-year collaborative EU-funded HealthBread project to develop wholegrain recipes that appeal to consumers while increasing dietary fiber and micronutrient intake.
Speaking to BakeryandSnacks.com, TNO consultant Jan Willem Van der Kamp said that high fiber breads developed under the project were being evaluated by consumers in a handful of European countries, with initial results promising.
Seven bakeries in Italy, Austria, Germany and the Netherlands were experimenting with the wholegrain recipes and five had developed new products, Van Der Kamp said.
"The feedback we've received is that consumers like the bread we have developed, but we need to wait for the full results of our consumer tests. We are confident they will validate the efficacy of the business model we are proposing and this will encourage other mills and bakers in the EU to get on board."
He said discussions were taking place between partners to work out the best way to manage the roll-out of the wholegrain bread to "maximize its potential".
"In the long-term we estimate flour mills selling these special flours/fractions will increase sales by 30%, so there is a major market opportunity. The recipes could eventually become mainstream."
Better bioaccessibility
Van Der Kamp said TNO had developed the breads using the aleurone fraction of bran – a part rich in nutrients.
"This is fermented in optimal process conditions to liberate the ferulic acid and degrade the phytic acid to improve the bioaccessibility of minerals but with minimal dough stickiness," he explained.
"The aim is to produce bread which is relatively similar to white baguettes but has nutritional qualities similar to wholegrain bread. No additives are used, giving the products a 'clean' label for bakers to exploit. End products will target the high end of the market."
He said that most Europeans preferred the mild taste, soft crumb and crispy crusts of white bread – something that had fueled low wholegrain consumption.
"Ten years ago wholegrain bread didn't exist at all in Italy and France but now there is a trend emerging."
He said that should industry succeed in a major shift from white to whole grain bread, it would "contribute to lowering the incidence of heart diseases, diabetes type-2 and colon cancer".
HealthBread project
The Healthbread project followed on from the Healthgrain Forum, which had developed a yeast fermentation process (bioprocessing) to maximise the bioavailability of minerals and micronutrients in bran fractions.
It has seen millers, bakers and food consultants work collaboratively to develop high fiber, wholegrain breads with improved sensory properties and ultimately commercialize products.


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Assassinating Al-Hariri Fits Washington's Plan
To understand who assassinated Rafik al-Hariri we don't need to look any further than the $1.5 billion US Embassy currently under construction in Baghdad. The new embassy, the largest of its kind in the world, will facilitate 1,800 employees and serve as the regional nerve center for American political and economic activity. What does this have to do with al Hariri?
It demonstrates that the US is establishing a massive command center for its future domination of the entire Middle East. This suggests that Lebanon must be entered into the family of client states who accept a subservient role to American military and economic power, and who willingly comply with the requirements of the regional constable, Israel.
Al Hariri's assassination provides the raison d'être for severing ties with Syria and for transforming Lebanon into a US vassal. This conforms nicely with Israel's ambition to surround itself with non-threatening states as well as affording access to the vital water resources of Lebanon's Wazzani River. In other words, the murder of al Hariri has created some extremely fortunate opportunities for both Israel and the US; merging seamlessly with their overall objectives in the region.
The likelihood that Syria was involved in the assassination is zilch. One can hardly imagine a greater disaster for poor Syria who has been scrambling to avoid the American bludgeon for the last four years. Few people realize that Syria provided more assistance in the first year of the war on terror after 9-11 than any other nation. That's of little consequence now, as the US is on a mission to quickly integrate the entire region beneath the American standard and prove that it can be trusted with its continued stewardship of the world economy.
Fortunately, there are cracks and fissures appearing everywhere in the US artifice and new alliances between former allies of America are forming almost by the day. This creates a dangerous new threat to the empire and violates the "three grand imperatives" of imperial strategy: "to prevent collusion and maintain dependence among the vassals, to keep tributaries pliant and protected, and to keep the barbarians from coming together." (Zbigniew Brzezinski, The Grand Chessboard, p. 40) Alliances between the major players (India, Iran, Brazil, Venezuela, Russia, China and the EU) demonstrate that the "barbarians" are coming together more swiftly than imagined, creating a potential roadblock for Middle East consolidation. This explains why this risky gambit was put into play.
We should also consider the assassination in terms of the drooping dollar. If Washington's plan to control Middle East oil does not succeed, the dollar is headed for the landfill. There's no way that the world will continue to hold paper that represents $8 trillion worth of debt unless that happens to be the only way they can purchase the oil that's essential to their industries. The Bush administration is on a tight "time-line" which requires ham-fisted tactics to play out on city streets in foreign capitals. The murder of al Hariri fits conveniently within this regional strategy.
It's a marvel to see how quickly the forces of empire swing into action when a major event like this transpires. Less than 10 hours after the assassination, Washington was withdrawing its ambassador without even scant knowledge of who was responsible. The press, of course, was immediately deployed to perform its task of "finger-pointing" at Syria and to create the spurious narrative of why such a suicidal action would be in their interest. The US organized small demonstrations in Beirut to march around in front of adoring camera lens to create the impression that the Lebanese masses held Syria accountable. (A nice touch that the US used effectively in both Ukraine and the Republic of Georgia) And the Bush team worked feverishly to frame Syria with an onslaught of prepared accusations and innuendo. By now, we should all know the drill: the main players like Bush stay above the fray and make no reckless claims of guilt on Syria's part, while his emissaries in the media and the Congress heap suspicion on the target state. (Isn't this what happened with the "Swift-boat" fiasco? Bush pretended not to be involved while his underlings and the media devoured Kerry in full view of the national audience.)
The next phase of this farce is to expel Syria's 15,000 soldiers from Lebanon so that Israel-America can begin the arduous task of establishing another client regime.
As for Syria, Russia has entered the breach announcing that it will go ahead with a "controversial sale of weapons despite the objections of Ariel Sharon." (Russian made surface-to-air SA-18 missiles. Russia made a similar deal with Venezuela just last week)
Is this just the beginning of an arms race in the Middle East to counter American and Israeli ambitions?
It appears that at least some of the "vassals" are beginning to tire of Washington's murderous antics and are willing to counter with the only thing that will discourage further aggression -- a viable deterrent.
Mike Whitney lives in Washington state, and can be reached at: firstname.lastname@example.com.
Other Articles by Mike Whitney
* Washington's Plan
to Foment Civil War in Iraq


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Week ahead: Weathering bad news
Get ready for economic news and financial results from Home Depot and other stores. Congress will debate the future of the automakers.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Investors returning to work Monday face what is expected to be a weeklong display of the depth of the downturn - a torrent of bad economic news.
With stocks down roughly 35% year-to-date - as measured by the Dow 30 - has Wall Street already factored in the worst?
Some market pros think so.
"What kind of surprise can there be on the downside?" said Paul Mendelsohn, chief investment strategist at Windham Financial Services. "We already know the worst. The only surprise would be some good news."
Still, stocks are likely to bounce around.
"This recession is consumer led, and it is likely to feel worse for the typical consumer than anything we've felt since World War II," said Jane Caron, chief economic strategist at Dwight Asset Management. "I don't think investors have fully grasped the severity of it yet," she said.
The week ahead will be a good litmus test of investor fortitude as Wall Street looks at what will probably be one dour economic report after another.
Both the New York Empire State index and the Philadelphia Fed index are expected to show manufacturing falling deeper into a recession. Reports on housing and leading economic indicators are forecast to show declines. And the minutes from the last Fed meeting are likely to show the central bank's concerns when it cut interest rates last month.
All of these reports could send stocks lower. But there is also the potential for an upside surprise, particularly as the market seems to be in the process of putting a bear market bottom in place, said Mendelsohn.
Last week, the major gauges slumped to levels not seen in roughly 5-1/2 years, hitting a point some consider to represent the lows of the current bear market. After hitting those lows on Thursday, stocks bounced back sharply as investors opted to scoop up beaten-down shares. But Friday was another down day, as investors reacted to the worst monthly retail sales report on record.
Monday: The NY Empire State index, a regional manufacturing report, is expected to slump to negative 26 in November from negative 24.6 last month. Any negative reading shows weakness.
Tuesday: The Producer Price Index (PPI), a measure of wholesale inflation, is expected to have fallen 1.5% in October after falling 0.4% in the previous month. Core PPI, which strips out volatile food and energy prices, is expected to have risen 0.2% after rising 0.4% in the previous month.
Wednesday: The Consumer Price Index (CPI), a measure of consumer inflation, is expected to have fallen 0.8% versus a flat reading in September. October Core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, is expected to have risen 0.2% after edging up 0.1% in the previous month.
Housing starts are expected to have fallen to an annual rate of 780,000 in October from a 17-year low of 817,000 in September. Building permits are expected to have stumbled to an annual rate of 770,000 in October from a rate of 805,000 in October.
Wednesday also brings the release of the minutes from the last Federal Reserve policy meeting in October.
Thursday: The October index of leading economic indicators (LEI) is expected to have dropped 0.6% after rising 0.3% in September.
Also Thursday, the Philadelphia Fed index, a regional manufacturing report, is expected to have improved slightly to a reading of negative 30 in November from negative 37.5 in October.
A number of retailers report results this week, including rivals Lowe's and Home Depot. All forecasts are according to a consensus of analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters.
Monday: Lowe's (LOW, Fortune 500) is expected to report earnings of 28 cents per share, versus 38 cents a share a year ago. Target (TGT, Fortune 500) is expected to have earned 49 cents per share versus 56 cents a share a year ago. Both reports are due before the opening bell.
Tuesday: Home Depot (HD, Fortune 500) is expected to have earned 39 cents per share versus 59 cents a share a year ago. The report is due before the opening bell.
Thursday: Dell (DELL, Fortune 500) is expected to have earned 32 cents per share versus 34 cents a share a year ago. Gap (GPS, Fortune 500) is expected to have earned 34 cents per share versus 30 cents a share a year ago. Both report after the closing bell.
Congress reconvenes, with several hearings scheduled for the week. A number of Federal Reserve and Bush administration officials are also due to speak.
Monday: Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is slated to speak at 6:30 p.m. ET about the economy and the markets at the Wall Street Journal CEO council in Washington, D.C.
Tuesday: The House Financial Services Committee holds a hearing regarding oversight of the $700 billion bank bailout plan. Paulson, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair are among the speakers.
Wednesday: The House Financial Services Committee holds a hearing on a potential bailout package for the flailing auto industry. Senate Banking Committee head Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., is also holding a hearing on the automaker bailout Tuesday, he told CNNMoney.com.
Also Wednesday, Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Donald Kohn and Bank of Richmond President Jeffrey Lacker speak at a conference at the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C. The topic is lessons from the subprime crisis. Lacker is an alternate member of the Fed's policy-setting committee.
Thursday: Paulson speaks about the economy at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, Calif.


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How to Make a Superhero Cape by Lara from HowDoesShe
2 Yards of fabric Thread Velcro Measuring Tape Iron Sewing Supplies
I made this cape from one color of fabric, but you could easily get two different colors (1 yard of each) for a double sided cape!
Tear two pieces of fabric 31 inches in length. Lay the two pieces on top of each other and fold them in half.
You will need a marking tool, such as chalk or a pencil (I used a black marker for viewing purposes.. don't do this on your cape!). On one end of the fabric mark a line at 11 inches. On the other end mark a line at 5 1/2 inches.
Using a measuring tape or a piece of long string, connect the two marks and draw a straight line between.
Cut your fabric 1/2 inch away from the line you just created, and cut a straight line across the wider bottom edge.
Find a bowl or plate that measures 8 inches across. Lay the round object on top of your fabric at 5 1/2 inches from the top and 4 inches from the fold. Then trace the object from edge to edge on your fabric.
Cut 1/2 inch away from this round line you have created.
While the fabric is still folded, gently round the bottom and top corners of the cape (shown in the picture below).
Unfold your fabric.
It's looking like a cape!
Leave the two pieces of fabric lying on top of each other and head to your sewing machine. I didn't bother pinning my cape, just make sure you keep them lined up while you are sewing. Sew around the cape at 1/2 inch and remember to back stitch. Leave a 2 inch opening so you can turn the cape right side out (I recommend leaving it on the bottom of the cape).
Once you have sewn, clip around the neck of the cape to relax the seam.
Turn the cape right side out! Warm up your iron and press the edges and all the wrinkles flat. Then hand sew that little opening closed.
The final touch is my favorite part of the cape. No more tying that blanket around your little one's neck! Velcro to the rescue!!!
Cut a square of velcro. Sew the squares close to the edge, placing them on opposite sides of the cape. They will overlap when you put them together.
Get ready to make your child super happy! Attach it around the neck and watch them fly!
HowDoesShe is a site dedicated to finding out "How Does She?" by collaborating ideas on how to become the mothers, wives and world class women that we want to be!
Editor's Note: Get to know the superhero moms of the MomsRising movement! Learn more about us (and how you can join for free!) right here: http://www.momsrising.org/page/moms/aboutmomsrising
And get tips on healthy superhero party food, also on the MomsRising.org blog!


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Mozilla hopes to have a final version of Firefox 4 ready to ship by the end of February, according to comments made by the company's engineering director.
"We've worked tremendously hard on Firefox 4, and it's time to ship it," Damon Sicore, Mozilla's director of platform engineering, said in a message Monday on the Firefox developers mailing list .
Sicore exhorted Firefox developers to slap down the bugs that still block the upgrade's release, saying that the count was still higher than what the company has used to pinpoint schedules in the past.
Currently, Firefox 4 contains about 160 "hard blockers," a term that describes bugs that would bar a final release. Historically, Sicore said, Mozilla has needed six weeks to make a ship date once a product had 100 blockers remaining.
"We have to reach Release Candidate status as quickly as possible, ideally finishing the hard blockers by the beginning of February and shipping final before the end of February," he said. "We'll need your help to balance these targets against the need to build a high quality product.
"We must press hard now," said Sicore referring to fixing as many blocking bugs as quickly as possible.
Mozilla developers often re-classify blocking bugs or drop bug-containing features to make a schedule.
Although Mozilla had originally planned to ship Firefox 4 in November 2010, delays last fall forced it to announce in October that it would instead wrap up development early this year .
Mozilla plans to issue at least one more beta version of Firefox 4 -- identified as Beta 9 -- but may do more if necessary. "We'll drive the beta bugs to zero and ship another beta," said Sicore. "If we can't get them to zero in reasonable time, we'll repeat."
Firefox 4 Beta 8 was released Dec. 22.
Sicore's hint that Firefox 4 may need just one more beta runs contrary to previous plans by Mozilla, which had listed a ninth and 10th beta, then one or more "release candidates" on its schedule, before it would issue final code.
Even though Mozilla urged developers to work as quickly as possible, Sicore stressed that the company would not ship Firefox 4 until it was solid. "We'll need your help to balance these [schedule] targets against the need to build a high quality product," Sicore said. "[But] we must ship the best possible product we can."
According to Internet measurement company Net Applications, Firefox currently accounts for 22.8% of all browsers used worldwide. Since its peak in November 2009, Firefox has lost two percentage points . Google's Chrome, meanwhile, gained more than six points in that same period, and now owns a 10% share.
"I know you're all tired and stressed," said Sicore to Firefox's developers. "Stay focused. Be nice to each other. Firefox 4 is gonna kick ass."
The current Firefox 4 beta can be downloaded for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux from Mozilla's site.
Gregg Keizer covers Microsoft, security issues, Apple, Web browsers and general technology breaking news for Computerworld. Follow Gregg on Twitter at @gkeizer or subscribe to Gregg's RSS feed . His e-mail address is email@example.com .
Read more about browsers in Computerworld's Browsers Topic Center.


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Tony Scott Will Next Direct Potsdamer Platz, With Bardem, Statham And Rourke
Tony Scott has many, many projects on his plate. Almost a year ago we ran down many of them: his Hells Angels picture, Potsdamer Platz, an LA-set remake of The Warriors, Emma's War and Unstoppable, for starters. Unstoppable is in post-production now, with a release scheduled for November, so it's time for Scott to sort out his next project. Now it seems that Potsdamer Platz will be that next film.Deadline reports that the director has three actors in line: Javier Bardem, Jason Statham and Mickey Rourke. The latter has been attached for some time; Scott told ComingSoon last summer that he might be in the cast. ("I've got a great cast with Mickey... now all of a sudden the film became bankable because Mickey was always his own man before last year.")
Scott was reportedly after Gene Hackman to join the cast, but couldn't land the actor, who now doesn't seem to have much interest in features.
Deadline says the picture will be retitled, but that's not new info; Scott also said that last summer. Buddy Giovinazzo originally wrote the script, but by last year it had been rewritten by the Sexy Beast team of David Scinto and Louis Mellis. Those two have now split as writing partners, and it seems like further changes are coming down, along with the new title, so I'm curious to hear who gets the rewrite gig.
Last summer, the picture was said by Scott to be " based on a true story of the Jersey mob and when they tried to take over the construction business in Germany," but Scott said there was a plan to make it contemporary. Deadline reports the location will be changed to Puerto Rico. That would necessitate the title change (Potsdamer Platz being a Berlin landmark) and considerably remove the story from the original inspiration. Scott's production company picked up the original draft of this script ten years ago, and it has been percolating ever since, so he's certainly had time to consider an approach to the film.
No studio has this now, but it could well end up being a Fox picture.