text:
A Victoria woman's research has revealed that bias towards overweight people has increased, while attitudes towards race and sexuality have gone down.
Victoria local and Esquimalt High School grad Tessa Charlesworth went from one coast to another to study at Harvard University where, as a graduate student in the department of psychology, she and colleague Mahzarin Banaji used data from a long-running internet test to make incredible findings in the field of prejudice and bias.
The Implicit Association Test (IAT) has been running since 2004 and reveals both the "implicit" (internal bias) and "explicit" (conscious bias) of respondents – in other words, the outward and inward levels of prejudice people have against others based on skin tone, race, age, disability and body weight.
Implicit bias tests measured the length of time respondents took to press a specific key to categorize pairs of words in relation to social groups and attributes. For example – the word "good" would be assigned to either an image of a black or white person and researchers would compare how long it took for participants to respond based on the assigned category.
Participants also self-reported their associations – revealing their "explicit" or conscious biases.
Charlesworth collected over four million results from 2004 to 2016 and found that outwardly, self-reported bias towards all social groups and abilities had shifted towards neutral and inwardly, people's bias towards race, skin tone and sexuality had also decreased.
But notably, bias towards elderly people and disabled people was basically the same, and bias towards overweight people had actually worsened – a contrast from the participant's conscious responses.
Charlesworth has a few ideas about what the results might mean.
She speculated the ongoing social push against the obesity epidemic could have something to do with body weight perceptions.
"It paints overweight individuals in a really negative light," she said. "It paints them as a public health crisis."
But Charlesworth also noted that body weight is the only data set that participants perceived as controllable.
"That assigns a lot of responsibility to people who are overweight to change themselves – rather than the person who is perceiving the overweight individual to change their mind," she said.
When it comes to areas where bias decreased, Charlesworth points to social priorities. She and her colleague actually looked at Google searches and found that there were far more conversations happening around homophobia and racism than ageism, ableism or sizeism.
"So we think that the more we're talking about these biases and social problems, the more opportunities we have to make change," she concluded. "It's very simple: the more times we try to change our attitudes, the more likely we are to succeed in changing them."
Charlesworth said she hopes to have career in academics – preferably back on the West Coast.
Charlesworth and Banaji's study was published in Psychological Science.
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter


text:
Pages: 150
Binding: Softcover
The Seven Last Words
By: Michael H. Crosby
The Seven Last Words reveals the powerful implications for contemporary followers of Jesus in the final words from the cross.
Fr. Crosby leads us into a meditation that reflects on each word in the context of the Gospel, and of Jesus' time as well as ours. Every chapter includes an application of the word's enduring message, using particular examples ("ikons") from contemporary life that enflesh the world for readers today.
The Seven Last Words makes profound spiritual reading not only for personal Lenten reflection but for groups studying the scriptures it will make these verses come alive.
Michael H. Crosby (1940-2017) was a Capuchin Franciscan whose preaching and writing on contemporary biblical discipleship took him around the world. He authored seventeen books, including Spirituality of the Beatitudes (Orbis, 2005), Finding Francis, Following Christ (Orbis, 2005), Repair My House (Orbis, 2008), and Fruit of the Spirit (Orbis, 2015).

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Fintrospect is a Scala web-framework with an intelligent HTTP routing layer, based on the Finagle RPC framework from Twitter. Via a shared contract, it provides a simple way to implement fast webservice endpoints and HTTP clients which are:
Type-safe: auto-marshals request parameters/bodies into the correct primitive and custom types.
Auto-validating: enforce the correctness of required/optional request parameters/bodies, generating a BadRequest if the contract is broken.
Auto-documenting: runtime generation of endpoint documentation such as Swagger JSON or web sitemap XML. Generates JSON Schema for example object formats to be included in these API docs.
Uniform: reuse the same contract to define both server endpoints and HTTP clients This also allows extremely low effort fake servers to be created
Additionally, Fintrospect provides a number of mechanisms to leverage these routes:
- Easily build type-safe HTTP responses with a set of custom builders for a wide variety of message formats:
- JSON: Argo, Argonaut,
Circe, GSON,
Jackson, Json4S, Play JSON,
Spray JSON
- Auto-marshaling of case classes instances to/from JSON (for
- Implement simple
PUTendpoints of case class instances (
- Auto-marshaling of case classes instances to/from JSON (for
- Native implementations of XML, Plain Text, HTML, XHTML
- MsgPack binary format
- JSON: Argo, Argonaut, Circe, GSON, Jackson, Json4S, Play JSON, Spray JSON
- Serve static content from the classpath or a directory
- Template
Viewsupport (with Hot-Reloading) for building responses with Mustache or Handlebars
- Anonymising headers for dynamic-path based endpoints, removing all dynamic path elements. This allows, for example, calls to particular endpoints to be grouped for metric purposes. e.g.
- Interacts seamlessly with other Finagle based libraries, such as Finagle OAuth2
- Utilities to help you unit-test endpoint services and write HTTP contract tests for remote dependencies
Get it
Fintrospect is intentionally dependency-lite by design - other than Finagle, the core library itself only has a single non
org.scala dependency.
No dependency on
Cats or
Shapeless, so there are no compatibility headaches.
To activate the extension library features (JSON, templates etc), additional dependencies are required - please see here for details.
Add the following lines to
build.sbt - the lib is hosted in Maven Central and JCenter:
resolvers += "JCenter" at "https://jcenter.bintray.com"
libraryDependencies += "io.fintrospect" %% "fintrospect-core" % "17.0.0"
See the code
See the examples or cookbook in this repo, or clone the full example application repo.
Learn it
See the full user guide here, or read on for the tldr; example. :)
Server-side contracts
Adding Fintrospect routes to a Finagle HTTP server is simple. For this example, we'll imagine a Library application (see the example above for the full code) which will be rendering Swagger v2 documentation.
Define the endpoint
This example is quite contrived (and almost all the code is optional) but shows the kind of thing that can be done. Note the use of the example response object, which will be broken down to provide the JSON model for the Swagger documentation.
// Response building methods and implicit conversion from ResponseBuilder -> Future[Response] pulled in here
import io.fintrospect.formats.Argo.ResponseBuilder._
import io.fintrospect.formats.Argo.JsonFormat.array
class BookSearch(books: Books) {
private val maxPages = Query.optional.int("maxPages", "max number of pages in book")
private val minPages = FormField.optional.int("minPages", "min number of pages in book")
private val titleTerm = FormField.required.string("term", "the part of the title to look for")
private val form = Body.form(minPages, titleTerm)
private def search() = Service.mk[Request, Response] {
request => {
val requestForm = form <-- request
(minPages <-- requestForm).getOrElse(MIN_VALUE),
(maxPages <-- request).getOrElse(MAX_VALUE),
titleTerm <-- requestForm
val route = RouteSpec("search for books")
.returning(Status.Ok -> "we found your book", array(Book("a book", "authorName", 99).toJson))
.returning(Status.BadRequest -> "invalid request")
.at(Method.Post) / "search" bindTo search
Define a module to live at
This module will have a single endpoint
val apiInfo = ApiInfo("Library Example", "1.0", Option("Simple description"))
val renderer = Swagger2dot0Json(apiInfo)
val libraryModule = RouteModule(Root / "library", renderer)
.withRoute(new BookSearch(new BookRepo()).route)
Http.serve(":8080", new HttpFilter(Cors.UnsafePermissivePolicy).andThen(libraryModule.toService))
View the generated documentation
The auto-generated documentation lives at the root of the module, so point the Swagger UI at
http://{host}:8080/library to see it.
Client-side contracts
Declare the fields to be sent to the client service and then bind them to a remote service. This produces a simple function, which can then be called with the bindings for each parameter.
Since we can re-use the routes between client and server, we can easily create fake implementations of remote systems without having to redefine the contract. This means that marshalling of objects and values into/out of the HTTP messages can be reused.
val theDate = Path.localDate("date")
val gender = FormField.optional.string("gender")
val body = Body.form(gender)
val sharedRouteSpec = RouteSpec()
.at(Get) / "firstSection" / theDate
val fakeServerRoute = sharedRouteSpec bindTo (dateFromPath => Service.mk[Request, Response] {
request: Request => {
// insert stub server implementation in here
println("Form sent was " + (body <-- request))
Await.result(new TestHttpServer(10000, fakeServerRoute).start())
val client = sharedRouteSpec bindToClient Http.newService("localhost:10000")
val theCall = client(
body --> Form(gender --> "male"),
theDate --> LocalDate.of(2015, 1, 1)
See the changelog.
There are many ways in which you can contribute to the development of the library:
- Give us a ⭐ on Github - you know you want to ;)
- Questions can be directed towards the Gitter channel, or on Twitter @fintrospectdev
- For issues, please describe giving as much detail as you can - including version and steps to recreate
See the contributor guide for details.


text:
Apple CEO Steve Jobs has been very clearly and fairly adamant that Adobe Flash is fraught with too many issues to be allowed on the iPhone or iPad platforms. No worries. Adobe has partnered with Greystripe to implement a solution that circumvents Apple's ban on Flash and enables mobile advertisers to deliver Flash content on the Apple devices.
The Greystripe approach to delivering Flash ad content is similar to the Brightcove solution for delivering Flash video content. Greystripe detects the platform requesting the content, and automatically converts Flash to HTML5 in real-time for the Apple Safari browser used in the iPhone and iPad. Flash-enabled devices like Android 2.2 smartphones, however, will simply receive the native Flash content.
A Greystripe press release announcing the Adobe partnership explains "The ad solution is comparable to Apple's recently introduced iAds unit; however, unlike iAds, they will be authored with Adobe Flash authoring tools, priced at a fraction of the cost, and come in both expandable banner and full screen interstitial formats. Since Flash is the standard for developing rich media digital advertising, these solutions will give brand advertisers and digital agencies the ability to retain full control over ad development, reduce costs by preserving existing workflows while enabling support for HTML5, provide advertisers reach across all major desktop and mobile platforms, and decrease the time between ad concept and delivery."
"We are committed to providing agencies the best tools and a consistent and ubiquitous Flash runtime to create digital ads and deliver them across desktop and mobile platforms," said Ricky Liversidge, vice president, Product Marketing, Flash Platform at Adobe in the press release. "By working with Greystripe, a leading provider of Flash authored advertising for mobile devices, we enable agencies to benefit from the power of the Flash platform while also targeting devices with HTML5."
The concept of a Flash workaround, or automatically converting Flash to HTML5 in order to deliver it to specific platforms is a Band-Aid approach with a limited lifespan. Even if Apple and Adobe never arrive at any sort of agreement to bring Flash natively to the iPhone or iPad, HTML5 will continue to grow as a standard and advertisers will eventually wean off of the reliance on Flash by attrition.
For now, though, solutions like those offered by Greystripe and Brightcove enable businesses to maximize their existing investment in Flash video and marketing content and reach the massive iPhone and iPad audience without having to recreate it all. And, the Adobe alliance with Greystripe lets Adobe circumvent the Apple ban on Flash and enable Flash developers to make the most of current skills and content to market to the Apple audience.
You can follow Tony on his Facebook page , or contact him by email at firstname.lastname@example.com . He also tweets as @Tony_BradleyPCW .


text:
Geo2YC Division Marks First Year of Accomplishment
The mission of the division is to 1) serve as a forum for exchanging ideas, concerns, and resources, 2) establish a network of geoscience educators at 2YC and other institutions with shared interests, 3) sponsor 2YC activities and make recommendations to the NAGT Council, 4) support and coordinate research on 2YC geoscience education, and 5) advocate for 2YC geoscience education within NAGT and with other organizations.
In its first year, the division has grown to over 150 members, including geoscience faculty at both two- and four-year institutions, other education professionals, K-12 teachers, and students. To communicate the division's mission to the 2YC geoscience community at large, members staffed booths throughout the year at many sectional meetings of the NAGT and Geological Society of America (GSA). Division members also organized and sponsored well-attended technical sessions and social events at the 2012 GSA and at 2011 and 2012 American Geophysical Union (AGU) meetings and attended the first division business meeting at the GSA Annual Meeting in Charlotte this fall.
In addition, the Geo2YC Executive Board has advocated for 2YC issues to the NSF and Integrated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) and in several education workshops. Additional information about these activities and other informative articles about 2YC geoscience education around the country, can be found in the exceptional quarterly newsletter of the division, Foundations, which is sent to members and is published on the division website.
In the coming year, the division plans to continue to recruit members and publicize its mission with its new trifold brochure and pencil photo scales, introduced at the 2012 GSA meeting in Charlotte. The Executive Board has plans to conduct an electronic survey of 2YC geoscience faculty in January of 2013 and to establish an Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award for 2YC adjunct faculty.
Division officers for 2012-2013 are:
President—Lynsey LeMay, Thomas Nelson Community College, Hampton, Virginia
Vice President—Merry Wilson, Scottsdale Community College, Scottsdale, Arizona
Secretary/Treasurer —Allison Beauregard, Northwest Florida State College, Niceville, Florida
Newsletter Editor—Callan Bentley, Northern Virginia Community College, Springfield, Virginia
Webmaster—Kaatje Kraft, Mesa Community College, Mesa, Arizona, and
Archivist—Suzanne Metlay, Front Range Community College, Westminster, Colorado
For more information about the division, its resources, how to join, and how to become involved in regional or national events and projects, go to: http://nagt.org/nagt/divisions/2yc/index.html.


text:
Originally posted on Gizmodo by Jesus Diaz.
The iPhone camera has a secret Easter Egg: a panorama mode. This special mode—which Apple has not enabled for consumers yet—will allow you to capture large panoramic scene using multiple photos. This is how you can enable it:
1. First, you should access the com.apple.mobileslideshow.plist in the iPhone (you need to have developer access to do this). The exact location of that plist is:
2. Then, add the line value of EnableFirebreak=Yes.
3. Done. A Panorama button will now appear when you click on Options, displaying a special interface to capture photos in succession, matching them to create the panoramic photo.
Why didn't Apple enable this mode for consumers? Perhaps because it feels a bit cumbersome for now. I'm sure that, if they wanted to enable a panorama capture mode, they would do it in a more elegant, simpler way. After all, there are applications in the App Store that already perform this kind of function in a much elegant way.
Update: Talking to Conrad Kramer, the person who discovered the secret mode, he told us there will be a program to enable this in jailbroken iPhones without any text editing:
A tweak will be out on Cydia tomorrow to enable it, iPhone 4 and newer, due to the inclusion of a gyroscope in the iPhone 4.
This works for iOS 5 only.


text:
Tags: Causes of Sorrow | Meaning of Sorrow | Reason of Sorrow | Bodhi Vriksh | The Grace of Sorrow
Don't have an account? Register
Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.
To use social login you have to agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website.Accept
Here you'll find all collections you've created before.


text:
BLACKFIRE Waterless Wash
- Item #:
- 082045627695
Wash anywhere!
BLACKFIRE Waterless Wash in the ready-to-use spray bottle gives you a powerful ally in keeping your vehicle clean. This high lubricity waterless wash uses BLACKFIRE's proprietary polymers to encapsulate dirt and dust so they wipe away with out scratching. Fingerprints and smudges disappear. Meanwhile, the anti-static polymers bond to the paint to reinforce the existing protection and create a whiplash-inducing shine. BLACKFIRE Waterless Wash is a car wash in a spray bottle!
If you washed your vehicle every time a little dust settled on it, you'd be washing it every day! The fact is that our clean vehicles have to face the outdoors and they are going to get dirty, often far sooner than we'd like. To make it easier to keep vehicles clean between washes, manufacturers developed waterless washes. These spray-and-wipe cleaners are quick, convenient, and they do remove dirt... but BLACKFIRE Waterless Wash goes a step further.
BLACKFIRE Wet Diamond Waterless Wash removes dust and dirt PLUS it protects the existing wax or paint sealant. High impact Wet Diamond polymers bond to the vehicle to reinvigorate the shine and boost the paint protection. These polymers are anti-static, meaning they do not attract dust or dirt. When you use BLACKFIRE Waterless Wash, the results last longer than a couple hours - they can last a few days because less dirt sticks.
Added UV protectants keep your paint finish vibrant and rich. Blackfire Waterless Wash works on paint, clear coats, glass, metal, and plastics. It keeps your vehicle looking freshly washed every day.
Work out of direct sunlight for best results. Spray desired surface with BLACKFIRE Waterless Wash and use a folded microfiber buffing towel to wipe in one direction. As the towel becomes soiled, flip to a clean side. Continue in this manner until the entire vehicle has been detailed. Change to a fresh towel as needed.
32 oz. Ready to Use Spray


text:
Last Wednesday, 29 December 2010, Peter and Autumn Phillips became parents to a girl, whose name was not made public when the announcement came from Buckingham Palace on 30 December. Peter Phillips is the son of the Princess Royal (Princess Anne) and is thus a grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II. The newborn baby girl is the queen's first great grandchild.
Several members of the British royal family attended the service at Sandringham today, and according to the local newspaper Eastern Daily Press (EDP24) the prayers included a special mention by the Rev. Jonathan Riviere for "Peter and Autumn Phillips and their daughter Savannah".
The service was attended by Queen Elizabeth II, Savannah's grandmother the Princess Royal, her husband Tim Laurence as well as the Earl and Countess of Wessex.
Savannah Phillips is currently 12th in line of succession to the British throne. I guess I had hoped for a more traditional name, but obviously it is none of our business. :-) I suppose the baby has got at least one more name, which will be made public later.
(Thanks to Rafal Heydel-Mankoo for posting the link to EDP24 on his Twitter page.)
2 January 2011
UK: Peter and Autumn Phillips' daughter named Savannah
Posted by Dag T. Hoelseth at 20:35
Labels Autumn Phillips, British Royal Family, Peter Phillips, royalty, Sandringham, Savannah Phillips, United Kingdom
2 comments:
For the record: I have been unable to obtain any confirmation of this name and no other news sources other than the above quoted web site are reporting it. Sincerely, RHMReplyDelete
Thanks! I guess we should take a small reservation, then. Hopefully the journalist and reverend had got it right!ReplyDelete
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Boasting lightweight fabric, flutter sleeves, a v-neckline, and a floral paisley print, this top is sure to become an instant wardrobe favorite. Dare to wear something effortless and beautiful.
S: Chest 35" Length 25"M: Chest 36" Length 26.5"L: Chest 39" Length 26.5"1XL: Chest 44" Length 27"2XL: Chest 46" Length 28"3XL: Chest 48" Length 28"
Sarah is wearing a size SKendall is wearing a size 1XL
The measurements listed are taken across the chest from armpit to armpit. Double the measurement(s) for the actual garment measurement around the body.
Example: The Chest Measurement across the chest is 19", 19" x 2= 38", the true size of the garment is 38" around the chest.
Be sure to reference details in the product description for any additional sizing notes specific to the product such as relaxed fit, size up, size down, etc.
Watch our short video to ensure a perfect measurement every time ⤵
Measure for Success:
BUST: Take a tape measure and measure at the fullest part of your bust.
WAIST: Measure around the smallest part of your waistline, leaving about half an inch between your body and the tape measure.
HIPS: Standing with your heels together, measure around the fullest part of your hips. Be sure to keep your tape measure straight across the front and back of hips.
LENGTH: Shoulder to hem. Standing straight, measure from the top of your shoulder to the bottom of the hem.
Waist & hip measurements are taken around each point of the garment. The rise of each garment and where the waist will sit on your body depends on the cut; a high waist generally hits 11-12" above your pelvic/groin area, a mid-rise is 9-10" on average and a low rise is generally 7-8".
The inseam is measured from the bottom of the pelvic/crotch seam down the leg to the end of the opening at the bottom.
Judy Blue Sizing & Notes: Judy Blue jeans have amazing stretch while keeping their shape ensuring a comfortable, yet stylish fit. Most customers can size down one size from their normal size in other brands. For example; if you generally wear a size 9 in other jeans, we recommend a size 7 in Judy Blue.
Different jeans styles & how they fit:
All shoes run true to size with standard widths, reference the product description for specific sizing notes such as narrow width, sizing up, etc.
Find your next #OOTD
Complete your outfit with the perfect shoes
Find your new favorite pair of jeans


text:
Popular Science
Popular Science gives our readers the information and tools to improve their technology and their world. The core belief that Popular Science and our readers share: The future is going to be better, and science and technology are the driving forces that will help make it better.
Common terms and phrases
AMC Matador Ansafone auto automatic brakes Bullworker cable Calif Catalog circuit cloud color Comotor cost coupon cubes dealer Dept designed dial Dodge Dodge Charger drive easy electric electronics element engine equipment extra Ford FREE fuel G.I. BILL gear heat Heathkit ignition inches installed John Cabot Kasemir kits lenses light lock machine Mail Order Matador mechanic metal miles mold motor P.O. Box panel pedal Pennzoil phase-locked loop Pisces plane plans Plexiglas plug Pontiac Pontiac Le Popular Science Powermeter problem rabbet plane radio rear record repair replace Retail Send ship side signal speed steel stereo switch tank tape thermostat tion tire torque valve Wankel engine water heater wheels wire


text:
Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Davis Webb helped end Texas Tech's unsightly five-game losing streak while making sure the Red Raiders' seniors had a great sendoff.
The freshman threw for 403 yards and tied a Holiday Bowl record with four touchdown passes, and Texas Tech raced to a 37-23 victory over No. 16 Arizona State on Monday night.
Webb tied the record set by BYU's Jim McMahon in 1980 and matched by Kansas State's Brian Kavanagh in 1995 and Texas' Major Applewhite in 2001.
"When Coach told me I was going to start, there was nothing but joy," Webb said. "I told myself that I was going to make sure that I was going to send the seniors out right. We came prepared. We leaned on each other and we showed that today.
"It's pretty exhilarating right now. I'm so proud of this team," he added.
The Red Raiders (8-5) won for the first time since beating West Virginia on Oct. 19. Arizona State (10-4) lost its second straight.
Webb completed 28 of 41 passes. He threw touchdown passes of 18 and 21 yards to Jakeem Grant, 1 yard to Rodney Hall and 23 yards to Bradley Marquez, all in the first half.
"He's really battled to separate himself all year," said first-year coach Kliff Kingsbury, a former Red Raiders quarterback.
"To play that young in this type of arena, D-1, that's very rare and I think he does a great job handling the pressure coming out here and making things happen," wide receiver Eric Ward said.
After losing their final five games by an average of 20.6 points, the Red Raiders scored on four of their first five drives to take a 27-6 lead 5 minutes into the second quarter.
Kingsbury said the Red Raiders had seen predictions that they'd lose by 22 points.
"We saw that all week. We knew what people thought and we knew the type of team we had," the coach said.
"We didn't get any respect all weekend long," Ward said. "It was all about Arizona State and their record and this, that and the other. So we used that to fuel the fire."
Ward said the losing streak "preyed upon us pretty heavily. No one likes losing that much and lose that much on the road. It starts depressing the team a little bit. We just did all we could to prepare for this game. During the bowl practices, the time we had together helped us bond together."
Texas Tech All-America tight end Jace Amaro had eight catches for 112 yards. He set the FBS single-season record for yards receiving by a tight end with 1,352.
The Sun Devils, coming off a 38-14 loss to Stanford in the Pac-12 championship game, were held 18 points below their average. They dropped to 0-4 in the Holiday Bowl dating to 1985.
"I'm very embarrassed for our program," coach Todd Graham said. "As coaches we didn't have our guys prepared to play. They came to play. We didn't. Give them credit. I was embarrassed for the fans that showed up today. We didn't have our players prepared. Zero excuses, but we didn't have our players prepared to play. It was an ugly game offensively and defensively. We just didn't play very well. They were the more passionate team today."
While Texas Tech was finding the end zone early on, Arizona State had to settle for field goals of 44 and 31 yards by Zane Gonzalez.
The Sun Devils got their first touchdown when D.J. Foster scored on a 20-yard run with 7:52 left in the second quarter to close to 27-13. ASU quarterback Taylor Kelly scored on a 44-yard run early in the third, but Reginald Davis returned the ensuing kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown to extend the Red Raiders' lead to 34-20.
Kelly gained 135 yards on 25 carries but threw for only 125 yards, going 16 of 29. He was sacked three times. Foster gained 132 yards on 20 carries.
Arizona State's Richard Smith couldn't hold onto a 50-yard pass from Kelly as he tripped and tumbled into the end zone with 9:50 left and the Sun Devils trailing by 14.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


text:
Reports of unaccompanied migrant children being forced to stay overnight in parked buses at the Dallas convention center are "completely unacceptable" if true, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said Friday.
Dr. Amy Cohen, a psychiatrist and executive director of the advocacy group Every Last One, said a 15-year-old Honduran boy she is working with was held on a bus from Saturday to Wednesday, using the bus bathroom during that time and unable to move about freely or communicate with family. The boy encountered at least three other children who were held as long in the parking lot of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, said Cohen, who also has been in contact with another child who was confined earlier to a bus for an extended period.
It is unclear how many children were kept on buses overnight.
"This is completely unacceptable," Becerra said. "We're quickly investigating this to get to the bottom of what happened, and we'll work to make sure this never happens again. The safety and well-being of the children is our priority."
The Honduran boy's experience, first reported by NBC News, comes as Health and Human Services massively expands its capacity to house migrant children until they can be placed with a sponsor in the United States, usually parents or close relatives, while their cases wind through immigration court. It comes in response to the largest influx of unaccompanied children on record.
The department, whose lodging is more suited to longer-term stays than Border Patrol holding facilities, has grown its capacity to about 20,000 beds from less than 1,000 in mid-February. It's opened 14 emergency intake centers, including at the Dallas convention center and other large venues. The Dallas facility opened in February with plans to house up to 3,000 children.
Health and Human Services had 20,397 unaccompanied children in its custody as of Wednesday.
The government flew the Honduran boy to Seattle to reunite with his mother and uncle after NBC News inquired about his status.
MVM Inc., a transportation contractor for the government, said it has "safely and professionally" transported migrant children and families for more than six years.
"Over the last seven weeks, the number of children needing escorts in this pandemic environment has increased to more than 7,100, creating challenging travel logistics and resulting in some extended wait times on their way to reunification sites," the company said in a statement.
MVM said it experienced some delays at a 24-hour regional hub where buses meet to get children on their way to join family, which resulted in "a child staying at that site longer than our target wait time of four hours. This is a violation of our policy and we are conducting an internal review of this incident."
The company said the child had access to an air-conditioned bus, food and snacks, bottled water and personal protective equipment.
Spagat reported from San Diego.
Elliot Spagat, The Associated Press


text:
November 30th, 2010
Big News!
I have a belated announcement to make and you may never know how happy I am about this. Though I was in the know for several months I had to see the end product by my own eyes before sharing the good news with you.
Recently, I was checking my mailbox time and time again, looking forward to receive a package sent from far away. Useless supermarket brochures, electricity bills and take away fast food discount coupons were all there but not the package I was expecting. Then it was time for us to set off for a long journey and I had to be patient until we were back again.
It is easy to guess what was the first thing I did when we returned home last week. And yes…There is a padded envelope with something heavy inside in my mailbox among all other stuff, and a big "YES", it is sent by Slattery Media Group. That was the package I was expecting for weeks containing a beautifully designed cookbook in full-color print with the title "Foodies of the World". Immediately started to turn down the pages and loved the photograps, fonts and everything just at first sight but I was growing impatient to see the part which makes this good looking cookbook very special for me. Read the rest of this entry »


text:
A fair while ago this site got hacked and, long story short, there was a nice bit of malware injected into the site's code as a result.
I've been trying on and off – with my limited coding abilities – to clean this up since the turn of the new year and I think I've finally gotten it all sorted. Most importantly Google seems to think so too.
This attack will at least partially explain why things have been so quiet around here lately. For a start the dodgy code seemed to break wordpress, meaning it was hard if not impossible to post anything even if I wanted. However I was also reluctant to do anything that might encourage readers to come to the site and, as a result, get some kind of virus on their computer.
That's not the only reason, of course. Thankfully I've also been quite busy with "real" work, most significantly in the past month, and so things like this tend to get overlooked in favour of the instant satisfaction that Twitter brings.
I do hope to get back into the habit of posting here, though, even if it is just once or twice a week.
To start with I'll put up some of the more interesting things that have kept me busy in the last few weeks. Expect that in the next day or so.


text:
Izraeli PM Netanyahu's Statement at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today (Friday, 11 July 2014), at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, issued the following statement:
"This is the fourth day of Operation Protective Edge. The IDF, the ISA and the security forces are fighting Hamas with increasing intensity. As of now, we have hit over 1,000 Hamas', Islamic Jihad and other terrorist organizations' targets, and we are still busy.
The pace of attacks in this operation is double that of Operation Pillar of Defense and the military strikes will continue until we can be certain that the quiet has returned to Israeli citizens. I would like to make it clear that no terrorist target in the Gaza Strip is immune but it must be pointed out that Hamas's leaders, commanders and activists are hiding behind the residents of Gaza and they are responsible for any injury to them. The difference between us is simple. We develop defensive systems against missiles in order to protect our civilians and they use their civilians to protect their missiles. And this is the entire difference: They fire indiscriminately at our civilians and our cities in order to attack them. Sometimes they hit soldiers by mistake. We strike at their armed forces and sometimes we hit civilians by mistake.
I made this point – and many others – clear in recent days in the conversations I have held with major world leaders. I had a good conversation last night with US President Barack Obama, also with Russian President Vladimir Putin. I had good talks with all of them, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and British Prime Minister David Cameron, and of course with French President Francois Hollande. To all of them I said something simple – no country would accept its civilians being fired at without a harsh response. I said that I would not allow Israel's citizens to live in this reality. No international pressure will prevent us from operating with full force against a terrorist organization that calls for our destruction.
We will continue to strongly hit all those who try to attack us and we will continue to take determined and prudent action to protect our home front, the citizens of the State of Israel. Iron Dome is a great asset to our national security and I think that it is additional proof of the technological superiority of the State of Israel. This is one of the more impressive developments in defensive war materiel in recent decades. In recent years, my governments – this is my second government – have invested billions in home front defense; Iron Dome was a considerable portion of this sum, and we are working to cover the entire country with systems that can intercept missiles from any distance.
And perhaps the most important defense in the end, with certainty, is your strength, citizens of Israel. The strength that you have been showing helps us in conducting this operation in a responsible and sagacious manner. I ask only one thing of you – continue to listen to the instructions of IDF Home Front Command, they both save lives and prevent Hamas from realizing the goals that it has set. We will continue to do whatever we need to guard over you but I also ask you to do what is necessary in order to guard your lives and those of your children. I am proud of the way in which you have been conducting yourselves and I am proud of your support. I am proud to be your Prime Minister."


text:
Crews from as far away as Atlantic Canada have been brought in to help restore electricity to about 23,000 British Columbia customers who are still without power after Thursday's wind storm.
Winds as high as 100 km/h ripped over southern B.C., toppling trees and snapping power lines, knocking out power to more than 600,000 customers.
A statement from B.C. Hydro says contract crews from the east coast and Alberta are lending a hand where power remains out, including Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.
The statement says restoring power in those areas remains a challenge because of the extent of damage.
There are hundreds of outages and crews have to attend each individually to make repairs, including restringing hundreds of spans of lines, and replacing power poles and transformers.
Hydro spokeswoman Mora Scott says some customers on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands may be without power through to Boxing Day because of the length of time it will take to repair the damage.
The Canadian Press


text:
Welcome to guest blogger Deana Sidney of Lost Past Remembered, a blog dedicated to discovering, replicating and adapting historic recipes. In this saucy series she demystifies one of the cornerstones of classic French cuisine: the mother sauces.
Sauce Chasseur
When the Kennedys came into the White House the quality of the food served there went from 0 to 60. Instead of cooks and caterers Jacqueline Kennedy hired French Chef René Verdon. As you might imagine, he played an important role in bringing French cuisine to America.
One of the most famous dinners of the administration was held in 1961. Instead of serving a state dinner at the White House, an elegant tent was erected at Mount Vernon and the meal was an enormous success.
There was avocado and crabmeat mimosa, a wonderful rice dish and raspberries with crème Chantilly. The main course was Poulet Chasseur.
As part of my sauce series, Sauce Chasseur is made with French tomato sauce, one of the mother sauces of the 19th century that differs from Italian sauce in that it has flour and stock in the mix and is slow cooked with a ham knuckle or trotter. This addition gives the Sauce Tomate a velvety texture that is perfect for the elegant dish. I decided to use guinea hen instead of chicken for a deeper flavor. If you've never tried it, guinea hen is a great bird… sort of a cross between chicken and pheasant. I think when you try it you'll see why everyone wanted a seat at the Kennedy table. The food and the company were superb.
Escoffier Sauce Chasseur
6 medium mushrooms
2 T butter
2 T olive oil
1 t minced shallots
1 c white wine
2 oz brandy
½ c tomato sauce*
1 c demi-glace
1 T meat glaze (Boil 1/2 c stock till reduced to a thick glaze – pay attention to it – it goes from glaze to burn quickly at the end; a non-stick pan is perfect for doing this.)
Peel and mince the mushrooms, heat ½ oz butter and olive oil. Fry mushrooms till slightly browned. Add t of minced shallots and remove half the butter. Pour 1 c white wine and 1 glass of brandy; reduce by half and finish with tomato sauce, 1 c demi-glace and 1 T meat glaze boil 5 minutes or until it is thickened slightly. Strain and reserve. You will have 1 cup of sauce.
*Tomato sauce
1 large can tomato puree (I used Muir Glen fire-roasted crushed tomatoes)
1 strip bacon, chopped
small piece ham knuckle or trotter with bone or piece of ham with bone – about the size of a child's fist
3 T carrot, chopped small
3 T onion, chopped small
bouquet garni
small clove of garlic
1 T butter (the bacon will give up about 1 T of fat, add more butter to make 2 T fat)
2 T flour
1 t salt
1 t sugar
pinch pepper
1 c stock
Cook bacon in butter, sprinkle with flour, add tomatoes and veg and ham and stock. Boil and cook over low heat for 2 – 3 hours, stirring frequently (it will scorch a little). Take out bouquet and ham and strain, pressing on the solids. Whisk till smooth.
Escoffier's Guinea Hen Chasseur
The guinea hen will serve 2 – 4, a chicken will serve 4 – 6
1 guinea hen or a 3-1/2 lb chicken cut into serving pieces (breasts without bone, legs, thighs and wings –reserve back and breast bone for stock) or 4 breast or 8 thigh pieces
salt and pepper
1 T butter
1T olive oil
¼ c white wine
1 T cognac
1 c chasseur sauce
8 sliced mushrooms ( I used shitakes and chanterelles)
chopped parsley (tarragon and chervil are nice too but optional)
Salt and pepper the meat and brown it well in equal quantities of butter and oil. Cook at medium heat until cooked through. Cook the breast meat less than the rest of the meat. Place on a dish and cover. Sauté the mushrooms in the remaining fat.
Pour out the fat. Swirl the saucepan with white wine and cognac and reduce. Put the chicken back in the pan and toss with mushrooms, pour chasseur sauce over the meat and sprinkle with herbs.
Couronne de Riz Clamart
Based on recipe from Kennedy's social secretary Letitia Baldrige, 6 servings
2 tsp butter
1/2 cup each finely chopped red and green pepper (I used 1 poblano pepper)
3 cups cooked long grain white (or brown) rice
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I think 1/2 c is better)
1 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 plum tomato, peeled, seeded and finely chopped (I used about 8 un-peeled cherry tomatoes since they have flavor at this time of year)
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
1 cup baby peas
In skillet, melt half the butter over medium-high heat. Add peppers, cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Reserve.
In bowl, gently stir together rice, eggs, Parmesan cheese, chicken stock and parsley.
Stir in peppers, tomato, salt and pepper.
Spoon rice mixture into generously buttered 1 quart round tube mold or Bundt pan, packing down gently with spoon (I used a copper mold and put ramkins in the center since I wanted a taller shape!)
Bake in 350 degree oven for 25 to 35 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and let stand for 2 minutes.
Invert over serving platter over top of mold and turn out rice mixture.
Toss peas with remaining butter, spoon into center of rice ring.


text:
Aquarium like scenery, deep-sea coral and sponge gardens (an extremely rich and rare habitat), hungry groupers and sharks, as well as a frenzy of deep-sea eel-like creatures: the Three Kings Islands have it all for you.
In April 2010, a team of five scientists from Te Papa and Massey University have been carrying research for about a week around the Three Kings Islands. These isolated stacks of rocks are located about 50km North of Northland and are stunning place to work. In addition to a feeling of being at the end of the world, this place is special for marine scientists because it is at the intersection of different water masses, concentrating an extremely diverse underwater fauna.
Our objectives were to study the fish fauna of the area, at depth ranging from 50 to 1200m. Quite a challenge, considering this place is exposed to bad weather and is famous for the strength of its tidal currents. These can be so strong that they often submerge the surface buoys which are attached to gear, making them impossible to find till they pop up again when tides slacken. A stressful time…
I probably lost hair during the week because of this, but in the end, everything ran smoothly and we deployed our video systems over 50 times, capturing some very neat footage. I have been reviewing them here in the lab and wanted to share some of the interesting sections with you.
One of the highlight of the fieldwork was the discovery of extended deep-sea coral and sponge gardens at depths ranging from 300 to 700m. This complex habitat is composed of a mixture of coral species that are adapted to the deep-sea conditions, i.e. they do not need light like their shallow-water associated species to thrive. Although poorly studied, we know that those habitats are rare, fragile and harbour a significant amount of biodiversity. They can also be important spawning and nursery grounds for many fish species. Seeing this habitat for the first time with such clear video images was soul-stirring for the team.
If you want to know more about this project, you can visit the home page of the fish team.
Vincent Zintzen, Te Papa researcher.


text:
Gift Card Value $500.00
Gift Cards are available for purchase and will be mailed to your address, complete with card and envelope. Free Shipping! Shipping is automatically added but we will deduct this cost for any Gift Card purchases. If purchased with product as well, shipping will be modified so that you will not be charged shipping on the value of the gift card.
Value $500.00 Valid Online and In-store


text:
Poland suffered an exceedingly brutal Nazi occupation during the Second World War. Close to five million Polish citizens lost their lives as a result. More than half the casualties were Polish Jews. Thus, the second largest Jewish community in the world–only American Jewry numbered more than the three and a half million Polish Jews at the time–was wiped out. Over 90 percent of its members were killed in the Holocaust. And yet, despite this unprecedented calamity that affected both Jews and non-Jews, Jewish Holocaust survivors returning to their hometowns in Poland after the war experienced widespread hostility, including murder, at the hands of their neighbors. The bloodiest peacetime pogrom in twentieth-century Europe took place in the Polish town of Kielce one year after the war ended, on July 4, 1946.
Jan Gross's Fear attempts to answer a perplexing question: How was anti-Semitism possible in Poland after the war? At the center of his investigation is a detailed reconstruction of the Kielce pogrom and the reactions it evoked in various milieus of Polish society. How did the Polish Catholic Church, Communist party workers, and intellectuals respond to the spectacle of Jews being murdered by their fellow citizens in a country that had just been liberated from a five-year Nazi occupation?
Gross argues that the anti-Semitism displayed in Poland in the war's aftermath cannot be understood simply as a continuation of prewar attitudes. Rather, it developed in the context of the Holocaust and the Communist takeover: Anti-Semitism eventually became a common currency between the Communist regime and a society in which many had joined in the Nazi campaign of plunder and murder–and for whom the Jewish survivors were a standing reproach.
Jews did not bring communism to Poland as some believe; in fact, they were finally driven out of Poland under the Communist regime as a matter of political expediency. In the words of the Nobel Prize—winning poet Czeslaw Milosz, Poland's Communist rulers fulfilled the dream of Polish nationalists by bringing into existence an ethnically pure state.
For more than half a century, what happened to the Jewish Holocaust survivors in Poland has been cloaked in guilt and shame. Writing with passion, brilliance, and fierce clarity, Jan T. Gross at last brings the truth to light.
Praise for Fear
"You read [Fear] breathlessly, all human reason telling you it can't be so–and the book culminates in so keen a shock that even a student of the Jewish tragedy during World War II cannot fail to feel it."–Elie Wiesel, The Washington Post Book World
"Bone-chilling . . . [Fear] is illuminating and searing, a moral indictment delivered with cool, lawyerly efficiency that pounds away at the conscience with the sledgehammer of a verdict. . . . Fear takes on an entire nation, forever depriving Poland of any false claims to the smug, easy virtue of an innocent bystander to Nazi atrocities. . . . Gross' Fear should inspire a national reflection on why there are scarcely any Jews left in Poland. It's never too late to mourn. The soul of the country depends on it."–Thane Rosenbaum, Los Angeles Times Book Review
"Provocative . . . powerful and necessary . . . One can only hope that this important book will make a difference."–Susan Rubin Suleiman, Boston Globe
"Imaginative, urgent, and unorthodox . . . The 'fear' of Mr. Gross's title . . . is not just the fear suffered by Jews in a Poland that wished they had never come back alive. It is also the fear of the Poles themselves, who saw in those survivors a reminder of their own wartime crimes. Even beyond Mr. Gross's exemplary historical research and analysis, it is this lesson that makes Fear such an important book."–The New York Sun
"After all the millions dead, after the Nazi terror, a good many Poles still found it acceptable to hate the Jews among them. . . . The sorrows of history multiply: a necessary book."
–Kirkus (starred review)
"Gross illustrates with eloquence and shocking detail that the bloodletting did not cease when the war ended. . . . This is a masterful work that sheds necessary light on a tragic and often-ignored aspect of postwar history."–Booklist (starred review)
"[Fear] tells a wartime horror story that should forces Poles to confront an untold–and profoundly terrifying–aspect of their history."–Publishers Weekly (starred review)
From the Hardcover edition.


text:
Family Guy Season 16 Episode 11 (Dog Bites Bear)
Family Guy Season 16 Episodes List
Next Episode
Previous Episode
Family Guy Season 16 Episode 11 Subtitles, Watch Family Guy Season 16 Episode 11 Online, Family Guy S16E11 Online. Top Netflix TV Shows Online, Family Guy TV Series Download HD quality full Streaming english subbed. You can easily watch full episodes of Family Guy TV Series.
Family Guy is the best way to spend your night, you broke up with your boyfriend? Watch Family guy and laugh at the racist, amazing, but fat, peter griffin, he always brightens my day. The characters are all very unique and the humor cracks me up everytime! Family Guy is friggin sweet! hands down the best comedy series ever. this has wonderful puns aimed at virtually anybody or anything conceivable. great work though no emmy awrds yet it shows you dont need any emmy to be funny.


text:
CALGARY — A historic first half by Andrew Harris ended the Winnipeg Blue Bombers' dubious championship drought and continued the Hamilton Tiger-Cats' Grey Cup misery.
The 32-year-old Winnipeg native scored rushing and receiving TDs as the Bombers stunned Hamilton 33-12 in the 107th Grey Cup before 35,439 spectators at McMahon Stadium.
Harris put an exclamation mark on his stellar performance Sunday by becoming the first player ever to be named the game's top player and Canadian.
Ladies and gentlemen, your MVP and Most Outstanding Canadian, @andrewharris33! #ForTheW pic.twitter.com/My9ntil601
— WPG Blue Bombers (@Wpg_BlueBombers) November 25, 2019
Harris (134 yards rushing, six catches for 35 yards) becomes the first Canadian to be named Grey Cup MVP since the legendary Russ Jackson of the Ottawa Rough Riders in 1969.
Harris and Co. earned $16,000 apiece while Hamilton players — who wore their home black uniforms and were 10-0 this season at Tim Hortons Field — received $8,000. More importantly, the Bombers secured their first Grey Cup title since 1990.
Hamilton's last title came in '99 and suffered its 16th straight loss at McMahon Stadium, the previous 15 coming against the home-town Calgary Stampeders.
Sunday's victory was especially sweet for Harris and Winnipeg starter Collaros.
Harris, who earned his first Grey Cup in 2011 with B.C., served a two-game suspension for a positive drug test. That led to his being snubbed in voting for the league's individual honours despite leading the CFL in rushing for a third straight season (1,380 yards).
Collaros had spent time this season with Saskatchewan and Toronto — ultimately he was traded by both teams — before landing with Winnipeg in October. He'd missed significant time recovering from a season-opening concussion suffered against Hamilton, which earned Ticats linebacker Simoni Lawrence a two-game suspension.
Hamilton came in as the solid favourite after a dominant '19 season. The Ticats posted a CFL-best 15-3 regular-season mark, a single-season franchise record.
Hamilton's high-power offence led the CFL in points per game (30.6), yards per game (395.8), passing yards (313.3 per game), first downs (398) and TDs (57). It featured receivers Brandon Banks (CFL's top player after 112 catches, 1,550 yards and 13 TDs) and Bralon Addison (95 catches, 1,236 yards, seven TDs).
On Thursday night, Banks was named the CFL's outstanding player. He was joined on the podium by teammates Chris Van Zeyl (lineman), Frankie Williams (special teams) and head coach Orlondo Steinauer (coach).
Winnipeg (11-7, third in West Division) became the first third-place finisher to win the Grey Cup since the '05 Edmonton Eskimos. And after going 3-6 during the season on the road, the Bombers ended their dubious streak with a third straight road victory and fourth overall under Collaros.
29 years…. THE WAIT IS OVER!@shaw_cfl #GreyCup #Bombers #FortheW pic.twitter.com/poUi9iM8dl
— CFL (@CFL) November 25, 2019
Winnipeg's tenacious defence certainly did its part with seven turnovers — three coming on Ticats' first four possessions — and six sacks. The Bombers had a plus-13 turnover ratio in the playoffs and didn't commit one themselves.
Hamilton pulled to within 24-12 with Evans' four-yard TD strike to Addison at 11:43 of the third but the two-point convert was unsuccessful. Banks suffered a lower-body injury in the drive and didn't return. Justin Medlock booted a 41-yard field goal with three seconds left in the third and a 17 yarder with 6:33 left in the fourth to stretch Winnipeg's lead to 30-12.
An 18-yard Medlock field goal with three minutes to play put Winnipeg ahead 33-12. His 38-yard boot at 3:48 of the third gave the Bombers a 24-6 advantage.
Medlock finished with two converts, six field goals and a single.
Hamilton's Lirim Hajrullahu kicked two field goals.
READ MORE: Grey Cup halftime performer Keith Urban curious about CFL
The combination of Harris and an aggressive defence staked Winnipeg to an emphatic 21-6 half-time lead. Harris ran five times for 53 yards and a TD while registering four catches for 35 yards and a touchdown.
Collaros was an efficient 13-of-17 passing for 105 yards as Winnipeg's offence held the ball for over 17 minutes.
But Hamilton's offensive line had no answer for Winnipeg's rugged defensive line, which continually pressured starter Dane Evans. The Bombers' defence was especially staunch in the first with three turnovers on the Ticats' opening four possessions.
Hamilton forced Winnipeg to settle for Medlock's 16-yard field goal at 14:45 of the second. Bombers' backup Chris Streveler put Winnipeg ahead 18-6 at 8:34 with a 17-yard TD strike to Harris, the four-play, 50-yard march was set up by Janarion Grant's 32-yard punt return.
Medlock booted a 45-yard field goal at 4:55 to stake Winnipeg to an 11-6 lead. It came after Hajrullahu's 47-yard boot 28 seconds into the quarter but the Bombers' lead to 8-6.
Harris opened the scoring with a 15-yard TD run at 3:23 of the first. It was set up by Adam Bighill's recovery of Evans' fumble at the Hamilton 15-yard line.
Hajrullahu provided Hamilton's first points with a 44-yard field goal at 6:18 before Medlock missed from 48 yards out for the single at 8:42.
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter


text:
PARIS (AP)-- The bloody three-day hostage standoff at a natural gas plant in the Sahara took a dramatic turn Friday as Algeria's state news service reported that nearly 100 of the 132 foreign workers kidnapped by Islamic militants had been freed.
That number of hostages at the remote desert facility was significantly higher than any previous report, but it still left questions about the fate of over 30 other foreign energy workers. It wasn't clear how the government arrived at the latest tally of hostages, which was far higher than the 41 foreigners the militants had claimed previously.
Algeria's state news agency also reported late Friday that a "provisional toll" shows 12 hostages have been killed since the start of the Algerian military operation to free workers kidnapped by militants at the plant. The APS news agency quoted an unidentified security source for the new death toll and said the fatalities include both Algerian and foreign workers.
That hostage death toll would be more than double the one APS had reported earlier. The news agency has said 18 militants had been killed.
Yet the report that nearly 100 workers were safe could indicate a breakthrough in the confrontation that began when the militants seized the plant early Wednesday.
U.S. officials said Friday that one American worker at the complex, Texas resident Frederick Buttaccio, has been found dead there, but that it was unclear how he died. The Obama administration was seeking to secure the release of other Americans still being held by the militants.
France said one Frenchman has been killed during the raid by Algerian forces. The Foreign Ministry identified him as Yann Desjeux, without providing additional information. The ministry said three other French hostages are now free, but didn't say if any French citizens remain in captivity.
The militants, meanwhile, offered to trade two captive American workers for two terror figures jailed in the United States, according to a statement received by a Mauritanian news site that often reports news from North African extremists.
The U.S. State Department confirmed that some Americans are still being held hostage in Algeria. Asked about a militant offer to trade two American hostages for jailed terror figures in the United States, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said, "The United States does not negotiate with terrorists."
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urged Algeria to do everything possible to protect the remaining hostages. Clinton said that in her conversation on Friday with Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal she emphasized that "the utmost care must be taken to preserve innocent life."
It was not clear whether the remaining foreigners were still captive or had died during the Algerian military offensive to free them that began Thursday.
The desert siege erupted Wednesday when the militants attempted to hijack two buses at the plant, were repulsed, and then seized the sprawling refinery, which is 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) south of Algiers. They had claimed the attack came in retaliation for France's recent military intervention against Islamist rebels in neighboring Mali, but security experts have said it must have taken weeks of planning to hit the remote site.
Since then, Algeria's government has kept a tight grip on information about the siege.
The militants had seized hundreds of workers from 10 nations at Algeria's remote Ain Amenas natural gas plant. The overwhelming majority were Algerian and were freed almost immediately.
Algerian forces retaliated Thursday by storming the plant in an attempted rescue operation that left leaders around the world expressing strong concerns about the hostages' safety.
Militants claimed 35 hostages died on Thursday when Algerian military helicopters opened fire as the Islamists transported the hostages around the gas plant. They militants said they continue to hold seven foreign hostages, according to Mauritanian news agency ANI, which said it had spoken to militants on Friday.
On Friday, trapped in the main refinery area, the militants offered to trade two American hostages for two prominent terror figures jailed in the United States. Those the militants sought included Omar Abdel Rahman, the blind sheikh who was convicted of plotting to blow up New York City landmarks and considered the spiritual leader of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, and Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani scientist convicted of shooting at two U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.
But U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said there would be "no place to hide" for anyone who looks to attack the United States. "Terrorists should be on notice that they will find no sanctuary, no refuge, not in Algeria, not in North Africa, not anywhere," Panetta said Friday.
Workers kidnapped by the militants came from around the world — Americans, Britons, French, Norwegians, Romanians, Malaysians, Japanese, Algerians.
World leaders have expressed strong concerns in the past few days about how Algeria was handing the situation and its apparent reluctance to communicate.
Terrorized hostages from Ireland and Norway trickled out of the Ain Amenas plant, 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) south of Algiers, the capital. BP, which jointly operates the plant, said it had begun to evacuate employees from Algeria.
"This is a large and complex site and they are still pursuing terrorists and possibly some of the hostages," British Prime Minister David Cameron said Friday in London.
He told British lawmakers the situation remained fluid and dangerous, saying "part of the threat has been eliminated in one part of the site, a threat still remains in another part."
A U.S. military C-130 transport plane flew a number of people including former Ain Amenas hostages from the Algerian capital of Algiers to a U.S. facility in Europe, a U.S. official said. He declined to be specific about the destination, their nationalities or the extent of the wounds that he said some had.
A flood of foreign energy workers were being evacuated from the North African nation amid security concerns.
BP evacuated one U.S. citizen along with other foreign energy workers from Algeria to Mallorca and then London. The oil giant said three flights left Algeria on Thursday, carrying 11 BP employees and several hundred energy workers from other companies.
A fourth plane was taking more people out of the country on Friday, BP said.


text:
They might have split up or they might have capsized
They may have broke deep and took water
And all that remains is the faces and the names
Of the wives and the sons and the daughters.
— Gordon Lightfoot, from "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"
A storm on Lake Superior drowned the Edmund Fitzgerald. From the way it looks now, a storm over the Atlantic destroyed Air France Flight 447 earlier this week.
A book and a movie nailed the "perfect storm" meme in our heads, and I suppose the label might apply here. Flight 447 was crossing through a region known to weather professionals as the intertropical convergence zone. Storms rise quickly there, and concentrate in a band that runs around the Earth like a broad equator of roiling clouds. While lines of thunderstorms familiar to those of us in temperate zones can run for hundreds of miles along a weather front, these intertropical mothers are different in several senses, not the least of which is that it's harder to avoid getting tossed around while weaving through them in an airplane — especially in the middle of the night over the middle of an ocean. This is due partly to the widespread and rapid-forming nature of the storms themselves, and partly to the absence of navigation guidance from the ground.
There isn't any ground underneath. The nearest radar is far beyond the horizon. And, in some cases, such as Flight 447's, guidance from the air is also lacking. According to that first link (a Bloomberg piece by John Hughes), less than one flight per hour takes the route flown by Flight 447, which was last heard from at 2:14am, local time, over the Atlantic appoximately midway between South America and Africa.
That also puts it over the broad Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a mountain range that runs like a baseball seam between tectonic plates. It's mountainous down there. Go to 3° 34′ 39.72″ N, 30° 22′ 27.84″ W (3.5777, -30.3744) on Google Earth, drop about 12,500 feet below the surface, and you would see approximately this —
— if it were not also the blacker than the darkest night down there. Good luck finding the flight data and voice recorders. Or anything else that doesn't float.
My guess is that our best guesses will narrow to some combination of known facts. Chief among these is that the plane was passing through a region of big thunderstorms that had also shown up quickly. I'm guessing that the pilots did their best to avoid the worst of what they could see with their instruments, and failed. Here is a summary of final messages from the plane.
Whether the plane broke up at altitude (we know it depressurized) or went out of control and crashed intact, the terminal moments of the flight must have been frightening beyond description for those on board.
I'm a frequent flyer who loves aviation. I've flown enough to be jaded and calm. But thunderstorms still creep me out. One pilot friend told me a few days ago that the last thing you want to do is go through a "hole" between two thunderheads, because turbulence there can be even worse than inside the clouds themselves. When you see thunderheads building, the expansion itself is a kind of wind, and so is what happens to the air pushed aside as the head builds its visible parts.
One wonders if any decisions will be made, based on what we learn from the crash of Flight 447. Will similar Airbus planes be given a new caution? An upgrade to avionics or reporting methods? A new procedural guide for times when scary storms suddenly materialize? Dunno yet. We'll see.
I'll be flying back and forth to London next week. I'm looking forward to the flight as well as the work — as I always do. But, like many travelers, I'll not be quite as calm about the weather.


text:
- 1.0.0
- 1.1.6
- 1.2.6
- 2.0.3
- 2.1.0
- 2.2.1
- 2.3.2
- 2.3.8
- 3.0.0 (0)
- 3.0.9 (-1)
- 3.1.0 (12)
- 3.2.1 (0)
- 3.2.8 (0)
- 3.2.13 (0)
- 4.0.2 (0)
- 4.1.8 (1)
- 4.2.1
- 4.2.7
- 4.2.9
- 220.127.116.11
- 5.1.7
- 5.2.3
- 6.0.0
- 22.214.171.124
- What's this?
Responsible for exposing a resource to different mime requests, usually depending on the HTTP verb. The responder is triggered when respond_with is called. The simplest case to study is a GET request:
class PeopleController < ApplicationController respond_to :html, :xml, :json def index @people = Person.all respond_with(@people) end end
When a request comes in, for example for an XML response, three steps happen:
1) the responder searches for a template at people/index.xml; 2) if the template is not available, it will invoke #to_xml on the given resource; 3) if the responder does not respond_to :to_xml, call #to_format on it.
Builtin HTTP verb semantics
The default Rails responder holds semantics for each HTTP verb. Depending on the content type, verb and the resource status, it will behave differently.
Using Rails default responder, a POST request for creating an object could be written as:
def create @user = User.new(params[:user]) flash[:notice] = 'User was successfully created.' if @user.save respond_with(@user) end
Which is exactly the same as:
def create @user = User.new(params[:user]) respond_to do |format| if @user.save flash[:notice] = 'User was successfully created.' format.html { redirect_to(@user) } format.xml { render xml: @user, status: :created, location: @user } else format.html { render action: "new" } format.xml { render xml: @user.errors, status: :unprocessable_entity } end end end
The same happens for PATCH/PUT and DELETE requests.
Nested resources
You can supply nested resources as you do in form_for and polymorphic_url. Consider the project has many tasks example. The create action for TasksController would be like:
def create @project = Project.find(params[:project_id]) @task = @project.tasks.build(params[:task]) flash[:notice] = 'Task was successfully created.' if @task.save respond_with(@project, @task) end
Giving several resources ensures that the responder will redirect to project_task_url instead of task_url.
Namespaced and singleton resources require a symbol to be given, as in polymorphic urls. If a project has one manager which has many tasks, it should be invoked as:
respond_with(@project, :manager, @task)
Note that if you give an array, it will be treated as a collection, so the following is not equivalent:
respond_with [@project, :manager, @task]
Custom options
respond_with also allows you to pass options that are forwarded to the underlying render call. Those options are only applied for success scenarios. For instance, you can do the following in the create method above:
def create @project = Project.find(params[:project_id]) @task = @project.tasks.build(params[:task]) flash[:notice] = 'Task was successfully created.' if @task.save respond_with(@project, @task, status: 201) end
This will return status 201 if the task was saved successfully. If not, it will simply ignore the given options and return status 422 and the resource errors. You can also override the location to redirect to:
respond_with(@project, location: root_path)
To customize the failure scenario, you can pass a block to respond_with:
def create @project = Project.find(params[:project_id]) @task = @project.tasks.build(params[:task]) respond_with(@project, @task, status: 201) do |format| if @task.save flash[:notice] = 'Task was successfully created.' else format.html { render "some_special_template" } end end end
Using respond_with with a block follows the same syntax as respond_to.
DEFAULT_ACTIONS_FOR_VERBS = { :post => :new, :patch => :edit, :put => :edit }


text:
The Global Dust Detectors Industry 2016 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Dust Detectors industry.
View full press release
We respects your privacy, the information you entered above will not be used to send unsolicited email, and will not be rented or sold to a 3rd party. Your contact information will be shared with the recipient of this message
- Privacy Policy


text:
Once all the presents are bought and candies and cookies have been made, it'll be time to relax with a good holiday book to keep you in the spirit.
The Christmas Train – David Baldacci
Tom Langdon is a former war reporter who now writes feature articles for various magazines. Banned from flying on airplanes, Langdon is forced to take a cross-country train from Washington, D.C., to L.A., where his girlfriend is waiting to spend Christmas with him. To Tom's shock, the former love of his life, Eleanor, is also aboard the train. Sparks fly between them, bringing up old feelings along with the unresolved issues from their relationship. Tom realizes this might be his second chance with Eleanor, but a series of unexpected events may derail his plans.
A Christmas Memory – Truman Capote
A Christmas Memory is the classic memoir of Truman Capote's childhood in rural Alabama. Until he was ten years old, Capote lived with distant relatives. This book is an autobiographical story of those years and his frank and fond memories of one of his cousins, Miss Sook Faulk.
A Redbird Christmas – Fannie Flagg
Lured by a brochure his doctor gives him after informing him that his emphysema has left him with scarcely a year to live, 52-year-old Oswald T. Campbell abandons wintry Chicago for Lost River, Ala., where he believes he'll be spending his last Christmas. Befriended by Frances Cleverdon, this quirky story takes a heartwarming turn when Frances and Oswald become involved in the life of Patsy Casey, an abandoned young girl with a crippled leg. As Christmas approaches, the townspeople and neighboring communities rally round shy, sweet Patsy. Flagg is a gifted storyteller who knows how to tug at readers' heartstrings, winding up her satisfying holiday tale with the requisite Christmas miracle.
Christmas at Fontaine's – William Kotzwinkle
Tis the night before Christmas and all through Fontaine's department store something mysterious and magical is happening. For into the lives of the department store Santa, the harried employees and the worried owner has come a mysterious presence, a silver streak, hiding in the darkened stockrooms and empty stairwells, appearing for an instant – now in the Toy Department, now in an unfinished window display – turning the chaos of a department store on Christmas Eve into a wonderland of miracles.
Tidings – William Wharton
This intimate family novel by takes place during a few days around Christmas. At an old mill in rural France, philosophy teacher Will, wife Lor, and four nearly grown children reunite for the holidays. The scene and the season are so lovingly detailed that the novel's atmosphere is almost palpable, yet each family member brings to the festivities some personal trouble that he or she will try to resolve. As they struggle to make this a Christmas to remember, the people and their celebration come alive in an unusual, entertaining, heartwarming evocation of the magic, warmth, and underlying strains of family Christmas.
The Great Santa Search – Jeff Guinn
When TV producer Bobbo Butler tries to save his ailing TV station, FUN-TV, with an American Idol-inspired talent contest intended to find the real Santa, the man himself throws his hat into the ring. Guinn's clever premise draws on the historical roots of the commercialization of Christmas, and his Santa, who narrates, is sanguine when faced with the prospect of facing off against street corner Santas.


text:
Crews painting cables will close a lane this week on the new Tacoma Narrows Bridge. OK, it's not that new anymore, but it seems like it. It opened more than two years ago, on July 16, 2007. And bridges are as bad as ships. You never get through painting before you have to start over again.
Anyway, drivers can expect the HOV lane to be
closed from from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday,
unless it rains. Looking at the forecast, they might not get any
painting done before Saturday.


text:
Operators Sorted By Name:
Also see
- PHMSA's Pipeline Enforcement
- Additional Information on the PHMSA Enforcement Program
- Enforcement Information on a Specific Pipeline Operator
- National Pipeline Mapping System
For comments and questions on the enforcement information presented on this site, please send us feedback.
Information provided on this website is intended to enhance public understanding of PHMSA's enforcement program. Aggregate and company-specific statistical information reflecting PHMSA's enforcement actions is provided beginning with 2002. Key documents associated with new administrative enforcement cases are provided beginning with 2007. Agency orders issued since 2002 are also provided. The search feature may not retrieve every document associated with each individual enforcement action. Enforcement data is updated monthly as additional cases are initiated and other cases are resolved. Historical totals will change over time to reflect changes in case status.


text:
[aka Michigan Clinical Law Program]
The Michigan Clinical Law Program (MCLP) is a 7-credit litigation clinic that gives students the chance to practice law in a variety of issue areas affecting low-income clients. Students must enroll in the 4-credit clinic and the 3-credit seminar, taken concurrently. The clinic covers many areas of the law. The civil case-load changes term to term, but may include landlord-tenant, consumer, family law, public benefits, employment discrimination, asylum and refugee, contracts, torts, and prisoners' civil rights cases. We try to keep a wide mix of work, from simple one-issue cases to class actions raising issues of first impression. On the criminal side, students handle misdemeanor cases for their short-term files, and do (mostly post-conviction) felony cases for their more complex files. Students do all of the work for their clients (under faculty supervision), including interviewing, counseling, legal research, discovery, negotiation, motion practice, bench and jury trials, and appeals. Students have "first-chair" responsibility for their cases and primary responsibility for their clients. MCLP students handle cases in the state district, circuit, and probate courts, as well as the federal district courts, state and federal administrative agencies, and appeals to all levels of both court systems. The seminar and field-work are graded. The MCLP meets the NY bar pro bono requirement. A more detailed description can be found at: https://www.law.umich.edu/clinical/generalclinic/Pages/default.aspx
The Clinic seminar fulfills the Law School's professional responsibility requirement for graduation, but does not fulfill the New York State Bar ethics requirement.
For details on class times, days of the week, instructors, and grading and exam details, please view the Michigan Law Class Schedule.


text:
A mountain lion exhibited behavior considered "anything but normal" when it attacked and killed a 100-pound German Shepherd before standing its ground when the dog's owner and officers encountered the animal in the back yard of Southern California home.
Fontana police are urging residents to keep pets inside careful after the dog's death early Wednesday. The mountain lion is considered a "significant public safety threat," meaning it cannot be relocated, police said.
Police responded after the dog's owner went to his backyard and found the mountain lion standing over his deceased pet. The mountain lion hopped a brick wall to enter the property, part of what authorities described as a pattern of unsual behavior in an area where reports of mountain lion sightings are common.
"What was unique was the behavior of this mountain lion," said Fontana Police Chief Rodney Jones, adding that officials with the California DFW described the behavior as "very bizarre and very unique."
After hearing the attack, the homeowner went outside and turned on a light.
"Normally, they do not like to be around people, and they do not like the lights," Jones said. "This mountain lion stood its ground by growling at him and getting ready to jump on him.
"As officers arrived, a couple of officers got within 10 to 15 feet. The mountain lion was in a position where could pounce on an officer."
U.S. & World
Officers retreated and fired several rounds, initially scaring it into a nearby canyon. The large cat returned four more times before eventually disappearing.
There is no evidence the lion was struck by any rounds, officials said.
The Fontana Police Department has deemed the mountain lion a threat to public safety and is working with Fish and Wildlife officials to track the animal. Residents are being warned to avoid hiking or jogging around dawn, dusk, and at night when the animals are most active and to keep pets inside.
An animal is considered a public safety threat if there is "a likelihood of human injury based on the totality of the circumstances," according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The lion's behavior, proximity to schools and other factors are considered in making that determination.
DFW agents and police have been deployed in the neighborhood. A helicopter with infrared sensors that allow for improved searching capability at night was assigned to the area.
Volunteers have been distributing information about the animal to residents.


text:
Saturday December 10th, 2016
Adaptive Surfboards of the 2016 Stance ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championship
Sunday October 2nd, 2016
2015 ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championship presented by Hurley, CAF & The City of San Diego
The ISA is providing the videos contained on this website royalty free for editorial use only. No commercial rights are being granted. The ISA owns copyright. Sale or licensing of these images is strictly prohibited without prior written consent from the ISA. All rights reserved.


text:
Workshop – See How TIBCO Cloud™ Integration Can Change the Way You Do Business
Next Hotel
Today's digital businesses need flexibility, adaptability, and scalability. With our application integration solution, you can link on-premises applications with cloud services to simplify and automate business processes, and easily model, create, test, and deploy custom APIs.
TIBCO Cloud™ Integration is an industry-leading cloud integration solution for anyone that needs to get integration done as part of their job. It helps you connect your applications fast, and its low cost of entry makes it the perfect go-to tool for all your integration needs.
See first-hand how TIBCO Cloud Integration empowers users of all kinds to quickly and effortlessly connect applications and APIs from their browser.
Join us at our upcoming session for:
- A general overview of TIBCO Cloud Integration
- Its capabilities, including web-based design time for application connectivity and functionality with API design mocking and testing
- The browser-based experience from an end-user perspective
Afternoon tea will be provided.
For further enquiries, please contact us at email@example.com
This workshop will also be available in :
- Melbourne (03 Nov)
- Sydney (21 Nov)
- Perth (07 December) - coming soon !


text:
The number of videos in people's Facebook feeds grew by 3.6 times over the past year, the company says, a trend likely to grow as the company pushes deeper into video.
Facebook has gradually been encouraging more news feed videos from marketers as part of an effort to siphon ad dollars away from Google-owned YouTube. The company started letting advertisers test video ads that play automatically in news feeds in late 2013. The company has also tweaked its news feed ranking to take into account how much time users spend watching videos. That means a popular video can move higher up in a user's news feed.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg sees video as becoming much more prominent in the years ahead.
It's a new era for video on Facebook compared with 2008, when the site was simply hailing the ability to upload video in high definition.
Now, in 2015, Facebook users are likely to see more videos from brands and from their friends, as the company tries to become the site where people discover videos.
"We're increasingly seeing a shift towards visual content on Facebook, especially with video," the company said Wednesday in a blog post offering video growth stats and tips for how to get videos seen. The post was directed at both paying advertisers and Facebook users, including video professionals.
Since June 2014, when Facebook tweaked its news feed algorithm for video, the site has averaged more than 1 billion video views per day, the company reported Wednesday. Facebook says it has more than 1.3 billion total users.
The increased viewing activity is not just due to the algorithm change. People are posting more videos. Over the past year, the number of video posts per person has increased by 75 percent globally, Facebook said.
For successful videos, Facebook recommends that brands include exclusive video and links to related content such as retail items. The company provides analytics tools for Page owners to see how their videos perform.
The videos that do best are the ones that grab people from the start and are short and timely, Facebook said Wednesday.
Want an example? Facebook points to this video of Taylor Swift singing in her car. It's short, and it certainly grabs you. Then again, it achieves a similar effect on YouTube.
Editor's note: Due to a reporting error, the story mischaracterized the increase in videos on Facebook's site as being solely due to Facebook's actions. The headline and first paragraph of the story have been corrected.


text:
In October 1987 Ronald Reagan stood at the Brandenburg Gate and said, "General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization…tear down this wall." Two years later, in what may be the most spectacular political event of our lifetimes, the Berlin Wall came tumbling down, the Soviet empire collapsed, and the world entered a new period of relative peace and prosperity. But how and why did the wall come tumbling down? I want to argue that it was Reagan's statesmanship that made possible this epochal event. Reagan didn't, of course, do it alone. But without him it probably wouldn't have happened. As early as 1981, when virtually everyone considered the Soviet empire a permanent fixture of the international landscape, Reagan spoke at the University of Notre Dame where he predicted that "the West won't contain communism; it will transcend communism. It will dismiss it as a bizarre chapter in human history whose last pages are even now being written." The next year Reagan told the British Parliament that freedom and democracy would "leave Marxism-Leninism on the ash heap of history." When Reagan made these forecasts the wise men in the media and academia scoffed. Today these same pundits maintain that the Soviet Union collapsed by itself due to economic failure, or that Mikhail Gorbachev was responsible. Reagan, they insist, merely presided over an event that his policies did little to influence. This analysis makes no sense at all. Sure, the Soviet Union had economic problems on account of its socialist system. But the Soviet economy had been ailing for most of the century. Never in history has a great empire imploded due to poor economic performance alone. The Roman and Ottoman empires survived internal corrosion and domestic strains for generations before each was destroyed by military force. Like many empires suffering from domestic strains, the Soviets during the 1970s compensated for these by pursuing an aggressive foreign policy. Between 1974 and 1980, while the U.S. wallowed in post-Vietnam angst, 10 countries fell into the Soviet orbit: South Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, South Yemen, Angola, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Grenada and Afghanistan. The Soviet nuclear arsenal surpassed that of the United States, and the Soviets deployed a new generation of intermediate-range missiles targeted at Western Europe. Far from being on the verge of collapse, the Soviet Union in 1980 seemed to be in the vanguard of history. It is no less problematic to attribute the Soviet collapse to Gorbachev. He was undoubtedly a reformer and a new type of Soviet general secretary, but why did the Politburo in 1985 feel the need to turn over leadership to this man? Certainly the communist bosses did not wish him to lead the party, and the regime, over the precipice. Nor did Gorbachev see this as his role. On the contrary, he insisted throughout the second half of the 1980s that he sought to strengthen the Soviet economy in order to strengthen the Soviet military. The Politburo supported Gorbachev's reforms because he promised "regained confidence in the Party." In his 1987 book Perestroika Gorbachev presented himself as the preserver, not the destroyer, of socialism. No one was more surprised than Gorbachev when the Soviet regime disintegrated, and when he was swept out of power. The only man who foresaw the Soviet collapse and implemented policies to bring it about was Ronald Reagan. During his first term Reagan pursued tough anti-Soviet policies aimed at curtailing the Soviet nuclear threat and stopping Soviet advances around the world. Calling the Soviets an "evil empire," Reagan initiated a massive defense buildup. He deployed Pershing and Cruise missiles in Europe. He sent weapons and other assistance to anticommunist guerrillas fighting for self-determination in Soviet satellites like Afghanistan, Angola and Nicaragua. He announced a new program of missile defenses that would eventually "make nuclear weapons obsolete." These measures were fiercely resisted by liberal leaders, who decried Reagan's policies as confrontational and likely to make nuclear war more likely. Historian Barbara Tuchman spoke for many liberals when she urged that the West ingratiate itself with the Soviet Union by pursuing "the stuffed-goose option—that is, providing them with all the grain and consumer goods they need." If Reagan had taken this advice when it was offered in 1982, the Soviet empire would probably be around today. Reagan's military buildup and his missile defense program threatened the Soviets with an arms race they could ill afford. The Reagan doctrine of aid to anticommunist guerrillas halted Soviet advances in the Third World: between 1980 and 1985 not an inch of real estate fell into Moscow's hands and one small country, Grenada, reverted into the democratic camp. Thanks to Stinger missiles supplied by the United States, Afghanistan rapidly became what the Soviets themselves would later call a "bleeding wound." Clearly the Politburo saw that the momentum in the cold war had dramatically shifted. After 1985, the Soviets seem to have decided on a new course. It was Reagan, in other words, who was responsible for thwarting Soviet gains and introducing a loss of nerve that contributed to the elevation of Gorbachev to power. Gorbachev's policies were responses to circumstances created not by him but by Reagan. No wonder that Ilya Zaslavsky, who served in the Congress of People's Deputies, said later that the true originator of glasnost and perestroika was not Gorbachev but Reagan. Reagan immediately recognized Gorbachev as a new breed of Soviet leader. He supported Gorbachev's reforms and arms control initiatives during his second term, when many conservatives criticized him for being naïve and credulous. William F. Buckley, Jr. warned that Reagan's new stance was "on the order of changing our entire position toward Adolf Hitler." Columnist George Will mourned that Reagan had "accelerated the moral disarmament of the West by elevating wishful thinking to the status of political philosophy." These criticisms missed the larger current of events that Reagan alone appears to have understood. In attempting to reform communism, Gorbachev was destroying the system. Reagan encouraged him every step of the way; as Gorbachev himself joked, Reagan induce him to take the Soviet Union to the edge of the abyss and then take "one step forward." The tears of joy with which millions greeted the collapse of the Soviet empire proved that Reagan was entirely justified in calling it an "evil empire." Even some of who were previously skeptical of Reagan were compelled to admit that they had been wrong and Reagan's approach had been thoroughly vindicated. Reflecting on Reagan's complex strategy of initial toughness toward the Soviet Union—in the face of denunciation from liberals—and later support for Gorbachev—in the face of criticism from conservatives—Henry Kissinger called it "the most stunning diplomatic achievement of the modern era." Margaret Thatcher composed Reagan's epitaph when she said that "he won the cold war without firing a shot." That's how history will remember him. On the anniversary of the Berlin Wall's collapse, we should do Reagan the honor of recognizing his prescient leadership that helped to produce that marvelous event. Dinesh D'Souza is a #1 New York Times best-selling author and currently bringing his bold conservative messages to campuses nationwide on Young America's Foundation's D'Souza Unchained lecture tour.
Reagan's Cold War Strategy: "We win, they lose." #FreedomWeek pic.twitter.com/dbQzLkW7KI— YAF (@yaf) November 7, 2017