text:
Dinner With World According to Garp, Cider House Rules Author John Irving
Town and Country's Yvette Fernandez recently rubbed elbows with the New York Times bestselling author.
Dr. Peter Rivera, John Irving, and Town and Country EIC Yvette fernandez
Sometimes real life can be better than fiction.
At least that' s how we felt two nights ago when we had dinner under the stars in Antipolo with American novelist John Irving, who first burst into the world' s consciousness in 1978 with the The World According to Garp.
Four of Irving' s novels, including The Cider House Rules, have since made it to the top spot on the New York Times bestseller list. The film version of Cider House was released in 1999 and nominated for several Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Irving won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.
The last time I saw Irving was at a book reading at Radio City Music Hall in New York about four years ago. I had paid over a hundred dollars for what was probably the cheapest seat in the house, and I had to use binoculars to see him properly. But it was a treat to listen to him read a selection from his book A Prayer for Owen Meany, a few humorous pages about children being cast for a play. JK Rowling and Stephen King were the other stars of the magical event dubbed "An Evening with Harry, Carrie and Garp."
Fast forward to Monday night, and there we were, just inches away from 68-year-old Irving, as he sipped on San Miguel Pale Pilsen, feasted on a spread of Filipino dishes and talked about his writing life as we dined on the rooftop of the Pinto Art Museum, the magnificent new home of the art collection of Dr. Joven Cuanang, medical director of St. Luke' s Medical Center, patron of the arts and our gracious host for the evening.
Irving was in town with his wife/agent Janet and son Everett, a college freshman in New York. They were guests of Boston-based physicians Ric and Minnie Domingo, whose daughter Nicole went to boarding school with Everett. The Irvings had arrived in the Philippines a few days before New Year, and almost didn' t make it because they had been stranded at the JFK airport in New York for 27 hours due to a massive snowstorm. Fortunately, they pushed through with their trip and managed to soak up the sun and the tropical weather of the Philippines, spending time on the beaches of Bohol, Palawan and Sitio Remedios, Dr. Cuanang' s village resort in Ilocos Norte.
That night, we toured Dr. Cuanang' s galleries of spectacular Philippine contemporary art (Janet was especially moved by the works of Emmanuel Garibay), and then sat down to dinner at one long table-the Irvings, the Domingos, several medical colleagues of Dr. Cuanang including Drs. Brigido and Honey Carandang, Dr. Jose Moran and my date, Dr. Peter Rivera; tourism expert Rene Guatlo; National artist BenCab and Annie Sarthou; and journalists, Thelma San Juan, Jessica Zafra and Alya Honasan, an ardent Irving fan who had an animated discussion with him about some of her favorite characters in his novels.
The Cider House Rules movie starred Tobey Maguire and Charlize Theron in 1999
We talked about his writing life (how he writes eight to nine hours a day, not because he is disciplined, but because he really enjoys what he does), his button-like tattoo on his forearm (actually the boundary line on a wrestling mat), U.S. politics, how Irving and Janet first met (at a publicity event for one of his books), Janet' s hometown of Toronto, their Labrador named Dickens.
It was such a relaxed evening on the hillside overlooking the twinkling lights of the metropolis that we easily forgot we were with a celebrated author, at least till after dessert, when we went downstairs to Dr. Cuanang' s private quarters so Irving could sign some books. Out came the worn paperbacks and the well-loved, yellowed, hard-cover books from decades past and the much more modern digital cameras to take some souvenir photos.
We had to look at them the next day to make sure the night before had actually happened.
Photos from Facebook (John Irving), Amazon (The Cider House Rules) and courtesy of Yvette Fernandez


text:
Cowboys are the symbol of the American Wild West and their ultimate accessory - the cowboy hat. Characterized by a wide brim and a protruding crown. Until now, cowboys hats are still in fashion. Let's take a look at the history of the this popular hat.
Cowboy hats dates back to the time of the American Civil War. The first designs of the hat did not have the distinct style that it has now.
Boss Of The Plains
The first cowboy hat was designed by John B. Stetson - a famous hat manufacturer back in 1865. Stetson used to craft his first hats from the fur of small animals and referred to his creation as the 'Boss of the Plains'.
Over the years, the hat has gone through several design modifications. In the 19th century, the Mexicans redesigned it with a taller crown and wider brim. The edges were curved upwards and started to form its distinct shape.
Cowboys Used To Wear Derby Hats
It wasn't until the Stetson became popular in the end of the 19th century when cowboys started noticing the Stetson. Before its rise to fame, the cowboys' choice of hat was the derby hat - also known as the bowler hat.
Modern Times
Nowadays, cowboy hats are no longer exclusive to cowboys. They have become a versatile accessory for hat lovers of all kinds and all genders. Because of their popularity, cowboy hats are now made in different styles, catering to both functionality and fashion.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Bachelor and Master Theses
You want to conclude your bachelor's or master's degree with a practice-oriented thesis at Wallstabe & Schneider.
We will find specific topics for your thesis that are needed and can be implemented in our business practice and which will push us continually forward.
Here you can find the application form.
We look forward to your knowledge, your ideas and your motivation!
We offer you the possibility to write practice-oriented theses in our company.


text:
the week before Halloween, we went to check out the BYU Recycling Plant's annual
maze of trash!
[well, recyclable trash like paper, plastic, and boxes]
my friend Kelsey's husband, Craig, works at the plant and helped build the maze.
they did a really really good job!! the maze was awesome complete with having to climb over obstacles and going through a tunnel.
Elijah thought it was so fun to walk through all the materials and kept wanting to pull apart the maze walls. for a kid that would rather play in our trash can than his race cars, i guess i shouldn't have expected anything less.
a maze full of trash goods was pretty much his dream come true!
Adam also thought it was funny to hide around the dark corners and scare us. Elijah would laugh so hard when Adam yelled "BOO!" and quickly caught on how fun it was to scare mommy. so that became Adam and Elijah's goal for the rest of the time.
funny boys!
i'm lame and posted about the maze late… but the BYU Recycling builds a maze every year and it's FREEEEEEEEEEE!
so be sure to check it out next year!
{cheap & easy date/family night idea!}


text:
The Fischerwirt 4-star hotel is situated in the vibrant pedestrianised zone of Zell am See, only a short walk away from the gondola to take you to the ski area.
Free Wifi
Indoor Pool
Infra-red Sauna
Lounge Area
Restaurant and Bar
Ski Storage
The Fischerwirt 4-star hotel is situated in the vibrant pedestrianised zone of Zell am See, only a short walk away from the gondola to take you to the ski area. Enjoy local dining in the restaurant and an impressive range of wellness facilities with access to the connected next-door building.
Rooms at the hotel have modern fittings and have plenty of space to spread out and relax. Choose a balcony room to get closer to the South Tyrolean atmosphere in the historic Zell am See town.
In the evenings, dine in the comfortable wood-furnished restaurant and enjoy freshly prepared dinners from the kitchen team who blend Italian and Tyrolean cuisine. Move to the cosy bar to relax with friends, or enjoy time in the sauna. A larger wellness facility with an indoor pool is available to use at the Romantik Hotel, connected by a glass corridor on the first floor. The hotel also sports a rooftop terrace with deckchairs, perfect for when the sun calls.
Average snow history
Weather 6 October 2017 8:00AM
6 October 2017 8:00AM
Average snow history
Weather 6 October 2017 8:00AM
Zell Am See is considered one of the most attractive skiing areas in Austria with 100% snow guarantee from the local glacier.
The three areas have a total of 138 slope kilometres offer skiing enthusiasts and snowboarders plenty of choice.
Zell Am See is perfectly suited for experts and connoisseurs, families and beginners alike.
Zell am See piste map
6 October 2017 8:00AM
If you book your flights with us you can book a shared or private transfer from the airport to the resort as part of your booking. Even if you don't book flights through us we can organise transfers for you - just give us a call on +44 (0) 208 877 8882.
We know how valuable your skiing time is to you so that is why we can to pre-book your lift passes for you, to save you the time and hassle of doing it once in resort. And most importantly, no additional charge or hefty currency bank charges! The lift passes will be ready and waiting for you in your chalet/hotel/apartment, so you can hit the slopes immediately... You can book these at any time after you've booked. Call us on +44 (0)20 8877 8888.
The last thing you want to do at the start of your holiday is queue up in a crowded ski hire shop. We understand this and that is why we offer to pre-book all your equipment so that it is ready and waiting for you. You can either collect it from the shop yourself or some shops even offer a chalet fitting service, where all the equipment will be brought around to the chalet, thus avoiding the ski hire shop completely. Call us on +44 (0)20 8877 8888.
Ski school can be a real hassle to organise so let us do all the hard work for you. We have built relationships with the top ski schools in most ski resorts and we can book lessons for all ability levels, both private and group lessons. For Christmas, New Year, Russian New Year and February Half Term, we strongly advise pre-booking your lessons as soon as possible as the group lesson and private lesson slots get booked up very quickly. You can book lessons at any time after you've booked. Call us on +44 (0)20 8877 8888 or fill in the Ski-School Request Form
Transfers from the airport to your accommodation and vice versa is available through Powder White. If you need transfers arranged, please contact us on +44 (0)20 8877 8888 or fill in the Transfer Request Form
Is not included and, on chalet bookings, will be added to your confirmation invoice. Local Tourist Tax for Hotels & Apartments is payable directly to the supplier in resort.
Each chalet booking requires a deposit of between £250 & £500 which is held as security against any damages, breakages or monies owing to Powder White. Details of this will be shown on your Confirmation Invoice and further information can be found in our Terms section. Apartment Residences vary so please enquire at time of booking.
Powder White
Powder White
Powder White
Powder White
Powder White is an Independent Tour Operator offering you an informative, personal and tailor-made service. Our friendly Sales Executives are here to help, so if you have any questions, need further information, or if you have specific requirements you'd like to discuss with us, please feel free to just get in touch and we will do everything we can to find the perfect skiing holiday for you.
Why not give one of our friendly ski experts a call?
There has been a problem with this booking, please call us on +44 (0)20 8877 8888.


text:
PIM has the functionality to specify the multicast groups that an RP will allow joins from.
This allows central control over the mcast groups serviced by the RP.
The following config will only allow joins to mcast groups 126.96.36.199 and 22.214.171.124 for the RP 188.8.131.52. This can be enabled on the RP itself, or altenatively on routers on the path to the RP.
ip access-list st 5
permit 126.96.36.199
permit 220.127.116.11
ip pim accept-rp 220.127.116.11 5
With 'debug ip pim' enabled failed attempts to the join RP are logged
*Jun 8 07:03:13.039: PIM(0): Join-list: (*, 184.108.40.206),, ignored, invalid RP
18.104.22.168 from 18.104.22.168
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Controlling access to RP
Labels: Controlling access to RP
No comments:
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Even as employers face greater globalization of their businesses, the relocation market is meeting their needs with more robust solutions and a greater geographic reach. While cost reduction is a major driving force behind outsourcing, don't underestimate the importance of service quality.
One of the most costly services HR manages is the relocation of employees. For many organizations, cutting costs has become a mandate when outsourcing relocation services.
As a result, employers and their relocation service providers are turning to some innovative ways to hold costs down, including one-way assignments, telecommuting, and giving employees more input into how relocation dollars are spent, usually in the form of a lump-sum stipend. Providers are helping by coordinating logistics and keeping moves on schedule, which help avoid unnecessary costs.
Silverskills' has expertise in cost management and expense processing. Our accounting delivery teams can handle over 200 different client policies while reconciling expense statements of transferees. This service is especially beneficial to relocation and real estate service providers who handle multiple client policies and need to comply with various guidelines while continuously delivering the highest levels of quality and efficiency.
Silverskills services the relation market place through the following service offerings:
Silverskills has developed a track record of success and has risen as an industry leader by focusing on achieving and maintaining excellence in four main pillars – its people, its processes, its technology, and its knowledge.
Silverskills has the capabilities to leverage their experience, resources, and technology to offer both global 2000 as well as mid-market companies the highest degree of operational efficiency and cost reduction. Silverskills' human resources are among its most valuable. The management team holds a wealth of experience in BPO operations. When Silverskills developed this niche service, there were no parallels in the markets that could be a learning guide. An in-depth study of the US relocation services market and a hands-on approach has helped Silverskills create a service offering unrivalled by any in the marketplace. Today, Silverskills handles over 35,000 relocation cases annually, each worth an average of $30,000.
Clients of Silverskills experience custom tailored service offerings that allow them the ability to enhance productivity, decrease operational expenses, and increase operational efficiency through a dedication to excellence with its people, processes, technology, and experience. The return on investment is clear. Reduced turnaround times, decreased transaction times, and overall increases in efficiency drive the value proposition of Silverskills. Perhaps one of the greatest metrics in determining the viability of a vendor is their customer retention rate. The vast majority of Silverskills clients are classified as repeat business, with several clients maintaining contracts since the commencement of operation.


text:
Forrest Hershberger, news editor of the South Platte Sentinel and Journal-Advocate, has two books available for gift-giving this year.
Hershberger, with the assistance of Jenni Grubbs, completed a pictorial book called "Images of America Sterling," copyrighted in 2011 and published by Arcadia Publishing. The books is a collection of photos offering a quick history of Sterling. The book takes the reader from Sterling's early days when streets were dirt, traffic control devices were rare and horses and motorized cars competed for the same space.
The books talks of how important the railroad was in the founding and location of Sterling, and how that importance continues today.
Some of the photos taken in recent time have already undergone changes.
The book is available at the Overland Trail Museum, some local retailers and at the Journal-Advocate/South Platte Sentinel office while supplies last. The books is also available online through Arcadia Publishing and Barnes & Noble.
Hershberger's second book, "The Cross at the Side of the Road," is more personal, addressing a topic not always addressed in public: the loss of a child. It is an account of the first year or so after a father learns his daughter died in a traffic accident. It is not a story he wanted to write. It is an account that needed to be written and shared. It tears away the perception of men going it alone in grief and sudden loss. It explains that wounds do not always heal in an orderly fashion; in fact, some take a lifetime journey.
This journey starts as if part of a bad movie: the late-night call no parent wants to answer, the meeting with authorities at the hospital, the sleepless nights as father and mother, husband and wife, try to get their hearts and minds around what just happened. The story is therapeutic in a journal sense, but it also should comfort men going through a similar situation that they are not alone, that life will continue, and it may help friends and family of men who have experienced loss understand the grieving father.
The title depicts the visual departure from this world and the marker left behind with the curious asking who the victim is and how it happened.
"The Cross at the Side of the Road" is available for a limited time at the Journal-Advocate/South Platte Sentinel office. While supplies last, both books can be purchased as a package for $30. Separately, the Sterling book retails for $21.99 and signed copies of "The Cross at the Side of the Road" are $14 each. "The Cross at the Side of the Road" is also available online through Amazon.com.


text:
How to get more of your customers to renew
How to get more of your customers to renew
Whether you are a web designer who resells our web hosting as nice extra earner or you have a dedicated hosting brand/ business using our back end to help you, your long term aim should always be to have 100% of your customers renew. Strong products and good service will always remain king, but here are a few ideas to add an extra kick to your efforts…
Regular contact
Don't spam them or send a novel's worth of content, but make sure you establish regular contact with your customers in a way that they are open to. A newsletter with useful/ interesting content and a competition more often than not tends to go down well. After I bought a book from them, web design/ developer site www.sitepoint.comhave managed to stay at the forefront of my mind through a series of informative and useful newsletters I always read. I have since been back to buy more books directly from them.
Put a face to your service
There are literally hundreds of thousands of faceless websites out there offering services of every kind, some trust worthy and others not. Show the human side of your service to reduce the level of 'perceived risk' by using your name in communications (newsletters and customer service emails), add an 'about us' page with your picture(s) and if you run a blog use the author's picture next to the post. Seattle based SEO company SEOmoz does a great job of this https://www.seomoz.org/
Offer them something they can't get elsewhere
This approach kills three birds with one stone; it is an excellent branding tool (see below), it attracts new customers and can act as link bait. What it actually consists of depends on your site and what you can realistically provide, but examples include exclusive price offers, free articles, access to free research, free gifts, and partnership deals with other companies/ web sites…
Make their website a success
A customer whose site is a raging success is less likely to cancel their hosting account than one who has left it to rot for 8 months. Provide them with the resources they need to achieve this e.g. image bank, extensive "How to…" guides, tips & tricks…
Offer an incentive to renew
Don't always take renewal for granted, and if there are any doubts offer a financial incentive to do so, e.g. "1 month free if you renew now". About 9 months after last placing an order with lastminute.com I started to receive marketing emails offering me voucher codes and discounts if I bought something else with them, which got increasingly more and more generous as I failed to do so, naturally in the end I did.
Which all lead to…Become a brand!
The trick here is to be more than a faceless company and service provider and become a brand they associate with and have some form of connection. It is important to understand a brand is more than a logo, it is that emotional connection people have with your business through your products, service, tone of voice, pricing, imagery, past experiences etc. A strong brand benefits from more sales, reduced churn and strong word of mouth.
Wikipedia's article on brands is a good place to start reading more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brand
If you have any tips you would like to share leave a comment below…


text:
Vegan Sheezy Bacon Bites
Serves: 24 Balls (bite size)
2 tubs of Vegan Original Cream Sheese
2 tbsp Vegan Mayonnaise
¼ cup fresh herbs, chopped (Chives work well here)
1 cup of grated Strong Cheddar Style Sheese
2 cups of Vegan Bacon flavoured bits (available from all good supermarkets)
- Add the fresh chopped herbs, pepper and combine.
- Mix in the grated Sheese.
- Cover and place in the fridge for an hour to firm up a little.
- Place the Bacon flavoured bits onto a plate
- Take the Sheese mix from the fridge and roll into bite size balls, roll them in the Bacon bits and set aside on a plate.
- Cover and fridge again till firm.
- Serve on crackers or with a salad and French toast. These are also nice served with a Cranberry or berry jam.


text:
There are a number of factors to consider when overwintering a beehive in extremely cold climates, which may require some specific fine-tuning.
This blog is created as guide, however, it's extremely important to consult with local beekeepers as to common practice for overwintering bees in your local area.
Helping your bees to survive the winter (and hopefully come into spring thriving), can be a challenge as bee colony losses can be quite high in very cold climates. This is why it's so important to ensure you undertake the right preparations or precautions, both before the temperature begins to drop, as well as during the depths of winter.
Pictured: Steven's over-wintering setup. Utah, USA.
The first step required will be to pack-down your hive for overwintering. This generally means reducing the hive down to only its brood box(es).
To remove the Flow Super:
Once your hive is down to just it's brood box(es), you may then want to consider undertaking the following factors to improve chances of a successful overwintering for your colony. These include, but are not limited to;
Reducing the entrance is important too, for both ventilation reasons, and also for protecting the hive.
Most beekeepers will reduce the entrance when they begin feeding their hive with supplementary food, however you may need to do this before.
As colony numbers start to decrease, the hive can become more susceptible to robbing by other bees. You may want to consider decreasing the entrance of your hive – this can assist the guard bees in protecting the hive from robbing. You can buy special entrance reducers from a beekeeping supply store, or just use pieces of wood, some straw or any other suitable material.
Here is one example of how to create your own entrance reducer:
Some beekeepers strongly recommend creating a top-entrance for ventilation, or if you are prone to deep snow which may block the entrance during winter.
You may like to search on our Community Forum for more suggestions for both entrance reduction and creating a top-entrance – there has been a lot of discussion about both these topics.
Some beekeepers choose to move their bees to a styrofoam hive (or a hive made from insulating materials), while others wrap solar blankets (which passively warm the hive from the heat of the sun) or insulating material around the outside of the hive.
Pictured: Victor's insulated Flow Hives in Michigan, USA.
In addition to insulating the body of the hive, it can be important to insulate the roof cavity of a hive, as heat can be lost from the top.
Some ideas for insulating a Flow Hive peaked roof are;
Find out more information about insulating on our Community Forum.
Often beekeepers say that it is not the cold that kills the bees, but condensation.
Condensation is a big issue in overwintering a hive – if not the biggest. It is also the most likely factor in the death of bee colonies over winter.
When the internal temperature of the hive differs significantly to the outside temperature, moisture build-up can occur. This can lead to icy, frozen bees.
The best way to avoid condensation is to make sure there is adequate ventilation.
Some beekeepers believe that creating a top-entrance will allow for better ventilation. You can look for more beekeeper opinions regarding top-entrances on our Community Forum.
You may also want to consider creating a moisture quilt at the top of the hive, to make sure any moisture build-up does not drip back onto the bees. These can easily be made from a tray of sawdust or wood-shavings. Check out our Community Forum for more suggestions.
The colony will naturally decrease the number of worker bees—and expel all drone bees—leading up to winter, as the queen bee will decrease the number of eggs she lays. This is triggered by dwindling nectar and pollen sources, as well as a reduction in daylight hours.
If your season wasn't particularly successful, and your colony numbers aren't strong, your bees may get too cold and may not survive the winter.
However, it's important to note that if you feed your bees too early in late-autumn or winter, it can lead to the brood nest not decreasing in size. If you have too many bees, they may starve over winter. Too many bees can also lead to the bees not being able to evaporate moisture as easily, which also means potential bee deaths – it's a fine balance that needs consideration.
Another important consideration is that bees which are adapted to your local area (i.e. sourced locally and not from a breeder who lives a long distance away) may also impact the colony's ability to overwinter successfully.
Many beekeepers note that bees do not freeze in winter – they starve.
What you feed your bees overwinter is a decision that ultimately only you can make – different beekeepers will recommend different feeds. We suggest doing your own research, and consulting with local experienced beekeepers as to what food will be best for your colony.
Some beekeepers prefer to feed their bees with honey. They say this contains much more complex sugars, with trace minerals that the bees need.
If feeding your bees with honey, it is always recommended to feed them with their own honey stores, and often light-summer is suggested.
Sugar-water solution
Ragna from ByBi City Bees in Norway says that many beekeepers choose to feed their bees with sugar (specifically, sucrose)-water solution (diluted 60/40).
This can be bought ready-made, or you can mix this up yourself.
Some beekeepers prefer to feed their bees fondant (which has less water-content) over sugar-water solution.
Aside from personal preference, what you feed your bees is also dependent on where you are and what your bees have access to (if feeding their own honey stores) – we recommend checking in with local beekeepers what their recommendations are.
It is also important that the bees go into winter with a few frames of pollen. If you are running a single brood box, then 1-2 frames of pollens should suffice. If you are running a double brood box, then 3-6 frames of pollen stores is considered a good supply.
Feed your bees with supplementary pollen coming into spring if they do not have pollen stores.
How much
The amount of supplementary feeding required will vary depending on local conditions and colony size or strength. Ragna from ByBi City Bees in Norway, says that they feed their bees with 16kg – a hive of average-strength (about 1 deep-brood box sized colony) will eat this amount through winter.
Kathie from Powassan Library Bee Night in Canada says about 36-40 kg of food is needed to overwinter a double-deep brood box.
When to feed
This is a region-specific question – we recommend speaking to local experienced beekeepers as to when they recommend you start, and stop, feeding.
You will find that many of the above factors are strongly intertwined, however, it is also important to note that there can be other factors which impact the success of a colony's ability to overwinter. For example, it is said that wintering success has as much to do with the colony's ability to communicate, share, and manage populations and brood development—even in two hives which are side-by-side, almost exactly the same in size, with the same treatments applied, there may be one that will survive while the other does not.
With temperatures fluctuating year to year, and multiple factors affecting the success of overwintering a bee colony, ultimately all you can do is your best, in consultation with other local experienced beekeepers.
Like everything in beekeeping, there are many differing opinions, and not all beekeeping advice/suggestions will necessarily work for you and your hive.
Read more about overwintering a Flow Hive on our FAQ here.
You may like to search on our Community Forum for more suggestions on overwintering in extremely cold climates, as well as anything discussed within this blog.


text:
THE FLATS –Georgia Tech softball returns to The Flats for a three game Atlantic Coast Conference series with Pittsburgh. All three games will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.
Friday, April 12 // 4 p.m.
Saturday, April 13 // 1 p.m.
Sunday, April 14 // 1 p.m.
Parking is available in the McCamish lot. For more information on parking visit pts.gatech.edu.
On Saturday, dogs will be available for adoption at Mewborn Field. Sunday's game will feature a pregame spring egg hunt, player autographs, a face painter and an opportunity for kids to run the bases.
Follow along:
Live stats
Friday ACC Network Extra // Saturday ACC Network Extra // Sunday ACC Network Extra
For the latest information on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, follow us on Twitter (@GaTechSoftball), Facebook (Georgia Tech Softball) or visit us at www.ramblinwreck.com.


text:
|We are Still Open For Business - PLAN NOW, TRAVEL LATER – No Deposits to Pay.
|Travelling to Victoria Falls right now is not possible, but you can use this rare opportunity with time on your hands to plan your dream trip to Africa. Follow the link for Covid-19 updates in Zimbabwe.
Please let us help you… we too have a lot of time!!
Victoria Falls SADC Packages
When is comes to accommodation, Zimbabwe has provision for a two tier pricing system. One for international guests and one for the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The prices for SADC countries is more in-line with their income and their weaker currencies and is therefore cheaper than the price for international guests.
Accommodation establishments are not obliged to offer these lower prices and only a few of them do, in order to attract this large market to their establishments.
We have put together below some Victoria Falls packages with accommodation and flights, that are specifically for SADC guests. Eligible countries that are members of the SADC community are Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. To secure a SADC priced booking you will you do need to show your passport.
If you are not from one of these SADC countries then please click one of the buttons to the right, where you will find packages for international guests.
The period between 1st January to 30th June and 1st November to 20th December is loosely classified as the "Low Season" in Victoria Falls and the surrounding game parks. During these months some of the hotels and lodges reduce their rates which you will see detailed in the prices below if applicable.
Please read our Advantages and Disadvantages article to understand the difference between the High and Low seasons.
Be sure to check out our "SADC Specials" pages for Hotel specials without flights and our Safari Itineraries for a full range of mouth-watering Safari Trip ideas
Package prices below are subject to flights in the correct classes and prices may vary if the quoted class of flights are not available at your time of booking.
If you don't find anything here that suits you please do not hesitate to contact us so we can arrange a holiday package specifically designed for you.
Tony and Boo


text:
Police have appealed for help in finding a missing man from Epsom.
Seamus Henry, 65, who has a number of medical conditions and is described as extremely vulnerable, was last seen at the Horton Haven around 10am on October 18.
He is new to the area and there is no indication where he might have gone.
He is a white man, 173cm tall, of medium build with grey hair. He walks with a slight hunch and was wearing a white t-shirt, black coat, grey jogging bottoms and white trainers.
If you have seen Seamus, or you have any information which could help, please contact us on 101, quoting reference number PR/45190110640.


text:
"canonising" in the verb sense
1. canonize, canonise
treat as a sacred person
"He canonizes women"
2. canonize, canonise, saint
declare (a dead person) to be a saint
"After he was shown to have performed a miracle, the priest was canonized"
Source: WordNet® (An amazing lexical database of English)
Princeton University "About WordNet®."
WordNet®. Princeton University. 2010.
View WordNet® License


text:
The Evening Blues - 6-29-20
Hey! Good Evening!
This evening's music features blues piano player Cecil Gant. Enjoy!
Cecil Gant - What You Know Joe
"As long as dissent is relegated to the fringes, there is no actual free speech. Saying you have free speech because you're allowed to make blogs or Youtube videos is like saying you have free speech because you can dig a hole in the ground and say whatever you want into it.
We have a media system which creates an inverse correlation between one's access to influential platforms and how dissident their speech is. Allowing people free speech which has zero meaningful impact is not allowing free speech at all."
-- Caitlin Johnstone
News and Opinion
Worth a full read:
Black Lives Matter Wants to End Police Brutality. History Suggests It Will Go Much Further.
Huge numbers of Americans have been brutalized physically, emotionally, or financially by the coronavirus pandemic. And as the number of diagnosed cases trends ominously up, we have no idea what's next. Everyone with eyes to see knows the path that brought the United States to this dreadful place is a dead end. The question is whether America can change enough to head anywhere else. The most promising direction isn't well-known outside of activist circles. In 2016 the Movement for Black Lives, made up of dozens of Black-led organizations, issued a six-part platform called "A Vision for Black Lives." The introduction stated, "Neither our grievances nor our solutions are limited to the police killing of our people," and much of it is devoted to economic issues. This year the MBL also released specific policy demands in response to Covid-19.
The logic of history and the present time suggest that if the Black Lives Matter movement sustains itself, it will inevitably become about this larger agenda. Some who joined a movement because they hoped for comparatively modest reforms will find themselves bumping up against the limits of the current system, and learn from experience that everything has to change or very little will. ... While it's largely been forgotten now — on purpose — the civil rights movement during the 1960s faced a similar reality, and confronted it head-on. Because of this, the movement was never just about ending America's legal caste system; it always had a powerful economic component. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered the "I Have a Dream" speech at a 1963 rally that was officially named the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. One common sign at the march was "Civil Rights Plus Full Employment Equals Freedom." ...
In a famous 1967 speech, King was clear about what would be required to get decent lives for African Americans: "We must honestly face the fact that the movement must address itself to the question of restructuring the whole of American society. … The problem of racism, the problem of economic exploitation, and the problem of war are all tied together. These are the triple evils that are interrelated." When King was assassinated the next year, he was planning to lead a Poor People's Campaign to Washington, D.C., to get results via direct action.
America then successfully evaded and beat back these questions for 50 years. But they didn't disappear, they stayed right here. Now the coronavirus pandemic has simultaneously demonstrated how high the stakes are, and that all of society's supposedly iron-clad rules can be thrown out at a moment's notice. If there ever were a time when Americans might be ready to rewrite the basic handbook, it's now.
Health secretary: 'Window is closing' to stop coronavirus as US cases pass 2.5m
US health secretary Alex Azar has warned that "the window is closing" on the country's chance to take action to effectively curb the coronavirus, as the number of confirmed cases surpassed 2.5m. The Health and Human Services secretary pointed to a recent surge in infections, particularly in the south and said people have "to act responsibly" by social distancing and wearing face masks especially "in these hot zones".
For a third consecutive day on Saturday, the number of confirmed US cases rose by more than 40,000. In Arizona, cases have risen by 267% so far in June and jumped by a record 3,857 cases on Sunday, the eighth record-breaking increase this month. Overall, US deaths from Covid-19 have passed 125,000 with more than 2.5m confirmed cases, according to compiled by Johns Hopkins University, far more than any other country in the world.
The fresh surge in Covid-19 cases has been most pronounced in a handful of southern and western states that reopened earlier and more aggressively, with the support of the Trump administration, despite warnings by health officials to wait to see a steady decline in cases. Texas and Florida were among the states that reversed course on parts of their reopening plans last week as cases continue to increase.
Appearing on NBC's Meet the Press program on Sunday morning, Azar was asked by presenter Chuck Todd why the US was failing to tackle the Covid-19 crisis, especially when so many other countries seem to be succeeding. Azar acknowledged the US was "seeing surging in cases" and that the majority of those are among people under the age of 35, which means a "large number of those" will be asymptomatic, presenting a different challenge for authorities trying to get a grip on outbreaks.
"This is a very serious situation," Azar said, adding that "the window is closing" to stop the virus's spread.
Massive Case of Denial: COVID Surges in US, Tops 10M Globally, as Pence Touts "Remarkable Progress"
Mike Pence Wants You to Pray the Coronavirus Away
Vice President Mike Pence might not have a new national plan to reduce the surge in coronavirus cases in the South. But that doesn't mean he doesn't have ideas. There's always prayer.
"I'd just encourage every American to continue to pray," Pence said Friday during the first White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing in weeks (Trump stopped them in late April, tweeting they weren't worth the time anymore). "Just continue to pray that, by God's grace, every single day, each of us will do our part to heal our land."
And that's about as much of a plan as Pence appears to have to stop spiraling outbreaks in states like Texas, California, and Arizona. One by one, task force members agreed that the rising cases are concerning. But Pence encouraged Americans to look to their mayors and governors for guidance. The White House, Pence insisted, wants to avoid a one-size-fits-all solution.
"What we're seeing across the South, is really, outbreaks," Pence said. "People ought to listen to their state and local authorities."
Why defunding the police means defunding surveillance tech, too
Lots of additional details and documents at the link:
Law Enforcement Scoured Protester Communications and Exaggerated Threats to Minneapolis Cops, Leaked Documents Show
The documents show that law enforcement leadership warned of potential threats from antifa and "black racially motivated violent extremists," as well as vaguely described social media users. Federal and local agencies collected intelligence drawn from private online messaging groups and Slack channels, according to the documents. The agencies also tracked Facebook RSVPs to peaceful protest events, including a suburban candlelight vigil.
The window into the police's internal memos came thanks to a trove of documents called Blueleaks, which were published on the website Distributed Denial of Secrets. The site's founder told Wired that the documents came from the hacking collective Anonymous, or someone claiming to be affiliated with the group. Government officials whose files appeared among the documents told the Intercept they were "illegally obtained," but no questions have been raised about their authenticity. The documents on Minnesota are from a host of local and federal law enforcement agencies and coordinating offices that worked to share information between them.
Corporate Media Looks to Purveyors of State Violence Abroad to Condemn State Violence at Home
Anti-racist protests have swept across the country over the past month, demanding justice for George Floyd, police accountability and the defunding of law enforcement.
In response to these uprisings, President Donald Trump publicly toyed with the idea of deploying active-duty military to American cities—a proposal that most corporate media, with a few glaring exceptions, have condemned as an abuse of power.
However, when we look at who media have called upon to denounce the Trump administration's response, a revealing pattern emerges. Rather than providing a platform for protesters, who were met by heavily armed law enforcement toting chemical agents and flashbang grenades, media decided to turn to the enforcers of state violence abroad: the US national security apparatus. Several outlets asked current and former intelligence officials to weigh in on Trump's response, utilizing their testimony to equate the crackdowns with those in other countries:
Washington Post (6/2/20): "CIA Veterans Who Monitored Crackdowns Abroad See Troubling Parallels in Trump's Handling of Protests" Independent (6/2/20): "I Asked Police, Veterans and a Former CIA Agent What They Think of Trump's Response to the Protests. Even They Are Horrified." International Business Times (6/3/20): "George Floyd White House Protest: Donald Trump Acting Like Dictator During Racial Tensions, Intelligence and Defense Officials Warn."
These articles are correct in pointing out that Trump's militarized suppression of dissent at home has "troubling parallels" with authoritarian crackdowns abroad. The testimony of US state officials, especially former ones, can aid the public in taking cognizance of these parallels, given that they are responsible for enforcing similar crackdowns around the world. But because media present these sources uncritically and refuse to include vital context, they fail to examine our own empire, and ultimately make all the wrong connections.
In response to the Trump administration's handling of the protests, the Post article includes a quote from Marc Polymeropoulos, who spent 26 years in the CIA:
"It reminded me of what I reported on for years in the Third World," Polymeropoulos said on Twitter. Referring to the despotic leaders of Iraq, Syria and Libya, he said: "Saddam. Bashar. Qaddafi. They all did this."
While it's true that Trump's response has been militant, these articles present this reaction as a disturbing departure from otherwise morally sound US leadership throughout history. Trump may be the first US president to tweet the words, "When the looting starts, the shootings starts," but despite media's historical amnesia, violent government crackdowns on anti-racist protests in the US have always been the norm, not the exception.
Take, for example, the FBI's COINTELPRO program, which targeted thousands of activists through tactics like psychological warfare, blackmail and assasination. Or when the Philadelphia Police Department dropped a bomb on a residential neighborhood in order to disband a Black liberation group, killing nearly a dozen people and leaving hundreds of residents homeless. More recently, the FBI's counterterrorism division has labeled "Black identity extremists" as a domestic terror threat, due to their "perceptions of police brutality against African Americans."
By relying on CIA testimony, media shift the focus away from the tyranny in our own backyard in favor of pointing fingers at the "despotic leaders" of "the Third World"—never mind the fact that the US has no qualms with oppressive leadership in the Middle East when it aligns with our interests, as evidenced by our alliance with Saudi Arabia.
[Much more at the link. -js]
Mentally Replace Everything Before "U.S. Intelligence Says" With "Blah Blah We're Probably Lying"
"Russia Secretly Offered Afghan Militants Bounties to Kill Troops, U.S. Intelligence Says", blares the latest viral headline from The New York Times. NYT's unnamed sources allege that the GRU "secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing coalition forces in Afghanistan — including targeting American troops", and that the Trump administration has known this for months.
To be clear, this is journalistic malpractice. Mainstream media outlets which publish anonymous intelligence claims with no proof are just publishing CIA press releases disguised as news. They're just telling you to believe what sociopathic intelligence agencies want you to believe under the false guise of impartial and responsible reporting. This practice has become ubiquitous throughout mainstream news publications, but that doesn't make it any less immoral.
Whenever one sees a news headline ending in "US Intelligence Says", one should always mentally replace everything that comes before it with "Blah blah blah we're probably lying". In a post-Iraq invasion world, the only correct response to unproven anonymous claims about a rival government by intelligence agencies from the US or its allies is to assume that they are lying until you are provided with a mountain of independently verifiable evidence to the contrary. The US has far too extensive a record of lying about these things for any other response to ever be justified as rational, and its intelligence agencies consistently play a foundational role in those lies. ...
So we are to simply believe the same intelligence orgs that paid bounties to bring innocent prisoners to Guantanamo, lied about torture in Afghanistan, and lied about premises for war from WMD in Iraq to the Gulf of Tonkin "attack"? All this & no proof? https://t.co/O7ZTmoUu7q
— Jeffrey Kaye (@jeff_kaye) June 27, 2020
"It's totally outrageous for Russia to support the Taliban against Americans in Afghanistan. Of course, it's totally fine for the U.S. to support jihadi rebels against Russians in Syria, jihadi rebels who openly said the Taliban is their hero," tweeted author and analyst Max Abrams.
On the flip side all the McResistance pundits have been speaking of this baseless allegation as a horrific event that is known to have happened, with Rachel Maddow going so far as to describe it as Putin offering bounties for the "scalps" of American soldiers in Afghanistan. This is an interesting choice of words considering that offering bounties for scalps is in fact one of the many horrific things the US government did in furthering its colonialist ambitions, which, unlike the New York Times allegation, is known to have actually happened.
It is true as many have been pointing out that it would be fair play for Russia to fund violent opposition the the US in Afghanistan, seeing as that's exactly what the US and its allies have been doing to Russia and its allies in Syria, and did to the Soviets in Afghanistan via Operation Cyclone. It is also true that the US military has no business in Afghanistan anyway and any violence inflicted upon US troops abroad is the fault of the military expansionists who put them there; the US military has no place outside its own easily-defended borders and the assumption that it is normal for a government to circle the planet with military bases is a faulty premise.
But before even getting into such arguments, the other side of the debate must meet its burden of proof that this has even happened. That burden is far from met. It is literally the US intelligence community's job to lie to you. The New York Times has an extensive history of pushing for new wars at every opportunity, including the unforgivable Iraq invasion which killed a million people based on lies. A mountain of proof is required before such claims should be seriously considered, and we are very, very far from that.
I will repeat myself: it is the US intelligence community's job to lie to you. I will repeat myself again: it is the US intelligence community's job to lie to you. Don't treat these CIA press releases with anything but contempt.
"The Washington Post and the WSJ were called up by the same unnamed 'officials' as we were.
They were told the same evidence free fairytale.
Their stenographers, like ours, wrote it dutifully down.
All of us proudly published it!"#confirmation https://t.co/bEZ2OYgsxb
— Moon of Alabama (@MoonofA) June 27, 2020
Top Brazil newspaper in pro-democracy drive as unease grows about Bolsonaro
One of Brazil's leading newspapers has launched a major pro-democracy campaign as unease grows about the threat many fear Jair Bolsonaro and his most militant supporters pose to the country's political future. Unveiling the initiative on Sunday, the Folha de São Paulo said systematic attacks from pro-Bolsonaro extremists were putting Brazilian democracy through its greatest "stress test" since the return of civilian rule in 1985.
The broadsheet urged readers to wear yellow in support of democracy and said voters needed to urgently remember the dark days of Brazil's 1964-85 military regime, when hundreds of political opponents were killed or disappeared. "We saw, and will never forget, the horrors of dictatorship, and we will always champion democracy," the Folha de São Paulo declared.
The century-old publication announced that until Brazil's next elections it would change the motto on its masthead from "a newspaper at the service of Brazil" to "a newspaper at the service of democracy". It would also offer a free online course examining the social, economic, environmental, cultural and political impact of the dictatorship. Folha's editor-in-chief, Sérgio Dávila, said the campaign was born out of the realisation that more than half of the country's population were too young to remember a period that for all its abominations is still celebrated by Brazil's far-right leader and many of Bolsonaro's devotees.
Saagar and Ryan Grim: Jon Stewart calls out idiocy of bailing out corporations and not people
Trump's COVID Directive May Force Workers To Pay To Go Back To Work
As businesses reopen, laid off and furloughed workers will lose access to unemployment benefits if they stay home out of fear that their workplaces are unsafe. Now, a move by the Trump administration to protect health insurance profits may force workers to fork over money for the privilege of being forced back to jobs that jeopardize their lives.
Many businesses want their workers to be screened for the virus before returning to workplaces, where they could unknowingly spread the disease to co-workers and customers. But thanks to a new Trump administration guidance, if businesses do require their employees to undergo coronavirus tests before being rehired, employers or their employees -- not health insurers -- could end up paying for it.
The directive comes as insurers have been pushing for relief from testing mandates -- and it is a potential jackpot for the industry, whose profits are already booming during the pandemic. It's an extra kick in the ass when some states have enacted liability protection measures blocking employees and customers from suing businesses if they are infected with COVID, and Congress is weighing the idea nationally, too.
Last week, Trump officials issued the guidance declaring that health insurance companies are not required to cover the costs of COVID-19 testing for employment purposes under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The legislation was passed by Congress to prevent patients from dealing with copays or out-of-pocket costs for coronavirus tests.
The new guidance provided by the U.S. Labor Department, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Treasury Department says that insurers only need to pay for tests that are determined to be "medically appropriate" by a health care provider. That loophole could allow insurers to avoid covering the costs of back-to-work tests. The bills will likely fall on businesses -- or workers, if their employers don't want to pay. The costs of tests can be quite expensive, ranging from about $150 all the way up to $7,000, according to Politico.
'Outrageous': Trump Administration Waived Ethics Reviews for Lawmakers and Federal Officials Seeking Small Business Loans
The Trump administration in April quietly issued a sweeping waiver exempting members of Congress and other federal officials from ethics rules in order to allow them and their families to apply for small business coronavirus relief loans without facing conflict of interest reviews.
The existence of the ethics waiver was reported Friday by the Washington Post and met with alarm by good government advocates who warned the "blanket approval" from the Small Business Administration (SBA) opens the door to abuse of Paycheck Protection Program funds designed to help struggling small businesses stay afloat. ...
The Post noted that lawmakers and federal officials who own small businesses and want to apply for loans must typically be approved by the SBA's Standards of Conduct Committee.
"But in a rule the administration issued April 13," the Post reported, "the administration disclosed that the approval requirement had been suspended for all entities seeking funds from the $660 billion [Paycheck Protection Program] 'so that further action by the [ethics committee] is not necessary."
Josh Gotbaum, a guest scholar in the Brookings Institution's Economic Studies Program, told the Post he was "appalled" by the sweeping ethics waiver. "The idea that the Small Business Administration can, without any review or publicity, secretly let all of its employees arrange loans for their family members or associates is outrageous," said Gotbaum.
Coronavirus IX: Evictions: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Fed's Stress Tests Results Based on GDP Decline of 8.5 Percent; Atlanta Fed's GDPNow Forecast Says GDP Will Decline by 46.6 Percent
Yesterday the Federal Reserve released its highly awaited stress tests on the biggest and most dangerous banks in America. The stress test results fill an 83-page document with dozens of charts showing what would happen to the banks under a hypothetical "severely adverse scenario."
This scenario, unfortunately, was previously prepared and pales in comparison to the actual economic damage rendered by the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, the severely adverse scenario for this year's stress tests imagined the U.S. unemployment rate climbing to a peak of 10 percent in the third quarter of 2021. The unemployment rate is currently 13.3 percent. But far more frightening, the Fed's severely adverse scenario for GDP imagined a decline of "8½ percent from its pre-recession peak, reaching a trough in the third quarter of 2021."
As of yesterday, June 25, the Atlanta Fed's GDPNow estimate was for U.S. GDP to decline by a staggering 46.6 percent in the second quarter.
Princeton to remove Woodrow Wilson's name from school over racist history
Ivy league Princeton University has announced it will remove President Woodrow Wilson's name from the institution's School of Public and International Affairs due to his history of racism. In a statement released Saturday, the university president, Christopher Eisgruber, said the decision came after a "thorough, deliberative process", five years after a group of student activists occupied his office in protest against the faculty's dedication to the controversial 28th president.
The removal of Wilson's name from the faculty – which will now be known as the School of Public and International Affairs – comes as many institutions across the US are facing protests and campaigns over controversial dedications and monuments. ...
In a statement, Princeton's trustees said they had considered "whether it is acceptable for this University's school of public affairs to bear the name of a racist who segregated the nation's civil service after it had been integrated for decades". ...
While he is remembered as a progressive, internationalist statesman, Wilson's reputation is clouded by his racist policies in other areas of government when he was president from 1913 to 1921.
Mississippi votes to remove Confederate symbol from flag
Mississippi lawmakers vote to remove Confederate emblem from state flag
Mississippi legislators have voted to replace the state flag, the last in the nation to feature the Confederate battle emblem, which has been condemned as racist.
The state House and the Senate voted to remove the current flag on Sunday and create a commission that will design a new flag that cannot include the Confederate symbol and that must have the words "In God We Trust". Mississippi governor Tate Reeves has signalled he will sign the measure in the coming days.
The flag's supporters have resisted efforts to change it for decades, but rapid developments in recent weeks have changed dynamics on this issue in the state, which has a long history of systemic racism and saw more lynchings of African Americans than any other state in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
As protests against racial injustice recently spread across the US, including Mississippi, leaders from business, religion, education and sports have spoken forcefully against the state flag. They have urged legislators to ditch the 126-year-old banner for one that better reflects the diversity of a state with a 38% Black population.
The state House and Senate met Saturday and took a big step: by two-thirds margins, they suspended legislative deadlines so a flag bill could be filed. Spectators cheered as each chamber voted, and legislators seeking the change embraced each other.
Obama advisor says progressives need to be more like never Trumpers
With Election Just 4 Months Away, FEC Essentially Defunct as GOP Member Leaves for Koch-Funded Group
After 10 months, the Federal Elections Commission in May regained a quorum with the confirmation of Republican appointee Trey Trainor—and promptly lost it just over five weeks later on Friday when commissioner Caroline Hunter resigned to join the Koch-funded group Stand Together, leaving the regulatory body again essentially powerless as the November general election draws closer.
"The FEC's brief period of functioning appears to be over," tweeted Public Integrity reporter Carrie Levine.
Hunter's last day is July 3.
"Republican FEC commissioner leaving to joining the Koch network's dark money fundraising apparatus," tweeted Dig Left researcher Andrew Perez. "Says a lot!"
In a statement reacting to the resignation, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), the chair of the Committee on House Administration, said the news "makes abundantly clear the shortsightedness of the Senate Majority's naked partisanship in abandoning a longstanding tradition of confirming bipartisan pairs of Commissioners."
"The FEC just emerged from a nine-month period without a quorum—the longest running period of the commission's history—during which it was hamstrung from doing its job," said Lofgren. "Upon commissioner Hunter's announced departure on July 3, the FEC will lose its quorum again for the third time since the commission's establishment, with just four months to go before November's general election."
Chesapeake Energy, fracking pioneer, files for bankruptcy owing $9bn
Chesapeake Energy, the shale gas drilling pioneer that helped to turn the United States into a global energy powerhouse, has filed for bankruptcy protection. The Oklahoma City-based company said on Sunday that it had been forced to enter chapter 11 protection because its debts of $9bn were unmanageable.
It has entered a plan with lenders to cut $7bn of its debt and said it will continue to operate as usual during the bankruptcy process.
The oil and gas company was a leader in the fracking boom, using unconventional techniques to extract oil and gas from the ground, a method that has come under scrutiny because of its environmental impact. Other wildcatters followed in Chesapeake's path, racking up huge debts to find oil and gas in fields spanning New Mexico, Texas, the Dakotas and Pennsylvania.
But those companies are now under pressure to service those debts. More than 200 oil producers have filed for bankruptcy protection in the past five years, a trend that was expected to continue as the Covid-19 pandemic saps demand for energy and depresses prices further.
Louisiana Activists Face 15 Years for "Terrorizing" Oil Lobbyist with Box of Plastic Pollution
'Warning Sign of Major Proportions': Number of Siberian Forest Fires Increase Fivefold in Week Since Record High Temperature
The number of fires in the vast north Asian region of Siberia increased fivefold this week, according to the Russian forest fire aerial protection service, as temperatures in the Arctic continued higher than normal in the latest sign of the ongoing climate crisis.
The news of the increase comes a week after the small Siberian town of Verkhoyansk reported a high temperature of 100.4° F on June 20, a reading that, if confirmed, would mark the hottest day ever recorded in the region.
"While fires are common at this time of year, record temperatures and strong winds are making the situation particularly worrying," the European Union's Earth Observation Programme, which is monitoring the situation, said in a statement.
A record heatwave in Siberia has led to forest fires in the Republic of Sakha.
Temperatures spiked to 30C (86F) on Wednesday pic.twitter.com/5E50h96uyP
— Shakthi #StayHomeSaveLives (@v_shakthi) June 25, 2020
As the Associated Press reported:
According to figures reported Saturday by Avialesookhrana, Russia's agency for aerial forest fire management, 1.15 million hectares (2.85 million acres) were burning in Siberia in areas that cannot be reached by firefighters.
The worst-hit area is the Sakha Republic, where Verkhoyansk is located, with 929,000 hectares (2.295 million acres) burning.
The Sakha Republic's fire service reported 127 natural fires in the Russian federal sector.
The fires and heat are due to the climate crisis, Weather Channel meteorologist Carl Parker told Newsweek.
"What climate change is doing is moving the distribution of weather events, such that historically low-frequency, extreme events occur more frequently," said Parker. "Had the climate not changed due to man-made greenhouse gases, the heat we've seen in parts of Siberia would have been a 100,000-year event."
Parker warned that the fires are part of a dangerous feedback loop in the northern region.
"What's scary about the warming in Siberia is that there are huge quantities of carbon in permafrost, which can be unleashed during periods like this, particularly as fires develop in the region," said Parker.
Also of Interest
Here are some articles of interest, some which defied fair-use abstraction.
Intercepted: Scholar Robin D.G. Kelley on How Today's Abolitionist Movement Can Fundamentally Change the Country
How the NYPD Weaponized a Curfew Against Protesters and Residents
Here's What's in the 'George Floyd Justice in Policing Act' the House Just Passed
This Russia-Afghanistan Story Is Western Propaganda At Its Most Vile
Only Idiots Believe The CIA, And Other Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix
Rewriting History & Rehabilitating George W Bush
Bombing People Is Not Feminist, No Matter How You Spin It
Greens surge in French local elections as Anne Hidalgo holds Paris
Michael Hudson on Coronavirus and Debt Winners and Losers
How Trump's Deportation Flights Are Putting Latin America and the Caribbean at Risk
Fed Launches Corporate Bond Buying Program, Gobbling Up Fossil Fuels and Tobacco Bonds
Scientists Pin Blame for Some Coronavirus Deaths on Air Pollution, PFAS, and Other Chemicals
BLM leader: America is an 'experiment' ready for 'change'
Flight Attendant Union President: Do police unions deserve to be part of the labor movement?
A Little Night Music
Cecil Gant - Rock Little Baby
Cecil Gant - Am I to Blame?
Cecil Gant - Nashville Jumps
Cecil Gant - Another Day, Another Dollar
Cecil Gant - I Wonder (Alternate Take 1)
Cecil Gant - Playin' Myself the Blues
Cecil Gant - Boozie Boogie
Cecil Gant - That's the Stuff You Gotta Watch
Cecil Gant - Cecil Boogie No.2
Abby Martin tells us what the real ameriKa is
EDIT: Hey Joe, thanks for the blues! Stay safe everyone
Buy a Bible don't read it and you'll be a Catholic
Buy a Bible read only what suits you and you'll be an Evangelical
Buy a Bible read it fully, analyze it, reason it and you will be
an Atheist
Thanks gg, good video.
be well and have a goo one.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Good evening Joe. I got some really great news for ya,
from the Guardian of all sources:
First Thing: the pandemic has broken Europe's trust in American leadership
This could be the start of something big, so to speak.
Also great news:
Law Enforcement Scoured Protester Communications and Exaggerated Threats to Minneapolis Cops, Leaked Documents Show
Not specifically that, but the leak, which I just learned about. Humongous dump by a group calling itself DDoSecrets. Finally a little sunlight on police operations including their spying and dossier building. I'm hoping to do an OT Wednesday on it, but here's an article in Ars Technica: https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2020/06/an-embattled-grou...?
Thanks for the EB also, too.
be well and have a good one.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Living and observing in Europe, I have very little sympathy
with European political, economic, and cultural elites who have slavishly acted as one with the U.S.
Europe's trust in American leadership
When it came to making deals for arms sales to dictators … waging war around the globe under the NATO label … fomenting instability, sowing mayhem, and leaving naked chaos in their wake … creating the conditions for human trafficking, re-emergence of slavery, and mass migration, with entire populations in flight from the violence of allies like ISIS … the European establishment was always, always there.
European elites are just mad at Trump because he's laid the game bare for all to see, whereas Clinton, the Bush clan, and Obama were better at letting them cover up the consequences of their followership, complicity, and cowardice.
I'm not sure I buy this
"In the weeks since Floyd's death, we have seen many videos and pretty well substantiated reports of unjustified police use of force. 'What were they thinking? They knew the whole world was watching.' The most cogent explanation is fear."
How does that explain the way cops in other states went after the peaceful protesters with overwhelming violence? And as the guy mentioned in the article says this is how cops treat most protests going back to 1966. And if cops were so afraid of people becoming violent towards them then why didn't they freak out when the mostly white group of men took their guns to their protests on opening up the country? Yeah cops are afraid of unarmed people, but just at ease with armed ones.
Just imagine what the country would be like if MLK and RFK hadn't been killed. How far would either of them have been able to take their visions?
Just imagine if they had been black.
This is privilege when it's scared. They came out packing heat when protesters entered their wealthy St. Louis neighborhood. pic.twitter.com/PxbBzPFaZx
— In the NOW (@inthenow) June 29, 2020
Well now this is pretty damning isn't it? And yet I haven't heard anything from Bernie or even anyone else from his campaign. They Shirley had access to this information.
And then they did it AGAIN. #DNCisCorrupt #NeverBidenNeverTrump #ReplaceBiden #DemandBernie pic.twitter.com/NIi7VnP7Kd
— LB Won't Vote 4 Rapists/Racists (@leslie_balanay) June 29, 2020
Wanna bet that this won't be covered by the msm? Maybe CBS will let Catherine discuss it since she works for them. She has been talking about the Flynn case.
The official said the inteligence collection report reached "low levels" NSC but did not go further, not briefed POTUS, or VP because it was deemed "uncorroborated" and "dissent intelligence community." @CBSNews
— Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) June 29, 2020
Joe did you watch what Rachel said about this? Scalps! And boy did she seem torqued.
"When police break the Law then there is no Law - just a fight for survival." - Billy Jack
The best part about those two in St. Louis
I've seen a lot of Karens and Kens recently, but I think those two are the most pathetic.
The only way Joe Biden is "going to be like FDR" is that he will die in office and leave a shitty vice president as a replacement.
Karen and Ken..lol
Someone said on Twitter they are telling their daughter that this is Hillary. But man look at her eyes. And I don't own a gun either, but yeah if you're feeling threatened you don't stand in the open. Nor do you point your gun at people. Or put your finger inside the trigger guard until you are ready to pull the trigger.
The eyes say alcohol and pills. The finger on the trigger shows no training with firearms. The mustard on the shirt says the sandwich was fucking delicious. <stolen text... I wish I made it up, but it is still funny> pic.twitter.com/NKtfV6SWvu
— Full_on_Cynic (@Full_On_Cynic) June 30, 2020
"When police break the Law then there is no Law - just a fight for survival." - Billy Jack
I am reposting this comment from a dead thread
So people can see what's coming soon.
I don't know if I should say OMG or LMAO
Look at what is being loaded next in the Russian/Trump/Comey/FBI/Hillary/Obama election saga.
Comey Miniseries Gets Pre-Election Airdate, After Director Pleads For Chance To Sway Voters
Further down in the letter, Ray envisioned billboards screaming, "Comey Vs. Trump" in the heat of the election battle.
"The Comey Rule" is based on former FBI director James Comey's recent memoir, "A Higher Loyalty" and "more than a year of additional interviews with a number of key principals," according to Showtime PR.
The source material suggests the production will be highly critical of President Trump. Through his book and other public platforms, Comey has frequently reviled the president while justifying his own conduct throughout the FBI's Crossfire Hurricane investigation of now-debunked allegations of collusion between Russia and Trump's 2016 campaign
On June 24, the day after Ray's letter was published by Deadline, Showtime announced "The Comey Rule" would air on consecutive nights Sept. 27-28. Showtime gave no reason for the time shift, but the news came the same day as two breaking news items tied to Comey's tenure.
- A federal appeals court ordered charges against Michael Flynn, Trump's former National Security Adviser, to be dropped. Gen. Flynn had previously plead guilty to making false statements in connection with an offshoot of the FBI's Trump-Russia investigation.
- In aother development, declassified notes taken by anti-Trump former FBI agent Peter Strzok appeared to reveal that Comey thought Flynn's late-2016 phone calls to then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak were "legit" long before federal agents quizzed Flynn on the matter.
The news further erodes Comey's narrative related to both Gen. Flynn and the Russian investigation. Last year's Mueller Report failed to tie Trump to impeachable acts. More recently, we learned public officials who warned cable news viewers about Trump's alleged Russian ties confessed under oath they lacked evidence to back up their charges.
Jeff Daniels stars as Comey, while Brendan Gleeson portrays President Trump.
"The Comey Rule" will air Sept. 27 and 28 at 9 p.m. EST on Showtime.
This will hit the air waves right around the time Durham releases his report on the origins of Russia Gate and he will either nail Comey and the FBI to the wall or say that they were right to open up an investigation into Trumps ties to Russia. Isn't there a rule against doing something that gives either party an advantage in elections? But seriously this will just further distract the country right in the middle of the election. But how much of a normal election are we gonna see since the country will still be dealing with COVID and economic turmoil?
4- WTF per traveler triple X
"When police break the Law then there is no Law - just a fight for survival." - Billy Jack
Hey, joe!
The adjuster who came to check out the fire damage to my office drew a complaint from me to my agent, so he is forever fired.
This evening, some arson investigator with a high school education asked to meet with me.
I told him when he reads the reports from the county fire Marshall, the State Fire Marshall, the State Police, and still had questions, he could call me, set up an interview. Or not.
I will NOT be interrogated again.
By the time I ripped on his ass, made sure he knew if he said a single insulting or threatening word to me, he, too, would be fired.
Ok. TLOML and I, who are oldsters who act like teens, refer to each other as "Ma" and "Pa". Our way of dealing with this stress is ice cream, beer, and other activities.
I suspect I might get banned if I do not behave myself, so "other activities shall remain up to everyone's imagination.
Stay healthy, get happy.
Thanks,joe, for all you do.
Fired in this economy?
What did he do to deserve it?
"When police break the Law then there is no Law - just a fight for survival." - Billy Jack
Tried to intimidate me, Snoopydawg.
I will not tolerate that.
He can do a decent job, or get fired, get a job hauling garbage. But he will not be aggressive and threatening to me or my companion about building, mold, repair, and arson, in this life.
Fuck him and the horse the fucker rode in on.
The subsequent adjuster is treating me with kid gloves.
I'd heard that trump had...
..."misappropriated" $600M to fund his wall, but I didn't know from where he snatched it.
Around $24 billion of Venezuelan public money has been looted, and the Trump administration has used at least $601 million of it to construct a militarized wall on the US-Mexico border.@BenjaminNorton explores the extensive foreign pillaging of Venezuelahttps://t.co/vFzYylVIIg
— The Grayzone (@TheGrayzoneNews) June 29, 2020
Compensated Spokes Model for Big Poor & Big Peace.
Maybe trump expects
his avid supporters not to notice the difference?
Compensated Spokes Model for Big Poor & Big Peace.
wrt 'window closing'
US health secretary Alex Azar has warned that "the window is closing" on the country's chance to take action to effectively curb the coronavirus, as the number of confirmed cases surpassed 2.5m. The Health and Human Services secretary pointed to a recent surge in infections, particularly in the south and said people have "to act responsibly" by social distancing and wearing face masks especially "in these hot zones".
What an idiot! At best, the US had only four weeks from 25 January to put public health policies in place to stomp on the coronavirus. Instead HHS, Trump, and Congress dithered and denied until implementing the most costly and bluntest instrument that only temporarily slowed the infection rate. Only prevented the health care systems in the March hotspots from quickly collapsing. Fauci, CDC, HHS denied that masks were of any use for the general publc. Still not informing the public that 'close contact' means that a high percentage of infections are happening in the home and not providing any guidance on how those who don't live alone can limited such infections,
The hoped for reduction and disappearance of the virus during warmer weather hasn't happened. It's now spreading rapidly in India and Mexico (at that's based on reports that may be wildly inaccurate as to cases and deaths).
So, we've moved into a chronic phase of the disease with hope now pinned on an effective vaccine appearing before 'herd immunity' is developed naturally. With no idea of the long-term health consequences for the tens of millions that have recovered from the virus. Many of whom won't be as fortunate as this man. And getting tested daily, as Trump and presumably everybody around him is, isn't preventative nor inexpensive.
On his handling of this one major issue, Trump should be down and out at this point. That he's not is a credit to the DP lining up with another truly lame nominee.
Did you see this article on the intercept?
Why in hell were masks being allowed to be shipped out of the country when we had problems getting our medical staff some? Yes I'm sure that they got bucco bucks for them, but it makes no sense. Nor does it of them shipping them to other countries. Ventilators went to Russia when we didn't have enough here? This again tells me that they wanted the results we're getting. Lots of boomer deaths. Plus I'm seeing people who have disabilities and are in care homes are also dying and of course we're doing nothing to keep people in prisons from dying. This is culling the herd at its best. And its criminal.
"When police break the Law then there is no Law - just a fight for survival." - Billy Jack
"Why in hell ..."
Commerce, capitalism.
purchased key medical supplies involved in the response to the coronavirus from U.S. suppliers over the first few months of this year. Over 600 tons of face masks of left U.S. airports for China in February alone.
U.S. firms, such as Intel, W.W. Grainger, and Pfizer, also shipped masks from the U.S. to China in February, according to Chinese customs disclosures. The shipments, company representatives said, were made to help secure employees based in China.
US suppliers sell whatever they have in inventory or can quickly get their hands on to whoever is buying at the highest price. That was China in the first weeks after 25 January and then Italy and Spain. US hospitals/clinics, municipalities, states, and feds weren't buying at that point because they were stuck believing that only an infintesimal number of infections would get out of China and they could handle those cases with their existing supplies. Also believed that China had overreacted and it wasn't all that infectious or deadly (a position that a large number of the US public has been spouting from then until now). Didn't compute for them that Chinese medical professionals and government officials were smart and competent enough to figure out that shutting down its economy was the least bad option. Didn't notice that there were identified COVID-19 cases in many countries (including the US) by 25 January.
In a cooperative world, it would have been appropriate to rush surplus supplies to China in the first few weeks, BUT not without addressing how and where new supplies would be manufactured. Perhaps they did that by assuming that China would be back to pumping out supplies for the world within a month. However, more likely, none of the what ifs were considered, much less dealt with, in the US.
The US sets a shining example for the world.
Those ungrateful Euros. Europe Set to Extend Travel Ban for U.S. Residents on Tuesday
The region's governments will say that they will only be allowing visits from countries where the average number of infections per 100,000 inhabitants over the past two weeks is similar or below the level of the EU and that the trend of new cases is declining. The list will be subject to biweekly updates, though EU governments could take urgent measures if a situation in one of the approved countries deteriorates, according to the document.
It didn't have to be this way.
South Korea's 29 June report:
The (presumed) location of infection acquisition of the 12 imported cases are: America (3), Europe (1), Asia excluding China (8) (Philippines=2; Bangladesh=2; Kazakhstan=2; Russia=1; Pakistan=1).
Those twelve cases were confirmed on 29 June. Entry date not supplied, but on a daily basis they do provide where the case was identified. Of those twelve, five were detected at the point of entry and seven in the community. The reports indicate practically no community transmission by these imported cases that were not picked up a POE. I doubt that, particularly as SK has been doing contact tracing since its first case in January and yet in the past two months numerous new clusters keep popping up for which they haven't disclosed or can't find the index case and source of infection.
Well I've done it now
My uncle just sent me a graphic with Trump blowing off Russia's paying for American scalps and it was one that he sent to everyone in his address book.
I said that I can't believe that anyone is believing this story from the NYT and asked if they remembered how they lie to us every time they support our marching off to war. WMDs anyone? I also explained how Mueller's investigation fell flat on its ass. How CrowdStrike admitted that they found no evidence that Russia hacked the DNC computers. Told them to follow the links in the article.... so I'll see if anyone says anything to me. Of course my uncle loves Rachel and never misses her show and told me she'd never lie to HIM. He's as opinionated as I am but maybe this will get through to him. Maybe I can get at least one of them to wake the f'ck up and see that they swallowed a boatload of propaganda.
the erstwhile "paper of record" has earned a new moniker — Gray Lady of easy virtue.
"When police break the Law then there is no Law - just a fight for survival." - Billy Jack
We must ask ourselves:
Why are the major propaganda outlets in the US publishing these insultingly stupid neocon lies. After all, they could be leading the charge against President Trump based on his real war crimes and his army's false flag attacks, which all Americans have witnessed?
Why now are the Neocons pushing another provocation of Russian hatred in the US? Are they distracting from news featuring their own seditious activities during and after the 2016 elections? Or are they fomenting another false flag attack against the US to distract from the fact that the US has lost narrative control over the Pandemic?
Are they sweating the risk of a brain-impaired Biden exposing his condition on the televised Presidential debate stage? With the election less than five months away, are the 'authentic' election meddlers mounting another fake Russian scandal to serve as a further drag on Trump's campaign, while making a hot war with Russia more possible?
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Sunday joined other lawmakers — including leading Republicans — in expressing concern and calling for the administration to provide Congress with an explanation.
A sane human leader in Congress would demand that we bring our troops home from Afghanistan without delay. Any other response comes from a damaged mind.
When are the Washington Leaders going to tell the American People that they lost the war in Afghanistan 16 years ago and have accomplished absolutely nothing whatsoever to benefit the nation?
I do not know if the people of the United States would vote for Enlightened Men — if they ran for public office — but there can be no doubt that such men do not run.
— Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America
These are good questions Pluto
I thought it was to derail the peace talks, but Ray thinks it might be to derail the Durham investigation into the origins of Russia Gate. Might be both, but boy are they giving it their all to give this story legs.
Again here's the republicans going along with the Russia Gate saga and I'm wondering which of their donors want more sanctions on Russia? Democrats were up to their eyeballs in the Ukraine corruption and maybe this is to derail whatever information Rudy has on Biden and his son? Democrats took a huge chance on going after Trump on the Ukraine phone call when they are guilty of what they accused him of doing.
And where will Burisma fall in the scheme of things? Stay tuned.
"When police break the Law then there is no Law - just a fight for survival." - Billy Jack
Another possibility is the Neocon reaction
...to Trump restoring the G-8 to eight, with the inclusion of Russia.
I do not know if the people of the United States would vote for Enlightened Men — if they ran for public office — but there can be no doubt that such men do not run.
— Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America
The media puts that in every article I've seen. Didn't Macron also talk about letting Russia back in it too?
Did you and I talk about cashless society? If so message me and let's talk about this. The centrists have fallen in love with the Lincoln Project which is made up of neocon republicans. Go figure.
"When police break the Law then there is no Law - just a fight for survival." - Billy Jack
Tell Pence I pray something and someone else away
Good Evening, I will read the remainder later.
Please stay healthy, sane, and hateless. That seems to be a huge challenge these days.
Thank You for your continuous support.
"Trauma is not what happens to you.
Trauma is what happens inside you,
as a result of what happens to you."
— Dr. Gabor Maté
Rather than a president, Sweden had random citizens tweeting
in the name of the whole nation. An interesting experiment that ended in 2018:
Also: why don't northern European voters and taxpayers want their countries to begin bearing EU-wide shared responsibility for Mediterranean countries' debts? Because in the back of their minds there's an impression left by generations of stories like this:


text:
Earn points toward FREE PIZZA with Piece of the Pie Rewards
More About Domino's Near Brian Head
Domino's: We're Reinventing Pizza Near Brian Head
When your tastebuds are tingling for a delicious slice of cheesy, meat-topped goodness, we know you're not craving any old pizza near Brian Head. You want a hot, delicious pizza with a flavorful tomato sauce, hearty piles of mozzarella, perfectly diced pepperoni, and a hand-tossed crust that's been baked by experts. You want to take a bite out of the perfect pizza. You want Domino's.
At Domino's near Brian Head, it's never been easier to get the fast and fresh pizza you want. Order your pizza online or over the phone, or stop by and place a carryout order at the Domino's nearest you.
Get started by selecting your favorite crust. Choose from a hand-tossed crust that's overflowing with buttery flavor, a gluten-free crust, a crunchy thin crust, or a pan pizza crust that's loaded with two layers of melted cheese! And then, select your sauce and start loading up on the pizza toppings of your choice. Whether you're all about the veggies like green peppers, spinach, and onions, or you prefer the sweet and savory combination of ham and pineapple, your pizza dreams can come true at your nearest Domino's.
With over 34 million different ways to make a single Domino's pizza, you can be sure we've got a slice for any taste. Build your own pizza from bottom to top or select one of our many crowd-pleasing specialty pizzas, like the ever popular Ultimate Pepperoni, MeatZZa™, or Cali Chicken Bacon Ranch, and have it delivered hot and fresh to your doorstep, today!
Like A Butler, But For Pizza: Pizza Delivery Near Brian Head
Here at Domino's near Brian Head, we're serious about pizza delivery. In fact, we guarantee your pizza will arrive hot and fresh, right from our oven to your door. Stay up to date with the status of your order using our custom made TrackerⓇ. Enter in your phone number online and follow the progress of your pizza order from the moment you place it until it arrives at your door... and in the meantime, try not to drool on your phone or computer.
Wings, Sandwiches, Desserts & Pizza Takeout Near Brian Head
We deliver pizza, but we're also superstars when it comes to speedy pizza takeout near Brian Head. Feel free to try something different or stick to your favorites from our pizza menu. Give everyone exactly what they want with an order of stuffed cheesy bread, an oven-baked sandwich, flavorful salad, or satisfying pasta, and even sweet, dangerously delicious desserts like Cinna StixⓇ, chocolate cake, and cookie brownies.
Visit one of our more than 12,000 locations around the world and you'll see: we know what it means to provide great customer service and even better food quality. We make it our mission to be the best pizza delivery company in Utah, and everything from our money-saving pizza coupons to our considerate delivery drivers reflects this commitment. Go digital and place your order using our free smartphone app, order online, or call your local Domino's restaurant near Brian Head for satisfyingly fast pizza delivery and carryout today! We may have been around since 1960, but we aren't just any old pizza restaurant. We're your number one pizza place near Brian Head!


text:
UCL Qatar is inviting applicants from around the world to apply for its third prestigious Academic Fellowship Programme, as part of the University's continuing effort to attract and develop international research in Qatar.
As part of the initiative, UCL Qatar will host several outstanding Visiting Fellows who will contribute to enhancing the teaching and research profile of the institution, following the university's commitment to offering research-led teaching excellence. The Fellows will also help to further expand the intellectual community of UCL, their partners in Education City and the State of Qatar at large. Visiting Fellows will conduct their own research in Qatar and will collaborate with UCL Qatar's staff and students on various teaching and research projects. While interacting with the international and diverse academic community that makes Education City the knowledge hub of Qatar, they will be able to bring their research to the national and international audience.
Commenting on the Fellowship Scheme, Dr. Sam Evans, Director of UCL Qatar said: "We are delighted to host visiting fellows coming to Qatar as part of our third cycle of UCL Qatar's Visiting Fellowship Scheme. To date we have worked with 14 incredibly knowledgeable and creative individuals who have helped UCL Qatar continue to cement its role in promoting research excellence. As Qatar progresses towards a knowledge-based economy that strives to preserve and enhance its traditions and culture, we are proud to contribute to the Nation's research and academic development with some of the brightest minds in the fields of culture, heritage and knowledge management."
Previous Visiting Fellows included Mr. Paul Christians, Associate Visiting Fellow, who had the opportunity to interview archaeologists, curators and other specialists about their work in the frame of his research objectives of "what makes and expert?" As an expert himself on cultural heritage, he had the chance to contribute to the teaching of the UCL Qatar Museums and Galleries Practices MA Programme with a course called "Cultural Heritage, Ethics and Law."
Professor Judith Broady-Preston, Professor of Information Management at Aberystwyth University and president of CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals), was with UCL Qatar as Visiting Professorial Fellow from January to March 2019. During her time in Qatar, she contributed to the programme of the 4th National Library Forum, hosted at QNL by the Qatar Library and Information Association, by facilitating a workshop on practical professional skills for leading change. Next year the National Library Forum will be hosted by UCL Qatar.
Through their interactions with UCL Qatar's academic community, Visiting Fellows will help forge new and exciting links across institutions who share similar global interests and goals. Applicants for Visiting Fellowships should have an affiliation to a university or equivalent research body, cultural institution or a private company, be active in the fields of cultural heritage or information studies or be an independent or emeritus researcher. They must hold higher research degrees or relevant equivalent professional or research experience and publications. All details about the scheme can be found on UCL Qatar's website at the research page.
The deadline for expressions of interest for the academic year 2019/20 is 10 July 2019.
For more details on UCL Qatar visit www.ucl.ac.uk/qatar; For more details on the Qatar Foundation visit www.qf.org.qa


text:
The term "the cloud" has become common vernacular in today's tech industry, and consumers are becoming more and more aware of the term as well. A vast majority of consumers use cloud services without even knowing it. Cloud services are here to stay and are becoming more pervasive in our daily online routine.
Tag: Cloud Computing
Preparing for the EU General Data Protection Regulation
The EU General Data Protection Regulation, or "GDPR" as its called, is expected to become law in late 2015 or early 2016. It is meant to modernize the personal data protection rules across the EU's 28 member countries. Reportedly, it will address current topics like social networking, cloud services, globalization, and much more.


text:
The Hag asked me why she was being "disallowed from logging into her email account"
When I got to her computer, she had typed (for example) email@example.com into the browser address bar. When I tried to explain about the difference between email addresses and website addresses, she interrupted me (with a disgusting snort)
Hag: Well, I've always done it this way before and it worked just fine.
Me: Well, I'm sorry but I've never heard of that working before. You'll have to go directly to _____.com's website and log in directly to your webmail.
Hag: This used to work every time until now, what's the problem?
Me: I've never heard of anyone being able to put the @ sign in the browser address bar and have it work. I'm sorry I can't help you.
(exit, pursued by
so, internets people, does this ever work?
A patron told me the copier wasn't working. When I got over to it, she had put the document she wanted copied on top of the copier, put in her money, and pressed the print button.
Me: Ma'am, see here where it says the document should be face down on the glass? You have to lift the lid and lay the document on the glass.
I lift the lid, put the document down, and ask her to put a dime in. She says, in an aside, "well, I already put a dime in, but oh well." When I retrieved her copy, there was a blank page with it.
Me: Ma'am, this is what happened to your other dime. You have to put the document you want printed IN the copier in order for it to work. (Me Thinking: We haven't yet perfected the copy-by-osmosis machine)
She laughed self-consciously (as she should have) and left quickly. I did not offer her a refund on her wasted dime and, to her credit, she didn't ask for one.


text:
Martin is the father of 4 and the grandfather of nine. He considers himself to be an expert in dealing with screaming 2 year olds. He likes to distract upset toddlers in the supermarket queue with a game of peekaboo. He says that they always giggle at him.
Martin was born to Australian parents in 1933 in Kenya. He came to a Australia in 1945 on a troop ship as the war in the Pacific had not yet ended, to attend boarding school.
After high school he studied commerce at Melbourne University and worked as Chartered Accountant.
He first met his wife Adele in Sri Lanka in 1939. They married in 1957.
Martin has volunteered all his life, first at the local kinder, then onto the various schools, and groups like Scouts and Guides.
Martin was widowed in 2015. He says "Men are not good at networking." So he tries to keep busy and reach out to people. Martin walks 6 to 8 kms every day with his Billy his kelpie.
He also sings with Bayside Sing Australia and lunches every Friday with up to 11 retired skiers.
You get out of life what you put into it. "Smile and the rest of the world smiles with you."
He thinks that keeping busy is the key to longevity. Martin volunteers on Thursdays as a Tinker. Here he is with a beautiful preloved Baby Jogger and he has chosen these two hand made toys to go out with it.