text:
package gnu.javax.net.ssl.provider;

import java.io.FileInputStream;
import java.io.IOException;

import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.Enumeration;
import java.util.HashSet;
import java.util.LinkedList;
import java.util.Set;

import java.security.AccessController;
import java.security.InvalidAlgorithmParameterException;
import java.security.KeyStore;
import java.security.KeyStoreException;
import java.security.NoSuchAlgorithmException;
import java.security.cert.CertPath;
import java.security.cert.CertPathValidator;
import java.security.cert.CertPathValidatorException;
import java.security.cert.Certificate;
import java.security.cert.CertificateException;
import java.security.cert.PKIXParameters;
import java.security.cert.TrustAnchor;
import java.security.cert.X509Certificate;

import javax.net.ssl.ManagerFactoryParameters;
import javax.net.ssl.TrustManager;
import javax.net.ssl.TrustManagerFactorySpi;
import javax.net.ssl.X509TrustManager;

import gnu.java.security.action.GetPropertyAction;
import gnu.java.security.x509.X509CertPath;
import gnu.javax.net.ssl.NullManagerParameters;
import gnu.javax.net.ssl.StaticTrustAnchors;

/**
 * This class implements a {@link javax.net.ssl.TrustManagerFactory} engine
 * for the ``JessieX509'' algorithm.
 */
public class X509TrustManagerFactory extends TrustManagerFactorySpi
{

  // Constants and fields.
  // -------------------------------------------------------------------------

  private static final String sep
    = AccessController.doPrivileged(new GetPropertyAction("file.separator"));

  /**
   * The location of the JSSE key store.
   */
  private static final String JSSE_CERTS
    = AccessController.doPrivileged(new GetPropertyAction("java.home"))
      + sep + "lib" + sep + "security" + sep + "jssecerts";

  /**
   * The location of the system key store, containing the CA certs.
   */
  private static final String CA_CERTS
    = AccessController.doPrivileged(new GetPropertyAction("java.home"))
      + sep + "lib" + sep + "security" + sep + "cacerts";

  private Manager current;

  // Construtors.
  // -------------------------------------------------------------------------

  public X509TrustManagerFactory()
  {
    super();
  }

  // Instance methods.
  // -------------------------------------------------------------------------

  protected TrustManager[] engineGetTrustManagers()
  {
    if (current == null)
      {
        throw new IllegalStateException("not initialized");
      }
    return new TrustManager[] { current };
  }

  protected void engineInit(ManagerFactoryParameters params)
    throws InvalidAlgorithmParameterException
  {
    if (params instanceof StaticTrustAnchors)
      {
        current = new Manager(((StaticTrustAnchors) params).getCertificates());
      }
    else if (params instanceof NullManagerParameters)
      {
        current = new Manager(new X509Certificate[0]);
      }
    else
      {
        throw new InvalidAlgorithmParameterException();
      }
  }

  protected void engineInit(KeyStore store) throws KeyStoreException
  {
    if (store == null)
      {
        GetPropertyAction gpa = new GetPropertyAction("javax.net.ssl.trustStoreType");
        String s = AccessController.doPrivileged(gpa);
        if (s == null)
          s = KeyStore.getDefaultType();
        store = KeyStore.getInstance(s);
        try
          {
            s = AccessController.doPrivileged(gpa.setParameters("javax.net.ssl.trustStore"));
            FileInputStream in = null;
            if (s == null)
              {
                try
                  {
                    in = new FileInputStream(JSSE_CERTS);
                  }
                catch (IOException e)
                  {
                    in = new FileInputStream(CA_CERTS);
                  }
              }
            else
              {
                in = new FileInputStream(s);
              }
            String p = AccessController.doPrivileged(gpa.setParameters("javax.net.ssl.trustStorePassword"));
            store.load(in, p != null ? p.toCharArray() : null);
          }
        catch (IOException ioe)
          {
            throw new KeyStoreException(ioe);
          }
        catch (CertificateException ce)
          {
            throw new KeyStoreException(ce);
          }
        catch (NoSuchAlgorithmException nsae)
          {
            throw new KeyStoreException(nsae);
          }
      }

    LinkedList<X509Certificate> l = new LinkedList<X509Certificate>();
    Enumeration aliases = store.aliases();
    while (aliases.hasMoreElements())
      {
        String alias = (String) aliases.nextElement();
        if (!store.isCertificateEntry(alias))
          continue;
        Certificate c = store.getCertificate(alias);
        if (!(c instanceof X509Certificate))
          continue;
        l.add((X509Certificate) c);
      }
    current = this.new Manager(l.toArray(new X509Certificate[l.size()]));
  }

  // Inner class.
  // -------------------------------------------------------------------------

  /**
   * The actual manager implementation returned.
   */
  private class Manager implements X509TrustManager
  {

    // Fields.
    // -----------------------------------------------------------------------

    private final Set<TrustAnchor> anchors;

    // Constructor.
    // -----------------------------------------------------------------------

    Manager(X509Certificate[] trusted)
    {
      anchors = new HashSet<TrustAnchor>();
      if (trusted != null)
        {
          for (X509Certificate cert : trusted)
            {
              anchors.add(new TrustAnchor(cert, null));
            }
        }
    }

    // Instance methodns.
    // -----------------------------------------------------------------------

    public void checkClientTrusted(X509Certificate[] chain, String authType)
      throws CertificateException
    {
      checkTrusted(chain, authType);
    }

    public void checkServerTrusted(X509Certificate[] chain, String authType)
      throws CertificateException
    {
      checkTrusted(chain, authType);
    }

    public X509Certificate[] getAcceptedIssuers()
    {
      return anchors.toArray(new X509Certificate[anchors.size()]);
    }

    // Own methods.
    // -----------------------------------------------------------------------

    private void checkTrusted(X509Certificate[] chain, String authType)
      throws CertificateException
    {
      CertPathValidator validator = null;

      try
        {
          validator = CertPathValidator.getInstance("PKIX");
        }
      catch (NoSuchAlgorithmException nsae)
        {
          throw new CertificateException(nsae);
        }

      CertPath path = new X509CertPath(Arrays.asList(chain));

      PKIXParameters params = null;
      try
        {
          params = new PKIXParameters(anchors);
          // XXX we probably do want to enable revocation, but it's a pain
          // in the ass.
          params.setRevocationEnabled(false);
        }
      catch (InvalidAlgorithmParameterException iape)
        {
          throw new CertificateException(iape);
        }

      try
        {
          validator.validate(path, params);
        }
      catch (CertPathValidatorException cpve)
        {
          throw new CertificateException(cpve);
        }
      catch (InvalidAlgorithmParameterException iape)
        {
          throw new CertificateException(iape);
        }
    }
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Japanese sun rises in Saigon housing market
By Minh Phong &nbspJuly 23, 2018 | 11:08 am GMT+7
Buildings rise to the south of Saigon. Photo by VnExpress/Duy Tran
From relative obscurity about five years ago, Japan has emerged as a top 3 housing projects investor in Ho Chi Minh City.
Behind only Singapore and Taiwan now, the growing attention Japanese firms have been paying to the residential sector in Ho Chi Minh City is reflected both in the number and scale of projects.
Investors from the land of rising sun also seem to be setting a faster pace than those from other countries, market observers say.
Japan used to occupy a very small market share until a few years ago, but now they are paying great attention to Vietnam's real estate market, especially in Ho Chi Minh City, said Le Thi Huyen Trang, Head of Market Research and Consultancy Services at real estate services firm JLL.
While JLL does not have sufficient data on the capital that Japanese investors have poured into the real estate housing market, in terms of number of projects, Singapore is leading with 10 projects, while Japan and Taiwan next with 9, she noted.
"Singapore and Taiwan have been investing in real estate in HCMC for a long time, so their aggregate numbers of projects are higher. But in terms of speed of growth, investors from Japan have been very active over the past four years," Trang said.
According to HCMC's Department of Planning and Investment, the city attracted nearly $487 million in registered foreign direct investment (FDI) in H1 2018, 10 percent of which came from Japan.
Real estate business is the second largest source of FDI, accounting for more than a quarter of total registered in the city.
Pham Lam, CEO of realty developer DKBA Vietnam, said he's had many meetings with Japanese investment funds, developers and real estate service providers eyeing HCMC's housing segment.
"The presence of Japanese investors is a positive signal, and can be a catalyst for real estate investment from other countries, especially Asia, over the long-term," said Lam.
Unlike investors from Singapore or Taiwan, who typically develop projects on their own, Japanese investors tend to partner with a local firm and their projects have so far been focused mainly in the southern part of the city, Lam said.
A typical case is the partnership between Vietnam's An Gia Group and Japan's Creed Group. In 2015, Creed injected $200 million into three An Gia projects in District 7 – Riverside, Skyline and River Panorama.
The joint venture is about to launch their fourth project, Sky89, at the intersection of Dao Tri and Hoang Quoc Viet streets adjacent to the Phu My Hung New Urban Area. The 42,500 square meters project includes a 35 storied block with 430 apartments.
An Gia has also attracted another major investment fund from Japan called Hoosiers, a 15-year-old group which manages 100 buildings including 10,844 apartments across Japan.
Then, a big realty developer in the city's southern part, Phu My Hung, for the first time in two decades, has partnered with three Japanese giants, Daiwa House, Nomura and Sumitomo, in a joint venture to develop Midtown, a 2,500-unit project.
Without disclosing the value of their cooperation, Phu My Hung said this is its most costly project in 2017.
Mizuki Park in Binh Chanh District is another Japanese-invested project in the city's southern part. The VND8 trillion ($349 million) project is a joint venture between Vietnam's Nam Long Group, which holds a 50 per cent stake, and Japan's Nishitetshu and Hankyu.
The Tien Phat - Sanyo Homes joint venture which is developing the $30 million Ascent Lakeside project on Nguyen Van Linh Street is yet another example.
In the south of HCMC alone, the number of future apartments that has the "Japan standard" runs into tens of thousands of units.
Green experience
Vo Tri Thanh, former Deputy Director of the Central Institute of Economic Management (CIEM), said that apart from financial muscles, Japanese realty investors are also strong in advanced technology and green buildings.
Su Ngoc Khuong, Director of Investment at Savills Vietnam, said that after a period of time when Japanese interest seemed to focus only on office and hotel segments only, capital has been shifting to the residential segment.
Their aim is to serve the big housing demand among Vietnamese people as well as the Japanese community in HCMC, he said.
Several market observers have noted that a distinctive feature of Japanese investment is that whenever a Japanese investment fund ventures into a certain market, they are followed by satellite firms like contractors, developers and suppliers of building materials.
Therefore, Japanese-backed projects usually carry recognized Japanese standards, they said.
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Tags: Vietnam housing Japanese investment real estate property
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Reading: Japanese sun rises in Saigon housing market

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I'm a big fan of Clayton Christensen, author of The Innovator's Dilemma and other books about innovation and creative disruption. I was surprised to learn that he'd written a slightly different book, How Will You Measure Your Life? , this one about guiding principles for guiding one's career and one's life. I was curious about it being outside his usual fare, so I decided to give it a whirl.
As a self-help book, it's pretty unique. Christensen draws upon his many business case studies to make some pretty interesting analogies (e.g. comparing 'outsourcing' of parental duties to nannies and activity providers to Dell's outsourcing of it's core functions over time and what it cost them in the long run). This aspect of the book I liked very much, and most of his analogies are sound. I also like his recommendation on career choice assessments into 'hygiene factors' (e.g. salary - you need a certain amount to function, but beyond that it shouldn't be part of a decision between 2 jobs) and the factors that really matter.
On the down side, I found the later parts of the book to drift a little into left field. Especially when he gets into the more religious elements later in the book. Still, I enjoyed it despite this.
I added Tears in Rain to my to-read list somewhat impulsively after reading an excerpt published on BoingBoing. It was not without it's flaws, but also had some strong points, and I enjoyed reading most of it despite the flaws.
The book is Blade Runner fan-fic. A noire detective story in a future setting very much in keeping with that film. The main character is a Replicant (Android) drawn into investigating a series of strange Replicant deaths after one of these occurs in her apartment. The further she unravels the mystery, the more twisted the conspiracy becomes as the bodies keep piling up.
Along the way, there are some very nice bits of sci-fi, both in the smaller details of the settings (courier robots, home automation, etc) and in the larger questions put before the reader (e.g. ethics of tampering with people's memories, when/if that becomes possible, for example. Also I really liked the treatment the author gave to state-control of information and revisionist history when all our history is centralized in a wikipedia-like system. Very thought provoking).
My complaints about the book: (1) It was desperately in need of editing down to about two thirds its size. The author took on too much, and some of it should have stayed on the editing room floor. (2) There was some unimaginative bits of sci-fi that broke the immersion (personal computers are still mobile phones, and they still use GPS). (3) Rather than name-checking the Blade Runner characters or universe, the author name-checks the MOVIE itself, which totally broke the immersion where it was done. Finally (4) while most of the book was too long, the ending definitely felt like it came together and tied off too quickly, like the author was trying to rush.
A little late with it, but here's my annual round up on the year's reading.
I took a goal at the end of 2011 to read 48 books this year and I managed to hit that goal. However, in pursuing that goal, there were times I pushed through books I should have otherwise put down, and times I prioritized lighter fare over heavier stuff. Next year I'm taking the goal of completing 36, but having them be more meaningful. I'll be ok with abandoning books that are turning out as disappointing.
I read 31 non-fiction books and 18 works of fiction (though three books were a mix of fic/non-fic, so I had to make a call on which category to put them in). Format-wise, 19 were audiobooks, 12 were e-books, and 17 were on dead-trees. All the e-books were consumed on Amazon's Kindle app on the iPad, or rare occasion I used the phone when I was stuck somewhere with downtime. Four of the books (Seven Fables, The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow, and Hello Skater Girl, The Art of Videogames) were written by friends; I continue to marvel at how lucky and privileged I am to know such people.
My favorite books of the year were as follows: In non-fiction: The Future of the Internet and How To Stop It, Republic Lost, and Rocket Men. In fiction: Rainbows End, Angelmaker, and The Windup Girl.
Here's the full list grouped by topic. An asterisk means recommended, and two means highly recommended.
What do you think? Did you disagree with any of my recommendations? Any faves from last year that I missed entirely? Let me know!
MetaGame is a scifi thriller that takes place in and around MMO-type games. In this vein, it's similar to Snowcrash, Rainbows End, Ready Player One, and many others.
I found it to be a very engaging story, with some provocative bits technology futurism. I give the book a 3/5 or so rating because it was in dire need of editing. There were parts that were too long and should have been left on the chopping block, and there were parts that could have used cleanup, and some poor choice of language that broke suspension of disbelief at times. Less would have definitely been more.
That said, it's FAR better than Ready Player One that so many found so great last year, so I still recommend it.
Among the interesting bits of futurism: Crowd-sourcing as source for the meta-game and for the hive-mind; Post-scarcity life, and various bits of bio-tech and post-human hackery. The author even does a pretty good job of tackling ethics of genetically engineered human-derivative 'products', despite this being well trod ground.
There's a scene where the lead character, D-lite, has a maddeningly frustrating tech support dispute over the terms of his mind-interface chip's EULA in an attempt to access the source code to his own in-game character, that in itself is worth reading the book. It's thought-provoking gold, and just conceivable enough to be scary.
Well worth reading despite it's flaws.
I'm going to do my usual roundup post when I get some time, but here's the gallery view of last year's reads.


text:
Episode #115: Josh Johnson & The Mochalicious Darlings
August 19, 2020 by Blackandahalf
Comedian and Daily Show writer Josh Johnson came on this week to promote his new podcast The Josh Johnson Show and talks to Samantha and Silas about the Democratic National Convention, the current state of comedy and life in NYC, and he tells us how he got to NYC. Josh answers The Seven Questions.
About Our Guest
Josh Johnson is a stand-up comedian, Emmy-nominated writer and performer from Louisiana by way of Chicago. He is currently a writer on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah and is a former writer and performer on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon where he made his late-night
debut.
As a stand-up, Johnson was named Comedy Central's "Comic to Watch" in 2015, a "New Face" at the Just for Laughs comedy festival in 2016 and 'New York's Funniest' in 2018. His story "Catfishing the KKK" has amassed over 8.5 million views on YouTube and he is one of the most streamed comedians across Comedy Central's digital platforms with over 31M views to date. In
2017, Comedy Central released his half-hour special Comedy Central Stand Up Presents…Josh Johnson and his album I Like You on Comedy Central Records. In 2018 his quarter hour special, as part of The Comedy Lineup, was released on Netflix.
Johnson's other credits include, CONAN (TBS), @Midnight, Kevin Hart's Hart of The City, The New Negroes with Baron Vaughn & Open Mike Eagle and This Week at The Comedy Cellar. Josh released his short form series 'GENIES', co-created with Luke Mones, last year on CC Digital.
He is currently on the road with Trevor Noah as a part of the Loud & Clear tour and he tapes his first hour special, executive produced by Trevor Noah, in Chicago later this Fall. Johnson lives in New York and can be seen performing regularly at The Comedy Cellar. His podcast, The Josh Johnson Show, releases weekly.
Beyond Technique Coaching by Samantha Rund.
Samantha is an actor, comedian, and coach who has performed on stage and screen across the country. Recently, she can be seen on 3 Busy Debras on Adult Swim. She is passionate about enriching and empowering people's lives through the arts. Her coaching business Beyond Technique Coaching uses performance principles to help people bring more of their whole selves ( voice, body, and mind) to their lives and work. www.samantharund.com
Check out her latest coaching video here.
Episode 114: Sharise Nicole Williams & The Tale of a Renaissance Woman
Episode #116: B & H Reviews: Tesla & Project Power
Black & A Half Podcast #52: TJ Berry
Episode #173:The Return of Maia Strong
Episode #129: Dewa Dorje & The Art of Tibetan Erotica


A rare opportunity to hear it straight from the folks who process the applications . . .
The Contractors State License Board (CSLB) is hosting free workshops for those looking to become a licensed contractor. Current licensees are encouraged to pass this information along to their workers and to those who might be interested in learning more about the application process.


ZIMBABWE's banking sector has recorded a 61 percent jump in aggregate profits to $390 million for the year ended 31 December 2018 when compared to $242 million in 2017, according to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ).
The country has a total of 19 banking institutions, 13 commercial, five building societies and one savings bank. Although asset quality for the sector deteriorated as reflected by an increase in the average non-performing loans (NPLs) to total loans ratio during the period under review, Dr Mangudya said key indicators show the sector remains financially sound. For instance, he said, the combined asset base grew from $11.2 billion to $13.9 billion with total deposits clocking $10.3 billion from $8,4 billion in 2017.
Total loans and advances also grew from $3.8 billion to $4.2 billion as net capital base also rose to $1.83 billion from $1.58 billion. The Central Bank chief also said the banking sector remains adequately capitalised.
"The banking sector aggregate core capital increased by 15.32 percent, from $1.37 billion as at 31 December 2017 to $1.58 billion as at 31 December 2018, largely due to organic capital growth. All banking institutions were compliant with the prescribed minimum capital requirements as shown in the table below," he said.
"The challenging macro-economic environment underscores the need for banking institutions to implement capital preservation strategies."
Of the 3.24 million individual depositors, (95.98 percent) held deposit balances of less than $1 000 each, with an average balance of $80, accounting for a total $213.42 million. On the other hand, Dr Mangudya said, corporate RTGS FCA depositors (1,884) holding balances in excess of $500 000 constituted 83.64 percent ($7.25 billion) of total corporate RTGS deposit of $8.67 billion.
"Going forward, it is envisaged that the number of Nostro FCA depositors will increase, driven by increases in the tobacco and mineral production, as well as financial inclusion efforts," he said.
Meanwhile, the RBZ Governor said lending to the productive sector increased over the year 2018, from 73.64 percent to 76.01 percent of total loans. He attributed the increase to lending to the agricultural sector, which increased from 14.7 percent to 16.39 percent and other segments including state owned enterprises.
Dr Mangudya, however, expressed concern over a growing credit risk in the banking sector, as reflected by the ratio NPLs to total loans of 8.25 percent from 7.08 percent in 2017.
"The increase in NPLs is largely a reflection of forward looking credit risk management tools adopted by banks in line with the IFRS 9 accounting standards, resulting in improvement of the banks' risks controls and provisions coverage," he said.


As a body focused on coordination and cooperation, the Council of Financial Regulators (CFR) and its activities are not established by statute and the CFR has no formal regulatory or policy decision-making powers. Regulatory actions can be taken by individual agencies, in accordance with their legislated powers and obligations. The judgements formed by CFR agencies may nonetheless be informed by deliberations of the CFR. Governance and accountability arrangements reflect this structure.
Individually, CFR member agencies are accountable for their regulatory and policy actions. For example, all are subject to, and adhere to, the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 , which covers governance, performance, accountability and the management of public resources by Commonwealth departments and agencies. Each member agency is required to prepare an annual report on its activities for tabling in Parliament each year. They each also appear before parliamentary committees or hearings. Agencies are responsible for providing transparency of the rationale for their respective regulatory decisions.
The CFR itself is not subject to formal accountability requirements, reflecting the fact that it has no regulatory decision-making powers. Nonetheless, the CFR considers transparency of its activities to be in the public interest. In addition, the RBA's Financial Stability Review includes an expanded discussion of recent CFR activities.


Why wrap your heart in peril when we can hide away?
This song is a classic twist on Toriel's "advice" from the game UnderTale. This song is suppose to signify the warnings that Toriel gives before you must fight her at the ruins barrier.


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Another great way for students to write a paper on their own is for them to keep a small spiral notebook with them that can hold all their information they keep on collecting. With help of this notebook, the students can have all the information as well as all its resources handy and they will be able to make use of this information so that they can write a good paper with help of the details and resources as well as save their time in the long run. It is necessary that students develop their own time management strategies to help them with their paper writing and enjoy success.


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Could there be a connection here John?
there aree other pics on our website.
i am looking at the people in both photos and there are a few in the pics on the website.
The biggest raid over here was during 15th June over wallsend and Jarrow. Death toll was high and the devestation was beyond belief.
Getting back to April 14th, The Germans they still thought Bedlington Ironworks was in production, and had their info wrong as we know, but just shows you, they wanted to halt production there.
Here a map of the two raids both mapped out for you Foxy. Its interesting. Just wonder what else can be found on the raids. ?


I have no experience with marantz, going to have to check them out!
Marantz is up there with high end brands like McIntosh and NAD.
Any audio you buy in a store like Future or Best Buy imho is junk because its so mass produced that quality suffers.
Yes Marantz is up there also Denon is fairly decent but the SR5003 is a real steal.
all for 898+tax and considering the denon is exactly the same price the choice was a no brainer.
Definitely not dropping $900 on a receiver and I'm not looking at audiophile grade speakers either. I wish I could but I just can't be spending that kind of money (not mine, my parents).
My dad seems more inclined to get a receiver that supports the HD audio formats but I'm thinking that's going to get rather expensive but I'm mainly relying on upcoming sales/Boxing Day to grab things so it could be feasible.
As it stands, a subwoofer and reciever seems to be the way he wants to go for now. Maybe next year we'll replace the other speakers. All I really need is something that's decent (aka better than HTIB crap). As I said, $500 would be perfect but it seems a tad unreasonable so just try and keep your suggestions near the $500 mark (for both things).
As for buying used, I don't know how well that'd go over. My dad would rather see and hear things in person even if the acoustics are different. Also I'm guessing shipping would probably outweigh the savings in used stuff since subwoofers are by no means light and small.
Not going to happen for $500.
Even a decent 8" sub is going to cost you a minimum of $200 and a decent receiver is going to be a minimum of $300 or more.
This is why HTIB exists but are crap.
I'd agree. it its going to be very difficult to achieve this for $500 bucks and still sound decent. As for speakers FS has a set of polks on sale right now for 249. you will probably not do better than that for speakers.
Well under $1K at least. Maybe like $700 tops?
I'm willing to cut back on the receiver though since I don't really foresee using HD audio formats and well 3+ HDMI is a bonus but I could do with 2 just that I wouldn't have any room for expansion.
I refuse to buy another HTIB though since they lack nearly all inputs. At least my current HTIB came with basically a full-featured receiver at the time, not one of those tiny things with a DVD player built in. However I find that it lacks any sort of directional audio and the majority of sound just comes out of the center. It's very rare that the fronts/surrounds are heard.
Like I said, I'm not being overly picky here since any new receiver and subwoofer is going to make a huge difference IMO. And I'm going to do my best to not buy anything that isn't on sale.
I guess to get a "decent" subwoofer I'm going to have to go to a speaker store of sorts. Only ones I know of in Toronto are Kromer Radio and Bay Bloor Radio. Never been to either before so I have no idea what pricing they have or if they would even carry $200ish subs.
if your going to bump your budget up to $700.
I would seriously take a second look at that denon kit i linked. It's only 648 (so it's $52 under your new budget) you get a denon reciever and a full set. The speakers are fairly decent as they are boston acoustics. I really don't think your going to do any worse. Alternatively if you get those polks on FS stie at 249. it includes 4 sattelites, 1 centre and a sub for 249 so then you have around 450 bucks for a reciever based on your $700 budget and 251 on your $500 budget.
Don't skimp on the receiver its the heart of ANY system.
Its easier to replace speakers or buy cheaper speakers for a temporary solution but a receiver is not as easy to replace and costs a lot more.
So spend more on the receiver and spend less on the speakers for now.
Then I wouldn't want that package since the Denon receiver doesn't have everything that I'd want to have.
Remember that starting out you could do without a sub for awhile and just get some inexpensive speakers to tide you over.
Also don't forget about buying used for some stuff. Lots of people have great deals on used speakers and subs just because they have upgraded their system and or outgrown their needs.


text:
Production Company: Beyond Productions
Commissioned By: truTV USA
Six men, two weeks and the deadliest stretch of ocean in the world. Known as the Graveyard of The Pacific, 2000 ships have come to grief there and 700 sailors lie dead on the sea floor. On the border of Oregon and Washington State, a sand bar forces billions of gallons of water from the Columbia River direct into the swells of the Pacific. The result is giant waves and deadly currents. Deadly Crossing tracks an exclusive group of sea captains who pilot giant ships over the bar, keeping a billion dollar trade route open. These Columbia River Bar Pilots are followed for a fifteen-day straight shift. Any mistake puts the ship and lives at risk. The point of most peril for the pilots is boarding and disembarking at sea, either by a small pilot boat or helicopter. Both require perfect timing and skill in order to survive the manoeuvre in the pitching swells.
Producer: Optic Nerve Films


text:
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text:
BRIGHT FUTURES — Nederland senior president Kevin Nguyen has heart for helping others
Published 12:26 am Tuesday, August 17, 2021
By Chris Moore
Nederland senior Kevin Nguyen said his favorite class is biology. (Chris Moore/The News)
NEDERLAND — Nederland High School senior Kevin Nguyen first fell in love with biology while helping his grandfather in his botanical garden.
"He had it in his back yard and front yard," Nguyen said. "It always interested me with all of the plants and beauty."
Nguyen continued to cultivate his love for the living. His favorite school subjects are science and biology but he doesn't yet know what career path he wants to pursue after high school.
"I really like helping people," he said. "I might go into the medical field and become a doctor. I don't know what field. I do love plants and animals."
The passion for helping others spills into many areas in the Bulldog's busy life. When not in the classroom he is involved in multiple activities like Key Club and is on the cross country team.
Nguyen, who was elected as the senior class president last spring, is a first generation Vietnamese American. He said his father dropped out of high school.
"(My dad) and my grandparents had to come over because the communist North tried to take over and they left," he said. "…I don't really have relations with my dad that much, because he has to leave every few months to go shrimp out on a boat. I see him like three months out of the year."
The Nederland senior said he usually stays with his step mom and grandparents.
"I am just trying to become a better me," he said.
Nguyen likes to give back by doing his part to keep Vietnamese culture alive. He attends Queen of Vietnam Catholic Church in Port Arthur.
"It is an area where there is just Vietnamese culture and people," he said. "We have a school set up there to teach young kids and young Vietnamese people to get the culture back in. We want it to bloom in the area. I love it and I don't want it to die out."
Due to the cost of out-of-state tuition, Nguyen said will attend a college in Texas.
"It does not matter where I go to for my four years of my undergraduate," he said. "Might go to (Texas) A&M with my sister or UT-Dallas for the technology."
Nguyen said he ran for school president because he wanted to represent the school.
"It is just nice to be leading the pack" he said. "It's not really that much. I am just one of the people."
More Education
Nederland school board members question need for desk shields
WATCH — Lamar State College Port Arthur instructor is also professional opera singer
SCHEDULE — Marching bands participating in free festival Saturday at PNG
BRIGHT FUTURES — Memorial cheerleader is backflipping into the future
Here's how to donate blood this week, get a…


On this page we suggest some common sense do-and-don'ts in Ecuador to travel safely and stay healthy in Ecuador and elsewhere in the tropics. We provide these suggestions because we want you to have a fabulous experience in Ecuador and go home with great memories about some of the greatest vacations you have had in your life. Don't let these suggestions discourage you, because Ecuador is one of the greatest tropical countries in the world to discover and explore!
The early bird catches the worm: The best hours of the day are the early morning, whether you are a culture lover or a tree hugger. The morning hours are always the coolest hours of the day, which in the tropics is important. If you want to see birds and wildlife, the best hour of the day is from 5:30 - 6:30 AM. The guides of our Ecuador Amazon rainforest lodge, the Cuyabeno Lodge, are widely known for the knowledge about birds as well as other Amazon Jungle Animals and Amazon Rain forest Plants. For photography in Quito, Ambato and Ingapirca, the best hours are from 8 - 10 AM and then again often from 5 - 6 PM.
Unload the pictures from your camera onto your laptop or cyber space whenever you get to your hotel. If you lose your camera, at least you will still have your pictures. Take minimal 3 camera batteries with you. Also charge your batteries on every opportunity you get and Don't forget to take your charger out of the outlet each time you put the battery back in its place. Always check the outlets when you leave your hotel room (and your closets of course).
Early morning cloudless sky over Quito. Always rise early, take your breakfast quickly and go see the town before the clouds move in.
Sometimes around 5 PM, the clouds move out and the city bathes in the warm colors of the late afternoon.
Pickpockets are everywhere in the world and you can become a victim anywhere. However, the colonial part of Quito is packed with tourism police officers in uniform with a bright yellow vest. Anywhere you walk, you see them patrolling the streets in their bright yellow vests and I personally feel totally safe while strolling the streets. Some other areas in Quito, however, are certainly less safe, and, always be prepared for the unexpected. Colonial Cuenca, is much less mundane than Quito, and - for my feeling - enjoys the provincial values of the past. Guayaquil is an international harbor, meaning that in our feelings about safety, all the prejudices would apply, not based on statistics, but on how we experience safety.
Ladies, if you can do without jewelry for a few weeks during your vacation, that is probably wise. And gentlemen, that Rolex really gives off the wrong signal to pickpockets! Worn clothes, old suitcases, carry-on bags and backpacks draw less attention than new ones. In general, don't draw attention showing off as the well-to-do tourist from North America or Europe.
Omni present tourism police officers in Quito recognizable by their bright yellow vest.
I guess, - but I don't have figures - that it is much and much safer to travel by bus, than riding a private vehicle, as is the case in most other countries of the world. On the other hand, the petty theft risk in busses is considerably higher, particularly in the (trolley) busses (Metrobus) in Quito, which have a reputation for being frequented by pickpockets. So in city busses keep your hand in your pocket on your wallet all the time and avoid taking the bus with valuables, lots of cash and your passport on you.
If you must carry valuables, it is probably much wiser to take a taxi. In most towns, including Quito, I stop taxis in the streets. Guayaquil however, is building a reputation for taxi robberies, a phenomenon that is spreading in Latin America. So, whenever possible, in Guayaquil, you may want to order your taxi through your hotel lobby, but of course this is not an option if you are not at your hotel. Always only take registered taxis with a number on the outside and a taximeter.
An increasingly popular crime is robbing people after they leave a cash machine, Western Union or a bank. Before you withdraw money, look around if there are suspicious people hanging around (loitering), and if so, chose another location for withdrawing money. If possible, prepare yourself beforehand to be able to cross the street immediately after your withdrawal and watch out if anybody is following you, if so, run and cross the street again. If you make yourself a difficult target, chances are that the thief will chose a different target. Few ATMs accept foreign bank cards. Mine work with the Banco International.
If you decide to travel to Ecuador and/or the Cuyabeno Faunistic Reserve, always be aware of your surroundings, your luggage and valuables, but don't overdo it. Don't let your travel fun be overshadowed by continuous fear. This is YOUR vacation, YOUR great time, don't let a petty thief ruin your fun! ALWAYS ENJOY YOUR VACATION, even if someone succeeds in snatching something away from you! Changes are that whatever someone steals from you is only a fraction of what you spent on your total journey. So don't let some petty thief ruin your vacation experience, and if it happens, - for your own peace of mind - consider is as a part of the overall travel costs, even though at the moment it hurts.
You may come across friendly travelers and local guides who will tell you what is safe to eat and drink. Never be fooled by the such advise from others. Having travelers diarrhea and a fever is no fun, so don't take risks. It is not a question of how harmful or harmless the local microflora and microfauna is, but how YOUR BODY reacts to it. So if you are new to a country, always drink bottled water (never from the tap) and hot drinks. Fruit juices in Ecuador are delicious but you don't know if they have been made with bottled water (in the lodge our juices are prepared with bottled water). Raw vegetables are always a bit risky and you have to ask yourself how sensitive your stomach is.
Avoid eating raw salads if you are new to the country. Most restaurants will simply wash the lattice in water, which will not kill the local bacterial flora which may cause travellers diarrhoea. Order dishes with cooked vegetables.
Always use sunscreen with SPF factor of 30 or higher (don't forget the edges of your ears and your feet). Gradually accustom your skin to the sunlight by exposing it for no more than an hour the first day and add an hour everyday afterwards. Don't be fooled by an overcast sky, you can still get sun burn when it is cloudy. Be particularly aware in the high mountains and on the water, where the UV effect is much greater. Also beware of wind, as it also tends to increase the sun burning of your skin.
It is amazing this still needs to be said, but every year foreigners end up in prison for the possession of drugs. If caught with drugs, you may be in for a long time already in for-arrest. I don't understand why this needs to be said, but stay far away from drugs. Each year, dozens of foreigners are arrested by Ecuadorian authorities for attempting to traffic drugs between Ecuador and North America and Europe, or between mainland Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands. Many of those arrested claim not to have known they were transporting drugs. Under no circumstances should you ever accept gifts, packages, or suitcases from anyone you do not trust and know well.
More ideas and tips on do's and don'ts in Ecuador will come over time and suggestions are always welcome. Enjoy the beautiful country of Ecuador and discover the Amazon Rainforest of Ecuador and you may like to look at these great things to do in Peru.
When the USA started banning smoking in public places it was quite a surprise to me to immediately see that Latin Americans voluntarily followed suit even before imposing legislation on banning smoking in public places.
In regard to smoking, American tourists behaved as they do at home: they leave the building and smoke outside. Pretty soon, the only smokers inside buildings were invariably Europeans and occasionally Asians! Latin Americans won't comment easily on smoking inside, but they certainly don't appreciate it. So, I urge smokers to respect the common practice as well as the Ecuadorian law and enjoy your moment of pleasure where your smoke can't discomfort others, which usually is outside buildings.


text:
El Mauna Kea Beach Hotel es una propiedad hotelera en la costa de Kohala de la isla de Hawái, (Estados Unidos). Se encuentra en Kaunaoa Bay. El American Institute of Architects (AIA) le otorgó un Premio de Honor en 1967 citando sus "detalles sobrios y finas secuencias espaciales". En 2007 la AIA realizó una encuesta para determinar la lista America's Favorite Architecture con los 150 edificios favoritos en Estados Unidos; el Mauna Kea Beach Hotel ocupa en esta el puesto 55.

Historia
El Mauna Kea Beach Hotel fue desarrollado y construido por Laurance S. Rockefeller tras pasar una temporada en el lugar en 1960. Rockefeller arrendó la ubicación al propietario de Parker Ranch, Richard Smart. El hotel lleva el nombre del volcán Mauna Kea, que es visible sobre la bahía cuando no está oscurecido por las nubes.

Para la construcción se contrató a la firma Skidmore, Owings and Merrill y el arquitecto Edward Charles Bassett diseñó la estructura, de estilo moderno. El diseño al aire libre permitió la ventilación natural de los vientos alisios, aunque las habitaciones tenían aire acondicionado. Se construyeron hoteles con diseños similares a lo largo de la costa de Kohala durante las próximas décadas.

El diseño interior fue concebido por Davis Allen de Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, con la ayuda de Margo Grant Walsh. Incluía textiles tradicionales, tallas, objetos de metal y cerámica de Hawái, las islas del Pacífico y el Sudeste Asiático. Richard Joseph, el escritor de viajes de la revista Esquire, comparó el hotel con "pasear por un museo al aire libre y una galería de arte, pasando por colchas hawaianas colgadas como tapices, tambores ceremoniales de bronce y cajas de pergaminos rojos y dorados de Tailandia, pergaminos japoneses y chinos y pinturas, tallas y máscaras de Nueva Guinea".

El campo de golf, diseñado por Robert Trent Jones, abrió en 1964 y el propio Mauna Kea Beach Hotel abrió sus puertas el 24 de julio de 1965, operado por la compañía hotelera RockResorts de Rockefeller. El hotel operó sin televisores en las habitaciones hasta 1995. En 1978, Rockefeller le vendió la propiedad a United Airlines. United colocó el hotel en su división Western International Hotels, que pasó a llamarse Westin Hotels en 1981. El hotel en sí pasó a llamarse The Westin Mauna Kea durante gran parte de la década de 1980.

Fue comprado en 1990 por Yoshiaki Tsutsumi de Seibu Railway y desde entonces ha sido administrado por una de sus empresas, Prince Hotels. El hotel cerró en 1994 para una renovación de dos años. En agosto de ese año, se abrió un hotel hermano en la propiedad, el Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel. El Mauna Kea Beach Hotel reabrió sus puertas en enero de 1996  De 1996 a 2001, los hoteles Prince en Hawái y Alaska fueron franquiciados a Westin Hotels, y el hotel se reincorporó a la cadena durante cinco años como The Westin Mauna Kea Beach Hotel.

El Mauna Kea Beach Hotel cerró debido al daño estructural causado por el terremoto de 2006 en la bahía de Kiholo. Tras una renovación de 150 millones de dólares, reabrió en marzo de 2009, con una reapertura suave el 20 de diciembre de 2008. El hotel se unió a la división Autograph Collection Hotels de Marriott en 2015.

Referencias

Enlaces externos

 Sitio web oficial principal
 Segundo sitio web oficial
 Sitio web oficial de la cadena Autograph Collection

Obras de Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
Hoteles de Estados Unidos del siglo XX
Edificios y estructuras terminadas en 1965
Edificios y estructuras de Hawái
Arquitectura de Estados Unidos de 1965

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
using System;

namespace Akka.Persistence.Sql.Common
{
    internal static class InternalExtensions
    {
        public static string QualifiedTypeName(this Type type)
        {
            return type.FullName + ", " + type.Assembly.GetName().Name;
        }
    }
}


United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Friday joined other world leaders in congratulating President Muhammadu Buhari on his victory in the Feb. 23 presidential election.
According to a statement by the President's spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, in Abuja, the Nigerian president received separate telephone calls from May and Erdogan, congratulating him on his re-election and wishing the Nigerian people progress and prosperity.
Leading world powers including U.S., China and Russia had earlier congratulated Buhari on his re-election as Nigerian President for another four-year tenure.
Buhari had emerged winner of the Feb. 23 presidential election having polled 15,191,847 votes, winning in 19 states, to defeat other 72 candidates including Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 11, 255,978 votes.


text:
Loděnice (německy Lodenitz, polsky Łodzienica, Lodzienice) je vesnice, část obce Holasovice v okrese Opava. Nachází se asi 2,5 km na západ od Holasovic. V roce 2009 zde bylo evidováno 123 adres. V roce 2001 zde trvale žilo 471 obyvatel.

Loděnice je také název katastrálního území o rozloze 4,77 km2.

Historie
První písemná zmínka o obci pochází z roku 1280.

Pamětihodnosti
 Zámek Loděnice
 Kaplička se zvonicí

Rodáci
 Alwin Nachtweh (1868-1939) – německý inženýr, konstruktér a vysokoškolský profesor

Reference

Literatura

Externí odkazy

Vesnice v okrese Opava
Sídla v Nízkém Jeseníku
Holasovice


Rasha Hilwi is an Arab-Palestinian writer, cultural journalist and blogger. In 2002 she graduated from Terra-Santa-School in Acre, Israel. She obtained a Bachelor's degree in sociology, anthropology and a Bachelor from the Department of Leadership and Policy in Education from the University of Haifa, Israel in 2007.
Rasha Hilwi has been writing literature since a very young age. When she started her academic career in 2003, she began to write reports and articles for local Arab newspapers and magazines. From 2007 to 2009, she hosted a weekly culture and art radio show.
Today, Rasha Hilwi is a freelance cultural journalist. Her reports are published in major Arab newspapers and online media and cultural platforms, such as Al-Akhbar and Assafir newspapers. She also works as a media coordinator for the Work of Art-Project of The Arab Culture Association (ACA) in Haifa. Since 2009 she has been a member in the consultants board of Filistin Ashbab, a monthly cultural youth magazine by Jeel publishing in Ramallah/West Bank. From 2010 to 2015, she was a member in the editorial board of Qadita.net, a culture and literature website. Since 2007 she has been blogging in her own blog Zaghroda.
Rasha Hilwi is a fellow of Akademie Schloss Solitude in the field of cultural journalism, a special program supported by the Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung.


Aesthetically mind-blowing. But morally compromised?
I'm not sure I've ever felt so ambivalent about a show, and so strongly both pro and con. The pros first, then. This is an astonishing, revelatory exhibition of avant-garde art and architecture in the Soviet Union in the brief but hectic period from the Revolution to the Stalinist crackdown in the 1930s. The show draws on Soviet archival photographs, never before exhibited, architectural photographer Richard Pare's gorgeous contemporary images of the buildings, and art from the extraordinary collection formed by George Costakis in the Soviet Union, when Constructivism and Suprematism were out of fashion.
As Lenin's New Economic Policy injected capital into the state economy in the early 1920s, a building boom opened up opportunities for architects to work with the theories of these artists and evolve new building types to meet the needs of the new socialist state – communal housing, mass-production factories, workers' clubs and more. Avant-garde architects, including Le Corbusier and Erich Mendelsohn (later, as a refugee from Nazi Germany, one of the architects of the De La Warr pavilion in Bexhill-on-Sea), were invited to contribute and "the heroic years of Soviet architecture" began.
The opening of the exhibition could not be more thrilling if it tried: a fabulous Rodchenko, Linearism, the all-too-overlooked Gustav Klutsis's Dynamic City, and an amazing Liubov Popova, Spatial Force Construction (pictured above right, State Museum of Contemporary Art/G Costakis Collection, Thessaloniki, Greece), made of oil paint and marble dust, just glow.
They are, however, almost (almost) cast into the shade by Richard Pare's vertiginous photograph (main picture, above) of the first permanent industrial structure to be built in Russia after 1917, the Shabolovka Radio Tower, designed in 1922 by Vladimir Shukhov. Its elegant steel trussses floated high over the still low-rise skyline of Moscow, and the archival images (pictured below, Havski-Shabolovskii residential block, with Shabolovka Radio Tower, photographer unknown, 1929, Dept of Photographs, Schusev State Museum of Architecture, Moscow) and Pare's extraordinary interior shot show how stark its modernity must have appeared at the time.
The architectural and artistic responses to the needs of industry, housing, education, propaganda, health and recreation then develop. The Narvski Factory kitchen embodies the new world order where communal feeding enabled women to join the workforce by ensuring that they no longer needed to stay at home to produce meals for their men.
While the politics and pragmatism are on display in the archival material, Richard Pare manages to infuse his photographs with a delicate and touching domestic reality (Rusakov Workers' Club, pictured below, photograph Richard Pare, 1995, courtesy Kicken, Berlin © Richard Pare). The DenproGES hydroelectric dam and power station's majestic turbine hall has a small clutch of seedlings being grown on a trestle table set out by the starkly modern windows, a worker's contribution, no doubt, while the railings, which must have appeared astonishingly modern in 1927, today seem quaintly old world with their decorative brackets.
It is further on that doubts begin first to creep, then to gallop in. There is never, at any point, any question of the aesthetic value of what is on show. That is peerless. But when one looks at photographs of mass-production bakeries, and reads the captions stating that in the 1930s these were created to feed the workers, without any mention of the tens of millions of fellow workers who were being starved to death by the very same state that was building these model factories, well, one would wish for more editorial comment from the exhibition's curators.
And when it comes to admiring the (admittedly wonderful) swooping white stucco curves of Ivan Antonov, Veniamin Sokolov and Arsenii Tumbasov's housing scheme in Ekaterinburg, I reached my limit. To show the offices of the Cheka – the state security force that tortured and murdered, was responsible for the Gulag camps where millions more died, the organisation run by the psychopathic mass-murderer Feliks Dzherzhinsky – and only note that the building had a kindergarten, a playgroup and a hairdresser, seems to me to be taking aesthetic objectivity too far. Where is the difference between this and a show that displays posters or cartoons from 1940s Germany which discusses their graphic value while neglecting to say that they promote genocide?
There is a brief mention that Miron Merzhanov, the architect of Stalin's own dacha, spent time in the Gulag, but, the caption adds brightly, he continued to produce architectural designs there. It fails to note the few hundred million others who were not so fortunate.
On an artistic level, the show is immaculately conceived and presented. But, by ignoring the reality of the situation in which these artists were working, it becomes intellectually dishonest. And it betrays the millions murdered by their government all over again.
The RA is not alone with this problem. The provision of political context can be so, so distracting. Thus the Tate Modern's splendid Futurist show managed to gloss over the proto-fascism of the likes of Marinetti, and their disgusting glorification of war. A few images of the Italian, and Austro-Hungarian, peasant and working class soldiers who died in their hundreds of thousands in the alps might have been a useful addition.
The smug offended liberalism of the reviewer is historically illiterate and rather suggests that she missed the point of the exhibition. The idea was to show the artistic/architectural flourishing which followed the Russian Revolution but preceded high Stalinism. The overwhelming focus of the show is on work from before the period of mass purges and forced-march collectivisation, for the very simple reason that the avant-garde movements were themselves victims of the same political changes. Monumental classicism was the visual background to Stalin's mass murder machine, not constructivism or suprematism.


Join us this summer for concerts at the Century Center through the Kendall Toyota of Bend Summer Concert Series, also supported by Bend Radio Group! SMART will earn proceeds from sales of raffle tickets for fabulous prizes during the concerts, and will be on hand to share information about the program and accept donations to help purchase books for local students. Come enjoy live music from talented musicians, and support children's literacy in Central Oregon!
4TH ANNUAL NEWBERRY EVENT MUSIC FESTIVAL-FUNDRAISER TO DEFEAT MS!
Central Oregon's 4th Annual NEWBERRY EVENT Music & Arts Festival-Fundraiser to Defeat MS is going to be the biggest and best yet! An OUTDOOR 4-Day ticketed, private festival well-known as a good time for a good cause.
This summer, you couldn't see this many national and regional acts in one place at one time anywhere else!
Proud to announce the 2016 lineup, with music VARIETY of all genres, the Saturday headliner is EUFORQUESTRA! Hosted at DiamondStone, between Sunriver and La Pine, come dance and enjoy three stages with more than 25 bands of back to back reggae, brass, rock, bluegrass, blues and more. Featuring positive messaged musicians, some of the socially conscious acts to see are Andy Frasco & the U.N., Zahira, Vokab Kompany, Lil' Smokies, Joseph Israel & the Jerusalem Band, Sol Seed, Yogoman, the Sextones, YakAttack, New Breed Brass Band, Mojo Green, Satsang, Ubuntu and more. Shady lawn creates an unforgettable venue in southern Deschutes County for this family friendly experience (kids under 13 free) .
Tent camping is free and RV sites available. With a myriad of art and craft vendors, food (breakfast too), Deschutes Brewery beers and distillery vendors, and silent auction of incredible items on site, you won't want to leave. Tickets are limited and pricing is tiered.
Come together for fun and a heart to raise non-profit funds to benefit the Oregon Chapter National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable, often crippling disease of the central nervous system. Both a neurological and autoimmune disease, nerve damage can stop people from moving. Research funds are needed to find the cause, in hope to someday have a world free of MS.
Website for links to musicians' music and pictures of previous years: www.newberryevent.com. If you can't attend, they would very much appreciate kind tax-deductible donations of any amount, through the website or checks to "Newberry Event". But you really don't want to miss this GREAT TIME for a GOOD CAUSE!
Having collaborated for two decades, Rusted Root has honed the perfect combination of musical intuition, freedom and virtuosity, which has allowed them to organically shape their music into it's own distinct and undeniable vision. With eight albums under their belt, over three million records sold and countless nights on the road, Rusted Root transcends age, cultures and musical styles. Liz explains that the members of Rusted Root are drawn to and have explored virtually every form of music. "I am very inspired vocally by anything from Indian to African to Middle Eastern sounds and scales having grown up with a lot of Hebrew music" she says. Michael Glabicki cites the Bee Gees, Elvis Costello, Neil Young, Black Keys, Black Sabbath and various Afro Pop music as among his influences. The powerhouse ensemble's hypnotic live performances have allowed them to tour alongside Santana, Dave Matthews Band, The Allman Brothers Band, Plant & Page and many others.
Now with the release of their newest album, The Movement, the journey continues. Rusted Root founder and front man, Michael Glabicki says, "The Movement is an extremely joyous recording with seriously deep undertones. It is a culmination of everything we have learned it is truly is a career record for us." High Times states, "Thank goodness peace, love, and great grooves haven't fallen out of fashion, because Rusted Root delivers all this and more with their seventh studio album, The Movement." The current tour lineup is Michael Glabicki (lead vocals, guitar), Liz Berlin (vocals, percussion), Patrick Norman (vocals, bass, percussion), Dirk Miller (guitar) & Cory Caruso (drums).
Join the fun and come race the CCC Kid's Race!
All kids from ages two to 13 are welcome to join the fun and be part of The Cascade Cycling Classic. It's FREE. Don't miss it!
Medals for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. Every participant gets a water bottle and a poster.
Join us Sunday, July 24 at 1:30 PM at the COCC Library. Registration starts at 12:30. Good luck CCC racers!


text:
package org.apache.fineract.infrastructure.core.domain;

import org.apache.fineract.useradministration.domain.AppUser;
import org.apache.fineract.useradministration.domain.AppUserRepository;
import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
import org.springframework.data.domain.AuditorAware;
import org.springframework.security.core.Authentication;
import org.springframework.security.core.context.SecurityContext;
import org.springframework.security.core.context.SecurityContextHolder;

public class AuditorAwareImpl implements AuditorAware<AppUser> {

    @Autowired
    private AppUserRepository userRepository;

    @Override
    public AppUser getCurrentAuditor() {

        AppUser currentUser = null;
        final SecurityContext securityContext = SecurityContextHolder.getContext();
        if (securityContext != null) {
            final Authentication authentication = securityContext.getAuthentication();
            if (authentication != null) {
                currentUser = (AppUser) authentication.getPrincipal();
            } else {
                currentUser = retrieveSuperUser();
            }
        } else {
            currentUser = retrieveSuperUser();
        }
        return currentUser;
    }

    private AppUser retrieveSuperUser() {
        return this.userRepository.findOne(Long.valueOf("1"));
    }
}


We here at A Band for Brothers are passionate about honoring the military community. It is our privilege to team up with many amazing military non-profit organizations in aid of the military community. We are passionate about honoring all who have served through every aspect of our company, and giving back is just one of these ways.
Together in partnership, we fundraising with military non-profit organizations through the sales of our USA Made military items. There is never any expense for the military non-profit, and we have programs designed for non-profits of all sizes!
Are you part of a military centered non-profit who is looking to team up with A Band for Brothers? Lets start the conversation, contact us below and tell us about your organization!
Are you part of an FRG/FRP/KSP/WLP and are looking for new ways to fund-raise? We have designed a JAG-approved form of fundraising, customized specifically to your unit.
Contact us below to see how you can start fundraising with our 100% Made in the USA products!


The Rugby School Board met Tuesday, October 11 at 7 a.m. in the RHS Board Room.
The meeting began with Superintendent Mike McNeff discussing the school's Professional Learning Plan. The plan focuses on five areas within the school: movement, student groupings, technology use, hands-on activities, and quality teacher to student relationships. Each PLC group will select a goal and apply to one of the five domains. PLC groups must conduct research on the selected area and complete observations. Observations can either be done by school visitations or peer observation with instructional coach support.
Next, McNeff gave the elementary principal's report, as Jason Gullickson was unable to attend the meeting.
A lot has happened at the elementary school in the past few weeks. Ely saw a successful Grandparent's Day on both October 4 and 5, with approximately 240 grandparents in attendance. Students from the fifth and sixth grades attended "Surround the State in Song" last Saturday, October 8. The boys' basketball season began last week. The school is also preparing to begin its Gearing Up For Kindergarten program. The North Dakota State Assessment will be given this fall in the subject area of Science.
Jared Blikre gave the secondary principal's report next. Parent-teacher conferences were held this past Monday and Tuesday. The eighth graders will be taking the North Dakota State Assessment next week, with the eleventh graders being tested the following week. As fall sports begin to wrap up, the cross country team will be competing in the regional meet this weekend, with districts to follow next weekend. The Rugby FFA team will be heading to their district competition on the 16th. Three Rugby FFA students will be receiving an American Degree, which is an honor that only about 10 percent of all FFA members receive. The Rugby FFA chapter will also be receiving an award. Additionally, the district volleyball tournament will be held this weekend. Four band and five choir members will be performing in the Northwest International Festival of Music in Minot in November.
McNeff then gave the superintendent's report. He discussed the NCEC's sustainability plan to keep staff. He also reported on a focus group of 12 superintendents across the state. The group is currently working on a mental health pilot for youth behavioral health in schools. Some questions the focus group is addressing are what are schools doing now concerning students' mental health, where are some gaps in the system, and what could be done if there was more money in the youth behavioral health area. McNeff teaches a class for teachers in the district every year. This year, the class is centered on helping traumatized children learn. There are 25 teachers signed up for the class this year. The district was approved for $40,000 reimbursement, which will cover the cost of the new playground at Ely Elementary. Finally, a janitorial position was filled.
The superintendent's evaluation is now open to the public to complete. It is an online, anonymous survey that allows the superintendent to improve the district. "I really appreciate comments, more than anything," McNeff said.
The evaluation is available until October 30.
The AdvancED Survey will also be made available to the public. The survey, last taken during the 2013-14 school year, shows where the district is at in terms of goals. The 2013-14 data shaped the goals that the schools have reached for since then. This year's survey will tell the schools how they have done in achieving those goals and what they still need to do to improve. The district is asking for both critiques and positive feedback in this survey.
The next school board meeting will be held on November 8, at 7 a.m.


text:
Boost for mental health residential aged care
Pilot project to reduce pressure on hospital beds
Access to residential aged care for people with complex mental health problems will improve, under a pilot project launched today by Mental Health Minister Andrea Mitchell.
The Liberal National Government has allocated $2 million over 18 months to pilot 10 community-based beds for older adults and has invited providers to submit an offer to deliver the beds in the north metropolitan area.
"With an ageing population, older adults with complex mental health needs are staying in hospital longer than necessary because of a limited number of community beds," Ms Mitchell said.
"These new beds will enable older adults to stay in a more home-like environment and reduce the use of hospital-based mental health services, where it is not necessary.
"Importantly, this initiative will provide the dignity of care for older adults that they deserve, in a supportive social setting in the community."
The service is designed for people aged 65 years and over with severe and persistent symptoms of mental illness who cannot be supported at home or in mainstream residential aged care settings.
In-reach clinical support, rehabilitation and assessment services will also be provided in a partnership arrangement that delivers people the best value and outcomes for their healthcare dollar.
The Request for Tender Document is available at http://www.tenders.wa.gov.au and submissions close at 2pm on Friday, December 2, 2016.
The beds are expected to be operating in early 2017.
There are more than 340,000 people aged 65 years and over living in WA
In 2015-16, a mental health bed in a WA hospital cost $1,384 on average each day, and $208 in a non-acute community long stay service


text:
2018 7x24 Spring Conference Wrap-Up
Data Center Of Tomorrow
The Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek hosted the 7x24 Change Spring Conference, June 3-6, 2018.
By Mike Murphy
The Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek hosted the 7x24 Change Spring Conference, June 3-6, 2018. Approximately 650 vendors and endusers attended the event, which was filled with social and networking opportunities along with keynotes and breakout sessions.
7x24 Exchange was founded as the Uninterruptible Uptime Users Group in November of 1989. The founders recognized that IT and facilities professionals worked in separate silos and that operating in this manner was not beneficial for the business they support. The founders Ken Brill, Dennis Cronin, Paul Fox, Alan Freedman, Frank Gialanella, John Jackson, and Howard Levison had a vision to conduct meetings with IT and Facility professionals and the consultants and vendors that support the Mission Critical industry so they would gain a better understanding of the challenges each faced and would begin to work closer together for the benefit of the business. In all, 16 people attend the first meeting in a Wall Street conference room.
The event has grown not only in size but in its stature in the mission critical industry, now being one of the largest gatherings that focuses on education for the industry. Endusers come from around the world and represent such prestigious companies as GEICO, Wells Fargo, FaceBook, Eaton, and Tesla. 7x24 provides its members with two major meetings annually that serve as great training events. The 2018 Fall Conference will be held October 21-24, 2018 at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge, Phoenix.
The conference opened Sunday, June 3, with a tutorial about the data center certification program. Mission Critical magazine's board of advisor member, Paul Schlattman, senior vice president at Environmental Systems Design was among those presenting on the topic. The purpose of the program is to enhance data center resiliency and protect the data center consumer especially from cloud or colocation downtime. It is a comprehensive program that includes sustainability, fire, life-safety, and security.
The panel also reviewed the first existing data center to apply for certification, QTS Chicago; and the first to apply for new construction certification, Iron Mountain, Manassas, VA.
Data Center 101, a session designed for student education, was aligned with 7x24 Exchange's commitment to STEM education. Participating among five panelists was Mission Critical magazine's advisory board member, Dennis Cronin, CEO, Resilient Solutions. The panel spoke of the Top 10 trends in IT today including: Mobile computing, virtualization, cloud/client computing, software defined applications, libraries – digital content, IoT, cloud-based storage, and cyber security.
Tim Campbell, P.E., Syska Hennessy Group, Inc., an associate partner, talked to the group about general important concepts such as redundancy, reliability and availability, distinguishing between these non-technical and non-scientific definitions that are actually the parameters by which all data center applications are measured.
7x24 Exchange International New England Chapter chairman, Michael Swetz, vice president, Global Technology Operations, State Street Corp., spoke to data center management, procurement, and operations. Swetz said, "Professionals in this industry receive education through generalist pathways before specializing in data centers. U.S. Department of Labor says that employment of computer and information technology occupations is projected to grow 12 percent from 2014 to 2024, faster than the average of all occupations."
Keynotes & Sessions
Robert Cassiliano, 7x24 Exchange Chairman and CEO, opened the meeting with a report on the association's growth and summary of initiatives. In addition to the objectives of association management, Cassiliano emphasized the importance of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) commitment of 7x24 Exchange.
"The STEM program exists because not enough students are pursuing curriculum studies that lead to data center employment," said Cassiliano. Thus, an industry that is seen from the outside as high tech in fact suffers the same labor shortage problems that the skilled trades are experiencing.
Molly Fletcher, the opening keynote speaker, received a $5,000 check in her honor, written to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. The presentation is in keeping with a long-standing tradition of the 7x24 Exchange conferences to support local community efforts.
Fletcher, nicknamed "the female Jerry Maguire" by CNN, spent nearly two decades as a sports agent. She now applies lessons learned from years in the sports industry to the business world.
Fletcher presented the 7x24 audience of approximately 630 attendees with several key messages. "How do I make them think they can't live without me?" asked Fletcher. Relating her own experience as a former tennis star in college and how she transferred that experience into nine years of free apartment rent in Atlanta while increasing the property's occupancy rate to 96%.
She next posed the question, "How can we stay relational and not focus on transactional?" Fletcher related a story of how she failed to ask the hard questions of former University of Florida head basketball coach, Billy Donovan (current NBA Oklahoma City Thunder head coach), when he was then considering a move to the NBA. "The negotiation was going too smoothly, and I never bothered to ask Billy the tough questions. I didn't get in the moment, I was too focused on the transactional outcome, and I missed the bigger opportunity," said Fletcher.
Francis Dramis, CEO, FDRAMIS, LLC, spoke to the group about the Four Secrets of Retention. According to Dramis, "Retention is the biggest problem we faced in all my business experiences, and the technology industry has the highest turnover. The average tenure of a CIO is 5.7 years, and 1.5 years for the average technologist. Knowing this it is important to capture the mindshare of employees for the brief time they are with you. Every manager should focus on helping direct and indirect reports accumulate the skills, experience and relationships needed to attain their professional aspirations."
The four secrets of retention are: 1. Increase their marketability; 2. Make them strategic; 3. Instill a set of shared values; 4. Link their work to their business life goals. Dramis' message was that a sincere interest in an employee's business life goals will lead to longer tenure, but also to a better tenure for those that still accelerate their careers elsewhere.
One of the meeting highlights was a presentation by Kfir Godrich, managing director, global head of technology and enterprise services, BlackRock. Godrich posed the rhetorical question to the audience, "Why are we talking about blockchain? The reason we are talking about it is because people are afraid they will miss the next Internet if they don't." Godrich's sly humor was not lost on the crowd, as many equate blockchain and cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin as the next big thing that turns the world on its ear. Bitcoin is digital cash that is transacted via the Internet in a decerntralized, trustless system using a public ledger called blockchain.
Godrich cautioned that though blockchain is an eminent evolution, not to expect bitcoin or other cryptocurrency to necessarily maintain its current mysterious stature as a new form of money. He expects that regulations for taxation, value treatment, identity management, etc., will lag market evolution by five years. Godrich also predicted, "Limited operability between different metacoin platforms, at different levels of stack (scripting level, data level, etc.) and lack of clear customer use cases will cause retirement or termination of 90% of metacoin development initiatives."
However, with regard to data centers especially for the financial markets, Godrich said, "We are in a digital transformation in everything in our world. Blockchain is an underlying data management process which may expedite some of the changes we foresee."
"Blockchain or distributed ledger is a transaction database share by all participants in a network. The distributed ledger contains every transaction executed between participants. With this information anyone can trace back a value belonging to any participant at any point in history. One outcome is that specially designed consensus algorithm deters rogue participants," said Godrich. In other words, security measure can be greatly enhanced.
Current problems with blockchain include such things as latency; up to 10 minutes per transaction is not uncommon. Privacy is another concern as all transactions are disclosed to the entire network. The blockchain of tomorrow is expected to provide faster, cheaper clearing, settlement, and reconciliation of transactions.
Godrich's final words: "Be prepared to accept even more disruption and fluidity across business and the economy.
For more information on the 7x24 Exchange International conferences and organization, visit www.7x24exchange.org
KEYWORDS: 7x24 Exchange data center technology data centers
Mike Murphy is group publisher for <em>Mission Critical </em>magazine. He has more than 30 years’ experience in marketing, sales, and publishing for mechanical systems. Murphy holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing. He can be contacted at 440-552-2607 or murphym@bnpmedia.com.


After viewing Angelina Jolie's latest production, "First They Killed My Father", in Siem Reap this week, Cambodians say they hope the film will encourage more people to learn about their harrowing history.
Loun Punloeu, a university student, said she hoped the film would stop history from repeating.
Ung was just 5 years old when the regime took control of Phnom Penh, in April 1975, losing her father and later her mother and other relatives to the harsh conditions of its rule.
At the screening last week in Siem Reap, many broke into tears while watching the screening.
Heng Sitha, a student, said the film would spread awareness about the trauma suffered by those living under the Khmer Rouge.
"I knew that the regime was dark from what my mum and my grandma told me. I feel sorrowful for what had happened to Cambodia in the past, and I never want it to happen again," he said.
The film will be screened in Phnom Penh for the first time at Olympic Stadium on Tuesday and in Battambong on Wednesday. It will be available on Netflix from September.
Punloeu expects that all Cambodians will be able to see the film.


Rustic elements are fused to modern form and line in the Carnegie large sideboard. Crafted of solid mango wood with a bandsaw distressed finish, the Carnegie will add character and charm to any space. The 6 doors with window pane detailing provides ample room for storage and a wide variety of options for displaying your treasures.


Home / CL / Stop Pushing Your Products Start Creating Customers.
Stop Pushing Your Products Start Creating Customers.
When you think of increasing your sales, what generally comes to mind? Is it that pushy cold calling salesman? Maybe its posting a bunch of products to Amazon and hoping for the best? Perhaps it's purchasing some adsense? What if we told you you could create a unique channel that could generate eager customers? What if the only thing separating these customers from sale was 3-4 clicks? Well friends, it's time we stopped pushing our products and start creating an audience.
Accept your product or service is a natural accessory of a fantastic lifestyle.
Repeat it, memorize it, stamp it on your forehead if you must. Your product or service is a natural accessory of a fantas tic lifestyle. In order to build your audience, you need to first identify your product's lifestyle, trust us, it has a lifestyle.
Let's take a moment to learn from the social media powerhouse Airbnb. They know their audience loves to travel, not only are they globetrotters, they love to go off the beaten path. Let's be honest, staying in a stranger's house isn't for everyone. Airbnb uses its social media channels to really romanticizes the value of travelling to these unknown parts. They use beautiful images and video to show off their unique listings around the world and their community really eats it up.
You may not be Airbnb, but your product is perfectly suited to a lifestyle, let's identify it. Say you sell yoga pants, start showcasing the idyllic lifestyle of a beach yogi, a travelling yogi, any admirable yogi. Are you selling craftsmen vases? Romanticize the lifestyle of someone who operates a family business.
Once you've defined your brand's lifestyle it's time to create content to match. If your social media channel is about yoga practice, try making a video about a yoga group that meets on the beach? How about highlighting one of your former customers who teaches at her own studio? The possibilities are endless. Your job is to ensure your audience knows your products are an essential accessory to their amazing lifestyle.
Still unsure where to start? We can help you create a social video for your channel. Get in touch with a real life person today!