text:
/*
* PluginAdapterUtility.java
*
* User: Greg Schueler greg@dtosolutions.com
* Created: 12/11/12 9:08 AM
*
*/
package com.dtolabs.rundeck.core.plugins.configuration;

import java.lang.reflect.Field;
import java.util.*;

import com.dtolabs.rundeck.core.common.PropertyRetriever;
import com.dtolabs.rundeck.core.plugins.Plugin;
import com.dtolabs.rundeck.plugins.descriptions.*;
import com.dtolabs.rundeck.plugins.util.DescriptionBuilder;
import com.dtolabs.rundeck.plugins.util.PropertyBuilder;

/**
 * Utility for creating {@link Description}s from Plugin class annotations and setting property values for annotated
 * property fields.
 *
 * @author Greg Schueler greg@dtosolutions.com
 */
public class PluginAdapterUtility {

    /**
     * @param object potential plugin object annotated with {@link com.dtolabs.rundeck.core.plugins.Plugin}
     * @return true if the object has a valid Plugin annotation
     */
    public static boolean canBuildDescription(final Object object) {
        final Plugin annotation1 = object.getClass().getAnnotation(Plugin.class);
        return null != annotation1;
    }

    /**
     * @return Create a Description using a builder by analyzing the annotations on a plugin object, and including
     * annotations on fields as DescriptionProperties.
     *
     * @param object  the object
     * @param builder builder
     */
    public static Description buildDescription(final Object object, final DescriptionBuilder builder) {
        return buildDescription(object, builder, true);
    }

    /**
     * @return Create a Description using a builder by analyzing the annotations on a plugin object.
     *
     * @param object  the object
     * @param builder builder
     * @param includeAnnotatedFieldProperties
     *                if true, add DescriptionProperties to the Description based on annotations of fields in the class of the instance
     */
    public static Description buildDescription(final Object object, final DescriptionBuilder builder,
                                               final boolean includeAnnotatedFieldProperties) {
        //analyze this class to determine properties
        final Plugin annotation1 = object.getClass().getAnnotation(Plugin.class);
        if (null != annotation1) {
            final String pluginName = annotation1.name();
            builder
                    .name(pluginName)
                    .title(pluginName)
                    .description("");
        }

        final PluginDescription descAnnotation = object.getClass().getAnnotation(PluginDescription.class);
        if (null != descAnnotation) {
            if (!"".equals(descAnnotation.title())) {
                builder.title(descAnnotation.title());
            }
            if (!"".equals(descAnnotation.description())) {
                builder.description(descAnnotation.description());
            }
        }

        if (includeAnnotatedFieldProperties) {
            for (final Field field : collectFields(object)) {
                final PluginProperty annotation = field.getAnnotation(PluginProperty.class);
                if (null == annotation) {
                    continue;
                }
                final Property pbuild = propertyFromField(field, annotation);
                if (null == pbuild) {
                    continue;
                }
                builder.property(pbuild);
            }
        }
        builder.collaborate(object);
        return builder.build();
    }

    private static Field fieldForPropertyName(final String name, final Object object) {
        for (final Field field : collectFields(object)) {
            final PluginProperty annotation = field.getAnnotation(PluginProperty.class);
            if (null == annotation) {
                continue;
            }
            if (!"".equals(annotation.name()) && name.equals(annotation.name())) {
                return field;
            } else if ("".equals(annotation.name()) && name.equals(field.getName())) {
                return field;
            }
        }
        return null;
    }

    private static Collection<Field> collectFields(final Object object){
        ArrayList<Field> fields = new ArrayList<Field>();
        Class<?> clazz = object.getClass();
        do{
          fields.addAll(Arrays.asList(clazz.getDeclaredFields()));
          clazz = clazz.getSuperclass();
        }
        while(clazz != Object.class);
        return fields;
    }

    private static Property.Type propertyTypeFromFieldType(final Class clazz) {
        if (clazz == Integer.class || clazz == int.class) {
            return Property.Type.Integer;
        } else if (clazz == Long.class || clazz == long.class) {
            return Property.Type.Long;
        } else if (clazz == Boolean.class || clazz == boolean.class) {
            return Property.Type.Boolean;
        } else if (clazz == String.class) {
            return Property.Type.String;
        }
        return null;
    }

    private static Property propertyFromField(final Field field, final PluginProperty annotation) {
        final PropertyBuilder pbuild = PropertyBuilder.builder();
        //determine type
        final Property.Type type = propertyTypeFromFieldType(field.getType());
        if (null == type) {
            return null;
        }
        pbuild.type(type);
        if (type == Property.Type.String) {
            StringRenderingConstants.DisplayType renderBehaviour = StringRenderingConstants.DisplayType.SINGLE_LINE;
            //set select/freeselect
            final SelectValues selectAnnotation = field.getAnnotation(SelectValues.class);
            if (null != selectAnnotation) {
                pbuild.type(selectAnnotation.freeSelect() ? Property.Type.FreeSelect : Property.Type.Select);
                pbuild.values(selectAnnotation.values());
            }

            if (field.getAnnotation(TextArea.class) != null) {
                renderBehaviour = StringRenderingConstants.DisplayType.MULTI_LINE;
            }

            if (field.getAnnotation(Password.class) != null) {
                renderBehaviour = StringRenderingConstants.DisplayType.PASSWORD;
            }

            pbuild.renderingOption(StringRenderingConstants.DISPLAY_TYPE_KEY, renderBehaviour);
        }

        String name = annotation.name();
        if (null == name || "".equals(name)) {
            name = field.getName();
        }
        pbuild.name(name);

        if (null != annotation.title() && !"".equals(annotation.title())) {
            pbuild.title(annotation.title());
        } else {
            pbuild.title(name);
        }

        pbuild.description(annotation.description());

        if (null != annotation.defaultValue() && !"".equals(annotation.defaultValue())) {
            pbuild.defaultValue(annotation.defaultValue());
        }
        pbuild.required(annotation.required());

        pbuild.scope(annotation.scope());

        return pbuild.build();
    }

    private static final List<PropertyScope> instanceScopes = Arrays.asList(PropertyScope.Instance,
            PropertyScope.InstanceOnly);

    /**
     * Set field values on a plugin object by using annotated field values to create a Description, and setting field
     * values to resolved property values. Any resolved properties that are not mapped to a field will  be included in
     * the return result.
     *
     * @param resolver property resolver
     * @param object plugin object
     * @return Map of resolved properties that were not configured in the object's fields
     */
    public static Map<String, Object> configureProperties(final PropertyResolver resolver,
                                                          final Object object) {
        //use a default scope of InstanceOnly if the Property doesn't specify it
        return configureProperties(resolver, buildDescription(object, DescriptionBuilder.builder()), object,
                PropertyScope.InstanceOnly);
    }

    /**
     * Set field values on a plugin object by using a Description, and setting field values to resolved property values.
     * Any resolved properties that are not mapped to a field will  be included in the return result.
     *
     * @param resolver the property resolver
     * @param description the property descriptions
     * @param object the target object, which can implement {@link Configurable}, otherwise introspection will be used
     * @param defaultScope a default property scope to assume for unspecified properties
     *
     * @return Map of resolved properties that were not configured in the object's fields
     */
    public static Map<String, Object> configureProperties(final PropertyResolver resolver,
            final Description description,
            final Object object, PropertyScope defaultScope) {
        final Map<String, Object> inputConfig = mapDescribedProperties(resolver, description, defaultScope);
        if (object instanceof Configurable) {
            Configurable configObject = (Configurable) object;
            Properties configuration = new Properties();
            configuration.putAll(inputConfig);
            try {
                configObject.configure(configuration);
            } catch (ConfigurationException e) {

            }
        } else {
            for (final Property property : description.getProperties()) {
                if (null != inputConfig.get(property.getName())) {
                    if (setValueForProperty(property, inputConfig.get(property.getName()), object)) {
                        inputConfig.remove(property.getName());
                    }
                }
            }
        }
        return inputConfig;
    }

    private static class PropertyDefaultValues implements PropertyRetriever {
        private Map<String, String> properties;

        private PropertyDefaultValues(final List<Property> properties1) {
            properties = new HashMap<String, String>();
            for (final Property property : properties1) {
                if (null != property.getDefaultValue()) {
                    properties.put(property.getName(), property.getDefaultValue());
                }

            }
        }

        public String getProperty(final String name) {
            return properties.get(name);
        }

    }

    /**
     * Retrieve the Description's Properties mapped to resolved values given the resolver, using InsanceOnly default scope.
     * @param resolver property resolver
     * @param description plugin description
     * @return All mapped properties by name and value.
     */
    public static Map<String, Object> mapDescribedProperties(final PropertyResolver resolver,
                                                             final Description description) {
        //use a default scope of InstanceOnly if the Property doesn't specify it
        //use property default value if otherwise not resolved
        return mapDescribedProperties(resolver, description, null);
    }

    /**
     * Retrieve the Description's Properties mapped to resolved values given the resolver, with a default property
     * scope
     * @param resolver property resolver
     * @param description plugin description
     * @param defaultPropertyScope default scope for unspecified property scopes
     *
     * @return All mapped properties by name and value.
     */
    public static Map<String, Object> mapDescribedProperties(final PropertyResolver resolver,
            final Description description, final PropertyScope defaultPropertyScope) {
        final List<Property> properties = description.getProperties();
        final PropertyResolver defaulted =
                PropertyResolverFactory.withDefaultValues(
                        PropertyResolverFactory.withDefaultScope(null != defaultPropertyScope ? defaultPropertyScope
                                : PropertyScope.InstanceOnly, resolver),
                        new PropertyDefaultValues(properties)
                );

        return PropertyResolverFactory.mapPropertyValues(properties, defaulted);
    }

    /**
     * Set instance field value for the given property, returns true if the field value was set, false otherwise
     */
    private static boolean setValueForProperty(final Property property, final Object value, final Object object) {
        final Field field = fieldForPropertyName(property.getName(), object);
        if (null == field) {
            return false;
        }
        final Property.Type type = property.getType();
        final Property.Type ftype = propertyTypeFromFieldType(field.getType());
        if (ftype != property.getType()
                && !(ftype == Property.Type.String
                && (property.getType() == Property.Type.Select
                || property.getType() == Property.Type.FreeSelect))) {

            throw new IllegalStateException(
                    "cannot map property {" + property.getName() + " type: " + property.getType() + "} to field {"
                            + field.getName() + " type: " + ftype + "}");
        }
        final Object resolvedValue;
        if (type == Property.Type.Integer) {
            final Integer intvalue;
            if (value instanceof String) {
                intvalue = Integer.parseInt((String) value);
            } else if (value instanceof Integer) {
                intvalue = (Integer) value;
            } else {
                //XXX
                return false;
            }
            resolvedValue = intvalue;
        } else if (type == Property.Type.Long) {
            final Long longvalue;
            if (value instanceof String) {
                longvalue = Long.parseLong((String) value);
            } else if (value instanceof Long) {
                longvalue = (Long) value;
            } else if (value instanceof Integer) {
                final int val = (Integer) value;
                longvalue = (long) val;
            } else {
                //XXX
                return false;
            }
            resolvedValue = longvalue;
        } else if (type == Property.Type.Boolean) {
            final Boolean boolvalue;
            if (value instanceof String) {
                boolvalue = Boolean.parseBoolean((String) value);
            } else if (value instanceof Boolean) {
                boolvalue = (Boolean) value;
            } else {
                //XXX
                return false;
            }
            resolvedValue = boolvalue;
        } else if (type == Property.Type.String || type == Property.Type.FreeSelect) {
            if (value instanceof String) {
                resolvedValue = value;
            } else {
                //XXX
                return false;
            }
        } else if (type == Property.Type.Select) {
            if (value instanceof String) {
                resolvedValue = value;
                if (!property.getSelectValues().contains((String) resolvedValue)) {
                    throw new RuntimeException(
                            "value not allowed for property " + property.getName() + ": " + resolvedValue);
                }
            } else {
                //XXX
                return false;
            }
        } else {
            //XXX
            return false;
        }
        try {
            setFieldValue(field, resolvedValue, object);
        } catch (IllegalAccessException e) {
            throw new RuntimeException("Unable to configure plugin: " + e.getMessage(), e);
        }
        return true;
    }

    private static void setFieldValue(final Field field, final Object value, final Object object)
            throws IllegalAccessException {
        if (!field.isAccessible()) {
            field.setAccessible(true);
        }
        field.set(object, value);
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


No matter your fleet size, if you have a fleet, you need to maintain that fleet. The results of not doing so can be catastrophic – units taken out of service, safety violations, and drivers and customers angered by loads that can't be delivered. On the flip side, maintaining a fleet, regardless if you have an in house shop or you use a vendor for your work, promises a fleet that is ready to serve your company and your customers when you need it.
But, you wonder, can a software system really help you maintain that fleet? Maybe you've used paper or a spreadsheet for years to manage your fleet, but now your fleet and its needs are growing. Or maybe you outsource your work, but are running behind on your PMs, missing DVIR related repairs, or missing warranty recovery dollars. Or maybe you just don't feel you have the IT structure for a complete fleet maintenance system. Reality is, there are systems in the industry that will meet your company's needs, regardless of the nuances of your fleet.
Created specifically for use with TMW's Innovative Access Platform, TMTRx is designed for fleets with these concerns in mind. TMTRx is a SaaS based maintenance system, covering the key aspects of fleet maintenance for fleets either with or without a shop.
SaaS means that it's truly Software-as-a-Service, meaning you'll get more than the software – consider the relief, ease of support and rapid deployment offered by a system managed and monitored by our IT professionals and the value of having that system standing ready via the web for your team. As an extra assurance, this also means that you'll be on a safe and secure hardware platform known internationally for its stability, which means your software system will be there when you want it – not suffering from downtime of its own.
What's more is, the system helps you manage your fleet regardless if you are doing the work yourself or you outsource. That means that you can track your PMs and repairs if they are completed in house, or by an outside vendor, which in turn can assure you and your team that your equipment is safe and available for use.
With the connection to Innovative Access and Access Plus, users now have the option of using a fully integrated, cloud-based fleet maintenance management system, TMTRx, with the same rock-solid IBM technology and SaaS platform utilized by Access and Access Plus customers today. The new solution from TMW Systems comes fully loaded with essential tools that can be implemented quickly, easily and affordably.
TMTRx has everything carriers need to exceed maintenance regulations from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and prevent maintenance-related violations that negatively impact CSA scores.
One of the most critical processes is completing and documenting repairs for defects noted in pre-trip and post-trip inspection tickets (DVIRs) collected from a variety of telematics providers. Equipment defects noted by drivers or technicians also can be entered into TMTRx for its efficient Repair Order (RO) and scheduling process.
In addition, TMTRx streamlines preventive maintenance (PM) services. The system can import fuel and meter readings from fleet telematics systems and automatically notify users of PM services coming due. The end results is preventative maintenance that is done on schedule, resulting in safer, more efficient fleets without the guesswork sometimes found in traditional paper or spreadsheet monitoring and without suffering the downtime caused by missed maintenance work.
The pre-built integration with Innovative Access or Access Plus gives fleet dispatchers instant visibility of PMs due and units with open or pending Repair Orders. The information enables dispatchers to effectively plan ahead and route vehicles in need of maintenance to company or vendor facilities and gives dispatch a real-time view of fleet capacity vs customer demand.
Cost savings are among the most immediate benefits that carriers can expect from TMTRx.
The system keeps a detailed record of fixed and variable equipment costs from insurance and licensing to ongoing maintenance costs. Its custom alerting and notification system enables management to enforce spending policies at the unit and component level to keep costs in line with budgets.
As an example, consider a tractor nearing the end of its trade cycle. A manager could set an alert for a specific unit, or group of units, to specify that future repairs be limited to $500. If a Repair Order is created for the unit, a shop supervisor or technician would see the alert immediately when opening the RO and take appropriate actions.
Parts inventory management is another valuable feature. Fleets can save time and money by tracking spending for parts and by keeping inventory accurate and up to date. For added efficiency, the system supports barcoding for receiving parts into inventory, updating item counts, and attaching parts to Repair Orders.
Warranty recovery can be a significant cost-savings opportunity for any fleet with the ability to monitor and collect those critical warranty dollars and warranted parts. Using TMTRx, the warranty tracking system notifies users when a part added to a Repair Order is replacing a part that is still under warranty, alerting the fleet that warranty dollars are available and even streamlining the warranty recovery process via automated warranty request forms. The same feature helps to initiate warranty recovery on parts added to ROs that are outsourced to third party vendors enabling recovery on parts installed in house and those installed outside your organization.
Shop Floor Automation. This module gives fleets a paperless system to manage Repair Orders and to schedule work for technicians. When logging into the system, a shop supervisor can create ROs, view existing ones, and assign them to technicians based on priority and skillsets. On the shop floor, technicians can log into TMTRx using a tablet or computer to view pre-assigned daily worklists. The module also tracks labor applied to each Repair Order and comes with reporting to analyze labor productivity in relation to standard repair times.
Road Call. This module is designed to efficiently manage breakdowns and comes with links to Repair Order and electronic payment features to complete transactions with third-party vendors.
Invoicing. This module allows fleets to bill customers for work. In the event that a customer is an owner operator leased to the fleet, the invoice amount can be deducted automatically from the driver's settlement using the integration with Innovative Access Plus.
Electronic PO Payment. For efficiency and security, the system has a feature for issuing single-use virtual credit card numbers for payment of Repair Orders that are sent to vendors. The feature is available through an integration with electronic payment providers Comdata and EFS.
Financial Connectivity. All of the financial and accounting data tracked by TMTRx — including equipment licensing, parts inventory, Repair Orders and more — can be exported seamlessly to assigned general ledger accounts in Innovative Access and Access Plus.
Parts Integration. Two additional modules enable fleets to automatically export warranty claims and parts purchase orders directly to Navistar or Volvo.
TMTRx is offered as a monthly subscription with a simple and affordable pricing model. As with Innovative Access and Access Plus, TMTRx and TMTRx Plus users pay a low, flat rate per tractor dispatched.
As an example of how the pricing works, a carrier with 86 power units dispatches all 86 trucks at least once in January. The monthly subscription is determined by multiplying 86 by the flat rate. In February, the carrier sold 10 units and only dispatched 76 trucks. The monthly subscription would therefore be determined for 76 trucks and drop by over 10 percent.
The unique pricing model of TMTRx aligns with each customer's dynamic business. Its unit based pricing also offers a significant savings over competing SaaS products, especially those based on total equipment. With TMTRx, starting at a minimum of 50 units, fleets pay only for tractor count - even though they may operate three times as many trailers as tractors.
The SaaS offering is purposefully designed to offer an immediate return on investment in the areas of compliance, cost controls, labor productivity, equipment uptime and more.
Many of the nation's largest and most profitable motor carriers use the Innovative Enterprise Software (IES) from TMW Systems to dispatch trucks and manage their daily business operations.
The IES platform is also thriving among small and mid-size carriers through the Innovative Access and Innovative Access Plus software-as-a-service (SaaS) offerings. The only hardware investment carriers need to deploy this advanced, modern system is a PC or tablet and Internet connection.
The resilient IBM i operating environment — long recognized for best-in-class power, speed and security — is an inherent advantage of the on-premises or SaaS versions of IES.
This system requires integration to Innovative Access or Access Plus. If your company operates other TMS systems, or has other hardware requirements, we have solutions for you as well. For more information regarding TMTRx or other fleet maintenance solutions from TMW Systems or information on the Innovative Access and Access Plus platforms, contact us today.


In 1979 my companion Subarata and I travelled from Perth in Western Australia to Adelaide in South Australia via circuitous ways and innumerable adventures, eventually settling out near Port Adelaide and the beginnings of another kind of odyssey.
For it was here we found the Sri Chinmoy Centre. Travelling east from Perth you can cross the endless Nullarbor Plain by road along the Eyre Highway – a 2,700 km epic – or in leisurely fashion on the Indian Pacific railway, gazing out for two days at the vast, unpopulated desert which features the longest dead straight stretch of rail in the world – 478 kms! So flat you can see the slow curve of the earth's rim.
But we caught a ride by car on the edge of that red expanse, shared the journey with two strangers who ended up being firm friends and who gave us four months of work in their outback motel, the Quorn Mill Motel on the edge of another wilderness, the Flinders Ranges. Subarata became the new waitress to the tour bus arrivals, I a charlatan wine waiter and handyman and we lived in a caravan parked up in the dusty back yard of the motel.
Sometimes our new friends towed our caravan-home 200 miles north and left us for a few days at roads end in the empty, endless hills, their rust-orange escarpments and valleys of pale eucalyptus spread out in all directions. Wandering under extravagantly beautiful sunsets and dawn skies filled with flocks of wheeling birds, their wings turning grey, then pink, then silver as they turned in unison in the first sunlight, an aerial spectacular high up against the blue, exulting in the new day's gift of life.
Three years in the Adelaide Sri Chinmoy Centre followed, then a 'promotion' – a move to Auckland in New Zealand. There, simple living in a succession of small flats, short-lived jobs, our first years littered with abandoned careers. Subarata was a domestic help, motel cleaner, walker of wealthy people's pets, office temp, puller of staples out of paper with the Archives Division of the Department of Internal Affairs – and fired after only three days for wearing headphones at work, which they felt would interfere with productivity! I an arborist, incompetent night auditor, trainee bus-driver, ice-cream stacker, kitchen hand.
Then we joined forces as a clown duo, Cleo and Koto. I wore a giant pair of polka-dotted pink pantaloons under my clown trousers and Subarata the renegade clown would say a magic word in complicity with the children and my trousers would keep 'falling' down, revealing over and over the spotted outrageous bloomers, much to the mirth of the kids and Koto's dismay. The children howled and shrieked, insatiable for more, almost apoplectic with excitement every time Subarata invoked the magic words and the trousers tumble.
At one Auckland restaurant where I did children's face painting and animal balloons, the entertainment featured a bizarre piece de resistance – two large women wrestling in a giant vat of spaghetti. It wasn't easy for diners to enjoy their meal with a pair of 200lb behemoths grunting and struggling nearby in a great trough of tomato sauce and spaghetti, and the experiment failed, the restaurant closed and I moved on to a salesman job selling sheet metal. Subarata and I befriended the women wrestlers – Natasha the florid-cheeked former Russian baker and Mel, a bankrupt florist seeking quick money to get ahead. We recognised in each other fellow misfits in that secret society of the disenchanted, the silent fellowship of nous autres.
One day we decided never to work for anyone else ever again, no matter what happened – our real vocation lay elsewhere and a blossoming sense of our soul's deeper purpose gripped our life. An inner call had come.


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We know that every client is different which is why our service is a very personal one. We work closely with each client to ensure their needs are met. The relationship our clients build with their consultant is one that is appreciated and remembered for years to come.
So if you are looking for help organising an event and are looking for professional event planners in Bromley, we would love to hear from you.
Our wedding planning services in Bromley, South East London offer venue sourcing, supplier sourcing, on-the-day co-ordination and paperwork packages to ensure a wonderful celebration.
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text:
INCONSISTENT REPORTS ON THE TRUMP-XI SUMMIT SHOW NEED TO BE SKEPTICAL OF OFFICIAL NARRATIVES
by Friends of The Fifth Column • April 16, 2017
Taiwan (NewBloom) – INCONSISTENT REPORTS on whether Taiwan was mentioned or not at the Trump-Xi summit earlier this month illustrate the need to distrust media reports and to be more deeply skeptical of comments about Taiwan by either the Trump or Xi administrations. Namely, it was initially reported that Taiwan did not come up at the Trump-Xi summit, leading those who predicted no major change in US-Taiwan relations at the Trump-Xi summit to take this as a confirmation of their view that trade and North Korea would be issues that took precedent over Taiwan at the summit. This was also interpreted as relieving to Taiwan, which called for there to be no change in American policy on Taiwan at the meeting for fear that Trump might attempt to use Taiwan as a bargaining chip with China. Apparently, it was more relieving that Taiwan would not come up at all rather than Trump potentially embrace this option in negotiating with China. Other analyses suggest that caution is still needed regarding how to interpret the meeting's outcome.
In retrospect, it emerges that news reports claiming Taiwan was not mentioned at the Trump-Xi summary were inaccurate. News reports sometimes claimed that Taiwan was not mentioned, period, when specifically Taiwan was not mentioned in the initial official comments about the meeting and the press briefing after the talks. But, as far as one can piece together the timeline of a shift in news coverage between reports that Taiwan was not mentioned and reports that Taiwan was mentioned, this shift seems to have probably occurred after the Tsai administration was briefed about the aftermath of the Trump-Xi summit, which we do well to remember occurred behind closed doors. Returning the tendency of western media outlets to base some of their reportage secondhand off of statements from Chinese state-run media for the lack of any other direct channel into the proceedings of the Trump-Xi summit, state-run media did not actually claim that Taiwan was not mentioned, but at the time of the meeting made general statements neither confirming or denying whether Taiwan was mentioned or not.
Subsequent reports confirm that Taiwan was mentioned at the meeting, but largely claim that this was a "brief" mention, in which there was no shift in Taiwan policy whatsoever except for reiterating present orthodoxy on Taiwan between America and China. However, while this episode is an instructive one about how a media narrative builds up based on misperceptions on the part of the press, leading to mistaken evaluations, it should serve as a reminder that we should to a large extent distrust any official channels on the part of China or the US when it comes to the question of Taiwan.
Obviously, China is not a country which allows for freedom of press and state-run media outlets are for the sake of propaganda, not objective news reporting, and so it seems obvious as to why Chinese media should be distrusted. However, while the White House has in the past been comparatively more open to the press, the Trump administration has no compunction with outright lying to the public in its press statements and it has taken steps to limit media access to outlets which do not report with a strong bias favoring it. As a result, since the Trump administration took office, one has observed many cases of obscure, newly established far-right-wing media outlets being the media outlet granted access to crucial events in international affairs, such as with the meeting between Xi Jinping and American secretary of state Rex Tillerson which preceded the Trump-Xi summit.
Either way, regardless of whether the White House official release has become untrustworthy under the Trump administration and the Trump administration only, strategic ambiguity has always been the name of the game when it comes to US-Taiwan relations, and preserving ambiguity on its Taiwan stance has been a part of American Asia-Pacific strategy for decades. And we do well to remember that meetings as the Trump-Xi summit occur behind closed doors for a reason.
If America did in fact decide on a shift in Taiwan policy, whether on its own or in consultation with China, it might be American interest to lie to the press to keep Taiwan in the dark until the right moment to reveal this shift in American stances to the world. Information asymmetry always has its uses in international political maneuvering and it always will. And so vigilance and skepticism of official statements from both America and China are necessary at all times. Some have suggested that those call for skepticism of Trump may in fact be motivated by a desire for Trump to fail and were thus disappointed in the outcome of the Trump-Xi summit seeming not to indicate any overt move by Trump to bargain away Taiwan, but either way, it seems common sense to simply not place blind faith in either America or China when it comes to their Taiwan stances.
By The White House – Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
International agreements, after all, do not hold absolutely and they are broken by the involved actors when they deem it to more advantageous to break such agreements rather than adhere to them. As the history of even just the past century attests to, when nation-states decide that, rationally-speaking, it is worth the damage to credibility to break an international agreement according to a cost-benefit analysis, they will do so. This is particularly true of superpowers as the United States or China, which have the global reach that they are sometimes able to defy international law or the treaty agreements that they have themselves agreed to in the past and the international community has little choice but to live with it.
With Taiwan's tenuous unofficial relation to the US, this is in fact already the product of America's ability to violate international agreements and go alone against the consensus of the international community. As political scientist and theorist Wu Rwei-Ren has suggested, for example, one can in fact view the Taiwan Relations Act as America using domestic laws to defy international consensus regarding Taiwan—something it is only able to accomplish because it is a superpower.
Due its nature as a domestic policy, one can also suggest that it would be all the more easy for America to unilaterally repeal the Taiwan Relations Act and adhere to international standards calling for the total non-recognition of Taiwan. And obviously, American will break from Taiwan Relations Act if the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. This is merely political rationality at work here. As such, skepticism of America and China alike is necessary in predicting future developments. Indeed, failing to be cautious enough on potential shifts in policy on the two superpowers will have disastrous and irreversible results for Taiwan, and it is far better outcome that a sharply skeptical view proves in retrospect to have been reading too much into the picture than for Taiwan to be caught wholly unaware by future developments that it had dismissed out of hand.
This report prepared by Brian Hioe for New Bloom
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News24XX.com - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Monday that Russia offered to hold a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Ethiopia this week, RIA reported.
Quoted from themscowtimes.com on Thuesday March 5, 2018: "It is expected that both politicians are traveling to Africa this week, and Ryabkov was told that Moscow offered to hold talks in Ethiopia at the end of the week."
Ryabkov also commented on the situation in the eastern insurgent enclave of Syria in Syria.
The Interfax news agency quotes him, saying that the US assessment of the situation there "is not true."


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Torah U'Madda
By Daniel Ross Goodman
Modern Orthodox Judaism: A Documentary History
by Zev Eleff
Jewish Publication Society, 570 pp., $40
Only 3 percent of American Jews are Modern Orthodox, but it's still an umbrella term. As Zev Eleff notes in the preface to his fascinating documentary history, Modern Orthodox Judaism, those now looking for matches on Modern Orthodox dating sites have the option of identifying as "'modern Orthodox-liberal' or 'modern Orthodox-machmir' (stringent)." I know from first-hand experience that these distinctions are real, even though I still have difficulty figuring out where the lines are drawn and where I belong. Some daters even identify themselves as "modern yeshivish" (a sort of hybrid between Modern Orthodox and yeshivish), others as "Carlebachian" (anyone's guess, but musical), and others as simply "shomer mitzvot" (observant).
Turning from dating sites to sociologists (and ideologues), the crucial dividing line seems to be between the "centrist Orthodox" and the "Open Orthodox" camps, though religious lives and affiliations are often more complicated than such bright-line drawing suggests. Nonetheless, there is much variation in belief and practice (especially around women's roles in the synagogue and communal life) within Modern Orthodoxy.
Have things always been this way? Eleff's thick anthology is an excellent place to look for the answer. His book tells the story of Modern Orthodoxy in America—from the early 19th century up until the present—through a series of significant speeches, essays, article excerpts, and responsa from many of the key figures and shapers of the movement. He takes us on an all-encompassing, whirlwind tour of Orthodoxy in America, from its embryonic stages—it first emerged in 1825 in Charleston, according to Eleff, as a reaction to the local Jews who broke away from traditional Judaism to found the Reformed Society of Israelites—to its early struggles to differentiate and dissociate itself from Conservative Judaism, to its maturation as a movement, to the present day.
A cartoon published by the Yeshiva College student newspaper in May 1985. Joseph B. Soloveitchik, who was about to retire, is depicted juggling possible intellectual heirs: Rabbis Moses Tendler, Yehuda Parnes, and Norman Lamm. (Courtesy of the Commentator.)
The history of self-consciously "modern" Orthodoxy is inseparable from the history of Yeshiva University, which is a product of the early 20th century. Eleff covers Yeshiva University's birth, development, and evolution, and provides a chronicle of reactions to it from both its conservative and liberal Orthodox critics. As an alumnus of both Yeshiva University and Yeshiva University High School for Boys, I emerged from this book with a much greater appreciation for Bernard Revel, the founder of both institutions. Without his vision of a unique educational institution that manifested a "harmonious union of culture and spirituality" and trained "the Jewish heart and will as well as the mind," my learning and my life as well as the lives of tens of thousands of other Orthodox Jews who have aspired to live up to Yeshiva University's motto of Torah U'Madda (Torah and [secular] knowledge)—would not have been possible.
Of course, the definitions of both Torah and madda have been contested. In April 1966, Yeshiva College's student newspaper interviewed the school's popular professor of Jewish history Rabbi Dr. Irving "Yitz" Greenberg, who thought that Orthodoxy was losing ground because it was dodging "the challenge of contemporary civilization." Orthodoxy, he argued, had to update itself by coming to terms with, among other things, modern biblical scholarship and by developing "a new value system and corresponding new halachot about sex." In response, another young faculty member, Rabbi Dr. Aharon Lichtenstein, published an open letter to Greenberg, in which he admonished Greenberg to "ponder the wisdom of Fulton Sheen's remarks that 'he who marries his own age will find himself a widower in the next.'" Greenberg would, of course, become a leader of the left wing of Modern Orthodoxy, while Lichtenstein would go on to become the rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Har Etzion, Israel's leading centrist Modern Orthodox yeshiva.
The debate that began with the Greenberg–Lichtenstein exchange has now been raging for more than half a century. It continues throughout this volume, from Rabbi Shlomo Riskin's "Modern Orthodoxy Goes to Grossinger's" (1976), in which he asks whether "it is any wonder that with all of our yeshivos, American Orthodoxy has produced so few genuine Talmidei Chachemim," to David Singer's "A Modern Orthodox Utopia Turned to Ashes" (1982), in which he laments that "our children—my children—will grow up in an Orthodox world in which talk about 'synthesis' will seem totally alien." The anthology's last chapter brings things up to the present, with Dov Linzer and Avi Weiss's "Open Orthodox Judaism" (2003), which makes the case for "an Orthodoxy that is open intellectually and expansive and inclusive in practice," and Asher Lopatin's "Taking Back Modern Orthodox Judaism" (2014), which calls for retrieving a better "appreciation for what an engagement with modernity could do to make us better Jews and scholars of Torah." Eleff briefly touches upon the opposition that Open Orthodoxy and its rabbinical school Yeshivat Chovevei Torah have encountered on the right but does not include any documents rebutting Open Orthodoxy (of which the Modern Orthodox world has not been lacking in the past two decades). One thinks, for instance, of Avrohom Gordimer of the Orthodox Union, who has been pillorying Open Orthodoxy since 2013 in the Cross-Currents blog, describing it as "the rebirth of Conservative Judaism."
The Yeshiva University team competing in 1963 on the nationally televised quiz show College Bowl. (Courtesy of Shifrah Jungreis.)
Of course, the book also contains several key statements from Modern Orthodoxy's most outstanding spokesmen: the great halakhist and thinker Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik and Rabbi Norman Lamm, who served as the president of Yeshiva University from 1976 to 2003. A distinguished congregational rabbi, Lamm, unlike Soloveitchik, clearly, albeit hesitantly, identified himself as Modern Orthodox, as a 1969 essay in this volume demonstrates. His 1990 book, Torah Umadda, articulated his vision of a Maimonidean Judaism that is fully committed to the observance of Jewish law while being open to science, the humanities, and secular culture more generally. According to Lamm, such a synthesis could together accomplish what neither Torah nor madda could achieve separately.
Although Rabbi Lamm has been a central figure of inestimable importance in Modern Orthodoxy for nearly seven decades, graduates of Yeshiva University, and anyone even tangentially connected to the institution, are well aware of the fact that it has not been Rabbi Lamm but rather Yeshiva University's roshei yeshiva—authoritative halakhists and brilliant talmudists such as Hershel Schachter, Mordechai Willig, Meir Goldwicht, Mayer Twersky, and Zvi Sobolofsky—who have, arguably, had a more direct impact upon the lives of thousands upon thousands of American Modern Orthodox Jews. It is surprising, then, that a volume that features so many texts related to Yeshiva University all but completely excludes the figures who can be said to have been the university's most influential rabbis.
Despite Rabbi Lamm's eloquent and intellectually sophisticated elucidations of the Modern Orthodox world view, Modern Orthodoxy has failed to attract as many adherents as ultra-Orthodoxy—the American ultra-Orthodox population is currently twice as large as (and growing faster than) the Modern Orthodox population—a challenge to the movement that Eleff does not ignore. The ideology of Modern Orthodoxy, undergirded by Rabbi Soloveitchik's distinctive blend of existentialism and neo-Kantianism, is a difficult one to grasp. Most people prefer clear lines and black-and-white differentiations to living with complexity, and it doesn't help matters that even many of those rabbinic leaders who understand Soloveitchik's philosophy and embody its values, such as Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, do not identify themselves as Modern Orthodox. This, combined with growing pressure from its right and left flanks, the prohibitive cost of the Modern Orthodox life (the "tuition crisis" is consistently cited as the greatest problem of religious life by Modern Orthodox Jews), widespread theological uncertainty (the 2017 Nishma survey found that only 64 percent of Modern Orthodox Jews believe that the Torah was given at Sinai), and a continuous "brain drain" in which many of the most committed American Modern Orthodox Jews leave for Israel—Modern Orthodox Jews have the highest rates of aliyah among all American Jews—means that the movement's future will likely be as ambiguous and complicated as its complex, tension-filled philosophy.
According to demographic projections, within two generations the majority of American Jews will be Orthodox, for the first time in nearly 150 years. How large a part of that community will be "modern"? And in what sense? In charting Modern Orthodoxy's past and present, Eleff has given us tools that may help us foresee its future.
Daniel Ross Goodman
Daniel Ross Goodman, a writer and Orthodox rabbi, is a doctoral candidate at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and is studying English and comparative literature at Columbia University. He is a contributor to the Weekly Standard and has published in the Wall Street Journal, Tablet, Harvard Divinity Bulletin, and elsewhere.
Cri de Coeur
Amy Newman Smith
The Short, Strange Life of Herschel Grynszpan: A Boy Avenger, a Nazi Diplomat, and a Murder in Paris.
The Ethics of Protective Edge
Asa Kasher
How does one deal with Hamas, an enemy that has eliminated any trace of the distinction between combatants and non-combatants, except for the purposes of propaganda?
Gary A. Anderson
Two new books on sin and temptation.
Moisés Ville
Jevel Katz
A joyful poem about the Jerusalem of Argentina, translated by Ilan Stavans.


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235 Montgomery, Ste 440, San Francisco, CA 94104
7200 Redwood Blvd #300, Novato, CA 94945
LMSCH Law
Inside LMSCH
Michael R. Solomon began his career as an attorney for mid-sized and large civil defense firms in the San Francisco Bay Area, gaining significant litigation experience in the areas of public entity, personal injury, employment, construction defect and professional malpractice law. He operated a solo practice for several years, specializing in plaintiff's personal injury, employment and business litigation. He formerly served as a hearing officer for the city of Alameda.
Mr. Solomon earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New Mexico and a Master of Arts degree from Bowling Green State University. He earned his law degree from the University of San Francisco School of Law in 1992.
LMSCH provides personal attention to every case and matter, we return calls, we give you the straight scoop and we get results.
235 Montgomery St, Suite 440 San Francisco, CA 94104
7200 Redwood Blvd #300 Novato, CA 94945
Our philosophy is simple: LMSCH provides personal attention to every case and matter, we return calls, we give you the straight scoop and we get results.
© 2018 LMSCH, LLP. All rights reserved.
Welcoming Attorney David L. Winnett to Our FirmAlso, visit our new office at 7200 Redwood Blvd, #300, Novato, California.
David L. Winnett, of Counsel, is a decorated trial attorney who has tried dozens of civil and criminal cases to verdict. He is CAOC's 2018 Consumer Attorney of the Year, a two-time finalist for SFTLA's Trial Lawyer of the Year, and a past finalist for MTLA's Trial Lawyer of the Year.


For us, work is not only about technological innovation. It is about connecting people, about delighting our customers and of course developing our people.
At NTT DATA we offer an advanced portfolio of consulting, application, business process, cloud, and infrastructure services to businesses and governments worldwide.
Our roots span continents and cultures dating back over 50 years. As we've grown we have developed a core value centered around our people. We have a long term perspective which enables us to address the small things in order to make a big difference. We believe our unique approach together with our global reach gives us the opportunity to operate with the creative energy and enthusiasm of an entrepreneur.
Innovation is a core principle of NTT DATA. Key to this Innovation is people, the people bring ideas, know-how and ingenuity to their jobs every day. We want to see you at your best so we encourage a healthy work/life balance, enabling you to excel and help us deliver some exciting projects from digital transformations to new business strategies.
Your difference is our power and your dedication is our driver.
We have an open and flat structure with collaboration at the heart. Respecting the differences that a variety of people bring is central to our culture and in turn our ability to deliver customer excellence.
We believe in careers rather than jobs. We can offer various opportunities for you to grow your experience and your career. We recruit at all levels across our business from those just starting out in their careers to seasoned professionals.
Our people agenda means you will benefit from mentoring, development and training. We want you to reach your full potential and help us deliver excellence to out customers.


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UNV and the State of Palestine partner to enhance volunteering for the 2030 Agenda
Roberto Valent, UNDP Special Representative of the Administrator (left), and Imad Zuhairi, PICA Director General (right), sign the Memorandum of Understanding, in the presence of H.E Dr Riad Malki, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates (standing, on the right) and Sophie Lesselin, UNV Regional Portfolio Manager.
PICA, 2019
Ramallah, State of Palestine
Low quality, print optimized High quality, color print
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Palestinian International Cooperation Agency (PICA) on 26 August 2019. The Memorandum of Understanding sets the ground for cooperation between the two parties for delivery on the 2030 Agenda through volunteerism. Through this agreement, both sides aim to expand opportunities for Palestinians to contribute to their own development and to the global development agenda, peace and humanitarian efforts.
As per the agreement, UNV and PICA will cooperate to increase the presence of Palestine nationals serving the United Nations System as UN Volunteers globally, jointly develop a UNV Full Funding programme for Palestinian nationals to be deployed as UN Volunteers, and customize an online volunteering platform to engage Palestinians as online volunteers in support of the 2030 Agenda.
The agreement was signed in Ramallah, State of Palestine, in presence of H.E Dr Riad Malki, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates. It was signed by Imad Zuhairi, PICA Director General and Mr Roberto Valent, Special Representative of the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, on behalf of UNV Executive Coordinator, Mr Olivier Adam.
With a proud and long-standing experience partnering with the Palestinian people, UNV is confident that this pioneering agreement will advance commitments to volunteerism and support to PICA. --Mr Olivier Adam, the UNV Executive Coordinator
Olivier Adam, UNV Executive Coordinator presents a copy of the agrfeement to H.E Dr. Riyad Mansour, Ambassador and Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations in New York. ©UNV, 2019
A few days after signing the agreement, UNV's Executive Coordinator Adam met with H.E. Dr. Riyad Mansour, Ambassador and Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, which is currently chairing the Group of 77 and China at the UN. The meeting came as follow-up to facilitate the implementation of agreed action points. Mr Adam also updated Ambassador Mansour, as chair of the G77, on preparations for the Global Technical Meeting in 2020, which will be organized as a special event during the 2020 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, with a focus on 'reimagining volunteering for the 2030 Agenda'.
During their meeting, Adam presented Ambassador Mansour with a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding, stressing that the agreement will allow partners to benefit from the skills and expertise of Palestinians. He also said that up to ten Palestinians are expected to be deployed as fully-funded UN Volunteers with UN partners across the world next year.
State of Palestine UNDP Memorandum of Understanding Agenda 2030
SDG 10: Reduced inequalities SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals


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Time for Pakistan to Get Tough on Terrorism
By Marvin G. Weinbaum | Director, Afghanistan and Pakistan Program - The Middle East Institute | Jan 13, 2015
This article, co-written by James P. Farwell, was first published by The National Interest.
Shot in both legs, Shahruh Khan survived the Taliban attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar, Pakistan. "The man with big boots," Al Jazeera quoted Khan as saying, "kept on looking for students and pumping bullets into their bodies."
It took army units eight hours to kill the seven attackers who wore army uniforms and suicide vests. The carnage included 141 dead, including 132 helpless children. As the school had over a thousand pupils aged between five and eighteen, with 960 students and staff surviving, the only heartening news is that the toll could have been worse as the terrorists searched out and shot children hiding beneath desks. The Tehrik-e-Taliban claimed responsibility as revenge for last summer's army offensive code-named Zarb-e-Azb, which has killed thousands of Taliban members in North Waziristan.
Amid national shock over the school shooting, the army took aggressive action against the Taliban in North Waziristan and showed that it could employ massive air strikes to deadly effect when it actually chose to do so. Nawaz Sharif, whom former President Pervez Musharraf once branded a "closet Taliban," suddenly made all the right noises. These included a declaration that Pakistan would no longer tolerate a distinction between "good" and "bad" Taliban. "Good" Taliban did things like serve as proxy forces for Pakistan's interests in Kashmir and Afghanistan but not attack fellow Pakistanis. "Bad" Taliban targeted the Pakistani state.
Nawaz declared that distinction obsolete. Political rivals agreed to devise a National Plan of Action on tackling terrorism in each province, which will be headed by Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan. Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Raheel Sharif, even went to Afghanistan to share intelligence and the new Afghan President Ashraf Ghani accepted an offer to help train his nation's military. Nawaz also supported two controversial bills allowing the Army to try civilian terror suspects in military courts and reinstating the death penalty.
Nawaz also took the extraordinary step of sitting next to Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan, who last year ignited huge demonstrations alleging that Nawaz's Muslim League political party had won the last elections through voter fraud and demanded his resignation. Perhaps most significant, if true, is the military's claim that it has targeted members of the Afghan insurgent Haqqani Network. Many have argued that the Haqqanis operate with the knowledge if not the support of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI).
But where does it lead?
Continue reading at The National Interest.
Marvin G. Weinbaum
Director, Afghanistan and Pakistan Program - The Middle East Institute
Khalilzad's many challenges
Vinay Kaura
The US and Pakistan have a trust deficit
US-Taliban talks a momentous shift in strategy
Syria strikes underline Assad's vulnerability
Charles Lister, Gönül Tol, Paul Salem and Marvin G. Weinbaum
Afghanistan's new Salafi Jihadism
Paul Lushenko
Erdogan's generals: From military tutelage to a politicized military
Gareth Jenkins


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Home News Sydney, Australia Goes Into Two-Week Hard Lockdown After Authorities Confirm 80 New "Delta Variant" Cases
Sydney, Australia Goes Into Two-Week Hard Lockdown After Authorities Confirm 80 New "Delta Variant" Cases
The Australian city of Sydney just went into a two-week hard lockdown after more than 80 new cases of the "Delta" variant of Covid-19 were confirmed.
The new lockdown covers the entire city of Sydney and surrounding areas.
Police said they will use license plate recognition technology to monitor vehicles to make sure people aren't leaving their lockdown zones.
This is the first Covid lockdown in Sydney since December (it is currently winter in Australia).
As expected, the latest "Delta" outbreak in Australia is being blamed on slow vaccination rollout.
BBC reported:
The Australian city of Sydney has gone into a two-week lockdown after a rise in the number of coronavirus cases.
More than 80 cases of the highly infectious Delta variant were confirmed in the city in recent days.
New South Wales state Premier Gladys Berejiklian said stay-at-home orders would be in place until 9 July for all of Greater Sydney – with a population of about five million – and the surrounding regions of Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Wollongong.
"When you have a contagious variant, like the Delta virus, a three-day lockdown doesn't work – if we're going to do this we need to do it properly," she said.
"We do need to brace ourselves for a potentially large number of cases in the following days."
The latest outbreak has fuelled criticism of the federal government's slow vaccination rollout.
So far, just over 3% of the adult population have been fully vaccinated and about 25% of Australians have received a first dose. Government critics have argued that cities will not need to endure lockdowns again if a majority of the population is vaccinated.
Sydney, Australia Goes Into Two-Week Hard Lockdown After Authorities Confirm 80 New "Delta Variant" Cases Reviewed by Facts on June 27, 2021 Rating: 5


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The Found Footage Thriller 'The Documentary' Coming To Digital
Movie News | Trailers
Written by Kelli Marchman McNeely
Kelli Marchman McNeely is the owner of HorrorFuel.com. She is an Executive Producer of "13 Slays Till Christmas" which is out on Digital and DVD and now streaming on Tubi. She has several other films in the works. Kelli is an animal lover and a true horror addict since the age of 9 when she saw Friday the 13th. Email: [email protected]
Terror Films is poised to unveil the found footage style thriller The Documentary this week, a twisted tale of obsession, lies and danger in a film that had no script.
From the Press Release:
LOS ANGELES, CA (August 21, 2017) – Terror Films is set to release THE DOCUMENTARY onto digital platforms this Tuesday, August 22. The film was written and directed by Walter Moise (producer/editor of the award winning sci-fi indie Counter Clockwise). The cast is comprised of Tristin Rupp, Jake B. Miller, and Aaron Bowden.
Through a found footage aesthetic, the story follows Sandra Novak (Rupp) who has agreed to be the subject of a documentary film. The documentary deals with "conquering fear." Unbeknownst to her, the filmmaker that has chosen her may have ulterior motives as he infiltrates her home and begins to gather information to sabotage her relationship and her life.
Moise has something to say of the filmmaking process. Moise has said: "I was trying to capture the closest thing to actual reality. I shot the whole film in chronological order and chose not to write a script but a treatment that the actors would improvise." Moise also says that he has derived inspiration from the works of Michael Haenke and Stanley Kubrick.
In their ongoing effort to bring the best and most diverse indie horror content to the masses, Terror Films will release this film across multiple digital platforms. Platforms include: iTunes, Amazon Instant/Prime, Vudu, Google Play/You Tube, X-Box Live and many others. The release begins with North America and will be followed by a worldwide digital release on iFlix.
A young woman faces her past trauma in the new clip titled 'You Told Me About a Fear' . Witness The Documentary on digital on August 22, 2017.
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They were on a Scottish hillside in fear of government troops arresting or killing those at this "illegal" worship service. Why would the young preacher pause his sermon and begin to pray for the restoration of the Jews?
It was 11 July 1680, a Lord's Day. The government was hunting Richard Cameron, just 32 years of age, across the moors and hills of Scotland. His crime was that he would not submit to the government total control of the Church. To worship in secret was considered rebellion and there was a high price on his head.
Within eleven days he would suffer a bloody death at the hands of soldiers. Was he aware of that? Yes, to some extent, he was. He had spent the previous day in prayer and meditation and told one lady gloomily "my carcass shall dung the wilderness, and that within a fortnight".
Now he was ready to preach to the gathered people on the border of Lanarkshire and Dumfries-shire. It was a powerful sermon on John 5:40, one of his favourite texts. Nearly fifty years later, it remained fresh in the memory of those that heard it. There was much emotion for both preacher and congregation. During the sermon Cameron was overcome and "fell in such a rap of calm weeping, and the greater part of that multitude, that there was scarce a dry cheek to be seen among them". This obliged Cameron to pause and pray. He "continued long praying for the Jews restoration and ingrafting again" amongst other things.


I harvested the first feed of asparagus that my garden has ever produced. Then I ate it. Soooo good.
I've checked at least twice a day for the past week. Finally! This is the first year I get to eat it.
Today is also the 4th anniversary of me starting to work at the CRC. Time flies.


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Stability of pentobarbital in soil Part B Pesticides, food contaminants, and agricultural wastes
Bagsby, Chasity, Saha, Anita, Goodin, Granville, Siddiqi, Sheeba, Farone, Mary, Farone, Anthony, Kline, Paul C.
Journal of environmental science and health 2018 v.53 no.3 pp. 207-213
autoclaving, groundwater, horses, intravenous injection, liquid chromatography, methanol, pentobarbital, potting mix, sand, soil types, tissues, topsoil
Intravenous injection of barbiturates, particularly pentobarbital (5-ethyl-5-pentan-2-yl-1,3-diazinane-2,4,5-trione), is a widely used method to euthanize large animals such as horses. However, one concern with this method is the fate of pentobarbital after the disposal of the carcass. As tissues decompose, pentobarbital may leach into the soil and from there migrate to groundwater. A method using methanol extraction, solid phase concentration, and liquid chromatography (LC/MS) has been developed to measure pentobarbital in soils. Recovery of pentobarbital from soil averaged approximately 85% from different soil types including topsoil, potting soil, sand, stall sweepings, and loam. The method was capable of detecting pentobarbital levels of 0.1 ppm. A calibration curve was constructed with a linear range of 1 ppm to 100 ppm. The limit of quantification was 0.5 ppm. The rate of degradation of pentobarbital in sand, topsoil, and potting soil was measured over a 17-week period. At the end of week 17, approximately 17% of the pentobarbital remained in the sand, 19% remained in the topsoil, and 10% remained in the potting soil. While there was a significant decrease in the pentobarbital recovered from the soil, there were still detectable amounts of pentobarbital present in the soil after 17 weeks. To determine the importance of bacterial degradation, the three soil types were autoclaved before addition of pentobarbital. After autoclaving, no degradation of pentobarbital was observed in sand and one topsoil sample, while there was no difference in the degradation of pentobarbital in autoclaved potting soil versus potting soil that had not undergone autoclaving.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03601234.2017.1406714
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Xinhua analysis: Global economy grows in low gear, entering another transition
WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday lowered its forecast for global economic growth, saying the world economy has entered another transition with a set of challenges that call for new reform efforts.
The Washington-based global lender cut its growth forecast for the world economy to 2.9 percent this year, 0.3 percentage point lower than its July projection, due to a slowdown of growth in key emerging market economies. It also revised down its forecast for the world economic growth for next year to 3.6 percent, 0.2 percentage point lower than its July estimate.
"Global growth is in low gear, the drivers of activity are changing, and downside risks persist," the IMF said in its latest World Economic Outlook (WEO) report.
"The world economy has entered yet another transition. Advanced economies are gradually strengthening. At the same time, growth in emerging market economies has slowed. This confluence is leading to tensions, with emerging market economies facing the dual challenges of slowing growth and tighter global financial conditions," IMF chief economist Olivier Blanchard said in the foreword to the report.
"China and a growing number of emerging market economies are coming off cyclical peaks. Their growth rates are projected to remain much above those of the advanced economies but below the elevated levels seen in recent years, for both cyclical and structural reasons," noted the flagship report of the IMF. "Growth in China is slowing, which will affect many other economies, notably the commodity exporters among the emerging market and developing economies."
The Chinese economy was expected to ease pace to grow 7.6 percent in 2013 and 7.3 percent in 2014, respectively, said the IMF report.
"At the same time, old problems — a fragmented financial system in the euro area and worrisomely high public debt in all major advanced economies — remain unresolved and could trigger new crises," noted the report.
The euro zone will remain in recession in the remaining weeks of the year, with economic activity contracting by 0.4 percent. Growth will rise to 1.0 percent in 2014, predicted the IMF.
"U.S. monetary policy is reaching a turning point, and this has led to an unexpectedly large increase in long-term yields in the United States and many other economies," said IMF in the report.
"This change could pose risks for emerging market economies, where activity is slowing and asset quality weakening. Careful policy implementation and clear communication on the part of the Federal Reserve will be essential," according to the report.
U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's hint in May that the central bank may start scaling back its massive asset purchase program later this year on the back of a recovering economy has rattled global financial markets in recent months, sending a ripple effect to emerging economies.
The IMF forecast that the U.S. economy would expand 1.6 percent in 2013 before firming to a 2.6-percent growth next year.
"The U.S. economy remains at the center of events. Private demand continues to be strong, although growth has been hobbled this year by excessive fiscal consolidation. Politics is creating uncertainty about both the nature and the strength of the fiscal adjustment," contended Blanchard.
"Conflicts around increasing the debt ceiling could lead to another bout of destabilizing uncertainty and lower growth," warned Blanchard.
With the ongoing government shutdown starting on Oct. 1, Washington faces another fiscal deadline as U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew has told Congress that the federal government will reach its debt ceiling of 16.7 trillion U.S. dollars by Oct. 17, and failure to raise it by U.S. Congress would lead to a catastrophic default.
"The major economies must urgently adopt policies that improve their prospects; otherwise the global economy may well settle into a subdued medium-term growth trajectory," suggested the IMF.
"The United States and Japan must develop and implement strong plans with concrete measures for medium-term fiscal adjustment and entitlement reform, and the euro area must develop a stronger currency union and clean up its financial systems. China should provide a permanent boost to private consumption spending to rebalance the growth of demand away from exports and investment. Many emerging market economies need a new round of structural reforms," said the report.


text:
Home » Issues » April 2010 » Never say best ever
Never say best ever
Rob Widdows
So Lewis thinks this season will be the best? Perhaps, but first you must consider what has gone before
By Rob Widdows
Lewis Hamilton says he's looking forward to his most exciting season ever in Formula 1. Not for the first time – nor the last – both experts and fans are proclaiming that 2010 will be the best season ever in the history of F1, if not the world. But we've heard this before.
Yes, we have four World Champions on the grid, possibly five competitive teams, and a higher calibre of driver than we've seen for more than a decade. And, importantly, we have a change of rules, slightly different cars, narrower front tyres. And that man Michael Schumacher is back. Yes, the ingredients are there. But let's look back, see what history tells us.
In the 1950s there were few top-notch drivers. Many were wealthy, or aristocratic, or both, and went racing for fun. Unsurprisingly, the big works teams won almost everything. The '60s brought more teams, both independent and factory-backed. And commercial sponsorship arrived.
The early '60s were all about Jimmy Clark who, in 1965, won six races on the trot. It would probably have been seven but he missed Monaco while he was away winning the Indy 500… But the grids were impressive, including, to name a few, Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart, Dan Gurney, Bruce McLaren, Jack Brabham and John Surtees who, in '64, fought Hill for the title. This was decided, by a single point, in favour of Surtees as only the best six results counted, although Hill scored more points overall. It was as close as it gets, until Niki Lauda beat Alain Prost by just half a point in 1984 after a shortened Monaco Grand Prix gave Prost only half points for his victory.
The '70s had their moments, too. One year that stays in the memory is 1976, those vivid images of James Hunt vs Lauda, the Austrian's horrible crash and his extraordinary recovery, then the denouement at a wet and terrifying Fuji. Ferrari, in the wilderness since 1964, came back in '79 to give Jody Scheckter his first and only world title. Not a great racing year, but memorable nonetheless.
The '80s were patchy, some great years, some real duffers if you're looking for lots of different winners and a championship going all the way. But 1982 and '86 were notable exceptions.
In 1982 11 different drivers won races in seven different cars. Keke Rosberg took the title with just a single victory, the first man since Mike Hawthorn in 1958 to do this. It was a truly unpredictable and surprising season. Four years later Prost pipped Nigel Mansell to the title by two points after a sensational season-long battle between McLaren and Williams. And Nelson Piquet, duelling with them both, was just a point behind. Again people said it was the best season ever, but you can never say best ever. Not until men have stopped racing.
The '90s started with a bang. The title, touch and go between Senna and Prost, was decided in Japan when Senna drove them both off the circuit, effectively winning the championship after a bitter feud that had festered all year. In '98 Mika Häkkinen, David Coulthard and Eddie Irvine were all in with a chance after Schumacher broke his leg at Silverstone. The Finn took it by two points from the Irishman.
A new century was dominated, initially, by Schumacher and Ferrari. People began to speak now of the worst seasons ever, but in 2003 we were treated to a humdinger. With three races to go, there were two points in it, Schumacher, Juan Pablo Montoya and Kimi Räikkönen all touching the lip of the precious cup. No less than eight drivers won a race that year – not as many as in '82, but still a thriller. Even Giancarlo Fisichella won a race for Jordan.
Yet again, some of this was down to rule changes, and this is where we came in. In 2003 refuelling between practice and the race was banned, allowing some odd strategies from lesser teams and thereby mixing up the grid. This year, of course, race refuelling is banned – not the same thing, but rule changes so often mix up the pack.
And now for 2010. The most exciting season ever, according to Hamilton. In his short career, yes. But you can never say ever.
What's your favourite season of Formula 1? And how do you think 2010 will compare? Let us know at www.motorsportmagazine.co.uk


I received an email from one of my vendors tonight that has done business in Haiti for more than 20 years. They are providing care packages for families that are in need and sending them to a friend to help distribute them. I wanted to share this in case anyone would like to donate. I know there are many scams out there that benefit from tragedies, but I know this is not one of them. This couple is dedicated to helping those in need and buys many of their products from hard working families. They even have a "Kids Foundation" set up. So this is the email below. Please read and help in any way that you can. Thank you! And remember even $5 will help.
As most of you know, Haiti was hit by a devastating earthquake last week. As some of you may know, Susan and I have been doing business in Haiti for over 20 years. We've developed many friends there that we consider our extended family, and we both feel a bit helpless not being able to do more, faster. So after much consideration we have come up with a care package that we know will be handed directly to the people that need it most. Having travelled to Haiti for over 20 years, we recognized what is considered necessities in helping start up a new household. This care package consists of the following items that will be packed in a box small enough so each recipient can easily carry it.
The total cost of each care package is approximately $100 USD. We have already ordered all of the ingredients to make 200 care packages. Once they are packed, they will be loaded on a trailer and sent to our custom broker's warehouse in Miami, FL. As soon as the port is operational again in Haiti, the packages will immediately be sent by ship. Once they arrive in Port-Au-Prince, they will be picked up by my friend Victor Boulos and taken to his factory where they will be distributed to those in need.
Or you can go online to the following link: http://pledgie.com/campaigns/426. All administrative expenses are paid by our company, therefore every penny will go toward this effort. Any amount you can give is appreciated and 100% tax deductible.
Thanks and please forward this to all of your friends.
50% of all sales at her Etsy Store Pure Joy Creative will be donated so be sure to make your donations there. She has beautiful items listed!
Make purchase before Friday, Jan. 29th by noon. Thanks!


text:
Jan 30, 2020 SOURCE: PR NewsWire
ServiceTitan announces 2020 edition of Pantheon user conference
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ServiceTitan, the world's leading, comprehensive software and operating system for residential and commercial service and replacement contractors, has announced its fourth annual Pantheon user conference, scheduled for Aug. 13-14 at the Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, California.
Pantheon 2020 is expected to be ServiceTitan's biggest user conference yet, with in-depth training sessions, presentations and addresses from industry experts and ServiceTitan executives, and company announcements. Pantheon is also an unparalleled networking opportunity for decision makers.
"We want to make Pantheon one of the premier events for the home and commercial services industry every year," said Ara Mahdessian, co-founder and CEO of ServiceTitan. "The industry is in transition, not just technologically but in management, leadership, sales and marketing. It's not always possible for the hardworking people in these businesses to keep up with the latest developments. But they can count on sharing intelligence and experience with the best in the industry at Pantheon."
In 2019, more than 1,000 people from across the residential and commercial service industry attended Pantheon. During the two-day event, they had access to 65 training sessions, a trade show, and presentations from industry leaders. Vahe Kuzoyan, ServiceTitan's co-founder and president, announced two of the platform's most significant new products, ServiceTitan Phones Pro and ServiceTitan Marketing Pro, as well.
"This event is intended to be transformative," Kuzoyan said. "The focus last year was on transforming users into leaders by teaching them how to take full advantage of the ServiceTitan platform, as well as other tools that are available. This year, we'll be teaching them to take another step forward and futureproof their business so they can focus less on the day-to-day operations and more on growth and long-range planning and strategy."
According to ancient Greek mythology, Pantheon was a meeting of the gods and titans to plan the protection of mankind. That legend inspired Mahdessian and Kuzoyan to develop an event uniquely focused on elevating, enlightening and enriching the home and commercial services industry.
"Pantheon is about so much more than just ServiceTitan," Mahdessian said. "It's an opportunity for today's leaders in the industry to connect with each other and share their insights with the next generation of leaders. And it's the best chance we have all year to hear from the people who depend on ServiceTitan. This is a huge learning opportunity for us, and we owe our success to the education we get at Pantheon every year."
ServiceTitan was founded by Mahdessian and Kuzoyan in 2012 when they discovered there were few software options to recommend to their fathers, both of whom were tradesmen. ServiceTitan raised more than $200 million in two rounds of venture financing in 2018, including a $165 million Series D, the largest venture round of a SaaS company in the history of Southern California. The company has more than 700 employees, with offices in California, Atlanta, and Armenia, and serves 4,000 client businesses throughout the U.S. and Canada. For more information, visit http://www.servicetitan.com.
About ServiceTitan
ServiceTitan is a software company built to accelerate the home and commercial service industries. ServiceTitan's end-to-end software suite includes CRM, intelligent dispatch, custom reporting, marketing automation, a mobile solution for field techs, and accounting integrations with Sage Intacct and QuickBooks. ServiceTitan raised the largest venture round of a SaaS company in the history of Southern California ($165 million Series D) led by Index Ventures, with participation from Dragoneer and T. Rowe Price and existing investors Battery Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners and ICONIQ Capital. ServiceTitan brings a fully operational modern SaaS infrastructure to an industry traditionally underserved by software, making direct and positive impact on the lives of thousands of entrepreneurs and their extended teams. For more information about ServiceTitan, visit https://servicetitan.com/.
Heather Ripley
Ripley PR
hripley@ripleypr.com
View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/servicetitan-announces-2020-edition-of-pantheon-user-conference-300995376.html
SOURCE ServiceTitan
SERVICETITAN
ServiceTitan names four finalists for prestigious Titan of the Year award
ServiceTitan announces Mandy "Bear" Rennehan as keynote speaker for Pantheon user conference
ServiceTitan names ProSkill Services Titan of the Year
ServiceTitan names Ershad Jamil Chief Growth Officer
ServiceTitan named one of the Best Places to Work
ServiceTitan named to 2020 Forbes Cloud 100
ServiceTitan names industry veteran Cameron Kerr vice president of franchise strategy
Top pest control, lawn, and arbor software provider ServicePro joins ServiceTitan family
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This low carb apple cider vinegar drink recipe can be enjoyed winter, spring, summer, or fall. However, with allergies springing up, I decided today would be a good day to prepare a low carb apple cider vinegar drink recipe. Cough syrups are often full of carbohydrates that can spike your sugar level when on a keto diet. Therefore, this recipe is a nice alternative to drinking a cough syrup medicine.
While there are many additional health benefits of drinking apple cider vinegar, this is a low carb apple cider vinegar drink recipe for fighting a cold. Apple Cider Vinegar "with mother" is a powerful phlegm-buster. Therefore, it can make your cough productive and reduce sinus pressure. Therefore, if you are drinking this recipe to remedy a cold, keep your Kleenex handy.
I started this low carb apple cider vinegar drink recipe by adding Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar "with mother." Therefore, on a good day, it can energize your body, make you feel good, burn extra calories, eliminate sugary high-carb food cravings, and cleanse your system naturally.
Then, I added fresh lemon juice. Citrus lemon pairs well with the already sour-tart taste of apple cider vinegar. However, it is also high in an immune boosting vitamin C. So, in this way, you are able to capture some of the health benefits of vitamin C.
Next, I incorporated some of the health benefits of turmeric. Since turmeric is a potent anti-inflammatory, this ingredient can help minimize sinus aches, pains, and pressures. When I am not fight a cold, this "feel good" turmeric chai latte is one of my favorite low carb drink recipes.
Lastly, I added a packet of monk fruit in the raw. Monk Fruit is a natural low carb sweetener used to add some flavor to this low carb apple cider drink recipe. This is a really good sugar substitute. You can read the monk fruit reviews. The final product is very comparable in taste to the Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar Drinks that I have purchased in the past.
Add water to a medium microwave safe coffee mug.
Add apple cider vinegar, lemon, turmeric, and monk fruit.
Stir well until all of the ingredients are mixed well.
Thanks for reading our low carb apple cider vinegar recipe for cold, cough, and sinus pressure! You may also enjoy making other low carb tea drinks. If you have any questions or comments about this recipe, please leave them below. You can also subscribe via email below to get our blog posts. Pin, like, share, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter. This concludes the low carb apple cider vinegar drink recipe.


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text:
Dragon Age 3 Inquisition preview
by Daniel Cooper | Sep 6, 2013 | Video Games | 0 comments
Where does a company go with a franchise that had its first game in a series be ground breaking just to have the sequel to it be rushed and lame? I'm sure Bioware had to be asking themselves this question when it came to creating Dragon Age: Inquisition. In theory, the best people to turn to are the fans. What did they like about the first game, what did the hate about the second, etc. This is the theory of what a company should do and thankfully Bioware was listening to the fans.
If a company is trying to create another ground breaking game the standards, ideas, and creativity need to be extreme. Inquisition appears to be doing this, at least in relation to the first two Dragon Age games. Bioware is choosing to make Inquisition more open-ended and open-world (or should i say open-worlds with this one) in comparison to the more linear based story lines of its successors. Another feature is the in-game combat pause option. A player can now pause the game to change the camera to a more tactical view and give more strategic orders to you companions. This should allow for a more tactically creative combat style. The environments will now be more realistic. Bioware stated for example your boots can gather mud if your in a muddy environment, you will respond naturally to your surroundings such as your running and climbing appearance, and more. Just how big is this game? Fans have asked Bioware to compare it to the vastness of Skyrim. Bioware states that it is definitely comparable but not as overly-vast in areas.
With hopes of a dramatic story this game is looking to be amazing! Large, open areas, upgrade combat, beautiful art, and more! Bioware has set their sights high, lets hope that they can pull this one off!
-Dan Lee


text:
areaglob is command line utility to take a bunch of ini files in the
areag.ini format and smush them in to one.  There are command line
options for setting the script settings for all the final areag.ini
tileset entries.

See the areag folder in the 7z for how you'd use it.  Most tileset
haks seem to come with a merged one, so there is a lot of needless
duplication in those files.

#### Command Line Arguments:
```
usage: areaglob [-h] [-v] [-e ENTER] [-x EXIT] [-b HEARTBEAT] [-u USER]
                base output input [input ...]

positional arguments:
  base                  Base areag.ini file.
  output                Output ini file.
  input                 Input ini files.

optional arguments:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -v, --version         show program's version number and exit
  -e ENTER, --enter ENTER
                        OnEnter Script.
  -x EXIT, --exit EXIT  OnExit Script.
  -b HEARTBEAT, --heartbeat HEARTBEAT
                        OnHeartbeat Script.
  -u USER, --user USER  OnUserDefined Script.

```


text:
The Human AbstractProgressive band with neo-classical elements? What?
Started by Lanilas , Jun 24 2008 08:08 AM
#1 Lanilas
Lanilas
Location:Grand Rapids, MI
I've seen threads for Protest the Hero and Between the Buried and Me, so some of you are sure to enjoy them or have heard of them.
The Human Abstract has only put out one album so far called Nocturne which is available for only 10bux on their myspace for anyone interested.
Here's a video clip for Crossing the Rubicon.
They do have a new CD coming out soon (8/19) called Midhaven, but the bad news is, if you like Nocturne it may just not be the same.
The member who had the classical influence on THA left, so fans are weary of how its going to sound.
Bottom line though, at least check out Nocturne. Great album, great band.
http://www.myspace.c...hehumanabstract
They're also headlining a tour on the west coast, so go to the myspace and check out the dates!
#2 AreJay
I got a feeling the new one's gonna suck :\
Yeah, its too bad that AJ had to leave them. Have you heard the new song?
I'm kind of scared now too honestly, but I hope the rest of the songs on the album will work a lot better.
Ya, it's pretty boring.
FUUUUUUCK this is so depressing.
#6 Keagan
Keagan
BREATHE IN! BREATHE OUT!!!
Location:Maine
Interests:Music and Women. Lots of women.
AreJay, on Jun 24 2008, 08:23 AM, said:
#7 dalbert
dalbert
Location:Rochester, NY
Interests:Music (writing, playing, listening), politics, being lame, TDH.
See, the biggest problem I have with the human abstract is that I think they have an awful frontman. that guy's voice just isn't that good. The music may be incredible, but I just can't stand his voice. Perhaps I could track down an instrumental version of the album (like they have with Protest The Hero's "Fortress") because that would be awesome.
A lot of people that know of them just hate his clean vocals... and well the others too, but not as much as his singing. Usually they don't like Rody's voice from PtH either, was that the case with you?
Yeah, i'm talking about the clean vocals more than the screams. I happen to like Rody's voice, especially on Fortress. I have mixed feelings with his work on Kezia, but he rocks the hell outta Fortress. Perhaps THA will also clean up their vox? I certainly can hope so
#10 Lanilas
I really do enjoy THA's vocals, its a unique voice for sure and I love it. What I'm worried about is losing AJ's influence.
Also, Rody is a badass.
Their bassist is gone now too
#12 gay boobs
gay boobs
dalbert, on Jun 24 2008, 02:58 PM, said:
I feel the same way. I can't get into this band because of the vocals.
When I first heard "Vela, Together We Await the Storm" I was all like DAMN!!!
And the vocals kicked in and I was like no thanks.
I do like Protest the Hero, and I like Rody Walker's singing.
casey crescenzo, on Jul 3 2008, 05:58 AM, said:
It would do people good to start using their mouths to speak again.
#13 Brian S
Yeah, vocals kind of kill it for me too. And I do like rody...AND James LaBrie of DT, who everyone seems to hate. Pretty sweet band though. I'm going to have to look into 'em.
You can preorder their cd now, and if you're quick enough you'll get an autographed copy.
http://hopelessrecords.com/
its a flash so I cant directly link, but it should be on the right side when you first enter.
Opinions on the new shit?
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=PKDGAZH7
Since AJ is gone, what I worried about happened. It's just not the same since they lost that neo-classical influence.
Its not as bad as I thought it was going to be, maybe because the mixing is way better than the preview tracks they put up on the myspace but who knows.
His vocals have improved, but the negative side to this is the "talk-singing" hes doing in almost all of the songs. I can understand one or two, but come on. That shit is never good. Its an okay album, but nowhere near as amazing as Nocturne.
I'd give it maybe a 3/5.


• Flights to and from Eilat dept. Tel Aviv.
• Entrance fees and lunch.
• $125 for visa to Jordan and border fees or $65 for those who have issued visa to Jordan in advance.
Other languages available in Petra for additional $100 per booking and advance notice.