text:
District Supervisor - Mike Mitchell
Mitchell began his career in July 2007 as a probation and parole officer in district 19, where he supervised a felony caseload. In 2011, Mitchell assumed responsibility for a specialized caseload focused on the supervision of domestic violence offenders. In 2012, Mitchell began supervising the Kentucky Hope (now S.M.A.R.T.) caseload.
In 2013, Mitchell was named to the Probation and Parole Field Training Officer (FTO) committee. The committee was charged with developing the original FTO Program for the Kentucky Division of Probation and Parole. Mitchell continues to serve on the FTO committee and was instrumental in the redevelopment of the program, now known as the Enhanced FTO Program. The program trains officers to supervise caseloads with a focus on reentry and successful outcomes.
Mitchell was promoted to a District 19 assistant supervisor in 2014. In addition to the FTO committee, Mitchell also serves on the Louisville Metro Sober Living House Task Force and as a liaison to the Louisville Metro Public Defenders Alternative Sentencing Division.
A graduate of the University of Louisville, Mitchell has a bachelor's degree in justice administration. Additionally, he holds a certificate as a Police Training Officer from the Southern Police Institute. Mitchell is a current participant in the Commissioner's Executive Leadership Program. He was the recipient of the District 19 Achievement Award in 2009 and a Department of Corrections Hero Award in 2011.
Mike MItchell, Supervisor
Denise Probus, Asst. Supervisor
Jaclyn Phillips, Asst. Supervisor
6201-G Preston Highway
District 19 covers the following county:
Jefferson (South East)


Blatant censorship of dissenting scientific opinions on the subject of climate change and its causes is the post-modern trend. After recent attempts to ban the scientifically undesirable paper by renown scientists Spencer & Braswell and the ban of the climate-critical conference at the Belgian Society of European Engineers and Industrialists (SEII) by IPCC Vice Chair Prof. J. van Ypersele, the Faculty for Physics and Geosciences of the University of Leipzig, Germany, is the next to suppress open scientific debate.
Last Tuesday, University of Leipzig science faculty dean Prof. Dr. Jürgen Haase barred a climate seminar organized by (his own) geography professor Werner Kirstein, as well as the use of an auditorium of his own institute (!) and participation by European Institute for Climate and Energy (EIKE) Vice President Michael Limburg as one of the the main speakers. Fortunately the ban was later relaxed and the seminar was allowed to go ahead.
The reason for originally having banned the seminar was a dissertation authored by Michael Limburg, which was critical of climate-science and was submitted to the faculty in March 2010. Two reviewers rejected the dissertation claiming, among other points, that it was inadequate. This is why Limburg was not welcome as a speaker, according to a letter from the Dean. The fact that the same dissertation had been recommended for acceptance by 4 other renowned professors went unmentioned by Haase. Limburg immediately challenged the ban.
What was so inconvenient about Limburg's dissertation?
Under the supervision of Prof. Werner Kirstein, Limburg had written a dissertation that examined the quality of historical global temperature and sea level data in detail. His conclusions were damning. Using accepted rules for science and measurement, Limburg's results showed that the datasets did not allow sea level and temperature change over the last 120-150 years to be determined anywhere near the alleged accuracies of millimetres or tenths of a degree Celsius respectively as claimed by the IPCC. The range of uncertainty, in both global mean temperature and sea level, is considerably greater than the total respective changes given by the IPCC. Every factor in attributing the possible causes of the changes was, at best, scientifically questionable.
Naturally, the faculty searched – and found – the "right" reviewers for assessing Limburg's dissertation. In his decision to ban Limburg from speaking, Haase quoted only the objectively unfair and negative assessments. The fact that four other university professors had recommended the dissertation be accepted got no mention by Haase. Limburg officially contested the assessment delivered by the two reviewers, but they have taken their time to respond. Up to today there is still no response. Now a legal battle appears inevitable. Science has again been cast aside.
The high point of the whole affair is the open attempt by the University of Leipzig to silence Lim¬burg – even though he had been officially invited by a full professor. The Leipzig University faculty appears to be completely oblivious to this unworthy conduct.
This brings up Voltaire, the most famous philosopher of our time, and his words to his harshest opponent: 'Sir, I do not agree with your opinion and I fully oppose you. But I would give up my life to assure that you will always be allowed to publicly express your opinion'. At the University of Leipzig, there has to be some colleagues among the philosophy faculty who are familiar with those words. But it looks as if the University leadership is not among them.


Note: Was a student of Abelard and a learned scholar himself. Under Callistus II, he was brought to Rome, and he was named cardinal deacon in 1127 and cardinal priest in 1134. As legate and vigorous supporter of Innocent II during the schism with Anacletus, he was present with Bernard of Clairvaux in his championship of the pope's claims before Roger of Sicily. His election without controversy two days after the death of Innocent II was widely acclaimed. Celestine, already an old man, was destined to govern the Church only six months.


Uropathogenic E.coli (UPEC) are among major pathogens causing urinary tract infections. Virulence factors are mainly responsible for the severity of these emerging infections. This study was planned to investigate the distribution of virulence genes and cytotoxic effects of UPEC isolates with reference to phylogenetic groups (B2, B1, D and A) to understand the presence and impact of virulence factors in the severity of infection in Faisalabad region of Pakistan.
In this study phylogenetic analysis, virulence gene identification and cytotoxicity of 59 uropathogenic E.coli isolates obtained from non-hospitalized patients was studied.
Among 59 isolates, phylogenetic group B2 (50%) was most dominant followed by groups A, B1 (19% each) and D (12%). Isolates present in group D showed highest presence of virulence genes. The prevalence hlyA (37%) was highest followed by sfaDE (27%), papC (24%), cnf1 (20%), eaeA (19%) and afaBC3 (14%). Highly hemolytic and highly verotoxic isolates mainly belonged to group D and B2. We also found two isolates with simultaneous presence of three fimbrial adhesin genes present on pap, afa, and sfa operons. This has not been reported before and underlines the dynamic nature of these UPEC isolates.
It was concluded that in local UPEC isolates from non-hospitalized patients, group B2 was more prevalent. However, group D isolates were most versatile as all were equipped with virulence genes and showed highest level of cytotoxicity.
Uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) are among the major pathogens causing urinary tract infections (UTIs). Phylogenetic studies have revealed that these bacteria are not of very diverse origin and fall into four main groups (A, B1, B2, and D)[1, 2] nowadays. Phylogenetic analysis is usually done by targeting three genetic markers chuA, yjaA genes and DNA fragment TSPE4.C2. This method has been found satisfactory and endorsed by other workers.
Virulent strains of E. coli mainly belong to phylogenetic groups B2 and D, while less virulent and commensal strains belong to phylogenetic groups B1 and A[2–7]. UPEC typically attach to epithelial cells with A-fimbrial adhesins (afa), P-fimbrial adhesins (pap), and S-fimbrial adhesins (sfa)[8–11]. Intimin, an attachment and membrane damaging pathogenicity factor, plays a vital role in virulence. These virulence factors help bacteria to attach the epithelial cell lining of urinary tract and causes infection.
Hemolytic and cytotoxic necrotizing factors are also important virulence factors. The cnf1 is produced by 40% of uropathogenic E. coli isolates. Most bacterial toxins cause initial cytopathic effects but only cytotoxins like cnf can lead to death of cultured cells. In vitro alpha hemolysins and cytotoxic necrotizing factors have cytotoxicity towards different cells including Chinese hamster ovary, Vero and HeLa monolayers[15, 16].
UTIs are very common in Pakistan and UPEC are the most frequent pathogens. Although a number of studies on this subject have been carried in various parts of the world, such data is not available from Pakistan. We felt that there was a need to characterize the local isolates of UPEC especially because no reports are currently available from this region.
Urine samples from non-hospitalized suspected cases of urinary tract infections were collected from various clinical laboratories of Faisalabad region. For isolation of E. coli, these samples were directly inoculated on MacConkey agar (Merck, Germany) plates. After overnight incubation at 37°C, lactose-fermenting colonies were identified as E. coli by characteristic morphology and inoculation on Triple Sugar Iron (TSI) agar (Merck, Germany) slants. The isolates were kept as stocks at −20°C in 50% glycerol stocks for long term storage.
Each isolate was inoculated in 5 ml of Tripticase Soy Broth (TSB). After overnight incubation at 37°C, DNA was extracted by conventional phenol chloroform method and quantified according to Sambrook et al.. For confirmation of E. coli, PCR was performed by targeting uidA gene by following conditions described by Heninger et al.. Primers are listed in Table1.
A triplex PCR was performed to segregate each isolate into one of the four main phylogenetic groups (A, B1, B2 and D) by targeting two marker genes (chuA and yjaA) and a DNA fragment TSPE4.C2. PCR conditions were same as described by Clermont et al.. Primers are listed in Table1.
There are many virulence genes associated with UPEC. We selected six most reported virulence genes. Among toxin encoding genes, hlyA gene was targeted for hemolysin and cnf1 gene for cytotoxic necrotizing factor. S-fimbrial adhesin is specific for terminal sialyl galactoside residues present on human erythrocytes; sfaDE gene which is located on S-fimbrial gene cluster and is responsible for transport and assembling of fimbrial subunit was included, as well as papC gene that is responsible for pyelonephritis associated adhesion, and afaBC3 gene that is located on afa3 operon and is responsible for A-fimbrial adhesins. Yet another adhesin, intimin (encoded by eaeA gene) which has special significance in E. coli pathogenicity, was also included[21–23].
Multiplex PCR was performed for each isolate for the identification of virulence related genes. Each 100μL multiplex PCR reaction mixture contained 1X PCR buffer (50 mM KCl, 10 mM Tris HCl; pH 8.3), 2.5 mM MgCl2, 100 nmol of each dNTP's, 100 pmol of each primer, 5 U of recombinant Taq polymerase, (Fermentas, USA) and 2 μL of DNA template. Primers are listed in Table1. The thermal cycler (MasterCycler; Eppondorf, Hamburg, Germany) conditions were as follows: 94°C for 5 min followed by 30 cycles of 94°C for 1 min, 56°C for 1 min and 72°C for 1 min and final extension of 5 min at 72°C. The PCR products were separated by electrophoresis on 2% (w/v) agarose gel and photographed by using Eagle Eye (Strategene, USA).
PCR products of the virulence genes were subjected to restriction analysis for confirmation. The sequences of the genes were taken from NCBI GenBank using primer base sequences. The accession numbers of the genes are as follows: papC (Y00529), sfaDE (X16664), afaBC3 (X76688), hlyA (AB032930), eaeA (AF043226), cnf1 (U42629). These genes were restricted with HaeIII, Hinf1, Pst1, EcoR1 and Tail enzymes respectively. Restriction conditions were similar in all cases. Each 30 μL reaction mixture contained 1 μL of restriction enzyme, 8 μL of PCR product, 3 μL of specific enzyme buffer and 18 μL of sterilized dH2O. Overnight incubation was done at 37°C and the restriction products were separated on 2% agarose gel.
Hemolysin (hlyA) gene positive isolates were selected for studying hemolytic activity by using the method described by Haque et al. with modifications. Human erythrocytes were used instead of rabbit erythrocytes and filtered supernatant of overnight culture of UPEC was double diluted with 0.9% NaCl in a 96 well microdilution plate. Rest of the procedure was as previously reported. Hemolytic unit was calculated by plotting dilution factor against transmittance. One hemolytic unit is the dose of hemolysin that causes 50% hemolysis.
The cytotoxic effects of UPEC toxins (cytotoxic necrotizing factor and hemolysin) were studied by invading Vero cells. The Vero cell lines were grown in DMEM (MP Biomedical, USA), fetal calf serum 5-10%, gentamicin (1μL/mL) and amphotericin (10μL/mL) in sterilized Petri plates and incubated overnight at 37°C in the presence of 5% CO2. DMEM was removed from Vero cell plates followed by washing with PBS. Filtered and sterilized (0.2 μm pore size syringe filter) UPEC culture supernatant (1.5 mL) was added to each plate along with 1.5 mL DMEM and incubated overnight at 37°C with 5% CO2. The medium was removed from Petri plates into the falcon tubes. One mL of 1X trypsin: EDTA solution was added and after 5 min, dislodged cells were transferred to the same falcon tube. The falcon tube was centrifuged at 10,000 rpm for 10 minutes and supernatant was discarded; 1 mL of trypan blue was added, mixed gently and incubated at 37°C for 10 min. The ratio of dead (stained) and living cells was counted in a hemocytometer using inverted microscope (x4). The concentration resulting in 50% stained cells represented the 50% cytotoxic dose.
Analysis of variance was used to compare the prevalence of various phylogenetic groups and presence of different virulence related genes. The difference having P value equal or less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.
A total of 59 isolates were confirmed as E. coli by conventional biochemical identification followed by the detection of uid A gene.
Out of 59 UPEC isolates, the group B2 isolates 30 (50%) were found significantly higher (P < 0.05) as compared to other phylogenetic groups. Seven (12%) isolates fell in group D and 11 (19%) belonged to each of groups A and B1. Groups B1 and B2 showed two different patterns each. Details are given in Table2.
The targeted virulence genes were detected in 37 (63%) isolates. Remaining isolates were negative for the targeted genes. All the 7 group D isolates showed presence of these virulence genes. Breakup for other groups was: A 5/11 (45%), B1 6/11 (55%), and B2 18/30 (60%).
It was found that most prevalent gene was hlyA which was detected in 22 isolates (37%) while 16 (27%), 14 (24%), 11 (19%), 12 (20%), and 8 (14%) isolates were positive for sfaDE, papC, eaeA, cnf1, and afaBC3 genes respectively. One isolate was positive for all 6 targeted virulence genes, two showed presence of 5 genes, and in three others 4 genes were detected. Three, two and one genes were found in 7, 10 and 14 isolates respectively. Detailed results are shown in Table3.
It was also found that papC, cnf1 and hlyA were present collectively in 4 isolates, where as papC, sfaDE and afaBC3 genes which represent P-fimbial, S-fimbrial and A-fimbrial adhesins respectively, were also identified collectively in two isolates as shown in the Table4.
Note: sfaDE, S-fimbrial adhesin; afaBC3, A-fimbrial adhesin; papC, P-fimbrial adhesin; eaeA, Intimin; cnf1, cytotoxic necrotizing factor; hlyA, hemolysin.
The detected genes were confirmed by restriction analysis: sfaDE and papC amplicons (410 and 328 bp respectively) were restricted with HaeIII and yielded fragments of 209 bp, 135 bp and 66 bp; and 161 bp, 112 bp and 55 bp respectively. The afaBC3 amplicon (793 bp) was restricted with Hinf1 and yielded fragments of 565 and 228 bp. The eaeA amplicon (384 bp) was restricted with EcoR1 and yielded fragments of 305 and 79 bp. Tail and msp1 were used to restrict amplicons of cnf1 (552 bp) and hlyA (534 bp) genes respectively to yield fragments of 356, 192 and 4 bp, and 315 and 219 bp.
When relationship of phylogenicity and virulence was studied, the prevalence of all virulence genes was found significantly higher in phylogenetic group D (P < 0.05) as compared to other phylogenetic groups except for papC gene which was found highest in group B2 isolates. The papC and sfaDE genes were absent in all group A isolates (Table3).
Out of 59 isolates, 22 isolates were hlyA positive. All hlyA positive isolates (22) showed hemolytic activity in hemolysis assay. Hemolytic activity was classified into three groups, highly hemolytic (above 20 HU), moderately hemolytic (between 10–20 HU) and poorly hemolytic (below 10 HU). Accordingly, among 22 isolates, 3 (14%) were found highly hemolytic, 3 (14%) as moderately hemolytic and 16 (72%) as poorly hemolytic.
Twenty seven isolates which were positive for hlyA and/or cnf1 genes were selected for verotoxicity assay. Among 27 isolates, 15 were hlyA positive, 5 were cnf1 positive and 7 possessed both genes. All the isolates showed verotoxicity. They were classified into highly toxic (80-100% cell death), moderately toxic (50-80%) and poorly toxic (below 50%). More details are given in Table5.
UPEC are major cause of urinary tract infections and may be responsible for nearly 90% of UTI. There are four main phylogenetic groups (A, B1, B2, and D) of UPEC and the phylogenicity has been reported to play an important role in virulence of these pathogens[1–3]. Although a number of studies on this subject have been carried in various parts of the world, such data is not available from Pakistan where UTI are very common. This study was designed to characterize local isolates of UPEC with respect to phylogenicity and distribution of most important virulence factors. Although our study is comprised of a relatively small number of samples and therefore faces limitations in statistical analysis, it provides important information about the phylogenetic background of uropathogenic E.coli from this region.
In the present study, we found that 50% of our isolates belonged to a single phylogenetic group B2 which is in line with some other studies[4, 5].
We found that among all phylogenetic groups, most of the virulence related genes were present in significantly higher proportion in phylogenetic group D isolates except papC gene, which was more frequent in B2 isolates. This is in accordance with the report of Nowrouzian et al. who found that most B2 strains carried genes for P-fimbriae.
Our results also supported some previous reports indicating greater association of traditionally recognized uropathogenic virulence factors (e.g. pap, sfa, and hly) with groups D and B2 as compared with A and B1[6, 27].
Among adhesins, sfaDE was highly (27%) prevalent among local UPEC isolates followed by papC (24%) and afaBC3 (8%) genes. We found that frequency of sfa was higher as compared to other genes. In some of isolates, multiple adhesin genes were identified (pap and sfa; pap and afa; pap, sfa and afa) where as in some other isolates these genes were present independently. Here again, phylogenetic group D was most prominent. Our findings are comparable with those of Le Bouguenec et al. who found pap operon in 79.4% of the pyelonephritis strains, either present alone (51.5%) or in association with either afa or sfa operon (27.9%), whereas in 12.4% and 22.7% of the isolates the adhesive properties were associated with the presence of afa and sfa operons, respectively. It is important to note that we did find these three operons in two isolates. The simultaneous presence of pap, afa, and sfa operons has not been reported before.
The intimin adhesin (eaeA gene) is an attachment and membrane damaging pathogenicity factor. It was found in 19% of the isolates. The presence of this adhesin gene has also been previously reported in UPEC though it is well known that it is associated with diarrhoeagenic E. coli[21, 28].
Among toxins, hemolysin was identified in 22 (37%) isolates. These findings are in line with those of Bingen-Bidois et al. who found hly gene in 34% of UPEC isolates. In the present study, all hlyA gene positive isolates hemolysed human erythrocytes.
Our UPEC isolates showed considerable cytotoxic effects and 20% were positive for cnf1 gene. When 27 (46%) UPEC isolates having cnf1, hlyA or both genes were used to invade the Vero cells, highest toxicity (80-100% vero cell death) was observed in hlyA gene positive isolates (n = 06), followed by hlyA + cnf1 (n = 04) and cnf1 positive (n = 01) isolates. This is in agreement with the reports suggesting that during the early stages of uropathogenesis, hly plays a major role in the damage of uroepithelium. It has also been reported that in many uropathogenic E. coli the loci of hly and cnf1 are often linked and responsible for the severity of urinary tract infections.
High cytotoxicity levels were not always found associated with cnf1 and hly positive isolates in this study because some isolates which were positive for other virulence genes, showed cytotoxic effect as well. On the other hand, some isolates with cnf1 did not express any cytotoxic effect on Vero cells. It may be due to an insertion of a thymidine base at position 3325 in the C-terminal domain of cnf1, which encodes the catalytic region of the toxin[31, 32]. The cumulative presence of papC, cnf1 and hlyA is the evidence of pathogenicty island IIJ96, which is highly prevalent among UTI isolates. In the present study the simultaneous presence of papC, cnf1 and hlyA was observed in 4 UPEC isolates.
Highly hemolytic isolates belonged to phylogenetic group D, while highly cytotoxic isolates belonged to group B2 and D. This is in partial disagreement with the studies of Zhang et al. who found that hly and cnf1 positive isolates mainly belonged to phylogenetic group B2.
It can be concluded that all local UPEC isolates have a battery of virulence factors which makes them a serious and challenging health problem. The simultaneous presence of pap, afa, and sfa operons has been reported for the first time underlining the dynamic nature of these isolates. Another finding of interest was the prominence of Group D in relevance to the presence of virulence factors. The previous reports from other parts of the globe mostly highlight Group B2.
This work was carried out by the facilities and funding provided by National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Faisalabad, Pakistan.
SB carried out sample collection, analysis and drafted the manuscript, AH provided concept and finally drafted the manuscript, YS and AA provided guidance in Lab work, MIA helped in sample collection and preparation of manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.


text:
Q: How to optimize page size for IBM FileNet search It's common situation when building some server-side reports to use simple Iterator instead of PageIterator when iterating through FileNet collections because you don't need to send document "portions" to clients.
 SearchScope ss = new SearchScope(objectStore);

 //what integer to choose?
 int pageSize;

 RepositoryRowSet rrc = ss.fetchRows(sql, pageSize, propertyFilter, true);
     Iterator it = rrc.iterator();
            while (it.hasNext()) {

                RepositoryRow rr = (RepositoryRow) it.next();
                //...
            }

But CE API still uses paging inside. So my question is: what page size to choose in this case? On one hand, the more page size, the less count of  round-trips to server. On the other hand, we can't enlarge it too much because each periodical request may become too large and slow and may cause perfomance degradation as well. Where is the golden mean?

A: There is no golden mean here since it is a trade-off among three factors: how fast CE returns results, how many round-trips are made, and the memory consumption both on the client and the server. As you probably understand, these depend heavily on your operating environment.
You can consider default configuration parameters that affect query performance as something reasonable and being a sort of the baseline:
ServerCacheCofiguration.QueryPageMaxSize: 1000
ServerCacheCofiguration.QueryPageDefaultSize: 500
ServerCacheCofiguration.NonPagedQueryMaxSize: 5000
A good approach would be populating your test object store with commensurate number of objects and play with query parameters.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Klomega (no.2) v. Attorney-general, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority and others: A Missed Opportunity To Strengthen Public Financial Management
Nick OpokuOctober 26, 2021 11:53 am 0
Agreements made by or on behalf of the Government of Ghana ('GoG') play a key role in securing resources for national development, managing the economy, and structuring Ghana's relations with other countries. Concerns have frequently been raised, however, about the opacity surrounding the negotiation of these agreements, their fairness or value for money. Parliament, which must by law approve these Executive-initiated agreements before they can bind the State, has been criticised for failing in its duty to subject these agreements to diligent and independent scrutiny. On its part, the Supreme Court has been blamed for compounding the problem with its decision in Felix Klomega (No.2) v Attorney General, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Meridian Port Holdings Limited and Meridian Port Services Ltd[1] where it held that for the purposes of parliamentary scrutiny of public agreements, the word 'government' as used in article 181 of the 1992 Constitution does not include State corporate entities. Therefore, agreements and transactions entered into by such State entities need not undergo or receive parliamentary scrutiny and approval. The holding that subjecting such agreements to parliamentary scrutiny would overburden Parliament is disturbing. It effectively creates a window for the central government to enter into transactions with varied financial implications, using state entities as conduits; thereby circumventing accountability mechanisms established by the Constitution. This paper examines the Court's decision in Klomega and its implications for public financial management and accountability.
1.1 The facts of the case
The plaintiff, Felix Klomega, a Ghanaian citizen, instituted proceedings in the Supreme Court, pursuant to articles 2(1) and 130 of the 1992 Constitution ('the Constitution'), challenging the constitutional validity of a concession agreement and an associated shareholders agreement for the design, construction and, subsequently, the maintenance, operation and management of the Container Terminal at the Tema Port, for a 20-year period.
The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority ('GPHA') granted the concession to Meridian Port Services Limited ('MPS'). MPS is a Ghanaian company, being a joint venture between Meridian Port Holdings Limited ('MPH') and the GPHA, with MPH being the majority shareholder. MPH is an English company, being a joint venture between leading container terminal operators APM Terminals and Bolloré Africa Logistics. The GPHA is a statutory corporation established by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority Act, 1986 (PNDCL 160). The Attorney General was named as a defendant to the suit, along with GPHA, MPS and MPH.
1.2 The issues in the case
Article 181(5) of the Constitution requires that any 'international business or economic transaction' to which the government is a party must be approved by Parliament.
The plaintiff, Klomega, argued that the word 'government' (as used in article 181) included a state entity such as GPHA. Therefore, the concession agreement and shareholders' agreement initiated and entered into by GPHA should be declared void for want of parliamentary authorisation or approval.
The defendants argued that the GPHA could not be included within the definition of 'government' because (i) the GPHA had been set up as a separate legal entity, distinct from the central government under PNDCL 160; (ii) the GPHA's operations are commercial in nature. Therefore, it would be absurd to cripple its activities by requiring Parliamentary approval of its commercial deals; and (iii) that statutory corporations such as the GPHA have legal and operational autonomy and their financial transactions and international business or economic transactions should not be regarded as ones to which government is a party.
If, contrary to the arguments of the defendants, GPHA was deemed to be within the definition of 'government', the court was asked by plaintiff to determine whether the concession agreement and the shareholders' agreement were, in any event, 'international business or economic transactions' for the purposes of article 181(5) of the Constitution.
1.3 The Supreme Court's decision
On 19 July 2013, the Supreme Court in a unanimous decision dismissed the plaintiff's action. On the principal issue as to whether the GPHA falls within the meaning of 'government', the Court held that in the context of article 181(5) and the facts of the case, the 2nd defendant (GPHA) is not to be regarded as coming within the meaning of 'government'. The Court reasoned that to subject the international business transactions of statutory corporations with commercial functions to the Parliamentary approval process prescribed in article 181(5) would probably increase the weight of Parliament's responsibilities in this regard to an unsustainable level. Accordingly, the court held that it is reasonable to infer that the framers of the Constitution did not intend such a result. In the court's view, 'government' should mean, ordinarily, the central government and not operationally autonomous agencies of government. As such, the word 'government' as used in the context of article 181(5), should be interpreted purposively to exclude statutory corporations such as the GPHA.
The Supreme Court did, however, state that its decision did not lay down an absolute rule. For instance, article 181(5) may still apply on the particular facts of a case if the central government was found to have made a particular statutory corporation its alter ego.
In this paper, I reflect on this Supreme Court decision and its implications for public financial management and accountability. First, I highlight the origins of article 181(5) to demonstrate the importance of parliamentary scrutiny and approval of transactions initiated by or entered into by the Government of Ghana ('GoG'). Secondly, I discuss what constitutes an international business transaction. Thirdly, I discuss the circumstances under which the State could be held liable for the contractual obligations arising from a transaction initiated by or entered into by a State corporation or a State-owned enterprise ('SOE') to demonstrate why the Court's reasoning in Klomega is unsustainable. I conclude with a call on the Supreme Court to review its decision at the earliest opportunity and for Parliament to step up to its constitutional obligation of passing legislation to regulate the scrutiny and approval of 'article 181(5)' transactions.
2.0 The origins and policy rationale of article 181
Article 181 of the Constitution states as follows:
(1) Parliament may, by a resolution supported by the votes of a majority of all the members of Parliament, authorise the Government to enter into an agreement for the granting of a loan out of any public fund or public account.
(2) An agreement entered into under clause (1) of this article shall be laid before Parliament and shall not come into operation unless it is approved by a resolution of Parliament.
(3) No loan shall be raised by the Government on behalf of itself or any other public institution or authority otherwise than by or under the authority of an Act of Parliament.
(4) An Act of Parliament enacted in accordance with clause (3) of this article shall provide—(a) That the terms and conditions of a loan shall be laid before Parliament and shall not come into operation unless they have been approved by a resolution of Parliament; and (b) That any moneys received in respect of that loan shall be paid into the Consolidated Fund and form part of that Fund or into some other public fund of Ghana either existing or created for the purposes of the loan.
(5) This article shall, with the necessary modifications by Parliament, apply to an international business or economic transaction to which the Government is a party as it applies to a loan. [Emphasis added]
To fully appreciate the thinking of the framers of the 1992 Constitution on this article, it is important to refer to its origin: article 133 of the 1969 Constitution. Article 133 of the 1969 Constitution dealt exclusively with loans without any reference to international business or economic transactions. The rational for this provision was expressed in the 'The Proposals of the Constitutional Commission for a Constitution for Ghana (1968) (hereinafter referred to as 'the 1968 Proposals') thus:
'One of the most revealing consequences of the coup d'etat of the 24th February was the realisation by the people of Ghana of the huge debt which the country owed. Apart from the fact that our economy had been made bankrupt we owed money, well over NC800, 000,000. We need not go into the details; we all know the various agreements which the National Liberation Council has had to undertake in order to have a rescheduling of our external debts. This calls for specific provisions in the Constitution to deal with the question of loans, and we propose that Government should not enter into an agreement for the granting of a loan out of any public fund or public account unless the National Assembly has approved, by the votes of not less than two-thirds of all the members of the Assembly, the granting of the loan.'[2]
'We further propose that the agreement entered into in respect of the loan should be laid before the National Assembly and should not become effective or operative unless it has been approved by an ordinary resolution of the National Assembly in the case of a loan granted to an authority in the country, but where the agreement is in respect of a loan granted to an authority outside this country then the agreement should only come into force after a resolution in favour of the granting of the loan has been passed by the National Assembly, supported by the votes of not less than two-thirds of all the members of the National Assembly.'[3]
'We are strongly of the view that the above proposals relating to the granting of loans should apply with equal force to the raising of loans. The only addition we wish to make is that the Government should not have power to raise a loan on behalf of itself or any public institution or authority except by or under the authority of an Act of Parliament. That Act of Parliament should incorporate our above proposals regarding resolutions of the National Assembly mutatis mutandis.'[4]
As the Supreme Court noted in Attorney-General v. Faroe Atlantic Co. Ltd[5], "it is clear that the purpose of the framers of the original provision was to ensure transparency, openness and Parliamentary consent in relation to debt obligations contracted by the State. These original provisions of 1969 Constitution were maintained unchanged in the 1979 Constitution as article 144. It is in the 1992 Constitution that this long-standing provision on the giving and raising of loans is modified to include another category of contract, namely 'an international business or economic transaction to which the Government is a party".
3.0 What constitutes an international business or economic transaction?
The Constitution does not provide any interpretation of the term 'international business transaction'. The Constitution however places an obligation on Parliament to pass legislation to give clarity on what constitutes an international business transaction to which government is a party and to which article 181(5) is applicable. Parliament is yet to fulfill this obligation. In the absence of such legislation, the Supreme Court has attempted to clarify what amounts to an international business transaction. The court speaking through Sophia Akuffo JSC in Faroe observed thus
'…Article 181(5) specifically deals with international business or economic transactions, rather than loans. When one contracting party agrees to supply and the other party agrees to purchase and pay for the thing supplied, is there not a business transaction? I believe there is. And if the supplier is a non-Ghanaian entity and the party of the other part is the Government of Ghana, it is an international business transaction.'
This implies that the term 'international business transaction' covers transactions or agreements concluded by the GoG with a foreign government, a foreign company, a firm or transnational corporation or an international institution or an agency of a foreign government.[6] Examples of such are bilateral investment promotion and protection agreements, joint venture between GoG and foreign companies, and debt rescheduling with international financial institutions.[7] So long as GoG is a party to a transaction in which the other contracting party is a foreign entity, such transaction must be scrutinised and approved by parliament to be enforceable. In Faroe, the Supreme Court held that a Power Purchase Agreement between Faroe Atlantic Co. Ltd and GoG (acting through the Ministry of Mines and Energy) entered into in 1998 without parliamentary approval, contrary to article 181(5), was unconstitutional and as a result unenforceable. The Court refused the enforcement of damages awarded Faroe Atlantic Co. Ltd by the trial court because an unconstitutional agreement is not binding on the Republic, even though the trial court had held GoG to be in breach of it.
4.0 Circumstances under which the State could be held liable for transactions entered into by State-Owned Enterprises ('SOEs')
The Supreme Court in Klomega appears to have adopted a three-tier 'test' in its determination of whether or not a State-Owned Enterprise ('SOE') or public corporation falls within the meaning of the word 'government' as used in article 181(5). The test being: (i) if the SOE has a separate legal personality, it does not fall within the purview of article 181(5); (ii) if the SOE's transactions are subject to ministerial oversight, then the ministerial oversight is adequate. Therefore, the transaction does not fall within article 181(5); and (iii) it is impracticable to subject every transaction entered into by an SOE to parliamentary approval. As such, not every transaction entered into by an SOE should be subjected to parliamentary approval.
4.1 Relationship between Government and SOEs
There is hardly any widely accepted definition of an SOE. However, most SOEs have certain key characteristics; namely,
(i) the SOE has a separate legal personality;
(ii) it is at least partially controlled by a government unit; and
(iii) it engages largely in commercial or economic activities.[8]
Therefore, it is common to find statutes establishing SOEs conferring separate legal personality status on them by default. The GPHA (2nd Defendant in Klomega) for instance is established as a body corporate having perpetual succession and can sue and be sued in its own name. According to the establishment statute (PNDCL 160), GHPA in the performance of its functions may acquire movable or immovable property; dispose of such property and enter into a contract of any other transaction.[9]
Despite their separate legal personality, SOEs often perform functions that are public in nature. In many countries, SOEs provide basic services such as water, electricity, and transportation to people. Some SOEs also perform functions that are regulatory in nature. The GPHA for instance is empowered by its establishment statute to 'plan, build, develop, manage, maintain, operate and control ports in Ghana'. In doing so, it is mandated to amongst others, 'regulate the use of any port and of the port facilities'; 'license small ships to lie, ply for hire or otherwise be used within a port upon such terms and conditions as the Authority [GPHA] may deem fit'; 'appoint, license and regulate stevedores, master porters to operate in the container terminals'.[10] The GPHA is also empowered to '…by legislative instrument make regulations for the maintenance, control and management of any port…'[11] In addition to these regulatory functions, some SOEs are also funded by the State and are subject to some level of government control. In the case of GPHA for instance, its funding sources include budget allocations and loans from GoG.[12] The State may also acquire property for GPHA under the State Property and Contracts Act, 1960 (C.A.6) and the State Lands Act, 1962 (Act 125).[13] In terms of control, the President appoints the Director-General and members of the GPHA's governing Board.[14] The GPHA Board is required to comply with directives given by the President in its operations.[15] All these characteristics of the GPHA demonstrate that despite its separate legal personality, the GPHA is essentially an extension of government, even though in carrying out its commercial operations it may not appear to be carrying out a direct government function.
4.2 When may an SOE's corporate veil be lifted?
There are instances where a court could disregard the separate legal status of an SOE in order to hold the State liable for the contractual obligations or actions of an SOE. In the case of First National City Bank v. Banco Para El Comercio Exterior de Cuba I (Citibank)[16] (herein referred to as 'Bancec'), the United States Supreme Court considered whether an American bank may counterclaim against a Cuban government trading company for the value of the American bank's assets expropriated by the Cuban central government. The dispute in Citibank arose out of Citibank's conversion of funds belonging to Banco Para El Comercio Exterior de Cuba ('Bancec'). The resolution of the dispute, however, centered on the relationship between Bancec and the Cuban central government. Despite Cuban legislation establishing the trading company as an autonomous juridical entity, the Supreme Court treated the trading company as an alter ego of the Cuban central government. It held that while there exists a strong presumption that government instrumentalities have a separate legal identity (along with limited liability) from their 'parent' governments, this presumption can be overcome in certain situations—for example, 'where a corporate entity is so extensively controlled by its owner that a relationship of principal and agent is created, one may be held liable for the actions of the other.' In addition, the court emphasized that the doctrine of corporate entity would be disregarded where its recognition would lead to fraud or injustice. Thus, in Bancec the US Supreme Court established a disjunctive test for when the separate identities of sovereign and instrumentality should be disregarded: when there is 'extensive[] control,' and when recognising the separate identities would lead to 'fraud or injustice'.
Recently in the case of Rubin v. Islamic Republic of Iran[17], the US Supreme Court expanded the 'Bancec test'. The plaintiffs in Rubin held a judgment against the Islamic Republic of Iran and attempted to attach and execute against certain Iranian artifacts on loan to the University of Chicago. In addressing whether that attachment was proper (it was not), the Supreme Court established a multi-factor test to aid its analysis:
(1) the level of economic control by the government;
(2) whether the entity's profits go to the government;
(3) the degree to which government officials manage the entity or otherwise have a hand in its daily affairs; and
(4) whether the government is the real beneficiary of the entity's conduct.
Even though the US supreme court decision is not binding on our courts, this multi-factor test established by the US Supreme Court in Bancec and Rubin is useful in our analysis of Klomega.
In the case of Klomega, the GPHA by its establishment statute has a separate legal personality. Therefore, there is a presumption that GPHA operates independently from the central government. However, as the US Supreme Court made it clear in Bancec and Rubin there are some extraordinary circumstances—including where the central government exerts dominion over a state corporation or SOE so extensive as to be beyond normal supervisory control—that require that we ignore the formal separateness of the two entities (central government and SOE).
The establishment statute and the operations of the GPHA warrant that in considering whether to subject its international business transactions to parliamentary scrutiny and approval, the court sets aside GPHA's corporate veil because it is essentially an extension of government. Budget allocations and loans from GoG are a key source of funding for the GPHA. The GPHA cannot maintain a foreign exchange account into which it may keep part of its revenue except with the approval of the Finance Minister.[18] The Auditor-General whose mandate is to audit and report on all public accounts of Ghana audits the account books and records of the GPHA.[19]
Further, its establishment statute allows GoG to acquire property for GPHA under the State Property and Contracts Act, 1960 (C.A.6) and the State Lands Act, 1962 (Act 125). The President appoints the Director-General and members of the GPHA's Board. The GPHA Board is by law required to comply with directives given by the President in its operations. At the end of every financial year, the GPHA Board is under obligation to submit a report on the activities of the GPHA to the Minister of Transport who in turn submits a copy of the report to the President.[20]
In addition, the Minister of Transport may 'from time to time' request the GPHA Board to furnish him with such reports.[21] It is also worth mentioning that all SOEs are under obligation to submit their audited financial statements to the Finance Minister 'not later than four months after the end of each financial year'.[22]
All these factors demonstrate that GoG's dominion over GPHA is so extensive and goes beyond normal supervisory control. Therefore, in giving effect to article 181(5) of the Constitution, it is sound to reason that an entity like the GPHA falls within the meaning of 'government' for the purposes of subjecting its international business transactions to parliamentary scrutiny and approval.
4.2.1 Substituting parliamentary scrutiny for ministerial supervision
The Supreme Court in Klomega reasoned that
where an agency has a separate legal personality distinct from central government, it usually comes under sectoral ministerial supervision. The Board of the corporation and the appropriate Ministry should then exercise oversight over its international business or economic agreements. That oversight should be exercised within the context of the procurement laws of this country.
Ministerial supervision cannot be a substitute for parliamentary oversight. Substituting parliamentary oversight for ministerial (executive) supervision is counterproductive given the fundamental purpose of article 181; which is to ensure transparency and openness. Further, the fact of ministerial supervision itself clearly shows the controlling hand of GoG; even more reason to subject the international business transactions of SOEs to parliamentary scrutiny.
4.2.2 Sidestepping the constitution to avoid overburdening Parliament
The Supreme Court in Klomega also reasoned that 'Parliament would be sucked into unnecessary minutiae if it were to have the function of approving the international business or economic agreements of statutory corporations.' The court's 'purposive' interpretation of article 181(5) cures no mischief. It essentially amounts to sidestepping the Constitution in the name of practicality. This interpretation compromises 'democratic transparency for commercial expediency'.[23] The decision creates room for the central government to circumvent accountability mechanisms established by the constitution by entering into international business transactions with varied financial implications, using SOEs as conduits.
Further, this interpretation is contrary to the court's own jurisprudence. In Faroe, the court speaking through Sophia Akuffo JSC held that
"[t]he Constitution is the supreme law of the land and article 1(1) makes it clear that '…the powers of government are to be exercised in the manner and within the limits laid down in this Constitution.' As the supreme law of the land, the Constitution is applicable at all times and all acts and things, particularly those done for and on behalf of the Republic of Ghana, must always be tested against its provisions. In the course of judicial proceedings, it is incumbent upon every Judge to keep its provisions in mind to assure compliance, not only by the parties before it, but also by the court itself.'
The court in carrying out its sacred duty of interpreting the constitution cannot be seen to pick and choose when and how an express constitutional instruction—in this case article 181(5)—should apply.
5.0 Conclusion and Way forward
The State has frequently been forced to defend costly suits in international arbitration; risking or paying huge judgment awards for alleged breaches of some of these agreements. The opacity surrounding the negotiation of these agreements, their fairness and or value for money are justifiable grounds for concern. Parliament's failure to subject these agreements to diligent and independent scrutiny has been identified as a significant gap. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court has failed to provide a solution as its decision in Klomega has further compounded the problem. As I have shown in this paper, the Court's reasoning for failing to treat the GPHA (an SOE) as an extension of government within the context of article 181(5) is unsustainable. In a number of decisions such as Klomega and Faroe, the Court continues to call on Parliament to express clearly in statute the scope of its intervention with regard to such agreements. However, Parliament's lack of intervention does not dispense with the need to clarify article 181(5) in a way that meets the history of the provision, and the objectives for which they were included in the 1992 Constitution. Even as we interpret this provision to align with evolving business practices and demands of commercial contracting, it is crucial that those objectives are preserved. The concerns necessitating the inclusion of this constitutional provision have not changed just because business practices have evolved. In fact, one could argue that the risks have gotten worse.
That said, because the Supreme Court has flubbed its lines; and worse, is whittling down the scope of Parliament's obligation under article 181(5), under a paternalistic pretext of saving Parliament from doing excessive work, there is the need for Parliament to be awake to its role and to step up. In doing so, Parliament must clarify the types of international commercial agreements which must be subjected to parliamentary scrutiny and approval. For instance, Parliament can expressly state in statute that any international commercial transaction by a state entity above a certain threshold (monetary value) should be subjected to comprehensive parliamentary review. The review of transactions above the stated threshold must not be conducted under the routine 'certificate of emergency' to allow for a more diligent scrutiny.
[1] [2013-2015] 2 GLR 546
[2] 'The Proposals of the Constitutional Commission for a Constitution for Ghana' (1968), para 589
[6] Report of the Constitutional Review Commission, para 279
[7] E. Y. Benneh, 'Comments on External Loan Agreements, International Business Transactions and the Treaty-Making Power under the Fourth Republican Constitution of Ghana', University of Ghana Law Journal (1996-1999), p.79
[8] 'State-Owned Enterprises: The Other Government', International Monetary Fund, April 2020, p.1
[9] Section 2, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority Act, 1986 (PNDCL 160)
[10] Section 5, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority Act, 1986 (PNDCL 160)
[11] Section 24, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority Act, 1986 (PNDCL 160)
[16] 103 S. Ct. 2591 (1983)
[17] 138 S. Ct. 816, 823 (2018)
[19] Article 187(2), 1992 Constitution; Section 15, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority Act, 1986 (PNDCL 160)
[22] Section 95, Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921)
[23] Nana Dr. S.K.B. Asante, 'Proposed Amendment of Article 181 of the Constitution; vol. 3: No. 4. 1996, p.2. Legislative Alert, published by the Institute of Economic Affairs, Accra, Ghana.
This paper was originally published by the Ghana School of Law Journal (Volume VI), August 2021
Nick Opoku
https://ghanalawhub.com/author/nick-opoku/
Summary: Transparency International & Ors V Republic of Ghana (the Agyapa Case)
Parliamentary Immunity: A Ticket Above The Law?
7 Practical Tips For GSL Entrance Exam Candidates
Summary of 2021 Presidential Election Petition Ahead of Supreme Court Judgment
CATEGORIES Constitutional LawInternational Trade
TAGS 1992 ConstitutionGhanaGhana Ports and Harbour AuthoritySupreme Court
AUTHOR Nick Opoku
NEWER POSTArguing Points of Law Under The Omnibus Ground Of Appeal: The Decision in Owusu Domena v Amoah Revisited.
OLDER POSTCustodial Sentences in Ghana: A Case Study of The Republic v. Rosemond Brown aka Akuapem Poloo

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Home » Apps » How Google Plans to Control Fake Android Apps Distributed on Play Store
How Google Plans to Control Fake Android Apps Distributed on Play Store
Preeti Seth, 2021-07-05
Apps google Tech News
Will these changes put a full stop on malicious app distribution via the Play Store?
After seeing an increase in the distribution of deceptive apps and malicious developer accounts, Google has announced additional security plans. Starting from Monday, to validate the developer's identity and to overcome the problem of fake apps, Google will now ask for the 2FA and the physical address of the developer.
But how will this enhance the integrity of Play Store apps?
Before the announcement, Google only used to ask for an email address and phone number. But now, by asking for additional identity verification details like – whether the account is owned by a person or business, a contact name, a physical address, and verification of email and phone details the process will be stricter. This means crooks will not get a chance to circulate fake apps and fool users.
The announcement was made by the company.
Will this information be public?
No, the information shared with Google will not be public. It will be kept with Google to help confirm the identity and communicate with the developer.
According to Google, the timeline of these forthcoming changes will be:
Starting June 28, 2021, developers will be able to announce their account type and verify contact details.
From August onwards, to open a new developer account, mentioning account type and verifying contact details at sign-up will be a must. 2FA will also be mandated for new developer accounts.
Later this year each developer's account will have to specify their account type, verify credentials, and enable 2FA.
In addition to this, the tech giant says, the changes are being made to keep Google play safe and secure. This will help serve the community better.
Why 2-Step verification? How will it help?
The best way to stay secure and increase the value of tools Google's 2-Step Verification is a must. Since it uses both your password and a second way (text message sent to a registered phone number, an authenticator app, hardware security key, or alerts) to identify you, the level of security is increased. Moreover, this confirms there's a real person on the other side of the screen.
To set up 2-step verification, visit https://myaccount.google.com/signinoptions/two-step-verification/enroll-welcome?pli=1
Click Get Started
Login to your account and follow on-screen instructions to set up 2 step verification.
How does 2 step verification help?
With 2-step verification activated the bad guy will not be able to access your account. Say for instance they can hack the password, still to get into the account will need the Security key.
Signing will require your password and the security key received.
Verification codes are uniquely crafted for your account, and they can be used only once.
Googles' Requirement to Ensure Safety
To ensure the information provided by the developer is genuine Google will make occasional calls and will send emails.
The email address provided by the developer should be different from the one used to create a Google account. Furthermore, using an email address from the domain (if you have one) is suggested.
The contact email address for business accounts or organizations should not be generic or personal. It should be associated with the organization.
Two-factor authentication for the Google Play Console users will be mandatory.
Writing words in all caps will no longer be allowed. (If it is the name of the brand then it's okay.)
Will not allow including emoji in the app name.
App titles will be limited to 30 characters.
Cannot incentivize installed by adding phrases like download now.
Google will not allow promoting deals by including a Sale banner in an app icon.
Timeline for developers
Reportedly, to declare the requested information, Android developers have time until the second quarter of coming 2022. This means during the first three months of 2022 users will be able to see the new Safety Section.
Why This Move?
This move might help decrease the number of scams or fraudulent apps on the Google Play Store. While verifying the information, if an eye of suspicion is raised, Google will be able to deal with it. This means Google will be able to identify people with malicious intent and will be able to distinguish between real users and ones who work under aliases.
Is Google Planning Anything More?
With the announcement for a change for Google Play developers, starting this August, Play apps will have to be published in the Android App Bundle format. This means, Google is ditching APKs and now the apps using Android App Bundles will only be used.
As this announcement comes, soon after the announcement of Windows 11 that comes with the ability to sideload Android apps as APKs, things seem fishy. Is it Google's plan to make fewer apps available on Windows 11? Is Google wanting to keep its app to itself like Apple?
If this is the case what is the future for Microsoft?
Do you think the steps Google is taking in the name of offering security are right? Or is there a plan? What idea do you get after knowing all this?
Do let us know your opinion by leaving us your feedback in the comments section.


The SearchSelectorModel class provides support for the SearchSelector component.
[read-only] The search template descriptor.
An event listener that handles when the result page closes.
An event listener that handles when the task details page closes.
Opens details page for the given task.
Opens a query for the given search template descriptor.
Opens the details page to the User Directives tab for the given task.
An event listener for the SearchTemplateEvent.SEARCH_CANCELLED event.
An event listener that handles when the task details close.
STATE_LIST_SELECTOR : String = "listSelectorState"
[static] The model is set to this state when a user can select from a list.
STATE_QUERY : String = "queryState"
[static] The model is set to this state when a user can perform a query.
STATE_RESULTS : String = "resultsState"
[static] The model is set to this state when a user can display the search results.
STATE_TASK_DETAILS : String = "detailsSelectorState"
[static] The model is set to this state when a user can show the details of a task.
task:lc.procmgmt.domain:Task — The task to be opened for displaying its details.
searchTemplateDescriptor:lc.procmgmt.domain:SearchTemplateDescriptor — The SearchTemplateDescriptor to be opened for query.
command:lc.procmgmt.commands:TaskCommand — The TaskCommand object that contains the task ID and the command for displaying in task details.
value:Object — A value of the Object type, which can be a value of null.
public static const STATE_LIST_SELECTOR:String = "listSelectorState"
The model is set to this state when a user can select from a list.
public static const STATE_QUERY:String = "queryState"
The model is set to this state when a user can perform a query.
public static const STATE_RESULTS:String = "resultsState"
The model is set to this state when a user can display the search results.
public static const STATE_TASK_DETAILS:String = "detailsSelectorState"
The model is set to this state when a user can show the details of a task.


text:
Q: Is T an isomorphism? Suppose A is the standard matrix of a linear transformation T. If det(A)=-5, is T an isomorphism?
(Hint: First consider the connection between the determinant of A on one hand, and whether or not A is an invertible matrix on the other hand.)

A: Yes, it should follow by the invertible matrix theorem.


out to focus on your own health and wellbeing?
Sundays sweating it out in a stuffy gym but know you need to do something?
immerse yourself into the beauty of the Adelaide Hills in Autumn?
Then you should join us for our Yoga Hikes on Sundays.
You'll experience a morning of Yoga, an invigorating Hike through the Adelaide Hills and Meditation.
We will commence our day at 9am with a 60 minute Yoga practice in Bridgewater and then head off for a four hour Hike (two hours each way) along the Heysen Trail to the beautiful Mount Lofty Botanic Gardens.
We'll spend about an hour at the Gardens for you to have lunch and rest or perhaps explore the gardens. We'll then hike back to Bridgewater for a lovely stretch, deep relaxation and meditation.
Your day will finish up at about 4pm with you feeling that fabulous combination of a rested mind and a tired 'zinging' body.
Beginner Yogis are welcome, the hike will be about 15kms and at a moderate level with a small amount of uphill and mostly stable even paths.
Our next lot of walks will take place on April 7th & April 28th.
Please contact us using the email link below to book your place.


text:
Editorial: Sen. John McCain was the maverick America needed
Arizona Sen. John McCain accepts the GOP nomination for President of the United States during the Republican National Convention at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 2008.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
By The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board
In the 13 months since Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor, the appreciation that Americans held for one of their most remarkable public figures just kept building. When McCain died on Saturday, the nation's sorrow was immense and palpable.
Those who served with him in the Navy, the House and the Senate, who covered him as journalists and who encountered him in campaigns offered near-unanimous praise of his charismatic style.
It wasn't just that as the son and grandson of four-star admirals, McCain was hard-wired to serve his nation. It was the honorable and graceful way he did so that left such deep impressions. After he broke both arms and his right knee upon being shot down over North Vietnam as a naval aviator in 1967, McCain was racked with pain for the rest of his life. Yet he refused the offer of his captors — seeking a propaganda victory — to send him home early, before his fellow U.S. prisoners of war, and he was tortured as a result, only winning his freedom in 1973.
No less famously, McCain honed his maverick reputation during a political career that began in 1982. He pushed back at partisans who would caricature his opponents as un-American, as happened repeatedly in 2008 when he was the Republican nominee for president running against then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama. And he never viewed political disagreements as poisonous, memorably reaching out to the scion of Arizona liberal politics — former Rep. Mo Udall — on his deathbed in the late 1990s, remembering Udall's early kindnesses to him.
McCain's push for bipartisan solutions to big problems also made him unusual. He worked with Democrats to reform deeply flawed campaign finance laws, to overhaul a broken immigration system and to end a Senate crisis that had frozen Obama's judicial nominations. After Donald Trump became president, McCain once again displayed his independence. Indelibly turning his thumb downward an hour after one midnight more than a year ago, he short-circuited his party's repeal of the Affordable Care Act, saying the GOP had failed in its obligation to devise a responsible replacement. And even as he underwent treatment from his Arizona home, he remained one of the harshest critics of Trump's shocking decision to pull away from traditional U.S. allies while drawing closer to Russia.
Yet McCain was also admired for his scathing self-appraisals. The 1958 Naval Academy graduate flayed himself for his role in the "Keating 5" credit union scandal, his decision to pander to Confederate sympathizers in the 2000 GOP primary in South Carolina, and his selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, an inexperienced populist rabble-rouser, as his 2008 presidential running mate.
But what should not be lost amid the impulse to lionize McCain and laud the courageous way he dealt with cancer is that America would be a better place if he had looked at some of his policy choices — especially on foreign policy — with such candor.
Over the past two decades, McCain emerged as a relentless proponent of global military adventurism — in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and elsewhere. Even as U.S. war deaths ballooned — even as America's reputation plunged globally — even as the evidence grew that U.S. goals were going unachieved — McCain seemed to see war not as "hell" but as "ennobling," as The American Prospect wrote in 2008.
It was only in May that McCain admitted the U.S. invasion of Iraq was "a mistake, a very serious one, and I have to accept my share of the blame for it."
McCain was a great American. The Senate is already discussing renaming its office building for him. Even in this divisive age, America's most august body should be able to win unanimity for that.
Before dying, McCain asked George W. Bush and Barack Obama, the two people who thwarted his presidential runs, to speak at his funeral. Losing to Obama in 2008, McCain told supporters, "And though we fell short, the failure is mine, not yours."
Such humility is sorely missing in national politics where service to party drives debate. McCain mostly flew above that fray, where others dared not.
Twitter: @sdutIdeas
Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & Opinion
Editorial cartoonist Steve Breen's tribute to Sen. John McCain
(The San Diego Union-Tribune)
The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board
Editorial: Ryan Leaf's comeback is heartening. Second chances should be the American way.
Young people who make mistakes shouldn't have their lives be ruined
Editorial: San Diego smart to adopt city attorney's safe gun storage plan
Too many children die or are injured playing with guns in America
Trump's racist tweets are loathsome. But on immigration, extremism is too common.
America needs a policy that values both a melting-pot society and border security
Editorial: Revival of San Diego police officer's wrongful-death case no surprise
Authorities offered a too-tidy explanation for a 2015 fatal police shooting
Editorial: Santa Anita horse deaths hang over Del Mar track as season begins
Thankfully, local racing officials have grasped the need to make major changes
Editorial: Another sign of progress on putting transit center near airport
The SPAWAR site is indeed an "amazing opportunity"
Editorial: Acosta says overdue adieu from Team Trump
His coddling of billionaire pervert Jeffrey Epstein is indefensible
Editorial: Sweetwater water agency needs more, not less, transparency
Or course minutes should be kept for meetings of important committees.
Editorial: State crackdown on illegal cannabis stores should follow San Diego model
Don't play whack-a-mole with store operators. Target their landlords.
Editorial: Elliott's use of gun violence restraining orders an example for state
Legislature recognizes value of San Diego city attorney's program
Editorial: Adopt wildfire relief fund -- but split up or shake up PG&E, too
The giant utility's record on safety is awful
Weber's success in changing police lethal force rules is a lesson for all
Her patient advocacy pays off in a big way.
Editorial: Insurance Commissioner Lara never should have accepted donations from those he regulates
His explanation has a caught-with-a-hand-in-the-cookie-jar quality.
Editorial: Newsom must change Cal Fire's lax approach in getting owners to protect property
Creating "defensible space" around structures must be a much higher priority.
Editorial: Sheriff Department's decision in hiring of mental health care provider is baffling
No-bid contract went to company without much-needed experience
Editorial: State shouldn't stop using phonics in teaching reading for an unproven alternative
Lawmakers must not forget the "whole language" fiasco of the 1980s.


A gangmaster who was supplying workers to high profile bread, chocolate and salad companies had his licence revoked by the Gangmasters Licensing Authority. The gangmaster's appeal against the GLA decision was dismissed after failing 7 licensing standards including 3 critical failures.
Mr Robert Taylor, Director of Morantus Ltd who trade as 247 Staff in Burton on Trent, supplied workers to British Bakeries, Thorntons and Florette in Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire. British Bakeries produce one third of the UK's daily bread under household names such as Hovis, Mothers Pride and Nimble.
Thorntons produce confectionary and chocolate including Easter eggs. Florette are one of Europe's fastest growing producers of prepared salads. Mr Taylor forced migrant workers to live in run down and cramped houses whilst paying over the odds for the privilege, as a condition of finding them work.
• workers were charged for the protective equipment needed to carry out their job, despite previous warnings from the GLA Morantus Ltd trading as 247 Staff is the 49th gangmaster to have their licence taken away by the GLA and had a revocation points score of 122, which is four times more than the critical score of 30 needed to revoke a licence.
"The GLA is cracking down on illegal work practices to protect workers from the abuse of rogue gangmasters".
More than 1,100 gangmasters are now licensed to operate legally in the UK and the GLA has uncovered worker exploitation and illegal activity that led to the revocation of 49 licences.
7. Ian Livsey Chief Executive of the GLA is available for interview.


It is disputed that Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon, as it is still known by many, is Vietnam at its best - a pulsating city of commerce and culture that has driven the country forward with its vibrant energy. The city breathes life and vitality into the finest of hotels to the cheapest of guesthouses, the classiest of restaurants to the tastiest of street stalls. Guests can stroll through timeless alleys to gold-tipped temples and pagodas before shopping for high-street labels in air-conditioned megamalls. Narrow shophouses that sit elbow-to-elbow with modern skyscrapers typify the urban landscape. For a break, pop in one of the city's plentiful coffeehouses and order up a ca phe sua da, a notoriously potent and sweet Vietnamese dripped coffee. For breakfast or lunch, stop at a street food vendor for a bowl of piping hot pho, a Vietnamese noodle soup, or bite into a French baguette stuffed with slices of ham, pâté, picked vegetables and chili - known to the locals as a banh mi. Somerset Vista Ho Chi Minh City is located just outside the riotous city centre in An Phu, the city's second major district that is a popular residential area among expatriates. At the foot of the serviced residence lies an array of bistros, cafés and restaurants, making it a truly convenient location for guests. Metro Hypermarket, An Phu Supermarket and prestigious educational establishments are also within walking distance of the residence. At the end of a long day out, retire to the residence to rejuvenate. Somerset Vista Ho Chi Minh City offers guests the comforts and little lavishes that makes us their home of choice away from home. The serviced apartments are spacious and elegantly furnished with contemporary furniture. Apartments come in various sizes, ranging from 2-bedroom to 4-bedroom apartments, featuring en-suite bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchenette, washing machines and dryers. Somerset guests can enjoy full access to the residence's comprehensive facilities such as an on-site gymnasium, swimming pool and children's wading pool, tennis courts and residents' lounge.


text:
Caratteristiche tecniche
È un centrocampista difensivo.

Carriera
Cresciuto nel settore giovanile dello , nel 2018 viene acquistato dal  dove viene impiegato con regolarità nella formazione Primavera. Il 23 luglio 2019 fa ritorno in patria firmando con il  militante in Superliga. Fa il suo debutto fra i professionisti il 9 ottobre in occasione dell'incontro di Coppa di Serbia perso 2-1 contro il  e qualche settimana più tardi segna la sua prima rete che sancisce il definitivo 2-2 contro il .

Statistiche

Presenze e reti nei club
Statistiche aggiornate al 17 dicembre 2020.

Collegamenti esterni

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


us for what you want.
facts and crowd our store every day.
One Price—The Right Price—The Lowest Price.
AT HALF PRICE THIS WEEK.
Jackets at $7.95 this week.
at our usual low prices.
Schools and hold until wanted.
large box collar and large buttons, regu 1 Q£"
and Cheviots, at | .50, 2.00, 2.50 tO 4 OD.
the children like them better.
6 to 15, Union Twill and small 1 AA 'j.
and prices are extremely low.
this week at only........................................ ..
Fancy Cretones, 32 inches wide in pretty 1 A.
but the evening saw the crush.
arranged, the one by Mrs. P. R.
plants, and the other by Mrs. J. P.
space only was broken, that of Mrs. J.
W. Henshaw's artistic window garden.
full strength, the effect was dazzling.
during the three days of the exhibit.
plants, freely disposed about the rooms.
upon the fall of cards for amusement.
paper cutter, went to Mr. John Gurley.
Mr. and Mrs. R. B. Dickey.
who has just arrived from Mississippi.
evening gathering was the substitute.
dressing room, and an orchestra engaged.


Funk it up. Our hand-painted Warby pattern is a hands down fave here at Pepper HQ. The energy and movement of a graffiti-like brush stroke juxtaposed against a blue & white colorway makes Warby a little bit classic, a little bit rock and roll.


In 1961, a young LBJ aide wrote the greatest political novel you've never heard of—and then vanished into drug-fueled obscurity. A new biography tells his story.
Two new books offer complementary takes on best practices for understanding and adapting to the fundamentally changing nature of business risk.
Jon Meacham's new book casts U.S. history as a battle between the forces of darkness and light, with all-powerful Presidents dueling for the nation's soul.
As elections loom in Africa's most populous country, a timely new book dispels common myths about Nigeria's democracy—and reveals the broader stakes for the continent.


Penelope and Dad talk about whatever is on Penelope's mind.
Penelope went to Art Camp for a week.
Penelope said this is a baby pickle.
Penelope made this with oil pastels.
A mixed media underwater scene from Penelope.
Dad made this at one of those drink and paint workshops.


text:
Kelly McParland: Has the world grown tired of Canada's super prime minister?
https://nationalpost.com/opinion/kelly-mcparland-has-the-world-grown-tired-of-canadas-super-prime-minister
Re-printed without permission.
Bloomberg News, reporting Friday on Ottawa's efforts to resolve its dispute with Saudi Arabia, noted in passing: "The spat is the latest sign of global weariness with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has a habit of virtue-signalling abroad."
It was a notable remark, mentioned without supporting evidence, as if everyone already knew that Canada's prime minister was a bit of a scold. Could it be true? The same prime minister who burst onto the international stage just three years ago with his rock-star good looks, gaggles of giggling selfie-seekers and fawning, cover-of-the-Rolling Stone magazine treatment?
Just 36 months later, it appears, he's become something of an annoyance. "Why can't he be our President?" has become "Will you please stop nagging?" According to Bloomberg, the effort to smooth relations with the Saudis could take place at the United Nations this week, with Canada suggesting talks between respective foreign ministers. For Canada, that would be Chrystia Freeland, as if she doesn't have enough on her hands with the prolonged, ever-contentious negotiations on NAFTA, which, we're told, may now extend into October to avoid Ottawa doing a deal affecting the dairy industry until after the Quebec election.
Freeland helped precipitate the Riyadh problem with one of Canada's patented finger-waving statements, chastising it for a substandard human rights record. This is such a commonplace practice with Ottawa that Freeland was caught off guard when the Saudis, now under the direction of Mohammad bin Salman — at 33 their own ambitious young princeling — took serious offence. The blowback, including a freeze on investments and a lecture for the Liberals on their impudence, was enough to rattle diplomats and inspire the effort to quietly settle the affair.
Canadians love it when the rest of the world takes notice of us, especially if it's with a tinge of envy. But it doesn't go over so well when the attention is less positive, and Trudeau has racked up an unimpressive record of fumbles that has evidently begun to outweigh the admiration of the selfie crowd. Embarrassments in China, Vietnam, India; grandstanding in New York and Paris; the ill-received treatment of Donald Trump at a Group of Seven summit, after which the thin-skinned president tweeted about Canada's "meek and mild" PM being "very dishonest & weak." Not that Trump doesn't richly deserve any opposition he gets, but Trudeau has noticeably let Freeland bear most of the U.S. flak of late.
With an election just a year away, Trudeau's image is a major concern for the government. The Liberals won in 2015 mainly on the strength of his popularity, which in turn drew greatly on his looks and likability. His personal standing with voters thus becomes even more crucial as Liberals head into the 2019 campaign with a domestic agenda tattered by serious holes — no reconciliation headway, no electoral revamp, no pipeline, no balanced budget — and a record on the international front with little to brag about.
The question is whether a government that sees itself as a beacon for proper behaviour can contain itself when it comes to the urge to display its elevated values. While arrangements were being discussed with the Saudis, one of Trudeau's most enthusiastic proselytizers was in Halifax presiding over the launch of yet another project with major feel-good potential.
"We're going to eliminate unnecessary single-use plastics throughout government operations," announced Environment Minister Catherine McKenna, adding that the purge would include "straws, cutlery, packaging, cups, bottles." So visiting diplomats, making the rounds of departmental offices in the capital, can be safe in knowing there will be no plastic forks or knives on the table, and water will presumably be straight from the tap.
When Trudeau informed worthies at an earlier UN gathering, "We're Canadian, and we're here to help," perhaps this is what he had in mind, a government under which only proper tableware will be tolerated. While U.S. airports advise travellers to keep their handguns out of the security zone, Canada's may soon feature signs depicting a paper straw inside a red circle, with a line through it. Please remove your shoes and belts before passing through the scanner, and hand any coffee cups to the fierce-looking guard with the taser. One wonders whether the plastic-free directive will apply to refugee claimants as they hurry illegally across the border into Quebec, or whether possession of plastic will be another issue for officials to consider when deciding whether to grant asylum.
There is no question that the proliferation of plastic waste is a scourge that the world would do well to get rid of. Canada has been pushing an "oceans plastics charter," which five of the G7 countries politely signed on to in June (Japan and the U.S. being the significant others), and which McKenna continued to promote in Halifax. In truth, the Liberals may be on to something here, given the eagerness with which globe-cleansing initiatives are seized on by Twitteraties and large crowds of social media environmental evangelicals. The Liberals may hope a sudden boost in followers on the official Twitter feed will help to revive Trudeau's reputation.
But on a more serious level, the Trudeau people seem oddly disconnected. While major issues go unresolved, the government beats on, boats against the current, with an agenda of Metis self-government and National Reconciliation Day, an anti-straw crusade and a lengthening list of apologies. They seem even to have muddled the selection of their can't-miss astronaut governor general.
Trudeau has the winter and spring to show he can wear big-boy pants with his colourful socks. No doubt his caucus hopes he hops to it.


Happy 4th 🇺🇸, aka anti-tyrant day. Don't tread on these midweek links!
Happy 4th 🇺🇸, aka anti-tyrant day. Don't tread on these midweek links!
In Japan, adults are wrapping themselves up in a tight blanket like a baby (or a burrito) to help them relax. The practice helps alleviate muscle stiffness, especially along the spine.
Heard the 'Unknown' track on Benji B. Quite delicious. Hope for an official release.


in the Blue Mountains, Australia.
with its gold stolen from it, buried in the ground."
braxy sheep or other beasts.
book in hiding is still a book.
who laid their slaughtered heads on it.
unreadable is still a book.
the yellow arsenic sulphide used within).
a ravaged man, a man.
brief promise of heaven on earth.
yellow lights bring caution to a halt.
and the skyscrapers appear to want to fall.
preserved on camera like autumn.
like hope and never melt.
these things infinite as stone.
windows confine the proverbial mysteries.
green for faith and love.
the frontal lobotomy. He was shot my one of his lobotomized patients.
of "hasheesh, hasheesh," and "I have five babies."
and guano, for a way to keep the dead quiet.
The attention they pay to the inanimate.
scans the ocean for ships that did not return.


For these characters to not only survive, but thrive, creatives have to change the way they think about them and be willing to step into strange, uncharted territory.
They're alive! The news broke Monday that Universal is approaching its famous monsters from a new angle, abandoning the forced connectivity of a cinematic universe and instead concentrating on bringing new life to these characters through singular, director-driven films that will be unique in terms of budget, rating, and tone. Universal is hoping to accomplish this feat alongside Jason Blum, whose studio Blumhouse has delivered some of horror's hottest properties over the past decade.
The first project to get the greenlight is The Invisible Man, based on the 1897 H.G. Wells' novel of the same name. The story was famously adapted by Frankenstein director James Whale in the 1933 movie starring Claude Rains, which spawned six sequels at Universal. Leigh Whannell, who has earned his horror cred as one of the minds behind Saw (2004) and Blumhouse's Insidious franchise, and directed the techno-body horror thriller Upgrade last year, is set to make the Invisible Man visible once more with a new approach. This new approach and Universal's collaboration with modern horror maestros like Blum and Whannell seems so obvious that it's a wonder it's taken this long. But the mistakes Universal has made in the past regarding these properties may hold the answers to clawing their way back to the top.
Universal has tried numerous times over the years to recapture the magic and audience enthusiasm for the monsters that forever changed moviegoing. For the most part, it has been an uphill battle. Stephen Sommers' The Mummy (1999), an action-adventure take that owed more to Indiana Jones than the 1932 film, successfully led to two sequels and a theatrical spin-off. Universal tried to double-down on the Sommers approach with Van Helsing (2004), which saw Hugh Jackman as the titular vampire hunter caught in a monster-sized conspiracy that found him encountering Mr. Hyde, the Wolf Man, and Dracula. The movie, despite earning over $300 million, failed to generate a sequel though it has gained a small following over the years. While teaming Jackman's Van Helsing with Brendan Fraser's Rick O'Connell would have been the ultimate monster mash, Universal surprisingly never went in that direction. The final installment of The Mummy series, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008) was supposed to launch a new trilogy, but despite its $401 million worldwide gross in a crowded summer, Universal began looking elsewhere to stake their claim on their monster legacy.
Joe Johnston's The Wolfman (2010), a remake of the 1941 film, was supposed to put the horror back into Universal's classic monsters. With a cast including Benicio del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving, and Geraldine Chaplin, and famed make-up effects guru Rick Baker designing the werewolf transformations, The Wolfman seemed destined to be a new horror classic. But script alterations and a rushed production schedule hampered the final theatrical product and the film bombed, making $139.8 million on a $150 million budget. The extended cut, later released on DVD and Blu-ray, is quite good, filled with strong performances and in need of a reexamination by audiences disappointed with the theatrical release. Still, this home video release wasn't nearly enough to save the reputation of The Wolfman.
Universal next turned its attention to Dracula with a prequel story Dracula Untold (2014), through which the studio first announced its desire for a cinematic universe starring the classic monsters. The film, which doesn't offer a particularly new consideration of horror's most frequently appearing character, did manage to be a small box office success with $217 million worldwide. It's worth noting that with the exception of The Wolfman, none of Universal's attempts to resurrect their monsters were box office failures. Even if the critical response lagged, there was nothing to suggest that sequels wouldn't have proved to be successful with stronger scripts. But Universal wasn't approaching these movies within the parameters of success for a horror film. With sizeable budgets and blockbuster expectations, it was clear Universal wanted these movies to play like superhero movies. And no evidence pointed to this more than their reboot of The Mummy.
Alex Kurtzman's The Mummy was the most alarming of Universal's handle on these monsters. The Tom Cruise starrer inexplicably kept its Mummy (Sofia Boutella) in chains for most of the film, while using Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde (Russell Crowe) to deliver exposition and world building that felt like too much too soon in the efforts to launch Universal's Dark Universe. Universal had banked on having some of the world's biggest stars as new iterations of classic monsters. Tom Cruise as The Mummy, Johnny Depp as The Invisible Man, Javier Bardem as Frankenstein's Monster, and rumored appearances by Angelina Jolie as The Bride and Dwayne Johnson as The Wolfman were set to reclaim the cinematic universe that the Universal Monsters had launched back in the '40s. But audiences understandably didn't want monsters in the guise of superheroes. It wasn't the cinematic universe that was Dark Universe's downfall, it was the fact that The Mummy felt like an attempt to capitalize on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, rather than a love letter to Universal's Monsters. Audiences wanted monsters to be scary, weird, and relevant again. Now with Dark Universe behind them and Jason Blum in its corner, that's exactly what Universal plans to do.
So how does one modernize monsters born of classic literature and black and white movies? How do these icons, so thoroughly exposed and parodied, frighten us again? If we go back and look at how audiences reacted to Dracula and Frankenstein in 1931, these films frightened because they pushed boundaries, revelled in their pre-code freedom and use of taboos. Audiences' relationship with horror cinema is of course very different today. But arguably, we're still afraid of much of the same things – the other, the dark, the voices scraping at the base of our skulls, and the question of what people do when we're not watching them. I think the key approach to these monsters is to not treat them as icons. It should never be about which stars will play them, but about their presentation as something new. When thinking about the continued presence and purpose of these monsters, I often go back to Whale's Frankenstein and the decision not to credit Boris Karloff in the film's credits, instead leaving a giant question mark following the role of The Monster. These monsters shouldn't need to adhere too closely to any iteration of the characters. Yes, we want them to feel like the characters they are, but at the same time, we have to recognize that the unknown is the most frightening. The rules that kept these characters within their gothic constraints should be loosened so that when we encounter them, it feel like the first time. They should exist as question marks.
Another exciting possibility that comes from Blumhouse's involvement is to see creative filmmakers who thrive on small budgets. Blumhouse has done extremely well in this area over the years, but they can do even better when it comes to getting new voices on these properties. Whannell is a great and proven filmmaker to start with. Interestingly, Whannell's Upgrade is frequently compared to Paul Verhoeven's Robocop (1987), and Verhoeven did his own version of The Invisible Man with Hollow Man (2000). But Whannell is only a starting point. It's important that these monsters aren't simply being reinvented by people with similar backgrounds. A significant part of the success of Whale's films and their insights came from the fact that the director was openly gay. In a contemporary society that too often treats people of color, women, and those of the LGBTQIA community as the other, it's important that these be the filmmakers that Blumhouse and Universal employ to tell these stories.
There is unlimited potential within these monsters, and it shouldn't be the case that there can't be two iterations of the same character that co-exist with modern adaptations. As exciting as Whannell's take on The Invisible Man is, I'd love to see a take on the story that blends both Wells' take with Ralph Ellison's 1952 novel Invisible Man in a consideration of modern black identity and challenges of existing as both seen and unseen. And it would be equally interesting to see a filmmaker like Leigh Janiak tackle The Creature From the Black Lagoon or The Bride of Frankenstein from the female perspective. For these monsters to not only survive, but thrive, we have to change the way we think about them and be willing to step into strange, uncharted territory. With filmmakers willing to challenge our preconceived notions of these characters, these monsters have the potential of being presented in new ways, playing on modern fears regardless of whether they're set in the past of present.


text:
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/sports/article/Kaufmann-paces-Crimsons-12593268.php
Kaufmann paces Crimsons
Dennis Mathes, dmathes@civitasmedia.com
Published 3:01 am CST, Sunday, December 13, 2015
Assists have always been a big part of Olivia Kaufmann's game. But on Saturday — wow.
Kaufmann scored 31 points and dished out five eye-popping assists as the Jacksonville girls' basketball team knocked off Springfield Southeast 51-35 at the JHS Bowl Saturday.
"She's a tremendous passer," Jacksonville coach Jeannette Barlow said. "She's known for her scoring ability, but if you watch her play, she makes passes that are just unbelievable a lot of times. And she sees the court so well."
When she wasn't scoring, Kaufmann was giving the ball up to her teammates for easy baskets. Every time she drove the lane, she drew two or three defenders, then either got around them for a shot, or made a ball-fake before passing the ball. She credited her teammates for getting open and being in the right spots to take the passes.
"That's like probably my favorite part of the game," Kaufmann said. "You're creating a shot for an open teammate, and they just lay it in. I feel like the crowd likes a good pass — and then you yourself, you just feel good giving your teammate a wide-open layup."
Kaufmann had plenty of chances to feel good Saturday. She had a hand in all 18 of the Crimsons' points in the first half as the two teams went into halftime tied 18-18. She scored 14 points, including three 3-pointers, and had assists on the other two — layups by Gretchen Biessman and Emily Hillis.
Southeast scored the first bucket of the third quarter, but Jacksonville went on an 11-5 run to take a 29-25 lead going into the fourth quarter. Jacksonville's Westasia Jackson grabbed a rebound and sank a layup to start the run, which included a layup by Biessman, a jump shot by Madi Allen, a layup by Hillis on an assist from Kaufmann, and a three-point play by Kaufmann on an assist from Daisy Wood.
Kaufmann engineered a 7-0 run to start the fourth quarter, nailing a 3-pointer, then going coast-to-coast for a pull-up jumper before driving and dishing to Hillis for a layup. That made it 36-25 Jacksonville. SSE never got closer than seven points the rest of the way.
Wood found Hillis and Kaufmann found Jackson for layups, and the Crimsons hit 9-of-10 free throws in the quarter to seal it.
Jacksonville held its own on the boards against a taller Southeast squad.
"The most important thing that I was extremely impressed about was our ability to rebound," said Barlow, who was proud of the way her team played hard all 32 minutes. "We knew going in that was the key for us to be successful. They have a lot of good players and a lot of great rebounders, and we knew we had to keep them off the boards, and I thought we did a really nice job of that tonight."
"Westasia did a great job on the boards," Kaufmann said. "She didn't play much varsity last year, but I think she's really starting to come around as a varsity player. I think she made a big difference — along with all of our other posts and guards. It was a team effort."
Hillis finished with 10 points for the Crimsons, who improved to 4-5 overall and 2-1 in the Central State Eight. Predicted to finish second to last in the league, Jacksonville has already beaten two teams picked to finish ahead of them.
"I think it's our year to show other teams what we're made of," Kaufmann said.
Slideshow: West Central boys' basketball beats Payson for Winchester Invitational Tournament championship
West Central rallies past previously undefeated Payson to win Winchester Invitational Tournament championship
Slideshow: West Central girls' basketball vs. Greenfield-Northwestern
State and local basketball results (with photos)
Roundup: Payson win sets up battle of unbeatens for Winchester Invitational title (with photos)
Cox scores 34 points to lead West Central past Calhoun in Winchester Invitational Tournament semifinals