text:
The United States and other western nations including Britain, Sweden, Australia, Belgium, Uruguay and Spain walk out of the United Nations General Assembly following claims by the President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that the "majority of the American people as well as most nations and politicians around the world" say that the 9-11 attacks were the work of the Government of the United States trying to protect Israel.
Sources: CNN Voice of America
The United Kingdom and the United States join Israel in blaming Iran for the strike. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab says that the UK and its allies are planning a coordinated response. However, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson says the allegation is "baseless."
The United Nations General Assembly approves a resolution sponsored by Cuba, Egypt, Kuwait, Morocco, Nicaragua, Oman, Qatar, and Palestine condemning Israeli forces' use of violence against Palestinians. 139 nations voted in favor of the resolution and nine voted against: Australia, Canada, Guatemala, Hungary, Israel, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, and the United States.
The U.S.-led Artemis Accords are signed by the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, Luxembourg, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates. According to NASA, the Accords aim to establish norms of behavior between countries regarding lunar resource extraction and exploration, outline "safety zones" on the lunar surface where other countries should not interfere, and protect heritage sites on the lunar surface such as the Apollo landing sites. More signatories are expected to be announced in the coming months.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei says that Iran has extinguished the unrest and has foiled attempts to turn legitimate protests into an insurgency to overthrow the Islamic Republic. He went on to identify the United States, Britain, Israel, the People's Mujahedin of Iran and "a wealthy government" in the Persian Gulf among Iran's foreign enemies.
Thirteen are killed and 34 others injured after a bus carrying Erasmus exchange students returning from the renowned Falles fireworks festival in Valencia, crashes near Freginals, Spain. The regional government of Catalonia said in a statement that, "... according to the latest data, the ill-fated bus had students from Hungary, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Italy, Peru, Bulgaria, Poland, Ireland, Japan, Ukraine, Holland, Belgium, France, Palestine, Turkey, (and) Greece."
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lifts the 32-year-old, lifetime ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men. Men can donate if they haven't had sex with another man in the previous year. The FDA stance is in line with other countries, such as Australia, Brazil, Canada, New Zealand, and the U.K., and is consistent with rules on recent blood transfusion or accidental exposure to another individual's blood.
Among the foreigners at the funeral are Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, former Apartheid-era South African President F. W. de Klerk, former United States Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, former United States Vice President Dick Cheney, former Australian Prime Minister John Howard and current Canada Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
A final funding deal for the Airbus A400M military transport aircraft has been agreed to by the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain and Turkey.
A group of more than 30 journalists from such countries as Turkey, Spain, Germany, Lebanon, Egypt, the United Kingdom and the United States announces it is to take legal action against Israel for equipment lost and money stolen due to the Gaza flotilla raid.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad calls for a boycott of Israeli goods or companies that do business with Israel, including a blacklist of international companies that are Jewish-owned or have branches in Israel; among the companies targeted are Nestlè, Coca Cola, Intel, and IBM.


text:
Inside the Story
COVID-19 Positivity Messages
KAYHAN LIFE
Iran's Women Football Fans Fenced off After Decades-Long Ban Lifted
By Emma Batha
LONDON, Oct 10 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – The sister of Iran's national football captain said the lifting of a ban on women in stadiums for Thursday's World Cup qualifier did not go far enough, with many female fans unable to buy tickets even though seats were available.
Maryam Shojaei, who made international headlines when she protested against the ban at last year's World Cup in Russia, said she was angered to see women and men separated by bars in Tehran's 78,000 capacity Azadi Stadium.
This is not what we've fought for. #noban4women pic.twitter.com/dbWucfNXeO
— Maryam Shojaei (@MaryamShoja) October 10, 2019
"This is not what we've fought for," Shojaei tweeted before the match against Cambodia which Iran won 14-0.
Under pressure from world governing body FIFA, Iranian authorities allocated seats to women in four sectors of the stadium, lifting a ban in place for over 40 years.
"It's a good thing, but part of me is very angry, especially about the bars between the women and men," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Shojaei said only 3,500 tickets were allocated for women even though there were many empty seats in the stadium.
"This is a direct example of gender discrimination when there are thousands of empty seats and women can't buy tickets. Many women are very angry," she said by phone from Turkey.
Shojaei called on FIFA to ensure that Iran lifts the ban completely and permanently so that women have the same access to tickets as men for all matches countrywide.
Government spokesman Ali Rabiei said he viewed women's presence at the stadium as a positive step, according to the official IRNA news agency.
"The infrastructure of Azadi stadium is ready for the presence of women. But the cultural and mental infrastructure must be ready," he added.
One reason given for the ban is that it protects women from hearing fans swear. A report posted by the semi-official Fars news agency warned that women attending Thursday's match could be exposed to foul language, drug use and even violence.
But Shojaei said the ban was "very embarrassing" and out of step with modern Iran.
"I don't think these bars will protect women from vulgar and coarse words," she added.
"It's very odd. Why can we sit next to each other in other public spaces, but not in stadiums? If a guy wants to go to a match with his 10-year-old daughter he can't."
Iranian women fans arrive to attend Iran's FIFA World Cup Asian qualifier match against Cambodia, as for the first time women are allowed to watch the national soccer team play in over 40 years, at the Azadi stadium in Tehran, Iran October 10, 2019.. REUTERS./
'HATED BAN'
FIFA stepped up pressure on Iran following the death of football fan Sahar Khodayari last month, who set herself on fire in protest at her arrest for trying to get into a match.
Video footage posted on Twitter showed some supporters chanting "Blue Girl, Blue Girl" – a reference to the colours of Khodayari's team, Esteghlal.
Shojaei said Khodayari's death had changed attitudes among the public, but not officials.
The activist said she believed the stadium ban had become symbolic for officials who she thought feared that women would demand more rights if they caved in.
"I think they think that if they give in on this they will have to give in on other things," she added.
Minky Worden of Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the ban was never just about sport.
FILE PHOTO: Saint Petersburg Stadium, Saint Petersburg, Russia - June 15, 2018 General view as a steward talks to fans displaying a banner referencing Iranian women during the match REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
"The only logic for keeping this hated ban in place for so long is that, if this ban fell, women would insist on other basic rights – and they absolutely should," she added.
HRW said women photographers had been banned from covering Thursday's match and that it had lodged a complaint with FIFA.
"Iran is still not playing by the rules," Worden said. "The ban is crumbling, but it's not gone."
No one at FIFA was immediately available for comment.
Shojaei's campaign attracted international attention last year when she raised a banner during Iran's World Cup matches with the slogan: "Support Iranian women to attend stadiums #NoBan4Women".
On Thursday she said her brother Masoud supported lifting the ban and she believed most other players did too.
"My mother used to go and watch matches all the time when she was young, but she has never seen her son play," she said.
"We are very proud of him, but we are not proud of this situation."
Shojaei, who has protested at international matches for five years, launched an online petition ahead of last year's World Cup which she submitted to FIFA in June.
"We will keep working on this until the day it is normal for women to watch football just like in other places in the world," she added.
(Reporting by Emma Batha @emmabatha; Editing by Claire Cozens. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's and LGBT+ rights, human trafficking, property rights, and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org)
#Iran/Right's of Women
#Team Melli
Iran soccer team
Iran/Sport
An Eight-Decade Journey
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text:
"""Contractors based on `opt_einsum`'s path algorithms."""

import functools
import opt_einsum
from tensornetwork.network_operations import (check_connected, get_all_edges,
                                              get_subgraph_dangling,
                                              contract_trace_edges,
                                              redirect_edge)

from tensornetwork.network_components import (get_all_nondangling,
                                              contract_parallel,
                                              contract_between)
from tensornetwork.network_components import Edge, AbstractNode
from tensornetwork.contractors.opt_einsum_paths import utils
from typing import Any, Optional, Sequence, Iterable, Text, Tuple, List

#TODO (martin): add return types of functions back once TensorNetwork is gone
#               remove _base_network
#               _base_nodes -> base

def base(nodes: Iterable[AbstractNode],
         algorithm: utils.Algorithm,
         output_edge_order: Optional[Sequence[Edge]] = None,
         ignore_edge_order: bool = False) -> AbstractNode:
  """Base method for all `opt_einsum` contractors.

  Args:
    nodes: A collection of connected nodes.
    algorithm: `opt_einsum` contraction method to use.
    output_edge_order: An optional list of edges. Edges of the
      final node in `nodes_set`
      are reordered into `output_edge_order`;
      if final node has more than one edge,
      `output_edge_order` must be provided.
    ignore_edge_order: An option to ignore the output edge
      order.

  Returns:
    Final node after full contraction.
  """
  nodes_set = set(nodes)
  edges = get_all_edges(nodes_set)
  #output edge order has to be determinded before any contraction
  #(edges are refreshed after contractions)

  if not ignore_edge_order:
    if output_edge_order is None:
      output_edge_order = list(get_subgraph_dangling(nodes))
      if len(output_edge_order) > 1:
        raise ValueError("The final node after contraction has more than "
                         "one remaining edge. In this case `output_edge_order` "
                         "has to be provided.")

    if set(output_edge_order) != get_subgraph_dangling(nodes):
      raise ValueError("output edges are not equal to the remaining "
                       "non-contracted edges of the final node.")

  for edge in edges:
    if not edge.is_disabled:  #if its disabled we already contracted it
      if edge.is_trace():
        nodes_set.remove(edge.node1)
        nodes_set.add(contract_parallel(edge))

  if len(nodes_set) == 1:
    # There's nothing to contract.
    if ignore_edge_order:
      return list(nodes_set)[0]
    return list(nodes_set)[0].reorder_edges(output_edge_order)

  # Then apply `opt_einsum`'s algorithm
  path, nodes = utils.get_path(nodes_set, algorithm)
  for a, b in path:
    new_node = contract_between(nodes[a], nodes[b], allow_outer_product=True)
    nodes.append(new_node)
    nodes = utils.multi_remove(nodes, [a, b])

  # if the final node has more than one edge,
  # output_edge_order has to be specified
  final_node = nodes[0]  # nodes were connected, we checked this
  if not ignore_edge_order:
    final_node.reorder_edges(output_edge_order)
  return final_node

def optimal(nodes: Iterable[AbstractNode],
            output_edge_order: Optional[Sequence[Edge]] = None,
            memory_limit: Optional[int] = None,
            ignore_edge_order: bool = False) -> AbstractNode:
  """Optimal contraction order via `opt_einsum`.

  This method will find the truly optimal contraction order via
  `opt_einsum`'s depth first search algorithm. Since this search is
  exhaustive, if your network is large (n>10), then the search may
  take longer than just contracting in a suboptimal way.

  Args:
    nodes: an iterable of Nodes
    output_edge_order: An optional list of edges.
      Edges of the final node in `nodes_set`
      are reordered into `output_edge_order`;
      if final node has more than one edge,
      `output_edge_order` must be provided.
    memory_limit: Maximum number of elements in an array during contractions.
    ignore_edge_order: An option to ignore the output edge order.

  Returns:
    The final node after full contraction.
  """
  alg = functools.partial(
      opt_einsum.paths.dynamic_programming, memory_limit=memory_limit)
  return base(nodes, alg, output_edge_order, ignore_edge_order)

def branch(nodes: Iterable[AbstractNode],
           output_edge_order: Optional[Sequence[Edge]] = None,
           memory_limit: Optional[int] = None,
           nbranch: Optional[int] = None,
           ignore_edge_order: bool = False) -> AbstractNode:
  """Branch contraction path via `opt_einsum`.

  This method uses the DFS approach of `optimal` while sorting potential
  contractions based on a heuristic cost, in order to reduce time spent
  in exploring paths which are unlikely to be optimal.
  More details on `branching path`_.

  .. _branching path:
    https://optimized-einsum.readthedocs.io/en/latest/branching_path.html

  Args:
    nodes: an iterable of Nodes
    output_edge_order: An optional list of edges.
      Edges of the final node in `nodes_set`
      are reordered into `output_edge_order`;
      if final node has more than one edge,
      `output_edge_order` must be provided.
    memory_limit: Maximum number of elements in an array during contractions.
    nbranch: Number of best contractions to explore.
      If None it explores all inner products starting with those that
      have the best cost heuristic.
    ignore_edge_order: An option to ignore the output edge order.

  Returns:
    The final node after full contraction.
  """
  alg = functools.partial(
      opt_einsum.paths.branch, memory_limit=memory_limit, nbranch=nbranch)
  return base(nodes, alg, output_edge_order, ignore_edge_order)

def greedy(nodes: Iterable[AbstractNode],
           output_edge_order: Optional[Sequence[Edge]] = None,
           memory_limit: Optional[int] = None,
           ignore_edge_order: bool = False) -> AbstractNode:
  """Greedy contraction path via `opt_einsum`.

  This provides a more efficient strategy than `optimal` for finding
  contraction paths in large networks. First contracts pairs of tensors
  by finding the pair with the lowest cost at each step. Then it performs
  the outer products. More details on `greedy path`_.

  ..  _greedy path:
    https://optimized-einsum.readthedocs.io/en/latest/greedy_path.html

  Args:
    nodes: an iterable of Nodes
    output_edge_order: An optional list of edges.
      Edges of the final node in `nodes_set`
      are reordered into `output_edge_order`;
      if final node has more than one edge,
      `output_edge_order` must be provided.
    memory_limit: Maximum number of elements in an array during contractions.
    ignore_edge_order: An option to ignore the output edge order.

  Returns:
    The final node after full contraction.
  """
  alg = functools.partial(opt_einsum.paths.greedy, memory_limit=memory_limit)
  return base(nodes, alg, output_edge_order, ignore_edge_order)

# pylint: disable=too-many-return-statements
def auto(nodes: Iterable[AbstractNode],
         output_edge_order: Optional[Sequence[Edge]] = None,
         memory_limit: Optional[int] = None,
         ignore_edge_order: bool = False) -> AbstractNode:
  """Chooses one of the above algorithms according to network size.

  Default behavior is based on `opt_einsum`'s `auto` contractor.

  Args:
    nodes: A collection of connected nodes.
    output_edge_order: An optional list of edges.
      Edges of the final node in `nodes_set`
      are reordered into `output_edge_order`;
      if final node has more than one edge,
      `output_edge_order` must be provided.
    memory_limit: Maximum number of elements in an array during contractions.
    ignore_edge_order: An option to ignore the output edge order.

  Returns:
    Final node after full contraction.
  """

  n = len(list(nodes))  #pytype thing
  _nodes = nodes
  if n <= 0:
    raise ValueError("Cannot contract empty tensor network.")
  if n == 1:
    if not ignore_edge_order:
      if output_edge_order is None:
        output_edge_order = list(
            (get_all_edges(_nodes) - get_all_nondangling(_nodes)))
        if len(output_edge_order) > 1:
          raise ValueError(
              "The final node after contraction has more than "
              "one dangling edge. In this case `output_edge_order` "
              "has to be provided.")

    edges = get_all_nondangling(_nodes)
    if edges:
      final_node = contract_parallel(edges.pop())
    else:
      final_node = list(_nodes)[0]
    final_node.reorder_edges(output_edge_order)
    if not ignore_edge_order:
      final_node.reorder_edges(output_edge_order)
    return final_node

  if n < 5:
    return optimal(nodes, output_edge_order, memory_limit, ignore_edge_order)
  if n < 7:
    return branch(
        nodes,
        output_edge_order=output_edge_order,
        memory_limit=memory_limit,
        ignore_edge_order=ignore_edge_order)
  if n < 9:
    return branch(
        nodes,
        output_edge_order=output_edge_order,
        memory_limit=memory_limit,
        nbranch=2,
        ignore_edge_order=ignore_edge_order)
  if n < 15:
    return branch(
        nodes,
        output_edge_order=output_edge_order,
        nbranch=1,
        ignore_edge_order=ignore_edge_order)
  return greedy(nodes, output_edge_order, memory_limit, ignore_edge_order)

def custom(nodes: Iterable[AbstractNode],
           optimizer: Any,
           output_edge_order: Sequence[Edge] = None,
           memory_limit: Optional[int] = None,
           ignore_edge_order: bool = False) -> AbstractNode:
  """Uses a custom path optimizer created by the user to calculate paths.

  The custom path optimizer should inherit `opt_einsum`'s `PathOptimizer`.
  See `custom paths`_.

  .. _custom paths:
    https://optimized-einsum.readthedocs.io/en/latest/custom_paths.html

  Args:
    nodes: an iterable of Nodes
    output_edge_order: An optional list of edges.
      Edges of the final node in `nodes_set`
      are reordered into `output_edge_order`;
      if final node has more than one edge,
      output_edge_order` must be provided.
    optimizer: A custom `opt_einsum.PathOptimizer` object.
    memory_limit: Maximum number of elements in an array during contractions.
    ignore_edge_order: An option to ignore the output edge order.

  Returns:
    Final node after full contraction.
  """
  alg = functools.partial(optimizer, memory_limit=memory_limit)
  return base(nodes, alg, output_edge_order, ignore_edge_order)

def path_solver(
    algorithm: Text,
    nodes: Iterable[AbstractNode],
    memory_limit: Optional[int] = None,
    nbranch: Optional[int] = None
) -> Tuple[List[Tuple[int, int]], List[AbstractNode]]:
  """Calculates the contraction paths using `opt_einsum` methods.

  Args:
    algorithm: `opt_einsum` method to use for calculating the contraction path.
    nodes: an iterable of `AbstractNode` objects to contract.
    memory_limit: Maximum number of elements in an array during contractions.
      Only relevant for `algorithm in (optimal, greedy)`
    nbranch: Number of best contractions to explore.
      If None it explores all inner products starting with those that
      have the best cost heuristic. Only relevant for `algorithm=branch`.

  Returns:
    The optimal contraction path as returned by `opt_einsum`.
  """
  if algorithm == "optimal":
    alg = functools.partial(
        opt_einsum.paths.dynamic_programming, memory_limit=memory_limit)
  elif algorithm == "branch":
    alg = functools.partial(
        opt_einsum.paths.branch, memory_limit=memory_limit, nbranch=nbranch)
  elif algorithm == "greedy":
    alg = functools.partial(opt_einsum.paths.greedy, memory_limit=memory_limit)
  elif algorithm == "auto":
    n = len(list(nodes))  #pytype thing
    _nodes = nodes
    if n <= 1:
      return []
    if n < 5:
      alg = functools.partial(
          opt_einsum.paths.dynamic_programming, memory_limit=memory_limit)
    if n < 7:
      alg = functools.partial(
          opt_einsum.paths.branch, memory_limit=memory_limit, nbranch=None)
    if n < 9:
      alg = functools.partial(
          opt_einsum.paths.branch, memory_limit=memory_limit, nbranch=2)
    if n < 15:
      alg = functools.partial(
          opt_einsum.paths.branch, memory_limit=memory_limit, nbranch=1)
    else:
      alg = functools.partial(
          opt_einsum.paths.greedy, memory_limit=memory_limit)
  else:
    raise ValueError("algorithm {algorithm} not implemented")

  path, _ = utils.get_path(nodes, alg)
  return path

def contract_path(path: Tuple[List[Tuple[int,
                                         int]]], nodes: Iterable[AbstractNode],
                  output_edge_order: Sequence[Edge]) -> AbstractNode:
  """Contract `nodes` using `path`.

  Args:
    path: The contraction path as returned from `path_solver`.
    nodes: A collection of connected nodes.
    output_edge_order: A list of edges. Edges of the
      final node in `nodes`
      are reordered into `output_edge_order`;
  Returns:
    Final node after full contraction.
  """
  edges = get_all_edges(nodes)
  for edge in edges:
    if not edge.is_disabled:  #if its disabled we already contracted it
      if edge.is_trace():
        contract_parallel(edge)

  if len(nodes) == 1:
    newnode = nodes[0].copy()
    for edge in nodes[0].edges:
      redirect_edge(edge, newnode, nodes[0])
    return newnode.reorder_edges(output_edge_order)

  if len(path) == 0:
    return nodes

  for p in path:
    if len(p) > 1:
      a, b = p
      new_node = contract_between(nodes[a], nodes[b], allow_outer_product=True)
      nodes.append(new_node)
      nodes = utils.multi_remove(nodes, [a, b])

    elif len(p) == 1:
      a = p[0]
      node = nodes.pop(a)
      new_node = contract_trace_edges(node)
      nodes.append(new_node)

  # if the final node has more than one edge,
  # output_edge_order has to be specified
  final_node = nodes[0]  # nodes were connected, we checked this
  #some contractors miss trace edges
  final_node = contract_trace_edges(final_node)
  final_node.reorder_edges(output_edge_order)
  return final_node

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Sheikh Nizam Yaqubi – Holds highly respected positions on the Shariah Boards of many Islamic institutions worldwide.
Dr. Mohamed Ali Elgari – Expert at Islamic Jurisprudence Academy and as a Shariah Advisor to several Islamic financial institutions.


Last weekend, my friends dressed me up and dragged me out for an amazing hen night :) For those of you who couldn't make it, here's a picture of me as a… ninja princess!
I was given a quest worthy of a real hero! The local park was infested with evil balloons that threatened the peaceful life of the citizens. Equipped with my epic wooden sword of righteousness, I was to head out and take out the evildoers. It was a tough quest but in the end I stood victorious and the city lived to see another morning.
Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: hen night | Permalink.


There are tried and true ways to succeed at real estate pay-per-click (PPC) marketing. The reason you might find negative commentary from real estate professionals as to their wasted money on PPC advertising is almost always because they had no clue as to what they should do.
Let's review how to do real estate PPC marketing properly and in a very cost-effective way.
While search engine optimization (SEO) should always be the goal in producing real estate website content, keep in mind that only 10 real estate websites can be on the first page of Google's free search results for any given keyword or phrase. The other real estate professionals should consider pay-per-click (PPC) marketing which falls under search engine marketing (SEM).
While the majority of failed real estate PPC campaigns were conducted by real estate professionals who studied about how the system worked and how to set up ads, they didn't take the preparatory steps to make sure their websites were ready to take advantage of the visitors coming from those clicks they paid for. You should also try to gain a better understanding of Google Adwords ad scoring that can place you higher in the paid results at a lower cost per click (CPC).
Once you learn what a "bounce" is in relation to website statistics, you'll realize that you don't like bounces. They happen when your real estate PPC marketing sends a visitor to your site and they leave without clicking through to other pages. This could indicate that they didn't find what they expected in a visitor-friendly format when they arrived from that paid click.
Once you've paid for a click to your site with PPC marketing, you still only have an anonymous visitor, a "suspect." The goal is to get them to give up their contact information through an effective call-to-action. This moves them from "suspect" to "prospect" status, allowing you to take the next step to keep them under your influence until they're ready to act.
Once you have a prospect's contact information, it's all about staying "top-of-mind" with them regarding real estate in your market area. If you don't do this, they'll wander around multiple real estate sites and you'll end up seeing their purchase or sale in the stats for a competitor. Learn how to use forms and drip email for real estate PPC follow-up.


text:
"""
Test extending types via the numba.extending.* API.
"""

from numba import njit
from numba import types
from numba import cgutils
from numba.errors import TypingError
from numba.extending import lower_builtin
from numba.extending import models, register_model
from numba.extending import make_attribute_wrapper
from numba.extending import type_callable
from numba.extending import overload
from numba.extending import typeof_impl

from numba import unittest_support as unittest

class TestExtTypDummy(unittest.TestCase):

    def setUp(self):
        class Dummy(object):
            def __init__(self, value):
                self.value = value

        class DummyType(types.Type):
            def __init__(self):
                super(DummyType, self).__init__(name='Dummy')

        dummy_type = DummyType()

        @register_model(DummyType)
        class DummyModel(models.StructModel):
            def __init__(self, dmm, fe_type):
                members = [
                    ('value', types.intp),
                    ]
                models.StructModel.__init__(self, dmm, fe_type, members)

        make_attribute_wrapper(DummyType, 'value', 'value')

        @type_callable(Dummy)
        def type_dummy(context):
            def typer(value):
                return dummy_type
            return typer

        @lower_builtin(Dummy, types.intp)
        def impl_dummy(context, builder, sig, args):
            typ = sig.return_type
            [value] = args
            dummy = cgutils.create_struct_proxy(typ)(context, builder)
            dummy.value = value
            return dummy._getvalue()

        @typeof_impl.register(Dummy)
        def typeof_dummy(val, c):
            return DummyType()

        # Store attributes
        self.Dummy = Dummy
        self.DummyType = DummyType

    def _add_float_overload(self):
        @overload(float)
        def dummy_to_float(x):
            if isinstance(x, self.DummyType):
                def codegen(x):
                    return float(x.value)
                return codegen
            else:
                raise TypeError('cannot type float({})'.format(x))

    def test_overload_float(self):
        self._add_float_overload()
        Dummy = self.Dummy

        @njit
        def foo(x):
            return float(Dummy(x))

        self.assertEqual(foo(123), float(123))

    def test_overload_float_error_msg(self):
        self._add_float_overload()

        @njit
        def foo(x):
            return float(x)

        with self.assertRaises(TypingError) as raises:
            foo(1j)

        self.assertIn("TypeError: float() does not support complex",
                      str(raises.exception))
        self.assertIn("TypeError: cannot type float(complex128)",
                      str(raises.exception))

    def test_unboxing(self):
        """A test for the unboxing logic on unknown type
        """
        Dummy = self.Dummy

        @njit
        def foo(x):
            # pass a dummy object into another function
            bar(Dummy(x))

        # make sure a cpython wrapper is created
        @njit(no_cpython_wrapper=False)
        def bar(dummy_obj):
            pass

        foo(123)
        with self.assertRaises(TypeError) as raises:
            bar(Dummy(123))
        self.assertIn("can't unbox Dummy type", str(raises.exception))

    def test_boxing(self):
        """A test for the boxing logic on unknown type
        """
        Dummy = self.Dummy

        @njit
        def foo(x):
            return Dummy(x)

        with self.assertRaises(TypeError) as raises:
            foo(123)
        self.assertIn("cannot convert native Dummy to Python object",
                      str(raises.exception))


text:
FREDDIE FRESH The Last True Family Man
Elin Koprowski October 5, 2012
Don't ever judge a book by its cover is what my Momma used to tell me. The packaging for Freddie's CD is a design...
90s music scene in 6 minutes.
Elin Koprowski September 22, 2012
90s Music Pop Culture Documentary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgRXSLujJ5U {loadposition content_adsensecontent}...
Dicing it up, DJ Naro
Elin Koprowski July 12, 2010
DJ Naro is one of the reasons why Jakarta has become a stop-off for many deejays on the international circuit......
Just Dan Tait
Elin Koprowski July 4, 2010
Dan Tait has literally spent half his life behind decks - just hitting 30, he has been rocking parties for over...
Undisputedly King Roc
King Roc is undoubtedly one of the hottest young DJs and producers on the electro-house scene....
Grant Nelson: The Godfather of UK Garage
Elin Koprowski June 24, 2010
You wanna talk talent? How about having first remixed Chaka Khan's "I Feel For You" at age 13 in his own bedroom, then...
Up Close and Personal featuring CJ Mackintosh
Elin Koprowski August 21, 2009
Question: It's Friday night in Prague, early Spring, and you're tired of hanging in dirty underground clubs with a...
Having ventured into the club scene in 2005, award winning DJ Inquisitive has very quickly become one of the most...
VARIOUS In House 6
Famed for its contemporary electronic music, the In House series is the top choice. In this two-CD compilation, the...
Born in San Francisco, Richie found his early calling as a professional ice skater. He toured with the Ice Capades...
Tiefschwarz (Germany)
Elin Koprowski February 10, 2009
Formed in 1996 by brothers Basti and Ali Schwarz, Tiefschwarz (meaning 'deep black') are known for their sound which...
DJ Peter Hook
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecyuBs3WotI The pioneering sounds of the influential English bands Joy Division and New...
Damian Saint
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_JURFuvOSY Damian Saint has been at the forefront of Pumping house & Trance since...
DJ Phil Thompson
Elin Koprowski January 24, 2009
Under the moniker of Moonface, Phil Thompson is a maestro in electronic dance music, coming to notice with his...
VARIOUS Global Underground 10
The famed Global Underground imprint celebrates its tenth anniversary by delivering a commemorative three-disc set....
VARIOUS Light House Pulse
Una tequila, por favor! Yes, this is the perfect music for driving round Costa del Sol, smoking weed and drinking...


text:
Voyage à Yoshino est un film dramatique franco-japonais de Naomi Kawase, sorti en 2018.

Synopsis
Dans la forêt de Yoshino vit Tomo, avec son chien blanc Ko. Il habite à proximité de la vieille Aki, aveugle. Tous deux vivent simplement, en symbiose avec cette forêt. Un jour, une Française, Jeanne, débarque à la recherche d'une plante médicinale nommée « vision » qui n'apparaît que tous les 997 ans.
Tous deux se mettent en quête de la plante, se découvrant mutuellement. Un jour, Tomo recueille Rin, un jeune homme perdu et blessé. Au rythme des saisons, le passé et le présent se mêlent au cœur de la forêt bruissante, révélant les liens réels ou supposés de ces personnages.

Fiche technique

 Titre original : Vision
 Titre français : Voyage à Yoshino
 Réalisation : Naomi Kawase
 Scénario : Naomi Kawase
 Photographie : Arata Dodo
 Montage : Yōichi Shibuya
 Musique : Makoto Ozone
 Producteur : Marianne Slot et Naomi Kawase
 Production : Kumie et Slot Machine
 Distribution : Haut et Court
 Pays d'origine : ,
 Langues de tournage : japonais, français
 Genre : Drame
 Format : Couleurs - 2,35:1
 Durée : 109 minutes
 Dates de sortie :
  :
  :

Distribution
 Juliette Binoche : Jeanne
 Masatoshi Nagase : Tomo
 Takanori Iwata : Rin
 Mari Natsuki : Aki
 Kazuko Shirakawa
 Minami : Hana
 Mirai Moriyama : Gaku
 Min Tanaka : Minamoto

Réception
L'accueil francophone est mitigé :

 .

Notes et références

Liens externes

Film français sorti en 2018
Film japonais sorti en 2018
Film dramatique français
Film dramatique japonais
Film réalisé par Naomi Kawase
Film se déroulant dans une forêt
Arbre et croyance

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


This Water surroundings Federation source offers top practices for using membrane bioreactors for wastewater therapy. The e-book starts off with an outline of membrane and organic strategy basics, by way of assurance of membrane bioreactor method built-in approach layout. The actual layout of positive aspects specified to membrane bioreactors and the procurement of membrane apparatus are mentioned. This authoritative handbook additionally covers the operation of correctly designed membrane bioreactor facilities.
In our speedily urbanizing international society, reliable waste administration could be a key problem dealing with the entire world's towns. reliable Waste administration within the World's towns offers a clean viewpoint and new facts on one of many largest matters in city improvement. utilizing the framework of built-in Sustainable Waste administration (ISWM), the file brings jointly exceptional examine from 22 towns throughout six continents.
An realizing of the destiny and behavior of natural chemical substances, akin to surfactants, within the setting is a prerequisite for the sustainable improvement of human health and wellbeing and ecosystems. As surfactants are being produced in large quantities, it is very important have a close wisdom approximately their lifetime within the surroundings, their biodegradability in wastewater therapy vegetation and in average waters, and their ecotoxicity.
Having an affinity for water or readily absorbing or dissolving in water). Although cellulose acetate membranes have been used for nanofiltration and reverse osmosis applications, they are not used in MBR applications as they are not suitable for wastewater feeds because of their biodegradability (Wilf et ah, 2010). Cellulose acetate membranes are also low in strength and elongation. , 2010). Material Characteristics Advantages Disadvantages Polyethersulfone Moderately Strength, high Limited pressure (PES) permeability application for air scour, hydrophilic, high strength, low lower chlorine tolerance elongation Polysulfone Moderately hydrophilic Strength, Limited pressure with additives.
In addition, cleaning efficiency is good because of a highshear velocity under cross-flow filtration (with or without air) and some ability to backflush. Energy cost is high because of the high pumping rate for cross-flow filtration. 5 presents a typical configuration for tubular membranes based on literature by Li et al. (2008). 4 Membrane Component Operation (Membrane Process Configurations) Two main process configurations that are used today are internal MBR ("iMBR," or immersed) and external MBR ("eMBR," or sidestream).
Building on the fundamental principles presented in the preceding three chapters, Chapter 4 presents an integrated methodology to develop a complete, integrated process design for an MBR. Chapter 5 addresses the design of the physical facilities needed to implement the MBR process, with emphasis on features unique to MBRs. Membrane bioreactors present unique challenges to the designer as the membrane system component is critical to system design but each vendor offers systems with unique features.


text:
Portsmouth and Sheffield Wednesday receive transfer boost amid links with West Brom teenager
West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Josh Griffiths has been linked with interest from Portsmouth and multiple League One clubs, but Cheltenham Town may now be out of the running
Jonty ColmanPortsmouth FC writer
West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Josh Griffiths during his loan spell with Cheltenham Town (Image: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Josh Griffiths has been linked with a number of League One clubs in the early weeks of the summer transfer window.
Portsmouth, Cheltenham Town, Sheffield Wednesday and Lincoln City are among the clubs who have been credited with an interest in the 19-year-old, who made his debut senior season in League One during the 2020/21 campaign.
Griffiths' debut season came in League Two on loan at Cheltenham, with the teenager making 50 appearances in all competitions to help the Robins earn promotion up to League One.
Michael Duff's side were keen on attempting to bring Griffiths back to the Jonny-Rocks Stadium following his impressive term in Gloucestershire. However, Cheltenham's recent signing suggests that maybe, they will look at a different direction.
Follow Pompey Live on social media
Keep up to date with all the latest news, views and analysis from Fratton Park.
Our Facebook and Twitter pages dedicated to the Blues will bring the conversation to you.
Cheltenham have just completed the signing of 24-year-old goalkeeper Owen Evans, who has joined the club on a two-year deal following his exit from Wigan Athletic, which may suggest that Griffiths is no longer needed by the club.
Pompey are likely to sign two goalkeepers next season, one to challenge for regular minutes and a young third-choice who the club can look to develop over a long-term period.
Alex Bass is the only goalkeeper contracted to the club for next season, with Craig MacGillivray expected to depart in the near future. Duncan Turnbull and Taylor Seymour were both released last month.
SouthamptonSouthampton organised crime gang sentenced after police seized drugs, cash and weaponsMembers given combined 33 years and eight months in prison
Southampton organised crime gang sentenced after police seized drugs, cash and weapons
'Unfortunate' - Nathan Jones' Joe Aribo transfer claim as Saints midfielder's future questioned
Southampton midfielder Joe Aribo has not featured in any of the last four games and was left out of the matchday squad entirely for their recent EFL Cup semi-final clash with Newcastle
Woman killed in Isle of Wight crash 'mourned by wide circle' says family paying tribute
Hampshire Police are continuing to investigate the incident in Newport
Nathan Jones press conference live: Southampton boss on Blackpool, transfers and injuries
Southampton manager Nathan Jones will face the media this afternoon at the club's Staplewood training ground ahead of the FA Cup fourth round clash against Blackpool at St Mary's


Features of a Smartphone are mostly self explanatory and in certain cases it is left to users to evolve as many as additional use cases as they could and hence increase the productivity or overall value of a Smartphone they use.
However, some could be a bit of complicated where the brand has to do more than just introducing. Bothie is one such feature, introduced and exclusive to Nokia, where the brand has to help the potential users realise the use cases.
The best use case of Bothie could be MoJo (Mobile Journalism) including the blogger communities who write on various domains, especially technology. India along with the world is witnessing paradigm shift because of the digital proliferation. The attitude as well as approach towards doing something is changing fast and the conventional is being disrupted not only by organic evolutions but inorganic surprises. For instance, who would have imagined that the electric would become the most promising alternative energy source to petrol for cars. Or the success in autonomous driving is making the driver irrelevant. Now that is not just removing a person or a skill from the scene, but is going to influence the design and build of a car in the manner that many of us might not be able to conceptualise.
Similarly, going live has become so easy and potable that MoJo is not just an emerging trend but resulting in disruptive models where journalism is now possible on crowd sourcing model. There is, at the same time, a lot of video replacing the traditional textual content and it might not be wrong to envision that the journalist of future would be doing more of broadcasting rather than story filing and editing.
Along with this, there is an increasingly growing base of bloggers, who primarily out of their hobby have emerged as credible influencers in their respective segments. Technology, though takes the lead. These have already started creating videos through Youtube channels where they have interactions or video reviews of devices and other products they showcase and have an opinion about. Somewhere linked is also the rising trend of Social Journalism where ordinary citizens have now become the sources of latest information, almost in real time.
This rising change in the form and shape of journalism known to us is increasing the need for having equipment to shoot and broadcast. This is where Bothie enabled Nokia Smartphones can offer an alternative to the equipment required for video shoots. If an interview is to be captured in the traditional way, there have to be at least 2 cameras one facing the interviewee, and another focussed at the interviewer. Then it would require editing and post production before broadcast. Compared to this the Bothie feature can serve the same purpose where the viewers could experience the interactivity of the interactions in real time. It could also let the reviewers and bloggers show up in the same frame while they review a product.
The point to make here is that some features despite appearing to be promising do not perhaps unleash power on their own. These features may be strong propositions, but users might want to have some anchoring to be able to realise that hidden or intrinsic value. This is where a brand brining such features needs to do more than announcing the feature. They have to let the users experience the use cases. So must Nokia do with Bothie to make it popular as well as successful.


Keyless entry, Bluetooth connectivity, Power windows and door, Air Condition.
Balance of Factory Warranty and roadside assistance until September 2022 or 100,000km!
HEATED FRONT SEATS, HEATED STEERING WHEEL, 5" SCREEN WITH REARVIEW CAMERA, CLEAN CARPROOF, 17" ALLOYS.
Balance of Factory Warranty and roadside assistance until FEB 2022 or 100,000km!
2015 SOUL EX, BALANCE OF FACTORY COMPREHENSIVE WARRANTY IS VALID UNTIL FEB, 28, 2020 OR 100,000KM.


Ad buyers interpreted Amazon's move as a sign the company is accelerating its own digital ad offerings. The company has the potential to challenge the digital marketing duopoly of Google and Facebook. Amazon's web reach, subscription base and voice search services (pose) the gravest threat to Google. After Amazon pulled Google hardware from its e-commerce shelves, Google retaliated by blocking YouTube from Amazon's streaming devices. Google has redoubled its e-commerce voice-based searches that compete with Alexa.
Amazon has stopped buying a popular type of Google ad, according to people familiar with the decision. The move deepens the rift between the technology titans and signals Amazon's growing ambition in the digital advertising market.
The pullback affects highly coveted real estate at the top of Google search results, where retailers and e-commerce players bid and pay handsomely to place colorful, image-rich ads that show up when consumers look online for running shoes, headphones and other products to buy.
Amazon began bidding for these slots, known as product listing ads, or PLAs, in late 2016. That pitted the e-commerce giant against retailers such as Walmart in online auctions that Google runs to decide who gets to place their ads on top of results for queries like "cowboy boots" and "modern couches."
Marketing firm Merkle noticed Amazon's sudden retreat on April 28 by analyzing Google shopping ad data it tracks for clients. "The widespread vanishing act observed over the last week point to Amazon itself pausing its Shopping campaigns," Andy Taylor, a Merkle research director, wrote in a recent blog.
Two people familiar with the companies confirmed Amazon's move. They asked not to be identified discussing private matters.
Losing Amazon is a rare setback for Google's Shopping ads, which have been a massive financial success. The Alphabet Inc. unit doesn't disclose revenue from this business, but external estimates show this ad type has grown at three times the rate of Google's regular text Search ads. Amazon largely bought PLAs for items like office supplies, furniture and athletic apparel, according to Merkle's Taylor. "They were probably spending $50 million a year, but it might be higher than that," he said.
Amazon declined to comment. "While we don't comment on individual customers, it's not unusual for advertisers to adjust their campaigns at any time for any number of reasons," a Google spokeswoman said.
Zappos and some other Amazon subsidiaries are still running Google Shopping ads. These units are often run independently from the main company and were using the Google ads long before Amazon.com itself started bidding, according to Merkle.
Some ad buyers interpreted Amazon's move as a sign the company is accelerating its own digital ad offerings, which has been urged by marketers and Amazon shareholders. The company has the potential to challenge the digital marketing duopoly of Google and Facebook Inc., although it has expanded slowly so far.
Right now, Amazon offers similar sponsored product ads on its flagship e-commerce site. Mizuho Securities USA Inc. recently estimated Google's product ads are four times as effective as Amazon's at getting people to buy. However, the brokerage firm said Amazon could improve and surpass Google. The note concluded that most spending on Amazon ads comes from marketers switching away from traditional offline ads, rather than cutting into Google budgets.
Still, other analysts see Amazon's massive web reach, subscription base and voice search services, such as Alexa, as the gravest threat to Google's business. A broader standoff over ads would add to an already tense year.
After Amazon pulled some Google hardware from its e-commerce shelves, Google retaliated by blocking YouTube from Amazon's streaming devices.
Google has also redoubled its own e-commerce offerings, particularly involving voice-based searches that compete with Amazon's Alexa. Google teamed up with Amazon foes Walmart and Target on voice-based online shopping and delivery.
In March, Google introduced a new ad service that lets retailers build digital checkout carts that track online shoppers across their phones, desktop computers and smart speakers. That's similar to Amazon's lucrative shopping cart.


text:
Stampin'Up Hey Chick!
I love the new Stampin'Up Hey Chick stamp set! This guy is my favorite!
You can get this stamp set for Free with a $60.00 order.
I got this cute card as a swap. There was no name on the swap so thank you mystery swapper friend.
The new hexagon dynamic embossing folder was used on the background of the card.
The Chicken was stamped on Whisper White card stock and cut out with the Stitched Shapes Framelits #145372. The chicken was colored with the Stampin'Up watercolor pencils #141709.
Happy Stamping,
Posted by Karina at 4:00 AM
My name is Karina and I want to welcome you to my blog. I have been a Stampin'Up demonstrator for 12 years and love every minute of it. I've been lucky to make many new friendships through stamping. Come join me in one of my classes if you live in the Edmonton area or take an online class. If you love stamping, come join my Krafting Crew group and save on all your purchases. Thanks for looking at my blog.
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text:
The Cowsills In Books
All Music Guide to Rock: The Definitive Guide to Rock, Pop, and Soul (3rd Edition)
by Vladimir Bogdanov
Backbeat Books; 3rd edition April 16, 2002
on Page 185:
"... well covered by the Manhattan Transfer. Their version of "Get Together" is about as convincing as a version by the Cowsills would have been, but it's balanced by Richard Carpenter's slow ballad arrangement of "Ticket to Ride," an unexpected and be- ..."
"... their cathartic best. The recording is psycho-grunge with punk rock horn that reaches to psy- chological depths. -Thomas Schulte The Cowsills .... ....... ........... . . ... f.1966, Newport, RI, db.1971 Bubblegum, Power Pop, Pop The real-life inspiration behind the hit ..."
"... the group's records were on par with the work of superstar contemporaries like the Beach Boys, the Association, and the Cowsills, yet none of their singles even cracked the Hot 100. The Free Design originally comprised siblings Chris, Bruce, and Sandy ..."
"... the release of Mavericks, Stamey returned to his solo career and Holsapple formed the Continental Drifters with his wife Susan Cowsill. In 1994, Holsapple re-formed the dB's and the group released Paris Avenue later in the year. -Stephen Thomas Erlewme Mavericks ..."
"... Shirley Jones and then up-and-coming actor David Cassidy, The Partridge Family was loosely based on real-life family pop/rock band the Cowsills. The only members of the cast heard on the records are lead vocalist Cassidy and Shirley Jones on background vocals. ..."
on Page 1248:
"... Wynn's granddad. John Wesley Harding's harmonica was left uncredited on the over-the-top "Tuesday," on which Flo & Eddie and Susan Cowsill also sing while violins, cello and Buck's 12-string ring out like the bells of Rhymney. Johnette Napolitano, Russ Tolman and ..."
"... to some degree by Bobby Sherman, a pre-teen idol. The Partridge Family themselves were picking up a fumble by the Cowsills, a clean-cut pop/rock family act that the Partridges were loosely based upon (although the Cowsills' arrangements were somewhat more sophisticated ..."
from Index:
"... 787, 986 Currie, Jim 329 Copland, Aaron 23, 364 Cows 259,260 Crombie, Noel 606,981 Currie, Justin 295 Copping, Chris 893 Cowsill, Barbara 260 Cronin, Kevin 933 Currie, Nick 752, 753 Corbiln, Anton 31 Cowsill, Bill 260 Cronk, Charles 1090 Curry, Mickey ..."


Using CTD/oxygen data from eight cruises in the decade from 1994–2003, we have constructed a mean 'section' of properties across the Deep Western Boundary Current (DWBC) south of Cape Cod near 701W. Since all sections included direct velocity measurements, our composite section enables us to portray the flow field as well as the mean water mass structure. Inshore of the Gulf Stream between the 2500 and 4000m isobaths, the flow is to the southwest along the bathymetry and is remarkably barotropic. The equatorward flowing Labrador Sea Water is shown to have high dissolved oxygen, low salinity, and low potential vorticity, while the underlying Overflow Water is high in oxygen. Transport estimates for the cold limb of the thermohaline circulation give a range of 14 to 19 Sv for the N. Atlantic Deep Water found on the section. The greatest uncertainty is due to the presence of a Warm-Core Ring on one of the sections, which apparently completely reversed the flow in the DWBC. Offshore of the DWBC, some of the deep source waters are returned to the north in the deep Gulf Stream. The section is compared to two other, widely separated locations (Abaco and 551W) that have markedly different DWBC characteristics.
Joyce, Terrence M., Dunworth-Baker, Jane, Pickart, Robert S., Torres, Daniel and Waterman, Stephanie (2005) On the Deep Western Boundary Current south of Cape Cod. Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 52 (3-4), 615-625. (doi:10.1016/j.dsr2.2004.12.013).


These crystals possess a specific vibration that will help you heal your past emotional traumas and fill your life with love and warmth.
You can wear them as jewelry or place them as an accessory in your home. If you're single, they will help you find the right person for you. If you're in a relationship, they'll help you keep it stable.
The crystals below have healing properties and will help you rejuvenate on the emotional and spiritual level.
This green stone restore harmony and balance by soothing our judgmental side. Malachite helps us better understand our needs and desires, as well as to better understand others. Wearing this crystal will help you free yourself of everything old and needed, in order to find peace.
Rose Quartz is the stone of unconditional love. It eases tension in the atmosphere and soothes the energy. Rose Quartz helps us be easier on ourselves and not judge each other too hard, to love ourselves before we can love another. For non-singles, the stone is going to create a feeling of tranquility and harmony.
Moonstone is the stone of passion. It will attract romance and love to your life, while for singles it will reignite the flames of the moment when they first met. It is also thought to help couples who are trying to conceive.
Pink Tourmaline symbolizes female energy and the ability to feel understood and comfortable in the company of others. This stone relieves stress and helps us feel more loved by those around us.
Which Vegetables and Ingredients Go Well with Coriander?


text:
Read Next MLK Through Steve Schapiro's Lens
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The rock world continues to mourn David Bowie, who passed away on January 10th at age 69. Artists such as Ozzy Osbourne, Marilyn Manson and Chris Cornell have previously shared their thoughts on the late icon with Rolling Stone, and the Strokes' Albert Hammond Jr. recalled meeting Bowie in an exclusive video interview. In the above clip, author Roderick "Legs" McNeil — whose 1996 book, Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk, documents Bowie's wild early-Seventies New York period — reacts to Bowie's passing.
"There's kind of a moment where Alice Cooper, David Bowie and Elton put performance back into rock," recalls McNeil of Bowie's initial rise to fame. "These guys put theater back into rock & roll. Thank God they did. I think rock & roll would've just dissolved under the mediocrity of jam bands.
"He's not going to be imitated," McNeil says of Bowie. "Whenever I put him on, he still sounds shockingly new."
In This Article: David Bowie


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Tag Archives: Scott Kleeb
Nebraska's Most Controversial Woman
June 6, 2015 by Doug Meigs
Article originally published in July/August 2015 Omaha Magazine.
The founder of Bold Nebraska— Jane Fleming Kleeb—travels to Omaha once a week. Although the Nebraska transplant lives in Hastings, she has grown accustomed to the five-hour round-trip drive on I-80. "I call it my windshield time. It's quiet," says the liberal firebrand who has gained national notoriety fighting construction of the Keystone XL, a 1,179-mile pipeline slated to transport daily 830,000 barrels of diluted crude bitumen from Canadian tar sands across central Nebraska to gulf coast processing facilities.
"The Lakota call the proposed Keystone XL the Black Snake Pipeline," says Greg Grey Cloud, a pipeline opponent who describes himself as an indigenous defender. For the Lakota, the black snake represents nothing less than a reset button on the creation clock. "For over a thousand years, our spiritual leaders have prophesied that a great black snake will one day wind through the land, bringing doom by robbing us of our natural resources as Grandmother Earth remakes herself and introduces a new coming."
For years, TransCanada has been planning to build the Keystone XL across Nebraska's fragile Sandhills ecosystem and the deep-underground Ogallala Aquifer. Eminent domain lawsuits have plagued the pipeline's route across much of the United States, and courts have ruled against taxpaying landowners in favor of the foreign corporation. Thanks to Kleeb's activism with Bold Nebraska, the Keystone XL has stalled outside of the Cornhusker State.
Kleeb is a pipeline-fighting road warrior. She has visited the stripped boreal forests of Alberta where the tar sand oil originates. She has seen TransCanada seize lands in Texas and South Dakota. Her regular trips across rural Nebraska to meet with landowners and frequent cross-country speaking engagements make her Omaha commute time seem insignificant.
The Keystone XL has consumed Bold Nebraska's attention since its inception five years ago. Kleeb says her agenda is all about progressive and populist politics. According to the Bold Nebraska website, the organization's mission is to "mobilize new energy to restore political balance" in a state "dominated by one political voice" and "dominated by far-right ideas and policies." Focus will shift once courts confirm the pipeline's fate. Bold Nebraska is already preparing, surveying supporters on the next social and legislative battles to prioritize.
Omaha's liberal (by Nebraska standards) political atmosphere has fostered an important support base for Bold Nebraska. Out of approximately 25,500 Facebook fans and 40,000 email subscribers, 25 percent hail from the metro area, says Mark Hefflinger, Bold Nebraska's communications director.
A local Omaha brewpub was the logical place for Kleeb to launch Bold's latest initiative: a statewide network map of local businesses branded "In the Neb." She arrives early in the afternoon. Bumper stickers on the back of her minivan—a beige Honda Odyssey—reveal her double-life. The 42-year-old activist is also a soccer mom with three daughters. A flaming soccer ball decal represents her eldest (age 14) daughter's team alongside a slew of anti-pipeline and environmental slogans.
She steps onto Farnam Street in midtown wearing a white dress, suit jacket, and custom red leather cowboy boots (the boots are covered with grey leather crane silhouettes, a nod to the Sandhills where her husbands' ancestors had homesteaded). Her hair is a short, no-fuss style symbolic of her life's always-on-the-go pace. Hoops of turquoise beadwork, made by members of the Omaha Tribe, hang from her ears, matching the turquoise rings on her fingers, gifts from husband Scott Kleeb.
She walks into Archetype Coffee with a burst of friendly energy and an armful of promotional material. She has one hour before introducing her "In the Neb." concept at Farnam House Brewing Company a few blocks away.
"In the Neb." consists of an interactive online map and mobile app promoting small and local businesses: family farms, breweries, boutiques, clean energy vendors, farmers markets, etc. Omaha and Lincoln residents are the primary target users—"because in small towns, you know who sells eggs," Kleeb says—but rural communities could also use the effort to source urban Nebraska-made products.
"In order to get on the map, you have to agree on some values, things like we want to see 25 percent of our energy coming from renewables by 2025, and that the Ogallala aquifer should be a protected water source," Kleeb says. The network of businesses would also provide a pool of supporters for Bold Nebraska when pushing bills of interest to small farms or clean energy interests in the state legislature.
The local bar meet-up for debuting the project might also become a regular thing. Kleeb hopes it will be the first in a series of political talks called "Politics and Pints."
The business map and barroom talks are indicative of Kleeb's innovative approach to activism. "Creative actions are super important to us; we draw a lot of inspiration from the Omaha creative community," says Kleeb, noting that Omaha native Justin Kemerling is Bold Nebraska's main designer.
Kleeb's lifestyle bridges Nebraska's urban-rural disconnect. She and Scott are renovating a farm in Ayr and hope to move in by next year. The property is located en route to Red Cloud, Willa Cather's hometown south of Hastings. They named their youngest "Willa," (age 4) after the iconic Nebraska author.
To manage their chaotic schedules, the couple sit together once a month to block off their shared Google calendar. Her husband, once an aspiring Nebraska politician, is now the president and CEO of Omaha-based Pioneer Energy Solutions and its 50 employees. He makes the long Hastings-to-Omaha commute even more frequently than his wife. "I keep trying to twist his arm to get a loft apartment in Omaha or Lincoln," she says.
"When we started Bold, one of the things we wanted to do was to connect our rural communities—often rooted in agriculture, small family farms, and ranches—to the creative class in Omaha," she says.
"There is a lot that we can learn from each other, and, from my perspective, there isn't this ridiculous divide that everyone tries to say there is when you start visiting with people (rural vs. urban Nebraskans)."
Bold Nebraska organized a Neil Young and Willie Nelson concert last September. "Harvest the Hope" was situated in a cornfield near Neligh on the pipeline route. The event drew roughly 1,700 Omahans out of 8,500 spectators. A winter season passed, and Kleeb just completed a new creative action on the same cornfield where concertgoers had parked their vehicles.
Bold created a 15-acre crop art message for the White House, a replica of the presidential seal that reads "Climate Legacy #NOKXL." "My body is still sore," she says, recalling the previous week's work of placing flags for the image's tractor and laying landscape mulch fabric. "It was our way to tell the White House that the president's climate legacy, which we know he cares deeply about, is directly tied to the rejection of the Keystone XL."
Whenever Kleeb talks about Bold Nebraska's progressive and populist mission for the state, she uses the first-person plural possessive: "our state." Though not originally from Nebraska, she made it her permanent home in early 2007.
She grew up in south Florida. Both parents were staunch Republicans. Her stay-at-home mother led Broward County Right to Life. As a child, Kleeb often made posters, sat in the back of community meetings, or simply watched mom lead rallies. That was the beginning of her political awareness. Her father owned several Burger King franchises. The whole family would help during the weekends to slice pickles (they didn't used to come pre-cut) and other chores. "I thought all families did that," she says with a laugh.
She went to school in northern Florida then headed to Philadelphia and D.C. for the next decade. Despite voting for Bill Clinton and running an AmeriCorps program, she claims to have remained a registered Republican up until taking a job with Young Democrats of America. She became executive director in 2003 and worked with "Rock the Vote."
A chance encounter at the 2005 Democratic Convention in Phoenix would eventually tie her fate to Nebraska. That's where she met Scott. The handsome Yale graduate, a bull-riding grandson of a Western Nebraska rancher, was considering a bid for the state's third congressional district.
"I thought he couldn't get out of the Republican primary so he ran as a Democrat," she says with a laugh, recalling her first impression of the man who would become her husband. Her admitted "very stereotypical view of Nebraska" changed after she became involved with Scott's campaign. Her life changed when she first visited the Sandhills.
"I had this really fundamental shift when I came to visit Scott on the ranch," she says. "Just talking with young and old ranchers, they have this beautiful view of family and the land—they know every blade of grass on their property, and they know the weather cycles, and they can name every cow that's on their property."
She fell in love with the aspiring politician and his state. Four months after the campaign ended in narrow defeat, they married in March 2007. Her immersion in Nebraska politics was just beginning.
The newlywed Kleeb took a political correspondent job with MTV during the 2008 presidential election. She also helped run her husband's 2008 Senate campaign, which ended in a general election loss to Mike Johanns. Then, after Obama took the White House, the Service Employees International Union sponsored "Change that Works" to petition support for health care reform; Kleeb was named the organization's Nebraska director. She mobilized community support across small towns and cities. She aggressively lobbied then-Senator Ben Nelson, and she found success. Nelson would eventually provide a crucial swing vote for Obamacare in exchange for the notorious "Cornhusker Kickback."
"I knew (Change that Works) would end as soon as the bill got passed in Congress," she says. "I looked around, and I didn't see a statewide organization that was using creativity, that was aggressive online, and wasn't afraid of throwing a punch to politicians who weren't being accountable on issues we cared about. So, I thought that's something that we needed to start."
The concept for Bold Nebraska was born. She met with Omaha philanthropist Dick Holland, a powerful contributor to progressive Democratic causes and candidates. Kleeb pitched her idea. Inspired, Holland offered start-up funds, and she transitioned from health care reform to her ultimate, bold ambition for Nebraska: "to change the political landscape of our state." But she still had no idea her life was about to plunge into a pipeline-induced rabbit hole.
"About three months after we started, I got a phone call about the pipeline. It was from a friend who works at an environmental group, and he said, 'Have you heard about this? It's going to cut across the Sandhills,'" Kleeb says of her first introduction to the Keystone XL.
"I'd never worked on an environmental issue. I didn't know anything about eminent domain or what the tar sands were. But I was intrigued because it was going to cross the Sandhills—and it still will—and that's where my husband's family all homesteaded, where I fell in love with Nebraska. So I was like, okay, I'll go to the meeting."
She traveled to York for a State Department meeting in May 2010. She listened to Nebraska farmers and ranchers voice concerns about threats to livestock, crops, and water supplies. She saw a clear example of "right and wrong," and Bold Nebraska found its first big cause.
Pipeline advocates have alleged that Keystone XL opposition is linked to backing from Omaha's Warren Buffet and Berkshire Hathaway. Some believe that oil transport by rail rather than pipeline would benefit Berkshire-owned BNSF Railway. Bold's early key donor—Dick Holland—is a major Berkshire shareholder and made a fortune investing in Warren Buffet. But Kleeb says the critique is misleading; Buffet has expressed support for the Keystone XL.
"That's a conspiracy theory," she says. "I wish I had Warren Buffet money. I've asked. Life is not that filled with conspiracy. But the conspiracy theory about the FBI secretly taping us, that turned out to be true [and was reported by The Guardian and The New York Times]." The FBI and TransCanada had been advising law enforcement how anti-terrorism laws and tactics could be used against pipeline activists. After completing her latest crop art project, Kleeb filed a Freedom of Information Act request to find out what the FBI has on file for her.
Weighing the danger of rail versus pipeline, both are risky. "But they are different risks," she says. "There are more accidents on rail, but they spill less oil. Pipelines have fewer accidents each year, but when they spill, they spill more oil into the ground and water. So it's not either/or for me. Both need to be made safer."
As Kleeb's pipeline fight drags on, Omaha continues to play an important staging ground. The locally headquartered Domina Law Group is representing landowners and Bold Nebraska. In January, the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled that the proposed Keystone XL route could remain in place; however, attorneys with Domina are ready to file lawsuits contesting TransCanada's eminent domain. Final say on the permit must be determined at the federal level. At the time of publication, the State Department's analysis of the pipeline remained underway, and Kleeb anticipated that President Obama would reject the pipeline permit. "We think that we will prevail. Because it's a very clear constitutional question," she says.
Several Omaha musicians were featured on a Stopping the Pipeline Rocks album recorded last spring in a solar barn on the Keystone XL route. Over the summer, Kleeb and Bold Nebraska's team organized a solidarity event at the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge as climate marchers passed into Iowa on their walk from California to Washington D.C.
During the fall election season, Kleeb and the Cowboy Indian Alliance canvased Omaha neighborhoods door-to-door on horseback. They pushed hard to prevent reelection of Republican Congressman Lee Terry, a vocal advocate of the Keystone XL. His replacement, Democrat Brad Ashford, is, much to Kleeb's dismay, also a pipeline proponent of the Keystone XL.
"Brad Ashford says he is concerned about climate change. But you can't be concerned about climate change and then want to expand the tar sands, which is one of the dirtiest forms of oil," she says.
Keystone XL has fractured political alliances along fascinating lines. While labor unions and corporate interests generally endorse the pipeline, many libertarians oppose it on the grounds of government taking private land while environmentalists oppose it for ecological reasons. "It is definitely an unlikely alliance," Kleeb says, noting that some of Bold's regular donors are conservative Republicans.
National polls by CBS News, the Pew Research Center, USA Today and the Princeton Survey Research Associates International found that between 56 and 60 percent of the American public supported the Keystone XL. Kleeb says that Bold Nebraska's polls for Omaha specifically have found support/opposition split closer to 50-50.
In spite of her affiliation with the Democratic Party, Kleeb would like to see Bold Nebraska straddle bipartisan politics. Growing numbers of registered independent Nebraskan voters gives her hope. "My mom and dad raised me as a Republican," says Kleeb. "That's why when I see the majority of Republicans in our state, including Omaha, it never deters me that someone in our state with populist and progressive ideas cannot get elected."
During the course of the one-hour interview with Omaha Magazine, Kleeb never once checks the time. She has been speaking confidently and eloquently about her life, her politics, and the Keystone XL until minutes before the start of "Politics and Pints" and the launching of "In the Neb." The interview concludes, and Kleeb has to leave. She heads to her minivan. She picks up another pile of signs and flyers. She walks down to the Farnam House Brewing Company.
The bar is packed. Petitions, surveys, and tickets for complimentary beers float freely. Kleeb stands amid the chattering crowd and calls for attention. Silence. Her stage presence exudes the same sense of friendly, genuine sincerity that she has practiced as a pundit on Fox News and in one-on-one conversations across Nebraska.
Kleeb introduces the current status of the pipeline. Other speakers from labor unions and environmental groups take the floor: opposing the Trans Pacific Partnership, lamenting out-of-state fracking waste disposal proposals in western Nebraska, introducing Bold Nebraska's "In the Neb." project.
Enthusiastic clapping follows each call for change. Especially boisterous applause comes from 64-year-old Deirdre Evans of the Joslyn Castle neighborhood. A regular at Bold Nebraska events, Evans even went to Washington D.C. in 2011 to be arrested for the first time while protesting the Keystone XL outside the White House. "Jane is my hero," says Evans after the speakers conclude.
As Kleeb chats with glowing admirers, her ascendance in regional progressive politics becomes apparent. But her compatibility with the general electorate has yet to be tested.
In 2010, she was elected as a school board member in Hastings on a platform of healthy lunches, "which prompted the GOP in Nebraska to run robocalls telling voters I wanted to make their kids vegetarians," she says, noting that she loved serving on the school board.
An important question remains. What are Kleeb's future political ambitions? Does she see herself elected someday to represent Nebraskan constituents in the state or national capitol? She responded to the follow-up question by e-mail without delay:
"If I run for office, it will be focused on a platform of ending eminent domain for private gain and working towards energy projects that protect our land and water. I still also deeply care and worry about the lack of residential treatment facilities in our state for eating disorders and other mental illnesses that need that type of care for folks to recover.
"So, yes, I am considering running. When, where, and for what office—that I am not sure about. Right now, I keep listening to folks to see where we can make the most impact to keep showing the rest of the country what Nebraskans are made of—grit, creativity, and the resolve to get things done."
Posted in: Leaders, Omaha Magazine, People, Publications
Topics: "Stopping the Pipeline Rocks", #NOKXXL, Archetype Coffee, Berkshire Hathaway, Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, Bold Nebraska, Brad Ashford, Canada, CBS News, conservative, Cowboy Indian Alliance, Democrat, Dick Holland, Domino Law Group, energy, environment, Farm House Brewing Company, featured, Freedom of Information Act, Greg Grey Cloud, Hastings, Jane Fleming Kleeb, Jane Kleeb, Joslyn Castle neighborhood, Justin Kemerling, Keystone XL, Lakota, Lee Terry Jr., liberal, Mark Hefflinger, MTV, Nebraska, Neil Young, Neligh, Ogallala Aquifer, Omaha, Omaha Tribe, Pew Research Center, Pioneer Energy Solutions, Princeton Survey Research Associates, Republican, Sandhills, Scott Kleeb, Texas, the Black Snake Pipeline, TransCandad, University of Texas, USA Today, Warren Buffet, Willa Cather, Willie Nelson
September 16, 2014 by Robert Nelson
Scott Kleeb spent countless hours crisscrossing Nebraska as a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006 and U.S. Senate in 2008. He was the Democrat in a Nebraska election, so he lost both times. But, he says, he learned much in the process and learned much from the thousands of Nebraskans he met.
One comment in particular by a man in Scottsbluff reverberates to this day. "I was talking about cleaner energy sources and this old guy raises his hand," Kleeb says. "The man says, 'You're wrong. What we need to do is focus on conservation.'"
A seed was planted and later, a business was born. Kleeb's company, Energy Pioneers, which recently moved its headquarters from Kleeb's hometown of Hastings, Neb., to Omaha, is dedicated to helping homeowners and the utilities that serve them significantly reduce consumption. The goal for homeowners: Reduce energy bills. The goal for utilities: "Make it so they don't have to build more power plants," Kleeb says.
The global goal for this longtime voice for cleaner air: "Fewer greenhouse gasses," Kleeb says.
Of course, Kleeb's business model is, in a broad sense, nothing new. OPS has had energy-saving incentives for years. Several companies provide energy evaluations for homes and then help homeowners remove their energy hogs.
But Energy Pioneers takes a holistic, one-stop-shopping, (sorry for the following business cliché) "turnkey" approach to the process. That's why they're growing so briskly, with satellite offices now from Oklahoma to Chicago. (The company has 60 employees with a plan to reach 100 employees in the near future).
Energy Pioneers inspectors come into your home and conduct a free assessment of your energy efficiency. During a follow-up consultation, homeowners are given a detailed breakdown of deficiencies, solutions, and the cost of the overhaul.
Homeowners can hire outside contractors, or, the company can set up the work for the homeowner.
The kicker comes next: After establishing a financing program in conjunction with the local utility, Energy Pioneers can help homeowners set up financing through area banks that they can pay off in installments as part of their monthly utility bill. Thanks to the energy savings (which Energy Pioneers guarantees), the homeowners pays less per month even though they are paying off the cost of the home upgrades. Another cliché alert: "Yes," Kleeb says. "It's a win, win."
Or win, win, win. The utilities are adding a sustainable energy program to their portfolio. And, in the long run, the utilities could be making some very tangible reductions in our carbon footprint. Specifically, by reducing the amount of electricity utilities produce, Energy Pioneers can help utilities handle growing usage demands by increasing efficiency. With enough eco-friendly homes, that next 300 megawatt power plant may not need to be built.
"People want to be greener, those who run the utilities want to be part of a progressive-thinking utility," he says. "We make it seamless for everyone involved. We really believe we've reached the point where we've taken out all the reasons a homeowner could give for not making their home more energy efficient."
Posted in: B2B Magazine, Business, Publications
Topics: Democrat, election, energy, Energy Pioneers, featured, holistic, Omaha, Scott Kleeb, U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate


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Can You Spot Fake News? A New Game Puts Your Knowledge to the Test
Bryn Dunbar
In 2017, misinformation is easier than ever to access. During the 2016 election, scammers—including hordes of Macedonian teens—raked in serious money by churning out deliberately fake stories about U.S. politics, with a very real impact. In a December 2016 Pew Research Center survey, 64 percent of U.S. adults said that fabricated news was sowing "a great deal of confusion" about current events.
It can be hard to determine what's real and what's fake in the viral news world. A new game—expected to launch for iPhone on July 10—will test your skills. Fake News, designed by the creative agency ISL, asks players to distinguish between headlines found on true stories and headlines drawn from fake news sites (as determined by fact-checking sites like Snopes, Politifact, FactCheck.org).
The simple, arcade-style game for iPhone asks you to swipe left on fake headlines and swipe right on true ones. You have 100 seconds to sort through as many headlines as you can, competing for the highest score with other users. For instance, did Arby's really get its name because "RB" is another way of saying roast beef? (No, RB stands for Raffel Brothers, the founders.) Does Jeff Goldblum really have a food truck named Chef Goldblum's? (Kind of. It was a film promotion stunt.)
Fake News also exists as a physical arcade game. The creators installed a table-top arcade game in a D.C. bar on July 5, and may install it elsewhere depending on demand.
The game is harder than you'd expect, even if you think of yourself as fairly well-informed. As research has found, viral stories require two things: limited attention spans and a network already overwhelmed with information. In other words, our daily Internet lives. The more information we try to handle at one time, the more likely it is that we'll fall for fake news.
Scientists found in a recent study that warning people that political groups try to spread misinformation about certain issues (like climate change) can help people sort through dubious claims. While that's good to remember, it's not always useful in real-life situations. It certainly won't help you win this game.
One of the reasons Fake News is so hard, even if you keep abreast of everyday news, is that it doesn't tell you where the headlines are from. Checking the source is often the easiest way to determine the veracity of a story—although it's not a foolproof system.
Need help finding those sources? This Chrome plug-in will flag news from troublesome sources in your Facebook feed.
Update: The game is available for iOS here.
games News politics science


Sometimes doing nothing means everything.
Meditation can have a profound impact in reducing anxiety and stress.
While there are many ways to meditate, the ability to sustain your attention on one thing for a period of time is the foundation of them all.
Nothing is created in a vacuum. The emergence of meditation as a cultural staple in America is in large part a response to the continual fragmentation of attention. How one meditates can vary widely; different practices suit varying temperaments. Carving time into your day to focus on one thing for a sustained period does everyone good, for a clear mind is a healthy one. Reduce the stress of your own life and you tend to share that reward by being kinder to others.
Beyond anxiety reduction, there is the attentional deficit many of us are suffering from. As we offload more information to our devices, opportunities for sustained attention are dwindling. Why remember the route you're taking when a map will carry you along? Why remember anything at all? Unfortunately, memory is critical for healthy cognitive functioning. Lose that and we lose everything.
Whether five minutes or five hours, the quality of time you put into a meditation practice matters. As with many practices, the more, the better, but even as little as ten minutes a day can be highly beneficial.
If you're new to meditation, you might ask: Where to start? With something we all share, as advised by someone who's been mediating his entire life.
The great advantage of choosing one's breath as the object of mindfulness training is that breathing is an instinctive and effortless activity, something which we do as long as we are alive, so there is no need to strive hard to find the object of this practice.
But what is it? As mentioned, meditation means different things to different people, though I appreciate this definition by a master, which discusses the importance of presence.
Meditation is to be aware of every thought and of every feeling, never to say it is right or wrong but just to watch it and move with it. In that watching you begin to understand the whole movement of thought and feeling. And out of this awareness comes silence. Silence put together by thought is stagnation, is dead, but the silence that comes when thought has understood its own beginning, the nature of itself, understood how all thought is never free but always old—this silence is meditation in which the meditator is entirely absent, for the mind has emptied itself of the past.
While mysticism is often advertised as a benefit of meditation, I prefer a secular practice, which is why I choose breathing as my point of focus. No idolatry, no divinity, just physiology. Not that a different focus is wrong, mind you, it simply doesn't speak to me. My mystical inclination leans more in this direction.
Meditation is about embracing what is happening to this organism as it touches its environment in this moment. I do not reject the experience of the mystical. I reject only the view that the mystical is concealed behind what is merely apparent, that is anything other than what is occurring in time and space right now. The mystical does not transcend the world, but saturates it.
The biggest benefit, for me, is perspective. Meditation has helped me deal with the here and now in profound ways, including as an antidote to my longstanding history with panic attacks. The mystical and biological are not separate, as this neuroscientist explains.
When one breathes in the slow, measured way that is commonly taught in meditation, yoga, and relaxation training, the vagus nerve, which controls the parasympathetic nervous system, becomes more active, and the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic system improves. As a result, heart rate variability increases, and the times when it is somewhat slower provide windows of opportunity for automatic processes to drive heart rate down and thus reduce elevated blood pressure and other sympathetic responses.
Controlling your nervous system with sustained practice is truly profound, considering they are generally autonomic processes. Many meditators also focus on the processes we control, including the dark spaces we don't always like to discuss. This, of course, isn't necessarily pretty. It means understanding and, if necessary, changing habits.
Body awareness puts us in touch with our inner world, the landscape of our organism. Simply noticing our annoyance, nervousness, or anxiety immediately helps us shift our perspective and opens up new options other than our automatic, habitual reactions. Mindfulness puts us in touch with the transitory nature of our feelings and perceptions. When we pay focused attention to our bodily sensations, we can recognize the ebb and flow of our emotions and, with that, increase our control over them.
Mediation is often pictured as peaceful, but anyone wrestling with their mind knows this not to be true. You can get there, but it takes work. That work means owning all of yourself.
The freedom the Buddha envisioned does not come from jettisoning imprisoning thoughts and feelings or from abandoning the suffering self; it comes from learning how to hold it all differently, juggling them rather than cleaving to their ultimate realities.
Including pain, which can be an entry point into healing.
Since the essence of meditation is awareness, any sensation that anchors attention can be used as support—and pain particularly can be very effective in focusing.
Of course, this also means recognizing your place in the bigger picture, which I find to be more liberating than frightening. As an animal fearful of death, however, this is no easy path.
It is because our way of observing things is deeply rooted in our self-centered ideas that we are disappointed when we find everything has only a tentative existence. But when we actually realize this truth, we will have no suffering.
Because once existential threat is managed, you begin to understand empathy and compassion.
Meditation is thus a form of centering, which involves our disengagement from the machine of our mind and our resting in the heart.
Putting these qualities into action, however, is another story—one worth living.
To really do nothing, with perfection, is as difficult as doing everything.


The 10″ Sovereign mattress combines 4-layers of memory foam for a cool, comfortable, and deep night's sleep. Utilizing the technology of Gelution® Memory Foam, the Sovereign continuously adjusts to ever changing body temperatures to provide a cool sleeping surface. Plus, with an extra-thick layer of base foam, the Sovereign encourages deeper sleep and heightened body recovery upon waking.
Gelution™ Memory Foam is visco memory foam that is infused with micro gel beads to cool the mattress sleep surface.


Channel carefree boho vibes in the Gold Dot Blouse from KINGA CSILLA. Luxuriously constructed from black pure cotton voile, this blouse lends a folk silhouette and is rendered with gold lurex spot detailing all-over.
Our model is wearing a size AU 8 blouse. She is 178cm (5'10") tall, has a 82cm (32.5") bust, 62cm (24.5") waist and 89cm (35") hips.
Cold hand wash. Cold gentle hand wash with similar colours.


Raquel, 6, was born without the ability to hear and received cochlear implants at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago from Dr. Nancy Young, Head, Section of Otology/Neurotology and Medical Director, Audiology & Cochlear Implant Programs.
For the hard of hearing who cannot hear well enough to understand spoken language, a cochlear implant system is the answer. It includes a surgically implanted device and a speech processor worn behind the ear to hold the batteries and microphone. Cochlear implant systems enable children to hear more sounds including soft, high-pitched sounds important to understanding spoken language.
In 2017, Raquel's older brother Avery, 11, noticed that his sister's small ears were struggling under the weight of her cochlear implant speech processor, especially when it was connected to the FM system she uses at school to hear her teacher when background noise is present.
"Children with cochlear implants and small ears need a better way to carry the batteries," Avery said.
In addition to improving the quality of Raquel's life, the design won MED-EL's Ideas4Ears contest in the fall of 2017, landing the family a trip to Innsbruck, Austria, to visit the headquarters of MED-EL, the cochlear implant company that makes Raquel cochlear implant system. The trip, which took place in spring 2018, provided Raquel, her siblings and parents the opportunity to shake the hands of the people who actually manufactured the device that allows her to hear.
Lurie Children's Cochlear Implant Program is one of the largest and most experienced programs in the world. Founder Nancy Young, MD, has performed more than 1,700 cochlear procedures since 1991. The multidisciplinary team collaborates closely with parents as partners to ensure each child has the opportunity to achieve their potential.
To learn more about the cochlear implant program at Lurie Children's, click here.