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Home News	Things Gov. MAKINDE Did To Dazzle The People Of OYO State
Things Gov. MAKINDE Did To Dazzle The People Of OYO State
written by City People October 7, 2020
•The Shocking Things City People Found Out
Gov. Seyi Makinde, the Governor of Oyo State is not your usual kind of Governor. He is different. He is an unusual kind of Governor. He is realistic. He is down to earth. He has no airs around him. He has done a lot, yet he does not think it is necessary to talk about it. By nature he does not like to blow his own trumpet. He usually leaves it to others to do.
Thrice, City People formally requested for an interview with him, thrice the request was unacknowledged and unaccepted. The response was simple: Gov. Makinde does not like to talk about his many achievements, we were told. And then we decided to take it upon ourselves to find out what he has been able to do since he came in to office 15 months ago. And what we found out is really amazing.
Right now, across Oyo State, the approval rating of Gov. Seyi Makinde has shot up and reached an all time high, on account of his remarkable performance in the last 15 months in office.
City People gathered that since he came in as Governor he has systematically tackled all the problems he inherited from his predecessor, late Senator Abiola Ajimobi. He started by first spending the first few months to recover all stolen funds running into billions from the leaders of the previous administration and spent part of it to complete all the uncompleted projects that litter the state, before starting his own. Since he took over, Oyo State workers are now paid on due date, Pensioners are now beginning to smile, as he has begun paying their arrears, among several other things he has done.
He has done a lot in 15 months. This include: big investments and revenue generating projects, like Remodeling of Alakia Airport to International Airport; Remodeling of Adamasigba Stadium to world standard; Establishment of Oyo Dry ports; Remodeling of Dugbe Business district; Remodeling of Oyo State Farm Settlements; Construction of Modern Bus terminals to centralized transportation and Generate Huge Revenue through the medium; ending the joint ownership of LAUTECH between Oyo and Osun State; Getting Out of School Children back to the school with Free Primary and Secondary educational policy; Lighting Up of all the major roads and dark spots in the state; Creating 10,000 teaching jobs through TESCOM; Digitalization of C of O; Remodeling of Agbowo Shopping Complex; Remodeling of Adeoyo Hospital to Adeoyo Gynecologist Teaching Hospital; Construction and Establishment of working Primary Health Care Center in all Local Governments in State; Construction and Renovation of many Primary and Secondary School buildings in the State; Construction of ultra modern Local government service commission/ Pension Board Building with Staff Training Hall; Remodeling Oyo State Fire Services and Purchase of more Fire Engines; Equipping of all General Hospital in the state with modern Equipments; Purchase Patrol Vans with Modern Equipment for Security apparatus and Amotekun Outfit in the State; Construction of inter-city Road in state like Moniya-Iseyin; Iseyin- Ogbomosho, Ajia-Alakia Airport Road, Ibadan Circular Road, Completion of all abandoned Roads by past Government. Many also commend his frugal spending. He is one governor who still drives his personal cars.
A few months back, Governor Seyi Makinde himself revealed how his administration completed 307 projects in the Education sector, while 236 others are on-going, within its first year in office.
Gov Makinde maintained that despite the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic, his administration has remained focused and that it has leveraged the setback to improve the Health care system.
"It has been one year since we took over office as administrators of the Oyo State Government. And like every administrator knows, there is a time for acting, and a time for accounting. Ultimately, we will be rendering a full account of our stewardship by 2023. But before then, it is only fair and just to mark where we are coming from, so we can determine how far we have gone. As our elders say, when a person embarks on a journey, he should stop from time to time, to ensure he has not strayed from the path".
"But, before I share with you some of our accomplishments in the past year, let me take a moment to thank you. Yes, I especially thank every one of you good citizens of Oyo State for your trust and support in the past year. I felt your love when I came down with COVID-19. Your private and public messages and prayers were well received".
"Our COVID-19 response in Oyo State has been backed by data, science and logic. So far, these parameters have not failed us. Indeed, despite the international, national and local setback of this pandemic, we have remained focused".
The governor, said, instead of seeing COVID-19 as a setback, we chose to leverage it to improve our healthcare system. Oyo State collaborated with the Virology Department of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, to set up a Diagnostic Centre which was approved by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control to test for COVID-19."
"We also upgraded one of our facilities at Olodo to an Infectious Disease Research and Treatment Centre. Instead of spending money on temporary isolation centres that will serve little or no purpose outside this pandemic, we chose to do something permanent.
"We have renovated and equipped General Hospitals and Primary Healthcare facilities. We also implemented a new funding structure for our Primary Healthcare system. The benefits of this new system will be evident in the coming months. Furthermore, we bought and kitted ambulances to improve our emergency operations".
He also expressed the confidence that, going by the performance of his administration in its first year in office, the future is, indeed, bright for the state.
Makinde also appreciated residents of the state for the trust they have reposed in his administration.
The governor equally urged the people to keep supporting the administration, with a view to making the best decisions for their overall good.
The governor noted that in one year, he has remained focused on the goal of developing the state.
He said in line with his promise to build on the programmes of past administrations that were structured properly, his administration has, so far, completed 239 projects awarded by the previous administration in the Education sector as well as 68 others awarded by his government.
"We have kept our promise to finish what previous administrations left undone instead of selfishly starting new ones. We looked at the books and found projects from as far back as 2011.
"So far, in the Education sector, we have completed 239 projects awarded by the previous administration and 68 awarded by our own administration. This year, we started 236 projects which are currently ongoing."
"These projects include construction of schools and classrooms, construction of Early Child Development centres, renovation of schools, installation of boreholes, supply of furniture and sports equipment and other procurements."
On the Economy, Governor Makinde maintained that there had been incremental changes in the state's Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), following the introduction of a new IGR framework in November 2019, noting that between December 2019 and February 2020, the state's IGR figures had been between N2.43 billion. and N2.7 billion.
"We have started the Park Management System to bring sanity and order to the Transportation sector. It also generates funds for the government. We are working towards ensuring that the process runs seamlessly."
"We have renovated and rehabilitated roads and started a Zero Pothole Policy for our roads, first in Ibadan, and this will be expanded to other towns.
Likewise, he noted "we paid counterpart funding of N350 million so that we can benefit from the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP). This will enable us to rehabilitate 1,000 kilometres of rural roads.
"In Land and Housing, we built a digitised platform with georeferencing for electronic Certificate of Occupancy. You can now get your C of O within 60 days of payment.
"We have improved in the area of ease of doing business and set up the Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency to harness our competitive advantage in agriculture."
In the area of Security, the governor said that the administration is building a Security Architecture that the people of Oyo State would be proud of, explaining that aside working with federal security agencies by providing equipment and vehicles, the signing of the Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun) Bill 2019 into law to complement the efforts of the federal security agencies were part of the administration's innovations to ensure adequate security in Oyo State.
"Just recently, I commissioned a new mobile police force squadron, Mopol 72 at Ago-Are in Oke Ogun zone. We have provided vehicles and state-of-the-art communication equipment to facilitate their response to crime. We have also operationalised the Emergency Contact Number, 615," the governor said.
According to the governor, the administration has, in one year, kept up with the promise of prompt payment of salaries and pensions for civil and public servants on the 25th of every month and sometimes, earlier, as well as ensuring the payment of more outstanding gratuities for retired civil servants in the past one year than the previous administration paid in eight years.
He noted that all these were being done to ensure that funds are constantly being injected into the state's economy, thus benefiting both the formal and informal sectors.
Governor Makinde, however, said that upon the realization that for more capital projects to be realised, the state would need to spend more, it had to take loans, which were strategically thought-out and targeted at capital projects.
The state only, borrowed money for priority projects that would boost the economy, adding that the loans were being taken with "aggressively negotiated terms and conditions" and that the state had only borrowed in naira, which "means that our loan repayments will not be subject to the fluctuations of foreign exchange."
He said: "Earlier in our administration, we took a loan of 10 billion naira. This was an Infrastructure Loan Facility and it is being used to facilitate the building of the very strategic Moniya-Iseyin road.
On the N7.6 billion loan taken by the previous administration for the purchase of Agriculture equipment, we approached the CBN to repurpose that loan for upgrading the Akufo and Eruwa farm settlements into farm estates.
"More recently, the legislature gave us their approval to take a N22.5 billion Infrastructural loan N2.5 billion will be used to further upgrade healthcare infrastructure and facilitate our COVID-19 response. While N20 billion is going to be spent on various infrastructural projects including the Light Up Oyo State Phase II, building of bus terminals, security architecture, junction improvements, road projects and more."
"With the Oyo State Financial Crimes Commission Act 2019 in place, you can be assured of Transparency and Accountability in all our transactions. You will recall that we initiated and signed that bill into law."
The governor also took time to explain why the administration has been unable to meet its promise on Ikere Gorge Dam, saying that though the administration had high hopes to boost fishery, the dam has been given to private concessionaires by the Federal Government.
He assured that the state was already in discussions with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) to ensure that Oyo State's interest is factored into the arrangement.
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This drink offers a deep, rich flavour of walnuts with a hint of caramel, a smoothly sweet drink with a touch of creamy walnut bitterness.
Using the walnuts from centuries-old walnut trees and clear, spring water this drink will conjure up forest adventures, golden leaves and autumn delights.
Recommended serve: Drink neat, to complement a meal or as an excellent ingredient to desserts/coffees/cocktails mixes. Your imagination is your only limitation.


While I was working on my submission for the TDC Christmas Competition 2007, I kept getting distracted by new ideas. This ultimately led to my dropping out of the competition, but this is one of the results of my inability to hold concentration.
I have developed a rating system similar to the one used by the ESRB called the KSVRS, or Klik Software Voluntary Rating System. The system isn't limited to klik software, and can be used for other types of programs as well. It consists of 8 different ratings, from Early Age 1+, to Restricted 21+. Now, some of the available ratings may seem redundant, but that isn't your problem, it's mine. What is your problem, however, is rating your game, should you choose to do such a thing. For those that can't decide what rating to give their program, I have created a supplement program for the system, called the KSVRS Ratings Notepad. The program can be used to rate your games, or to access links to the images on the internet, should you choose to put the rating on a webpage.
- Tags stating further details about the rating.
- A tag stating the difficulty of using the program.
- A tag stating the maximum number of simultaneous users.
- A tag stating whether the game has online capability.
Remember that this is a voluntary system, and you aren't obligated to use it. I just figured that maybe someone would think it a good idea, what with all the different games released on this site, there isn't really a good way to know what kind of content lies within.
All comments are accepted. Thank you for your time!
YES, I'M SORRY. I was just preparing the website for the KSVRS on my Google Pages, when I decided it might be cool if I used my own program to get the image links, and I realized that I corrupted my own program. So, I have fixed it, tried it, and it works now. Sorry for any inconvenience it may have caused anyone.
it works for me... try it now.
Hmm, I have to sign up to esnips to download?
Is that asking if you have to, or is that a statement in the form of a question, because I downloaded things from esnips before I started an account without having to sign up.
Generally, if everyone on the site happened to start using this, it would lead to alot of self-censorship that would make it worthless. However, I don't particularly see that happening, so I'd say this is a nicely crafted program for those who opt to use it.
Ok honestly, I was going to try to navigate that ESNIPS site, find your download, and host it myself so you'd have something better for the DL link, but cripes theres no way to download the file from what I can tell. The direct dl link just asks you to log in, even if you're already logged in, and then redirects you to your account.
You need to host this on a better firesharing method; I'd personally recommend using googlepages if you have a gmail account. If you don't just make one.
I changed the host to my new Google Page. Thanks for the suggestion. I can't believe I didn't know that was there! Anyway, if the TDC wants to integrate the system, (which I doubt) they can do that. I made it because I figured at least someone might like it.
games can either recieve an F or an NF.
shouldnt we have a rating system? maybe not complicated. but like a warning about what kind of content it has? of course big games that take awhile to play would take awhile to rate. sigh.
Its been discussed multiple times before. A ratings system leads to censorship. Even if its 100% optional, it leads to self-censorship. So while I support the idea in theory, it has some bad consequences.
I get what you're saying, but I just don't get why people feel that they mustn't make mature games if there's a ratings system. Just make the game, rate it when you're done, then release it, whether its mature or for babies.


TDS means Tax deducted at source. Tax is deducted by the person while making the payment to any other person. TDS is an effective mechanism by which Government can reach a vast revenue bracket.
Income-tax Act have bifurcated the TDS provisions according to different kind of payments such as Salary, Commission, Rent, Royalty etc.
Let us take a review of how much tax is required to be deducted against various payments.
If the Gross receipts of a freelancer exceeds Rs. 25 lakhs during the financial year, then TDS provisions shall become applicable to him for the next financial year.


Policy analysts and Islamist scholars are fiercely divided in their assessments of Tablighi Jamaat, an Islamic revivalist organization that has spread from its origins in India in the 1920s to the broader Muslim world. What accounts for these starkly different accounts, and how can one resolve some of the deeply perplexing questions surrounding this important and secretive organization?
Policy communities, for their part, have depicted the Tablighi Jamaat as a "gateway to terrorism" and contend that the organization poses numerous, underestimated security risks. The group appeared peripherally in such high-profile cases as those of Jose Padilla, Richard Reid and John Walker Lindh, all of whom allegedly used the group as their stepping stone to radicalism. However, the Islamic studies community tends to depict Tablighi Jamaat 1, which roughly translates to "group to deliver the message of Islam," as a revivalist organization that eschews politics in its quest to reform society. What accounts for these starkly different accounts, and how can one resolve some of the deeply perplexing questions surrounding this important and secretive organization?
In an attempt to better understand this movement and its social, political, and potential security implications, the Center for Conflict Analysis and Prevention at the U.S. Institute of Peace hosted Eva Borreguero, visiting Fulbright Scholar at Georgetown University's Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, to present some of the key findings of her ongoing research on the Tablighi Jamaat. This talk drew on Borreguero's recent fieldwork in India and Pakistan, two important centers for the Tablighi Jamaat. This USIPeaceBrieing highlights Borreguero's arguments, as well as some of the important issues that arose during the discussion that followed her presentation.
In Britain, France, and the United States, the Tablighi Jamaat has appeared on the fringes of several terrorism investigations, leading some to speculate that its apolitical stance simply masks "fertile ground for breeding terrorism." 2 While acknowledging the involvement of the movement's individuals, Borreguero discounted the claims made against the organization itself.
Borreguero began her assessment by providing an historical overview of this complex movement. Maulana Muhammad Ilyas founded the Tablighi Jamaat in 1925, against the backdrop of the British Empire and a waning Muslim identity in South Asia. Believing that social, political, and economic hardships beset Muslims in India, Ilyas sought a return to a pristine form of Islam from the heterodox variants flourishing in South Asia. For nearly two decades, the Tablighi Jamaat operated mainly within South Asia. With the ascent of Maulana Yusuf, Ilyas' son, as its second emir (leader), the group began to expand activities in 1946, and within two decades the group reached Southwest and Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America. Initially it expanded its reach to South Asian diaspora communities, first in Arab countries then in Southeast Asia. Once established, the Tablighi Jamaat began engaging local populations as well. Although the group first established itself in the United States, Britain is the current locus of the group in the West, primarily due to the large South Asian population that began to arrive there in the 1960s and 1970s.
Despite its secretive nature, Borreguero offered some insights into the organizational structure of the Tablighi Jamaat. The general conception of the group is of a nebulous collection of loosely affiliated, itinerate jamaats. While this is one major component of the group, there is a fixed, hierarchical network of elders and mosques, and the two components do overlap. According to Borreguero, the core of the organization is comprised of "full-time" Tablighis who comprise the shura (council) and who are usually the elders of the mosques affiliated with the group.
In addition to this core, there are the traveling Tablighis who undertake proselytizing missions over varying durations. Formed into jamaats of approximately ten people, these Tablighis' missions last three days, forty days (chilla), four months, or one year. The jamaat's destination and desired area of focus generally determines the length of these missions. Those who go for three days concentrate on a local city, while a jamaat traveling for a month will do so throughout their country. The longer tours of four months to one year generally take the Tablighis abroad.
During these tours, the jamaat—under the leadership of its emir—stays at a local mosque, which serves as its base for the duration. Four or five members of the group conduct daily ghast, during which they visit neighborhoods (or neighborhoods with large Muslim populations if in a non-Muslim country) and homes, asking the men of the household to attend mosque for Maghrib (sunset) prayers. Those who attend are offered the dawa (invitation) as the Tablighis outline their six principles and encourage attendees to form their own jamaat. Members voluntarily work for the organization and there is no registration process in the group. Participants are free to leave the movement at any time. Consequently, Tablighi Jamaat has a loose, informal recruitment process and attracts members of varying commitment. For example, some members only engage in group activities episodically, while others will do so annually. All of these factors contribute to the uncertainty regarding Tablighi Jamaat's membership numbers.
Tablighis in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh have competing claims as to which comprises the movement's international headquarters. Those in India contend that Nizamuddin (India) is the base, since the movement grew out of the Deoband school of Islam and it is in Delhi that the group was founded. However, elders in Raiwind (Pakistan) and Tongi (Bangladesh) dispute Nizamuddin's final authority, citing their countries' majority Muslim populations and claiming that the organization can operate more openly.
South Asia is by far the most significant region for the group, with Mecca and Medina also serving as important geographical symbols. The organization is diverse and includes persons from nearly every sector of society across the countries of South Asia and beyond. Within South Asia, members of the lower-middle class and the business community have joined the group and some members even hold government posts. In the West, second and third generation Muslim diaspora make up the main pool of Tablighis. This demographic usually has little knowledge of Islam but are also not fully assimilated to culture in the West. According to Borreguero, the Tablighi Jamaat "is a source of re-Islamization that provides an alternative to religious institutions." These individuals tend to be well-educated, multilingual, and have lived in both the West and a Muslim country. She noted that the Tablighi Jamaat also has some appeal to marginal members of society (petty criminals, drug abusers, and so on) who are looking for a renewed identity that submerges them in a community of piety.
Borreguero sees several salient features which explain the Tablighi Jamaat's successful transformation from a local South Asian movement into a robust transnational phenomenon, including its simple message, its non-political character, the authority of its leadership, and its policy of secrecy.
A Simple Message: Tablighi Jamaat's simple message is compromised of six basic principles formulated by Muhammad Ilyas in 1934 (See TABLE 1). With its easily understood literature, the organization reaches a wide population, varying in education and knowledge of Islam. Eschewing abstract debates on doctrine, the group focuses on the need to reform the individual spirit.
Distance from Politics: While some current and former Tablighis occupy government posts in South Asia, the Tablighi Jamaat asserts an avowedly apolitical stance. Rather than seeking to improve the well-being of society as a whole, the group focuses on transforming the individual. Borreguero argued that this approach allows the group to remain adaptable to diverse socio-political contexts and has facilitated its expansion. By remaining apolitical (unlike the Muslim Brotherhood), the Tablighi Jamaat avoids political confrontation, allowing it to exist in countries from Latin America to Africa to the Middle East without fear of proscription. However, Borreguero emphasized that this does not completely separate the movement from political authority: some members of Tablighi Jamaat have held government positions in Pakistan and Bangladesh, and the group tends to keep close and peaceful ties with governments in South Asia.
Respect for Authority: Tablighi Jamaat respects political authority, perhaps because the group itself is hierarchical in nature and emphasizes the authority of group elders.
Absolute Secrecy: An important key to the group's transnational appeal is the near absolute secrecy with which it operates. Very little is known about the group's inner workings because it does not hold official records of its membership and leadership ranks, nor does it keep formal financial books or minutes of shura decision-making. Other than Muhammad Ilyas' "Six Principles" there is no other overarching doctrine to which the group adheres. According to Borreguero, maintaining secrecy stems not from a concern that authorities will uncover any nefarious dealings within the movement. Instead, it is ostensibly a shield against charismatic personalities creating internecine squabbles and splinter factions.
To some analysts, this neutrality is enough to make them culpable. Borreguero admits that militant groups may try to infiltrate the Tablighi Jamaat in order to gain a cover for obtaining visas and traveling abroad. Also, individual members may come to find that the movement's principles are too apolitical and neutral for their liking. Members of militant groups often attend the Tablighi Jamaat's Ijtima (congregation) in Raiwind, where they hand out recruitment pamphlets. It is thus possible that a flame sparked and fueled by Tabligh could begin to burn out of control.
While much light was shed on the Tablighi Jamaat, many questions still remain. To some, its official secrecy and peripheral links to some nefarious individuals have nullified its choice to remain outside politics. But, as scholar Barbara Metcalf writes, "Islamic movements [like the Tablighi Jamaat] may have many goals and offer a range of social, moral, and spiritual satisfactions that are positive and not merely a reactionary rejection of modernity or 'the West.' Quite simply, these movements may, in the end, have much less to do with 'us' than is often thought." Borreguero's insights provided a gateway to better assess the group's motives and machinations. It may well be that the study of the Tablighi Jamaat as an apolitical traditionalist movement gives an alternate lens through which security concerns over Islamist groups' hostility toward the West can be viewed.
2. See Craig S. Smith, "French Islamic group offers rich soil for militancy," International Herald Tribune, April 29, 2005; Susan Sachs, "A Muslim Missionary Group Draws New Scrutiny in U.S." New York Times, July 14, 2003; and "Mosque pleads for calm after being linked to eight suspects," Sunday Times (UK), August 13, 2006.
3. Jan Ali, "Islamic Revivalism: The Case of the Tablighi Jamaat," Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, Vol. 23, no. 1 (April 2003), pp. 176-7.
This USIPeace Briefing was written by Nicholas Howenstein, senior program assistant in the Center for Conflict Analysis and Prevention at the United States Institute of Peace. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the Institute, which does not advocate specific policies.


Realistic miniatures of your favorite things!
Note from shop owner The Clay Collection is taking a short break and will be back soon!
Welcome to my shop, The Clay Collection. I make unique, one-of-a-kind polymer clay creations and jewelry! Click on "4721 sales" in the column to the left if you'd like to see examples of some of my recently sold items.
The Clay Collection is taking a short break and will be back soon!
LOVE LOVE LOVE THESE! Bought for my boyfriend for Valentine's Day and we are HUGE Catan fans. He is going to wear them for a wedding we are going to in two months.
I am surprising my husband to be with these ABSOLUTELY amazing looking donut cuff links! We are donut fanatics so these are perfect for our wedding!
Thank you for the speedy delivery and making this bride to be even more excited for her wedding day!
Looks absolutely adorable! I can't wait to give this as a Christmas gift! Arrived in great shape and was well packaged. Great seller!
Welcome to my shop, The Clay Collection. I make unique, one-of-a-kind polymer clay creations and jewelry!
EARRING FINDINGS (the hook or post that attaches to the clay design) CAN BE UPGRADED TO STERLING SILVER for $3.00! Shipping within US can be upgraded from First Class to Priority for $3.00.
*If you'd like to order more than the quantity listed as available, please let me know.
Since each piece I make is done by hand, some slight variations may occur in color, size, etc. No two pieces are exactly alike!
Please note that each item is pictured next to a penny for sizing reference.
If you check out with PayPal, I will be shipping to the address provided by PayPal (unless otherwise instructed). Please make sure that address is correct - I can not be responsible for packages sent to out-of-date addresses. All shipments within the USA come with a tracking number. You will receive an automated notification when your order is shipped - this email will have your tracking number. Please check your spam folder as these emails sometimes like to find their way there!
It is very important to me that you are happy with your order! Please contact me ASAP if you have any problems and I will make it right.
Please complete payment within 3 days from checkout time. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about the payment process. If you check out with PayPal, I will ship to the address provided by PayPal. Please make sure that it is up-to-date.
I make everything by hand, and to-order. I may need up to 7 days from the date payment is received to create and ship your order, and from there it takes time for the item to be delivered. Please keep this in mind if you need the item(s) by a certain date.
All jewelry items are packed in a cotton-filled jewelry box and are shipped inside a padded bubble mailer. Other small items will also be packed in a jewelry box; larger items will be carefully packed in a rigid container to protect against handling hazards. Please let me know if you have special needs regarding shipping methods.
A shipping upgrade (when shipped within the US) to USPS Priority Mail is available for an additional $3.00. Please contact me and I will create a custom listing for your order.
I strongly discourage shipping items to work addresses. Over the years I have found that a significant number of these parcels end up misdirected, misplaced, lost, or stolen. Additionally, as items are shipped to work addresses internationally there is difficulty completing payment on customs charges. Please consider this issue and make alternate arrangements as necessary. Thank you!


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Open Hardware Groups Spread Across the Globe
By Emilio Velis | July 1, 2017
Check out some of the great maker hardware projects popping up in Central and South America.
Emilio VelisAfter our group of friends founded a small open hardware community in El Salvador a few years ago, we felt alone in the region. The open hardware movement had developed in a creative explosion of projects and (thanks to the popularization of 3D printing and digital technologies such as Arduino) under a common understanding of how to develop new physical products.
The fact that all these people came together so quickly and in so many places at the same time made it harder for people to find each other than it was during the open source software community's development, which found its place within the Linux community and grew through events such as FLISOL in many different Latin American countries.
Isis Sol (CC BY-NC)
Earlier this year, I was working on a presentation for Maker Faire Miami and searching for some projects in Latin America to share there. I found some fantastic examples with the help of friends in the open hardware community and through the great Open Source Hardware Association (OSHWA). Here are some of the most interesting projects I learned about.
Our El Salvador open hardware community started out in 2013 with a gathering for students and enthusiasts of 3D printing and electronics. We were surprised to find so many people using open hardware components for their projects. You can lurk in our Facebook group and find some cool project documentation from Hackerspace San Salvador's website and our wiki.
You can also check out Red de Acción Comunitaria, a humanitarian project I work on.
Red de Acción Comunitaria - Mario Gómez (CC BY-SA
Being so close to Guatemala (we can get from San Salvador to Guatemala City in five hours), we've had many collaborations with people from the Guatemalan Arduino Community. My favorite project is Sonar, a low-cost, open source device anyone can build that emits alerts through vibrations to help blind persons detect obstacles about a meter away. Find out more about the Guatemalan Arduino Community on its Facebook page.
OSHWA introduced us to Ecuador's South Made, which has many open hardware projects and initiatives underway. One of the most interesting is uSense, a startup that has developed a precision unmanned remote sensing system for small and midsized agricultural farms. Its low cost and ease of use make this system an innovative alternative to more expensive, commercial unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Yeffri J. Salazar (CC BY-SA)
uSense uses a multi-spectrum camera, which captures two images, one infrared and the other for the visible spectrum, to calculate NDVI maps, and a sensor module, which measures environmental and soil variables such as ultraviolet light, temperature, humidity, etc. Combined, the camera and sensor can diagnose the farm's agricultural needs and send the findings to users' cell phones.
We heard through the OSHWA mailing list about Open-V, a cool crowdfunding initiative in Colombia for an embedded microcontroller that is nearly ready. Check it out and support it!
Centro de Tecnologia Acadêmica (CTA) is an open hardware lab at Brazil's Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. One of its projects that caught my attention is the Modular Meteorological Station. This project aims to promote citizen science through the implementation of open source, low-cost scientific and educational instrumentation and seeks to form a meteorological and environmental citizen monitoring network for socio-environmental sustainability.
Centro de Tecnologia Acadêmica - UFRGS (CC BY-SA 4.0)
This is just a sample of the many open hardware projects and groups in Latin America. If you'd like to know more, the CTA's Marina de Freitas shared her notes from the first Latin American Gathering for Open Science Hardware (GOSH), held in March 2017.
We also got a cool list of online open hardware stores, which has a comprehensive Latin American section, from Caleb at OSHWA.
The open hardware community in Latin America is doing many great things. To learn more about what's happening in our region, visit any of the links in this article.
Open Hardware Groups Spread Across the Globe was authored by Emilio Velis and published in Opensource.com. It is being republished by Open Health News under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0). The original copy of the article can be found here.
Pulling Back From Open Source Hardware, MakerBot Angers Some Adherents
Novena Whips Up An Open Source Laptop From Scratch
Open Source Hardware Camp 2012
Makerbot Clone Tests The Limits of Open Source Hardware
The Cornerstones Of The Hardware Revolution
Brazil's Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
Centro de Tecnologia Acadêmica (CTA)
CTA's Marina de Freitas
Ecuador's South Made
Emilio Velis
FLISOL
Guatemalan Arduino Community
Hackerspace San Salvador
Latin American Gathering for Open Science Hardware (GOSH)
Linux community
Maker Faire Miami
maker hardware projects
Modular Meteorological Station
open hardware community
open hardware lab
Open Source Hardware Association (OSHWA)
open source software (OSS)
Open-V
Red de Acción Comunitaria
unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
A Sculpture Residency in Upstate New York Was Ransacked. Police Charged the Culprits: Children as Young as 8
The group destroyed artworks, overturned furniture, shattered windows, and sprayed graffiti on the building's walls.
Taylor Dafoe, August 31, 2022
The vandalized interior of Sculpture Space in Utica, New York. Courtesy of Sculpture Space.
Last weekend, an artist space in Utica, New York, was ransacked by a group of vandals, all of whom were between the ages of 8 and 11.
The incident took place early in the morning of August 28 at Sculpture Space, a residency program for sculptors founded 44 years ago. After breaking into the facility, the vandals destroyed artworks, overturned furniture, shattered glass, and sprayed graffiti on the building's walls.
Pictures released by Sculpture Space illustrate the extent of the damage, which appears to be severe.
The organization later revealed that the "vandals used paint, torches, sledgehammers, and other studio items and tools to violently destroy several areas and objects." All windows were smashed, as were multiple lighting fixtures. The site's bathrooms were flooded and its office, which houses computers and archival documents, was severely damaged.
"It was horrifying," Tom Montan, the executive director of Sculpture Space, told the New York Times.
A post shared by Studio (@sculpture_space)
The following day, the Utica Police Department announced that it had charged five juveniles in connection with the crime, noting that, in addition to the damage caused at Sculpture Space, the group had also stolen antique bicycles and other pieces of property, as well as several hundred dollars, from the site.
Police units picked up the alleged defacers at a local automobile repair shop, where it was reported that several juveniles were throwing rocks at cars in the business's lot.
"After further investigation, the officers noticed several antique bicycles around the cars and observed that the juveniles had paint on their shoes consistent with what had been spilled within Sculpture Space," the police department's announcement explained. "After compiling a substantial amount of evidence indicating that these parties were in fact responsible for the illegal entry, damage, and theft at the Sculpture Space."
The five suspects were each charged on counts of burglary in the third degree, petit larceny, criminal mischief, and criminal possession of stolen property. The Utica Police Department also pointed out that charges may be upgraded because of the extent of the damage that was done at the Sculpture Space. (Due to their age, the names of the juveniles were not released.)
"My heart is broken," Montan said. "I understand kids being kids, but this is so beyond that."
Courtesy of Sculpture Space.
For the Sculpture Space community, the toll of the devastation is heightened by the fact that the nonprofit is currently preparing for its annual art auction in late September—and that some pieces donated by artists for the sale were destroyed in the vandals' attack. Nevertheless, the organization vowed not to cancel the fundraising event.
"Although this tragedy is a severe setback to Sculpture Space especially on the cusp of their annual CHAIRity art auction and launch party, the board and leadership are determined to move forward with the important launch and auction event on September 24," Sculpture Space said in a statement.
Following last Sunday's episode, Sculpture Space launched a "vandalism recovery fund" to help rebuild its facilities.
Taylor Dafoe
News and Features Writer
Want to Start Collecting Abstract Art? Let Dakota Sica, Curator of Artnet's Post-War Abstraction Sale, Walk You Through the Basics
By Artnet Auctions , Aug 31, 2022
An Israeli Artist Put on a Renegade Exhibition in Kassel to Protest Antisemitism at Documenta
By Hili Perlson , Aug 31, 2022


text:
Q: bukkit - Waiting? Recently I started developing a Bukkit Plugin and I need help with sleeping/waiting in my code. I'm kinda new to java so if you could explain it, I would appreciate. Here is my code:
@EventHandler
public void onTnt(PlayerInteractEntityEvent e) {
    Player clicker = e.getPlayer();
    Player rightclick = (Player) e.getRightClicked();
    rightclick.sendMessage(ChatColor.GRAY + "~" + ChatColor.DARK_PURPLE + "AN INSTAKILLER HAS YOU AS A TARGET! SNEAK NOW!");
    rightclick.sendMessage(ChatColor.GRAY + "~" + ChatColor.DARK_RED + "AN INSTAKILLER HAS YOU AS A TARGET! SNEAK NOW!");
    rightclick.sendMessage(ChatColor.GRAY + "~" + ChatColor.GOLD + "AN INSTAKILLER HAS YOU AS A TARGET! SNEAK NOW!");
    /* Then wait 3 sec. I've tried Thread.Sleep, wait() and sleep(), no sucess*/

    if (!(rightclick.isSneaking()))  {
        rightclick.sendMessage(ChatColor.GRAY + "~" + ChatColor.GOLD + "Bye bye.");
        rightclick.setHealth(0);

    }

}

A: While normally you'd use Thread.sleep for something like this, that would freeze the entire server, and events wouldn't be processed in that time (so even if the player stopped sneaking on their side, they'd still be sneaking from what the server sees).
What you need to do is use a BukkitRunnable (or alternatively a regular Runnable and getServer().getScheduler().scheduleSyncDelayedTask):
@EventHandler
public void onTnt(PlayerInteractEntityEvent e) {
    Player clicker = e.getPlayer();
    // Needs to be final to reference it later
    final Player rightclick = (Player) e.getRightClicked();
    rightclick.sendMessage(ChatColor.GRAY + "~" + ChatColor.DARK_PURPLE + "AN INSTAKILLER HAS YOU AS A TARGET! SNEAK NOW!");
    rightclick.sendMessage(ChatColor.GRAY + "~" + ChatColor.DARK_RED + "AN INSTAKILLER HAS YOU AS A TARGET! SNEAK NOW!");
    rightclick.sendMessage(ChatColor.GRAY + "~" + ChatColor.GOLD + "AN INSTAKILLER HAS YOU AS A TARGET! SNEAK NOW!");

    BukkitRunnable task = new BukkitRunnable() {
        @Override
        public void run() {
            if (!(rightclick.isSneaking()))  {
                rightclick.sendMessage(ChatColor.GRAY + "~" + ChatColor.GOLD + "Bye bye.");
                rightclick.setHealth(0);
            }
        }
    };
    // Run the task on this plugin in 3 seconds (60 ticks)
    task.runTaskLater(this, 20 * 3);
}

A: I am aware of the fact that this is an old question, yet I'd like to add something so that users who will be looking for a way to do may find this.
The simplest say to do this is creating a scheduled task:
Bukkit.getServer().getScheduler().scheduleSyncDelayedTask(this, new Runnable() {
// The stuff which should be accomplished after the timer runs out goes here.
// Example:
player.sendMessage("The time has ran out!");
}, time);

Now, let's get through the process of understanding what's going on here. Basically, se have created a delayed task (there are two types of scheduled tasks: delayed and repeating tasks).
The first argument of the method above is this. This is supposed to be an instance of your main class (a subclass of org.bukkit.plugin.java.JavaPlugin). This means that if the scheduled task is not in your main class, you'll need to replace this with an instance of it. The second argument is new Runnable() { ... } here we are actually creating the runnable. Whatever should be executed when the timer runs out, should go inside the curly braces. Lastly, the last parameter: this is the actual delay, measured in TICKS. This means, that if you wish to wait x seconds, you'll have to multiply x * 20, as a tick is equal 1/20 seconds, hence 5 seconds will be equal to 100 ticks.
If you know how to use lambdas, you can replace the anonymous class:
Bukkit.getServer().getScheduler().scheduleSyncDelayedTask(this, () -> player.sendMessage("The time has ran out!"), time);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: Unable to place ChangenotifierProvider.value in flutter to reflect the changes in the data I am unable to place changeNotifierProvider.value for the UI to show the changes( checked and no issue with the data), If you can please guide me as to where and how to place the changeNotifierProvider.value in the below widget.Thank you.
Please let me know if u require any further information.
change.dart
 @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    final check = Provider.of<UserProfileReadProvider>(context);

    final n = check.items;

    return Scaffold(
      body: Container(
        margin:
            const EdgeInsets.only(top: 50, left: 40, right: 10, bottom: 90.0),
        child: Column(
          mainAxisAlignment: MainAxisAlignment.start,
          crossAxisAlignment: CrossAxisAlignment.start,
          children: <Widget>[
            CircleAvatar(
              radius: 50.0,
              backgroundColor: Colors.blue.shade800,
              child: const Text('AM'),
            ),
            const SizedBox(height: 70),
            Column(
              mainAxisAlignment: MainAxisAlignment.start,
              crossAxisAlignment: CrossAxisAlignment.start,
              children: <Widget>[
                Text(
                  'Name : ${n.name}',
                  style: const TextStyle(
                      fontStyle: FontStyle.normal,
                      color: Colors.black,
                      fontSize: (18.0)),
                ),
                const SizedBox(height: 15),
                Text(
                  'Address: ${n.address}',
                  style: const TextStyle(
                      fontStyle: FontStyle.normal,
                      color: Colors.black,
                      fontSize: 18.0),
                ),

main.dart
class MyApp extends StatelessWidget {
  const MyApp({Key? key}) : super(key: key);

  // This widget is the root of your application.
  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return MultiProvider(
        providers: [
          ChangeNotifierProvider(
            create: (ctx) => UserProfileReadProvider(),
          ),
        ],
        child: MaterialApp(
          title: 'Flutter Demo',
          theme: ThemeData(
            primarySwatch: Colors.blue,
          ),
          initialRoute: '/',
          routes: {
            '/': (ctx) =>Page(),
          },
        ));
  }
}

provider.dart

UserProfileInformation nitems = UserProfileInformation();

Future<void> addUserinformation(
      UserProfile st, var imagecheck) async {

    Map<String, String> headers = {
      "Content-Type": "charset=utf-8",
      "Content-type": "application/json"
    };

    var uri = Uri.parse('http://localhost:3001/userprofile/check/upload');
    try {
      var request = http.MultipartRequest('POST', uri);
      request.headers.addAll(headers);
      request.fields['userId'] = st.userId;
      request.fields['name'] = st.name;
      request.fields['address'] = st.address;

      var response = await request.send();

      print(response.statusCode);
      if (response.statusCode == 201) {
        st = nitems;

        notifyListeners();
      } else {
        print('invalid data ');
      }
    } catch (error) {
      print(error);
    }
  }


In the wireless universe of today, everything is done digitally including office work. Most of the people in the corporate world are compelled with the need to travel for their jobs.
The efficient way is to complete the office work involving documents with images and text on the way and with the advent of such efficient wireless techs, it is relatively easy.
However for most presentations, the images contain both text as well as charts. This cannot be directly injected into presentation software like PowerPoint. You need the data in JPEG or PNG format to import it externally.
Image formats like PNG relies on a non-editing digital rendering in order to capture the superficial appearance of the file.
This allows a free form version of the required content which cannot be edited for font, or image cropping within itself. The JPEG is used only for final displays.
As such there are several reasons why one might need to transfer a document in PDF format with both text and images to a singular format like PNG. The first would be a reference to the size. PDF renders both text and image separately with different digital signatures for compression.
PDF to PNG conversion allows it to bundle the content into one single file. However, the separate rendering requires a lot of space to work. If the final document were to be converted into a JPEG format, it would occupy lesser space as the destination file format.
A PNG format also renders a dynamic visual that are perfect for presentations and printing. The best combo while working with both the formats would be to edit all files and organize them using PDF and then the final file is rendered into PNG format for final display.
A PDF to PNG converter can come in handy in a pinch. It requires a digital source of PDF file for rendering it into a single image file which can be provided by minimalistic requirements.
The converter is efficient enough and the resolution of the image can be optimized to fit the presentation. Resolution changes can determine the visual attraction of the PNG that cannot be set in case of a PDF.
DF-CHARTA-01 Error: How To Fix It?


over red.. why do they do those lights?..
at least again you get a shadow!
Yeah Joe's face is tough to photo while he's playing..
Interesting the TWO Brad reflections in the back.
Joe and Mitch and yeah Brad's on the wall..


Germany Corn Grinding Mill Machine from German Manufacturers and Exporters - Germany B2B Marketplace providing Corn Grinding Mill Machine Corn Grinding Machine - Manufacturers, Find here details of corn grinding machine manufacturers, suppliers, dealers, traders & exporters from India.
Is a company that makes the production of types R fully automatic and manual machines for making hard sugar cubed Turkey and also machines to various food packaging and sugar cubes since ten years experience. With his quality and his professional crew gives satisfaction to our customers.
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Competitive grinding paste products from various grinding paste manufacturers and grinding paste suppliers are listed above, please select quality and cheap items for you.
EC21 is the largest global B2B marketplace. Global granulated sugar grinding machine buyers find suppliers here every day. If you are a manufacturer or supplier who want more international buyers, join EC21 for free now, and get your products listed here.
Flour definition: Flour is a white or brown powder that is made by grinding grain. It is used to make bread... | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples ... Times, Sunday Times (2006) In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, cornflour and plain flour until smooth. The Sun (2015) Word Lists. General cookery terms.
Global Food Machinery Supplier Directory, Food Machinery, Food Machinery Manufacturers, Food Machinery Factories, Food Machinery Manufacturing, Food Machinery Manufacturer, Factory,Food Machinery Export Company, Food Machinery Suppliers, Exporters, Food Machinery Producers, Wholesalers, Distributors, International Food Machinery, OEM Food Machinery, Machinery.
CEMENT PLANT / CEMENT GRINDING UNIT. We are manufacturers and exporters of cement plants like mini cement plant, clinker grinding unit, ... Manufacturing, exporting and supplying of a wide range of sugar boiling equipment, air pollution control equipment and E.O.T cranes & structural.


text:
Undergraduate College
Discover the College
Bachelor of Arts and Sciences (BASc)
High School Programmes
A seven-campus network
Culture, Sports and Associations
Home > Campus Life > A seven-campus network
A core curriculum and the option of a regional specialisation
The Undegraduate College comprises seven campuses: Dijon, Le Havre, Menton, Nancy, Paris, Poitiers and Reims. All students follow a core curriculum in the social sciences. They choose a multidisciplinary major in second year and pursue their major abroad in third year. Programmes on all campuses lead to a Bachelor of Arts degree.
The Paris campus offers a general programme and three dual degrees: with Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne in applied mathematics, Sorbonne Université (faculté de lettres) in history, literature or philosophy, and Sorbonne Université (faculté des sciences et ingénierie) in mathematics, physics, biology or chemistry.
On the satellite campuses, the core curriculum is complemented by a regional specialisation:
Dijon: Europe with a focus on Central and Eastern Europe
Le Havre: Asia and the Pacific
Menton: the Middle East and Mediterranean
Nancy: Europe with a focus on the Franco-German region
Poitiers: Latin America, Spain and Portugal
Reims: North America or Africa.
These specialisations enable students to delve deeper into the contemporary political, economic and social issues of the region in question through specific disciplinary and language courses, international study trips and input from researchers or professionals specialised in the themes being covered.
International dual degrees are offered on every campus.
At the Paris and Reims Campuses, students may also pursue study for our interdisciplinary Bachelor of Arts and Sciences degree, taught in partnership with two French institutions of higher education in the sciences.
Students engaged in campus life and with the city
Over half the student body on each campus is international, making them places of vibrant intellectual, social and cross-cultural exchange.
Students are encouraged to take part in numerous events—conferences, debates, artistic and sporting events, etc.—and initiate projects that engage with the wider community, often in collaboration with local institutions.
more about A seven-campus network
Tuition Fees & Scholarships Guide
Bachelor Open House Day 6 February 2021
Discover Sciences Po and our Bachelor's degree in the Humanities & Social Sciences! Get to know the programme, courses and all the benefits of studying at one of France's leading universities.
How do I register? What will my schedule look like? Who can help me find a studio? Sciences Po helps students with these and other issues.


text:
New Mexico Pageant of Bands
Promoting performance excellence in high school marching band competition.
Band Directors
Band Reps
Would you or your company like to underwrite awards for the annual Pageant of Bands Competition? We are looking for companies, organizations, or individuals to underwrite our awards. Supporters who underwrite our awards are recognized in our printed program booklet, on our website nmpob.org, with announcements during the event and complimentary tickets are given based on underwriting level. We welcome participation in our awards ceremony as a benefit of underwriting. Supporters have the option of presenting the awards they underwrite.
Underwriting opportunities normally include:
People's Choice – one trophy is presented to the People's Choice winner for each class for a total of 5 trophies. $200.00
Outstanding Section Awards – one trophy is presented to the section which wins the category for each class. The classes are as follows: Brass, Woodwinds, Percussion, Drum Major, Soloist, and Color Guard. For example, there are 5 trophies presented in the Color Guard Outstanding Section award. Each Outstanding Section Award category $200.00.
Participation Awards – one trophy for each band which participates in POB. Number to be determined based on number of bands entered. The number is generally between 22-30 bands. $500.00
Class Awards – there are five classes of bands based on the size of the band, and there are three awards per class, first, second and third for a total of 15 trophies. $1,000.
Please consider becoming a supporter of the New Mexico Pageant of Bands. We are a completely volunteer run 501(c)(3) organization. For more information about the New Mexico Pageant of Bands, see our About page. To contact us, use our Contact form or email us at info@nmpob.org.
© 2014 - 2020 New Mexico Pageant of Bands, Inc.


text:
NewsChevron Right IconSA News
SA bushfires at Yorketown destroy properties, thousands of hectares of farmland
Emily Olle
Thursday, 21 November 2019 4:34 pm
'Worse than Pinery': Flocks of sheep lost, crops destroyed mid-harvest at Yorketown
Farmers and residents on South Australia's Yorke Peninsula are counting the cost after an overnight blaze ripped through thousands of hectares of farmland.
Some graziers in the area have lost livestock and crops mid-harvest, with 11 properties believed to be affected.
Watch the video above
Residents were forced to flee their homes and take refuge on the beach as fires burning outside Yorketown and Edithburgh encroached dangerously close to the towns.
Local farmer Phillip Gutsche was having a nap on the lounge when he was alerted to the fast-moving flames.
"I got a phone call and walked outside and thought s***," he said.
Fires outside Edithburgh on the Yorke Peninsula engulfed the town in smoke. Credit: 7NEWS
Gutsche raced into action in a desperate bid to rescue his flock of sheep, battling the fire alongside the CFS.
"We knew we had livestock in the line of fire so we did what we could," he said.
Firefighters made headway to protect the property.
Five emergency warnings were issued across 24 hours, with up to 11 properties affected and thousands of hectares burnt.
But Gutsche says a wind change on Thursday morning proved "horrific", comparing conditions to that of the Pinery bushfires that claimed two lives in 2015.
"Nothing compares to this," he said.
"This was horrific.
'Nothing compares to this.'
"When it took off again it was worse than the Pinery fire, it was that quick."
While Gutsche says he was fortunate not to lose significant crops, other farmers at Yorketown weren't so lucky.
Local farmers lost crops and livestock in the blaze. Credit: 7NEWS
"It's devastating to live in the area and see what the destruction is," he said.
"It'd be shocking, it'd be heartbreaking."
Properties destroyed
Up to 11 houses and sheds are thought to have been lost to the blaze that threatened the lives of about 1000 people living in the Yorketown area.
The fire started close to homes as the state sweltered through catastrophic fire conditions, with soaring temperatures and high winds
More than 40 bushfires have ripped through the state in the past 24 hours, leaving residents to count the cost.
SA bushfires: Smoke reduces visibility to near-zero as conditions ease at Edithburgh and Yorketown
Dust storm turns Victorian town of Mildura orange on Code Red day
For more SA news, head here
Emergency warnings were issued for five fires across the day, including a second blaze on Yorke Peninsula, two others north of Adelaide and one in the Barossa Valley.
They were later downgraded.
About 10,000 residents were without power overnight, on the Eyre Peninsula and in Adelaide's northern suburbs, as supply was cut as a precautionary measure.
Smoke from the fires drifted over Adelaide on Thursday morning, blanketing the city in a thick haze.
Thick clouds of smoke seen over Parafield, the CBD and metro coast. Credit: 7NEWS/Sam Rogers
SA NewsBushfiresDisaster and EmergencyWeatherWeather
1:22 AM Trump's lawyers: Impeachment case 'flimsy'


text:
Amoral — финская группа из Хельсинки, играющая в стиле техникал-, прогрессив-, мелодик-метал с элементами хард-рока. Сама группа описывает свой стиль как «Классический рок 21-го века». Четвёртый студийный альбом группы совершил переворот в звучании, сменив господство дэт-метала и тяжелых риффов мелодичностью с преобладанием чистого вокала.

История

Ранние годы
Группа Amoral была образована в Хельсинки в 1997 году двумя школьными друзьями Беном Вароном и Юханой Карлссоном. Сильвер Отс присоединился чуть позже. Первым вокалистом был Матти Питканен. Место бас-гитариста занял Вилле Сорвали, и Отс, играющий басовые партии на демозаписях до этого, стал вторым гитаристом. Первое демо группы, Desolation, появилось в 2001-м году. После этого в группе произошли изменения, и место вокалиста занял Нико Каллиоярви. После выпуска в 2002 году второго демо, Other Flesh, группа заключила контракт с британским лейблом Rage of Achilles.

Wound Creations
Дебютным альбомом Amoral стал выпущенный в 2004 году Wound Creations, после появления которого группу покинул бас-гитарист Вилле Сорвали, желающий уделять больше времени своему второму проекту, Moonsorrow. Новым бас-гитаристом группы стал Эркки Сильвеннойнен. Вскоре после этого произошел разрыв с лейблом Rage of Achilles, и группа подписала новый контракт, на этот раз с лейблом Spikefarm, отделением финского Spinefarm Records. Альбом был перевыпущен, в качестве бонус-трека была выбрана композиция «Metamorphosis», впервые появившаяся на демо Desolation. Альбом получил по большей части положительные отзывы как в Финляндии, так и за её пределами, что также сказалось на активизации концертной деятельности коллектива. Весной 2005 года группа отправилась в тур с Finntroll и Naglfar.

Decrowning
Осенью 2005-го года состоялся релиз второго студийного альбома группы, Decrowning, который также получил положительные отзывы. На песню «Lacrimal Gland» было снято первое в истории группы музыкальное видео. С этим альбомом группа отправилась во второй в своей истории тур в начале 2006 года, с уже знакомым шведским коллективом Naglfar, а также Dark Funeral.

Reptile Ride
Третий студийный альбом группы, Reptile Ride, был записан в студии Sound Supreme в начале 2007 года. Релиз состоялся в августе 2007 года. Композиция «Leave Your Dead Behind» была выпущена синглом, и на неё было снято видео. Альбом поднялся на 5-ю строчку финского чарта сразу после своего выхода. В октябре-ноябре 2007 года группа выступала с концертами по Европе совместно с Norther и Dron. После выхода этого альбома группу ожидали очередные перемены состава. В июле 2007 года бас-гитарист Эркки Сильвеннойнен покинул группу, и его место в мае 2008 года занял Пекка Йоханссон. В июле 2008 года вокалист коллектива, Нико Каллиоярви, оставил группу.«После долгих раздумий я решил покинуть Amoral. Ничего особенного не произошло, но по прошествии лет вещи становятся все более и более ясными для меня. Уйти из одной из самых перспективных групп не является простым решением, но я понял, что мне комфортнее заниматься своими делами в более медленном темпе, чем темп Amoral. Взять перерыв и заставить остальных ребят ждать было бы слишком эгоистично для меня, поэтому я принял решение уйти. Я бы был рад остаться, но не хочу задерживать этих талантливых парней. Я думаю, что лучше позволить им найти кого-то с большей мотивацией, чем заставить ждать моего возвращения. Я уверен, что в конечном итоге это просто ещё один большой шаг вперед для группы» — Нико Каллиоярви.В ноябре 2008 года группа объявила, что место вокалиста займет Ари Койвунен, ставший известным благодаря победе в финском шоу талантов Idols в 2007 году.

Show Your Colors
Релиз четвёртого студийного альбома Show Your Colors состоялся 6 мая 2009 года. Альбом, разительно отличающийся от предыдущих как по стилю музыки, так и по манере исполнения, сразу привлек к себе внимание любителей тяжелой музыки в Финляндии и за её пределами. Первый сингл, «Year of the Suckerpunch» впервые прозвучал на радио 16 января 2009 года. Вторым синглом альбома стала композиция «Gave Up Easy», на которую, как и на первый сингл, было снято видео. По сравнению с предыдущими работами коллектива четвёртый альбом отличился большей мелодичностью, гроул был вытеснен чистым вокалом. Помимо Финляндии он был издан в Великобритании, Германии, США, Канаде и Японии. В октябре 2009 года группа отправилась в европейский тур Forging Europe 2009 вместе с известной финской группой Amorphis.

Beneath
В ноябре 2009 года начинается работа над пятым студийным альбомом группы. 12 января 2010 года группа объявляет, что пути Amoral и Сильвера Отса разошлись.«Хотел бы поблагодарить парней за самоотверженность и решительность в течение многих лет, а также за то, что со мной случилось за эти годы. Я дорожу опытом и милями, которые мы проехали. Желаю Amoral всего наилучшего и поднимаю большие пальцы вверх в знак одобрения Вальттери Хирвонена, который принял вызов!» — Сильвер Отс.Фотограф Вальттери Хирвонен, фактически являющийся «6-м членом группы» и на тот момент уже подменивший Отса в европейском туре 2009 года, взял на тебя обязанности гитариста на время поиска замены.
В конце января 2011 года Amoral объявили, что новым гитаристом становится Маси Хукари. Помимо записи гитарных партий Маси также выступил соавтором двух песен нового альбома.

В 2011 году на студии Sound Supreme был записан пятый студийный альбом группы. Альбом был выпущен 26 октября 2011 года и получил название Beneath. Японское издание альбома вышло 19 октября 2011. Продюсерами альбома выступили Янне Сакса и гитарист Бен Варон. Акцент по-прежнему на виртуозных гитарных риффах, новых аранжировках, однако масштаб шире, чем прежде: от 9-минутного заглавного трека Beneath, хардрок-песен «Silhouette» и «Same Difference» до техникал-дэт композиций «(Won't Go) Home» и «Staying Human» и акустической «Wastelands».

Первый сингл «Same Difference» был выпущен в начале лета 2011 года. Второй сингл «Silhouette» впервые прозвучал на финском Radio Rock 3 октября. На песни «Silhouette» и «Wrapped In Barbwire» были сняты видео.Beneath был выпущен в Северной Америке 14 февраля 2012 года (The End Records), в России — 27 марта 2012 года (Fono Records).

В марте 2012 года Amoral дебютируют на ежегодном фестивале South by Southwest в Остине, Техас, а также в Шанхае в апреле того же года. В мае группа выступает в Токио с Insomnium, Profane Omen и Swallow The Sun на Finland Fest 2012 Metal Attack и на Owari Metal Festival в Нагое. Осенью 2012 года Amoral отправляются в пятинедельный европейский тур Bearers Of The Sword с группой Ensiferum. Весной 2013 года группа принимает участие в фестивале Pulp Summer Slam на Филиппинах, фестивале Yugong Yishan в Пекине и в Midi-фестивале в Шанхае. Фестиваль в Пекине, собравший десятитысячную аудиторию, становится самым крупным событием в истории группы.

Fallen Leaves & Dead Sparrows
Запись следующего альбома Amoral «Fallen Leaves & Dead Sparrows» проходила в 2013 году. Релиз альбома в Финляндии состоялся 14 февраля 2014 года под лейблом Imperial Cassette. В Европе — несколько позднее, 28 марта 2014 года (в Великобритании — 31 марта). Продюсированием занимался Бен Варон, особым гостем альбома стал Марко Хиетала. Марко работал над записью вокала, и его участие позволило раскрыть новые грани звучания голоса Ари Койвунена. Музыкальный стиль группы стал как никогда близок к стилю прогрессив. Альбом получил преимущественно положительные отзывы от музыкальных изданий как в Финляндии, так и в Европе и США. Критики отмечали инструментальное и вокальное мастерство Amoral, а также разноплановость их музыки. Первое видео на песню «Blueprints» было снято Вальттери Хирвоненом.

28 марта 2014 года в клубе Nosturi в Хельсинки прошел концерт, посвященный десятилетию дебютного альбома Amoral. Это событие вместе с ними отмечали музыкальные коллективы Profane Omen и MyGRAIN. Полная версия видео этого концерта была выложена на YouTube вместе с дополнительным материалом. В июне 2014 года Amoral отыграли на Tuska Open Air в Хельсинки, а осенью прошел их тур по Финляндии. В ноябре группа продолжила концертную деятельность по Европе: Amoral, Acyl и Lehmann Project принимали участие в туре шведской группы Dark Tranquillity.

In Sequence
В апреле 2014 года началась работа над седьмым альбомом группы, студийная запись была начата 13 февраля 2015 года. 26 марта было официально объявлено о возвращении в группу Нико Каллиоярви в качестве третьего гитариста и экстрим-вокалиста. В конце июня Amoral выступили на Tuska Open Air AfterParty в Хельсинки, где исполнили одну песню с нового альбома — «Rude Awakening».

В конце ноября 2015 года были объявлены даты выхода следующего студийного альбома под названием In Sequence: 29 января 2016 года в Японии (Ward Records), 5 февраля 2016 года в других странах (Imperial Cassette, Gordeon Music, Nightmare Records). По словам Бена Варона, на альбоме сохранится прогрессив линия «Fallen Leaves & Dead Sparrows», но звучание станет более тяжелым. Кроме шести основных членов группы в записи приняли участие приглашенные музыканты: перкуссионист Тэхо Майамяки, вокалистка группы Indica Йонсу и Амин Бенотман, вокалист и лидер Acyl. 4 декабря 2015 состоялся релиз первого сингла «Rude Awakening» на YouTube.

Весной 2016 года состоялся мини-тур по Финляндии.

27 июля 2016 года группа объявила о своем расформировании в связи с несовпадением графиков и желанием заниматься другими проектами.«С тяжестью на сердце мы объявляем, что решили расформировать Amoral. Это было не легкое решение, так как эта группа стала огромной частью нашей жизни (в случае Бена и Юханы, около 19 лет!), но все же мы почувствовали, что время пришло. Постоянно конфликтующие графики и угасание интереса к турам некоторых членов команды привели к тому, что группа продвигалась с вдвое меньшей скоростью. Amoral – это не «среднескоростная» команда. Все или ничего. И, если быть честными, идея начать что-то совершенно новое после всего этого времени стала очень привлекательной».На осень 2016 года группа анонсировала прощальный мини-тур по Финляндии, объявив о том, что тур будет "взрывом из прошлого", и будут исполняться песни только с трех первых альбомов. Последний концерт состоится 5 января 2017 года в Хельсинкском клубе Tavastia.

Участники

Текущий состав
Бен Варон — гитара, музыка, тексты (1997-)
Ари Койвунен — вокал (2008-)
Маси Хукари — гитара, клавишные (2010-)
Нико Каллиоярви — гитара, экстрим-вокал (2002—2008, 2015-)
Юхана Карлссон — ударные (1997-)
Пекка Йоханссон — бас-гитара (2008-)

Бывшие участники
Матти Питканен — вокал (1997—2001)
Вилле Сорвали — бас-гитара (2001—2004)
Эркки Сильвеннойнен — бас-гитара (2004—2007)
Сильвер Отс — гитара (1997—2010)

Временная шкала

Дискография

Студийные альбомы
 Wound Creations (2004, Spikefarm Records)
 Decrowning (2005, Spikefarm)
 Reptile Ride (2007, Spikefarm)
 Show Your Colors (2009, Spinefarm)
 Beneath (2011, Imperial Cassette)
 Fallen Leaves & Dead Sparrows (2014, Imperial Cassette)
 In Sequence (2016, Imperial Cassette)

Демо-записи
 Desolation (2001)
 Demo II (2002)
 Other Flesh (2002)

Синглы
 «Leave Your Dead Behind» (2007)
 «Year of the Suckerpunch» (2009)
 «Gave Up Easy» (2009)
 «Same Difference» (2011)
 «Silhouette» (2011)
 «If Not Here, Where?» (2013)
 «No Familiar Faces» (2014)
 «Rude Awakening» (2015)

Примечания

Ссылки
 Официальный сайт Amoral
 Amoral на Facebook
 Amoral на Youtube
 Amoral Street Team Russia VKontakte
 Amoral Street Team Russia Facebook

Музыкальные коллективы, появившиеся в 1997 году
Метал-группы Финляндии
Прогрессив-метал-группы Финляндии
Исполнители Imperial Cassette

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Christy Morgan
by Shelley Arnusch October 18, 2011 May 9, 2019
Avenue Calgary's 2011 Top 40 Under 40.
Photograph by Jared Sych.
Job Title: Acting Executive Director and Senior Community Liaison, Calgary Urban Aboriginal Initiative
Christy Morgan can tell you a few things about having the odds stacked against you.
Born three months premature and weighing just one-and-a-half pounds, her first months on earth were tenuous at best. During childhood, her family, part of the Bonaparte Band from British Columbia's Shuswap Nation, moved often, in some years up to four times. The family relocated to Calgary when she was seven, and her parents divorced when she was 10, leaving her mother to raise Morgan and her siblings on her own.
While things were definitely not easy growing up, Morgan says her mom kept her grounded, stressing the importance of school and encouraging her to be a positive role model for her younger sister. In turn, Morgan says she became a positive influence in the lives of her friends, particularly those who were a little rough around the edges and prone to being written off by the rest of society. "Even when I was young, in my teenage years, I always wanted to help the kids that seemed to struggle," she says.
It makes sense then that Morgan would choose a career in social work, graduating with a diploma from Mount Royal College in 1998 and a degree from the University of Calgary (U of C) in 2002. The year she graduated from the U of C, Morgan was hired by the Calgary Urban Aboriginal Initiative (CUAI), where she was instrumental in developing and facilitating the eight "Domains" that form the heart of CUAI's strategy. Comprised of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal community members, stakeholders and representatives of government agencies, the Domains develop collaborative, grassroots solutions for issues related to employment, education, funding, justice, health, housing, human rights and social services for Aboriginal people living in the city. Due in part to Morgan's hard work, the initiative has proven to be a success, with 493 volunteers currently involved in the Domains and CUAI'S methods being adopted by several other Canadian cities.
In addition to her work with CUAI, Morgan volunteers with Correction Service Canada's Citizen's Advisory Committee, attending monthly meetings and communicating with inmates to determine what kind of support they need to reintegrate into society. Since 2009, she has also been a volunteer board member with the Calgary Workers' Resource Centre, currently attending monthly meetings as the organization's chair.
Morgan's empathy and people-first approach is at the heart of everything she does. "I love talking to people, doing things for people, and trying to help people any way I can," she says. "That's what drives me."
Why she's a Top 40:
Morgan has been instrumental in developing and facilitating an initiative with the Calgary Urban Aboriginal Initiative that helps people with problems in areas such as education, health, human rights and social services.
The key to her success:
"Success is working toward a goal and even if it does not turn out as was planned, it is being able to say that you gave it your best and did your work with good intentions and an open heart."
Inside the 2018 Top 40 Under 40 Party
Hannah Kost November 9, 2018 February 2, 2019
2018 Top 40 Under 40 Judges
Jaelyn Molyneux November 1, 2018 January 31, 2019
Pam Rocker
avenuecalgary October 30, 2017 February 6, 2019


text:
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Johnny Cash at Folsom and San Quentin: Photographs by Jim Marshall
Signed By: By Amelia Davis, Scott B. Bomar & Marty Stuart
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Book overview
This hardcover edition of Johnny Cash at Folsom and San Quentin: Photographs by Jim Marshall is autographed on bookplate by the authors: Jim Marshall's longtime assistant and sole beneficiary Amelia Davis, award-winning writer and Grammy nominee Scott B. Bomar, and country music legend Marty Stuart.
A powerful portrait of a legendary musician by a legendary photographer, made even more powerful by the legendary signatures contained within this autographed edition.
Carefully curated with full access to the Jim Marshall Archive, this powerful oversize volume offers the definitive view of Johnny Cash's prison concerts at Folsom in 1968 and San Quentin in 1969. Jim Marshall was the only official photographer present, and was granted unlimited access.
Backed by June Carter, Carl Perkins and the Tennessee Three, Cash performed two shows at Folsom. The resulting album was a hit in the United States, and reached number one on the country charts and the top 15 of the national album chart. Its popularity revitalized Cash's career and led to a follow-up album, At San Quentin, the following year. San Quentin became Cash's first album to hit number one on the pop charts and both it and its predecessor remain two of the biggest-selling live albums of all time.
From rehearsing with the band, to arriving off the bus outside the imposing prison walls, to shaking hands with prisoners and performing until sweat dripped down his forehead, Marshall captured the passion, authority and intimacy of Cash's legendary penitentiary performances. His "JC Flippin' the Bird at San Quentin Prison" has become one of the most iconic and most-copied photographs of the 20th century, a result of Marshall asking Cash to express what he thought about the prison authorities: "John, let's do a shot for the warden."
Johnny Cash was one of Jim Marshall's favorite subjects, something that is evident in his Folsom and San Quentin photographs. This body of work showcases some of the most arresting photographs of the country music star ever taken.
Publisher: Reel Art Press/BMG Books
Edition: Autographed Hardcover Bookplated Edition
Amelia Davis, a San Francisco-based photographer, studied photography at the University of California at Davis and received a BA in Studio Art from there. She was the long-time assistant of legendary photographer Jim Marshall and was the sole beneficiary of his estate. Amelia's photography has been in galleries, juried shows, selected group shows, magazines, text books, and is in private collections.
Scott B. Bomar is an award-winning writer who has authored or co-authored several books, including "Every Night is Saturday Night" (with Wanda Jackson) and "Southbound: An Illustrated History of Southern Rock." He earned a Grammy nomination for his liner notes to the rockabilly compilation "The Other Side of Bakersfield" and co-hosts the podcast, Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters. He was raised in Nashville and currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Melanie.
Marty Stuart is a legendary American country music singer-songwriter, known for both his traditional style, and eclectic merging of rockabilly, honky tonk, and traditional country music.
An Outlaw and a Lady
Every Night Is Saturday Night
Fail Until You Don't: Fight Grind Repeat
Bobby Bones
Among My Souvenirs: The Real Story
Hotter Than a Pepper Sprout
Billy Edd Wheeler
Annie Leibovitz at Work
Brandon Steiner
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Freehold living in the popular Kawana Island Villas. Ideal for the retirees with none of the dreaded entry or exit fees to worry about. Villa 80 is a popular Regent design that gives space and security in a resort style atmosphere that will make every day living enjoyable.
With a total area of 181m2 the villa offers two large size bedrooms plus a spacious office that can easily act as a third bedroom. Both bedrooms have sliding wardrobe doors with one being a full length mirror. Ceiling fans are in both bedrooms and the lounge. Main bathroom has a shower, toilet and vanity basin with access to the main bedroom plus there is second toilet with a vanity basin.
Attractive kitchen with double sink, good size pantry, electric hot plates, rangehood and an oven that has never been used. The spacious lounge and dining area looks out onto a private and attractive front courtyard and garden area while at the rear there is another smaller courtyard with side access.
The single car garage has a remote controlled door, epoxy flooring and attic stairs that lead to a handy attic storage area complete with flooring.
The villa has been completely repainted throughout in bright neutral colours and Crimsafe security screens have been installed on all windows and doors for peace of mind. The carpets in the three bedrooms are in new condition.
There's a solar hot water system on the roof plus, the electric hot water system in the garage has been replaced since the unit was built. Solar power has also been installed to reduce electricity costs.
The unit is in an excellent location in the complex, is North facing in a cul-de-sac street (no through traffic) and has a long driveway in front of the garage that allows a car to be parked in front of the garage during the daylight hours.
The community facilities are excellent, with a 25m pool that is heated all year round and a large community centre with meeting areas and BBQ facilities that makes it ideal for all the residences to socialise. Body Corporate fees are in the low range and one pet is permitted at the premises.
Centrally located, the complex is in a high demand area being close to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital and the Kawana Shopping centre.
If you're looking for a retirement villa with good capital gain potential then you should inspect.
This villa will be sold by public tender so inspect and put in your offer today. Must be sold – will be sold.
(If attending the Open for Inspection it is easy to find by driving into the complex and taking the first right, then the first left. The villa is the fifth one on the left. The is limited visitor parking at the end of the street).
Tender closes Friday 8th December @ 4 pm if not sold before.


text:
Feed trial successfully replaces fishmeal with black soldier fly larvae for farmed Atlantic salmon
A new study finds that feeding black soldier fly larvae to salmon at the sea-water stage did not impair the physio-chemical quality of the finished salmon fillets.
Consumer Post-harvest Feed ingredients Nutrition
by Megan Howell
26 October 2019, at 8:30am
A new study in Science of Food and Agriculture explores the viability of black soldier fly larvae as a sustainable fishmeal replacement for Atlantic salmon aquaculture. The researchers wanted to determine if salmon fed black soldier fly larvae had comparable quality indicators to salmon reared with conventional aquafeed.
Insect meal could be a sustainable protein source for aquafeed
The researchers fed sea-water stage Atlantic salmon a fishmeal-free diet. The feed used black soldier fly larvae that had been reared on kelp media and mixed organic wastes (at a 60:40 ratio). When the fish were processed, the researchers analysed the nutrition content of the finished fillets. The fillets also underwent a side-by-side consumer taste-test to determine whether consumers would purchase salmon raised on insect-based feed.
The researchers found that completely replacing fishmeal with insect meal didn't impar the physio-chemical quality of the salmon fillets. When the finished fillets were analysed, they showed an increase in polyunsaturated fatty acids – indicating a potential cardioprotective benefit for humans.
During the consumer taste test, the respondents could not identify which sample had been reared on insect meal. The respondents reported that they enjoyed the salmon and would consider purchasing the fillets if they were available commercially.
For aquaculture to remain sustainable, the aquafeed sector needs to find an alternative to fishmeal. Fishmeal, a key ingredient in aquaculture feed, is nutritionally dense and can be easily digested by the fish. However, relying on the commodity has economic and ecological drawbacks. High quality fishmeal is expensive and creating the product depletes wild fish stocks. Fishmeal alternatives are on the market, but these products tend to yield poorer results in terms of performance and health outcomes.
Read the original abstract here.
Megan Howell
Editorial team at The Fish Site
Megan Howell first started writing about aquaculture in 2019 as part of the editorial team at 5m Publishing and The Fish Site. She has a MSc in applied research methods from Trinity College Dublin. She currently lives and works in Ireland.


On behalf of the IABE editorial board and our conference organizers, we would like to thank everyone who participated in our conference in West Palm Beach for making it such a great success.
The IABE has partnered with Crossref to assign a DOI to every new IABE article. Each IABE article has a dedicated webpage, www.IABE-DOI.ORG, that hosts all details related to the article and provides permanent means to access the full article online.
Click on JOURNAL.IABE-DOI.ORG to visit our new Journal pages.
Alternatively, click on SEARCH.IABE-DOI.ORG to search our online articles.
"Research / Teaching Excellence in Business and Economics"
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"FUTURE CHALLENGES AND PERSPECTIVES ON ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT: THEORY AND PRACTICE"


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El sentit de la vida és l'explicació que intenten donar la filosofia o la religió al perquè de l'existència, responent a interrogants com la finalitat de l'ésser humà, el valor de la vida o la seva direcció. Constitueix la pregunta bàsica d'aquestes dues disciplines i s'aplica usualment només a la vida de l'home, ja que és l'única espècie que sembla tenir consciència i un autoconcepte prou desenvolupat com per voler trobar un sentit a la pròpia presència al món, lligat a una teleologia.

Les respostes han estat molt variades històricament i han aparegut a l'art, els mites, els cultes religiosos i el pensament racional i comprenen des de l'absència de sentit fins a la recerca de la felicitat, passant per la transcendència o altres intents de trobar un significat a la vida.

Sentit per ella mateixa
La pregunta pel sentit de la vida sorgeix davant l'evidència de la mort: si tot s'acaba i la mort és inevitable, té algun significat la vida? Buscar un sentit a l'existència allunya la por a la mort i dona més valor als anys viscuts, perquè no solament són per ells mateixos sinó com a símbol; el sentit de la vida és ella mateixa, el mateix acte de viure és un valor positiu per la negació de la mort que suposa. Aquesta resposta ha estat usada per l'ateisme per explicar el sorgiment de la religió o la creença en un més enllà, que seria aleshores només una sublimació, un consol davant el terror de la finitud de la vida.

Aquesta resposta, però, també s'ha usat en la filosofia defensora de l'hedonisme: com que la vida és breu, el sentit és ella mateixa, aprofitar-la al màxim gaudint tant com es pugui. El tòpic literari carpe diem convida a l'exaltació del present, que esgota el sentit, ja que no cal preguntar-se pel significat d'un futur que és breu i amb final.

Les persones religioses donen sentit a la vida per ella mateixa justament per ser un do de Déu, la vida té valor i sentit com a ofrena, és a l'ésser humà a qui la divinitat ha atorgat una existència conscient per gaudir-la. Saber-se mortals reforça doncs el valor de l'existència, com el regal més valuós que hom pot tenir. Determinats corrents contra l'avortament o l'eutanàsia usen aquest argument per recolzar les seves demandes: la vida té sentit per ella mateixa i com que no pertany a l'home sinó que és un regal diví, és un pecat acabar amb ella. Per idèntic motiu es condemnava als que havien comès suïcidi a no poder ser enterrats en terra beneïda.

La vida pot considerar-se com un valor intrínsec, és a dir, inqüestionable o pres com a premissa per l'especulació posterior. Les concepcions que defensen aquesta postura atorguen a l'ésser humà una posició central en l'univers i poden ser racionals o apel·lar a un misteri constitutiu de l'existència. Es poden trobar mostres d'aquesta concepció en l'argument ontològic per defensar l'existència de Déu, ja que pressuposa que existir és millor o més perfecte que no existir i per tant atorga un valor intrínsec a la vida.

Alguns biòlegs també veuen un sentit intrínsec a la vida en l'instint de conservació de tots els éssers: l'ADN busca no desaparèixer i reproduir-se en qualsevol forma viva, des de les menys desenvolupades fins a les més complexes, però l'home és l'única que pot racionalitzar-ho. La vida, per definició, busca seguir sent vida (d'on deriva l'afany d'immortalitat que es troba a tants relats).

Sentit en una altra vida
La majoria de religions lliguen el sentit de la vida a altres vides (escatologia). Per als jueus, per exemple, l'objectiu dels homes és servir i adorar Déu, ser fidels al seu pacte, iniciat amb Abraham. A l'Alcorà s'afirma igualment que l'únic propòsit amb què Déu va crear els éssers humans és perquè l'adoressin (67:1-2). Tot bon musulmà ho ha de comprendre i actuar segons els cinc pilars de l'islam per no condemnar-se.

Per al cristianisme obeir els preceptes divins també és l'única via per obtenir la salvació, que dona significat a tota l'existència perquè al Paradís o Cel la persona assoleix la màxima felicitat possible que és la possessió del mateix Déu. El sentit de la vida, aleshores, és preparar l'altra vida, obrant correctament. La vida terrenal, del cos, és finita però la de l'ànima és eterna (on s'observa una forta influència de l'idealisme).

Les religions orientals preparen una altra vida, però entesa també com a física. La persona posseeix un atman o ànima que pot progressar si s'actua bé, reencarnant-se en un ésser superior, o bé tornar a néixer com un ésser inferior. L'objectiu final és alliberar-se del cicle de reencarnacions eternes. Sovint la progressió de l'ànima es lliga a la superació del desig, que causa infelicitat.

L'hinduisme considera que el sentit de la vida és l'autoconeixement, per entendre que la pròpia ànima forma part de Braman, que tot és u, doctrina que va ser adoptada pels grecs i partidaris del gnosticisme.

El sentit de la vida no pot explicar-se des de la pròpia vida per tant la pregunta és absurda perquè és impossible de respondre-hi, postulen alguns pensadors. Cada teoria necessita un marc més ampli que la justifiqui i en conseqüència per poder entendre el sentit de la vida s'hauria de poder sortir d'ella. Acceptar aquesta afirmació no implica pensar que efectivament existeixin altres vides, com pensen els religiosos, sinó simplement delimitar un marc de raonament. Aquesta concepció és compartida per filòsofs com Kant o Ludwig Wittgenstein i psicòlegs com David Chalmers, entre d'altres.

Sentit en els altres
Epicur i l'utilitarisme van afirmar que el sentit de la vida està en els altres, s'ha d'intentar viure proporcionant el màxim plaer al proïsme i així la pròpia existència té un valor perquè millora la societat i assegura la convivència. El goig intel·lectual (per a Stuart Mill), l'amistat i l'ordre que perseguien els il·lustrat esdevenen aleshores garants de sentit.

El voluntariat o el sentiment positiu que es deriva de fer el bé serien proves que el sentit de la vida està en els altres. L'ésser humà és per naturalesa un animal social, que no pot viure plenament aïllat. La màxima expressió de vida plena de sentit estaria en l'amor, entès o bé com una relació de parella perfecta (com al romanticisme i les seves derivacions) o com l'amor universal. Els altres sustentarien els ideals que donarien sentit a la vida.

La societat evoluciona per assolir cada cop una major unió respectant la llibertat personal. Aquesta evolució es pot guiar amb la voluntat de cadascú (telesi), mitjançant l'educació i el control de les emocions i conductes negatives que causin dolor a altri. El sentit de la vida, doncs, pot ser contemplat en una dimensió individual però també col·lectiva, en el progrés de la civilització.

Sentit en la pròpia felicitat
La felicitat és, per a moltes persones, el que dona sentit a la vida; una vida paga la pena quan s'és feliç. Les diferències estan en la definició de felicitat i en les maneres d'aconseguir-la. Plató, per exemple, la lligava al coneixement, la vida tenia sentit com una constant cerca del coneixement veritable, un apropament a la idea, que proporcionava alhora felicitat saviesa (el sikhisme també considera la vida com un etern aprenentatge que proporciona sentit). Aconseguir la virtut ha estat sinònim d'autèntica felicitat (eudaimonia) i de sentit de la vida per a la majoria de pensadors en ètica (només varia la concepció del que és bo).

Al , amb l'auge del relativisme, es van abandonar gran part de les concepcions comunes, per afirmar que la vida només té sentit per a cada persona. La recerca de la pròpia felicitat és un camí individual, diferent en cadascú, lligat a la llibertat i a l'autorrealització (Abraham Maslow). Només dels propis actes i de la consideració que aquests mereixin, així com el nombre i qualitat d'objectius aconseguits (o somnis), pot donar sentit a l'existència i una mateixa situació pot ser percebuda com a mancada de significat o com a molt plena per diferents persones.

L'humanisme i les filosofies afins recullen aquesta concepció personal del sentit de la vida i subratllen el seu caràcter immanent, racional i humà, enfront autoritats externes o metafísiques.

Per a Viktor Frankl la voluntat de sentit, però del mateix sentit, és el que caracteritza a l'ésser humà fins i tot en situacions extremes (la seva logoteràpia neix dels camps de concentració del nazisme). Així la construcció del sentit de la vida és la principal motivació de la persona, enfront del desig de plaer de Freud o de poder de Nietzsche, i aquesta construcció de sentit és justament la que dona sentit a l'existència.

Absència de sentit
La vida no té sentit per als defensors del nihilisme, i buscar-lo és només un senyal de feblesa davant la mort. No hi ha valors absoluts i tota vida acabarà, no solament la pròpia sinó la de tots els éssers humans i, probablement, la de l'univers (Big Crunch). Afirmar que la vida té un valor o un sentit és sostenir implícitament que la vida és millor que la no-vida, i amb aquest judici es cau en la fal·làcia naturalista, ja que es barregen termes ètics i valoratius que pertanyen a esferes culturals humanes (com "millor") a fenòmens estrictament naturals i per tant fora de l'abast d'aquests judicis. La vida s'ha donat per evolució, on intervé majoritàriament l'atzar, en un moment i un espai donat, sense que en calgui buscar una explicació o llei rectora. Pot tornar-se a donar (etern retorn) o no, sense que tingui cap sentit.

La filosofia de l'absurd, molt lligada a l'existencialisme, proclama que tot intent per trobar sentit a la vida està condemnat al fracàs. Albert Camus afirmava que malgrat aquesta absència de sentit s'ha de viure com si en tingués i acceptar la realitat al mateix temps, una tasca que titllava d'heroica per la seva dificultat.

Tant el nihilisme com la filosofia de l'absurd han estat acusats pels seus detractors de fer caure l'home en un pessimisme constant. El pragmatisme reacciona d'una manera positiva: la vida probablement no té sentit, però el que no té sentit és justament la pregunta, s'ha de ser pràctics i intentar viure de la millor manera possible.

Altres explicacions
Per a la postmodernitat la pregunta sobre el sentit de la vida és una qüestió semàntica, com tantes altres. S'ha de ser conscient dels límits del llenguatge, de l'ambigüitat del significat en si i desconstruir els sentits de la vida històricament acceptats, per néixer d'una estructura social i lingüística determinada.

El destí pot explicar el sentit de la vida, que estaria escrit des d'abans de néixer (determinisme). El significat de l'existència de cada persona és únic però es relaciona amb un guió previ que no pot alterar substancialment. Conèixer el destí i acceptar-lo omple els dies de la persona conscient.

Des de l'economia, malgrat les crítiques, s'ha intentat elaborar un índex que mesuri la qualitat de vida. El sentit de l'existència de cada persona i país és assolir el major índex de qualitat de vida, que té en compte factors com la salut, l'estabilitat del sistema, la igualtat de gènere o la llibertat política.

A la ficció s'ha buscat donar resposta al sentit de la vida de diferents maneres, des de cerques meravelloses (com el Sant Graal) a una paròdia, com a la Guia Galàctica per a Autoestopistes, on "La Resposta a la Pregunta Definitiva sobre la Vida, l'Univers i Tot Plegat" que dona un superordinador especialitzat després de milions anys és senzillament "quaranta-dos". Igualment humorística és la pel·lícula The Meaning of Life dels Monty Python.

Referències

Filosofia
Religió