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Tag Archives: opportunities
Blocking Huawei's 5G could isolate Australia from future economic opportunities
Posted on June 4, 2019 by particularkev
Marina Yue Zhang, Swinburne University of Technology
Trade conflict between the US and China has accelerated towards the brink of trade war.
A recent Trump executive order preventing US companies from working with "adversaries" (China fits this description) was hammered home by a ban on selling US high-tech products to Chinese tech company Huawei.
Blocking Huawei from Australia means slower and delayed 5G – and for what?
Australia too has put a halt on 5G infrastructure coming from China.
But this is about more than just which company's poles and wires will provide internet for your phone and movie downloads in the future.
Choices the US, Australia and other nations make around how they set up 5G will determine how we use technology for collaboration, innovation and global business.
Huawei's 5G is becoming a global standard
5G is the fifth generation network for mobile connectivity. It has been described as "game changing" due to high speeds and high capacity, and provision of superior service to high numbers of users.
5G relies on standardisation – the technical specifications used in mobile networks – supported by patents and licensing agreements.
In mobile networks, standard essential patents (SEPs) are those patents that any company will have to license when implementing 5G. History suggests companies holding SEPs benefit significantly from royalties.
Data from April 2019 shows China, collectively, owns over one-third of the world's SEPs for 5G.
China lost its opportunity in 1G and 2G, learned an expensive lesson from its failed 3G standard, and achieved substantial catch-up in 4G. It is determined to lead in 5G.
Chinese tech companies such as Huawei and ZTE understand that transition to 5G opens a window of opportunity for them to achieve this goal. To do this they need to build followers – and momentum is already moving in this regard.
By the end of March 2019, Huawei had reportedly been awarded 40 5G commercial contracts from carriers around the world (including 23 from Europe, six from the Asia Pacific, ten from the Middle East and one from Africa).
The battle of radio spectra
In addition to standardisation, radio spectrum is another critical factor in 5G. Radio spectrum is a limited resource that is used for communications from Earth to space.
Spectrum allocation is at the heart of 5G competition.
Huawei's 5G technology has been developed for mid-band spectrums which are available for commercial use in many countries, including Australia.
The best plan for Australia is that mid-band solutions be used to cover the bulk of 5G networks, with high-band technologies to provide complementary coverage in densely populated areas.
The US has limited access to mid-band spectrums for commercial 5G, as most in this range are for defence use. So the US developed its 5G technologies for high-band spectrums – which presents that country with a dilemma.
It is not easy for the US to switch from high-band to mid-band 5G in a short time. And it's not likely the rest of the world will give up using mid-band solutions, which provide wider coverage and require less investment in infrastructure.
A short-term answer is for the US to push its allies to jointly exclude Huawei from their 5G networks. This might be sought to protect the US from 5G "isolation", and perhaps have other commercial or political implications – or a combination of these factors.
US ban on Huawei likely following Trump cybersecurity crackdown – and Australia is on board
The consequence is that Australia, as one of those allies, would likely need to spend more money on base stations and the necessary infrastructure and wait a longer time for a fully operational 5G system.
For example, a Huawei 5G base station is only one-third the size of its 4G equivalents and weighs only 20 kilograms: it's easier to install, and the technology is at least 18 months ahead of its competitors such as Nokia. This advantage is lost if Australia continues to block Huawei.
Australia's fourth mobile telco, TPG, argues that there is "no credible case" to rollout its 5G as planned without Huawei.
Stakes are high as US ups the ante on trade dispute with China
Fractured globalisation?
5G will support many applications such as industry automation, self-driving cars, massive machine-to-machine communications, internet of things, smart cities and more.
This means the growth of 5G will accelerate development of an ecosystem in which different countries can co-exist and co-develop, supported by interconnected and interdependent supply chain networks.
Such ecosystems are built on mobile network infrastructures, upon which are layered technology platforms for manufacturing, medical treatments and payments (for example) and then applications for working, studying and living.
For example, in the future this sort of system might be used by Australian and Chinese academics and industry experts to work together on innovations related to health care, environmental protection or industrial automation.
But this may fall down if the involved countries build their 5G infrastructures differently.
Australia's final 5G plan could have profound implications for Australia's economic development into the future.
Marina Yue Zhang, Associate Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Swinburne University of Technology
Posted in Australia, China, Communications, economy, news, Politics	| Tagged 5G, article, Australia, blocking, China, economic, economy, future, Huawei, isolate, news, opportunities, Politics | Leave a comment
Ken Wyatt faces challenges – and opportunities – as minister for Indigenous Australians
The appointment of Ken Wyatt as the first Indigenous minister for Indigenous Australians is a significant moment in the nation's history.
AAP/Lukas Coch
Eddie Synot, Griffith University
Ken Wyatt is the first Indigenous cabinet minister in the history of the Commonwealth government. That he was also the first Indigenous member of the House of Representatives when elected in 2010 as the member for Hasluck, WA, and is now the first Indigenous person to be minister for Indigenous Australians, makes his appointment especially significant.
Wearing his Noongar kangaroo skin booka, the significance of this appointment should not be understated. The short history of Indigenous participation in Australia's political community is one of exclusion. But that exclusion was never the result of a lack of Indigenous persistence and ability.
Australian society was structured on the exclusion, or limited inclusion, of Indigenous people. Laws targeted Indigenous people for special treatment based on biological and sociological beliefs in their racial inferiority. These attitudes permeated Australian society throughout the protection and assimilation eras. These laws set effective limits on the participation of Indigenous peoples in Australian society.
Constitutional reform made easy: how to achieve the Uluru statement and a First Nations voice
Australian society has come a long way since the days of oppressive exclusion. But we still bear the heavy burden of a history of torment and powerlessness. Perhaps more than any other member of cabinet, Ken Wyatt will feel the weight of history, hope and expectation as he faces the challenge of Indigenous affairs.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison seems aware of the significance of this appointment. An example of this awareness is the name change from Minister for Indigenous Affairs to Minister for Indigenous Australians. This fits the narrative of social cohesion that Morrison has deployed to emphasise Australian unity in response to calls for Indigenous constitutional recognition. This rhetoric has persisted despite many emphasising that Indigenous constitutional recognition would unify and enhance Australian democracy rather than challenge it.
The Indigenous affairs portfolio has had a long and troubled history. Nigel Scullion's tenure as minister was plagued by significant issues and dissatisfaction from within the Indigenous community. Multiple reports have been scathing of the Commonwealth's policies, especially its flagship Indigenous Advancement Strategy (IAS) and Closing the Gap (CTG).
The 2017 review of the IAS by the Australian National Audit Office was particularly scathing. The report found a culture of arbitrary decision-making, a lack of transparency, poor record-keeping, a lack of oversight and accountability, no access to review of decisions, and a significant number of submissions having been lost.
The reviews of CTG were also scathing. Reports emphasised a continued failure to make significant inroads in targeted outcomes, despite over a decade of policy action.
Most striking, though, has been the clear frustration of the Indigenous community with a government that has ignored Indigenous peoples and worked according to dated and paternalistic practices.
This frustration resulted in the formation of a coalition of peak Indigenous bodies. This coalition in turn was able to obtain a negotiated partnership with the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) announced in December 2018.
COAG acknowledged a need for actions to:
align with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' and communities' priorities and ambition as a basis for developing action plans.
This is important recognition of the desire of Indigenous peoples to control their own affairs through community-controlled delivery of service programs. COAG also recognised that "to effect real change, governments must work collaboratively and in genuine, formal partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as they are the essential agents of change".
These policy concerns are part of the broader place and understanding of Indigenous peoples within Australia. This foundational issue informed the Uluru Statement from the Heart and its sequenced priorities of voice, treaty and truth. Fully aware of the difficult history and challenges ahead, the Uluru Statement from the Heart asked all Australians "to walk with us in a movement of the Australian people for a better future".
The second anniversary of the Uluru statement has coincided with Wyatt's appointment, National Sorry Day and Reconciliation Week. This timing has provided a unique opportunity to reflect on the importance of Wyatt's appointment, successes to date, challenges ahead, and the acceptance of that invitation from the Uluru statement.
The Indigenous community deserves a voice in the constitution. Will the nation finally listen?
Wyatt faces a significant challenge. That cannot be denied. Any increased expectations on him because he is Indigenous should be tempered.
The challenge is bigger than the Indigenous affairs portfolio, as recent reports into Indigenous affairs have addressed. Solutions require partnerships across government, ministerial portfolios and the community to be successful. The challenges are not simply those of Indigenous peoples and the minister for Indigenous Australians. This is the responsibility of all Australians.
It is hard to say what Wyatt's first priority as minister should be, as there are so many issues demanding attention. Indigenous youth suicide and the much maligned Community Development Program stand out. But the relationship between Indigenous peoples and other Australians, including the respect and recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, remains front and centre of the work ahead.
Wyatt brings a notable difference to the Indigenous affairs portfolio. He is experienced, having served as a senior public servant and as an MP since 2010. He has been minister for aged care and Indigenous health. He has also been involved in and is supportive of major reform agendas being called for in Indigenous affairs – implementing the Uluru Statement from the Heart and achieving meaningful partnerships with Indigenous Australians.
Eddie Synot, Senior Research Assistant, Griffith University
Posted in Aborigines, Australia, Ken Wyatt, Liberal Party, National Party, news, Politics	| Tagged article, Australia, challenges, Coalition, indigenous affairs, Ken Wyatt, Liberal Party, minister, National Party, news, opportunities, Politics | Leave a comment
What will the Coalition be remembered for on tax? Tinkering, blunders and lost opportunities
Posted on April 20, 2019 by particularkev
Robert Breunig, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University and Kristen Sobeck, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University
This article is part of a series examining the Coalition government's record on key issues while in power and what Labor is promising if it wins the 2019 federal election.
Politicians often invoke the word "reform" to convey the significance, or gravitas, of a particular policy change they are proposing.
However, the tax policies implemented over the six years of the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison government should be more aptly described as: no reform, lots of tinkering, two blunders and some lost opportunities.
To be fair to the leaders of the Coalition, both Abbott and Turnbull began their prime ministerships professing a large appetite for tax reform.
In opposition Abbott and his treasury spokesman Joe Hockey had promised a major inquiry. Hockey said it would pick up where Labor's Henry Tax Review left off:
We thought the Henry Tax Review was going to be a proper process. Now, that has obviously been an abject failure. We've said – Tony Abbott announced
in Budget and reply speech – we will have a proper process for proper tax reform, and whatever comes out of that process, which will be a white paper, we will take to a subsequent election, seeking the mandate of the
Australian people – their approval.
Treasury's Re:think tax discussion paper, which is as far as the tax white paper process got.
Source: Commonwealth Treasury
It got as far as a discussion paper, seeking submissions.
When Turnbull assumed the leadership, the draft white paper, which would have followed the discussion paper, was scuttled, and the process ended.
Tinkering…
Instead what resulted were marginal changes to personal income tax. One of the brackets was expanded and a new low and middle income tax offset was added.
Marginal changes to superannuation tax further added to the complexity of the tax system as a whole. The current superannuation system disproportionately rewards higher income earners because most contributions are taxed at the same low rate (15%) regardless of the taxpayers' income tax rate.
The Coalition's response was to apply a 30% tax on contributions for those earning $250,000 or more (down from the previous threshold of $300,000) and to cut the cap on concessional contributions from $30,000 ($35,000 for those aged 49 and over) to $25,000. And it capped at $1.6 million the amount that could be transferred into the "retirement phase" where fund earnings in retirement were exempt from tax.
It made the system much more complex, and it could have been done more simply, perhaps by reimposing tax on super earnings in retirement (at a low rate) or by taxing by contributions at a standard discount to taxpayers at a marginal rate, as recommended by the 2009 Henry Tax Review.
Alongside these marginal changes, there was also a failed attempt to cut the company tax rate (only the tax rates for small companies were cut) and a muddled discussion about the progressivity of the income tax system.
All in all, many a tinker, but no reform.
Blunders…
Human-induced climate change is compromising the sustainability of our planet. The only way to solve it is by changing incentives using the economic toolkit at our disposal. The Carbon Tax was a good tax. It shifted the costs of pollution onto those who created it, instead of subsidising processes that damaged the environment.
No solution to climate change is possible without corrective taxes.
At some point we'll have to climb that mountain again, assuming the mountain is not underwater before politicians come to their senses.
The repeal of the Minerals Resource Rent Tax was also a step backwards. By taxing rents (excess profits) instead of profits, it avoided the disincentives created by traditional company taxes. And, it was a good example of the kind of taxes that could eventually replace or supplement company tax.
…and lost opportunities
Changing the GST could have ensured at least one significant contribution to overall tax reform. At 10%, the rate is relatively low by international standards and applies to a shrinking share of spending, as more and more of our money is spent in places or on goods that aren't taxed.
Value-added (GST) tax rates in OECD and selected Asian countries.
Re:think, Treasury tax discussion paper, March 2015
These factors, combined with the fact that GST is difficult to evade and less costly to administer, suggest that broadening the base is low hanging fruit on the tax reform tree, ripe for picking.
Instead, it may as well be forbidden fruit from the Garden of Eden. We've gone in the wrong direction by adding even more exemptions and cutting short talk of increasing the rate.
The failed debate on company tax cuts was another missed opportunity.
What remains is a system that applies different rates to different company sizes, one of few remaining dividend imputation systems in the world, and no discussion about the sustainability of corporate income tax revenue in the future.
All up, the government's approach over the past six years has largely been piecemeal. It also managed to dismantle two of the most significant tax reforms that could have contributed to a more sustainable tax base in the long run.
Would Labor be better?
It remains to be seen whether a Labor government will be able to achieve more. Some of the party's proposed changes, such as the treatment of capital gains, head in the right direction, but what it is offering falls short of comprehensive reform.
At the same time, many of its proposed changes will add additional complexity, fail to account for interactions within the entire tax system and use tax exemptions to reach goals that could be better achieved with payments.
Many an international tax reform was engendered by crisis, so there's hope, of a sort. The opportunity still remains to get in early before weaknesses inherent in the current system become grossly apparent.
What we've got is unfair and its complexity rewards those with the resources to pay to understand and exploit it. It is overly reliant on income and company tax in place of indirect taxes, like consumption tax, and it tries to achieve too many disparate objectives, without consideration for the workings of the family and social security payments system.
There is much scope to improve things. What we need most are fearless leaders, from all sides of the political spectrum, who treat comprehensive tax reform as important and can work together to achieve it.
What will the Turnbull-Morrison government be remembered for?
Robert Breunig, Professor of Economics and Director, Tax and Transfer Policy Institute, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University and Kristen Sobeck, Senior Research Officer, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University
Posted in Australia, economy, Liberal Party, Malcolm Turnbull, National Party, news, Politics, Scott Morrison, Tony Abbott	| Tagged article, blunders, Coalition, economy, legacy, Liberal Party, lost, Malcolm Turnbull, National Party, news, opportunities, Politics, Scott Morrison, tax, taxation, tinkering, Tony Abbott | Leave a comment
Turnbull and Shorten urge need to curb terrorists' opportunities on the internet
Posted on June 13, 2017 by particularkev
Both the government and the opposition will warn about terrorists exploiting cyberspace.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten will both home in on the importance of tackling cyber issues as part of the fight against terrorism, in parliamentary speeches on Tuesday.
In a security update on the threats facing Australia at home and abroad, Turnbull will say that an "online civil society is as achievable as an offline one".
"The privacy and security of a terrorist can never be more important than public safety," he says in notes released ahead of the address.
"The rights and protections of the vast overwhelming majority of Australians must outweigh the rights of those who will do them harm.
"That is truly what balancing the priority of community safety with individual liberties and our way of life is about."
The government would not take an "if it ain't broke we won't fix it" mentality, Turnbull says – rather, Australia is at the forefront of efforts to address future threats.
Attorney-General George Brandis will visit Canada this month to meet his Five Eyes security counterparts – the others are from Britain, the US, New Zealand as well as Canada – and discuss what more can be done by likeminded nations and with the communications and technology industry "to ensure terrorists and organised criminals are not able to operate with impunity within ungoverned digital spaces online".
Shorten, in his address (an extract of which has been released), will say: "We need to recognise this is a 21st-century conflict – being fought online as well as in the streets. Terrorists are using sophisticated online strategies as well as crude weapons of violence."
He says this is where the private sector has a responsibility.
"For a long time Daesh has used the internet as an instrument of radicalisation. Through Twitter and Facebook they boast of a propaganda arm that can reach into every home in the world: spreading hate, recruiting followers and encouraging imitators.
"And with encryption technology like Whatsapp and Telegram they can securely communicate not just a message of violence – but instructions in how to carry it out."
Shorten will acknowledge many internet providers and social media platforms such as Facebook work hard to detect and remove offensive content, namely child pornography and other forms of violent crime.
"But we need more – and these companies have the resources and the capacity to do more.
"As good corporate citizens and responsible members of democratic nations, I'm confident these tech companies will seek to do everything they can to assist the fight against terror.
"We must always be mindful of the rule of the law and the proper protections of our citizens – but we must be equally focused on adapting to new mediums and new technologies to detect and prevent new threats," Shorten says.
The security focus in parliament comes after last week's attack in Melbourne, events in Britain, and Friday's decision by the Council of Australian Governments that there should be a presumption against parole and bail for people who have had any involvement with terrorism.
The government this week will introduce its tough new provisions governing visa and citizenship requirements. They include giving Immigration Minister Peter Dutton power to overrule Administrative Appeal Tribunal decisions on citizenship. Dutton said this would align citizenship provisions with the power he already has in relation to visas. There would still be the right to appeal to the Federal Court. Labor will announce its attitude when it sees the legislation.
https://www.podbean.com/media/player/icjdu-6b9a25?from=site&skin=1&share=1&fonts=Helvetica&auto=0&download=0
Posted in ALP, Australia, Bill Shorten, Internet, Liberal Party, Malcolm Turnbull, news, Politics, War on Terror	| Tagged ALP, article, Australia, Bill Shorten, curb, Internet, Labor Party, Liberal Party, Malcolm Turnbull, need, news, opportunities, Politics, terrorism, terrorists | Leave a comment
Algerian Christians Acquitted of Eating during Ramadan
Judge throws out case against men arrested during Islamic fasting period.
ISTANBUL, October 5 (CDN) — An Algerian court today acquitted two Christian men of eating during Ramadan in spite of a prosecutor's demand that they be punished for "insulting Islam."
Authorities on Aug. 12 arrested Salem Fellak and Hocine Hocini for eating lunch on a private construction site where they were working. Ramadan, Islam's month of fasting during daylight hours, started this year on Aug. 11.
The incident took place in Ain El-Hammam, a town in the province of Tizi Ouzou about 150 kilometers (93 miles) east of the Algerian capital. Tizi Ouzou is part of Kabylie, an area of Algeria where the country's Protestant church has grown with relative freedom in recent years.
Officers at a nearby police station saw the two men eating and confronted them for not fasting. When police realized the two men were Christians, they accused them of insulting Islam, according to local French-language press reports.
"I do not apologize for anything, and I regret nothing," Fellak said before the verdict, according to Dernieres Nouvelles d'Algerie. "I have the right to not fast. I am a Christian, and until found guilty, the Algerian constitution guarantees respect for individual freedoms."
The Algerian Constitution gives the right to all citizens to practice their faith, although it declares Islam the state religion and prohibits institutions from behavior incompatible with Islamic morality. Proposing other faiths to Muslims is also forbidden.
After police arrested Hocini and Fellak, authorities interrogated them for two hours and "admonished" them, according to a French-language news site. Authorities took them to court, where a state prosecutor questioned them. When the men explained to her that they were Christians, she said that Algeria was a Muslim country with no room for Christians and that they should leave the country, according to a local news site.
Today the judge at the court in Ain El Hamman, however, dismissed the case since "no article [of law] provided for a legal pursuit" against the two Christians, according to the BBC.
A small group of Christians standing on the steps of the courthouse reportedly shouted "Hallelujah!" when they heard the outcome of the case. After the verdict, Fellak said he was happy and that he had done nothing wrong, according to Reuters.
Local media also reported cases of Muslim Algerians arrested for eating during Ramadan.
Worshipping without Permit
The charges against the two Christians and a case of four Christians on trial for worshipping without a permit in Tizi Ouzou Province have some wondering what has caused authorities to turn their attention to this small community.
This Sunday (Oct. 10), the four men will appear in court for holding Christian meetings at a residence without permission. One of the men, Mahmoud Yahou, has told a local newspaper, "This story concerns all Christians in our country. We are a community intimidated around the country."
Yahou cited other recent cases of persecution, including that of Habiba Kouider, who in 2008 was tried for practicing Christianity "without a license." Her case is still pending. Another Christian, Rachid Muhammad Essaghir, has three court cases against him, all in appeals process since 2008.
In most cases, Christians have been charged under a presidential decree from February 2006 that restricts religious worship to government approved buildings. The decree, known as Ordinance 06-03, also outlaws any attempt to convert Muslims to another faith.
"This law of 2006 is contradictory to the constitution," said a regional researcher who requested anonymity. "It creates a gray zone in which the government and police have room to act against the church. This law gives permission to the government to condemn believers for their faith or illegal worship even if the constitution guarantees religious freedom."
Also in Tizi Ouzou city, church leaders who were expanding their building to fit their growing congregation received a letter in August from the governor of the province ordering them to stop all construction and demolish the extension.
Algerian Christians and observers say that the two court cases, along with the order to the Tizi Ouzou church to cease expansion of their building, are unusual because they happened in such a short span of time and because the region is regarded as more tolerant of Christianity.
"Perhaps a new wave of persecution is coming," said the regional researcher. "It's difficult to know, but in a few weeks we encountered a few problems."
An Algerian church leader told Compass the government is finding more subtle ways to pressure Christians.
"I think they don't want to do anything openly," said the leader, who requested anonymity. "So they are using opportunities they can find, like not giving authorization to build the church in Tizi Ouzou, [and the men] not fasting during Ramadan."
Posted in Algeria, Christianity, Islam	| Tagged 2006, 2008, ;province, accused, acquitted, act, admonished, against, Ain El-Hammam, Algeria, Algerians, anonymity, anything, apologize, appeals, appear, approved, area, arrested, article, attempt, attention, authorities, authorization, behavior, believers, buildings, capital, case, cases, caused, cease, charged, charges, Christian, Christianity, Christians, church, city, coming, community, concerns, condemn, confronted, congregation, constitution, construction, contradictory, convert, country, courthouse, creates, daylight, declares, decree, demand, demolish, difficult, dismissed, eating, encountered, expanding, explained, extension, faith, fast, fasting, find, finding, fit, forbidden, found, freedom, freedoms, government, governor, gray, group, growing, grown, guarantees, guilty, Habiba Kouider, hallelujah, happened, happy, Hocine Hocini, hours, illegal, incident, incompatible, individual, institutions, insulting, interrogated, intimidated, Islam, Islamic, judge, Kabylie, know, law, leaders, leave, legal, letter, license, lunch, Mahmoud Yahou, meetings, men, morality, Muslim, muslims, nearby, newspaper, nothing, officers, openly, opportunities, ordering, Ordinance 06-03, out, outcome, outlaws, pending, period, permission, permit, Persecution, police station, practice, practicing, presidential, pressure, private, problems, process, prohibits, proposing, prosecutor, Protestant, provided, punished, pursuit, questioned, Rachid Muhammad Essaghir, Ramadan, realized, received, regarded, region, regional, regret, relative, religion, religious freedom, requestedm, researcher, residence, respect, restricts, right, room, Salem Fellak, shouted, site, small, standing, started, state, steps, stop, story, subtle, throws, Tizi Ouzou Province, Tizi-Ouzou, tolerant, town, trial, tried, unusual, using, verdict, wave, ways, without, wondering, working, worship, worshipping, wrong, zone | Leave a comment
After two years in labor camp, Christian leader released
After two years of reeducation in a labor camp, Wusiman Yiming was finally released and reunited with his family, reports MNN.
In 2007, Wusiman was sentenced for "revealing state secrets" and "illegal proselytizing." ChinaAid Association says the sentence was a result of Wusiman's Christian leadership in house churches among the Uyghur people in Xinjiang, China. Government officials originally planned to give Wusiman a 10-15 year sentence, but thanks to media coverage, it was only two years.
Wusiman is now back with his family, aged and fragile, but in good spirits. Alimujiang Yimiti, who was accused of the same things as Wusiman in the same court case, is still in custody.
Alimujiang has been arbitrarily detained at Kashi Municipal Center since January 12, 2008 even though no concrete sentence was made against him, and forged documents were used in court.
On October 27, 2009, Alimujiang was read his verdict and sentence. Alimujiang, his wife and his lawyer are still waiting for a printed document explaining an exact verdict. In the meantime, they have been told that the punishment will be severe.
ChinaAid says that Alimujiang is highly respected in the prison. Pray that he would continue to have opportunities to spread the Gospel and share the love of Christ even while imprisoned. Pray also that Alimujiang would be released and that justice would finally be brought to the situation.
Report from the Christian Telegraph
Posted in China, Christianity, Communism	| Tagged 2008, accused, aged, Alimujiang Yimiti, arbitrarily, brought, case, China, ChinaAid Association, Christ, Christian, Christianity, Christians, Communism, communist, communists, concrete, continue, court, coverage, detained, document, documents, evidence, exact, explaining, family, finally, forged, fragile, good, gospel, government, highly, house churches, illegal, imprisoned, justice, Kashi Municipal Center, labor camp, lawyer, leader, leadership, love, media, officials, opportunities, originally, people, Persecution, planned, pray, printed, prison, proselytizing, punishment, read, reeducation, released, respected, result, reunited, revealing, same, secrets, sentence, sentenced, severe, share, situation, spirits, spread, state, thanks, things, used, Uyghur, verdict, waiting, wife, Wusiman Yiming, Xinjiang | Leave a comment
Posted on November 16, 2009 by particularkev
Many people, myself included, often wonder just what they can do to effect change in something that disturbs them, angers them, in something they strongly disagree with, etc. It could by a human rights issue, a health problem that plagues poor people, homelessness, a green issue, etc. The thing that galvanises a lot of people is their sense of inability to effect change and/or how to go about effecting the change they desire.
We might see a news report on the nightly news about a devastating famine or destructive tsunami and think that the problem is just too big and there is little we can actually do to help. At other times we might think, 'if only there was some way we could help here,' but we don't because we don't know how. Just maybe if there was some place we could turn that could give us some direction?
Thankfully there are places to turn and one of these places is change.org – the link follows at the end of this post. This site seeks to inform about issues and also to empower normal people to be able to do something about whatever that issue might be. The site covers a plethora of issues that people and groups are seeking to tackle all around the world and is a great place to visit on a regular basis. there is a blog to keep you up to date on what is happening.
Not only does the site inform, it also empowers. It is a portal to a massive range of issues and action groups seeking to change the world for the better, generally speaking. We may not agree with the mission statements for every single action group that we come across at change.org, but there are so many represented there that the chances are good that you will soon find one or more that you can actively support.
There are plenty of opportunities to get involved in should you wish. You can also donate to the causes that you wish to support via the site.
http://www.change.org/
Posted in activism, Environment, social networking, Society	| Tagged action, actively, agree, angers, better, big, Blog, causes, change, change.org, destructive, devastating, direction, disagree, disturbs, donate, effect, effecting, empower, environmental, famine, Green, groups, happening, health, help, homelessness, human rights, inform, issue, link, little, massive, mission statements, news, opportunities, people, plagues, poor, portal, problem, range, report, seeks, site, strongly, support, tackle, tsunami, world | Leave a comment
Draft legislation in Russia might make evangelism impossible
A draft legislation introduced this month threatens to make evangelism nearly impossible in Russia. A date has not yet been released for further ruling on the law, but in the meantime, evangelicals express concern, reports MNN.
"Only religious groups that have been registered in Russia for at least 15 year will be allowed to engage in any evangelistic or missionary activity," says Bob Provost of Slavic Gospel Association. "For example, if a North American church were to send a youth group over to help with a summer camp (which happens a lot), or if they were to send over a music group to help with evangelistic activity, it would not be allowed. Foreigners in Russia on a temporary visa would not be permitted."
The legislation also outlaws indigenous churches from any missionary activity within hospitals, orphanages, or homes for the aged. Children, under the new legislation, will be prohibited from attending religious activities without specific permission by a parent or guardian. This part of the law, in particular, would devastate specific ministry opportunities.
"The single greatest evangelistic opportunity that the Church has there today comes at Christmas time when they're able to hold Christmas events and invite children from the community," explains Provost. "In many cases, parents and grandparents accompany their children to these meetings and find out that the lies that they've been hearing via the media or in the public schools against evangelical Christianity are not true."
As if all of these restrictions were not limiting enough, the legislation forbids any "offers of material, social and other benefits," leaving the range of prohibited activity almost completely open-ended.
If passed, anyone convicted of anything under this legislation (offering food to the poor, sharing the Gospel with a child, evangelizing on a short-term trip etc.) could be fined up to $517 USD. The Russian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists (RUECB) has responded to the absurdity of the open-endedness of the draft legislation, but it does not appear as though the government has not appeared to have made any movement.
With all of these objectives brewing, an explanation as to "why" is appropriate. But so far, there doesn't appear to be substantial reasoning. Provost suggests that the legislation may be in defense of the Orthodox Church in Russia. Although the Baptist Church is not growing astronomically in Russia, it is growing and may well be considered a threat.
"It's evident to me that president Putin, when he came into power, put the government's arm around the Orthodox Church again in order to unify the country," says Provost. As a result, "Any religion that starts to get in the way of the Orthodox Church is going to be considered a threat, and steps are being taken to remove it."
Amid all of the concern, the Church continues to live on in Russia. "605 men have been set apart and are ready to be sent as missionaries all over the former Soviet Union. We're praying for partners who would help us send them," says Provost. "Nine out of ten communities are still waiting for a Gospel witness presence. In other words, nine out of ten communities have never had a Bible teaching church."
The RUECB is asking churches in Russia to fast and pray that the legislation would not be passed in any of the stages toward becoming law. Please pray with them.
Slavic Gospel Association will continue their work in Russia and the former Soviet Union.
Posted in Christianity, evangelism, Law and Legislation, Orthodox, Russia	| Tagged absurdity, accompany, activity, aged, allowed, appear, appropriate, arm, astronomically, attending, Baptist, benefits, Bible, Bob Provost, brewing, child, children, Christian, Christianity, Christians, Christmas, church, churches, communities, community, completely, concern, considered, convicted, country, defense, devastate, draft, engage, Evangelical, evangelism, evangelistic, evangelizing, events, evident, explanation, express, fast, fined, food, forbids, foreigners, former, gospel, government, grandparents, greatest, group, groups, growing, Guardian, happens, hearing, help, homes, hospitals, impossible, indigenous, introduced, invite, law, legislation, lies, limiting, material, media, meetings, ministry, missionaries, missionary, movement, music, nearly, North American, objectives, offering, offers, open-ended, opportunities, opportunity, orphanages, Orthodox church, outlaws, parent, part, partners, passed, permission, permitted, Persecution, poor, power, pray, praying, President, prohibited, public, Putin, range, reasoning, registered, religion, religious, remove, responded, restrictions, result, RUECB, ruling, Russia, Russian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists, schools, send, sharing, short-term, single, Slavic Gospel Association, social, Soviet Union, specific, stages, starts, steps, substantial, suggests, summer camp, teaching, temporary, threat, threatens, time, trip, true, unify, visa, why, youth | Leave a comment
Merkel: EU legislation does not curb religious freedom
Posted on August 22, 2009 by particularkev
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has reassured evangelical Christians that European anti-discrimination legislation will not curb their freedom of worship and religious expression, reports Wolfgang Polzer, special to ASSIST News Service.
In an interview with three German evangelical media organizations she emphasized that EU anti-discrimination laws were only meant to prevent any disadvantages for specific groups. For example, older people should have the same opportunities as younger persons; women should have equal rights as well as people with special needs.
Anti-discrimination legislation is meant to strengthen equality, said Merkel. She was interviewed in Berlin by leading journalists of Evangeliums-Rundfunk (Gospel Radio), the media association KEP (Conference of Evangelical Publicists) and the news agency "idea", all stationed in Wetzlar.
Merkel, raised in a vicar's family in East Germany, called on Christians to refrain from despondency and put their trust in God. The power of their faith would enable them to weather difficult times and face the future with confidence.
The 55-year-old politician is also leader of the Christian Democratic Union in Germany and faces general elections on September 27. As she explained, the "C" in the name of her party serves as a foundation for operative politics.
"We regard every individual as God's creation equipped with freedom and responsibility," said Merkel. Politics was meant to create conditions in which the individual can develop his or her talents. The "C" was also a reminder of the need to preserve the integrity of creation.
Merkel emphasized the German obligation to protect the integrity of the state of Israel. The German government is also striving for progress in the peace effort. Merkel's government supports a two-state-solution. This requires compromises on both sides, she said.
As the chancellor explained, a task force in the Foreign Office is working hard to bring light into the fate of a German Christian family abducted in Yemen in mid-June. Every effort was made to find out where the parents and their three children are and how they can be set free, said Merkel. She expressed her respect for volunteers helping to alleviate human suffering abroad.
Posted in Christianity, Germany, Israel, Yemen	| Tagged abducted, abroad, agency, alleviate, Angela Merkel, anti-discrimination, association, Berlin, called, Chancellor, children, Christian, Christian Democratic Union in Germany, Christianity, Christians, compromise, conditions, Conference of Evangelical Publicists, confidence, create, creation, despondency, develop, difficult, disadvantages, East Germany, effort, elections, emphasized, enable, equal, equality, equipped, EU, European, European Union, Evangelical, Evangeliums-Rundfunk, expression, face, faith, family, fate, Foreign Office, foundation, free, freedom, future, general, German, Germany, God, Gospel Radio, government, groups, helping, human, idea, individual, integrity, interview, interviewed, Israel, journalists, KEP, laws, leader, leading, legislation, light, media, need, needs, news, obligation, older, operative, opportunities, organizations, party, peace, people, persons, politician, Politics, power, preserve, prevent, progress, protect, raised, reassured, refrain, religious freedom, reminder, respect, responsibility, rights, serves, special, specific, state, stationed, strengthen, striving, suffering, supports, talents, task force, times, trust, Vicar, volunteers, Weather, Wetzlar, women, working, worship, Yemen, younger | Leave a comment
WAR IS OVER IN SRI LANKA, CHRISTIANS ARE REACHING OUT
Posted on May 23, 2009 by particularkev
Sri Lanka's civil war between the government and the Tamil Tigers rebel group is now over, and it is time to minister to the survivors, says Gospel for Asia President K.P. Yohannan, reports MNN.
"While the 30-year-long conflict has come to an end by the news of the Tamil Tigers' surrender, in reality this is the beginning of pain and crisis for hundreds of thousands of people who are displaced," Dr. Yohannan said. "There are 25,000 now in refugee camps, and the suffering is especially acute among the children and elderly.
"This is one of the greatest challenges and opportunities we have to minister to people in the name of Christ. We have more than 100 churches in Sri Lanka, and our people are engaged in doing whatever they can to help the suffering refugees. This is a drawn-out challenge that will be there for a long time to come."
The bloody civil war entered its final stages earlier this year and ended with the government's announcement Monday that it had killed Tamil leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and his son. A short time later, the handful of remaining Tamils surrendered.
The Tamils are a minority group on the island, and the Tigers were an armed militant group fighting for a separate homeland in northern Sri Lanka. The Indian state of Tamil Nadu is just across a narrow channel from the battle area.
Sri Lanka's army chief, appearing on television news broadcasts, said that government troops claimed victory over the last Tamil stronghold, a tiny sliver of land on the northwest coast of the island.
With the end of the war, Sri Lanka is now faced with resettling thousands of refugees who fled their homes in the wake of the fighting. Many of the refugees are living in government camps that lack basic hygiene facilities. They do not have access to adequate food, water or shelter.
But physical discomfort is not the only thing they have suffered. Many lost loved ones or were permanently disfigured in the violent confrontations. The rebels were accused of using civilians as human shields, and the government is accused of inadvertently bombing a hospital in the designated safe zone.
The United Nations estimates that 70,000 civilians were killed in the fighting during the last 30 years. There is a concern that the number will increase.
"Our country is in huge suffering," said Lal Vanderwall, GFA's Sri Lanka country leader. "We are praying for God to intervene so that many more will not die in the aftermath of this surrender."
Yohannan said there is a concern about the fate of the island's Tamils in the wake of the surrender.
The hurt runs deep, says Yohannan, and "unless we preach the Gospel and somehow bring Christ into the picture, and the church moves very aggressively, cares for the suffering and the poor, and does the work of God, we may have more problems."
"People are committing suicide out of despair," Yohannan reported. "When they lose hope, many will just kill themselves. So there is a very real fear of increased suicides."
Gospel for Asia-supported missionaries have been working in Sri Lanka for many years. Some are former rebel fighters, while others come from the majority Sinhalese population. Most of these missionaries now serve as pastors of Sri Lankan churches. The fact that Tamil and Sinhalese Christians work side-by-side has been a tremendous witness to the people.
Today these pastors, along with the workers at the Bridge of Hope children's centers, are mobilizing to help war survivors. During the next few days they will be gathering food, clothing and other daily necessities to help the displaced with their immediate needs.
As the people return home, these pastors and other workers will continue helping them rebuild their lives in whatever ways are necessary. For some, that could mean ministering to families who are burying their dead. For others, it could be providing food and other household necessities. Others may need new homes if theirs were destroyed in the conflict.
Yohannan says many are hopeless. "When people are hurting and in despair, hopelessness sinks in, and that's when the Gospel is presented and they cry out to God."
With the end of the war, GFA-supported missionaries will also be praying for their country's leaders as they plot a course for the future.
"I pray that somehow the international community will be concerned that the government of Sri Lanka will take care of its Tamil population," Yohannan said. "This conflict started because of the abuse of the Tamil population, so I pray that the government will now take care of its Tamil people as well as the majority Sinhalese."
Posted in Christianity, India, Sri Lanka, Tamil Tigers, United Nations, War, War on Terror	| Tagged abuse, access, accused, acute, adequate, aftermath, aggressively, announcement, appearing, area, armed, army, basic, battle, beginning, bloody, bombing, Bridge of Hope, broadcasts, burying, camps, cares, centers, challenge, challenges, channel, chief, children, children's, Christ, Christian, Christianity, Christians, churches, Civil War, civilians, claimed, clothing, coast, committing suicide, community, concern, conflict, confrontations, country, crisis, daily, dead, deep, designated, despair, destroyed, die, discomfort, disfigured, displaced, elderly, end, ended, engaged, entered, estimates, faced, facilities, families, fate, fear, fighters, fighting, Final, food, future, GFA, God, gospel, Gospel for Asia, government, greatest, group, handful, helping, homeland, homes, hope, hopeless, hospital, huge, human shields, hurt, hurting, hygiene, immediate, inadvertently, increase, increased, India, international, intervene, island, K. P. Yohannan, kill, killed, lack, Lal Vanderwall, land, last, leader, lives, lost, loved, majority, militant, minister, ministering, minority, missionaries, mobilizing, name, narrow, necessary, necessities, needs, news, northern, northwest, opportunities, pain, pastors, people, permanently, physical, picture, poor, population, pray, praying, preach, presented, President, problems, providing, reaching out, reality, rebel, rebuild, refugee camps, refugees, remaining, resettling, return, safe zone, separate, shelter, Sinhalese, sliver, son, Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan, stages, state, stronghold, suffering, suicides, surrender, survivors, Tamil, Tamil Nadu, Tamil Tigers, Tamils, television, tigers, tiny, tremendous, troops, United Nations, Velupillai Prabhakaran, victory, violent, War, water, witness, work | Leave a comment


text:
Q: uninitialized constant error when using Ruby Object in lib folder I have an app with a fairly complicated form that uses Ruby Objects in the lib folder (my first time with ruby objects).  I keep getting an uninitialized constant error like this:
Add Multiple Nested Attributes through checkboxes Rails 4 (maybe with multiple forms)
uninitialized constant ProjectsController::ProjectUpdater

What my form is trying to do is create starter tasks & starter milestones based on premade "template" tasks and milestones. So when a user creates a Project, they have some common tasks already added.  This code relates directly to this previous question & answer:
my controller:
class ProjectsController < ApplicationController

def new_milestones
    @project.milestones.build
    @project.tasks.build
    @milestones_templates = MilestoneTemplate.where(template_id: @project.template_id)
  end

 def update
    respond_to do |format|
      **result = ProjectUpdater.perform(@project, update_params) == true** <-- the error is on this line
      if result == true
        format.html { redirect_to @project, notice: 'Project was successfully updated.' }
        format.json { render :show, status: :ok, location: @project }
      else
        @project = result
        format.html { render :edit }
        format.json { render json: @project.errors, status: :unprocessable_entity }
      end
    end
  end

  def project_params
      params.require(:project).permit(:id, :name, :template_id, milestone_attributes:[{:names => []},  {:ids => []}, { :milestone_ids => []},:id, :name, :project_id, :milestone_template_id, :project_id, task_attributes: [{:names => []},  {:ids => []}, { :task_ids => []}, :id, :name, :milestone_id, :task_template_id, :project_id, :_destroy]])
    end
  end

lib/project_updater.rb
class ProjectUpdater

  def self.perform(project, params)
    milestones = params[:project][:milestones]
    #Create and save each milestone
    # You might be able to us nested attributes to save tasks.

    if project.update_attributes(params[:project])
      return true
    else
      return project
    end
  end
end

my form
<%= form_for @project do |f| %>
  <% @milestones_templates.each_with_index do |milestone, index| %>

    <%= f.fields_for :milestones, index: index do |fm| %>
      <%= fm.hidden_field :name, value: milestone.name %>

      <%= fm.label milestone.name %>
      <%= fm.check_box :milestone_template_id,{}, milestone.id %>

      <% milestone.task_templates.each_with_index do |task, another_index| %>
        <%= fm.fields_for :tasks, index: another_index do |ft| %>

          <%= ft.label task.name %>
          <%= ft.check_box :task_ids, {}, task.id %>
        <% end %>
      <% end %>

    <% end %>
  <% end %>

<%= f.submit %>
  <% end %>

A: I think you need to require the ruby files in the /lib directory and make sure you follow the naming convention.. like
        # in lib/foo.rb:
        class Foo
        end

        # in lib/foo/bar.rb:
        class Foo::Bar
        end

    # in you case, in lib/project_updater.rb
    class ProjectUpdater
      def self.perform (your_params,,,)
        # your code
      end
    end

in config/application.rb:
config.autoload_paths << %W(#{config.root}/lib)

This may help you, prehaps :)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Expo 2016: 2nd *cough* Annual EPIC Scavenger Hunt!
Hello everyone! Welcome to the 2nd ever annual Icrontic Expo Scavenger Hunt...a few years late! We're super excited to introduce some of you to the lore of Icrontic and awesome stuff about Detroit, and remind the rest of you about our historical shenanigans.
Teams can be anywhere from 1 to 5 people. You guys can turn in your physical items by bringing them to me any time before the deadline-- for your photos, I'd like you to create a thread here on IC for each team. @Lincoln will be making a separate category on the forums for this, so anyone not interested can hide that so it won't muck up your content. Please label each photo in your thread with the requirement you are meeting.
All photos must be taken during the event, meaning from this point onward! Your photo from Canada two weeks ago does not count.
Please turn everything in by 3pm Saturday! I will need time to score. Italics denote a physical item.
Pics of three different buildings from one or more of these famous architects: Either Mies van der Rohe, Frank Lloyd Wright, Albert Kahn, or Minoru Yamasaki.
Team Crazy: (@Crazyjoe): 105 points!
Team Levex Meets Bells! (@levex, @bells, @Soda) with a whopping 355 points!
Although we can't forget Team Under Par made up of only @GHoosdum, who got -25 points and is banned from scavenger hunts forever. (not really).
Please post any good pics you took! I'll make sure to put some up too!
Thanks for putting this together, Jackie @GnomeQueen !
I started compiling some of my favorites! I haven't gone through all of them yet.


text:
Адмет е син на Ферес, царя на Фере в Тесалия в древногръцката митология.

Адмет е участник е в Калидонския лов и похода на аргонавтите. Бил прочут със своето гостоприемство и правосъдие.

Когато Аполон бил наказан да служи една година като смъртен, заради убийството на циклопите, той избрал дома на Адмет и бил негов пастир. Аполон бил толкова впечатлен от неговото почитително отношение, че направил така, че всички негови крави да родят по две телета близнаци. Когато Пелий обещал да даде дъщеря си Алкеста за жена на този, който успее да впрегне заедно в колесница лъв и мечка, Аполон помогнал на Адмет. След това обаче по време на сватбеното жертвоприношение, той забравил да спомене Артемида и сърдитата богиня искала да постави в брачното му ложе змия. Аполон се намесил и успял да ги помири. Аполон помолил мойрите, когато дойде времето му да умре, вместо Адмет да прекъснат нишката на живота на някой друг. Мойрите се съгласили, при условие, че намери някой друг желаещ да умре вместо него. След като родителите му отказали, Алкеста заела неговото място.

Сцената със смъртта е описана в пиесата на Еврипид "Алкеста". Там Танатос, бога на смъртта, взема Алкеста към подземното царство. След като Алкеста слиза долу, Адмет разбира, че всъщност не иска да живее. Намесва се Херкулес, който е отседнал във Фера по пътя си към Диомед. След като разбира какво се е случило, той влиза в гробницата на Алкеста и се бори с Танатос, докато той не се съгласява да пусне Алкеста и после я извежда от света на сенките. Според друга версия Алкеста била върната на земята от Персефона, която била възмутена от несправедливата ѝ смърт.

Най-прочутият син на Адмет е Евмел, който води войниците от Фере в Троянската война.

Древногръцки герои
Царе на Фере
Митология на Тесалия

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The lovely, primitive Irian Jaya is reportedly stirring with killings, kidnappings and violence. DAVID JENKINS in Jakarta says Indonesia's rulers are concerned that it might become more than just tribal unrest.
For more than a month evidence has been building up about a wave of killing and kidnapping in Irian Jaya.
This is the lovely, primitive land which Indonesia wrested from the Dutch Government during the Sixties. It is the western half of the island of New Guinea.
At Arso, 50 kilometres south of the provincial capital of Jaya-pura nearly a dozen local officials were hacked to death on April 7 in a series of murders related to the Indonesian election campaign.
The same day, near Paget, 110 kilometres to the south-west, there were small tribal disturbances which culminated in a raid by local tribesmen on the village police post.
More serious still was an outbreak of violence in the remote Baliem Valley, high in the mountainous backbone of New Guinea, about 300 kilometres south-west of Jayapura, between April 20 and 28.
According to well-placed resources in Jakarta, the trouble began at Kobakma on April 20 during a soccer match between troops and Dani tribesmen. Following a brawl, tribesmen raided the local police post killing three or four of the defenders and kidnapping another 12. They took with them a number of ancient, bolt-action rifles and a small supply of ammunition. Between 6 and 12 local people are said to have died in the fighting.
During the following week there were four other serious incidents in the Baliem Valley, all within a 40-kilometre radius.
In each case, locals waving spears attacked police posts and then dug trenches across nearby grass airstrips to prevent reinforcements being flown in.
In some places, they also drove stakes into the ground as a further obstacle for incoming aircraft.
These tactics, reminiscent of measures adopted by anti-Indonesian forces during the Sixties, were crude but effective. Late in April a small mission plane was badly damaged as it attempted to land at Kobakma. Said one source: "The pilot had his wings torn off as he did a slalom through the stakes."
Since then, there have been more clashes in the valley as police and army units continue their search operation for the kidnapped policemen.
The trouble has spread as far as Wamena, the district capital 30 kilometres to the south-east where a crowd early this month damaged a Merpati Nusantara Airlines plane with sticks and stones.
Missionaries have been flown out of the valley to Sentani near Jayapura.
Convinced that the trouble may spread still further as news of the unrest seeps through the isolated mountain valleys, the Government has sent in reinforcements and increased patrols. However, these actions could provoke additional trouble.
Some concern has been expressed in Jakarta over "some slight anti-Government activity" at Tïmika, on the southern coast, close to the loading facility for a huge copper project.
But the Government has said little about the unrest in Irian Jaya. The only official comment has come from the Foreign Minister (Mr. Malik), who denied rumours that there had been an armed rebellion in the territory.
Referring to the Kobakma incident, Mr. Malik said two ethnic groups had clashed at a football match and security troops had intervened and broken up the fight.
"Fights caused by disputes at football matches happen everywhere," he said.
Privately, senior officials admit that they are concerned. They claim that three or four members of the banned OPM (Free Papua Movement) provoked the incidents in the highlands.
To some observers, that seems unlikely. One source said: "There may have been an OPM connection in the Arso murders. But I don't believe that the movement had anything to do with the trouble in the Baliem Valley.
It's just the sort of tribal unrest you get in those places from time to time."
Irian Jaya may not become a serious trouble spot. But given the nagging history of opposition to Indonesian rule, in some quarters Jakarta is watching developments closely.
It is understandably concerned lest localised tribal clashes develop into outbreaks of violence directed primarily at the "outsiders" (non-Papuans) who run the affairs of the vast, underdeveloped province.


Some Very Religious People Used To Live here.
This small house was the first place we went to on a long weekend trip to Belgium and France. After we managed to set up the GPS coordinates properly and figuring how to get out of the airport with the rental car we were on our way.
We found the small village easily and the house as well. We parked the car on the backside next to the neighbor's house. An old man was peaking at us from his green garden. The first task was to find an entrance and of course, we did all the classic faults like climbing over a razor fence when there was no fence one meter to the side… Unsuccessful attempt to climb over a garden shed to reach an open second-floor window… Made a hell of a lot of noise when treading on some metal plates that made the neighbor's dog start barking… We almost gave up until I just for fun checked the front door which happened to be open. So after much hassle, we were inside the dark house.
What struck me the most was a number of religious items, icons, pictures and crosses everywhere. Some really religious people must have lived here once. The first floor was very dark but with long exposure and a bit of flashlight, the room came to life. Lots of nice furniture, cutlery, and crockery.
The hallway was full of letters and mail all over the floor. No one has been here for a long time. The second floor had bedrooms and Jesus figures all over.
After some hours we went out in the sunshine and the old man looked at us once more before continuing his garden work.


text:
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.CodeGenerators;
using Microsoft.CodeAnalysis;
using Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.CSharp;
using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Reflection;
using System.Runtime.Loader;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

namespace New
{
	public class NewRazor
	{
		public static void Main(string[] args)
		{
			Run().Wait();
		}

		static async Task Run()
		{
			// ホスト生成
			var language = new CSharpRazorCodeLanguage();
			var host = new RazorEngineHost(language)
			{
				DefaultBaseClass = nameof(New) + "." + nameof(NewTemplateBase),
				DefaultClassName = "Generated",
				DefaultNamespace = "RazorTemplate",
				// 生成されるメソッド名の指定(これはデフォルトと同じものを指定している)
				GeneratedClassContext = new GeneratedClassContext(
					nameof(NewTemplateBase.ExecuteAsync),
					nameof(NewTemplateBase.Write),
					nameof(NewTemplateBase.WriteLiteral),
					new GeneratedTagHelperContext { }
				)
			};
			// デフォルトで挿入する名前空間を追加
			host.NamespaceImports.Add(nameof(System));
			host.NamespaceImports.Add(nameof(System) + "." + nameof(System.Threading) + "." + nameof(System.Threading.Tasks));

			var engine = new RazorTemplateEngine(host);
			using (var reader = new StreamReader(File.OpenRead("../Page.cshtml")))
			{
				//ソースコード生成
				var generatorResults = engine.GenerateCode(reader);
				string source = generatorResults.GeneratedCode;

				//表示用
				Console.Write(source);
				Console.WriteLine("------------------------------------------------------------------------");

				var dllBase = Path.GetDirectoryName(typeof(object).GetTypeInfo().Assembly.Location);
				//使用アセンブリ参照
				var references = new MetadataReference[]
				{
					MetadataReference.CreateFromFile(typeof(object).GetTypeInfo().Assembly.Location),
					MetadataReference.CreateFromFile(dllBase + @"\mscorlib.dll"),
					MetadataReference.CreateFromFile(dllBase + @"\System.Runtime.dll"),
					MetadataReference.CreateFromFile(dllBase + @"\System.Linq.dll"),
					MetadataReference.CreateFromFile(dllBase + @"\System.Threading.Tasks.dll"),
					MetadataReference.CreateFromFile(typeof(NewTemplateBase).GetTypeInfo().Assembly.Location)
				};

				//コンパイル
				var compilation = CSharpCompilation.Create("NewPage")
					.WithOptions(new CSharpCompilationOptions(OutputKind.DynamicallyLinkedLibrary))
					.AddReferences(references)
					.AddSyntaxTrees(CSharpSyntaxTree.ParseText(source));

				using (var ms = new MemoryStream())
				{
					var result = compilation.Emit(ms);
					ms.Seek(0, SeekOrigin.Begin);
					var assembly = AssemblyLoadContext.Default.LoadFromStream(ms);

					//実行
					var typeName = host.DefaultNamespace + "." + host.DefaultClassName;
					var instance = assembly.CreateInstance(typeName) as NewTemplateBase;// .GetMethod(nameof(NewTemplateBase.Execute))
					var generatedString = await instance.GenerateAsync();

					//結果表示
					Console.Write(generatedString);
				}
			}
		}
	}

	public abstract class NewTemplateBase
	{
		StringBuilder builder = new StringBuilder();

		public void Write(object value)
		{
			builder.Append(value);
		}

		public void WriteLiteral(string literal)
		{
			builder.Append(literal);
		}

		public abstract Task ExecuteAsync();

		public async Task<string> GenerateAsync()
		{
			await ExecuteAsync();
			return builder.ToString();
		}
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Seeing Value in Mega-Cap Stocks
Dimitra DeFotis
Updated Nov. 7, 2006 11:59 pm ET / Original July 15, 2019 4:00 pm ET
NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE SUMMER INTERNSHIP. Just ask value investor Charles de Vaulx, manager of the First Eagle Funds.
In 1983, good grades, pedigree and a little luck helped him land a three-month New York job with value guru and fellow Frenchman Jean-Marie Eveillard.
A stock-picking position alongside Eveillard ensued and the rest is history. When Eveillard retired in 2004, de Vaulx took on an elevated role as manager of the First Eagle Global, Overseas, U.S. Value and Gold funds. (See Barron's Online, "Eveillard Flees a World in Disarray," May 25, 2004)
And since Barron's magazine talked to de Vaulx last December, Morningstar has named him a candidate for international manager of the year and he has ranked among Value Line's top money managers.
While First Eagle is known for its international bent, de Vaulx hopes to produce just as stellar a record with the U.S. value fund. It's up nearly 10% year to date, underperforming the Standard & Poor's 500 Index by 2.6 percentage points. But in the past five years, the fund has outdone the S&P by nearly 7 points.
Barron's Online: What do you project for the coming year in the U.S. equity market?
de Vaulx: We have no clue. As value investors, we have a view as to how cheap or expensive either an entire market or some subsets are. But valuation alone has very little predictive power short term as to what a market or a sector will do. Which is why when sometimes people say, "Charles you have 35% of your U.S. Value Fund in cash. It's a form of market timing. You expect the market to go down." I say, "No, it's just a reflection that I find most stocks out there to be somewhat pricey." It says nothing about what the market may or may not do in the next six months.
Q: What do you think about gold prices now?
A: We want to have some exposure to gold, but we are aware that over the past two years, there has been a very close correlation between gold and crude oil and I'm not comfortable with these crude oil prices. My sense is that the marginal cost of finding and extracting oil around the world today is around $50.
Q: You say you are scrounging for interesting stock ideas. Give us an example.
A: With the U.S. Value Fund, we are not comfortable with the valuation of most financial stocks. I'm talking about Citigroup, JP Morgan, but also the regional banks. Nor are we comfortable with the valuation of most insurance companies. Not to mention the brokers or the asset managers. Yet most value funds typically have [a large percentage] of their portfolios in financials. Our fear is that these are peak earnings. We are not comfortable buying bank stocks which look cheap at 11 times estimated earnings, but are trading at two or three times tangible book.
Q: Why?
A: We believe that there has been something called the housing bubble. There's a risk of an economic slowdown in this country. There's a risk that some people will lose their jobs and that defaults will increase significantly first on the sub-prime end of the market and then maybe beyond that. There have been quite a few new banks being set up around the country, opening new branches, which will add to capacity, which is bearish long term for margins and profitability.
Q: Do you think U.S. large-caps are especially attractive?
A: We think that on a relative basis, there's no question that the mega-cap stocks are much, much cheaper than the rest of the market. On an absolute basis, though, which is what we care about at First Eagle, these companies are mostly fairly valued. At the right price, you saw us add to Microsoft a few months ago [near] $22 a share. Now it's near $28. We purchased some Intel in the spring and summer. Our average cost is below $19 and the stock trades near $21. We added to Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) this past summer.
Q: Why J&J?
A: It's not a pure, big pharmaceutical company, especially now that they bought the consumer products business from Procter & Gamble , a great business. They had to pay close to 20 times operating income. On the pharmaceutical side, many of their products will come off patent, but their pipeline is slightly better-positioned than a Pfizer, a Merck or a Schering-Plough. And the medical devices part is a very profitable, growing business. Why on earth were they so eager to chase Guidant, I'll never understand. We are very pleased that they were lucky not to buy Guidant. Instead they got a huge breakup fee, a few hundred million dollars, which is a good thing.
First Eagle U.S. Value Fund A (FEVAX)
Assets: $529 million
Expense Ratio: 1.28%
Front Load: 5.0%
Annual Portfolio Turnover: 17%
Yield: 1.48%
Source: Morningstar, as of Oct. 31, 2006
Berkshire Hathaway A (BRKA)
Gold (commodity in ounces)
U.S. Treasury Note 5.125%
Liberty Interactive (LINTA)
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
Tyco International (TYC)
McDonald's (MCD)
Costco Wholesale (COST)
Source: Morningstar, as of Aug. 31, 2006
Q: How does the stock look now?
A: It is still below our estimate of intrinsic value. But back to my initial point, which is that these big companies are somewhat cheap, but not that cheap.
Q: Costco Wholesale (COST) is a stock you like.
A: Their strength has been to do a great job at selling merchandise with very low margins, but they were one of the inventors of the price club model. Scale obviously gives them an advantage. They are able to achieve sales per square foot that far exceeds what Wal-Mart does. So the margins are lower, yet the sales volume is so high that they can still achieve a high return on capital. And once people pay a $40 membership fee, of course they feel a need to use the Costco stores.
Q: What are you interested in currently?
A: In sectors, it's hard. Last year it was easy; media was a big theme. In 2005, we bought Comcast and News Corp. We added this year to the [former] Liberty Media, which split in two. So we added to Liberty Media Interactive (LINTA), which is a piece mostly comprised of QVC, a retailer.
Q: So does the stock price reflect its parts?
A: A few months after the company split in two, the stock was trading between $16 and $18. We think QVC is by far the best in its business. They are much bigger, much more profitable than number-two competitor Home Shopping Network. Roughly a quarter of QVC sales are jewelry and jewelry carries very high margins. Jewelry is very cyclical, so we are mindful of where we are in the economic cycle. But if you add the other smaller pieces within Liberty Interactive, including Expedia, we come up with an intrinsic value north of $26 a share.
Q: So where is the stock now?
A: It's had a nice run. We would probably seek to add to it if the stock price came down.
Q: Do the emergence of private equity and hedge funds affect how you make decisions?
A: It's a good question. Two things. The hedge funds tend to exacerbate the volatility of the market. And in a perverse way, volatility can be the friend of the value investor because … some stocks get oversold and then some stocks can be overbought. So it helps us buy cheaply and sell dearly. And if a private equity firm comes along and is willing to pay [high prices], it could be interpreted that many stocks are overly cheap. My general sense though is that there is a private equity mania that is not sustainable.
Q: Thanks.
Comments? E-mail us at online.editors@barrons.com
Manager's Bio
Name: Charles de Vaulx
Title: Chief investment officer, global value group, Arnhold and S. Bleichroeder Advisers; portfolio manager, First Eagle Funds.
Education: Master's degree in finance, École Supérieure de Commerce de Rouen.
Hobbies: golf and skiing.
In managing the First Eagle U.S. Value Fund, de Vaulx seeks to post positive absolute returns each year by looking for undervalued stocks trading below their intrinsic value. He likes businesses in industries where the barriers to entry are high, margins are strong and through competitive advantages, can throw off significant free cash flow throughout an economic cycle. The median market capitalization in the fund is $5.6 billion, but the fund subscribes to a multi-cap strategy.
NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE SUMMER INTERNSHIP.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Q: How do I visualize an equation written in matlab code in LaTeX form? Lets say I'm using MATLAB and i've written this equation
%function value
y=I-p1*(alpha2/alpha1*p1/p2)^(-1/gamma1)*gamma2/gamma1*x^(gamma2/gamma1-1)-p2;

Is there any easy way I can have it visualized like this:

Im sure anyone who uses matlab would find this feature useful in checking if youve entered everything right. Thanks and if you feel this belongs in stackoverflow, please leave a comment ill delete the question and repost it over there.

A: As the comments mentioned, the matlab expression does not match the typeset equation you showed.  This was probably just an example image.
As the comments also suggested, you'll likely want to use LaTeX.  In the symbolic toolbox, you may be able to compile it in it's current form.  Also in the software EES, the equation may be compiled in it's current form.  However, in general LaTeX, you'll have to add a few things.  Your equation is:
y=I-p1*(alpha2/alpha1*p1/p2)^(-1/gamma1)*gamma2/gamma1*x^(gamma2/gamma1-1)-p2;

In LaTeX, you'll want to add some syntax and wrap it in some math environment such as equation:
\begin{equation}
y = I - p_1 \left(\frac{\alpha_2}{\alpha_1}\frac{p_1}{p_2}\right)^{-\frac{1}{\gamma_1}} \frac{\gamma_2}{\gamma_1} x^{\frac{\gamma_2}{\gamma_1}-1} - p_2
\end{equation}

Note, I didn't compile this, just handwriting it.  Should be close though.


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Home Sport MotoGP 2018 November
MotoGP: Petrucci tops opening day at Jerez
Danilo Petrucci has topped the first day of a two-day outing at Jerez for the MotoGP grid, coming home clear of teammate Andrea Dovizioso at the top of the time sheets. The final pre-season test of 2018 before the testing ban comes into effect, the Italian duo just head off an impressive time from LCR Honda rider Takaaki Nakagami in third.
Speaking afterwards, Petrucci said: "I'm very pleased with the way things went today, because it's always good to finish the day in first place, but in particular I really like the feeling with the used tyre. I always felt good on the bike, like at Valencia, and for me this was important because we changed almost nothing in the set-up and in any case we always went well. Today we didn't focus on lap times, but instead worked a lot on our pace and also tried some new components that gave us very useful information. Overall I'm really happy with the way we are working together as a team."
By Simon Patterson
MotoGP and road racing reporter, photographer, videographer
MotoGP: Vinales signs new two-year deal with Yamaha
Maverick Vinales has signed a new two-year contract with Yamaha, keeping him at the factory team...
In this week's MCN paper: Redding "here to beat Rea"
In your new edition of Motor Cycle News this week we've got the biggest stories in biking along with...
Keep those fingers flexing, not frozen! MCN's guide to the best heated gloves
Heated gloves haven't been around all that long, but many riders nowadays consider them an absolute...
MotoGP: Dovizioso and Petrucci unveil 2020 Ducati livery
Ducati have unveiled their 2020 MotoGP livery in a special presentation held at the Palazzo Re...
Norton Motorcycles in court over £300,000 in unpaid taxes
Representatives from Norton Motorcycles appeared at the Insolvency and Companies Court in London...


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'23 Krewe of Zulu, February 21, 2023
You are here: Home1 / Local Events2 / '23 Krewe of Zulu, February 21, 2023
Krewe of Zulu
An early morning parade for Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
'23 Krewe of Proteus, February 20, 2023'23 Krewe of Rex, February 20, 2023


Asia Cup 2018 Live Streaming Cricket will be played in September 2018 in the United Arab EmiratesIndia can play Many times ODIs in ODI cricket, whereas in the 2018 edition of the Asia Cup at the end of the year, along with the two teams are included.
Asia Cup 2018 Live streaming biennial event which was held in Bangladesh for the last time and when this was the turn of India to host the competition this season, then it will now be organized by the United Arab Emirates. With the six teams included in the Asia Cup 2018 tournament, it will be played between September 13 and 28.
Asia Cup 2018 Is Just About To Start From 15th September 2018 To 28th September 2018. Previously We Had Talk About The All Six Teams Who Has Been Qualify In Asia. But Only Two Teams India And Pakistan Look Very Strong. We All Know That India And Pakistan Both Teams Are In Very Good Form. It'll Be The 14th Season Of ACC Asia Cup 2018. You Have Noticed That We Are Using ACC Before Asia Cup. "ACC" Stands For "Asian Cricket Council". Schedule Is An Amazing Thing Which Provides You Proper Date And Timing Of All Matches.
Five of these six teams get direct admission in Afghanistan – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka – while there will be six other teams who will play in the qualifier so that they can win the sixth place. These six sides are Hong Kong, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates.
India will join Pakistan and the qualifier in a group of competitions while Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka will have three teams in the second group of the competition.
All these teams will play two games in the group stage of the competition and at the end of this league phase, the top two sides of each group will qualify for the second round. The second round is a Super Four stage, which will once again present all the four teams against each other.
At the end of this round, the top two teams will qualify for the final.
Asia Cup 2018 Live Streaming India vs Pakistan will be linked to a qualifier in their group, while Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh will be in the second group.
India entered the competition as an existing champion in the Asia Cup tournament, which was played in the T20 format for the first time. This particular edition will be played in the ODI format under the leadership of 2019 World Cup.
The Asia Cup has been played in the last 13 times, India has won six consecutive championships, while Sri Lanka is the second most successful team with five titles under their belt.


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webfi-How Credit Karma, acquired amid COVID chaos, fared in its first year under Intuit – TechCrunch-ctm
December 5, 2021 By webfinet In webfinet	No Comments
February 24, 2020, is a day Ken Lin will never forget. The Credit Karma CEO was about to announce that the company he founded 13 years earlier was about to be acquired for more than $7 billion. Meanwhile, the stock market was in free fall.
"I remember waking up and the Dow futures were down something like 600 points because the COVID pieces were starting to hit the market," Lin said. "I'm up at 5 o'clock in the morning, the Dow is flashing red … and we're all like, 'Are we going to do this?'"
"What had been a very profitable business for a very long time is all of a sudden very unprofitable, because you can't pivot on a dime. We had a lot of decisions to make."	 Ken Lin, Credit Karma CEO
Markets were getting jittery as it became clear the coronavirus had spread beyond China's borders as case numbers were multiplying in Italy and South Korea. The S&P 500 fell 3.5% that day and kicked off a weeklong sell-off in global securities as the WHO warned COVID-19 could soon become a global pandemic.
"Needless to say, we all agreed that it was the right decision [to move forward] and that all the externalities and unknowns at that point were immaterial," Lin said. "So we pushed forward with it and we got the deal signed and announced."
By the time the deal closed — on December 3, one year ago — Credit Karma had seen its business impacted by a tightening of the credit markets and had been forced to divest its tax business after a Justice Department review.
But in the 12 months since, Credit Karma, which operates as a mostly independent unit within Intuit, has seen a dramatic rebound in its business thanks in part to a reversal in the financial markets, but also due to commercial adoption of its Lightbox decision-making engine and acceleration of consumer interest from integrations with Intuit products.
She convinced her sister to get a vaccine on the way to a funeral ctm magazine
Los Angeles Times reporter Brittny Mejia lost her unvaccinated grandmother to Covid-19. She joins CNN's Poppy Harlow to share how she convinced her sister to get vaccinated on the way to her grandmother's funeral. #CNN #News source
Avocado Ricotta Crostini – Easy Avocado Spread – Food Wishes ctm magazine
Learn how to make Avocado Ricotta Crostini! I've never thought to combine avocado and ricotta cheese before, but after seeing it done at a local restaurant recently, I decided to give it a try, and the results made me angry. It was so good, I was mad I hadn't seen this long ago. Oh well, […]
'Fox News Sunday' Host Chris Wallace Announces Departure From Show ctm magazine
"Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace announced his departure from the show. Wallace thanked viewers for joining him every week and said, "I'm ready for a new adventure. And I hope you'll check it out."» Subscribe to MSNBC: http://on.msnbc.com/SubscribeTomsnbc MSNBC delivers breaking news, in-depth analysis of politics headlines, as well as commentary and informed perspectives. […]
Oceans Rising | Full Action Disaster Movie ctm magazine
**This film is under license from The Asylum. All rights reserved** Oceans Rising – A scientist builds a boat after his warnings of an Earth-destroying flood are ignored. But when it's evident the disaster will occur, those who maligned the scientist now turn to him in desperation. 2017 Stars: Jason Tobias, Summer Spiro, DeJean Brown […]
Bernie Sanders: Striking Workers 'Courageous' In Face Of Kellogg's 'Abrasive' Tactics ctm magazine
"These people are really heroes and heroines. They are incredibly courageous. And what they are fighting against, the type of corporate greed is what we are seeing all over this country," says Sen. Bernie Sanders on the striking workers and Kellogg's "incredibly abrasive and outrageous" response. » Subscribe to MSNBC: http://on.msnbc.com/SubscribeTomsnbc About: MSNBC is the […]
Die By The Sword | Full Historic Drama Movie ctm magazine
***This film is under license from ITN Distribution. All rights reserved.*** Die By The Sword – The Roman Empire occupied Britannia (Britain) for four centuries, providing protection and peace in exchange for submission. The Romans built Hadrian's Wall on the northern border to keep out the Picts, fierce and mysterious warriors who painted them-selves blue. […]
Hear Boris Johnson's statement to Parliament amid lockdown party row ctm magazine
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced tough questions from lawmakers in Parliament as outrage mounts over a "bring your own booze" event held at Downing Street during the height of the UK's first Covid-19 lockdown. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz and Bianca Nobilo report. #CNN #News source
How to Cook a Turkey ctm magazine
Here's a few simple techniques that'll help keep your turkey juicy and not overcook it! https://www.crowdcow.com/turkey 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. 2. Season inside turkey cavity with salt and pepper, then stuff with onion, carrot, and garlic. 3. Tie legs together with kitchen string. 4. In roasting pan with a rack, place turkey […]


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FILE - In this May 10, 2013, file photo, Cody Wilson holds what he calls a Liberator pistol that was completely made on a 3-D-printer at his home in Austin, Texas. Eight states filed suit Monday, July 30, 2018, against the Trump administration over its decision to allow a Texas company to publish downloadable blueprints for a 3D-printed gun, contending the hard-to-trace plastic weapons are a boon to terrorists and criminals and threaten public safety. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP, File)
Author: CBS News
Published: July 31, 2018 6:15 AM EST
Updated: July 31, 2018 7:43 AM EST
Government watchdog concludes Trump administration broke law by withholding Ukraine aid
Ex-Trump aide Michael Flynn seeks to withdraw guilty plea
States sue Trump administration to try to block 3D-printed guns
Eight states and the District of Columbia sued the Trump administration Monday over its decision to allow a Texas company to publish blueprints for untraceable 3D-printed homemade guns. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington by the attorneys general of New York, Washington, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Maryland, and the District of Columbia.
But it may already be too late.
Five years ago, Cody Wilson launched what he now calls "the era of the downloadable gun," a time when anyone can use a 3D printer to make a working firearm.
That era is set to begin at midnight Wednesday. Wilson's company Defense Distributed plans to publish digital blueprints for people to make their own firearms, including AR-15 style assault rifles. The 3D plastic weapons would be untraceable and require no background check.
In California last year, Kevin Janson Neal used a homemade metal assault rifle to kill his wife and four others, avoiding a court order meant to block his access to a firearm.
"When it comes to something as basic as public safety, our State Department's saying, hey, this is a giveaway for terrorists," said Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson.
He is one of nine attorneys general taking part in the suit, hoping to stop Wilson's company from publishing the gun blueprints on Wednesday.
In addition, more than 20 state attorneys general have asked to intervene in the name of "public safety and national security."
But Defense Distributed began distributing the gun files earlier and by Sunday 1,000 people had already downloaded blueprints for an AR-15 style weapon.
In a new countersuit, Wilson's legal team argues his company is simply defending the right to bear arms. States have a little more than 24 hours to file their lawsuits and win a temporary judgment before the blueprints go online.
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Q: How to stop Zoom from randomly muting itself? I'm on Arch right now, but I had the same problem (although slightly less often) on openSUSE Tumbleweed.
Basically, whenever I enter or leave a breakout room in Zoom, and sometimes randomly while I'm sitting in a room that's not a breakout room, Zoom gets muted and I have to go to my sound settings to bring the volume back up. My job is being done over Zoom right now and I have to switch in and out of breakout rooms a lot, so it's getting really inconvenient.
I've tried looking around online, and from what I can tell, Zoom will periodically swap input sinks, and that's when it gets muted (when I run pacmd list-sink-inputs, the index of Zoom changes, at least), and I've seen fixes for if a particular input sink gets muted, but not if the same application keeps muting (or nearly muting) over changing input sinks.
Any advice or ideas on how to fix greatly appreciated.
Edit: I've dug a little deeper, and it looks like the configuration file for pulse audio that defines the default input sink volumes for different processes is being changed automatically when Zoom runs, I've tried changing back with pa_volume, but it keeps changing it back. I was hoping to try to set up a script to watch for changes in that file and change it back when need be, but I haven't actually been able to detect changes using inotifywait so I'm stumped again.

A: I finally found the solution: open the Zoom Audio Settings tab and set the microphone input to Same as System. This allows Zoom to choose the correct microphone (I have two, one analog and one in the webcam) and the correct input sink.
After doing that last week (been in over 30 meetings since), we have not had a single problem! The microphone just works between different meetings and when the host switches in and out of breakout rooms.
I turned off auto adjust the volume and set it at a fixed volume; which also never changes from meeting to meeting.
Solved! :-)

One caveat: Zoom has to be completely closed between meetings, even the Zoom icon on the right of the taskbar. Right-click on it and select Exit. If this is not done, the microphone will not work when you connect to a meeting again.