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Part II: Obama's Adviser David L. Boren–How He Screwed Us Long-term in 1993 re: Energy and More
In Part I of this series on Obama's newest adviser, fmr. Senator David L. Boren, I provided an overview of some of Boren's activities specific to his "unity" efforts and some of his foreign policy "expertise." (Part III will delve deeper into his foreign policy activities.)
This post, Part II, will explore Boren's activities on the domestic front, with a focus on his political background followed by a detailed examination of how he almost single-handedly derailed President Clinton's 1993 economic plan. The long-term implications of his activities in 1993 haunt us today and it should raise concerns about Obama's ties to him now…because although these were "domestic" issues, the key parts of the plan involving energy morph into foreign policy concerns as well.
BOREN'S POLITICAL BACKGROUND
Lyle Boren, David L. Boren's father, served in Congress from 1937 to 1947. He often broke with his party, notably by being against much of FDR's New Deal. His son also served in the House (1967-1974) and then became governor of Oklahoma in 1975. He was in the U.S. Senate from 1979 until he resigned in 1994 to become President of the University of Oklahoma.
Boren was a member of Skull and Bones at Yale. He has been a member in the National Legal for the Public Interest along with Dick Cheney, Ken Starr and Ted Olson. Other organizations he was involved with include the Forum for International Policy (with Ken Lay of Enron also a member) and the conservative Democratic think tank known as the Coalition for a Democratic Majority (surprise! Bill Richardson is also listed as a member). (See here for more information on these and other organizations.)
Then there are his board positions, which have included Phillips Petroleum and later Conoco-Phillips (1995-2005; Torchmark, a life and health insurance company; and Hiland Partners, L.P., described as "a midstream energy partnership engaged in gathering, compressing, dehydrating, treating, processing and marketing natural gas, and fractionating, or separating natural gas liquids."
It was during the "gasoline crisis" of the mid-1970s that "Boren rose to prominence on the national scene when he spoke out in favor of deregulation of natural gas prices at the federal level. As a result, Pres. Jimmy Carter appointed him chair of a task force of representatives from thirty states to study the problem," according to the Oklahoma Historical Society's Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture.
Boren broke with his party by voting in favor of the Supreme Court nominations of Robert H. Bork and Clarence Thomas. (He has since said his vote for Judge Thomas was a mistake.)
Also in the mix is a reported "coming out" by Boren. According to W. Scott Thompson in his book "The Price of Achievement: Coming Out in Reagan Days" (1995), pp. 222-23, Boren "In August 1978, while a candidate for U.S. Senate, Oklahoma Governor Boren held a press conference to deny rumors of his homosexuality, taking an oath to that effect on a Holy Bible." The bio in the Encyclopedia cited above makes no mention of this press conference, but does report on Boren's first marriage and divorce and events surrounding his subsequent remarriage that sound a bit odd:
Shortly after graduating from law school, Boren married Janna Lou Little, the daughter of Oklahoma politician Reuel Little of Madill, who ran for governor as the candidate for the American Party in 1970. The couple had two children, Dan and Carrie, before the marriage ended in divorce in 1975. … Extraordinary security surrounded the marriage of Governor Boren to Pontotoc County Special District Judge Molly W. Shi on November 27, 1977. Only Boren's family and immediate top-level staff members knew of the approaching wedding until hours before the event.
While there's a distinctly "Republican air" to much of the above background, it's his time in the Senate that should really raise the eyebrows of the "progressive" blogosphere which seems to be rather uninterested in where Obama's advisers are coming from.
BOREN'S SENATE SHENANIGANS
A series of three stories in the New York Times from May and June of 1993 (and which are still available online) paints a clear picture of how Boren worked against President Clinton during that time. If you don't have time to read this entire blog, at least read these three stories!
The first story by David E. Rosenbaum entitled "KEY FOE OF BUDGET SUGGESTS OPTIMISM OVER A COMPROMISE" was published on May 31, 1993 and illustrates how Boren worked with Republicans to force changes in the budget, notably on energy.
The second story by Clilfford Krauss entitled "SENATOR COMMANDS STAGE FAR BIGGER THAN OKLAHOMA BY DEFYING CLINTON" published on June 16, 1993 provides key insights into how Boren essentially broke his word to the President, chose Oklahoma interests over the interests of the country at large, and how he was criticized by many Democrats in the Senate for his teaming up with Republicans.
The third story also by David E. Rosenbaum entitled "SENATORS ON FINANCE PANEL REACH ACCORD ON A BUDGET WITH GAS TAX AND NEW CUTS" was published on June 17, 1993 reviews the final budget and the changes Clinton was forced to accept.
WHAT WERE THE ENERGY PROVISIONS THAT CLINTON/GORE INCLUDED IN THE ORIGINAL BUDGET?
In an article written for the Center for a New American Security by Josh Busby in January 2008 entitled "OVERCOMING POLITICAL BARRIERS to REFORM in ENERGY POLICY" the author writes:
In 1993, the Clinton administration came to power with ambitious goals to support core constituencies in the Democratic Party, including environmentalists. Vice President Al Gore's book Earth in the Balance had just come out. In the book, Gore declared that "it ought to be possible to establish a coordinated global program to accomplish the strategic goal of completely eliminating the internal combustion engine over, say, a twenty-five year period."1 Still fresh with optimism about its capability to move legislation through a
Democratic-controlled Congress, the Clinton administration believed that taxes on the energy content of fuel seemed like an attractive way to provide revenue for deficit reduction but also support environmental goals.
In February 1993, the Clinton administration announced as part of its budget proposal that it would impose a Btu (British thermal unit) tax on the energy content of fuel. Designed to raise $71.4 billion over five years, the Btu tax soon became a lightning rod for criticism. In the first proposal of the Btu tax, coal and natural gas were taxed at the same rate, even though coal is more polluting. This was a way to avoid incurring the wrath of West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd. The Clinton administration made a tactical mistake by then modifying the plan in April 1993 to further appease coal interests. Once this move had been made, other interests piled on in an effort to seek exemptions from the tax while the oil and gas industry opposed it outright. Even though the House voted in favor of the remnant of the Btu tax, influential Democratic senators like David Boren of Oklahoma and John Breaux of Louisiana vigorously opposed it, and the Clinton administration withdrew it before a vote.
Ultimately, the Btu tax was replaced with a modest 4.9 cents per gallon gasoline tax. After all was said and done, the Btu tax effort proved to be a bruising legislative fight, and the gas tax was a largely inconsequential incentive for fuel efficiency or conservation. Indeed, one of the main outcomes of the Btu fight was the Republicans were handed a wedge issue in the 1994 midterm elections in which House members who had voted in favor of the Btu tax were targeted for defeat. The failure to pass the Btu tax had a lasting impact on the White House's enthusiasm for domestic measures that would directly affect energy prices, especially gasoline. An energy tax, favored by environmentalists, became the proverbial political "third rail."
The Btu tax episode is illustrative of how the nature of the U.S. system makes it very difficult to achieve more comprehensive and coherent reform in energy policy. It is but one of many examples this country has seen over the past 25 years where interest groups across the political spectrum have mobilized to defeat far-reaching energy policy measures.
Boren held the critical swing vote and according to Rosenbaum's May 31 story:
Until today, Mr. Boren, one of 11 Democrats on the committee, had been threatening to block the budget by joining the panel's nine Republicans who have vowed to vote against the package. The Clinton plan was approved by the House of Representatives in a cliffhanger last week and indications were that it would face an even rougher road in the Senate.
But in a television interview, Mr. Boren said signals in the last few days that the White House and Mr. Moynihan would accept deeper spending cuts and modifications in the proposed energy tax "improved the chances by about 100 percent that we're going to be able to work out an agreement."
Mr. Moynihan, reached by telephone at his farm in upstate New York after the broadcast of the interview, said: "It is clear that Senator Boren sees that we have to have a deficit-reduction bill. We are going to have a bill more of the kind he has hoped for."
But, the story continues:
Despite the favorable signs, the plan is not out of the woods yet for two important reasons.
First, as Mr. Boren said today, "the devil is in the details," and the particulars of a compromise will be difficult to work out.
Second, Mr. Boren has been maddeningly fickle about where he stands, and he could change his mind overnight.
To force the issue, Boren:
joined forces with two moderate Republican Senators, John C. Danforth of Missouri and William S. Cohen of Maine, to offer an alternative plan that contained no energy tax and had much deeper spending cuts for Medicare and Social Security. … The alternative plan itself stands no chance of enactment. The word in the Capitol is that 20 Senators at most would vote for it. But it did provide somewhat of a basis for negotiations.
Mr. Boren has said he is not wedded to this alternative, although like many other lawmakers from energy-producing states he opposes the President's proposed fuel tax because it would make products like petrochemicals much more expensive.
The story goes on to describe how Boren played games with Clinton.
Mr. Boren's fickleness is a more complicated matter.
As soon as President Clinton announced his budget plan last February, Mr. Boren began to take shots at it. But 10 days later, he said in an interview that he supported the plan "unconditionally," and added: "This is the best, most promising budget I've seen since I've been in Congress."
Early in the spring, he promised Mr. Clinton and Mr. Moynihan he would support the plan in the Finance Committee, but over the last few weeks, he has demanded concessions in return for his vote. Publicly, he has demanded deeper spending cuts. But privately, he has demanded fewer cuts in agriculture programs, which are important in Oklahoma.
In the June 16 article by Clifford Krauss, the reactions to Boren's maneuverings are fully described:
At home in Oklahoma, Senator David L. Boren was once portrayed by newspaper cartoonists as the Pillsbury Doughboy. In the cloakrooms of the Senate, he was dismissed as a glad-hander who craved approval more than power.
That was before Mr. Boren went on a diet and reassessed his career after the death of his father, an irreverent Democratic Congressman who rebelled against Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Then the Senator took on President Clinton's economic package.
More than any other member of Congress, it was Mr. Boren who forced Mr. Clinton to abandon his broad tax on the energy content of fuels. First he threatened to withhold his swing vote on the Senate Finance Committee, and then, breaking an unspoken rule of Congressional conduct, he forcefully lobbied House Democrats to break with their leadership and President.
Further embarrassing the President and infuriating his Democratic colleagues, he is now threatening to withhold his vote unless they cut an additional $50 billion in spending in politically sensitive programs like Medicaid and Medicare. Like Paul Revere?
His critics — and there seem to be more every day — say he is a shill for big oil who is on an ego trip. Mr. Boren compares himself to Paul Revere, saying he is a man with a mission to save President Clinton from the Democratic Party's liberal wing.
The 52-year-old Senator said in an interview on Monday that he expected to reach a compromise with the White House this week. But he added: "If we don't, it wouldn't be the end of the world because we would have to start over again, this time on a bipartisan basis. That could be better for the President and the country, though it would certainly mean an uncomfortable time for me."
(Gee, it was all about him…sounds familiar)
By contrast, fellow Democrats accuse Mr. Boren of breaking his word to the President that he would stand by him. They note that he first enthusiastically backed Mr. Clinton's budget, and even argued against farm-program spending cuts that would hurt his state. "People just wonder if a lot of the things he does is not for parochial interests," said Representative Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of Brooklyn.
Senator Howard M. Metzenbaum, Democrat of Ohio, said: "There are many of us who are very upset with him. It's obvious he would be more comfortable on the Republican side."
Senator Robert C. Byrd, the West Virginia Democrat who is the powerful chairman of the Appropriations Committee, is so angry with Mr. Boren that he has discussed with several subcommittee chairmen ways of withholding money for military, farming and Indian-affairs programs in Oklahoma.
Mr. Boren concedes that he favors the interests of Oklahoma, and that he was too quick to speak in favor of Mr. Clinton's economic proposals before he read the fine print. But he says the criticism comes mostly from liberals who are overly committed to spending programs that must be cut if the country is to regain its financial footing and competitiveness.
But Mr. Boren started burning bridges last month, on the day President Clinton tried to quell an uprising by House Democrats by dramatically traveling down Pennsylvania Avenue to plead with the Democratic caucus to stand by his program. Just as it appeared that Mr. Clinton had nipped the revolt in the bud, Mr. Boren threw a new obstacle in his way by announcing that a group of moderate Democrats and Republicans had designed an alternative budget plan with more budget cuts and fewer taxes.
The next day, Mr. Boren walked over to the House side of the Capitol to buck up moderate and conservative Democrats who were wavering under the intense White House lobbying. His tactics stood in stark contrast with those of Senator John B. Breaux of Louisiana, the other oil-state Finance Committee swing vote, who lobbied House members in favor of Mr. Clinton's package, promising that changes would come later in the legislative process.
In the final article by Rosenbaum published on June 17, Boren "called the bill the senators approved "a great improvement" and added, "It keeps faith with the Democratic Party being on a new course, a centrist course."
But the long-term effects on the country? The fuel tax would raise only a third of the original $72 billion over five years, far short of what the proposed energy tax would raise. The was little gained in terms of energy conservation and new measures to improve efficiency. To make up for the lost revenue and to put deficit reduction on track, the $50 billion cut in Medicare originally proposed by Clinton was increased by $19 billion. In addition, tax breaks for low-income workers were reduced as were some breaks for business aimed at stimulating investment.
So here we are in 2008, with Boren an adviser to Obama. Still convinced that Obama will be an agent of change?? Really??
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Filed under: Current Politics | Tagged: 1993 budget, Al Gore, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Btu tax, David L. Boren, energy tax, environment, gas industry, Medicare, natural gas deregulation, oil industry |	6 Comments »
Part I: Nunn-Boren "Unity" Rears its Ugly Head on Behalf of Obama: With an Introduction to David L. Boren
UPDATE: Parts II and III to follow…
So, former Senators Sam Nunn and David Boren endorsed Obama today. It seemed like a convenient thing to do in light of Obama's recent juvenile activities involving fingers. Both will now advise on national security. Nunn heads the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a charitable organization, as Co-Chair and CEO. Boren served as chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. More on the very scary background of Boren later.
Of course, Nunn and Boren are the the epitome of what Obamaphiles looking for "change" are thirsting for!
Let's see, Nunn's record in the Senate includes: being a member of the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC); voting NO on deducting Social Security payments from income taxes; voting YES on prohibiting same-sex marriage; voting Yes on limiting death penalty appeals; voting YES on limiting product liability punitive damage awards; voting YES on abstinence education funding; and an unknown stance on abortion rights.
Boren's record is even more conservative. And scary, especially with regard to foreign policy. Sourcewatch, A Project of the Center for Media and Democacy, quotes from a 2001 article entitled "CIA Support for Bin Laden: Who's Responsible?":
"The current crisis calls for Americans to investigate the records of all Congress members who approved of any legislation enabling U.S. support for the Afghan rebels during the 1980s. Those who supported this hideous adventure deserve severe judgment.
"As an Oklahoman, I am particularly interested in the record of former Senator David Boren, whose close tie to the CIA is well known. He was appointed to the Intelligence Committee in 1985, and later became its Chairman.
"Boren also has close ties to the extreme right. Political Research Associates, a group whose purpose is to expose the threat to democracy presented by right-wing groups, includes Boren as a member of one of the organizations which they have targeted for concern.
"Boren was co-chairman of the Congressional divison of the National Coalition for Peace through Strength (CPTS), a creature of the American Security Council (ASC). The CPTS believed that the USSR and communism were the greatest evils in the world. Other CPTS members included Ronald Reagan, Phyllis Schlafley, and Jesse Helms. Organizational members have included the American Conservative Union, the American Legion, Citizens for Reagan, Young Americans for Freedom, and Young Republicans. PRA also says that emigre groups with a history of association with Nazis were included in the CPTS membership.
"One of the more prominent ASC members was Major General Milnor Roberts, chairman of the Committee for a Free Afghanistan (CFA). During the 1980s proxy war the CFA promoted U.S. support for the Islamic militants whose successors are now being accused of the September 11 attack.
"Boren has also been a close political ally and Congressional puppet for Eddie Gaylord, the reactionary publisher of The Daily Oklahoman, described as 'the worst daily newspaper in America' by a January 1999 article in the Columbia Journalism Review. In the same article, the Review reported that Boren as a Senator had sponsored 'a one-of-a-kind, multimillion-dollar' tax break that would benefit only eight wealthy investors — one of whom was Gaylord.
"Additionally, Boren's relationship with former CIA director Robert Gates deserves critical scrutiny. Robert Gates was essentially a liar used by Reagan to corrupt the CIA away from its mission of providing the government with accurate assessments of Soviet strength. Under Gates, the CIA's mission came to be the exaggeration of Soviet strength and expansionist tendencies while sabotaging the goal of detente. David Boren was an enthusiastic supporter of Gates and helped push through his nomination as CIA director.
"In a speech available online at the CIA website, Gates boasted about CIA success in Afghanistan, where it supported the anti-Soviet Mujahhadin. He admits that the CIA funneled billions of dollars in supplies and weapons to the Mujahhadin. Oddly enough, he forgot to mention that Bin Laden was one of the beneficiaries."
Sure does inspire confidence, doesn't it? He's going to advise Obama, the great agent of CHANGE?? The one who was a GENIUS in saying he was against the Iraq War but didn't have to vote on the resolution (but MAY have if he had been in the Senate)? And the one who has continued to vote to fund this unholy mess? And the one who agrees with Condi Rice on the "unpredictability" of planes ramming into tall buildings? The one who knows squat about foreign policy?
Nunn and Boren, if you recall, headed the Oklahoma "unity" conference in January of this year. As reported by Katrina Vanden Heuvel at the time,
"a dozen leading Democrats and Republicans, including former Senators San Nunn, David Boren, Gary Hart. Senator Chuck Hagel, former New Jersey Governor Christie Todd Whitman, Clinton Defense Secretary William Cohen and former GOP congressman Jim Leach also say they'll attend. Boren, who's hosting the meeting at the University of Oklahoma, says that if "we don't see a refocusing of the campaign on a bipartisan approach, I would feel I would want to encourage an independent candidacy."
Of course, Unity '08 "scaled back" their operations and in their parting message opined:
Barack Obama, for example, has made the theme of unity and the necessity of bridging the partisan divide an absolutely central theme of his campaign. And just last week, a group of former and present national office holders – independents, Republicans and Democrats – met in Oklahoma for the sole purpose of stating their belief that at the present perilous moment, a unity government is the only hope of solving the nation's mounting problems. When you have agreement among the likes of former RNC chairman Bill Brock and Gary Hart, you're onto something.
So, it's no surprise that Nunn and Boren have come out at this moment to deflect attention from Obama's juvenile behavior and poor debate performance in Pennsylvania. As for being "onto something," I would argue that this unity crew, including Obama, is onto NOTHING good.
Vanden Heuvel continued her comments by quoting Paul Krugman:
As NYT columnist Paul Krugman has argued effectively, "the real source of today's partisanship is a Republican move to the right on economic issues." Today's GOP has overseen the shredding of our already frayed social contract, and currently obsesses about giving the super-rich more tax breaks. There may be some smart people gathering next week in Oklahoma. But they don't get it if they think you can have national unity with one party waging class war politics.
But I have to say that I think the comment on the World Socialist Web Site really nails it.
The "unity" demanded by Messrs. Boren, Hagel & Co. is essentially unity of the corporate elite against the working class. The billionaire Bloomberg is, therefore, an entirely logical rallying point. Possessed of the wealth required to launch a 50-state independent campaign, at a cost estimated at $500 million to $1 billion, Bloomberg's message to both parties is: Don't stray too far from the consensus positions of the financial oligarchy, or I can single-handedly upset all your electoral calculations.
The rhetoric of bipartisanship has also played a major role in the corporate media's embrace of Barack Obama. There has been a frenzied media campaign over the past two weeks to transform Obama into an unstoppable frontrunner, an effort that was at least temporarily stalled Tuesday by Hillary Clinton's narrow victory in New Hampshire.
Obama is a conventional bourgeois politician, dependent, like his rivals, on lavish financial support from corporate interests and the wealthy. He is not the product of any sort of genuine movement from below in American society, but rather the latest in a long line of demagogues employed to foster illusions that the big business-controlled political system can serve the interests of ordinary people. …
The campaign for bipartisanship thus has a distinctly antidemocratic and sinister aspect. It is an effort to discipline the political squabbling within the US ruling elite in order to face a far greater danger: an eruption of social conflict produced by the increasingly desperate conditions facing the vast majority of the American people.
Of course, the WSWS doesn't approve of Clinton, either. But at least she talks like Democrat and hasn't morphed into the Obama "Unity" campaign.
The Nunn-Boren endorsement is another signal to run from Obama. Because it's getting harder and harder to place ANY trust in him at all, because, obviously, the bipartisan pooh-bahs DO.
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Filed under: Current Politics | Tagged: Barack Obama, David Boren, Hillary Clinton, Katrina Vanden Heuvel, Paul Krugman, Sam Nunn, Unity 08 |	3 Comments »
Is Jimmy Carter Letting Democratic Voters Down??
On Monday (April 14) I caught a brief comment by Jimmy Carter about the Nepal elections on the BBC World Service. Carter, who was in Nepal to monitor the polling, said that whatever problems occurred had "paled" compared to the overall success of the vote. (Unfortunately, the audio report is no longer available.)
In a report issued on April 15 entitled Trip Report by Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter to Nepal: April 6-14, 2008, Carter wrote in great detail about all the efforts made to ensure a free and fair election.
We have maintained a staff of long-term election observers for more than fifteen months. They have visited all 75 districts and had an opportunity to become familiar with the entire nation and its various and conflicting political factions.
After our arrival from Atlanta, we joined Dr. John Hardman and began receiving extensive briefings from former U.S Ambassador Peter Burleigh, David Pottie, Darren Nance, Sarah Levit-Shore, and others. Most of our 60 international observers, from 21 nations, had been deployed to the more remote areas by helicopter, all-terrain vehicles, and by foot. My co-chairman was Dr. Surakiart Sathirathai, former deputy prime minister of Thailand, who was a key partner and essential to the mission's success. Our team was joined by international observers from the European Union, Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), and by several thousand domestic observers. …
On election day we visited as many polling sites as possible in the valley that surrounds Kathmandu and found the election commission's procedures were being largely followed. There were long and separate lines of men and women in a celebratory mood, the total turnout being above 60 percent. Despite some problems, our observers throughout the nation found the same situation among a total of 400 sites visited. Ballot boxes were required to be delivered to 75 central locations for counting, and we observed a number of these procedures.
Impressive, no?
But how does this square with Carter's silence on the Florida and Michigan primary situation?? Well, he hasn't been TOTALLY silent, because in early April he tossed out a tantalizing hint as to whom he supported while in Nigeria:
Former President Carter hints at Obama support
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Carter wouldn't quite say it, but he left little doubt this week about whom he'd like to see in the White House next year.
Speaking to local reporters Wednesday on a trip to Nigeria, the former Democratic president noted that Barack Obama had won his home state of Georgia and his hometown of Plains.
"My children and their spouses are pro-Obama. My grandchildren are also pro-Obama," he said at a news conference, according to the Nigerian newspaper This Day. "As a superdelegate, I would not disclose who I am rooting for, but I leave you to make that guess."
Carter's spokeswoman confirmed the remarks.
Now, of course, Carter offers a perfectly good reason to support Obama since the latter won the Georgia contest; Carter can justifiably claim that he is supporting the will of the voters in his home state.
But that support does NOT explain why he has been silent on the issue of the voters of Michigan and Florida being disenfranchised. Isn't it ironic that a man who has dedicated himself to monitoring 70 elections has nothing to say about what's been going on during his own party's primary season?
This is the same man who, along with the late Gerald Ford, headed a blue-ribbon commission following the 2000 election and followed up in September 2004 with a Washington Post op-ed entitled Still Seeking a Fair Florida Vote in which he pointed out that many of the elements of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 which resulted from the commission findings were not being carried out either because of funding shortfalls or political games.
The question is, why has Jimmy Carter chosen to remain silent now, while Florida (and Michigan) voters are AGAIN being given short-shrift? Why is Carter not publicly calling for these votes to be counted?
It certainly is within his rights to choose to support Obama…but it seems that this support is TRUMPING the rights of voters in Florida and Michigan.
While it is inspiring to read about the care and planning that the Carter Center has expended on the voting process in Nepal, why can't Democratic voters expect the same attention? Doesn't voting in Florida and Michigan carry as much value as a vote in Nepal?? Is Jimmy Carter letting us down?
Filed under: Current Politics | Tagged: Barack Obama, Democratic Party, Florida primary, Georgia primary, Jimmy Carter, Michigan primary, Nepal, super delegates |	Leave a comment »
Housekeeping: Computer Fan is on the Fritz…
so I can only stay online a short time without burning up my PC…
Hopefully, Best Buy's method of shipping parts out will work and it will be fixed on Friday…
If I can get my mothers 56K dial up to cooperate, I'll try to post something I've been planning to do…
Filed under: Life |	Leave a comment »
Obama's Lessons to be Learned: Odinga Yields in Kenya, Positions Himself for Next Election
In a previous post, I discussed the link between Obama and Raila Odinga and the almost eerie demands by Odinga for a 50-50 split of cabinet posts in Kenya. It now appears that a compromise has been worked out…
According to the BBC, a power-sharing agreement was reached on Saturday. Odinga, apparently, is more willing to compromise than his cousin (?) Obama.
Mr Odinga and his party, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), insisted an equal share of power included not just numerical parity in the cabinet, but also "portfolio parity".
At issue were the foreign affairs, cabinet affairs, energy, roads and local government portfolios.
President Kibaki and his Party of National Unity (PNU) appeared unwilling to yield anything and, with talks deadlocked Mr Odinga announced that the ODM would take no further part in any negotiations.
Getting the five cabinet posts represented "our irreducible minimum", he said.
So, when word came through that a deal had been done, the assumption was that the ODM had secured what they were after.
Three of the five cabinet positions did not go to Odinga's party and one was eliminated. So, Odinga clearly made concessions that resulted in dropping below his "irreducible mininum" of cabinet posts.
However, as expected, Odinga has been named to be the new prime minster and a supporter is now the minister of land.
Bitter historical arguments over land lay at the heart of much of the violence which broke out earlier this year and the ODM's influence here could be crucial.
It is also widely believed that the current administration will not make it through a five-year term and that ODM will be using the positions they have been allocated to plan for the next election.
Probably most important of all is what Mr Odinga makes of his new role as prime minister.
He insists it carries genuine executive power. How he wields that power and how skilful he is at making his mark right across the administration will be vital.
So, Odinga has made a strategic decision to yield on his demands for a 50-50 split of cabinet posts with an eye on the future. Meanwhile, here in the U.S., Obama refuses to budge on the FL and MI delegate issue. With his inexperience showing through a string of gaffes that does not bode well if he is the nominee, not to mention a campaign that has helped split the Democratic party along racial lines, Obama presses forward with the help of party poo-bahs towards a Pyhrric victory in the primaries.
Are the party "leaders" are so intent on ridding themselves of the Clintons that they are willing to tear the party to shreds? It there some pathological mindset in every one of them? Is there no consideration of the long-term consequences of this lemming-like behavior?
If Obama had more political sense he might be looking at Odinga and thinking more strategically. He could pull back and live to fight another day when he is more seasoned and has more distance between himself and albatrosses like Rev. Wright and Rezko. He could run a truly inspiring campaign without playing on race. He's just starting his Washington career…why the rush? The bitterness he is leaving in his wake may come back to bite him if he loses the nomination or if he wins it by disenfranchising voters and then loses the general election. While Obama preaches hope, it seems the forces pushing him are operating from a place of irrational hostility toward a former President who, with all his faults, managed to leave office with sky-hight approval marks.
Filed under: Current Politics | Tagged: Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Kenya, Raila Odinga |	Leave a comment »
Obama: Big Ego, Big Mouth, Big Trouble = Unity Ticket??
These have been an unsettling few days courtesy Obama's big mouth and ego.
He started out with his pontificating on the subject of abortion. Using GOP framing, of course. This has been fully discussed over at The Confluence, so I won't rehash all the problems with Obama's statements here. But, dissing pro-choice folks by insinuating that ALL of them haven't been willing to "acknowledge the wrenching moral issues involved in it" is completely inaccurate and demeaning. Declaring that "That nobody is pro-abortion, abortion is never a good thing" is another sweeping statement that doesn't consider the very real heath concerns of women and the tragedies played out in the deaths of women who have been denied proper medical care. I recall a friend of mine who had an ectopic pregnancy…she was rushed to the nearest hospital, which happened to be a Catholic institution. Denied care there, she was then rushed to a public hospital where she had surgery that saved her life. I'm sure she and her husband considered that procedure to be a "good" thing.
Then we get to the latest faux pas (and that may be putting it kindly) about "small towns" which broke yesterday (Friday, 4/11). You can argue about context all you want, but the media doesn't do context. So, next time you speak at fundraisers (especially those in "elite, liberal San Francisco), don't say things like:
"You go into these small towns in Pennsylvania and, like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not.
And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy toward people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."
Obama on small-town PA: Clinging to guns, religion, xenophopia
Nothing like showing off your arrogance, superiority, and effete-ism to the well-heeled in San Francisco! (Is Nancy Pelosi cringing yet?) You also have to wonder how Obama squares his mention of religion with his own "clinging" to Rev. Wright for about 20 years.
John Edwards must be glad he has kept his powder dry over issuing an endorsement. Wife Elizabeth, of course, has come out with favorable comments about Clinton's healthcare plans versus Obama's which gives some insight into how the wheels might be turning in the Edwards camp.
But I do disagree with Elizabeth in her idea about a "Unity Ticket" even if it hints that Clinton should be at the top of it.
My thoughts are that Obama would drag such a ticket DOWN, because his weaknesses would continue to be prime fodder for the GOP and their 527's, even surpassing Clinton's. Sure, black voters may stay home, but not all of them. Some voters in largely black small towns and rural areas who have strong church ties might be insulted or, at the very least, confused by Obama's statements. Or is he only talking about "white towns" in PA?
Of course, Obama's comments add fuel to the Democratic Party's problems with already shedding voters from the process in FL and MI, which Obama is helping perpetuate. The great "uniter" isn't doing much uniting lately.
Yesterday I heard a pundit comment that McCain should pick Condi Rice as his running mate because she's the only one left in this Administration that is "liked." So does that mean Obama would be an effective counterweight to her presence on the ticket (am I racist for saying that?). Well, he certainly couldn't argue effectively about her problems with that memo about planes flying into buildings before 911 because HE also apparently thinks no one could even have predicted a 911. His appearance on Hardball April 2 has been fully discussed by Kirsten Bretweiser, who considers Obama's response to Chris Matthews "glib." See 911: Where Barack Obama and Condi Rice Sound Alarmingly Alike
So, I'm not entirely convinced that Obama on the ticket will make a Democratic victory a sure thing.
Besides, maybe we'll have nothing to worry about on that score since Obama has said that he won't accept the VP nod because he is really only running for the Presidency. For once, I hope he actually means what he he has said…he could do a lot of healing if he gracefully declined and encouraged his followers to vote for the Democratic nominee in November.
But I have very little faith that he will keep to his word and not want VP and that he will do something graceful and good for the party. Of course, John Edwards has also stated that he doesn't want the VP spot, but I sure wish he would change his mind, if it's even a firm decision. At this point I'd settle for a Clinton-Edwards ticket so that the campaign wouldn't be so enveloped in the racial divide that the media will exploit and which will continue what the primaries have started. There are some black commentators who feel Obama's campaign has already set black Americans back years (See Four More Years of Black Irrelevance at The Black Agenda Report).
I guess I figure that if we are getting ready to lose in November, at least it should be with less ammunition for the Republicans to use in future elections to paint their image of the Democratic party. If Democrats really do some soul-searching and start with a new slate of candidates who have had no direct involvement with this unholy mess next time, perhaps the party can be rescued long term. Perhaps.
In the meantime, I keep having a recurring dream of John Edwards being nominated for President by acclamation at the convention…it's not
Filed under: Current Politics | Tagged: abortion, Barack Obama, Condoleezza Rice, Democratic Party, guns, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, John McCain, November election, religion, small town, Unity ticket |	1 Comment »
Obama-Odinga:50-50 Split Demands Sound SOOOO FAMILIAR…(UPDATE 1X–Author of "The Obama Nation" Detained in Kenya; UPDATE 2X–Corsi Released, Odinga Official Website)
Posted on April 9, 2008 by insightanalytical
SCROLL to end for UPDATES
Tuesday (4/8) night's BBC America news report on renewed fighting in Kenya piqued my interest, especially when I heard that Raila Odinga, Obama's cousin (?) has suspended power-sharing talks and is now demanding a 50-50 split in the cabinet. I couldn't help but immediately think of MICHIGAN and Obama's "solution" to the delegate "problem"–namely, a 50-50 split!! Needless to say, it put the whole Obama-Odinga relationship in back on my radar. The BBC website filed this report Wednesday, 4/9:
Kenya opposition urges restraint
Kenya's main opposition leader, Raila Odinga, has appealed to his supporters to exercise restraint after violence broke out in the capital, Nairobi. Mr Odinga suspended talks on forming a power-sharing government on Tuesday."It is better to take slightly longer and get it right then to rush it and make mistakes which will lead to regrets," he told the BBC. Mr Odinga says he wants a 50-50 split in cabinet posts as promised by an accord to end post-poll violence. Some 1,500 people died and 600,000 were displaced in January and February. …
In a piece written by Travis Kavulla for the National Review which was posted at CBS News, he commented that the December 2007 election was run with a distinct "Western" flavor…right down to the purported hiring of Dick Morris by the Odinga campaign.
This time around, the campaign season was an extravaganza aimed at the workaday voter – a remarkable notion in African politics. Pork was promised wide and far. The candidates were branded (the incumbent Mwai Kibaki cast as the elderly economist who quietly gets things done; his challenger Raila Odinga, the visionary populist who had been imprisoned under the dictatorship for the sake of Kenya's democracy). Each presidential campaign spent millions of dollars on television advertisements. Mwai Kibaki, the president seeking a second term, had a special campaign targeting the disabled; Raila Odinga, his challenger, hired Dick Morris as a consultant. The campaigns, in short, were as refined as a Western democracy's.
The story about Morris is that former Clinton aides who are now working for Obama supposedly dispatched Morris to help Odinga. Unfortunately, the link to this storry at news aggregator AllAfrica.com is no longer active ("cannot be 'retrieved' at this time").
Former Clinton aides currently working for Obama were the "mutual acquaintances" who directed Dick Morris to Kenya to advise the Odinga campaign in November of 2007, shortly after Odinga visited with Obama in America. Morris was an extremely divisive factor in the Kenyan elections, as a foreigner, a white man, and the creator of an antagonistic "have vs. have nots" campaign platform for Odinga's ODM. He also suggested the current campaign of civil disobedience to protest the election result, including a "Million Person March", a la Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam.
When things got out of hand following the election, Obama called Odinga repeatedly, but Mwai Kibaki, the leader of the Government would not return his calls as he perceives Obama to be biased toward his Luo relative Odinga in the conflict. Obama is featured prominently in ODM campaign posters, slogans, and songs in Kenya, and the plaintive phrase "A Luo will become President in America before a Luo will become President in Kenya" is often heard.
The BBC also reported:
Odinga also told the BBC that Obama had … taken time out of campaigning for the New Hampshire primary to call him twice, to express his concern, and to say that he would also be calling Mr Kibaki. (Odinga says Obama is his cousin, BBC News)
More fascinating details about Odinga's charisma and ways of organizing (that sound awful familiar) can be found in this Newsweek International piece, entitled "The Man Who Would be President."
Obama visited Kenya in 2006 with CNN reporting a hero's welcome (Screaming crowds welcome U.S. Senator 'home'). At the time of the visit, Odinga capitalized on Obama's visit and there are pictures of Odinga and Obama together greeting crowds, which may or may not be real, according to Kenyan immigrant Edwin Okong'o at the PBS FrontlineWorld blog in a piece entitled Obama: the Kenya Connection.
Because of poor governance and the corrupt nature of the Kenyan political system, which gives the president absolute power to dispense funds, many Kenyans, particularly the poor and less educated, mistakenly believe that if elected president of the United States, Obama would have the sole discretion to write a blank check to end their poverty. … Ordinary Kenyans are not the only ones who see Obama as a messiah. Kenyan politicians have been using his popularity as political capital. In 2006, opposition leader Raila Odinga tried to portray Obama's trip to Kenya as a personal endorsement. Odinga's supporters created T-shirts and posters with cleverly computer-altered images that showed Obama and Odinga standing side by side, arms around each other. More recently, on January 8th, Odinga told the BBC that Obama is his maternal cousin. Those who understand Kenyan politics know that Odinga's claim is meant to rally Kenyans behind him as he tries to fight his way into the State House, Kenya's highest office, which he contends Kibaki robbed him of by rigging the December 27 elections. But given Odinga's controversial background and the continued ethnic violence in Kenya, his attempts to invoke Obama's name may undermine Obama's campaign in the U.S. … Odinga is the son of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Kenya's first vice-president, a socialist who sent his son to Communist East Germany for college. The younger Odinga named one of his sons Fidel Castro and has also admitted to being one of the masterminds of a 1982 attempted coup against Daniel arap Moi, Kenya's second president. In American Op-Ed pages and in the blogosphere, many of Obama's political foes are already capitalizing on his supposed ties to Odinga.
The picture in question
Odinga and Obama's father come from the same Luo tribe and Odinga's claim that he is Obama's cousin has neither been confirmed or denied by Obama.
The violence that erupted following the December 2007 election involved some acts by Odinga followers that were horrific, including the burning of a locked church in which 50 people perished (MSNBC). At the time of this violence, Odinga made a point of rejecting talks with the government, using terms that sound eerily familiar (recall discussions of possible scenarios in which Obama agrees to seat MI and FL delegates…)
But opposition candidate Raila Odinga refused, saying he would meet Kibaki only "if he announces that he was not elected."
That statement and the current push for a 50-50 split of the Kenyan cabinet sure does sound "refined" doesn't it?? And coming from a "visionary populist," no less!
Of course, there's more to worry about than whether Odinga is Obama's real cousin versus just a member of the same tribal background or whether Dick Morris really worked for Odinga or not. A few months ago there were documents circulating that showed that Odinga was pushing for Sharia law in Kenya. (I saw these posted myself.) In November 2007, Kenyan Muslim leaders denied this was the case.
From the BBC, this report: Kenyan Muslims deny Sharia claims
Kenyan Muslim leaders have dismissed as propaganda allegations that an opposition party promised to introduce Sharia for Muslims if it won elections.
The National Muslim Leaders Forum said its deal with the Orange Democratic Movement was to end the current discrimination against Muslims.
Christian leaders have been calling for the pact to be made public to end angry speculation ahead of December's polls. …
Muslim leaders decided to make the pact public after a document circulated on the internet claimed that Mr Odinga's ODM had pledged to introduce Sharia in parts of the country where Muslims are in the majority.
"There was a fear that Muslims will force their faith on other people, Islam does not allow suppression of other religions and we will be the last to advocate for this," said Abdullahi Abdi of the National Muslim Leaders Forum.
Instead the memorandum of understanding, signed in August, states that Mr Odinga has pledged to defend Muslims against harassment and victimisation by state security forces who claim to be fighting terrorism.
However, you can bet that this story will resurface if Obama is nominated, particularly if the situation in Kenya continues to be volatile. Sooner or later, the Obama-Odinga connection will be "explored." I haven't been able to find other stories I saw a few months ago that claimed that many Odinga's followers were members of groups with ties to the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. Why those stories have suddenly disappeared is something I can't explain.
All in all, it's a murky picture of relationships, possible political ties between Obama and Odinga's campaign and differing stories about Islamist interests and Odinga's political background. Rest assured, when you throw Obama's name into the mix if he's the nominee, the 527's working on the Republican side will help things become even murkier…and not to Obama's benefit.
UPDATE 10/7/08
Jerome Corsi, best-selling author of The Obama Nation: Leftist Pollitics and the Cult of Personality has been detained in Kenya…
Story followed here at Uppity Woman, mirrored here at No Quarter…
UPDATE 10/13/08
Corsi has been released.
ALSO: Here is the Official Raila Odinga website…where he touts himself as "The People's President" and as
"Your Agent for Change."
Filed under: Current Politics | Tagged: Barack Obama, Dick Morris, Jerome Corsi, Kenya, Kenya election, Mwai Kibaki, Raila Odinga, The Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Pers |	6 Comments »


text:
Q: Git for windows stopped working Just overnight, all of a sudden my GIT for windows stopped working, for each repository.
Every git operation ends with a dialog saying 'Git for Windows stopped working' (whether it's from GIT bash, PowerShell or SourceTree):
 /c/Projects/Github/SignalR (master)
$ git pull upstream master
remote: Counting objects: 15, done.
remote: Compressing objects: 100% (14/14), done.
fatal: write error: Invalid argument
fatal: unpack-objects failed

I've completely reinstalled GIT, deleted all credential helpers, (latest version, 1.9.4), deleted my .gitconfig file, deleted/reinstalled git extensions, nothing helps.
The event viewer only mentions a fault in ntdll.dll:
Faulting application name: git.exe, version: 1.9.0.0, time stamp: 0x5399b485
Faulting module name: ntdll.dll, version: 6.3.9600.17114, time stamp: 0x53648f36
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x0003ffc5
Faulting process ID: 0x2228
Faulting application start time: 0x01cf9f49e1a5842c
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Git\bin\git.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll
Report ID: 1f536891-0b3d-11e4-833c-6003089821b1
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:

I don't seem to have any new windows updates installed since yesterday, when it worked fine...
Any ideas what might have caused this all of a sudden?

A: I've been running in to this issue recently and took a deeper look at the crash just now.
After tracing git.exe's startup sequence with Process Monitor I noticed that the file AirfoilInject3.dll was hooking in to the startup process.
On a hunch I disabled this by removing it from the registry value HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows\AppInit_DLLs and everything is back to normal.
AirfoilInject3.dll is part of AirFoil's "Instant On" feature. This might be the root cause of your crashes if by chance you're using AirFoil (it's likely safer and easier to disable this via AirFoil directly instead of hacking up the registry). If not, perhaps a similar trace via Process Monitor will yield further paths to explore.

A: Something must have changed in your environment:

*

*either your PATH (leading to duplicate and conflicting dlls)

*or new programs installed (and not compatible with the current fll included in git)

*or dlls takes the same base address (and you need to move the one used by git)

Either way, try first with:

*

*a msysgit unzipped from a release zip file (no setup)

*a simplified PATH including only the minimum and said unzippped git

And see if that works better then.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The Manual Application of DELIBERATE JOY . . .
Years ago, I wrote a piece called Deliberate Joy - Applied Manually.
This week, It has dawned on me more than once that - given the name of this domain, perhaps I should write something regarding the actual act of scavenging joy. Hence a similarly titled blog entry - same gist with a little more life experience. Unfortunately as of late, my mind defaults to sadness. I've always been advised that happiness and a joy are a CHOICE - I am certainly getting a crash course in that concept since the loss of my husband. The moments where joy actually felt fake and counter-intuitive in the midst of grief are actually what gave me the name #JoyScavenger. I have literally felt like my circumstance was a rubble pile, under which I was digging to find any scrap, or remnant of happiness that resided there before.
Sometimes the smallest things go a long way toward making you feel better during the grief process. Yesterday for me it was vacuuming my carpet. My affinity for lines in the carpet may speak to some other things in me worth examining, but in the moment, those carpet lines were the perfect ending to my day, and actually helped me sleep a little better. The elimination of little specs of lint in the carpet, and the look of a freshly vacuumed floor made everything in my world perfect for a second… nevermind the actuality of my grief. Do what you need to do… if you feel like stepping outside… go OUTSIDE…whether its a mid-morning walk down the street, or just randomly stepping out into the back yard, or onto the patio at 3 am, just to say you did it.
This is all part of giving yourself grace. There are so many ways to give yourself a little shot of joy that cost you little or no money. One cheap way to cheer up is to travel back to childhood by purchasing a coloring book and a box of crayons. There is so much to be said lately of the relaxing properties of coloring, that adult coloring books have become quite popular. I personally find some of the adult coloring books a little too detailed, and the spaces to color too small. I prefer actual children's coloring books with familiar characters and larger spaces to color in. So instead of peacocks and stained glass, you're likely to find me coloring a picture of Doc McStuffins. Whatever it takes. . .
In the early days after my husband's death, the presence of happiness was zero. My family flew out. Hearing voices in my house before waking up was healing for me. Having my boy's uncle around to roughhouse, and generate laughs in my oldest that only come from horseplay, wrestling, and being lifted higher than I could ever lift him was healing for me. As my budget allowed, I replaced a piece of furniture in my bedroom, and this new piece makes me smile every time I look at it. Joy is a decision . . .sometimes that decision comes easier, and may even be involuntary. In times of grief, that joy application may feel fake, generic and contrived. Go with it. Do yourself a favor and switch your thoughts even for a minute. It is likely that the love you lost would want to see you happy even if for a second. Comment below - it could help someone reading this. How do you inject joy into your life during hard times?


text:
Q: Set environment variables for a process What is the environment variable concept?
In a C# program I need to call an executable. The executable will call some other executables that reside in the same folder. The executables rely on the two environment variables "PATH" and "RAYPATH" to be set correctly. I tried the following two things:

*

*I created a process and set the two varables in StartInfo. The
variables exist already but are missing the needed information.

*I tried to set the variables with
    System.Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable().

When I run the process the system can't find the executable ("executeable1"). I tried to set StartInfo.FileName to the full path of "executeable1" - however then the EXE files called form within "executeable1" are not found...
How do I deal with this?
string pathvar = System.Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("PATH");
System.Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable("PATH", pathvar + @";C:\UD_\bin\DAYSIM\bin_windows\;C:\UD_\bin\Radiance\bin\;C:\UD_\bin\DAYSIM;");
System.Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable("RAYPATH", @"C:\UD_\bin\DAYSIM\lib\;C:\UD_\bin\Radiance\lib\");

System.Diagnostics.Process p = new System.Diagnostics.Process();
p.StartInfo.WorkingDirectory = @"C:\UD_\bin\DAYSIM\bin_windows";

//string pathvar = p.StartInfo.EnvironmentVariables["PATH"];
//p.StartInfo.EnvironmentVariables["PATH"] = pathvar + @";C:\UD_\bin\DAYSIM\bin_windows\;C:\UD_\bin\Radiance\bin\;C:\UD_\bin\DAYSIM;";
//p.StartInfo.EnvironmentVariables["RAYPATH"] = @"C:\UD_\bin\DAYSIM\lib\;C:\UD_\bin\Radiance\lib\";

p.StartInfo.UseShellExecute = false;
p.StartInfo.RedirectStandardOutput = true;
p.StartInfo.CreateNoWindow = true;

p.StartInfo.FileName = "executeable1";
p.StartInfo.Arguments = arg1 + " " + arg2;
p.Start();
p.WaitForExit();

A: There are many types of environment variables, like system level and users. It depends on your requirements.
For setting environment variables, just use the Get Set method. Pass variables Name and Value as parameters and if use to define access level then must pass with it. For accessing the value then use the Set method to pass the access level parameter too.
For example, I am defining user-level variables:
//For setting and defining variables
System.Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable("PathDB", txtPathSave.Text, EnvironmentVariableTarget.User);
System.Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable("DBname", comboBoxDataBaseName.Text, EnvironmentVariableTarget.User);

//For getting
string Pathsave = System.Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("PathDB", EnvironmentVariableTarget.User);
string DBselect = System.Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("DBname", EnvironmentVariableTarget.User);

A: What is your problem actually? System.Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable changes the environment variables of the current process. If you want to change the variables of a process you create, just use the EnvironmentVariables dictionary property:
var startInfo = new ProcessStartInfo();

// Sets RAYPATH variable to "test"
// The new process will have RAYPATH variable created with "test" value
// All environment variables of the created process are inherited from the
// current process
startInfo.EnvironmentVariables["RAYPATH"] = "test";

// Required for EnvironmentVariables to be set
startInfo.UseShellExecute = false;

// Sets some executable name
// The executable will be search in directories that are specified
// in the PATH variable of the current process
startInfo.FileName = "cmd.exe";

// Starts process
Process.Start(startInfo);


Pecks Traditional, Luxury and Gents Afternoon teas are available 12.30pm to 3.30pm, Tuesday to Saturday.
As we use the freshest ingredients, pre-booking your choice is essential.
When booking online, please state in the comments section which afternoon tea is required (Traditional or Gents). Otherwise Traditional will be served with all on line bookings.
Choose from Traditional or Gents Afternoon Tea and enjoy a luxury glass of Champagne.
Please advise us if you have any specific dietary requirements, including allergens when booking.
Vegetarian option available, but must be pre-booked.


text:
Q: I cannot print with HP Laser107a whilst I cannot make hplip to detect it I have an HP Laser107a (https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/hp-laser-100-printer-series/24494339/model/24494340) and because fails to be detected on Ubuntu 18.04 I have installed the latest hplip version from hp website.
As seen on ubuntu's manual the lsusb shows:
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 1bcf:0005 Sunplus Innovation Technology Inc. Optical Mouse
Bus 001 Device 013: ID 03f0:e82a Hewlett-Packard
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 058f:6362 Alcor Micro Corp. Flash Card Reader/Writer
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

But the command hp-makeuri 03f0:e82a fails to generate the correct url for my printer:
HP Linux Imaging and Printing System (ver. 3.19.12)
Device URI Creation Utility ver. 5.0

Copyright (c) 2001-18 HP Development Company, LP
This software comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY.
This is free software, and you are welcome to distribute it
under certain conditions. See COPYING file for more details.

error: Device not found

Using system settings I manage to add my printer:

Though I fail to print a pdf file or even a document in libreoffice showing the following error:

Also, the hp device manager fails to add my printer as well (hplip 3.19.12):

Do you have any idea why?
Also, using the propriatery driver ofered by hp still shows no light.

A: In order to work follow these steps:

*

*Remove the existing device from the gnome device manager (ommit this step if you setup the printer for first time):

*Download the driver from hp website

*Unzip the zipped file.

*Run the following commands:
cd uld
sudo ./install-printer.sh

*On the questions that the install script asks just press y and enter.

*Then click upon the button shown in the following screen (assume no printer as added).

*Then click add:

*Then select the printer from an existing database and press forward:

*And select the Laser 10x driver:

Please check whether you can ommit steps 2-4 because a propriatery driver is being installed. With the steps above you will be able to print, though hplip-gui won't be able to detect the printer.

A: I just want to add an update related to use the printer on Ubuntu 20.04.
Something changed and the printer cannot be found by CUPS. I did not do a deep dive to figure out why or how it happened but purging ippusbxd from the system allowed the printer to be properly found by CUPS and the process using the ULD drivers works as expected
I simply ran
sudo apt purge ippusbxd

removed any pre-existing instance of a Lase10x printer, and followed the install steps described by Dimitrios


A guest post from makeup artist Jasmine Smyth who worked as a makeup artist at Norwich Fashion Week 2016.
It only feels like a few weeks ago that I was last packing up my kit for Norwich Fashion Week, I swear it gets here quicker and quicker each year, not that I'm complaining as its one of my favourite weeks of the year. I was lucky enough to be doing hair and make up again this year with The Norwich School of Beauty for a couple of the shows as well as doing a bit of behind the scenes blogging- hooray!
All shows this year were held at The Open which was very exciting as its such a big venue. I'd never been there myself before but loved it when I walked in and I couldn't help but think about how much NFW grows each year.
First up was The Vintage Show, the hair and make up briefs were definitely 1970s inspired with big, bouncy hair and fresh make up. With myself heading up the make up team it was time for a quick brief with the girls before getting stuck in- eek! The team got to work creating colourful eyes, flawless skin and glossy lips. The Esquire boys threw a bit of a curveball asking me to recreate the famous David Bowie lightening bolt look on one of the male models, no pressure guys! Thankfully Kerri was on hand to help me out and I was really pleased with how it turned out.
Once all the models were ready we got a chance to sneak backstage into the wardrobe room which was full of the most gorgeous vintage clothes, I could have stayed in there playing dress up all day.
Before we knew it show time was upon us, it's a very exciting feeling knowing your hard work is soon going to be seen by so many people and seeing the models walk down the runway made me very proud to be involved in such a brilliant event.
The show was a success and I've inserted some pictures for anyone who missed it. What a day!
A few days later I was back at The Open as part of the hair team for the Fashion Excess show, which would be the closing event of Norwich Fashion Week (sad face). I absolutely loved the look being created for this show which was Great Gatsby themed but a bit on the dishevelled side, as if they were just getting back from a great night out. After a frenzy of pin curling we were able to style the hair into 'faux bobs' which went perfectly with the look, the models all looked great.
The show was sponsored by Dr. Martens and had some local bands playing throughout so the vibe was a lot more laid back and fun, definitely a great way to end a brilliant week.
The fashion community within Norwich- shops, stylists, models, photographers, sound and lighting peeps, make up artists, hair stylists, bloggers- is something I am very proud to be part of.
I am glad to be 'behind the scenes', the way those girls and guys get up and strut their stuff in front of so many people never fails to amaze me.
As always I got to work with some fab people, catch up with people I haven't seen for far too long and meet lots of new people too! I'm already looking forward to next year.
To see more of Jasmine's work visit her Facebook page , say hello on Twitter of take a look at Jasmine's blog.
Jasmine worked on the shows as part of the Norwich School of Beauty Hair and Makeup team. Visit the Norwich School of Beauty website.
I finally found a blog that discusses about makeup. Thank you very much for this info. and then can you review about wedding make up service?


text:
Online valuation | Newsletter | Contact
Buying at Rossini
Selling at Rossini
Valuations in regions
Rossini auction house
Rossini team
To withdraw an item
Bordeaux issue 20 centimes blue lot (n°... - Lot 31 - Rossini
1 2 3 4 5-B 6 7 8 9 10 10-B 11 12-B 12 13 13-B 14 14-B 15 15-B 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 28-B 29-B 29 30 31 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 49-B 50 50-B 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 71-B 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 79-B 80 80-B 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 96-a 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 118 118-B 118-C 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 130-B 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 244-B 245 246 247 248 249 250 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 273-B 274 274-B 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322-B 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 389 390 397
Result without fees
Result : 200EUR
Bordeaux issue
20 centimes blue lot (n° 46).
Type III R1 and R2, eighty-nine copies, various shades and obl.
(estimated at more than 2 500 €).
Most of them VF to Sup.
Sale information - Stamps, Books, Comics, Posters, Old papers
Stamps, Books, Comics, Posters, Old papers
Maître Pascale Morelle Marchandet
Maude Laugeay
maude.laugeay@rossini.fr - 01 53 34 55 18
Bernard Laurent
Chartered Member of the CNEP
7 rue de Châteaudun 75009 Paris
+33 (0)1 48 78 52 34 - bernard.laurent57@wanadoo.fr
Dominique COURVOISIER
Expert of the National Library of France
Member of the French Union of Professional Experts in Works of Art
5, rue de Miromesnil 75008 Paris
Tel/Fax +33 (0)1 42 68 11 29
courvoisier.expert@orange.fr
with the collaboration of Alexandre MAILLARD
Exhibitions and sales - in the respect of the sanitary protocol
Salle des ventes Rossini - 7, rue Rossini 75009 Paris
Wednesday October 13th from 11am to 6pm
Thursday 14th October from 11am to 12pm
To examine the lots and for virtual visits, please contact us: +33 (0)1 53 34 55 18 - contact@rossini.fr
To participate in the sale you can leave us a purchase order, a phone request or bid directly on Drouot Live or Interencheres Live.
To bid (please enclose proof of identity and bank details).
Access to the hall, the exhibitions and the sale only on presentation of the health pass!
We invite people without a pass to bid by purchase order, by telephone or directly on line.
ROSSINI - AUCTION HOUSE
Sales conditions - Stamps, Books, Comics, Posters, Old papers
Purchased lots will become available only after payment in-full has been made. The sale will be conducted in Euros. Purchasers will pay in addition to the hammer price, a buyer's premium of 23 % VAT excluded or 25.30 % VAT for books and 27,60 % for manuscripts, posters, stamps, postcards and autographs VAT included.
We inform you that buyers who will win lots on Drouot Digital live, will have to pay additional costs of 1.5% HT or 1.8% TTC in addition to the hammer price and buyer fees of 23% HT - 27.6 Incl.
Buyers who win lots on Interencheres live must pay an additional fee of 3% excluding tax in addition to the hammer price and buyer fees.
Buyers are advised to collect successfull lots as soon as possible to avoid handling and storage costs which may be incurred at their expense. S.V.V. Rossini is not responsible for the storage of purchased lots. Storage fees at S.V.V. Rossini: Any bulky furniture purchase (0,5 cubic meter) will be sent to the furniture storehouse the next morning after the sale, the fees are chargeable to buyers. For any present buyer the day of the auction, the storage expenses will be dued from 11 a.m the next day after the sale. For all buyers (web buyers, room buyers and ordering customer), storage fees shall be due and payable from the 10th day after the auction (without including weekends and national holidays).
The amount is 5€/day and invoice.
(7) Bidder contact details
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Fixed Wireless Operator, Starcomms Limited has said that it is now ready for a successful roll out of its services in Port Harcourt.
Marketing Director of Starcomms, Mr. Omar Lababidi, made this known in a chat with newsmen in Lagos.
He said that already, the installation of necessary facilities to support its Intelligent Network, which refers to the architecture of the network that is a pre-paid platform and combines the strengths of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems in this city is in high progress.
Starcomms, Mr. Lababidi said, is also preparing to launch in two other major cities, namely in Ibadan and Abuja in the near future.
The Marketing Director, further gave that Starcomms' vision to be a major Fixed Wireless telecom operator in the world, is still on course and described the Nigerian telecoms market as "very vibrant and buoyant, filled with potentials".
He noted that only a well-planned and structured company like Starcomms, that is fully committed to delivering value added services and unique products, can fully reap the fruits thereof.
Champion Infotel recalls that Starcomms, launched its data service in August last year, and currently has over 180,000 subscribers on its network covering Lagos, Kano and Maiduguri.
It was named the first PTO in Nigeria to hit the 100,000 subscriber line and was voted the PTO of the year 2003 at the City People Awards for Excellence and the "Best telephone Company of the Year 2004 (Fixed Wireless)" at last year's edition of the Nigerian IT & Telecoms Awards (NITTA 2004).
Other awards won by the company are: The Best Wireless Telephone Marketer of the year 2005 at the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria Awards, Best Fixed Operator of the year 2004 at the Nigerian Telecoms Awards and the PTO of the year 2004 at the City People Awards for Excellence, 2005 edition.


text:
class DevToolsHttpClient;

class ChromeExistingImpl : public ChromeImpl {
 public:
  ChromeExistingImpl(
      scoped_ptr<DevToolsHttpClient> client,
      ScopedVector<DevToolsEventListener>& devtools_event_listeners);
  virtual ~ChromeExistingImpl();

  // Overridden from Chrome.
  virtual std::string GetOperatingSystemName() OVERRIDE;

  // Overridden from ChromeImpl.
  virtual Status QuitImpl() OVERRIDE;
};

#endif  // CHROME_TEST_CHROMEDRIVER_CHROME_CHROME_EXISTING_IMPL_H_

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


7-day weather forecast and webcams from all over the Montafon.
What's going on in the Montafon? The current calendar of events gives you a great overview.
This map offers useful information for your holiday in Montafon at any time of the year.


text:
Isil beheading suspect 'must face UK justice'
By Tom Whitehead SECURITY EDITOR
BRITAIN must urgently move to bring a suspected member of Jihadi John's execution gang back to the UK to face justice, the families of their British victims have said. Londoner Aine Davis was unmasked as an associate of the Isil killer, fellow Briton Mohammed Emwazi, and is believed to have been a member of the so-called "Beatles" beheading cell. It was responsible for murdering several hostages, including Britons Alan Henning and David Haines. Emwazi was killed in a drone strike last November but Davis has been in custody in Turkey since then after slipping over the border two days later – and a day after the Paris terror attacks. The former drug dealer is accused of plotting a similar outrage in Istanbul but the Turkish authorities will not say whether he has been charged or will face prosecution. The relations of Mr Haines and Mr Henning joined MPs in demanding the Government put pressure on Turkey to return him. Dragana Haines, the widow of Mr Haines, said: "I would prefer it if he was taken back to the UK. I don't trust Turkey. Having those guys incarcerated – locking them up and throwing away the key – that would give me just a little bit of moral satisfaction." Mr Henning's brother Reg said: "We definitely need to bring these people to justice. The problem since the business with Alan is the British government does not seem to be doing much over there. "I am very disappointed with their reaction to all of this."


Australia's #1 selling massage chairs, offering leading-edge technology and exceptional value.
Healthcare business coaching & consulting.
With over 30 years' experience, our Penrith dentists offer high quality dental services and friendly advice, preventative measures and tailored treatment.


BarstuffUK, the Online Store. We are a small but friendly business based in the North-West and specialise in professional bar equipment. BarstuffUK was developed to provide customers with a range of quality professional products. We are always sourcing new products, seeking out the best price whilst ensuring a high quality of products, all our products are genuine products as sold to the licensing trade and we have extended this to the home user market. If you cannot find what you are looking for, then please: email support@barstuffuk.co.uk we can usually source other products and welcome any suggestions for additions to the shop, or why not try browsing our PDF Catalogues by using the link at the bottom left of all pages. We try to respond to all enquires within 24 hours excluding weekends.
Whatever the occasion, a wedding, dinner dance corporate event or house/garden party, Barkers Catering Equipment Hire can supply you with everything the occasion demands. We cater for all sizes of event from small house parties of 10 people up to large sit down meals for over 2,000 guests. We pride ourselves on quality, that�s why we hand wash every item prior to running it though our dish washers. We use quality products from companies like Royal Doulton and Porcelite so you can be proud to put it in front of your guests and we aim to give the best possible service by providing a flexible delivery schedule to meet your needs. We aim to offer a service second to none and our regular repeat customers are a testament to our philosophy. In addition we offer a wash up service for a small charge, so you can pack the dirty goods in our covered packaging and let us do the washing up for you leaving you to enjoy your party. We hire out a vast selection of catering items; cutlery, crockery, glasses, table linen, stainless steel, furniture and a vast array of sundry items, delivered to your venue, on time and collected after the event taking the worry off your hands. If you don''t see what you are looking for, please contact us as we update our stock regularly and we�ll even buy the odd thing in for you if we think it is something others might use. It�s all part of the premier service we aim to deliver. Barker�s is a family business run by the owners Annette and Robert Bell, the business has been in existence for almost 20 years now and nearly all of our early customers still use us on a regular basis because we offer reliability and quality. We aim to make everyone who uses us a repeat customer by offering the best service in the industry. That�s why we�re different!
At Hog Roast Aylesbury we are experts in providing everything you�ll need to satisfy your guests with a delicious roast hog! Find out more about Hog Roast Aylesbury here today. The Hog Roast Aylesbury team will take all of the stress and hard work out of organising your event. All you need to do is to give us a call, tell us how many you are catering for and choose a menu. From there we will take care of everything else.
We are suppliers of catering equipment, commercial microwaves, commercial refrigeration including fridges and freezers, bottle coolers, cold rooms, glass washers, commercial dishwashers, commercial laundry equipment and made to measure stainless steel fabrication.


A little while ago on Twitter, Joe Hill mentioned that after years of work, he had written the very last issue of his comic series Locke & Key (which is one of the smartest comics running). It wasn't surprising news to anyone who had been paying attention. He'd been talking about the ending of Locke & Key for years.
"It's the most important part of the story," Mort Rainey said, in a Stephen King story (and excellent film adaptation). "The ending." He was right about that. It's truly the best of times and the worst of times. On the one hand, it's sad because of how brilliant a comic it is, how much I enjoy spending time with the characters. On the other hand…it's got an ending. A conclusion. That is so important.
Lack of an ending crops up now and then, in various storytelling mediums. There's probably a technical term for it, but I think we can safely refer to it as LOST Syndrome. Before the television show LOST clarified the point nicely for us all, we could have referred to it as X-Files Syndrome. In the book world, I think of it as Wheel of Time Syndrome, which is probably not kind of me.
In theory, it seems like a good thing when a story we have really enjoyed carries on and on. It means we get more, and that's what all readers want, mostly. We point at something we enjoyed a great deal and say more, please! Some artists are cranky and say "What? No, I already did that, now I want to do something else." Others obligingly begin turning out more and more.
The most brilliant story in the world can be brought down by lack of any useful ending. The story offers no answers, no conclusions. The narrative becomes a bridge that never quite reaches the opposite shore. It can be the most ornate, glorious bridge in the world, but if everyone who drives 90% of the way across it nearly falls into the sea and has to turn back, they're going to be more than cranky.
Perhaps worse still: the longer any sort of ultimate ending is delayed, the more and more weight is put upon that ending, and that is a disaster. Soon, there is literally no ending in the world that can satisfy all of the pressure. People complained about the ending of the last Harry Potter book, when all the cards were laid on the table. There was no ending there which could justify seven books (and films and so forth) leaning against it.
Comic books can be the medium which is most guilty of this. Increasingly, we live in a world in which we have a lot of comics that have beginnings, middles, and endings…but of course, we do also live in a world with seven billion issues of Superman, Batman, and the other superheroes. Wouldn't it be interesting if Superman or Batman had an ending? In a way they do. Alan Moore "ended" Superman, and Neil Gaiman later "ended" Batman. It had no real effect, of course, but it was interesting. The reason it was interesting was that it had an ending.
This is why it's a bit sad that we'll soon be done with Locke & Key. I'm as greedy as anyone else. I don't want this amazing comic which has kept me enraptured to come to an end. I want more dammit more. On the other hand, soon we'll have a conclusion, which will reflect back across the whole series, which will tie the story we've been following in some fashion.
It's the bow and the falling curtain at the end of the play. We need that, and deep down we known it, even as we're shouting encore! More!


text:
package org.robolectric.android.runtime;

import android.os.Build;

import org.robolectric.RuntimeEnvironment;

public class RuntimeAdapterFactory {
  public static RuntimeAdapter getInstance() {
    int apiLevel = RuntimeEnvironment.getApiLevel();
    if (apiLevel <= Build.VERSION_CODES.JELLY_BEAN) {
      return new Api16RuntimeAdapter();
    } else if (apiLevel <= Build.VERSION_CODES.JELLY_BEAN_MR1) {
      return new Api17RuntimeAdapter();
    } else if (apiLevel <= Build.VERSION_CODES.KITKAT) {
      return new Api19RuntimeAdapter();
    } else if (apiLevel <= Build.VERSION_CODES.LOLLIPOP) {
      return new Api21RuntimeAdapter();
    } else if (apiLevel <= Build.VERSION_CODES.LOLLIPOP_MR1) {
      return new Api22RuntimeAdapter();
    } else if (apiLevel <= Build.VERSION_CODES.M) {
      return new Api23RuntimeAdapter();
    } else if (apiLevel <= Build.VERSION_CODES.N_MR1) {
      return new Api24RuntimeAdapter();
    } else if (apiLevel == Build.VERSION_CODES.O) {
      return new Api26RuntimeAdapter();
    } else {
      throw new RuntimeException("Could not find AndroidRuntimeAdapter for API level: " + apiLevel);
    }
  }
}


Guys and gals, I want to apologize for the last few days. Life and work and general crazy have consumed me and getting out from under it has been tough. In an effort not to stress myself out further I opted to let the blog slide for a couple days so I could attempt to straighten some things out.
At this point, I'd say we are about 70% straight and still climbing. So yay!
Things should be back on track tomorrow, so just bear with me and I swear I will beat my life into submission. (That or have someone take video of me going down proudly like the captain of the Titanic to post for your enjoyment.) Thanks for your patience, and Wastepaper Prose will be back and better than ever before you can say some really long word of your choosing.


Peter Bergen updates Fareed on the gruesome Easter Sunday attacks churches and hotels in Sri Lanka. Then, Susan Glasser and Andrey Kortunov discuss Moscow's reaction to the Mueller Report. Guests: Robert Bennett, Larry Tribe, Susan Glasser, Andrey Kortunov, Bill McKibben, Joseph Stiglitz.
Only on GPS: Hillary Clinton joins Fareed at the Women in the World 10th anniversary summit to discuss the 2020 presidential field, Trump foreign policy, and the differences between women and men.
How much immigration is enough? Fareed and David Frum both offer their takes. On NATO's 70th anniversary, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg looks at the future of the alliance in a changing world. And what would be a world run by women by like? Tina Brown joins Fareed. Guests: David Frum, Jens Stoltenberg, Tina Brown, Michael Lewis.
Pres. Trump tells Russia to "get out" of Venezuela. Could the crisis escalate? Then, what does Moscow make of the Mueller Report?
On GPS, Fareed is joined by an all-star panel to discuss the terror attack in New Zealand and the fallout from this week's votes in British parliament on Brexit. Also, Ukraine's upcoming election is already the victim of meddling - what can the US learn? Finally, actor Dev Patel on his new film "Hotel Mumbai" about that city's devastating 2008 terror attack.


West Jalinga Organic Assam is a broken orange pekoe tea that's manufactured in the Cut-Torn-Curled (CTC) or gunpowder style. The result is a strong cup that is hearty, rich and full-bodied, this Assam is a favorite at breakfast or with heavier fare. Excellent with milk and sugar!


Carrot Cake has a soft texture and the carrots enhance the flavour, texture and appearance of the cake. There are a number of different recipes, and while some include nuts such as almonds or walnuts, others add raisins or fruit such as chopped apples or pieces of pineapple.
The Carrot cupcake keeps a delicious sweet flavour profile along with a soft & creamy texture thanks to Acti-Fresh! It's size brings more convenience for on-the-go snacks.
Mix all ingredients during 5 minutes at medium speed.
Pipe 40 g into a paper cup and baked at 180°C during 20 minutes.
Mix Deli Chees Cake with whipped Cryst-o-fil.
Pipe on top of the cup cake.
Decorate with pine nuts and mini cubes of candied carrot.


text:
Smile When You Get a COVID Vaccine, It'll Hurt Less
By Cara Murez
FRIDAY, December 4, 2020 (HealthDay News) – Could a genuine smile be the key to getting a less painful vaccination? Researchers at the University of California at Irvine say yes.
This authentic smile, which brings up the corners of the mouth and creates crow's feet around the eyes, can reduce the pain of a needle injection by up to 40%, and also dull a stressful physiological response associated with the needle by lowering the heart rate, the researchers said.
Surprisingly, a grimace created these same responses as well. A poker face doesn't.
"When faced with distress or pleasure, humans make remarkably similar facial expressions that involve activating eye muscles, lifting cheeks and baring teeth," said researcher Sarah Pressman, professor of psychological sciences. .
"We have found that these movements, as opposed to neutral expression, are beneficial in reducing discomfort and stress," Pressman said in an academic press release.
This is news that people may be able to use right away as the rollout of a two-part COVID-19 vaccine begins this winter.
The study included 231 people who reported their levels of pain, emotion, and distress when injected with saline using a 25-gauge needle, which is the type typically used with a flu shot.
Participants were asked to express a real smile, a fake smile, a grimace or a neutral expression. Those who kept a smile or a grimace told researchers that the shot only hurt half as much as the neutral group.
"Our study demonstrates a simple, free, and clinically meaningful method to make needle injection less horrible," Pressman said. "Given the many anxiety and pain situations found in medical practice, we hope that understanding how and when to smile and grin will help foster effective pain reduction strategies that will result in better experiences." for patients.
The results were published online in the journal Emotion.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on COVID-19 vaccine research.
SOURCE: University of California, Irvine, press release, December 1, 2020


text:
Maria Antonina Gentile
elevated b9jxu Date of Birth : June 13, 1921 Calascio, L'Aquila, Italy
elevated b9jxu Date of Death: March 4, 2021 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
elevated b9jxu Maria Antonina Frasca Gentile passed away peacefully on the morning of March 4th, 101 days from her 100th birthday.
elevated b9jxu Born in Calascio, L'Aquila, Italy on June 13, 1921, Maria lived both an incredibly long and healthy life, never becoming ill or suffering from any disease, until she incurred a mild stroke at the end of 2020, from which she never recovered.
elevated b9jxu A pious Catholic and devotee of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Maria rests in peace reunited with her beloved husband, Gino, who passed away 28 years ago. Maria is remembered with great love across three generations of her family. She is survived by her son, Vincenzo, daughter-in-law, Matilde, her grandchildren Luigi (Anita) and Mariangela (Jonah), and her great-grandchildren. Maria's affection, strength, humour, and her extraordinarily beautiful singing voice will be dearly missed.
elevated b9jxu A private Mass will be held on Tuesday, March 9, in the Chapel of St. Joseph at Holy Cross Catholic Funeral Home, limited to immediate family only. Due to health and safety precautions, no visitation will be held. In observance of Lent, the family wishes no flowers be sent. A memorial Mass allowing extended family and friends to pay their respects will be held at a future date.
elevated b9jxu Nonna Maria, may the heavens echo your voice as you sing among the angels in God's choir.
elevated b9jxu
Maria Racco	on March 8, 2021 at 2:43 pm
Vincenzo, Matilde, Luigi, Anita, Mariangela, Jonah and family,
We are deeply sadden by the loss of your kind, loving and precious mother Maria Antonina.
Please accept our deepest sympathy.
The care, love and devotion that Maria received from her family is truly to be admired.
We are thankful that we had the opportunity to get to know her.
We will cherish our memories of her always
We pray that she rest in peace in God's loving arms.
In friendship and faith,
Maria and Emilio
Annamaria Matarelli	on March 8, 2021 at 7:35 pm
Da tutti noi le più sentite condoglianze, vi siamo vicini con affetto celestino, annamaria, Roberto armando e le famiglie tutte.


We want to travel all around the world and see places as locals, and take care of animals.
The feeling of allowing someone to travel while we are traveling ourselves is just amazing.
We do not have Experience house sitting, Yuval had a dog for 12 years.


Solar or photovoltaic cells represent one of the best possible technologies for providing an absolutely clean and virtually inexhaustible source of energy to power our civilization. However, for this dream to be realized, solar cells need to be made from inexpensive elements using low-cost, less energy-intensive processing chemistry, and they need to efficiently and cost-competitively convert sunlight into electricity. A team of researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has now demonstrated two out of three of these requirements with a promising start on the third.
Peidong Yang, a chemist with Berkeley Lab's Materials Sciences Division, led the development of a solution-based technique for fabricating core/shell nanowire solar cells using the semiconductors cadmium sulfide for the core and copper sulfide for the shell. These inexpensive and easy-to-make nanowire solar cells boasted open-circuit voltage and fill factor values superior to conventional planar solar cells. Together, the open-circuit voltage and fill factor determine the maximum energy that a solar cell can produce. In addition, the new nanowires also demonstrated an energy conversion efficiency of 5.4-percent, which is comparable to planar solar cells.
Yang, who holds a joint appointment with the University of California (UC) Berkeley, is the corresponding author of a paper reporting this research that appears in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. The paper is titled "Solution-processed core-shell nanowires for efficient photovoltaic cells." Co-authoring this paper with Yang were Jinyao Tang, Ziyang Huo, Sarah Brittman and Hanwei Gao.
Typical solar cells today are made from ultra-pure single crystal silicon wafers that require about 100 micrometers in thickness of this very expensive material to absorb enough solar light. Furthermore, the high-level of crystal purification required makes the fabrication of even the simplest silicon-based planar solar cell a complex, energy-intensive and costly process.
A highly promising alternative would be semiconductor nanowires — one-dimensional strips of materials whose width measures only one-thousandth that of a human hair but whose length may stretch up to the millimeter scale. Solar cells made from nanowires offer a number of advantages over conventional planar solar cells, including better charge separation and collection capabilities, plus they can be made from Earth abundant materials rather than highly processed silicon. To date, however, the lower efficiencies of nanowire-based solar cells have outweighed their benefits.
At the heart of all solar cells are two separate layers of material, one with an abundance of electrons that function as a negative pole, and one with an abundance of electron holes (positively-charged energy spaces) that function as a positive pole. When photons from the sun are absorbed, their energy is used to create electron-hole pairs, which are then separated at the p-n junction — the interface between the two layers — and collected as electricity.
About a year ago, working with silicon, Yang and members of his research group developed a relatively inexpensive way to replace the planar p-n junctions of conventional solar cells with a radial p-n junction, in which a layer of n-type silicon formed a shell around a p-type silicon nanowire core. This geometry effectively turned each individual nanowire into a photovoltaic cell and greatly improved the light-trapping capabilities of silicon-based photovoltaic thin films.
Now they have applied this strategy to the fabrication of core/shell nanowires using cadmium sulfide and copper sulfide, but this time using solution chemistry. These core/shell nanowires were prepared using a solution-based cation (negative ion) exchange reaction that was originally developed by chemist Paul Alivisatos and his research group to make quantum dots and nanorods. Alivisatos is now the director of Berkeley Lab, and UC Berkeley's Larry and Diane Bock Professor of Nanotechnology.
The cadmium sulfide nanowires were then dipped into a solution of copper chloride at a temperature of 50 degrees Celsius and kept there for 5 to 10 seconds. The cation exchange reaction converted the surface layer of the cadmium sulfide into a copper sulfide shell.
Yang and his colleagues believe they can improve the energy conversion efficiency of their solar cell nanowires by increasing the amount of copper sulfide shell material. For their technology to be commercially viable, they need to reach an energy conversion efficiency of at least ten-percent.


President Vladimir Putin signed the law that will see the minimum wage in Russia raised to the official sustenance level. But this will only happen from 1 January 2019, Lenta.ru reported.
From 1 January 2018 the size of the minimum wage is set at 85% from the official sustenance level for citizens of the working age. Thus, the new minimum wage is 9,489 rubles (around USD 167).
Working age citizens: 11,160 RUB ($196).
The average monthly wage in Russia in October 2017 was 38,333 rubles ($676) as reported by GKS.ru.
Average wages in Russia, 2007-2017, in rubles. Data: Official statistics by GKS.ru.
The officials statistics body GKS.ru reported the average monthly income of 31,506 rubles ($556) per person in the third quarter of 2017.
In 2016, the average income per person in Russia was 30,744 rubles ($542) per month or 368,928 rubles ($6,511) annually.
People in Russia get paid salaries monthly, not weekly. They also seldom discuss their yearly income but usually talk about salaries only in terms of how much they earn per month.
Prices in Russia depend in a great extent on the exchange rate between the Russian Ruble and US Dollar.
Although prices for fresh produce locally are comparatively cheaper than, let's say, in Europe, they also depend on the cost of equipment and supplies, which are often foreign-made.
Currently 1 USD is worth just over 56 RUB, which makes income in the local currency appear higher, when expressed in dollars.
As can be seen from the reports, wages have been steadily growing every year from 2007 to 2017, if you look at the income in rubles. However, 1 USD was worth only 25 RUB in 2013, which means the average wage was $1,191 as compared to today's $676.
The exchange rate dropped to 80 RUB per 1 USD in early 2016. It had recovered to about 60 RUB per 1 USD by 2017 and has been stable since.
What Russians would do in hard times?
2017 statistics: How Russians spend their wages?


Partly cloudy. Low temperature around 70F. Dew point will be around 64F with an average humidity of 72%. Winds will be 6 mph from the N.
Partly cloudy. High temperature around 78F. Dew point will be around 63F with an average humidity of 78%. Winds will be 5 mph from the NNW.
Mostly cloudy. Low temperature around 70F. Dew point will be around 64F with an average humidity of 73%. Winds will be 4 mph from the NNE.
Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms. Chance of storms 60%. High temperature around 78F. Dew point will be around 63F with an average humidity of 78%. Winds will be 7 mph from the S.
Partly cloudy with a 60% chance for rain and thunderstorms. Low temperature around 70F. Dew point will be around 64F with an average humidity of 73%. Winds will be 7 mph from the SSE.