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A Fight Over Crumbs: The AFRINIC crisis
Posted on August 19, 2021 August 19, 2021 by Milton Mueller, Vagisha Srivastava and Brenden KuerbisIG Institutions, Internet Identifiers
AFRINIC is the Regional Internet Registry (RIR) for Africa: a nonprofit, nongovernmental Internet governance organization. Like RIPE, ARIN, APNIC and LACNIC, it operates a registry for unique internet protocol (IP) numbers that serve as network addresses. The registry records which organizations hold rights to which IP address blocks on that continent, and it also operates processes for members that set policies governing the allocation and assignment of IP addresses. AFRINIC was the last RIR to be created and came late to the Internet party. It has only ever held about 2% of the IPv4 address space. Compare that to the 40% that was distributed directly to organizations (mostly in North America) prior to the existence of RIRs; the 17% in Asia-Pacific; the 14% in Europe and North America, and the 3.5% in Latin America.
On July 13. AFRINIC's bank accounts were provisionally frozen by court order, crippling its operations. The Supreme Court of Mauritius ordered up to $50 million USD in the RIR's bank accounts frozen as a result of a contractual dispute with Cloud Innovation, a member organization that has been the recipient of rights to millions of IPv4 numbers from AFRINIC. The result is a crisis that threatens the viability of one of the Internet's regional registries.
AFRINIC has been at the center of a number of organizational controversies in the past five years. For some, it is hard not to see its current legal travails as yet another demonstration of the organization's corruption and incompetence. But in fact, this crisis was caused by its attempt to clean up its act. If AFRINIC is guilty of anything in this case, it is an overly aggressive assertion of policy righteousness based on bad policy ideas, which blew up in its face. This report lays out the facts and analyzes the situation.
TL;DR here is the conclusion we ultimately reach:
AFRINIC's attack on Cloud Innovation was an overreaction to its past problems and was undertaken without appropriate risk management. While it may have a case, the principle it is fighting for – that usage of the numbers it hands out must be confined to the African region – is based on false premises. AFRINIC numbers are a drop in the bucket compared to what Africa will need to develop.
Cloud Innovation, faced with an existential threat to its business, also over-reacted with what can only be called legal terrorism. Its lawyers' moves were designed to destroy AFRINIC rather than to preserve its legitimate business interests in a contractual dispute.
The performance of the Mauritius Supreme Court so far was less than optimal, too; it allowed crippling sanctions to be put in place before it heard any detailed evidence. It was right to order injunctions to maintain the status quo, but the bank account freeze is questionable.
The breakdown has led some in the region to call for unspecified forms of government intervention. This means political action, not courts and law. If heeded, political interventions will lengthen the dispute and make the situation even more chaotic. A resolution involving a governmental takeover of the RIR would require either national legislation (creating jurisdictional problems) or intergovernmental treaties, which would take years and is unlikely to result in agreement.
At the end of this piece we describe what must happen next to resolve this situation.
Economic and structural causes
The Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) standard allows for only about 3.7 billion unique numbers generally available for connecting devices to the Internet. Its capacity can no longer accommodate the growing number of networks and devices. The Internet's standards development organization came up with IPv6, a new network protocol with a much larger address space, to solve this problem back in the late 1990s. IPv6 suffered from a fatal flaw, however: it was not backwards compatible with the older standard. So if you want a globally compatible internet, you have to run both protocols until practically everyone else runs IPv6 too. This means that as the Internet grows, the demand for more IPv4 numbers does not go away. But where does one find more numbers? The simple answer is that one must buy the rights to them from someone who already has them, in what is known as the transfer market. As a result of this market, we know the value of IP addresses and can more efficiently conserve and allocate them. People who don't need them sell them; people who need them are buyers. The price of IPv4 numbers in the transfer market has gone from about $8/individual address in 2017 to $30/individual address now. That means that the rights to a "/16" address block of 64,000 numbers, considered the building block of larger organizational networks, could be worth about US$2 million.
Long before this rise in the economic value of IPv4 addresses, the Internet community allocated four "/8" address blocks – each with 16.7 million individual IP addresses – to AFRINIC. From the beginning of 2015 until March of 2017, AFRINIC was the only region in the world with a large pool of previously unoccupied IPv4 numbers that could be given out to its members for nominal administrative fees. There was, therefore, a huge disparity between the global market value of AFRINIC's IPv4 numbers, and the low price available to AFRINIC members. This created an arbitrage opportunity. Nothing about this controversy makes sense unless these two basic economic factors are understood: 1) the rising value of IPv4 numbers, and 2) the Internet community's attempt to erect a regional border around a part of the IPv4 address pool (Africa's) that would be given out at fees well below their market value.
The arbitrageur
Heng Lu is a Chinese entrepreneur who has participated in the IP address market in multiple regions. For a while he benefited from RIPE's liberal policies, which allowed any member to get blocks of 1024 IPv4 numbers merely by joining RIPE. They could then use the address resources without any geographic restriction. But in AFRINIC, Lu found a much larger pool of available addresses. He registered his Cloud Innovation company in the Seychelles, an African country, and acquired nearly 7 million IP address assignments from AFRINIC some time in 2016. He now pays AFRINIC about $10,000 a year in registry fees, and leases these numbers out to customers for $2 – $3 per address per year. Some of his customers are in Africa but it appears that most of them are in China. There are reports that he leverages the high switching costs of network addressing by raising the lease price of the IP addresses by 15 – 20% each year. So, do the math: 7 million numbers leased at just $2/year can generate upwards of $14 million in revenue, but the cost of obtaining and maintaining those number resources is only about $10k per year.
The great IPv4 address heists
The gap between the value of IPv4 addresses and AFRINIC's underutilization of them already caused the organization great trouble in the recent past. In 2019, an investigation and expose by anti-spam activist Ron Guilmette proved that a longstanding staff member of AFRINIC and friend of its CEO, Ernest Byaruhanga, was manipulating records to gain control of IPv4 addresses using dubious shell companies or businesses that were no longer in existence. Guilmette estimated the market value of the acquired IPv4 addresses to be more than USD $50 million. He, along with some journalists in South Africa, found multiple cases of companies linked to Byaruhanga and his immediate family members that were involved in secretly selling AFRINIC IP address blocks for personal profit. Byaruhanga was fired soon after these allegations surfaced, and the matter was referred to the Mauritius authorities.
ARIN, the RIR issuing number blocks in the North American region, also had a problem with criminal activity, likely driven by their low cost for issuing IPv4 blocks relative to the high market value. A man named Amir Golestan and his company, Micfo, obtained the rights to approximately 757,760 IP addresses with a market value around $10 million by creating a large number of fake company registrations, with false officers and fake websites. These fake companies were used to establish claims to IP address rights from ARIN policies designed to ration out addresses at below market price to companies in its region. In a well-publicized lawsuit, ARIN succeeded in reclaiming the IP numbers, and Golestan was criminally prosecuted. These cases of criminal misappropriation likely set the tone for what AFRINIC did next.
Zealous Overcompensation
An overzealous attempt to clean up its act is what led to the current predicament. AFRINIC has a new CEO, Eddy Kayihura, who by all accounts is honest and trying to set the registry back on the right track. Due in part to pressure from Guilmette and other Internet community people – who started by targeting spammers but ended up focusing on out of region use for legitimate purposes – it decided to crack down. After the scandal, AFRINIC performed a comprehensive audit of its address registrations, looking for examples of what it considered misuse. As this self-review process concluded, they decided to target Heng Lu, based on his well-known business of leasing addresses to out of region customers. AFRINIC asked relatively nicely at first. A letter highlighting AFRINIC's view that Cloud Innovation had committed a policy violation was sent on June 23, 2020. It stated the following three primary concerns and asked for CI to respond with comments and justifications:
Policy and Agreement violation by Cloud Innovation. AFRINIC observed "discrepancy between the descriptions of the registered usage of the IP Number Resources and the countries where these resources are actually being used."
Inconsistency between "needs of usage" expressed in the agreement and the actual purpose of utilisation.
Violation of Section (6) of the AFRINIC Bylaws which states that members should "originate services within the defined region" in the AFRINIC service region.
In conveying this letter, AFRINIC asserted that any changes an IP address holder makes in its service requires AFRINIC's approval and is subject to a re-justification of the allocation. AFRINIC sought additional information from Cloud Innovation to review its usage of the IP address blocks.
Cloud Innovation contested the charges in a July 13 letter. Then the conflict fell dormant for eight months. On 10 March 2021, AFRINIC responded, reasserting its accusations. It gave CI a month to submit a "change request" that would provide detailed information about how they were using the IPv4 addresses, including the provided services and country of service origin. They also inquired about the planned utilisation of their remaining IPv4 addresses. In this letter, AFRINIC issued a threat. It claimed that it could "in its sole discretion" determine whether to terminate Cloud Innovation's Registration Service Agreement (RSA) and reclaim the IPv4 Number Resources allocated to it. Heng Lu's company knew that this was an existential threat to its business. Reclaiming the addresses would cut off the internet service of thousands of its customers and destroy the lucrative revenue stream he had built around the address blocks. AFRINIC's letter stressed that "AFRINIC shall not be held liable for any loss or damage of whatever nature arising out of the present notice or any action that AFRINIC may take in accordance thereof."
In a public response, Cloud Innovation rejected AFRINIC's proposals as excessive and arbitrary. It contended that it was unreasonable to ask address holders to return and re-justify their allocation any time there was a change in its usage. ISPs change the addresses assigned to different businesses all the time. Asking the RIR for approval every time an ISP's address configuration changes would make the RIR into a Soviet central planner for African Internet access and subject AFRINIC's contracted parties to burdensome and costly regulation. Cloud Innovation also mounted a strong argument against AFRINIC's claim that IP addresses cannot be used out of region. It noted that the regional restrictions for the use of IP addresses only covers space issued after March 2017, when the AFRINIC's "soft landing" policy went into effect. Cloud Innovation also objected to the fact that AFRINIC was asking it to provide information on how its customers were using their IP addresses, which it deemed intrusive and unwarranted. In response to AFRINIC's claim that Section 6 of its RSA prohibited out of region use, it responded "Section 6 of the bylaws only states what type of membership each entity qualifies for and the requirements of said membership, nothing about IP usage." CI summed up its claim by making a direct pitch to various email lists of RIRs:
"We are hoping the global community can realise and act together, to right this wrong. If you are part of AFRINIC's resource membership, please speak out and express your need for:
The freedom to run your network as you see fit;
The ability to protect the internet connectivity of your users.
The ability to disclose only that data which is necessary for the legitimate administrative purposes of the registry."
Cloud Innovation did, however, agree to the AFRINIC RSA, in which recipients acknowledge "that it is bestowed with an exclusive right of use of those number resources within the ambit of the 'need' which it has justified in its application and for no other purpose during the currency of the present agreement." AFRINIC may, therefore, be within its rights holding Cloud Innovation to usage of the IP address blocks solely for the purposes given to obtain them. But that same provision could justify action against every AFRINIC address block holder, as service providers do evolve their usage over time. Unlike ARIN, AFRINIC has no clear community policy specifying how often resource reviews may be done. Widespread enforcement of this part of the AFRINIC RSA would create great concern in the Internet community given the lack of community policy and the resulting threat that it could pose to many AFRINIC members.
AFRINIC probably thought that its aggressive action was justified by the ARIN case against Micfo. Its remedy – the reclamation of all addresses and hence the destruction of CI's business – appears to have assumed that Cloud Innovation was guilty of the same sort of criminal misappropriation. The difference, however, was that Micfo committed outright fraud. Cloud Innovation, in contrast, was only accused of violating a policy, a policy whose meaning was debatable and whose enforcement was highly selective and potentially applicable to many others.
CI took the case to the court in Mauritius and on April 7, 2021 successfully obtained an interim injunction to prevent the termination of its services. But on July 7, 2021, the injunction was lifted on the basis of a preliminary objection. According to CI, it was "a mere legal technicality, which was partially caused by the inability to provide a power of attorney to [the] lawyers in Mauritius during a total lockdown," since AFRINIC released the letter on the first day of the COVID lockdown. AFRINIC acted immediately to take advantage of the removal of the injunction. The next day, it issued a public announcement that it was terminating Cloud Innovation's Membership and freezing its addresses for 90 days to allow Cloud Innovation to move customers off them prior to reclamation.
The bank freeze
On July 13, 2021, Cloud Innovation approached the court of Mauritius again to seek urgent relief in another lawsuit against AFRINIC. The Supreme Court of Mauritius issued an interim order in favor of CI which prevented AFRINIC from reclaiming its IP addresses. But it didn't stop there. Cloud Innovation claimed that it had suffered reputational damages of $1.8 billion, and convinced the court that AFRINIC's bank account needed to be frozen to ensure that it did not spend or hide the funds which might be used to compensate it. So on July 23, 2021, the Supreme Court of Mauritius provisionally froze up to US$ 50 million AFRINIC's funds held at SBM Bank Ltd (Mauritius) and Mauritius Commercial Bank.
There are now a total 11 court cases in the court of Mauritius involving CI Ltd and AFRINIC, most of them punitive actions mounted by Cloud Innovation. We are yet to see how it unfolds but the matter raises several questions worth probing into. Foremost of them being the future relevance of AFRINIC and RIRs. If AFRINIC doesn't come through, how will the IP number resources in the region then devolve? Will the assets be divided among shareholders – and who are they? And what will happen to the unallocated reserved IP addresses? The state of stability and fairness of the Mauritius Justice system also comes into question. It is unclear as to why the Supreme Court of Mauritius would freeze all the assets of AFRINIC based on assertions of reputational damage still to be proven in court, given the threat to AFRINIC's day to day operations..AFRINIC is not a flight risk, so even if it ultimately loses in court and an award was made its assets could be garnished. The order is affecting the operations of thousands of other service providers that AFRINIC is responsible for. AFRINIC has yet not had an opportunity to respond to this and is awaiting relevant information stating CI's claims. According to one of the recent statements, it is preparing to exercise the legal rights available to it to oppose the cases before the court.
The way out
Neither pointing the finger at AFRINIC and its past problems, nor decrying Lu Heng as a profiteer helps anything at this point. The situation has gotten out of hand and this is what needs to happen:
Before anything else, Cloud Innovation must back off of its excessive legal measures. All of its punitive lawsuits (one of which accuses AFRINIC's CEO of defamation for making a video describing the situation to AFRINIC members, and another which attempts to throw the AFRINIC board in jail), should be withdrawn. It should return to its demand for a simple injunction against the reclamation of its address resources while the contractual dispute is being heard. It may win the case, and can continue operating in the interim. Cloud Innovation must also come to its senses and realize that its actions directly endangers the value of the very IP address blocks they are trying to protect, as there is already discussion in the ISP community of ceasing routing of the IP address blocks given their excessive methods.
Once Cloud Innovation ends the legal arms race, AFRINIC must back off of its excessive demands for reclaiming all of Cloud Innovation's address resources and make its claim of a policy violation clear and its proposed remedies more proportionate. AFRINIC should also place clear constraints on its usage of resource review so that its members do not have to live with a veritable Sword of Damocles hanging over their rights to their IP address blocks in perpetuity. In line with this, AFRINIC needs to learn how to better manage legal risk: if they are going to engage in or threaten revocation, they are going to be sued, and they need to be prepared for that and be more cautious in their use of that remedy.
Whether Cloud Innovation violated the letter or spirit of the contracts, or whether AFRINIC misread its own policies and acted in an excessive and discriminatory manner, is for the court to decide.
AFRINIC needs to come to its senses and accept the global nature of the IP address space and the existence of a market for IP transfers numbers. Its claims that any change in utilization requires a new needs assessment, and that it must review all the uses of customers as well as the uses of the contracting party, is overly burdensome and interferes with the ability of Internet service providers to respond to market conditions. AFRINIC also needs to back off from the futile idea that the numbers it allocates cannot be used outside its region, otherwise it will continue to nurture arbitrage efforts and the potential for corruption.
As we await resolution of the court case, we all need to keep the dispute in perspective. The future of Africa's internet development will not be greatly affected by reserving IPv4 addresses to regional use. The growth of Africa's internet to its full potential – the continent's population is the same as China's, exceeds all of Europe, and is twice the size of North America's – cannot be sustained by the remaining address resources of AFRINIC. Growth will only be possible if it imports large numbers of IPv4 addresses from the market, and/or relies more on IPv6 addresses. The tiny leftover portion of the IPv4 address space that AFRINIC controls is not going to sustain the kind of growth that is needed. This is a fight over crumbs. The collateral damage from this fight is not proportionate to the value of the stakes.
5 thoughts on "A Fight Over Crumbs: The AFRINIC crisis"
Ron Guilmette says:
This is a pretty good summary of the current situation. All parties have acted rather foolishly, I think, but most especially the Mauritian courts in freezing assets before the merits, or lack thereof, of any of Lu Heng's many cases have even been adjudicated. This is positively ludicrous and reflects badly on the the entire nation of Mauritius. Will any sane business want to locate there now? I think not. Not if their daily operating funds can be frozen out from under them, suddenly and with no warning, in a ex parte legal action where they are never even given a chance to be heard… which is exactly what happened to AFRINIC.
I should further clarify my comment that "all parties have acted rather foolishly". The only way that AFRINIC acted foolishly was in not preparing better for the inevitable and very predictable lawsuit that was bound to follow from AFRNIC's decision to reclaim the IPv4 blocks in question.
Milton Mueller says:
You were right the first time, the qualification just shows that you're under political pressure. Regional hoarding of IPv4 addresses is foolish; claiming a right to reclaim addresses they have granted every time a holder alters their use is foolish. Claiming a right to unilaterally review uses at any time – all those things are foolish. This controversy will not be resolved in a workable manner if both sides insist they are 100% right. We stand by our original analysis.
Political pressure??
You must be joking. I answer to no one. My opinions are 100% my own. I am my own boss and I'm not running for any elective office anywhere, so your ad-hominem is really rather silly. Who could even pressure me, and how?
I shall look forward to your retraction & apology.
Cracka says:
The real question is how can we blame the predictably incompetent AFRINIC fiasco on white males?
Vagisha Srivastava
Vagisha is a Ph.D. student at the Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Public Policy. She is interested in studying internet fragmentation and its inter-linkages with cybersecurity and national security.
Brenden Kuerbis
Brenden Kuerbis is a Research Scientist at the Georgia Tech's School of Public Policy. His research generally focuses on the governance of Internet identifiers and the intersection of cybersecurity concerns with forms of Internet governance. Publications include an overview of the cybersecurity institutional landscape, and work examining governance structures and incentives of network operators in performing route filtering.


Adam Equipment CBC digital counting scales are accurate, fast and versatile. The Adam CBC Counting scales are suitable for most light industrial applications and feature a plastic enclosure. Capacities range from 8 lb (4000 grams) to 100 lb (48 kilograms).


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← Hunter x Hunter 2011 – 08 Review
Mirai Nikki – 07 Impression →
Persona 4: The Animation – 07 Review
Don't blame me, blame the show. =P
Episode 7 – Suspicious Tropical Paradise
I had promised Pointman that I would review the anime as soon as I can, so instead of reviewing Mirai Nikki, I have chosen to review this episode instead. =)
So here episode 7's review for you guys who are still waiting and willing to read it. =)
(Hopefully I would be able to get to Mirai Nikki's review some time this week)
So this episode takes on a more light-hearted approach when dealing with the Persona of the week. Although the last couple of episode were pretty fluffy as well, this episode had made some progression with the gang growing bigger and a new Persona coming into the mix. I am still unsure about how the mystery is developing with this constant growth of the group and minimal development on the murders. It does make me question what the show's main focus is meant to be.
This episode definitely had it "shits and giggles" moments with the perverted masochistic theme of Kanji's persona. I know that he is meant to be a wuss on the inside but I am not sure how that translates into perversion for his persona. =P
There were a couple of things that I had liked about the episode and a few things that I disliked about the episode.
The things that I disliked about the episode were more towards the execution of the material than the actual content itself. Although I haven't played the game and have no clue if the pacing was the same in the game as it was in the episode, the comedy timings were quite bad at the start of the episode. Things did start to pick up later on, but the characters were simply too comedic for no reason and it had felt somewhat random in nature. Jokes were throw left right and center without much development and the full "effect" of them had become diluted by the suddenness of the joke thrust upon us.
The upside?
Well, by the end of the episode I was definitely laughing along with the show as I had gotten used to the oddity of the situation and have accepted the quick nature of the comedy.
Being 7 episodes in, it is quite odd that new characters are still joining the gang. I am hoping that this would mark the end of the introduction of new members. Although this episode's character introduction was rather peculiar, the structure was pretty much the same after the characters had entered the TV World. When you know what to expect, things can get a bit boring to watch.
What I did like in the episode as well was the way the real world was integrated with the TV world. I liked the little detective club investigation done in the real world and how that led to the resolution in the TV world. Although the information gathered was pretty much close to none (apart from the boy randomly telling a stranger like Yu about the past between him, Kanji and the soft toy). At the very least, I am happy that we got to see some application of the knowledge/discoveries.
Personally, it is still a tad annoying the Yu is the most boring character in the group. Thankfully he is starting to gain a personality… but I can't wait for the day where he becomes a proper human being with emotions. =P Kanji's character on the other hand was quite expected (minus the perversion). I kinda felt that he was a big misunderstood teddy bear ever since the first time we were shown the soft toy in the last episode. His animal soft-toy loving character kinda reminds me of Gwendal from Kyou Kara Maou. =P (Love that show)
My biggest problem with the show is probably the linear manner of the story. Everything was pretty much expected except for the jokes (which aren't actually brilliant) and there isn't any real surprise/twist that would leave me anticipating for more at this stage. =(
Overall, it was a pretty disturbing but entertaining episode. =D As weird as this sounds, I find myself pretty open and able to appreciate perverts in shows. =P I did like the consistency with the jokes, and the group dynamics really shone through the responses each of the characters had to the perverted Persona. I honestly felt that this episode had done a good job in actually showing us what all the characters are like through the simple use of the character reactions.
Episode Rating: Dare I say a 7? – It was rather entertaining to watch even if it was nothing unique 😉
-ra
Ra's Question of the Day:
What is the most perverted and memorable anime character that you have ever seen?
For me, it has definitely gotta be Busou Renkin's Papillon, I remember loving his character when I had seen the series years ago. I am sure that given enough time to think, I would be able to come up with other characters.
But for now, that was the first character that popped into my mind and he was quite the unique pervert. =D
Posted on November 21, 2011, in Anime, Persona 4: The Animation, Reviews and tagged anime review, Persona 4: The Animation. Bookmark the permalink.	19 Comments.
eterychan | November 21, 2011 at 12:43 pm
Wow, you still watched this anime with linear story and expressionless protagonist. I kinda stopped at episode 3 and only followed it by reading reviews. 🙂
I rarely watched anime with perverts in it, but I would pick Sunohara Youhei from Clannad.
Saranaufogus | November 23, 2011 at 3:39 am
"Wow, you still watched this anime with linear story and expressionless protagonist. I kinda stopped at episode 3 and only followed it by reading reviews. :-)"
I know what you mean… although I am still watching it, I am hoping things would not turn out too be as linear soon… the story is really getting quite predictable due to it's structure. =/
DarkValkyrie | December 1, 2011 at 11:57 am
The problem with the anime is that they're trying to stick at least 60 hours of gameplay into a 24 episodes series. The pace of some episodes were indeed quick due to this fact. In the game itself you got to feel more attached to the characters, your everyday life and the hobbies you would partake in. While your group did get larger, you would have gaps between the actual rescues so when you finally reached that point, it felt all the more rewarding. It's only obvious they had to cut most gameplay parts out to leave the main plot.
As for our protagonist it's a shame they didn't give him a trong personality. Again this is due to the fact that in the actual game it was the players choice on who he bonded with more, what activities he would partake in and some of the answers for the dialogue. All in all the anime is mostly for the fans of the game and probably trying to pull more people in into actually experiencing the Persona universe. Persona always focused itself more on the characters, human nature and psychology in combination with a supernatural representation of this. The overall plot is great …Persona 3 and 4 are one of my favorite games of all time, but I feel the anime doesn't capture it well enough for first timers. T-T
Kuuki | November 21, 2011 at 2:54 pm
I loved this episode, my only problem were the jokes randomly thrown at us out of nowhere and feeling really forced, but they made me laugh a bit so I won't say much more.
Kanji's awesome!
As for your questions, I had to think quite a bit and in the end it's not that easy. The first that came to mind is Usagi-san from Junjou Romantica (though that might be because I finished the anime yesterday)
Daru is an amazing pervert too
And Rumi from Fujoshi Rumi who managed to ask to a boy she just met "Can I see it?"
How I wish they'd adapt this manga.
Oh and I loved the Pretender too!
"The first that came to mind is Usagi-san from Junjou Romantica (though that might be because I finished the anime yesterday)"
Usagi-san!!!
I never really thought that he was a pervert… then again, after you mentioned it, the guy is quite of a pervert. But he is adorable! =D And kinda sweet in a ridiculous sense.
^5 XD I am so sad they didn't make another movie to wrap up the show… sigh…
I know, I'd marry him in a heartbeat if he asked. -____-
Still, you don't drag a boy in your room and do *that* kind of things to him without being called a pervert. Nope. Not a chance.
I – I didn't even know there was a movie.
I don't even think they broadcast the series through the end either. And I watched every day when coming back from school XD
guest | November 21, 2011 at 8:07 pm
I am frustrated that many people are saying that this episode was funny. Most people seem to be ignoring the fact the this episode could be very offensive to gay people, and the boys' behavior is frequently excused as "normal teenage" behavior when they were really overreacting like small children. Is it too much to ask anyone to act maturely, especially when this situation involves life and death? The manga's take on this part was much more serious. There were almost no gay jokes, except what was already in the game. The manga version did not have the boys whine about going home, they just kept on going without complaining, the manga version captured the original game's seriousness by showing a young dark-haired Kanji being bullied for sewing/girl he liked cried/the other girls called him sissy in elementary school/he beat up another boy with a bloodstained chair in middle school and then became a delinquent with bleached hair. The shadow in the manga was also very angry and serious at the end, while the anime one is stupidly happy the entire time. Kanji's shadow's cry for acceptance came off across as serious as in the original game/while the anime version had him running in a way that would be a homophobe's nightmare (happily looking as if he wanted to kiss someone).
eterychan | November 22, 2011 at 2:25 am
A direct insult to transexual people…
I can see that from the main screenshot. 🙂
Well, I think that I didn't really think about it as making fun of gays when I had seen it. The behaviours of the characters were pretty ridiculous and over-exaggerated, so much so that I felt it was too detached from reality to expect it to be something "real".
But I have to agree with you on the other versions of the show. It sounds like the other renditions would have made for a better and more "heavy"/"impactful" episode. =/
DarkValkyrie | December 1, 2011 at 12:11 pm
I was also a bit annoyed by the sudden comical scenes in this episode. It seemed to me like they tried a bit too hard there in the dungeon. The game took a more serious approach to it and while I udnerstand if they wanted to spice things up (having already added/altered some scenes in the anime in previous episodes), but why couldn't they have taken the same approach as with Yukiko's episode, showing a memory as a representation of Kanji's inner conflict. As a fan of the game I would have accepted a filler episode if they wanted to make something light-hearted. Truth be told the pace of the anime is kind of fast in comparison to the satisfaction you would get from each character in the game – they could have elaborated more since they had the tools to do it.
Anonymous | December 6, 2011 at 10:34 am
Oh, good point. And such a memory sequence apparently has precedence in the manga version, will have to get around to reading that. I rather enjoyed the expanded material regarding Yukiko's character during the episode with her shadow, seems like something that should have continued with each shadow thereafter starting with Kanji… Alas~
I agree, it was so over the top that it was kind of crosses the line twice territory for me, so I was able to laugh through the episode but not without a nagging discomfort throughout. It's rather disheartening to see the main character portrayed so similarly to Yosuke, even if it's only meant to be for laughs. Not to mention the extremely hostile reactions of the entire party to Shadow Kanji's "creepiness". Didn't appreciate Yosuke's insistence that Shadow Kanji wasn't expressing deeply buried but genuine sentiments the way everyone else begrudgingly admits of their own shadow, but rather was just Kanji's "emotions gone haywire" either. Yu telling Kanji that he thought his sewing the doll was cute at the end almost made up for everything… but then there was the preview for the next episode… (I thought you accepted me!, Not at night… -_-) I'm sure most people watching it didn't give much thought to the massive amounts of unfortunate implications contained in this episode but it's very sensitive territory for those who've actually struggled with issues regarding sexuality.
Pointman | November 22, 2011 at 6:34 am
Thank you for reviewing this 😀
about kanji, he is not a pervert or gay, he just have some sexuality confusion because all the girl reject and make fun of him when he do "girly" thing (sew, make cute toy…), i think the anime will explain his story latter for a certain reason so i stop spoiling you his story here
and i think you have watched a "troll sub" of some sort since i don't remember the "don't look at me, i'm naked" line
as for your question, i think it's Sakurai Tomoki from Sora no Otoshimono, he being drawed in chibi form with perverted eye most of the time in the anime
@guest
yeah, i think they should have made shadow kanji more serious, his backstory and resolution scence just too short for people to understand him properly
marcus | November 23, 2011 at 9:05 pm
The next episode will be even more unfortunate, as in the preview: the main character is acting as homophobic as Yosuke towards Kanji (I thought you accepted me/Not at night). This situation will be played for laughs, and I fear that Kanji will be a chew toy. That is to say, he'll be kicked out of his tent, kicked in the groin by Chie, and then he'll be pushed into the river for nosebleeding at the girls. He will be abused! If the creators thought viewers are supposed to relate to a homophobe, then that will be pretty sad.
Touji | November 25, 2011 at 9:28 am
Well, I'm not here to engage in a debate or anything, but I just want to share my two cents about this 'homophobic' thing. In my opinion, neither Narukami nor Yosuke is homophobic in the least. I don't see them avoiding or condemning Kanji, and I don't see them looking down or belittling Kanji for being homosexual. What I see is the two of them being good senpai and friends to Kanji. They only seem to be scared of what Kanji might do to them, but they're perfectly alright with Kanji liking other guys as long as it's not them. In fact, they only seem to be worried about getting molested. It's not homophobia at all.
Because it's not homophobic to consider Kanji molesting them in their sleep to be a legitimate possibility because he's gay…? Because all gays are lecherous, promiscuous, and can't be trusted to not violate the sanctity of a heterosexual man's anal virtue, am I right? After all, them gays are always going after and trying to convert straight guys. /sarcasm And Yosuke not homophobic? He only spends the majority of the game making snide insinuations about Kanji's sexuality every chance he gets… which is one of the reason's I could hardly stand his character.
"Being 7 episodes in, it is quite odd that new characters are still joining the gang. I am hoping that this would mark the end of the introduction of new members."
I'm not sure if I should spoil you about this info, but I think it's best to tell you beforehand that there will be two more characters joining the team and one of them will join 'late', so to speak. In the game, the character who joined 'late' barely had a month before the plot reached its climax.
But I don't think this would count as a spoiler because the opening of the anime shows all of the characters on the team, actually, so you know who you're missing on the team right now 🙂
lordgenome | November 27, 2011 at 4:06 pm
This post is about the next episode, from a guy named solid snake:"I kind of expected, and in fact would have encouraged, Yosuke to be a homophobic jerk because, let's face it, he's a homophobic jerk. He's a lovable character, but in the game the fact that he is a homophobic jerk is clearly portrayed as a character flaw. The reactions of other characters to Yosuke's behavior throughout the game clearly establishes that Yosuke is a tad immature and he blurts out stupid things and he often receives a legitimate comeuppance for his bursts of douchebaggery.
That's kind of the point with Yosuke: he's a decent human being who nonetheless is a bit of an ass. And while the Protag basically scores with every woman in the city because he's a nice, compassionate guy who cares about his friends and acts respectfully, Yosuke deliberately contrasts with the Protag and shows just how and why the Protag just might be so 'successful' in his dating life and why he and not Yosuke is the leader of the Investigation Team. With men like Yosuke as 'competition,' all Protag has to do is not be a chauvinistic, homophobic douche with the maturity of a third grader!
So, the way I thought Episode Seven should have gone was the way my game's playthrough essentially went: Yosuke says stupid homophobic shit, the Main Character and the girls scold Yosuke for being so self-centered when Kanji's life is at risk, the Protag acts like the supportive, all-around awesome person he is (and the awesome person that the game and the anime portray him as and that the other characters believe him to be; that is important), Kanji accepts his shadow, everyone wins!
So it was exceptionally disappointing when the Protag decided to join the Homophobia Train. And not just with one or two "You feel mild trepidation entering this dungeon with the wacky sauna theme…" messages that the game gave. Merely feeling fear upon entering a dungeon with shadows trying to kill you, even if that fear is exacerbated somewhat by some irrational and brazenly idiotic "What if the shadows are gay and try to rape me?" thought is one thing, but it's what the Protag actually says when he opens his mouth that differentiates the game's Protagonist from the anime's douche.
Game Protag hesitates but he never once indicates that he's willing to abandon the mission outright (and effectively allow Kanji to quite possibly die due to his non-intervention) because he's afraid of gay people. And while I don't have the script of Episode Seven in front of me, some of the lines from Protag's mouth were just disgustingly homophobic. It wasn't 'snarky,' it was homophobic. There is a difference.
But that pales in comparison to Protag's single worst line (said in Episode Eight, we'll get there,) and it also pales in comparison to…
* The Protag and Yosuke expressing willingness, at a moment's notice, to attack and attempt to kill Kanji's shadow just because Kanji's Shadow makes them feel uncomfortable because Kanji's Shadow is totally gay and hitting on them.
Let's get a few things straight:
At this stage of the storyline, Protag and Yosuke have seen and fought other shadow versions of characters before. They know that shadow versions of characters are absolutely harmless in their original state and remain harmless until the person in question denies them, at which point the shadows transform into a violent version that does in fact start to destroy things.
…So, Yosuke and Protag know that the shadow must be 'defeated' by Kanji accepting Shadow Kanji as himself. Given that the shadows have never been permanently 'defeated' by the cast by any other means, attacking the pre-transformation form of Kanji's shadow is counter-productive at best and could well end up in an outcome of Kanji's death at worst.
Remember, the strategy employed by the P4 characters at this point of the game was to attempt to convince the affected character to accept their shadow before the denial happened, therefore avoiding a fight outright. I'm reasonably certain that at no point in the game did the P4 cast attack the pre-transformation version of a Shadow, particularly when this version of the shadow did nothing to merit their anger except be gay.
And let's not forget that the only fault or foible of pre-transformation Shadow Kanji was that he was too gay for Yosuke and Protag to apparently handle. Shadow Kanji did not constitute a physical threat to the Persona 4 cast at this juncture. He did not physically attack them. He did not threaten to hurt or kill them.
…He just was gay.
And being gay, in and of itself, was totally enough to send Yosuke and Protag into a primordial rage.
But even if we could stop there, I might have been okay with the episode. I mean, sure, lots of (heterosexual, privileged) high school guys who are otherwise decent people have no idea whatsoever how to handle the thought that another guy might think they're smexy. Back in high school, I was one of those guys myself! And maybe there's a message here that the P4 Anime would attempt to convey, like perhaps the Protag who was a perfectly compassionate, likable dude in the game would be portrayed very differently, as a flawed boy with significant moral shortcomings, in the anime.
* Chie and Yukiko join in and attack a pre-transformation version of Shadow Kanji who represents no physical threat to them just because he's gay.
I guess Chie sort of attempted an excuse of "It's not because he's gay, it's because I'm impulsive and really annoyed at his monologue and I want to freeze things!" But it was particularly surprising (and disappointing) to see Yukiko Amagi, who is basically presented as a sweet, likable girl who's thoughtful and considerate and not excessively prone to initiate violence suddenly decide that she too has had enough of Shadow Kanji.
…because Shadow Kanji is 'acting gay.'
Shadow Chie was acting pretty sinister; why didn't Yosuke and Protag beat the crap out of her when she talked her trash, before Chie's denial and Shadow Chie's transformation into Dominatrix Banana-Chick? Actually, that's just the thing; Shadow Chie's pre-transformation dialogue was arguably far more threatening and antagonistic than Shadow Kanji's, because really, all Shadow Kanji does is flirt shamelessly and talk about how much he enjoys what constitutes his definition of a 'good time.'
The answer that the Anime posits to us is quite simple: Shadow Kanji was gay, and open about being gay, and willing to flirt openly and present his sexuality in a forthcoming manner around others, and that alone merited wanton violence against him. From everyone, male or female, 'jerks' and 'compassionate heroes' alike. The Protag is the chosen one, a symbol of tolerance, progression, heroism, the greatest hope the town of Inaba has, beloved by every woman, respected by man, and he totally wants you to know you better not flirt with him if you have a penis or he will fuck your shit. Chie and Yukiko weren't even a position to feel personally threatened by Shadow Kanji's idle flirtations and they still were so riled by Kanji's **gayness** that physical violence was the preferred solution! Their only justification was one of brazen homophobia, unless you want to argue that they were 'afraid' they'd otherwise be subjected to something so torturous as 'watching this guy talk about how much he enjoys hot saunas with other guys.'
* Did I mention that all of this is occurring in the context of a moment when Kanji's life is personally threatened? The kids don't have the slightest clue of the intricate nature of the TV world they're exploring; all they know is that they have a strict timetable to save Kanji in or he dies, and he needs to accept his Shadow or he's at risk.
…Oooh, I know! Let's antagonize Kanji's Shadow before it transforms and give Kanji more reasons to want to deny his affiliation with said Shadow because we literally care more about not having to listen to gay people flirt with us or our guy friends, than we value Kanji's life!
* Oh, it's okay, because we all know that deep down inside Protag's a really, truly nice guy who cares about Kanji and respects their friendship, he just likes to be 'snarky' (manifesting his snark in the form of wanton attacks in this particular instance, I suppose) to his buddies, right?
Well, Episode Eight puts rest to any thought of that notion!
Episode Eight takes place after the Protag and his buddies have presumably 'accepted' Kanji.
…Only they've only accepted Kanji at day. At night, it's another matter entirely!
Protag's line here is absolutely ludicrous to defend precisely because Yosuke acts far worse around women and the Protag does not call Yosuke out on it. Hell, in the very same episode, Yosuke brazenly advocates that Chie and Yukiko sleep in an integrated manner with he and Protag — he is advocating a sexually predatory outcome in a tent in the exact same manner that he and Protag accused Kanji of doing! And yet the Protag and the women will tolerate this, because it's typical heterosexual male chauvinistic bullshittery.
…And that's probably actually the biggest problem about all of this. It isn't just the homophobia, although the homophobia is very overt and very despicable and it very openly refutes the P4 game's flawed yet positive approach of encouraging tolerance and diversity in friendships.
…It's that the characters respond so harshly to actions taken by 'homosexual' characters while tolerating and in fact encouraging the very same behavior from their heterosexual counterparts!
Yosuke forcing Yukiko and Chie to wear swimsuits despite their discomfort at the notion is funny and typical guy hijinks, and Yosuke can be excused of that! Even Chie and Yukiko don't aggressively call Yosuke out for being creepy. When Yosuke says "Hey Yukiko and Chie, why not sleep alongside us tonight?" The girls do not respond by badgering Yosuke for threatening to take their 'chastity.
So the message here is plain: Girls just have to tolerate this from heterosexual guys! Heterosexual guys can and will act like perverts who want to steal your sexual purity against your will and force you to dress up in scanty swimsuits, but you should just swallow your criticism and choose to remain his friend and accept the behavior as 'typical.' Even the Protag, by refusing to aggressively scold Yosuke when Yosuke acts legitimately creepy as fuck in drooling over Chie or Yukiko, is passively enabling Yosuke as his 'friend' to engage in this skeevy shit.
…But when Kanji barely acts half as predatory as Yosuke and is just sitting silently in the middle of the guy's tent, both Yosuke and Protag feel that their chastity is in serious danger! Not even because Kanji is gay and because Kanji, like Yosuke to the girls, has expressed a serious sexual interest in the Protag or Yosuke. The 'real' (non-Shadow) Kanji hasn't flirted with Protag or Yosuke at all! They don't even really definitively know whether Kanji is actually gay! And there's far less evidence that Kanji is remotely interested in pursuing a relationship, and he's certainly not forcing the Protag or Yosuke to waltz around in swimsuits for his personal enjoyment.
…The anime says this: The mere possibility that your guy friend might be gay, even if he is utterly disinterested in you, is more threatening than a heterosexual guy's overt and depraved sexual interest in women. There's only reason why this could be: Because mere gayness in and of itself is a 'threat!'
* And the game sort of was imperfect too, but the crucial difference was, the game at least gave you incentives to roleplay the Protag as a decent human being who did not in fact support this worldview. Yosuke may have been condemned to his childish immaturity, but the Protag received rewards in the form of boosts to his social links with Chie and Yukiko by treating them respectfully during the swimsuit scene, and the Protag received rewards in the form of boosts to his social link with Kanji by treating Kanji compassionately, like a true friend, supporting Kanji's presence in the tent, refuting privilege and refusing to indulge in homophobia. Even if you could choose to roleplay the Protag as a jerk, doing so felt out of character (how could the Protag acquire the sincere respect of Kanji and the women he interacts with regularly if he was a chauvinistic homophobe?)
Choosing the 'I-am-a-decent-human-being' options subsequently flow naturally. Yukiko and Chie and Naoto and Kanji and Nanako and Dojima repeatedly reinforce the notion that Protag is a great guy; and more often than not, choosing the 'snarky' options results in penalties to your P4 gameplay experience in the form of stalling social links. An ideal playthrough requires you to consider your friends' feelings and act respectfully and not be intolerant.
But P4: The Anime is tying to have its cake and eat it, too; it's simultaneously attempting to give you a snarky Protag who repeatedly chooses the "hysterical" (note that I don't think they're often very funny) dialogue options, yet also gives you a Protag who, by the Anime's own admission, has above-average Stats in all fields of personal growth by Episode Eight and who's Maxing social links with relative ease. The dynamic of P4 that once punished a homophobic, chauvinistic, asshole of a player is gone, and instead there's a huge fundamental disconnect: The anime characters are still acting like Protag is the sweetest, coolest, most benevolent, likable, tolerant human being they know, utterly demanding their fealty and accruing their affections, but the Protag is increasingly acting just as big a jerk as Yosuke is.
The plentiful evidence that the game provided you that the Protag was a decent person in watching his social links gradually accrue over extended periods of time and effort is gone; what's left is a homophobic jokester who tolerates Yosuke's chauvinism and who's petty and insecure and yet still beloved. At this point, the Protag is in desperate need of the same kind of abuse given to Yosuke on a regular basis. But even when Yukiko and Chie dared toss the Protag into the river with Yosuke, it's still heavily implied that they're totally crushing on him, just as it's still heavily implied that Kanji thinks the Protag is an incredible friend (except, well, not at night, lest his chastity be threatened) and just as Naoki can apparently be swayed from hating the Protag and Yosuke to totally being good bros in the course of a single goddamn conversation.
…So it's not just the homophobia that bothers me, although it's bothersome enough. It's that the homophobia is in plain contradiction of the halo the P4 anime team is still painting around the Protag, and that in painting that angelic halo around the Protag, the animators are saying this: The Protag is an ideal high school student; all you high school students watching the P4 Anime should want to be just like him, because he's going to get all the girls and earn the respect of all the guys and he's a role model. Oh, and by the way, he totally hates gay people, and you should, too. They make him feel awkward and uncomfortable and fearful for his chastity just in the mere act of being themselves. And, it is totally acceptable for heterosexual men to treat their gay friends with this degree of innate suspicion. (By the way, despite the fact that gay people can't do this to you, it's totally cool for you or your heterosexual friends to go even further then this when pursuing women. They just have to accept your inherent lustful state.)"
Steven | June 7, 2012 at 9:07 pm
I enjoy that you use the word "pervert" and "perversion" instead of "flamboyant" or "homosexual." Because that's what you really mean.
Also, disappointed at the way the shadow was portrayed.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


London: Sonobi has announced a privacy-by-design Consent Management Platform (CMP) providing publishers with a solution to ensure transparent consent, compliance and continuity in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) legislation. Sonobi's addressable platform, JetStream, now not only supports people-based advertising, but also provides a publisher-led universal consumer ID that can empower both buyers and sellers in the age of GDPR.
When the data protection legislation goes into effect on May 25, European internet users have the ability to provide or revoke consent to have their personal data used by publishers. While the regulations bring in a new day for consumer data protection, it presents challenges for publishers who rely on data-driven advertising revenue.


It was with mild astonishment that we came across this handsome structure from the early 1890s. It stands today at 706 Church Street in Port Gibson, Mississippi. Church Street is also the fabled Highway 61, central flyway for Delta musicians goin' to Chicago (sorry that I can't take you).
The day we found this building we knew we'd find something that we weren't looking for because we weren't looking for anything. It never fails. You head out the door with absolutely no expectations and before you know it; there it is (or there they are).
Judging by the abundance of signs around Port Gibson saying "Save Church Street" it appears there may be plans afoot of widening the most attractive street in Port Gibson. Port Gibson is the county seat of Claiborne County, Mississippi and Church Street is the most visible street to people passing through town. Many of Port Gibson's ante-bellum homes line both the sides of Church Street.
While church street in its present form is guaranteed to leave travelers with a lasting memory of a charming Mississippi town, if "progress" has it's way; it will become just another highway town – indistinguishable from its brethren in Texas, Pennsylvania or Indiana. New curbing, new fast food franchises and new camera-equipped stop lights.
Identified by a handsome wooden sign as the Temple Gemiluth Chassed (Gift of the Righteous), the building has a historical marker which adds little more information than what you've already learned from this article. The sign merely adds that the structure is unique in Mississippi – but that's immediately apparent.
Port Gibson also has a handsome but unusually placed courthouse – complete with a stone sentinel perched on a high column.
A bit lower on the totem of small town icons is a rare personalized neon sign advertising Red Goose Shoes. Stores selling Red Goose "Juvenile" shoes were strictly for the carriage trade. It was early brand-identity and no self-respecting family of means would dream of sending their offspring off to school with run of the mill footwear.
Fort Worth's Sundance Square has made their Red Goose sign a regional icon – just as Dallas has done with their much-larger, red neon Pegasus. Red Geese have long been on the list of endangered neon so it was a thrill to discover one in such an unlikely place.
If you're visiting Mississippi, we hope your route takes you to Port Gibson, halfway between Natchez and Vicksburg. Our best wishes go to the people of Port Gibson for their success in preserving Church Street.


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Using a qualified domestic relations order
On behalf of Combs, Bradshaw & Lee, PLLC | Jul 22, 2020 | Divorce |
When going through a divorce, spouses must identify how they will split any shared assets. Even though a retirement account is held in one person's name, it may well be deemed a marital asset and therefore be subject to split in a divorce.
Outlining the terms of a 401K split in a divorce decree may not protect the account owner from losing some of their savings to early withdrawal penalties. The use of a qualified domestic relations order, however, may.
The alternate payee
Typically, disbursements from a 401K account may be made only to the account owner. If the owner withdraws funds and provides those to a former spouse to satisfy a property division settlement, the owner may be assessed high early withdrawal fees as the transaction does not meet retirement criteria. In addition, the account owner may need to pay income taxes on the amount taken out.
As explained by the United States Department of Labor, a qualified domestic relations order establishes the former spouse as an alternate payee on the 401K account. The alternate payee may receive disbursements directly from the account, bypassing the owner and avoiding the assessment of early withdrawal fees.
The administrator of the 401K plan must review and approve all terms of the QDRO, including detailed accounting of what amount or percent of a fund's value shall be paid to the former spouse.
Income tax assessment
By using a QDRO, income taxes on money withdrawn from a 401K account become the responsibility of the recipient, not the account owner. According to the Internal Revenue Service, if funds are put into another retirement account, taxes may be deferred.
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You are here: Home / Featured / Research shows third citizen isolation center, at Tulelake
Research shows third citizen isolation center, at Tulelake
December 6, 2018 by MARTHA NAKAGAWA, Nichi Bei Weekly Contributor Leave a Comment
During World War II, the United States government had established three, not two citizen isolation centers as previously thought, according to groundbreaking research being conducted on an upcoming book on the Tule Lake War Relocation Authority (WRA)/Segregation Center by Roger Daniels, emeritus history professor and pioneer scholar in Japanese American history and Barbara Takei, an independent writer/researcher and Tule Lake Committee chief financial officer.
The two already-known isolation centers are the Moab, Utah and Leupp, Ariz., citizen isolation centers, which were created to imprison U.S. citizens of Japanese descent whom the government deemed as "troublemakers." Those who ended up at Moab or Leupp were arrested without charge, received no hearings and were imprisoned indefinitely.
Takei noted that in her research, combing through thousands of government documents, a former Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) camp on Hill Road, currently designated as Camp Tulelake, was repeatedly referred to in government documents as the Tule Lake isolation center.
She said the WRA did not refer to this former CCC camp as "Camp Tulelake."
The National Park Service's publication, "Confinement and Ethnicity: An Overview of World War II Japanese American Relocation Sites" refers to the remaining structure at this location as the "Tulelake CCC Camp."
"What has become very clear — after the (Tule Lake) registration protesters were removed from the Alturas and Klamath Falls jails and sent to that CCC camp — the WRA consistently discusses and refers to the former CCC camp on Hill Road as an 'isolation center,'" said Takei via e-mail.
The registration incident Takei is referring to is the February 1943 arrest of the Tule Lake Block 42 men for refusing to register for the controversial loyalty questionnaire. Initially, 32 men from Block 42 were imprisoned at the Alturas and Klamath Falls jails for about seven days without charge, before being shipped to the former CCC camp on Hill Road. Later, this population ballooned to more than 100 Tuleans.
The alleged leaders of the Block 42 men were sent to the Moab Citizen Isolation Center, another former CCC camp, which had been converted into an isolation center in December 1942, following a rebellion at the Manzanar WRA camp.
When Moab could no longer accommodate the expanding prison population, the government closed Moab and turned a former boarding school on the Navajo reservation into another citizen isolation center at Leupp, Ariz., in April 1943.
The Leupp citizen isolation center had 150 military police guarding roughly 80 inmates.
The government quietly closed down Leupp, the last of the three isolation centers on Dec. 2, 1943, after officials realized the illegality of imprisoning U.S. citizens indefinitely, without charge. The remaining 71 inmates were transferred to the Tule Lake Segregation Center.
Meanwhile, the isolation center at Tule Lake was used to house a second group of Japanese Americans in October 1943. This second group was inmates from other WRA camps, sent to Tule Lake to harvest the camp crops because the Tule Lake farm workers went on strike.
In May 1944, this location underwent yet another transformation to house Italian and German Prisoners of War.
According to Superintendent Larry Whalon, who oversees the Tule Lake Unit of the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, the CCC camp built at this location was constructed in 1935 and had been named "Camp Tulelake" at one point when it was under the Bureau of Reclamation. Whalon noted that the National Register lists the period from 1935 to 1946 as a period of significance for this location.
Through e-mail, Whalon said, "The National Park Service is continually undertaking historical research to most accurately place the history of its units in their proper context and gather primary documentation so that we can interpret to the best of current knowledge the significant stories of the NPS. We appreciate when historians are willing to share the information that they collect with us. We will use all available information to continually update the tours, exhibits, and interpretive media when new information is received."
Filed Under: Featured, Featured Top Story, National News, News Tagged With: concentration camps, wartime incarceration, World War II, WWII


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Hear "Bird Song," a Track by Sean Lennon, Carrie Fisher, and Willow Smith
Written By Andy Cush
| March 6, 2017 - 1:26 pm
Home » New Music » Hear "Bird Song," a Track by Sean Lennon, Carrie Fisher, and Willow Smith
Sean Lennon has shared a new song created with an unlikely-sounding slate of collaborators, as Pitchfork notes: "Bird Song," released on Soundcloud over the weekend, was penned in collaboration with the late Carrie Fisher, and features backup vocals from Willow Smith.
According to a note Lennon published along with "Bird Song," he and Fisher wrote it "years ago," and he felt compelled to record a version after she died late last year:
Carrie and I wrote this song years ago. When she died I just felt I had to record it. This is only a demo unmixed, we only had a few hours to record it. But the lyrics she wrote with me I think are marvelous. Carrie and I used to stay up til dawn chatting and pontificating about life. They were my best moments. Anyway… we wrote a song about staying up too late and hearing the birds sing. Willow Smith is a prodigal angel and was generous enough to lend her golden voice to this little tune.
In its melody and its twinkling, vocal-heavy arrangement, "Bird Song" might remind you of "Sun King," one of Lennon's father's contributions to the classic medley on side two of Abbey Road. Listen below.
Willow and Avril Lavigne Allow Room to 'G R O W' in New Video
Andy Cush
carrie fisher, sean lennon, willow smith
Patti Smith, Michael Stipe, Sleater-Kinney Remember Tom Verlaine: 'One of the Greatest Rock Musicians Ever'


In a historic week in which England play their 1000th Test match, they also resume one of their most competitive rivalries. India's tours of England are rich in history, often producing memorably tight and occasionally bitter encounters.
From disputes over jelly beans to world record breaking partnerships, there's a lot to remember. Think you know all about India's tours of England? Now's your time to shine.


PHUKET: The Soi Dog Foundation, teaming up with Surf House Phuket, yesterday (Sept 23) set a 'pawsome' day of surfing. The proceeds from the surfing tickets were donated to contribute to the work of Soi Dog on ending the suffering of dogs and cats across Thailand and Asia.
The charity surfing session took place from midday until 6 pm and was attended by a number of surfers, from beginners to experts, who had much fun riding the waves while helping the furry buddies.
There was also Soi Dog Foundation booth where guests could chit-chat with the staff and get any information they want to know about Soi Dog. There are also some Soi Dog souvenirs such as towels, keyrings, bandanas, water bottles, wristbands, caps and shirts for sale. Right next door, a booth serving delicious hotdog at a special price.
The money from the sale of surfing tickets is going to help the charity to expand the facilities, including the new cat hospital, because the existing rooms are too small to handle the large number of abandoned and stray cats arriving at the shelter. Also, more kennels are getting completed to allow the foundation to care for more suffering dogs.
The core mission of Soi Dog Foundation is CNVR (Capture, Neuter, Vaccinate, and Release). It is the effective method to control the population as well as diseases among stray animals. Apart from CNVR, Soi Dog also rescues injured or sick dogs and cats, rehomes them and provides veterinarian treatment.


The world renowned Studio Ghibli is coming to Toronto.
Studio Ghibli, the most famous animation studio in Japan, which is currently on hiatus will be will be showcasing its latest flick, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya in Toronto.
The movie debuted in Japan last year, but is making its North American debut at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 5.
The film, which follows a girl named Kaguya takes viewers on the journey of a strange young female found by a family in a bamboo plant, as she creates her own identity.
Based on a tenth-century folk tale familiar to many Japanese people, this is not uniquely a children's film. It exhibits the finest qualities of myth, engagingly simple on the surface but containing profound lessons as well. And Takahata's imagery is breathtaking: individually drawn, hand-coloured frames that flow like a river of delicate, detailed watercolour paintings. Like Miyazaki's recent The Wind Rises, The Tale of The Princess Kaguya is an extraordinary work of art.
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya's director, Isao Takahata, known for Grave of the Fireflies (1988) and Pom Poko (1994) has made a work, which many describe as appearing like an ancient scroll coming to life on screen.
With an outside of the box visual approach and with Takahata's reputation for making stunning pieces of art, this film is sure to be one of TIFF's must see movies.
In Toronto, it will be shown in English subtitles, but Studio Ghibli has already announced an October release date for an English version of the film, starring Chloe Grace Moretz as the lead voice actress.


This week's Ranger is Nathan. He is nine years-old and was born in Oakland, California. His family includes his parents and his grandparents. For pets he has two dogs, a kitten and a hamster. The things he likes to do best at home are play indoor soccer and build with Legos.
If he was stranded on an island and could only have one thing with him it would be his refrigerator full of food. His favorite food is mac and cheese. His least favorite food is brussel sprouts. His hobbies are playing basketball and soccer. When he goes on vacation the place he most likes to visit is California. His dream vacation would be to visit Germany. When he grows up he wants to be a professional (MLS) soccer player .


The Gloria model really is the queen of all Baby Lock machines! It combines cover stitching and overlocking, and has plenty of space to work on large projects, which means you can create decorative stitching in the middle of a make, rather than just at the edges. There's no need to worry about the tension when overlocking either, as the auto-thread delivery system adjusts this for you. Plus there's a total of eight threads – four for the overlocker and four for the cover stitch – all of which can be easily distinguished by their own thread paths.


A more extended look at possibly the biggest movie of the year. Definitely the loudest.
The Hype: "Fifty years in the making"; "not that Uma Thurman movie"; "not Dark Knight Rises."
The Setup: Time to round up the troops, < target="_blank">Fury. Hulk looks mad (expectedly), Iron Man sounds bitter, Captain America's confused by Times Square, and Black Widow looks far more resolute than whatever she was doing in her Iron Man 2 phase. And we finally get an actual look at the plot: Superheroes clash with each other, then come together, save the world, and there will be a sequel (this isn't a sequel?). But it remains unclear what exactly the Avengers will be avenging against, besides the ever-stylish Tom Hiddleston. A few people on the Internet seem to have ideas, though. Wait, is that a Transformer at the end? Also, why do all these people keep standing in a circle?
What You Should Expect to See: Explosions. More explosions. Debris falling from sky. That girl from How I Met Your Mother. Captain America's corny jumpsuit. Unnecessary posing. Stan Lee.
What You Should Not: Oscar buzz.
Likelihood You'll See It: If you've ever uttered the phrase "bagged and boarded," definite. If you've ever punched someone who said "bagged and boarded," slightly less so.


text:
Q: Visual Studio cannot find the EntityModelCodeGenerator custom tool I'm helping develop a MVC application in Visual Studio 2008 using the Entity Model Framework.   I've gotten the code from the source control and I'm wanting to add some new Models from the edmx file. I right click and then click "Custom Tool" but then I get the following error.
Cannot find custom tool 'EntityModelCodeGenerator' on this system.
I have Visual Studio 2008, .NET 3.5 SP1, MVC 1.0.
What am I missing?
Thanks in advance.

A: You need VS2008 SP1.

A: In case you are using Visual Studio 2019:

*

*Open the Visual Studio Installer by clicking menu Tools -> Get Tools and Features in Visual Studio

*Click the tab Individual components and search for "entity",

*Under the header SDKs, libraries, and frameworks you should see Entity Framework 6 tools

*Click the checkbox and press the install button

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Cut through all the nonsense and get science-based nutrition knowledge, tools and confidence.
Enrol NOW. Course opens on Dec 1, 2018 and you have until Jan 30th 2019 to complete.
Talk intelligently about nutrition with your clients by understanding the science of what works, for who and when.
Good nutrition is a critical part of getting results with your clients. Our course, PK102 Nutrition: The Science & Practice, is designed to give health coaches, personal trainers, caregivers, and wellness specialists the latest knowledge and tools they need to talk confidently about nutrition with their clients. This course cuts through all the confusion and gives you a solid foundation in the science.
Dr Caryn Zinn is the lead instructor on this course. Caryn is an NZ Registered Dietitian and academic at AUT University. She has over 20 years of consulting experience as a dietitian and is the managing director of her nutrition and lifestyle consultancy practice. She has co-authored three best-selling books and is an internationally-recognised leader and advocate in intermittent fasting and whole food, LCHF nutrition approach.
During this 6-module course, you will also be taught by Professor Grant Schofield. Our world-class experts bring a wealth of theoretical knowledge and practical experience to the course.
Our world-class experts bring a wealth of theoretical knowledge as well as practical experience into the course.
"The course was eye opening, it supports a holistic approach to diet / nutrition and has definitely cleared up a lot of confusion." Kelly MacDonald.
100% of the September intake of students said they would recommend this course to their friend or colleagues.
Summary and where to now?
Yes you can as long as you complete the course before Jan 30th 2019. This course opens on Dec 1, 2018. You will have two months to complete the course (one month longer than usual) as it includes the Christmas holiday period.
Not yet. We are currently in the process of applying for a L4 NZQA accreditation.
No. However each module comes with extensive notes that you can download.
1. Rapidly upskill in latest nutritional science. 2. Get the tools and resources to make your job as a Health Coach and/or PT easier. 3. Gain confidence to talk nutrition with your diverse range of clients. 4. Easily cut through all the noise and contradicting information out there about nutrition.
You will receive a PreKure Certificate of Attainment in PK102: The Science & Practice of Nutrition.
If you would like to achieve your Certificate in Health Coaching then you need to complete 5 out of the 6 prescribed courses. We recommend completing PK101: Behaviour Change. The Science & Practice if you haven't already.
Yes. This course would count as 20 hours.
Approx 12 -20 hours. The course consists of 6 x 60 minute modules. Each module then requires a further 60 -90 minutes of reading and/or reflective practice.
Do I have to be a Health Coach or PT to do this course?
No. This course is perfect if you are looking to upskill yourself in the area of nutrition for your own benefit.
This course is scientifically-based with full academic references provided for all materials. The course is taught by registered dietitian - Dr Caryn Zinn and Professor of Public Health - Grant Schofield, both of who are well-qualified and credible within the industry.
The course opens on Dec 1, 2018 and you must complete the course by Jan 30th 2019.
Enrol for $379 USD and get trained in nutrition.
Dicounts availalbe for groups of 5 or more email us at info@prekure.com.


EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY NOTICES Cumulus - FULL TIME Dynamic Sales Representative Are you a hunter? Do you like working with like-minded sales professionals and managers whose sole focus is finding and closing new customers?
COMPLETING THIS FORM TO APPOINT A REPRESENTATIVE Choosing to be Represented You can choose to have a representative help you when you do business with Social Security.


Our 2015 Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon has aromas of blue fruit, candied currants, bramble fruits, forest floor, and oak spice. The mouthfeel is rich, with flavors of red velvet cake and dark fruit, balanced by a nice acidity. The finish is long, with complex tannins. Food Pairing: Pairs well with a grilled steak, blue cheese burger with sautéed mushrooms and a side of truffle fries.


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SCAPE is a charity that researches, conserves and promotes the archaeology of Scotland's coast. SCAPE is especially interested in remains that are threatened by coastal erosion. This website contains pages that will tell you about our projects.
Since 2000, SCAPE has worked with Historic Scotland, Local Authority archaeologists and a number of archaeological units to survey some of the most vulnerable stretches of the Scottish coastline. All of the sites recorded can be viewed on this interactive map.
As well as recording all the archaeological sites, the erosion class and geology of the coast edge was also noted. Pdf copies of the original reports can be downloaded HERE.
The Scotland's Coastal Heritage at Risk Project works with individuals and communities to update the Historic Scotland-sponsored Coastal Surveys. The project was voted the Best Community Engagement Archaeology Project at the British Archaeological Awards 2014.
The project's mobile app helps people update information about sites. The app was voted Best Archaeological Innovation 2014 at the British Archaeological Awards.
In addition, one of our ShoreDIG projects at the Wemyss Caves, in partnership with SWACS and York Archaeological Trust, was Highly Commended as the Best Presentation of Archaeology. You can visit the 4dwemysscaves website here to see why.


Dream World, Movie World, Wet'n'Wild, Sea World, Paradise Country, Whale Watching, Cruises, Adventure and Fun!
Tickets and Vouchers for Theme Parks, Whale Watching, Sky Diving, Australia Zoo, Big Kart Track, SeaLife Sunshine Coast, Sea World, Movie World, Dream World, Paradise Country, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Tickets just to name a few..
All of our Tickets and Vouchers are available for Instant download. We DO NOT charge Credit Card Fee's nor are there any hidden fee's. Buying from us allows you Save Cash, Save Time by skipping the entry queue's.
Looking for all the top things to do on the Gold Coast?
Australia's favourite holiday destination boasts tons of sunshine, and a huge array of things to do to go along with it for solo travellers and families alike.
Your choice of experiences on the Gold Coast is extensive and varied; grab some tickets for the ever-popular theme parks, take a tour to the lush hinterland, get up close with Aussie animals at wildlife attractions, and much more here.
Looking for things to do in Byron Bay?
In Australia's most Easterly point on NSW's north coast, there's plenty to do among its charming town and wonderful beaches!
Tour the town and environs on sightseeing coach tours; see the coastal panoramas and fantastic surf beaches from the Lighthouse; experience the adventure of tours, attractions, activities & whale watching as they migrate yearly; visit the Hinterland villages and see the birthplace of "hippy culture" in Australia; and enjoy the magnificent rainforest scenery up close with a hiking tour or from above with a hot air balloon ride!.
Looking for things to do in Brisbane? Queensland's capital strikes a nice balance between the bustle of the bigger capitals, with less overall crowding and typically sunnier weather to boot. Dissected by its signature Brisbane River and with Moreton Bay just nearby, the city thus offers plenty of aquatic-oriented experiences and boasts a range of cruises, activities such as kayaking, and other outdoor attractions for visitors to enjoy. Make the most of your time in Brisbane city and escape your hotel with a day tour to the ocean and Tangalooma, climb the city's iconic Story Bridge, cuddle a Koala at the ever-popular Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, and much more. Within the city itself, the Brisbane CBD is a fantastic shopping destination with great restaurants, or make your way to the Brisbane markets for farmers produce and handicrafts. Cosmopolitan, vibrant and full of culture - that's Brisbane. Browse the best Brisbane experiences below to book YOUR ideal QLD adventure online today..


SanDisk was acquired by Western Digital Corporation (WDC) 2 years ago. The combined company is now one of the largest companies serving the needs of the storage industry in the digital era. Besides hard drives that WDC is well known for, one of the leading products that they now offer are flash-based devices for storing digital data. They make a variety of flash products for the retail market, like USB, camera cards amongst other products. WDC also provides a flash based product for embedded storage, that is flash memory that goes on to the embedded or IoT products like automotive or industrial-grade systems. On the same lines, they met Netradyne about a year ago. As Netradyne was developing their product for the automotive or IoT type of application, WDC found that there is a need to store video data that requires high reliability and extended endurance to temperature changes in their environment, this is where the SanDisk embedded memory came in handy and that's the product that Vivek Tyagi, Director for India business development, SanDisk brand Commercial sales and Support at Western Digital Corporation and Teja Gudena, Vice President, Netradyne have discussed in the below interview, with Dibyoshnata Talukdar, Sub-Editor, ELE Times.
Dibyoshnata: With advancement in technologies, what are some of the changes and innovations in the memory market in India? How do you see the industry today?
Vivek Tyagi: Post-merger, Western Digital Corporation is operating in a very large and diverse market. Storage is used in a variety of ways. If we look at the retail or consumer market, it's very large and growing in double-digit percentage. On the other hand, there is the external data storage market for enterprises which is about 318 million dollars' worth and is growing at about 7-8% CAGR according to reports by IDC and Gartner. However, in connection to Netradyne, we are currently only looking at embedded storage. Embedded storage is something that goes into any equipment like a smartphone, telematics device, IoT device etc. For example, a well-known company called Counterpoint Research quoted that India's embedded storage market for smartphones is doubling from 32GB in smartphones in 2017 to 60GB in 2018. We are operating in all these verticals of the storage industry and even though each of these verticals may belong to different industries, but they all have a common need for storing their data.
Dibyoshnata: Which are the primary verticals in the storage device industry in India?
Vivek Tyagi: There are a couple of them. First is our retail business, where we sell consumer specific data storage devices. It amounts to a significant usage of flash storage and is moving very rapidly. The second market is smartphone segment. If you look at flash storage per se, as a user of smartphones, one of the attributes that you are always looking for is the storage available on the phone. So that's again an area where we see a significant consumption of flash storage. The data centre market and IoT or embedded applications are some of the other markets where we see a lot of scope and that constitute of devices that transpire going automotive, industrial, connected home etc.
Dibyoshnata: Does WDC only cater to hardware-based memory or are there solutions for cloud storage also?
Vivek Tyagi: Our company focuses on data centres segment because consumers today are mostly using their personal storage devices. Netradyne uses storage at the edge. But there is a lot of data being pushed to the cloud. So we do provide storage solutions or storage media for the cloud service providers or companies in the private or public cloud space as well. This is a significant part of WDC's business worldwide and in India.
Dibyoshnata: If you could give some insights on how Netradyne is co-working with Western Digital?
Teja Gudena: From the technology point of view, we are purely an artificial intelligence company with over two years of experience in this space. We are working on a driver safety and driver behaviour monitoring system, using real-time algorithms. It's a part of autonomous driving technology. Basically, we are building complete intelligence on to the device. The device, named Driveri, is an after-market device for the automotive sector and is installed in commercial vehicles. This device has four HD cameras and sensors like GPS, inertial etc. So, for every video which is captured on this device, both inside and outside, the device has the capability to run deep learning algorithms in real time and identifies any untoward incident which it uploads to the cloud and notifies the fleet manager.
For example, if the driver is behaving distracted, feeling sleepy, our algorithms will be able to detect it immediately using inward cameras. From outside cameras, it can detect, if the driver is violating signals or if he/she is lane jumping etc. The algorithms have the capability to notify the fleet manager or the cloud as we have a complete backend cloud solution as well.
If you see the whole application, most of the intelligence and probing is running on the device which means we need heavy storage for maintaining the processing capability of the device. We are using 64GB to 128GB SanDisk SD cards for storage. The reason why we are mainly focusing on 64 and 128 GB together with the WDC team is because only WDC has automotive grade devices. Having a reliable storage on this device in an automotive application is extremely important because all the data is stored locally. Connectivity to the cloud and transfer to the cloud happens only when there is any specific event detected by the algorithms and the AI that running on the device. You have all the data that is being accumulated on the device, and of course, the more data you have it takes a longer duration to backup.
For example, sometimes customers want to watch the recording of an incident that happened 4 days ago, they can log in to the device remotely from the cloud and access the storage from this SD card. It explains the importance of storage on the device. So, we are working closely with SanDisk because they are the only ones in the market providing auto grade reliability. If you use normal SD cards, there is a lot of memory corruption and loss of data issues, especially when you build business models that run around data storage.
Dibyoshnata: Considering the poor infrastructure in India, does Netradyne's technology solutions focus on the Indian customers as well?
Teja Gudena: The technology that we have developed is universal in nature. It is all about giving the right training for the data in the localized market. So currently we are focusing in US & Indian market. In USA, we have a good number of commercial customers. We already have 15 commercial fleet customers and another 25 fleet customers are at advanced stages of trial. It is challenging to teach algorithm to the machine in the Indian market with the Indian driving conditions, but it is not impossible. Therefore, we are working with fleet companies, share- passenger companies and OEMs in India. Continuous trials and teaching of the algorithm in the Indian local market is taking place and it will ultimately fetch better performance in terms of reducing traffic violation and road accidents as well as others issues.
In short, we are at the stage of advance trial and we are actively expanding our customer base in India. Most of our Indian customers are showing interest in advanced driving assistance system.
Dibyoshnata: What data analysis service do you provide to stakeholders?
Vivek Tyagi: We don't analyse the customer's data because it is their proprietary data. Basically, we provide reliable and efficient data storage devices to them. Our products are often designed, tested and developed for various applications so that they provide optimum performance to the customers. For example, the device used by the autonomous vehicle in North America might have to undergo harsh temperature from -40- 80 degree Celsius. Our flash memory used in these vehicles is capable of operating in such harsh environments. So, most of our efforts are around providing data storage services to customers in different conditions. However, we don't provide any analytics service.
Dibyoshnata: There is a tremendous rise in demand for memory card and price shoot due to a shortage of card in the market, so what could be the reason behind it?
Vivek Tyagi: It is a fundamental principle of Economics when demand is higher the price also increases, and every industry undergoes this phenomenon.
However, the reason could be the huge volume of data that is being generated today. In past, there were no high-resolution cameras or smartphones with multiple applications and therefore there was low demand. But nowadays, the use of cloud and storage has increased due to a new trend. Similarly, from the perspective of enterprise, they did not use to store the data for long periods of time but nowadays they store all that data so as to take critical & effective decision in later phases or whenever necessary. Enterprises store the useful information or data and then run analytics to create a meaningful pattern so as to improve their business operation. Infact individuals also store the data for back- up or as archives. In the same way, nearly 2 billion smartphones are sold annually across the world and researchers have revealed that internal memory of these smartphones is being doubled every year. Thus, the need for storage is increasing worldwide.