text:
Dr. Stephanie D. Pointer
Dr. Saras Sharma
Ed Conway, FNP-C
Anorectal Manometry
Abdominal Ultrasound
Esophageal Dilation
H pylori
Gas and Bloating
Asian diet
Anti-Dumping Post-Gastrectomy Diet
Anal Fissure, Abscess, and Fistula
Aspirin, Hormones, and others
Barrett's Esophagus: causes and treatment
Clear Liquid Diet
Colon Gas and Flatus Prevention
Colon Polyp and Cancer Prevention Diets
Colon Polyp and Cancer
Colostomy, Ileostomy, Rectal pouch Diets
Crohn's Disease Diet
Diverticulosis & Diverticulitis
Diverticulosis Diet
Dysphagia Diet
Eosinophilic Esophagitis
Esophagitis and Stricture
Gastric Bypass Diet
Gastroparesis Diet
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Diet
Gluten-free Diet
Helicobacter pylori Bacteria
High Fiber Diet
High/Low Iron Diet
Increasing Calories
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Diet
Lactose-Free Diet
Low Fat Diet
Ostomy, Colostomy, and Ileostomy
Pancreatic Diseases
Peptic Ulcer and Non-ulcer Dyspepsia
Primary Biliary Cholangitis
Reduced Sodium Diet
Prepare for your Procedure
By gidocs / December 14, 2022 December 14, 2022
A hiatal hernia occurs when the stomach or any other internal organ bulges out in the chest cavity through an opening in the chest. Hiatus is an opening through the diaphragm through the oesophagus, called a hiatal hernia.1 Although hiatus hernia may be asymptomatic, it can cause heartburn, chest pain, and acid reflux.
A hiatal hernia does not always cause problems, and many people may be unaware they are suffering from a hiatal hernia until they accidentally go for a diagnosis. However, larger hiatal may lead to complications.
A hiatal hernia may not always be symptomatic or cause issues. Many people may be unaware that they are suffering from this condition until it is incidentally discovered. However, larger hiatal hernias may lead to increased symptoms and complications.
Causes of Hiatal Hernia
A hiatal hernia occurs because the hole in the diaphragm increases and weakens, which allows bulging out of the stomach. Hiatal hernia can be caused by the following:
Age-related changes in the hiatus and diaphragm
Hereditary large hiatus opening
Any trauma, injury, or surgical complications
Exercise, obesity, chronic cough, and constant pressure on diaphragm muscles weaken it, which may lead to hiatal hernia.
Aged people (above 50) and obese are more susceptible to getting hiatal hernia. Almost 60% of the world population above 60 is affected by hiatal hernia.
Types of Hiatus Hernia
Sliding hiatus hernia
This is the most common type of hiatal hernia in which a portion of the stomach slides back and forth with respiration. It is a less problematic and asymptomatic hernia.
Fixed hiatus hernia
In this hiatal hernia, the upper part of the stomach is caught up and fixed in the chest. This type is associated with mild to moderate symptoms.
Serious hiatus hernia
This is a complicated type of hiatal hernia in which the entire stomach moves up in the chest. This hiatal hernia type is associated with complex symptoms, and it may require surgical procedures.
Initially, a hiatal hernia can be asymptomatic. This is especially true of sliding hiatal hernias, which typically only causes mild acid reflux and heartburn. Such symptoms do not lead to a diagnosis until the condition worsens. The following symptoms may be present2:
Heartburn from gastroesophageal reflux disease
Trouble swallowing
Bad taste in your mouth
An upset stomach and vomiting
Backflow of food and liquid from the stomach into the mouth
Can a hiatus hernia cause indigestion and pain?
A hiatal hernia does not normally cause acute pain and indigestion. A hiatal hernia may lead to acute pain, but not all indigestions and acute pains indicate a hiatal hernia. Indigestion may be due to other conditions like peptic ulcers and coronary diseases.
As the symptoms do not diagnose the hiatal hernia differently from other conditions, the following methods can be applied to confirm the diagnosis.3
Barium swallow: helps visualize the oesophagus and chest area after swallowing it.
Endoscopy: a long tube that shows the internal parts of the oesophagus and diaphragm.
Oesophagal manometry: helps detect the pressure inside the oesophagus when you swallow the food.
pH test: helps in detecting the acid levels in the oesophagus.
Initially, symptomatic treatment is required, which means the physician may prescribe medication according to the severity of the symptoms.
Antacids neutralize the stomach acid.
Proton pump inhibitors and H2 blockers decrease the acid production.
Other medicines like intestinal antispasmodics, calcium channel blockers, and some antidepressants weaken the muscle strength of the lower oesophagus.
Eat smaller and more frequent meals compared to overeating. Avoid foods that may aggravate acid production and acid reflux into the oesophagus such as:
nicotine (cigarettes)
fatty foods
Elevate the head of the bed around 8-10 inches to avoid the backflow of food after eating.
Serious and complex cases require modern surgery as a last resort for patients who show no response to medications.4
Hiatal hernia is a common and underrated condition that is mostly asymptomatic but can lead to complications. A physician can diagnose and chalk out a plan to treat the condition.
SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT NOW
Smith RE, Shahjehan RD. Hiatal Hernia. StatPearls. Published online January 14, 2022. Accessed June 9, 2022. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK562200/
Sfara A, Dumitrascu DL. The management of hiatal hernia: an update on diagnosis and treatment. Med Pharm Reports. 2019;92(4):321. doi:10.15386/MPR-1323
Hyun JJ, Bak YT. Clinical Significance of Hiatal Hernia. Gut Liver. 2011;5(3):267. doi:10.5009/GNL.2011.5.3.267
Siegal SR, Dolan JP, Hunter JG. Modern diagnosis and treatment of hiatal hernias. Langenbeck's Arch Surg. 2017;402(8):1145-1151. doi:10.1007/S00423-017-1606-5
Gut Health and
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TO SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION TODAY!
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I've taken a couple of passport and visa photos over the past few months for N, my brother, and now for me. I have a pretty good pipeline down: take the photo against the white bathroom door, crop it in iPhoto or Preview, scale two copies to size and align them in Inkscape, export them as a 4x6 jpeg, load it to a usb, and print it for 42 cents at the local Fedex office store (this last bit takes all of 3 minutes with their auto-serve booths). This is both the cheapest and the fastest way I've found to get passport-type photos--about a 1 hour turnaround (mostly for transit to and from the store) for 42 cents.
In comparison, I feel like most other places are ripping you off. Walgreens does the whole thing for $10, as does CVS, though they're both running coupon promotionals to take it down $1-2. If you take the photo yourself, this site has a "pro" service for $7.99, that basically confirms you took and cropped a decent photo, and mails prints to you. They alternatively point you to shutterfly, where you can order free prints if you're a first-time user, but I've already used up my free prints and I don't want to wait for the mail.
The upside of the epassports website is that you can upload your photo and check its dimensions as if you were going to print it through them. Then, if you avoid their "pro" marketing by hitting the minuscule "skip" or "no thanks" at the bottom of various screens, you can download a jpeg (for free) with 4 properly scaled images to print either with Shutterfly or Fedex or wherever. This bypasses what I've been doing with iPhoto and Inkscape. Next time, I'll be using this; it would chop off 15 minutes from the turnaround time.
I just finished washing my hands. It's not a particularly odd occurrence for most of us (and it isn't for me either). Usually we wash our hands after hitting the restroom, before preparing or eating food, or when you've been touching something like dirt, paint, or grease. I can be a little more obsessive than that: I'll wash my hands after touching a stair bannister, working on a public computer, or after being outside. Not all the time, mind you, it comes in waves. And today was a wave.
I think today's hand washings were related to the weather--it's warm and a little humid and my hands just felt grosser than usual. It doesn't really matter, until, of course, it becomes imperative that I wash my hands.
The whole point of this is to become more aware of the non-digital world. There is so much beauty and complexity that surrounds me, but I spend the majority of my waking time staring at one two-dimensional thing: a computer screen.
* My rules for the day of unplugging: cell phone, laptop, and office computer all off for the sunset to sunset time period.
Growing up, folks tended to think that I was younger than I was. I was tiny, in part due to a back brace, so this kind of made sense. When I was a senior in high school, a parent mistook me for a middle schooler. That's a four year gap, ladies and gentlemen.
Today, the four year gap hit me again. A visiting postdoc thought I was a senior. When I told her that I was a first year grad student, she didn't realize how far off she was, since I didn't bother to explain that I took three years off to work/play in between college and grad school.
I used to be flattered by this kind of mistake, but today it kind of irked me. I try not to think about what others think of me, but I do care about having a professional demeanor. Do I just look young or am I acting or dressing immaturely? Do I seem inexperienced? Is it a confidence issue?
At this point, I'm no longer reading into interaction I had today, but trying to determine how to assess my demeanor. There are so many factors, how does one test which ones might be problematic, let alone improve?
This morning, N spotted the first sprouts. Unsurprisingly, they were cabbage. It's amazing to think that these tiny little guys will one day be 3-4 lb cabbages. I mean, they're no redwoods, but it's still pretty incredible. Now that I have a good idea how to deal with rabbits, I have the feeling that the pest-of-the-year award might go to flea beetles or cabbage worms. There are other candidates, but I'm hoping that most of the little buggers will keep off.
The big task of this past weekend: editing an eight page paper down to four pages for ICWSM (due this evening). But now it's all done and submitted for publishing, providing I didn't violate some obscure formatting rule. Now for the fun part: logistics for a trip to Ireland! I really should work on other things, but all I really want to do is eat Trader Joe's Cocoa Almond Spread, watch Star Trek TNG, and stalk kayak.com, so that's what I'm going to do. By the way, the almond spread is quite a find; it's similar to Nutella, but I'm an almond junkie, so I think it's better. I like it on untoasted bread topped with pecan pieces. Ah, the life.
Remember last year's garden saga? (refresher) Well, here I go again.
This year N is taking a more active role. For starters, he was throughly disappointed that we didn't grow anything tall last year, so this year he wanted his own plot (there were plenty to spare last year) to grow sunflowers and corn. Have at it, mi amor. But, I decided that as long as we're growing tall things, we might as well go for pole beans. And then once we have corn and beans, we might as well get all three-sisters-y and add some squash. But as long as we're doing mounds, we might as well do melon.
Around here, mothers' day is gardener's benchmark for last day of frost. So, today I planted my seeds that should be sewn 8 weeks before the last day of frost. This included the eggplant, bell peppers, poblano peppers, and cabbage. Technically, the cabbage should be started 6-8 weeks before the last frost, but I'm anticipating a warm spring because we had a mild winter. In another two weeks, I'll start my 6-week-ers (the tomatoes).
Now, you might ask: where are you going to keep these seedling now that you're in a much smaller apartment than you were last year? And then, if you've ever been in our new apartment, you might also ask, how are your poor seedlings going to get enough light given your two tiny north facing windows? Never fear! Compact florence is here! It's not the most eco-friendly option, but at least it's pocketbook friendly since electricity is included in our rent. I rigged up the lights under our dining table, so now we have this strange glow in our living room.
I'm also using proper seed starting trays and seed starting soil this year. The trays were super cheap--about two dollars for both the tray and the 72-division insert. Seed starting soil is a lot lighter than either potting soil or typical gardening mulch. The guy at the garden center was telling me all about the differences (I asked), and what makes soils a certain way. I wish I had my notebook out because he was throwing out all sorts terms that were alien to me. I'd like to mix my own soil one day, so maybe I'll go pick his brains again. Or maybe I'll just use the internet. Anyway, seed starting soil is lighter so the roots have room to develop. It's really nice to work with too; I was able to just dump a bunch of it on top of the starting trays and brush it into the holes quite easily.
The 8-week-ers took three trays, and the 6-week-ers should take another three trays, so it'll be busy under our table for a while. Here's to hoping it'll be a good year!
This Tuesday N and I saw Time for Three in concert; they're a band with two violins and a double bass that play amazing music. They're all classically trained, but what comes out is part classical, part folk, and part jazz. I wanted to dance throughout the whole concert. They write and arrange their own stuff, doing some covers of modern songs. A university choral group joined them last minute for Imogen Heap's Hide and Seek; it was so impressive that one of the violinists hopped up and down afterward. Did I mention that they have a great stage presence? I mean, hopping violinists, who could want more?
I have a mild obsession with discrete foods: rice, beans, pasta, nuts, and most recently chia seeds (specifically, used this way). In general, I like to clear my plate, but with discrete food, I like that I can eat every single piece. It bothers me when a grain of rice gets split in half, or a piece of nut gets chipped off (unless I'm intentionally crushing them), because then it reminds me that they aren't actually discrete.
As I child, Twizzlers Pull-n-peel was one of my favorite candies. I would carefully separate each string and divy it up between my Beanie Babies (I'm starting to feel the old). And then I'd get all 7-years-of-plenty and 7-years-of-famine on them (yes, those are now a verbs), and devour everything in a systematic fashion, roleplaying various food-storing scenarios. Ah, childhood.
Now, I just eat all my rice. This new chia seed nonsense is particularly satisfying because the seeds don't really get split up or broken--I haven't seen any instances of it yet, at least. Perhaps I've found my (near) perfectly discrete food.
I've been playing with asian dishes for a while, and on Friday I finally hit on a combination that works well: peanut ginger noodles. There are two tricks involved: first, I rely on soy sauce for saltiness only (as opposed to using it as a main flavor), and second, I add water along the way to prevent the dish from sticking to the pan.


4 Nights 5 Days Land Package.
Meet and Welcome on landing in Port Blair Airplane terminal and head to hotel. Registration to lodging. Evening visit for Corbyn's Bay Shoreline which is 9 kms from Port Blair a coconut palm bordered shoreline, perfect for swimming, sun-luxuriating and showering. At night witness the enchanting Sound and Light Show at Cellular Jail - where the brave adventure of the Indian flexibility battle is brought alive. Overnight remain at Port Blair.
After breakfast, entire day journey to Coral Island (North Narrows) to see coral reefs, assortments of delightful fancy fish and other marine life. This is a perfect place for snorkeling as this sandy shoreline combined with clear water makes an amazing display. If you don't mind convey your lunch pack, drinking water and evolving dress. After that continue for Ross Island, the previous private and managerial island of the English amid their govern of South East Asia, was scratch named the Paris of the East. This island is a perfect goal for nature stroll in the midst of sylvan surroundings with deers, peacocks, colorful fowls, and so on. This island was totally wrecked in a quake, now in ruins. At that point continue for Harbor Voyage (Snake Island) in a steamer, covering seven ports, and you can see one of the enormous coasting dry dock, the island maritime harbor and territory going vessel harbor. Night is free for relaxation. Overnight remain at Port Blair.
Toward the beginning of today look at from the lodging and exchange to the Port Blair Wharf to take a ship to Havelock Island. On entry registration to inn. Appreciate the evening at the World Popular and Asia - best shoreline "Radha Nagar Beach (Shoreline number 7). Night is free for recreation. Overnight remain at Havelock.
After breakfast look at from the inn and exchange to the Havelock Breakwater to take a ship to Port Blair. On landing registration to lodging. Night is free for recreation. Overnight remain at Port Blair.
Day 05: Inn - Port Blair Air Airport.
After breakfast look at from the inn and exchange to Port Blair Air terminal for your forward voyage with recollections of ALifetimeTrip.


2018 Belgian GP: Sebastian Vettel reaction and impressions after P1. Seb's view at the end of the race.
Claiming his 52nd career win at Spa on Sunday, Sebastian Vettel acknowledges it was all about the "crucial" timing of his pass on Lewis Hamilton. Vettel started Sunday's 44-lap Belgian Grand Prix from second on the grid having lost out to Hamilton in a wet qualifying. However, he made short work of the Mercedes driver, slipstreaming him on the opening lap to pass him up the hill.
It could have resulted in a very different outcome as the Force Indias, running third and fourth on the opening lap, attacked at the same time. Vettel, though, had the advantaged and held onto it to set up his 52nd win.
Sunday's triumph moves him ahead of Alain Prost and up to third on the list of all-time wins: "More wins than Alain, wow," he said.
Although Hamilton kept Vettel honest throughout the first half of the race, running roughly three seconds behind the Ferrari driver, Vettel pulled away in the second half to win by 11 seconds.
"Great weekend!" he added – "Going through traffic I was a bit fortunate that I got them on the straights so I didn't lose much time but I could see that he wasn't really pushing anymore, the last 15 laps, so I could relax a bit more but it was quite tricky.


UFC fighter Jeremy Stephens has been released from custody at the Polk County Jail in Iowa, 12 days after he was arrested on an outstanding warrant for allegedly assaulting a man outside a bar.
The story originally came to light because Stephens was arrested on the eve of a fight at UFC On FX 5, a fact that caused an angry UFC president Dana White to claim that the Iowa police had a grudge against the fighter and were deliberately trying to make life difficult for him.
Despite his best efforts White was unable to get Stephens out on bail in time to fight the next night, but since being transferred to Polk County Jail, Stephens bail had been set at $100,000, and that's now been paid, though it's not been disclosed who did stumped up the cash.
Stephens management have however released a statement in which they confirm his release and continue to maintain that he is innocent of the charges against him.
"Jeremy was released from custody from the Polk County Jail. As you know, Jeremy has spent the last twelve days incarcerated, both in Iowa and Minnesota, missing his October 5 UFC fight against Yves Edwards, as well as many lucrative financial opportunities associated with that bout.
While Jeremy's employer (UFC), his family, friends, and loyal fans have stood behind him, certainly the recent events have garnered some negative media attention.
Jeremy felt it was very important to thank each and every one of those who have stood by his side during this tough time. He wanted everyone to know that despite the negative situation that he's been placed in, he has remained upbeat and positive, reflecting on the opportunities that have been and will be presented to him, reflecting on his family, and his firm believe in his innocence.


I am having my head shaved by Fr Bart!
For more ideas on how you could organise your own sponsored event, please click here.
This takes place every Wednesday from 2.00 pm to 10.00 pm. Please visit the page dedicated to the Apostolate of Eucharistic Adoration.
Sunday 19th May we will celebrate the Feast of St Simon Stock. After the 11.00 am Mass there will be a parish picnic/BBQ, sponsored walk, social entertainments and plenty of fun activities for all the family.
Thursday 30th May – Feast of the Ascension of the Lord – After the 7.00 pm Mass there will be our parish celebration in Emmaus Hall for the 10th Anniversary of Fr. Bart's Ordination.
Sunday 30th June – 11.oo am Thanksgiving Mass for Deacon John Newman's deaconal ministry marking his retirement.
Saturday 6th July at 12.30 pm Martin Smith will be ordained Deacon at Southwark Cathedral. More details to follow in the next couple of months.
Saturday 13th July from 11.00 am – Parish Summer Fair.
Enquiries: mflbereavement@rcaos.org.uk or (earpartridge@gmail.com) Phone: 01303 670880.


text:
Q: flutter display text with special characters How can I render text with the special chars like ' in flutter
I have tried using Runnes and Ut8 but not getting the rquired result

A: you want to render this ' to this ' !
use html_unscape package.
import 'package:html_unescape/html_unescape.dart';

main() {
  var unescape = HtmlUnescape();
  var text = unescape.convert("'");
  print(text); // '
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Will a Change in Equipment Make You Better or Worse at Golf?
By Kathy Bissell
Surprisingly, the quick answer is both. Just ask Kenny Perry who is getting ready for his first full season on the Champions Tour.
After having a banner year in 2008 and playing on the Ryder Cup team in his home state of Kentucky, he followed up with another great performance in 2009, making the Presidents Cup team. He won more than $4 million each of those two seasons. Then his game fell into a dark hole.
"I struggled equipment-wise this year," Perry said about his 2010 season. "I had a driver that spun too much. I had irons I was not happy with."
Perry made the catastrophic error that happens to players of all levels. He changed equipment and it did not work for him. He didn't change companies, just models of Taylormade clubs.
"I played an r7 the last five years, one set," Perry said. That included two $4 million seasons. "Now the square groove rule comes into effect. I tried I guess 20 sets of irons this year. I played some blades, but I'm a perimeter weighted guy."
Nothing he used in 2010 worked for him until he tried out some 2011 models in December.
"I was 30 yards farther back (off my drives)," he explained. "Bunkers I used to carry in the air, I was having to shape it around them. All year it was very frustrating.
"I thought I'm just old. I'm 50. You're going to lose it. Eventually the power's got to go away. But you know what? It was just equipment," he said with relief. "I had the wrong shaft, the wrong head."
Enter a new set of designs. The new 2.0 irons and new Superfast driver.
"Taylormade come out with new v-grooves, 2.0s, and I put the 2.0s in the bag. They're very similar to my r7s and now my flight is back. The ball's spinning nice,&rdqu...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


18:1 And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and its towns out of the hand of the Philistines.
18:2 And he smote Moab; and the Moabites became servants to David, and brought presents.
18:3 And David smote Hadarezer king of Zobah by Hamath, as he went to establish his dominion at the river Euphrates.
18:4 And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen; and David houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for a hundred chariots.
18:5 And when the Arameans of Damascus came to succour Hadarezer king of Zobah, David smote of the Arameans two and twenty thousand men.
18:6 Then David put garrisons in Aram Damascus; and the Arameans became servants to David, and brought presents. And the LORD gave victory to David whithersoever he went.
18:8 And from Tibhath and from Cun, cities of Hadarezer, David took very much brass, wherewith Solomon made the brazen sea, and the pillars, and the vessels of brass.
18:10 he sent Hadoram his son to king David, to salute him, and to bless him--because he had fought against Hadarezer and smitten him; for Hadarezer had wars with Tou--and he had with him all manner of vessels of gold and silver and brass.
18:11 These also did king David dedicate unto the LORD, with the silver and the gold that he carried away from all the nations; from Edom, and from Moab, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek.
18:12 Moreover Abishai the son of Zeruiah smote of the Edomites in the Valley of Salt eighteen thousand.
18:13 And he put garrisons in Edom; and all the Edomites became servants to David. And the LORD gave victory to David whithersoever he went.
18:14 And David reigned over all Israel; and he executed justice and righteousness unto all his people.
18:15 And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder.
18:17 and Beniah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were chief about the king.


text:
173 The Halfway Poin
The following days were met with a bit of chaos, both inside and outside of the Ninth Flower Garden.
Outside, there was great commotion among those that have returned from the garden.
\"That's- isn't that Li Baojun and that thing in his hands! That's a Diving Dragonfly, that's Rank 4!\"
\"Do you think he killed it on his own?\"
\"That can't be, he came in a group of six. Seeing him by himself, they must've suffered greatly to have killed that thing.\"
\"That must be what happened! The Diving Dragonfly is a very agile creature. It must have taken an enormous amount of effort to catch it and kill it.\"
\"But now that he does have it, he will probably enter the ranks of an Elite Disciple.\"
\"Yeah, still I feel like something isn't quite right about this. He is barely injured except for a few bruises and scratches.\"
\"That's true but compared to everyone else in that group. He is the strongest one. He is at the third level of Earth Realm, Sight. Last I heard, he was getting closer to breaking through to the Perception level.\"
As the others looked on and whispered to one another, Li Baojun walked proudly with the Diving Dragonfly's corpse slug over his shoulder. Though this one seemed to have more wounds than before, his attempt to mask what really killed it.
With it, he entered Elder Xiang's ship and approached him.
The elder was where he had been at the beginning, casually resting at the bow of the ship.
He whistled when Li Baojun threw down the dragonfly's corpse on the floor. Elder Xiang got up from his resting spot and crouched down, examining the dead beast.
\"Impressive. It must have taken a lot of effort to kill it.\"
\"Yes, I lost everyone in order to kill this beast.\"
\"Tell me, was it worth it? Five lives for this one bug.\"
Li Baojun did not seem perturbed by the elder's questions and put on a sorrowful face.
\"I managed to avenge them with its death. Still, I wish I was stronger and then I would not have suffered such a calamity. \"
\"I see. Do you plan on returning to Heaven's Gate early?\"
\"If possible yes, I don't want to stay in this wretched place anymore.\"
\"Hm, alright. One of the elders will be coming at the halfway point to pick up those who have no more business here. There's still six more days, until then, you can toss the corpse into the storage unit of the ship.\"
\"Yes, elder!\"
Li Baojun took the corpse and turned around. His mouth curled into a smile. He was in the clear. So long as he returned, the position of Elite Disciple would be his.
At the same time, Elder Xiang went back to laying on his back. His eyes looked at the wandering clouds. He seemed deep in thought, pondering a few things.
\"Hmm, I wonder if she was the one that killed it\", he muttered, \"Oh well, I guess I'll know if she survives.\"
Within the Third Zone, Ming Yue and the others sat close to each other at the twenty-second island. It did not matter if it was day or night, there were constant sounds of battle. With the death of the Diving Dragonfly, many creatures that would have stayed hidden are now battling each other. That dragonfly was a leader, an insect that reigned over the Third Zone. Now that it was gone, the position was empty and someone needed to fulfill it.
Buzzing, ticking, cracking, these were just a fraction of the things they heard. It was utter chaos for the next several days. Those who were already in the Third Zone laid low, trying to wait out the battles. But there were also many who saw this as an opportunity.
To kill those that have been weakened, to take while these beasts were out in battle.
It was chaotic indeed.
\"You should go and try to find some treasures without me. It will take me more than just a few days to reach my peak state again\", Ming Yue felt that it was better this way.
Although she was strong enough to walk, she could barely hold her own against a Rank 1 beast. Killing the Diving Dragonfly left her half dead and this wasn't going to heal in just a day or two. She needed at least a week.
\"No, we aren't going to leave you just yet. Besides, do you want us to call the Elder and pick you up?\" Anqing retorted.
\"That's...\"
\"I thought so. You aren't ready to leave yet and we're not going to leave you so easily.\"
Ming Yue stopped speaking. Evidently Anqing was right, she still wanted to explore the rest of the garden. She was especially tempted to seek out the final zone of the garden.
They made their way through each island slowly. Xukun stood at the front, prepared for any attacks. Everyone stuck close to each other and several days passed by before they reached the fiftieth island, the center of the zone. It was by far the largest island they've seen and it was the most riotous.
Crushed grass, broken trees, there were sounds of cracked shells and dying beasts. The entire island seemed to have been pillaged by a violent gang, devoid of any treasures.
\"Damn it, why are there so many of them?!\"
Xukun readied his blade as he watched over a hundred beasts battle each other. If it wasn't for the fact that he was currently the strongest of the group, he would've ran behind Anqing.
Of all the things that the garden had to have, it was bugs.
It was both fear and disgust that he had for them and this sight made his legs weak.
Fang Castor Spider, Five Eyed Worm, Stone Jawed Beetle, Scarlet Blood Moth, these were just a few of the creatures that were in the thick of battle. They were all rank 3 and judging by the carnage, there was a lot more at stake than just being the lord.
He put his hand over his mouth, almost gagging from the ripped limbs and crushed bodies.
\"Let's-let's hurry up. We should leave before any of them notice us.\"
Xukun carefully led the way, moving around the scene. It wasn't until night came when they reached the end of the island. It was only then that everyone, especially Xukun, let out a breath of relief.
\"Oh thank goodness, we managed to avoid that calamity\", he said.
Ming Yue looked back at the island. By she had recovered eighty percent of her combat prowess. Perhaps, if she was at her peak state, she would dare to challenge the denizens of this island. That fight with the Diving Dragonfly had given her a good idea of her strength. She could probably obtain many things on the island. Unfortunately, such a thought was dismissed.
After all, the final goal was the fourth zone, an area with much more rarer items and much more danger. More importantly, there was the Violet Cassia Tree that they needed to reach.
As they walked towards the bridge, they heard a echoing screech that reached the edges of the island. Trees rustled as a wave of power passed through the island, it seems that there was finally a victor.
\"Quick, let's leave before things get worse.\"
Everyone agreed and went off. At the same time, the island began to shake slightly as insects of all sorts escaped the island. These were the ones that chose not to join the fight, more concerned about their survival than anything. Like a wave, they rushed out of the island while something chased after them. It had no wings but it flew about, dark blue in color. It chased after the escaping insects, killing them ruthlessly.
\"What the hell!? What is this?!\" Xukun yelled out and looked at the others in panic.
\"Let's run!\" Ming Yue yelled out.
With the wave of insects behind them, they sprinted through the bridge. Getting caught would do nothing good for them.


Worldwide Red Faction Armageddon release date for all editions of this game. Release dates for preorders are subject to change.
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We share two photos of the same event; one featuring women and the other featuring men. Between them there 11 people who can be identified.
This week's challenge: How many people can you ID? What are they doing? When and where were these photos taken?
Bonus challenge: Can you name the person who appears in both photos (who's not a Deity)?
This week we have two photos of the same event.
Photo 1, Who (from let to right): Bhava dasi (teen girl with back to camera), Devarshi dasi (wearing a white sari), Stayi Bhava dasa (his head is visible between the two women's shoulders), Pradhana Gopika dasi (wearing a red and white sari), Krishna Priya dasi (young girl who's head is visible just below Lord Balarama's arm), Kripacarya dasa (carrying Lord Jagannath), Bhavisyat dasa (holding Lady Subhadra), Varsana Swami (holding Lord Balarama).
Photo 2, Who (from let to right): Tarkikchuramoni dasi (wearing a blue and white sari), Unknown (wearing a yellow sari), Bhaktin Wendy (wearing a red sari), Sita dasi (baby being held by Wendy), Hladini dasi (wearing pink & green sari), Devaki dasi (her head is visible in the window behind the main group), Kripacarya dasa (holding Lord Balarama).
For those tracking the "bonus challenge" this week, Kripacarya prabhu is the person in both photos.
What: Devotees bathing multiple Murtis of Their Lordships Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra during an annual Snana Yatra Ceremony.
When: Circa 1981 to 1985.
Where: Outside the original New Vrindaban farmhouse; New Vrindaban, West Virginia.


WHOIS maintains a database of IP addresses and domain names for organizations registered with its service. The listings include the range of IP addresses in a domain, domain owner contact information and the domain expiration date. Although you can perform a WHOIS database download of certain information, such data is likely to be incomplete or outdated, due to which a WHOIS database download is not recommended.
Performing a WHOIS lookup will yield agency contact information that may not always be up-to-date. Individuals who are listed as agency contacts will not necessarily be directly in charge of a particular department and may have no authority over its operations. Obtaining relevant agency contact information might require that you perform multiple searches over time.
The IP addresses that are affiliated with an agency's network are often not co-located with the company office. Due to security concerns, contacting the network administrator directly is seldom the most efficient approach. If you need to speak with a company representative directly, you might need to consult additional sources to locate the name of the employee who can best address your question.
If your WHOIS search fails to yield results, it does not mean that the business is non-existent or that you have encountered a scam. You can use additional online databases and meta-engines to locate the name of a company contact who can provide pertinent information about the business and its activities.
Each continent has a central authority that administers internet addresses within that region. The Regional Internet Registries listed below often contain entries that are not available in WHOIS.
ARIN: ARIN administers internet domains in Canada, the United States and some Caribbean countries.
LACNIC: A similar website for companies registered in Latin America and some Caribbean islands is LACNIC, which is located in Montevideo, Uruguay.
APNIC: To locate information about internet addresses in the Asia Pacific region, you can visit the APNIC website.
RIPE NCC: RIPE NCC administers internet domains for registrants in Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia.
AFRINIC: AFRINIC is the comparable administrative entity on the African continent and is located in the Republic of Mauritius.
The WHOIS database benefits for businesses include operations management for business owners. Like all systems that are operated primarily by humans, WHOIS is far from error free. Information obtained from electronic sources is not always current, not necessarily accurate and generally not exhaustive. Learning to effectively use databases such as WHOIS takes practice, as does learning to interpret the results require experience.
Having comprehensive, timely and accurate information is the only way to ensure that your business plan is built on solid ground. When used in conjunction with other electronic repositories, a WHOIS lookup or download can be a valuable resource for various professionals to use in fields such as strategic planning, risk mitigation and business development.


text:
The Far-Reaching Cost of Government Budget Cutbacks
|In COVID-19, Economic Insight
|By viqadmin
I recently shared the ways in which declining tax revenue is taking a toll on state and local coffers, resulting in numerous job and budget cuts. Sales, gas, hotel, and other taxes and tolls have all decreased dramatically during the COVID-19-related shutdowns across the country.
Making matters worse, cities and states have had to increase spending on costly pandemic response efforts, pay out unemployment benefits to the many laid-off government employees, and make up for shortfalls to pensioners' payments. So, while tax revenue is way down, in many cases, expenses are dramatically higher.
A somber history lesson
A recent Wall Street Journal article paints an even bleaker picture for state and local finances. It explains that state and local spending and jobs are lagging indicators. In fact, we didn't attain pre-Great Recession levels until the fall of 2019 — over a decade later.
The article notes: "Following the last recession, states and localities continued to cut jobs and spending long after the recovery began. They didn't start sustained hiring until August 2013, according to the Labor Department. Spending cuts continued until early 2014, according to the Commerce Department. Public spending and employment didn't return to their previous peaks until last fall."
State and local government spending amounts to almost 11 percent of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP). Additionally, around one of every eight Americans is employed by their state or local government. This includes teachers, police officers, firefighters, and much more. So, local government budget and job cuts at the local level can create a substantial ripple effect in the economy.
>> Related: Math Meets Civics: Education Job Numbers Plummet During Pandemic
The domino effect of budget cuts, job losses
State and local governments are not able to run deficits (as opposed to the federal government, which does permit deficit spending). As a result, reduced revenue for states and cities must result in spending cuts, raising people's taxes, or both. Because of these expenditure regulations, nearly 1 million state and local government jobs were cut between March and April of this year alone.
Data from the May 8 jobs report from the U.S Department of Labor reveal that the biggest portion of these government job losses were in education. State governments across the U.S. shed 176,100 education jobs, a loss of 7.2 percent from March to April. Local government education jobs fared even worse with a loss of 468,800 jobs or a 5.8 percent drop from March to April. And more cuts may be ahead.
As the WSJ article explains, the impact of these budget and job cuts are farther-reaching that you might realize at first glance. They cite estimates by Harvard economist Gabriel Chodorow-Reich on the long-term impacts felt from the Great Recession. Chodorow-Reich's research found that every $1 in budget cuts cost the overall economy $1.50 to $2 because laid-off workers have to cut their own personal expenses. Those consumer spending cuts in turn reduce the income of others in the economy.
Other industries hit by government budget cuts
On top of job cuts and the related drop in consumer spending, we're also seeing other impacts of these weakened state and local government budgets.
Highway, street, and bridge construction
Many states are hitting the breaks on highway and road construction projects as they cut their infrastructure spending.
For example, Washington state faces an estimated $100 million loss in gas tax revenue per month, which approaches 40 percent of the WSDOT's total revenue, according to Roads & Bridges. Maine expects a decrease of $125 million or 24 percent of its DOT budget over the next 18 months. Pennsylvania faces an estimated loss of approximately $1 billion and is delaying new construction and downgrading resurfacing to patching and sealing; and Iowa expects to delay road projects for the next five years.
In April, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) estimated at least a 30 percent decline in transportation revenues on average for the next 18 months, according to Roads & Bridges, and urged Congress to help states with losses from declines in fuel taxes, tolling, and other user fees. The Highway Materials Group (HMG) expressed support for the AASHTO and asked Congress for a grant of almost $50 billion to meet the needs of state DOTs.
Museums, parks, and zoos
The museum and historical site industry lost over 43,000 jobs in April 2020. Arts organizations, including the Whitney Museum, the New Museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles, have laid off thousands of employees as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Of course, many museums and parks are operated by the federal government, but others rely on state or local funds to remain open. UNESCO and International Council of Museums (ICOM) warned that 1 in 8 museums could permanently close due to economic strains from COVID-19, according to The Hill. About 90 percent of the 85,000 museums worldwide shut down temporarily during the outbreak, and the organization estimated that nearly 13 percent may never reopen.
The American Alliance of Museums estimates that 30 percent of institutions may not be able to reopen without substantial government relief.
The federal government has countless contractors that they tap for assistance, but state governments use contractors too.
In a recent survey of government contractors and private sector workers commissioned by Defense One, more than 75 percent said COVID-19 had a moderate, major, or extreme impact on their company's operations. About 60 percent said the virus had caused production pauses or slowdowns, and 40 percent reported a negative impact on cash flow. A quarter of respondents said their business has been affected by lack of access to senior officials and other government decision-makers.
>> This industry-related information is pulled from our free Vertical IQ COVID-19 webpage. Learn more about how various industries are being impacted by COVID-19.


text:
Tag: 2020 election
Where are the January 6th Anti-Democracy Legislators Now?
Posted in society by Adam
They voted against certification. How long will it take for the voters to clean up their mess?
I've seen a few stories about Repubs who voted to impeach Donald John Trump, but haven't seen any kind of overview of those who voted to overturn the 2020 election. So I looked around. It's kind of tricky since this is a redistricting year, and it's still early so some states are still holding primaries. But here's an overview.
There were 147 Repub members of Congress (eight in the Senate, 139 in the House) who voted to overturn the election results in either Arizona (2), in Pennsylvania (20), or in both.
Only one of the eight senators is up for reelection this year (Kennedy of Louisiana). But 130 in the House are up for reelection in 2022. Two have already lost primaries from the right. Only 15 are unopposed by Democrats (though several still have primaries or primary runoffs, and some will face third-party opponents in the general election).
Five House Repubs opted to run for the Senate. Odds have it that maybe two of them (Mullin in Oklahoma and Budd in North Carolina) will win their races and move to the cooling saucer. One has already lost in a primary runoff (Brooks in Alabama), and the other two probably won't win their primaries.
One ran for the state's attorney general (Gohmert in Texas, who lost the primary), one for secretary of state (Hice in Georgia, who lost the primary), and one for governor (Zeldin in New York, whose primary is on 28 June, and who has a decent chance to be nominated, but low prospects in November against the incumbent Democrat).
Two died, and four quit (including one, Jacobs in New York, due to NRA backlash over suggesting we should adopt reasonable gun regulation).
But the vast majority will be reelected. There are a handful in competitive districts, and depending on how the races break (with expectations this will be a bad year for Democrats), chances are that at least 119 will be back in the House next year. Chances are that they will form a majority of the Repub majority. That doesn't mean they will be there in January 2025 for the next counting of electoral votes; that will depend on the November 2024 elections and all the happenings between now and then.
From the Senate:
Alabama Tuberville
Florida Scott
Kansas Marshall
Louisiana Kennedy
Mississippi Hyde-Smith
Missouri Hawley
Texas Cruz
Wyoming Lummis
And from the House, and likely returning, as follows:
Alabama 6 5
Arizona 4 3–4
Arkansas 1 1
California 7 4–6
Colorado 2 2
Florida 12 12
Georgia 6 5
Idaho 1 1
Illinois 2 1–2
Indiana 4 4
Kansas 3 3
Kentucky 1 1
Louisiana 4 4
Maryland 1 1
Michigan 3 2–3
Minnesota 2 1
Mississippi 3 1–3
Missouri 5 3
Montana 1 1
Nebraska 1 1
New Jersey 1 0–1
New Mexico 1 0–1
New York 4 2
North Carolina 7 5
Ohio 5 3–4
Oklahoma 5 4
Oregon 1 1
Pennsylvania 8 7
South Carolina 5 4
Tennessee 7 7
Texas 16 12–14
Utah 2 2
Virginia 4 3–4
West Virginia 2 2
Wisconsin 2 2
Capitol attack
Add a Comment on Where are the January 6th Anti-Democracy Legislators Now?
More Thoughts on Doug Jones' 2020 Election Loss.
Posted on 21 November 2020 12 October 2021
Things that might have made a difference: House races, a primary fight, and no Donald John Trump.
House Races.
In 2020 only four of the seven House seats in Alabama had a contest; the other three were unopposed (including the lone Democratic seat). Doug Jones would have done at least marginally better had the other two seats had Democratic candidates.
The math is simple: even if you only draw a few more Democrats out by having a House candidate to vote for, that's still a few more people who can vote for you for Senate. This is especially true because of hardcore gerrymandering of Alabama House seats: the single Democratic seat was already going to turn out for Doug Jones, but in the suburbs and exurbs where they're separated into these other districts? It's marginal, but having someone on the ballot matters.
There's also the experimental and experiential aspects; running some candidate who won't win gives you a chance to maintain some idea of how the district actually performs. You can throw a few ideas at a district, see what happens. Have a candidate that only reads fortune cookies, something. Who knows what'll happen.
Which is the other piece. The running candidate could have a major scandal, could die, whatever. Having someone running against them gives some chance to have a sudden shift net a seat.
Finally, having a candidate with at least minimal funding would have given Jones a surrogate in the area to be accessible to media. One more voice cheering for the team couldn't hurt, could it?
Lack of a Primary.
Jones ran unopposed for the nomination. Had there been a primary, there's some small risk he would have lost it, and even if he didn't, there'd be some resources spent. But having him butt heads with a fellow Democrat could actually have been a positive. Depending on challengers, it would have given a chance to define himself and how he differed from other Alabama Democrats.
That last part is key: if state Democratic voters picked Jones over a more liberal candidate, it could be taken as a signal to moderates that Jones isn't some pinko and should be given a better look. Brains like contrasts, and party primaries are one way to add some shading to who candidates are and aren't.
Going back to ways to experiment and gain experience, it would have offered some ways to test messaging and strategy before moving into the general election. The fuss over the Republicans picking a candidate generated some energy on their side. Alabama voters love competition and drama, one supposes.
In general, Democrats in the House and Senate should welcome primaries. None of this blacklist-firms-who-help-primary. They are great chances to develop talent, check the engine's running right, and increase interest in the elections. There are risks, spending too much on them, having the race get away from you by having someone that doesn't fit the general electorate. But done right, they are useful, and there's always the fact that it's the right fucking thing to do. It's the democratic thing.
Donald John Trump on the Ballot and the Map.
It was always going to be tough to pull off, with so many Alabamians itching to fill an oval for their favorite president. Hell, in 2017 Senator Jones only barely pulled it off, some 20 000 votes. Even without the top of the ticket, it might still have been a crush out of the embarrassment Alabama Republicans felt at letting one slip away from them. But if you compare the 2020 map and the 2017 map, it tells the tale.
First, the Black Belt. It spread north and south in 2017, and it contracted in 2020. Alabama Democrats gotta know that there's a lot of opportunity in that area. That's half their future, right there. Build on it. Fund it.
Second, Mobile and Huntsville (and to a lesser extent the college towns). Their counties, Mobile County and Madison County, they gotta be blue. Same reason as the Black Belt: there's enough Democratic voters there, that you can make a push to spread that notion in those areas.
The how of spreading is harder. Senator Richard Shelby is trying to build a second FBI in Huntsville, which is earning him support.
Every election reveals more to us about who our fellow voters are and aren't. But extrapolating the choices they make to who they are, deep down, is often a mistake. Walk through a company's staff parking, see the cars the people drive, you can learn something about them. But you can't touch their souls. There's no Sherlock-Holmes-method to extrapolate too deep from limited data. Still, we do learn something.
The inauguration of President-elect Biden and Vice-president-elect Harris is in eight weeks.
Add a Comment on More Thoughts on Doug Jones' 2020 Election Loss.
The 2020 Senatorial Race in Alabama.
Posted on 7 November 2020 12 October 2021
As you may know, Senator Jones lost his reelection bid in Alabama to some football guy. Some thoughts about WTF? to a football guy?!
Alabama did not want a serious senator who would bring good things to the state and the nation. That's the solid conclusion of the 2020 senatorial race in Alabama. But let's talk about why.
Stature.
Donald John Trump would never have been nominated in 2016, much less elected, without finding a way to improve his stature, to make him seem like a real candidate. His first trick was to be a big asshole in announcing his run. That got enough attention to get his polls to a place he could get in the early debates. Then, standing next to prominent Republican senators, he bullied them, which further inflated his stature to the point he polled better and could start winning primaries. The media kept its eyes trained on him like he was a rabid unicorn, which kept him nice and plump all the way to the nomination, and once nominated his stature was fully established as a Republican-approved candidate to be the actual president.
Jones entered the special election with strong stature of his own, as did Roy Moore. But Moore got badly damaged, not by being the arrogant tool of the devil that he acts like, but because of national reporting on decades-old creepy behavior. Between that and the Black vote, Jones won that election (or, perhaps, Moore lost it).
Normally, incumbency is a strong part of stature. But Alabama loves college football in a way that could only be called a fetish. Tuberville was never a serious candidate, but he had the fetishized stature to get the nomination in a runoff, and too few Alabamians care about reasonable government, so that stature alone was enough to make him the senator.
The main takeaway here is that if you're running for an office, you have to find some way to gain sufficient stature. Debates are a great way to do that, but Alabama Republicans are well-known for ducking debates, because they don't want to lose or give a Democrat any profile.
Messaging matters, not so much the message.
Tuberville has no real agenda, just like Donald John Trump. The message doesn't matter. Most voters aren't listening anyway.
Up in Maine, Senator Collins ran an add against Sarah Gideon with the basic message that Gideon had all these priorities. It got a broadened run as Democrats made fun of it for highlighting Gideon's positively-polling positions. I think the message had nothing to do with a tangle of number-one-priorities, but it was all about saying: "Sarah Gideon wants to make all these fucking changes, Maine. Are you ready for all these fucking changes?" In other words, the gut-level of the ad wasn't anything about any of the issues. It was a how-dare-she for having ideas, for having a platform.
There's a squint-test in graphics design. You squint your eyes so you can't really see the content, just the contrast of white-space to text or graphics. You want to see a nice balance there. The folks doing ads for the Democrats need to do their own squint-tests with their ads. Fuck the message, make sure the sound and shape of the thing appeals to the gut of the people you're trying to reach.
Even something as simple as Jones' ads ending with him indoors saying he approved the ad—he should have been in some kind of outdoor shot, maybe standing in the middle of a rural highway—missed the signal. (Likely done that way to seem relatable re: COVID-19 stay-at-home, too few Alabamians care about protecting their state from a novel and potentially-deadly virus, so it didn't really hit as maybe it should have.) Dumb shit plays with a lot of people (and not just in the south). If Jones had done one of those stunt-ads (blow up a tree stump, slap handcuffs on someone in a non-sexual context, or even cook a steak on a grill), it would have boosted him with the folks who went with Tuberville. Most liberals would have shrugged or maybe laughed without it affecting their vote.
Republicans don't care about policy. They care about the emotion of the message. "Democrats are gonna try to stop robocalls from bugging you all the time" is an effective Republican message, because it says the Democrats will deprive you of something, even something you hate.
Liberals mostly don't care about that hokey bullshit. As long as the policy is there and thoughtful, you'll get their votes.
If Democrats ran a message "Republicans are blocking changing the borders of Florida to make it look like an AR-15" the voters would eat it up down there. Boom, six more Democratic senators, three new states, and a reconfigured Florida that looks like a gun, plus three states that look like the mud that rifle was dropped in. (In all probability, envy would then spark several other southern states to split up so they could shape themselves into firearms, cannons, trebuchets, whatever. And in a generation we'd have to teach kids why the map looks like a homicidal six-year-old drew it.)
Upton Sinclair was right: hit them in the gut.
The policy obviously doesn't matter, because Tuberville doesn't have policy. Donald John Trump hasn't policy. For a large group of people, the policy is not even secondary to the tone and package. It just doesn't factor in for them. They'll buy a dump in a box marked guaranteed over a quality product.
(Wherein I was going to throw a few bones about the future, but the present is still not officially called, so skipping to the end.
I will say of the presidential race, it was either the-economy-stupid, or it was nearly the-economy-stupid. While other factors like racism and deal-with-devil-Republicans (no gun laws, anti-abortion, anti-taxes, etc.) were certainly factors, I don't think it's as close as it is (was) without a strong recovery. The flip-side is that most incumbents would have taken this race handily.)
Started working on a new book. Hum.
Add a Comment on The 2020 Senatorial Race in Alabama.


Debby is a Tier 1 Team Leader and Training Coordinator working for SET-BC, a Ministry of Education provincial resource program established to assist BC school districts in utilizing technology with students whose access to the curriculum is restricted. She graduated from UBC with a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics and Secondary Education and began her career as a secondary school Math teacher in 2008. She joined SET-BC after she obtained a Master's degree in Educational Technology from UBC in 2013. As a consultant at SET-BC, she constantly incorporates new and innovative ways to utilize technology in the classroom to support the diverse needs of students, including ways to integrate technology with best practices in education. Providing an incredible, thriving and inclusive learning environment for all learners with the help of technology is what she is thrilled to be part of.


This does not mean that Seth has not stopped bandaging to keep those extra pounds off , especially since she is a bride who wants to look good for his new girlfriend . But what is the secret to losing weight of Seth ? Well, it is not a secret at all. (seth rogen weight loss)Instead of plugging miracle pill or dietary supplement, Rogen credits her trim figure to Good Ola ' fad diets and exercise .
This entry was posted in seth rogen, seth rogen weight loss, weight loss and tagged seth rogen, seth rogen weight loss, weight loss on December 2, 2013 by chrissjonss.


text:
import os
import io
from PIL import Image
from PIL import ImageFont
from PIL import ImageDraw
from scipy.io import savemat, loadmat
import matplotlib
matplotlib.use('Agg')
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

MATLAB_FILENAME = "pipeline_out.mat"

def load_MAT(var_name):
    loaded = loadmat(file_name=MATLAB_FILENAME, variable_names=[var_name])
    if var_name in loaded:
        return loaded[var_name]
    else:
        print("MATLAB File Load Error")
        return None

# Font must be provided in working directory
FONT_SIZE = 12
FONT = ImageFont.truetype("fonts/FreeMono.otf", size=FONT_SIZE)
FONT_BOLD = ImageFont.truetype("fonts/FreeMonoBold.otf", size=FONT_SIZE)
FONT_EM = ImageFont.truetype(
    "fonts/FreeMonoBoldOblique.otf", size=2 * FONT_SIZE)

class LabeledFrame(object):
    """
    Wrapper class for PIL.Image
    """

    def __init__(self, filename, frame_id, intensity_predicted=-1, intensity_actual=-1, bounds=(-2, -1)):
        # bounds are the bounds of the frame id range (for arange)

        # PIL.Image "isn't meant to be subclassed", so we have to wrap it
        self.frame_id = frame_id
        self.filename = filename
        self.intensity_predicted = intensity_predicted
        self.intensity_actual = intensity_actual
        self.bounds = bounds

        # filename=None when testing. Generate an empty test image
        if filename is None:
            self.clean_image = Image.new("RGB", (320, 240), "navy")
            draw = ImageDraw.Draw(self.clean_image)
            draw.text((120, 100), "test" + str(self.frame_id),
                      "wheat", font=FONT_EM)

            self.filename = "test" + str(self.frame_id)

        else:
            try:
                self.clean_image = Image.open(filename)
                self.clean_image = self.clean_image.convert(mode="RGB")

            except IOError:
                print("ERROR: Failed to open " + filename)
                self.clean_image = Image.new("RGB", (400, 400), "grey")

    def label(self):
        """
        Draw information onto the frame
        """

        error = abs(self.intensity_actual - self.intensity_predicted)
        # if error == 0:
        #     e_color = "aqua"
        # elif error < 0.75:
        #     e_color = "chartreuse"
        # elif error < 2.5:
        #     e_color = "gold"
        # else:
        #    e_color = "crimson"
        e_color = "white"
        self.labeled_image = self.clean_image.copy()
        draw = ImageDraw.Draw(self.labeled_image)

        draw.text((10, 490 - 5 * (FONT_SIZE + 10)), "Filename: " +
                  os.path.basename(self.filename), "white", font=FONT)
        draw.text((10, 490 - 4 * (FONT_SIZE + 10)), "Frame ID: " +
                  str(self.frame_id), "white", font=FONT)

        # draw.text((10, 3 * (FONT_SIZE + 10)),
        #          "Intensities", "white", font=FONT_BOLD)
        draw.text((10, 490 - 3 * (FONT_SIZE + 10)), "Ground Truth: " +
                  str(self.intensity_actual), "white", font=FONT)
        draw.text((10, 490 - 2 * (FONT_SIZE + 10)), "Predicted:    " +
                  str(self.intensity_predicted), "white", font=FONT)
        draw.text((10, 490 - 1 * (FONT_SIZE + 10)),
                  "Error:        " + str(error), e_color, font=FONT)

        return self.labeled_image

    def overlay_image(self, image):
        """
        Overlay an image (like a graph) in the bottom right-hand corner of frame

        :param image: the image to insert
        :returns: the new image
        """
        self.labeled_image.paste(image, (470, 380), image)

        return self.labeled_image

def test_lf_fdata_fframes():
    """
    Test for the LabeledFrame class with fake data & frames generated on the fly
    """

    # IO dirs should exist
    output_dir = "out/"

    # What to append to a frame ID to get the corresponding image file
    file_suffix = ".png"
    # IDs for each frame
    frame_ids = [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12]
    # Intensities for each frame
    intensities_predicted = [1, 1, 1, 2, 4, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, 2, 1, 0]
    intensities_actual = [1, 0, 0, 2, 3, 5, 6, 6, 5, 3, 1, 1, 1]

    gif_images = []

    # Loop through provided frame ids
    for f_id, i_pred, i_act in zip(frame_ids, intensities_predicted, intensities_actual):
        #print("Loading " + input_dir + str(f_id) + file_suffix)
        #frame = LabeledFrame(input_dir + str(f_id) + file_suffix, f_id, i_pred, i_act)
        frame = LabeledFrame(None, f_id, i_pred, i_act)
        #print("Labelling " + frame.filename)
        l_image = frame.label()
        print("Saving labeled " + str(frame.frame_id) +
              file_suffix + " to " + output_dir)
        l_image.save(output_dir + str(frame.frame_id) + file_suffix)

        gif_images.append(l_image)

    # Generate GIF
    print("Saving animated GIF")
    gif_images[0].save(output_dir + "animated.gif", format="gif",
                       save_all=True, append_images=gif_images[1:], duration=500)

def test_lf_rdata_fframes():
    """
    Test for the LabeledFrame class with real data, but frames generated on the fly
    """

    # IO dirs should exist
    output_dir = "out/"

    # What to append to a frame ID to get the corresponding image file
    file_suffix = ".png"

    # Intensities for each frame
    intensities_predicted = load_MAT("dec_values").flatten().tolist()
    intensities_actual = load_MAT("test_label").flatten().tolist()
    # IDs for each frame
    frame_ids = range(len(intensities_predicted))

    gif_images = []

    # Loop through provided frame ids
    for f_id, i_pred, i_act in zip(frame_ids, intensities_predicted, intensities_actual):
        #print("Loading " + input_dir + str(f_id) + file_suffix)
        #frame = LabeledFrame(input_dir + str(f_id) + file_suffix, f_id, i_pred, i_act)
        frame = LabeledFrame(None, f_id, i_pred, i_act)
        print("Labeling " + frame.filename)
        l_image = frame.label()
        #print("Saving labeled " + str(frame.frame_id) + file_suffix + " to " + output_dir)
        # l_image.save(output_dir+str(frame.frame_id)+file_suffix)

        gif_images.append(l_image)

    # Generate GIF
    print("Saving animated GIF")
    gif_images[0].save(output_dir + "animated.gif", format="gif",
                       save_all=True, append_images=gif_images[1:], duration=500)

def test_lf_rdata_rframes_nc():
    """
    Test for the LabeledFrame class with real data, and real frames, but the data and frames don't correspond
    """

    # IO dirs should exist
    input_dir = "images/jh123t1aeaff"
    output_dir = "out/"

    # What to append to a frame ID to get the corresponding image file
    file_suffix = ".png"

    # Intensities for each frame
    intensities_predicted = load_MAT("dec_values").flatten().tolist()
    intensities_actual = load_MAT("test_label").flatten().tolist()
    # IDs for each frame
    frame_ids = range(56, 360)

    gif_images = []

    plt.figure(figsize=(1.5, 1.15), dpi=100)
    plt.axis('off')
    plt.plot(frame_ids, intensities_predicted, "b-", label="predicted")
    plt.plot(frame_ids, intensities_actual, "r-", label="actual")
    #plt.vlines(self.frame_id,-1, 10)
    #plt.legend(loc='upper right')
    data_max = max(intensities_predicted + intensities_actual)
    data_min = min(intensities_predicted + intensities_actual)

    # Loop through provided frame ids
    for f_id, i_pred, i_act in zip(frame_ids, intensities_predicted, intensities_actual):
        #print("Loading " + input_dir + str(f_id) + file_suffix)
        frame = LabeledFrame(input_dir + ('0' if f_id < 100 else '') +
                             str(f_id) + file_suffix, f_id, i_pred, i_act)
        #frame = LabeledFrame(None, f_id, i_pred, i_act)
        print("Labeling " + frame.filename)
        l_image = frame.label()

        # Add vertical line for this frame
        ln = plt.vlines(f_id, data_min, data_max,
                        linestyles='solid', linewidth=".5", zorder=3)

        buf = io.BytesIO()
        plt.savefig(buf, format='png', transparent=True,
                    bbox_inches='tight', pad_inches=0)
        # Remove the vert line for the next figure
        ln.remove()

        buf.seek(0)

        overlay = Image.open(buf)

        l_image = frame.overlay_image(overlay)

        #print("Saving labeled " + str(frame.frame_id) + file_suffix + " to " + output_dir)
        # l_image.save(output_dir+str(frame.frame_id)+file_suffix)

        gif_images.append(l_image)

    # Generate GIF
    print("Saving animated GIF")
    gif_images[0].save(output_dir + "animated.gif", format="gif",
                       save_all=True, append_images=gif_images[1:], duration=120)

def test_77out(images, output_dir):
    """
    Test for the LabeledFrame class with real data and real frames from the leave 77
    out experiment

    :param images: a list of full paths to the frames used
    :param output_dir: the path to the directory where the animated GIF should be saved
    """

    # Intensities for each frame
    intensities_predicted = load_MAT("dec_values").flatten().tolist()
    intensities_actual = load_MAT("test_label").flatten().tolist()
    # IDs for each frame
    frame_ids = range(0, len(intensities_actual))

    gif_images = []

    plt.figure(figsize=(1.5, 1.15), dpi=100)
    plt.axis('off')
    plt.plot(frame_ids, intensities_predicted, "b-", label="predicted")
    plt.plot(frame_ids, intensities_actual, "r-", label="actual")
    #plt.vlines(self.frame_id,-1, 10)
    #plt.legend(loc='upper right')
    data_max = max(intensities_predicted + intensities_actual)
    data_min = min(intensities_predicted + intensities_actual)

    # Loop through provided frame ids
    for p, f_id, i_pred, i_act in zip(images, frame_ids, intensities_predicted, intensities_actual):
        #print("Loading " + input_dir + str(f_id) + file_suffix)
        frame = LabeledFrame(p, f_id, i_pred, i_act)
        print("Labeling " + frame.filename)
        l_image = frame.label()

        # Add vertical line for this frame
        ln = plt.vlines(f_id, data_min, data_max,
                        linestyles='solid', linewidth=".5", zorder=3)

        buf = io.BytesIO()
        plt.savefig(buf, format='png', transparent=True,
                    bbox_inches='tight', pad_inches=0)
        # Remove the vert line for the next figure
        ln.remove()

        buf.seek(0)

        overlay = Image.open(buf)

        l_image = frame.overlay_image(overlay)

        gif_images.append(l_image)

    # Generate GIF
    print("Saving animated GIF")
    gif_images[0].save(output_dir + "animated.gif", format="gif",
                       save_all=True, append_images=gif_images[1:], duration=220)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Brahms Chamber Music
Johannes Brahms Clarinet Sonata No. 1 in F minor op. 120, Clarinet Sonata No. 2 in E flat op. 120, Clarinet Trio in A minor op. 114
Download options Choose an optionFull download (mp3 & flac)Download 1 Brahms: Clarinet Sonata No.1 in F Minor, Op. 120: I. Allegro appassionatoDownload 2 Brahms: Clarinet Sonata No.1 in F Minor, Op. 120: II. Andante un poco adagioDownload 3 Brahms: Clarinet Sonata No.1 in F Minor, Op. 120: III. Allegretto graziosoDownload 4 Brahms: Clarinet Sonata No.1 in F Minor, Op. 120: IV. VivaceDownload 5 Brahms: Clarinet Sonata No. 2 in E-Flat Major, Op. 120: I. Allegro amabileDownload 6 Brahms: Clarinet Sonata No. 2 in E-Flat Major, Op. 120: II. Appasionato, ma non troppo allegroDownload 7 Brahms: Clarinet Sonata No. 2 in E-Flat Major, Op. 120: III. Andante con motoDownload 8 Brahms: Clarinet Trio in A Minor, Op. 114: I. AllegroDownload 9 Brahms: Clarinet Trio in A Minor, Op. 114: II. AdagioDownload 10 Brahms: Clarinet Trio in A Minor, Op. 114: III. Andantino graziosoDownload 11 Brahms: Clarinet Trio in A Minor, Op. 114: IV. Allegro Clear
Brahms Chamber Music quantity
SKU: CC0016 Categories: Clarinet & Saxophone Classics recordings, Clarinet, Central Repertoire
Listen to Music Samples / Description
The Mühlfeld Ensemble
Victoria Soames Samek – clarinet James Potter – cello Jonathan Higgins – piano
CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD ONLY
This recording was released to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Brahms' death. Inspired by the playing of Richard Muhlfeld, Brahms' late masterpieces for clarinet. This CD features the two Sonatas for Clarinet and Piano and also the Clarinet Trio. Wonderful examples of Brahms late flowering, in these autumnal works.
Victoria Soames Samek clarinet, James Potter cello, Jonathan Higgins piano, The Mühlfeld Ensemble
'…Soames in a personal booklet-note admits that revealing the "intimate nature of the music" was her own special aim. This is apparent throughout in her tonal mellowness…'
Playing Time: 72 mins.
Download Free CD Booklet
Full download (mp3 & flac), Download 1 Brahms: Clarinet Sonata No.1 in F Minor, Op. 120: I. Allegro appassionato, Download 2 Brahms: Clarinet Sonata No.1 in F Minor, Op. 120: II. Andante un poco adagio, Download 3 Brahms: Clarinet Sonata No.1 in F Minor, Op. 120: III. Allegretto grazioso, Download 4 Brahms: Clarinet Sonata No.1 in F Minor, Op. 120: IV. Vivace, Download 5 Brahms: Clarinet Sonata No. 2 in E-Flat Major, Op. 120: I. Allegro amabile, Download 6 Brahms: Clarinet Sonata No. 2 in E-Flat Major, Op. 120: II. Appasionato, ma non troppo allegro, Download 7 Brahms: Clarinet Sonata No. 2 in E-Flat Major, Op. 120: III. Andante con moto, Download 8 Brahms: Clarinet Trio in A Minor, Op. 114: I. Allegro, Download 9 Brahms: Clarinet Trio in A Minor, Op. 114: II. Adagio, Download 10 Brahms: Clarinet Trio in A Minor, Op. 114: III. Andantino grazioso, Download 11 Brahms: Clarinet Trio in A Minor, Op. 114: IV. Allegro
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Victoria's Essential Collection
The perfect introduction to the rich, diverse and totally wonderful repertoire for the clarinet, played by director and founder of Clarinet & Saxophone Classics, Victoria Samek
Gems of the Clarinet
In re-presenting both CDs, with a special focus on the repertoire, this Limited Edition, special price box set offers listeners the chance to reacquaint themselves with both masterpieces from the repertoire and lesser known gems including Baermann's Air Varié and Paer's 'Una voce al cor mi parla'.
£0.50 – £8.50 Select options
La Scala Virtuoso
The distinctive warm, rich sound that characterises Luigi Amodio's playing is captured on these recordings. Carefully restored by Clarinet and Saxophone's historical specialist Malcolm McMillan, author of a full and informative booklet enhanced by Luigi Amodio's son Luciano who added a special insight to his father's life. With family photographs generously made available for inclusion within the booklet, this is an invaluable legacy from a past-master.
Mozart Quintets
These recently disovered and reconstructed Mozart fragments are recorded for the first time by the eminant exponent of period performance, Colin Lawson. To hear these significant discoveries performed on original instruments and performed with stylistic authenticity, musical exuberance and undisputable authority by Colin Lawson, 'the doyen of period clarinettists', makes this newest recording irresistible purchase.
COMPLETE RECORDING CATALOGUE
Free CD booklets
COMPLETE PUBLICATIONS CATALOGUE
Solo & chamber works with piano
Solo & chamber works without piano


The Asus MeMO Pad HD 7 is one of the most affordable tablets available, and offers solid features and performance for the price.
13 Jun 2018, 3:12 p.m.
There's nothing all that remarkable about the Asus MeMO Pad HD 7, aside from its $149.99 (list) price. But when you combine that with what is essentially a first-gen Google Nexus 7 and throw in a rear-facing camera and microSD card slot, you're left with a fairly compelling package.
The HD 7 has the unmistakable feel of a cheap tablet. It's clad in a fingerprint-attracting glossy plastic, and it flexes and creaks at far too many points.
There's a small hump for the 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and a long slit along the bottom edge for the stereo speakers.
Around the tablet's edges you'll find a micro USB port, 3.5mm headphone jack, and the oft-requested microSD card slot.
The Volume and Power buttons are seated on the rear of the tablet, making them annoyingly difficult to locate without flipping the tablet over.
The speakers along the back get relatively loud, but since they face rearward, they're easy to muffle with a hand or surface. They also lack bass and, though they're billed as stereo, can't really produce a convincing stereo image since they're so close together.
The HD 7 comes in a single 16GB model, and our 32 and 64GB microSD cards worked fine.
The MeMO Pad HD 7 thankfully retains the 1,280-by-800-pixel screen found in the original Nexus 7.


text:
Manuel Rivera
Maraliz Cartagena
Beatriz Ortiz
Gabriel Ramos Cuevas
Personal Injury/Car Accidents
Federal Appellate Court Litigation
The Law Offices of Manuel Rivera, Esq. & Associates, P.C.
Immigration, Removal/Deportation Defense, Perm, Visas
Calls accepted 24 hours a day
View All Commercials
1501 Lee Highway, Suite 208, Arlington, VA 22209 Phone: 703-807-2003
Location: Arlington, Virginia
Email: manuel@peoplesimmigrationlawyer.com
Immigration & Naturalization Law
U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia
District of Columbia Court of Appeals
U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit
Antioch School of Law, Washington, District of Columbia
M.Ed. - 1982
Major: Public Administration
Major: Spanish Literature
In re Alba Luz Gutierrez-Lopez, A 28 758 771 (BIA 1992)
Asylum Co, and Insurance Designers of Maryland v. Palemon Casarrubia Gonzalez, aka ArmandoCasarrubia Gonzalez, 10 A.3d619 (D.C 2010)
Casarrubia-Gonzalez v. DOES, 12-AA-1603 (Per Curiam D.C. 2013)
Lorena Elizabeth Mira v. Alberto R. Gonzalez, AG, No. 06-2331
Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Desfile Las America (Lo Nuestro) During Hispanic Heritage Month, 1993
Donor - Southern Poverty Law Center, inducted into the Wall of Tolerance in Montgomery, Alabama, to provide inspiration to all those who choose to take a stand against hatred
Former Governor Appointee, R.I. Government Commission on Bilingual Education
Former Democratic Candidate for State Representative to the Rhode Island General Assembly (District 19) (1980)
Former Criminal Justice Act Attorney of the District of Columbia Superior Court for Felonies and Misdemeanor cases
Bar Association for the District of Columbia
District of Columbia Traffic Panel
Superior Court Criminal Trial Lawyers Association
District of Columbia Trial Lawyers Association
Association of Trial Lawyers of America
Home Firm Overview Meet Our Attorneys Practice Areas Testimonials Resources In the News Contact
The Law Offices of Manuel Rivera, Esq. & Associates, P.C., serves clients throughout the Washington, D.C., metro area, as well as Virginia and Maryland, as well as throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. We serve clients in Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Manassas, Annandale, Springfield, Herndon, Reston, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Silver Spring, College Park, Germantown, Frederick, Hyattsville, Bowie, Annapolis and other communities in Fairfax County, Montgomery County and Prince George's County.


text:
Q: Simple data pivot I have a query (select [type], a, b, c, d, e from MyTable) that returns:
[type], [a], [b], [c], [d], [e]
type 1,  x ,  x ,  x ,  x ,  x
type 2,  x ,  x ,  x ,  x ,  x
type 3,  x ,  x ,  x ,  x ,  x

I'd like to pivot the data so it displays as:
[]     , [type 1], [type 2], [type 3]
[a]    , x       , x       , x
[b]    , x       , x       , x
[c]    , x       , x       , x
[d]    , x       , x       , x
[e]    , x       , x       , x

Any pointers on the SQL here would be appreciated.

A: Something like this?
create table #test
(
type varchar(10),
a varchar(10),
b varchar(10),
c varchar(10),
d varchar(10),
e varchar(10)
)

insert into #test values
('type 1',  'x' ,  'x' ,  'x' ,  'x'  , 'x'),
('type 2',  'x' ,  'x' ,  'x' ,  'x' ,  'x'),
('type 3',  'x' ,  'x' ,  'x' ,  'x' ,  'x')

select * from
(

   select * from
   (
      select * from #test
   )data_to_unpivot
   UNPIVOT
   (
   Orders FOR [xxx] IN (a,b,c,d,e)

   )UNPIVOTED_DATA
)data_to_pivot
PIVOT
(
MAX(orders) for type in ([type 1],[type 2],[type 3])
)PIVOTED_DATA

A: What we need is:
SELECT  Col, [type 1], [type 2], [type 3]
FROM    (SELECT [type], Amount, Col
         FROM   (SELECT [type], [a], [b], [c], [d], [e]
                FROM    _MyTable) as sq_source
                UNPIVOT (Amount FOR Col IN ([a], [b], [c], [d], [e])) as sq_up) as sq
PIVOT (MIN(Amount) FOR [type] IN ([type 1], [type 2], [type 3])) as p;

But since the types number is undetermined, we have to do it dynamically
DECLARE @cols NVARCHAR(2000)
SELECT  @cols = COALESCE(@cols + ',[' + [type] + ']',
                         '[' + [type] + ']')
FROM    _MyTable
ORDER BY [type]

DECLARE @query NVARCHAR(4000)
SET @query = N'SELECT   Col, ' + @cols + '
FROM    (SELECT [type], Amount, Col
         FROM   (SELECT [type], [a], [b], [c], [d], [e]
                FROM    _MyTable) as sq_source
                UNPIVOT (Amount FOR Col IN ([a], [b], [c], [d], [e])) as sq_up) as sq
PIVOT (MIN(Amount) FOR [type] IN (' + @cols + ')) as p;';

EXECUTE(@query)

But be careful, because this query is technically a vector for an injection.


MDP partners with healthcare professionals and other professional companies throughout Ontario. For professionals who are considering incorporating their practice, there are numerous benefits that can be realized.
For more information about incorporating, the benefits of incorporation, and frequently asked questions, please download our "Incorporation Considerations Guide".
Here is a list of frequently asked questions concerning future investments. Click the question to reveal the answer.
Can the funds be invested by the corporation directly?
As a result, provided that the investing activities do not become so significant that they become the primary avenue of business, surplus funds within the corporation can be invested in stocks, bonds, mutual funds and possibly other financial instruments. We do not recommend the holding of investment-type real property in your professional corporation.
When the investment portfolio becomes substantial, additional planning may be required for a tax efficient mechanism in removing the funds to another entity.
Should I Invest personally or through the corporation?
We recommend investing through the corporation.
To fully utilize the income tax deferral benefit available to the corporation, we recommend only withdrawing funds needed for lifestyle. The residual can be invested by the corporation as mentioned above. Not only will the investment portfolio grow at a faster pace but your personal tax rate at withdrawal in the future could potentially be lower, achieving an overall tax saving.
How about my RRSP and TFSA strategy?
RRSP is a great tax deferral vehicle for an unincorporated person. This may not be true for you after incorporation. In order to generate RRSP room, you must receive sufficient salary from your corporation. The problem with a salary is that a salary is not as tax efficient as a dividend. In addition, salary would trigger a requirement to contribute to the Canada Pension Plan, which costs over $4,000 per year currently. For these reasons, we recommend forgoing the traditional salary / RRSP route. Instead, your remuneration would consist of dividend only, with your corporate investment account being viewed as your "personal RRSP" going forward. There are some exceptions to this general principal.
consider contributing to the extent personal funds are available.
Are there alternative investment vehicles I should consider?
If your life insurance is not currently owned by your corporation, you should consider transferring it to the corporation. Although a payment of life insurance premium is not deductible either way, it is cheaper to pay from after-tax dollars in the corporation because of the low corporate tax rate. In addition, some types of life insurance product contain an investment component that will grow tax free.
At retirement, you may be able to borrow against the investment account for your retirement cash needs. When the life insurance death benefit is eventually paid out at your demise, an amount equal to amounts you have borrowed during your lifetime will be held back, with the balance being distributed to your estate with no tax.
Corporate-class investments are another tax beneficial investment which would provide overall tax effective financial growth.
Download our incorporation considerations guide!
Our free guide will provide you with information about incorporating, the benefits of incorporation, and frequently asked questions.


text:
River of Bones (Destroyermen XIII) – Taylor Anderson
After taking and holding Madagascar in Deadly Shores (IX) and Straits of Hell (X), and conclusively dealing with Kurokawa in Devil's Due (XII) the Alliance is preparing to finally land in Africa. It is a race against time, as Grik leader Esshk has been able to breed, train and equip his "Final Swarm" in only a few years, and is planning a breakout along the Zambezi River. If the Final Swarm reaches the ocean and manages to scatter, the rapid breeding of the Grik will eventually create an almost insurmountable numerical advantage. Unfortunately, the Allied invasion force is not quite ready. Russ Chapelle takes the USS Santa Catalina at the head of tiny task force up the river, in order to block passage until reinforcements can arrive. It is a desperate race against time.
On the American Front, the story advances only slightly, as New United States forces prepare to join the fight and the League of Tripoli makes overtures towards the Dominion.
Mr. Anderson continues to focus on one front at a time, which works to the series advantage. Most of this installment is taken up by the events in and around the Zambezi. The battles are real nail-biters, in large part because the author has managed to convey the catastrophic consequences of defeat. Even after driving the Grik back all the way from Balkpan and across a vast ocean, our heroes still find themselves with their back agains the wall.
With the still unresolved Dominion War, and the looming threat of the League of Tripoli, the Destroyermen series doesn't seem to be moving towards a conclusion any time soon. If the quality remains this high, that can only be a good thing.
Sex and Violence in Zero-G: The Complete "Near Space" Stories, Expanded Edition – Allen Steele
This expanded edition contains all previously published Near Space short stories and novelettes. The stories range from action to reflection, from joy to melancholy. The stories are presented chronologically, starting from the beginning of the Near Space timeline, in more or less the present era, and ending with the advanced colonised solar system of Mr. Chicago.
As he mentions in the introduction, Mr. Steele has been labelled a "Space Romantic", and this is rather accurate. His stories are infused with an infectious sense of wonder about space exploration in the near future. His focus on the working stiff rather than the movers and shakers gives rise to interesting reflections and themes. Having read all or some of the Near Space long fiction is not a pre-requisite for reading this collection, though it will fill in some of the background.
The Flowers of Vashnoi – Lois McMaster Bujold
While investigating inconsistencies with a test site where gene-engineered bugs decontaminate the nuked Vorkosigan Vashnoi zone, Ekaterin Vorkosigan stumbles across some strange inhabitants.
An all too brief visit with the Vorkosigan famil
y. Even with something as brief and uncomplex as this novella, Ms. McMaster Bujold nails it as usual.
Elysium Fire (Prefect Dreyfus Emergency II) – Alastair Reynolds
Some time after the events in The Prefect/Aurora Rising, a new crisis is brewing in the Glitter Band. Random citizens are having their brains "fried" by their electronic implants. As Dreyfus and the other Panoply operatives investigate the links between victims, they find links to an old and very distinguished Yellowstone family.
While a solid and enjoyable novel, this one lacks the panache of "The Prefect". The mystery feels contrived and doesn't lead to any sort of even half-epic conclusion. That being said, Mr. Reynolds's prose is a pleasure to read as usual, and the characters are interesting and engaging.


text:
War16
Security[remove]8
Diplomacy6
Palestine[remove]8
Arabia5
Journal of Palestine Studies[remove]8
Foreign Affairs2
The International Spectator2
Harvard Journal of Middle Eastern Politics and Policy1
Journal of Military and Strategic Studies1
Institute for Palestine Studies8
within 10 Years6
You searched for: Political Geography Palestine Remove constraint Political Geography: Palestine Journal Journal of Palestine Studies Remove constraint Journal: Journal of Palestine Studies Topic Security Remove constraint Topic: Security
1. U.S. Security Coordination and the "Global War on Terror"
Author: Jeannette Greven
Abstract: The U.S. Security Coordinator (USSC) mission in Jerusalem was created in 2005 to help implement security sector reform within the Palestinian Authority (PA). With a single-minded focus on "counterterrorism," Washington considered the USSC an ancillary mechanism to support U.S. diplomatic and political efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Despite upending long-standing U.S. policy and cutting all other forms of aid to the Palestinians, the Trump administration has maintained the USSC in the run-up to the "Deal of the Century." This article draws on original interviews with security personnel responsible for enacting USSC interventions. It uses their insights to highlight how the mission tethered Israeli political aims to its remit, and the distorting ramifications that have ensued for Palestine and the Palestinians. In uncovering the full parameters of Washington's securitization policy, this history also points to the ways in which the PA has consequently been woven into the U.S.-led "global War on Terror."
Topic: Security, Sovereignty, International Security, Military Affairs, Negotiation, Settler Colonialism
Political Geography: United States, Israel, Palestine, Jerusalem
2. Special Document File: The Erasure of the Nakba in Israel's Archives
Author: Seth Anziska
Abstract: A 2019 investigation by the Israeli NGO Akevot and Haaretz newspaper has uncovered official suppression of crucial documents about the Nakba in Israeli archives. The Journal of Palestine Studies is publishing print excerpts and a full online version of the buried "migration report," which details Israel's depopulation of Palestinian villages in the first six months of the 1948 war, a document that clearly undermines official Israeli state narratives about the course of events. In methodical fashion, this report provides contemporaneous documentation of Israeli culpability in the expulsion of Palestinians from their homes and the systematic depopulation of so-called Arab villages in the first six months of the war. Alongside a discussion of key revelations in the newly available document, this introduction situates the broader pattern of erasure within historiographical debates over 1948 and questions of archival access. It examines how accounts of Israel's birth and Palestinian statelessness have been crafted in relation to the underlying question: who has permission to narrate the past?
Topic: Security, Migration, Population, Ethnic Cleansing, Settler Colonialism, State Building
Political Geography: United States, Israel, Palestine
3. Power, Politics, and Community: Resistance Dynamics in the Occupied Golan
Author: Munir Fakher Eldin
Abstract: In 1967, Israel occupied the western section of Syria's Golan Heights, expelling some 130,000 of its inhabitants and leaving a few thousand people scattered across five villages. Severed from Syria, this residual and mostly Druze community, known as the Jawlanis, has been subjected to systematic policies of ethno-religious identity reformulation and bureaucratic and economic control by the Israeli regime for half a century. This essay offers an account of the transformation of authority, class, and the politics of representation among what is now the near 25,000-strong Jawlani community, detailing the impact of Israeli occupation both politically and economically. During an initial decade and a half of direct military rule, Israel secured the community's political docility by restoring traditional leaders to power; but following full-on annexation in 1981, new forces emerged from the popular resistance movement that developed in response. Those forces continue to compete for social influence and representation today.
Topic: Security, Defense Policy, National Security, Population, Occupation, Ethnic Cleansing, Settler Colonialism
4. Counter-State Zionism and Political Zionism
5. Chronology
Author: Michele K. Esposito
Abstract: This is part 113 of a chronology begun in Journal of Palestine Studies (JPS) 13, no. 3 (Spring 1984). Chronology dates reflect North American Eastern Standard Time. For a more comprehensive overview of regional and international developments related to the peace process, see the Quarterly Update on Conflict and Diplomacy in JPS 163.
Political Geography: Israel, Palestine, North America
6. From the Editor
Author: Rashid Khalidi
Abstract: A number of the essays and other items appearing in the current issue of the Journal of Palestine Studies have direct or indirect bearing on Palestinian strategy and the stalled "peace" process.
Political Geography: United States, Palestine, Central America
7. A1. The Geneva Initiative, Security Annex to the Geneva Accord, Geneva, 15 September 2009 (excerpts)
Abstract: On 15 September 2009, the private Israeli-Palestinian peace initiative known as the Geneva Initiative published 13 detailed annexes to the Geneva Accord, the draft framework for a final status agreement between Israelis and Palestinians unveiled in 2003. The Geneva Initiative was launched by former Israeli justice minister Yossi Beilin and then Palestinian Authority (PA) minister Yasir Abid Rabbuh in their private capacities in 2001. The original accord, while immediately rejected by then Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon, was met with considerable international backing, but never formed the basis of any official negotiations.
Political Geography: Geneva, Israel, Palestine
8. A Hamas Perspective on the Movement's Evolving Role: An Interview with Khalid Mishal, Part II
Author: Mouin Rabbani
Abstract: In this second installment of his interview for JPS, Khalid Mishal, Hamas politburo chief since 1996 and head of the movement since the assassination of Shaykh Ahmad Yasin in 2004, continues his discussion of Hamas's evolution and strategy. Whereas the focus of part I was Mishal's personal background, political formation, and the founding of the movement, here Hamas's more recent history is foregrounded. From the unfolding conflict and troubled relations with Fatah since the mid-1990s, Mishal recounts the thinking behind the decision formally to integrate into the Palestinian political system born of Oslo by participating the 2006 legislative elections and joining the Palestinian Authority government. He also delves into the ongoing repercussions of these decisions, including the splits within the Palestinian movement culminating in Hamas's seizure of power in the Gaza Strip in June 2007. In the course of the more than three-hour interview, Mishal's straightforward manner is on display, as well as his willingness to be challenged on matters as sensitive as Hamas's suicide bombings and the targeting of Israeli civilians, the utility of armed resistance, and the morality of the struggle. Two themes underlying the interview were Mishal's preoccupation with the need to repair the intra-Palestinian split ("our greatest priority") and the devastating impact of the ongoing siege of the Gaza. Since our interview in early March 2008, two potentially significant developments with relevance to these concerns have taken place. On the internal Palestinian front, Mishal repeatedly emphasized the need for intra-Palestinian dialogue without preconditions, with all subjects on the table including controversial topics like early elections. A first step toward reconciliation was made on 24 March 2008, when Hamas and Fatah representatives signed the "Sana'a Declaration," negotiated in the Yemeni capital, which outlined points of consensus on various domestic issues including security and political institutions. Though the declaration quickly ran aground, with Fatah demanding that Hamas immediately cede control of Gaza before implementation of other aspects would be discussed, by June 2008, Hamas and Fatah were once again considering national unity talks on the basis of the Yemeni initiative. As for alleviating the extreme external pressures on the Hamas-led Gaza Strip, indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel mediated by Egypt produced a bilateral cease-fire that went into effect on 18 June. Though initially confined to Gaza, the understandings also call for a gradual reversal of the siege as well as renewed negotiations on a prisoner exchange, including the release of captured IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. Hovering over both Hamas-Israel and Hamas-Fatah relations is Washington, which remains opposed to any deals through which the Palestinian Islamists can emerge from their enforced isolation. Yet whatever the ultimate success of either development, the reality is that Mishal and Hamas are increasingly central players in the intra-Palestinian, Israeli-Palestinian, and broader regional equations. Indeed, itwas Mishal, not Abbas, whose movement reached an agreement with Israel before the expiration of the Bush administration.
Political Geography: Israel, Palestine, Gaza, Egypt


text:
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STATE_ACQUIRING = 1
STATE_ACQUIRED = 2
STATE_RELEASING = 3
STATE_RELEASED = 4
STATE_ACQUIRING_TIMEDOUT = 5
STATE_ACQUIRED_TIMEDOUT = 6
STATE_ACQUIRING_RETRYING = 7
STATE_RELEASING_RETRYING = 8
STATE_ACQUIRING_EXCEPTION = 9
STATE_EXPIRING = 10
STATE_EXPIRED = 11

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OK_TO_RELEASE = {STATE_ACQUIRED}
OK_TO_EXPIRE = {STATE_ACQUIRED}