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Home/Women and peace and security – SecCo meeting – Press release (excerpts)
Women and peace and security – SecCo meeting – Press release (excerpts)
SC/9151
Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York
5766th Meeting (AM & PM)
SECURITY COUNCIL DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT 'PERVASIVE' GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
AS IT HOLDS DAY-LONG DEBATE ON WOMEN, PEACE, SECURITY
Members Adopt Presidential Statement as Secretary-General
Urges Strengthening of Collective Response to 'Hideous' Behaviour
The Security Council expressed its deep concern today that gender-based violence, particularly rape and other forms of sexual abuse, remained pervasive despite its repeated condemnation of all acts of violence, including killing, maiming, sexual violence, exploitation and abuse in situations of armed conflict.
In a statement read out by Akwasi Ose-Adjei, Foreign Minister of Ghana, which holds the rotating presidency for October, the Council said such acts had become systematic in some situations, reaching "appalling levels of atrocity". It stressed the need to end impunity as part of a comprehensive approach to seeking peace, justice, truth and national reconciliation. The Council called on all parties to armed conflict to respect international law applicable to the rights and protection of women and girls, especially as civilians, and to bear in mind the relevant provisions of the Rome Statue of the International Criminal Court.
Presidential statement S/PRST/2007/40 summarized today's Council debate on "Women and peace and security", in which more than 50 speakers participated, and which was intended to take stock of progress in the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000).
Opening the debate, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that, since the adoption of the landmark resolution, women had increasingly participated at all levels of peacemaking and peacebuilding, and peace processes had increasingly empowered women and advanced gender equality. However, countries in conflict or those emerging from it needed to establish their own national action plans and take ownership of the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000).
Presidential Statement
The full text of Presidential Statement S/PRST/2007/40 reads as follows:
"The Security Council reaffirms its commitment to the full and effective implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security, and recalls the relevant statements of its President as reiterating that commitment.
"The Security Council reaffirms the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the primary responsibility of the Security Council under the Charter for the maintenance of international peace and security.
"The Security Council recalls the 2005 World Summit Outcome (General Assembly resolution 60/1), the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (A/CONF.177/20/Rev.1), the outcome document of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly entitled "Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century" (A/S-23/10/Rev.1), in particular the statements in these documents concerning women and peace and security and the Declaration of the forty-ninth session of the Commission on the Status of Women on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women (E/CN.6/2005/11).
"The Security Council recognizes the importance of ensuring the respect for the equal rights of women and, in this regard, reaffirms the importance of the equal role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peacebuilding, and stresses the need for their full and equal participation in peace processes at all levels. The Council urges Member States, regional and subregional organizations and the United Nations system to enhance the role of women in decision-making with regard to all peace processes and post-conflict reconstruction and rebuilding of societies as vital in all efforts towards the maintenance and promotion of sustainable peace and security.
"The Security Council is concerned that armed and other types of conflicts still persist in many parts of the world and are an ongoing reality affecting women in nearly every region. In this regard, the Council expresses deep concern that civilians, particularly women and children, continue to account for the vast majority of victims of acts of violence committed by parties to armed conflicts, including as a result of deliberate targeting, indiscriminate and excessive use of force. The Council condemns these acts and demands that those parties immediately put an end to such practices.
"The Security Council reaffirms in this regard that parties to armed conflict bear the primary responsibility to take all feasible steps to ensure the protection of affected civilians, in particular, giving attention to the specific needs of women and girls.
"The Security Council recognizes the constant underrepresentation of women in formal peace processes and is deeply concerned about persistent obstacles and challenges resulting from situations such as violence against women, shattered economies and social structures, lack of rule of law, poverty, limited access to education and other resources, various forms of discrimination and stereotypes.
"The Security Council remains concerned about the low number of women appointed as Special Representatives or Special Envoys of the Secretary-General to peace missions. The Council urges the Secretary-General to appoint, taking into account the principle of equitable geographical representation, more women to pursue good offices on his behalf. The Council urges Member States to redouble their efforts to nominate women candidates to the Secretary-General, for inclusion in a regularly updated centralized roster. In turn, the Council calls on the Secretary-General to increase the profile and transparency of this procedure, and issue guidelines to Member States on the process of nomination to senior posts. In addition, the Council reaffirms its call for broader gender mainstreaming in all peacekeeping operations, and welcomes United Nations peacekeeping operations policies to promote and protect the rights of women and to take into account a gender perspective as set out in resolution 1325 (2000).
"The Security Council takes note of the second follow-up report of the Secretary-General on women, peace and security (S/2007/567), and the various initiatives and actions undertaken by the United Nations entities in the context of the United Nations System-wide Action Plan on implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000); calls on the Secretary-General to update, monitor and review the implementation and integration of the Plan; conduct a system-wide evaluation in 2010 of progress achieved in implementing the Plan in 2008-2009, and report thereon to the Council.
"While welcoming the progress achieved so far, the Security Council recognizes the need for full and more effective implementation of resolution 1325 (2000).
"In this regard, the Security Council reiterates its call on Member States to continue to fully and effectively implement resolution 1325 (2000), including, where appropriate, through the development and strengthening of national efforts and capacities, as well as the implementation of national action plans or other relevant national level strategies.
"The Security Council calls on the international community to provide, where needed, financial and technical support, as well as adequate training, for national implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), and on the United Nations system, civil society and other relevant actors to collaborate and provide assistance in line with national priorities to Member States, particularly those affected by armed conflict, in the rapid development of national action plans, and work closely with national mechanisms responsible for the implementation of the resolution, including, where appropriate, through the United Nations country teams. To this end, requests the Secretary-General to include in his annual report to the Council information on progress on measures taken to improve, where appropriate, the capacity of relevant Member States, information on progress made at national level to implement resolution 1325 (2000), including information on best practices.
"The Council emphasizes the importance of strengthening cooperation between Member States as well as the United Nations entities and regional organizations in adopting and promoting regional approaches to the full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) in all its aspects.
"The Security Council strongly condemns all violations of international law, including international humanitarian law, human rights law and refugee law, committed against women and girls in situations of armed conflict, including killing, maiming, sexual violence, exploitation and abuse. In this regard, the Council urges the complete cessation by all parties of such acts with immediate effect.
"The Security Council is deeply concerned that despite its repeated condemnation of all acts of violence, including killing, maiming, sexual violence, exploitation and abuse in situations of armed conflict, and despite its calls addressed to all parties to armed conflict for the cessation of such acts with immediate effect, and for the adoption of specific measures to protect women and girls from gender-based violence, particularly rape, and other forms of sexual abuse, as well as all other forms of violence, such acts remain pervasive, and in some situations have become systematic, and have reached appalling levels of atrocity. The Council stresses the need to end impunity for such acts as part of a comprehensive approach to seeking peace, justice, truth and national reconciliation.
"In this context, the Council reiterates paragraph 9 of resolution 1325 (2000) and calls on all parties to armed conflict to respect fully international law applicable to the rights and protection of women and girls, especially as civilians, in particular the obligations applicable to them under the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the Additional Protocols thereto of 1977, the refugee Convention of 1951 and the Protocols thereto of 1967, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women of 1979 and the Optional Protocols thereto of 1999 and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1989 and the two Optional Protocols thereto of 25 May 2000, and to bear in mind relevant provisions of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
"The Security Council requests the Secretary-General to include in his reporting to the Council on situations of armed conflict, information on: progress in gender mainstreaming throughout the United Nations peacebuilding and peacekeeping missions; data on the impact of armed conflicts on women and girls, including account of instances of all forms of violence against women and girls, including killing, maiming, grave sexual violence, abductions and trafficking in persons, committed by the parties to armed conflict; special measures proposed and taken to protect women and girls from gender-based violence, particularly rape, and other forms of sexual abuse, and all other forms of violence in situations of armed conflict, in order to end impunity, ensure accountability and uphold a zero tolerance policy for violence against women and girls.
"The Security Council requests the Secretary-General to prepare a follow-up report on the full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), incorporating information on the impact of armed conflicts on women and girls in situations that are on the agenda of the Council, and also information on their protection and on the enhancement of their role in peace processes, to be submitted to the Security Council in October 2008, and may request the Secretary-General to give an oral briefing on the progress of the report.
"The Security Council decides to remain actively seized of this matter."
The Security Council had before it the Secretary-General's report on women and peace and security (document S/2007/567), which reviews implementation of the United Nations System-wide Action Plan for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) in the past year.
According to the report, the United Nations system has made significant progress in many substantive areas of the Plan, including mainstreaming a gender perspective, human rights, peace and security, advocacy, capacity-building, training, development of manuals and guidelines, improving accountability and building partnerships with women's national machineries, organizations and networks.
However, there were still gaps, the report says. For that reason, the 2008-2009 Action Plan is reconceptualized into a results-based programming, monitoring and reporting tool, with focus sharpened on the thematic areas of prevention, protection, participation, relief and recovery, and partnerships.
To further accelerate the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), the Secretary-General recommends that Member States develop their own action plans, for which the United Nations should provide support. In addition, the United Nations system should work closely with national mechanisms to implement the resolution, and the international community should provide resources in a timely and sustainable manner.
The Organization should also accelerate the development of a comprehensive information management system to share relevant lessons learned with Member States, the Secretary-General says, adding that operational inter-agency coordination must be strengthened in all such efforts. All stakeholders must engage leadership at the highest levels in advocacy for the resolution, especially in conflict and post-conflict countries. Grass-roots women's initiatives should be supported, and monitoring and reporting at all levels must be improved, both within the United Nations system and within Member States.
MARJATTA RASI, Under-Secretary of State of Finland, …
She said there was a need to pay increased attention to the equal and active participation by women in activities ranging from conflict prevention to peace negotiations through reconstruction and political participation. Without their involvement, there would be no sustainable peace, and the support and respect of the majority of the population might be lost.
The international community was in a key position to promote gender-balanced participation by all parties, she said, referring to efforts undertaken by the International Women's Commission. Founded by Palestinian and Israeli women, together with UNIFEM, the Commission worked for a just and sustainable peace in that region. Other locally initiated dialogues, such as meetings of the Kosovo Women's Network and the Serbia's Women in Black, should also be recognized and encouraged.
DAN GILLERMAN ( Israel), stressing that women must play an equal role in all aspects of the State and civil society, said their advancement would translate into advancement and progress for all. National mechanisms for the advancement of women needed strengthening to ensure their active participation in the formulation of public policy on matters of peace and security. In Israel, the women's equal rights law, amended in the spirit of resolution 1325 (2000), mandated that the Government include women in any group appointed to peacebuilding negotiations and conflict resolution. Tzipi Livni, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, had been appointed last week to lead negotiations with the Palestinians.
He said that, due to the important choices being made on the ground, namely the existence of a Palestinian Government that accepted the Quartet principles and was committed to dialogue with Israel, a sense of renewed hope and optimism could be felt. As Israeli and Palestinian leaders continued to meet, there was a movement of Israeli and Palestinian women working together, from across civil society and the political spectrum, to advocate for peace. Israel took great pride in their leadership. Only with the full participation of women in all aspects of conflict resolution, peacemaking and security would there be viable social, economic and political subsoil for democratization, sustainable development and peace to grow.
AHMED AL-JARMAN ( United Arab Emirates) …
… As for women victims in occupied Palestine and the women of Iraq, the United Arab Emirates called on the international community to shoulder its responsibilities, as, without the political will to find a solution, the region would continue to live in insecurity and instability, which nourished violence against women.
For information media • not an official record
Document symbol: SC/9151
Document Type: Press Release, Security Council presidential statement, Statement
Document Sources: Department of Public Information (DPI), Security Council
Subject: Peace process, Peace-building, Security issues, Women


text:
Margaret A. Boden
Dimensions of Creativity
Edited By Margaret A. Boden
Dimensions of Creativity brings together original articles that draw on a range of disciplines—from the history and sociology of science, psychology, philosophy, and artificial intelligence—to ask how creative ideas arise, and whether creativity can be objectively defined and measured.Margaret Boden and her colleagues Simon Schaffer, Gerd Gigerenzer, David N. Perkins, Howard Gardner,...
Creativity and ALife
Volume 21, Issue 3 (Summer 2015)
By Margaret A. Boden

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
package leetcode;

import java.util.Collections;
import java.util.List;

/**
 * https://leetcode.com/problems/minimum-time-difference/
 */
public class Problem539 {
    public int findMinDifference(List<String> timePoints) {
        // I can use some Java time library, but that feels cheating.
        Collections.sort(timePoints, (a, b) -> {
            String[] aSplit = a.split(":");
            int aHour = Integer.parseInt(aSplit[0]);
            int aMinute = Integer.parseInt(aSplit[1]);

            String[] bSplit = b.split(":");
            int bHour = Integer.parseInt(bSplit[0]);
            int bMinute = Integer.parseInt(bSplit[1]);

            int cmp = Integer.compare(aHour, bHour);
            if (cmp == 0) {
                return Integer.compare(aMinute, bMinute);
            }
            return cmp;
        });
        int min = Integer.MAX_VALUE;
        for (int i = 1; i < timePoints.size(); i++) {
            int diff = toMinutes(timePoints.get(i)) - toMinutes(timePoints.get(i - 1));
            min = Math.min(min, diff);
        }
        int diff = toMinutes(timePoints.get(0)) + (60 * 24) - toMinutes(timePoints.get(timePoints.size() - 1));
        min = Math.min(min, diff);
        return min;
    }

    private static int toMinutes(String time) {
        String[] timeSplit = time.split(":");
        return (Integer.parseInt(timeSplit[0]) * 60) + Integer.parseInt(timeSplit[1]);
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Fans who couldn't get enough of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" at movie theaters will soon be able to get their fix at home theaters.
Robert A. Iger, chief executive of Walt Disney Company, announced during a shareholders meeting Thursday the film will be available for digital download Friday, April, 1.
The film will also be released on Blu-Ray and DVD Tuesday, April 5.
Blueprint of a Battle: The Snow Fight – Go deeper into the epic, climactic lightsaber battle between Rey and Kylo Ren.
Building BB-8 – See how the filmmakers brought the newest droid to the screen, creating an instant fan favorite in the Star Wars universe.
Crafting Creatures – Watch movie magic as the filmmakers bring a cast of new creatures to life.
Force For Change – Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. See how the Star Wars: Force for Change initiative has united Star Wars fans all over the globe to help others.
ILM: The Visual Magic of The Force – An insider's look into the remarkable digital artistry of the movie's visual effects.
Secrets of The Force Awakens: A Cinematic Journey – For the first time, discover the complete story behind the making of The Force Awakens, revealed through in-depth footage and exclusive interviews with the actors and filmmakers in this feature documentary.
The Story Awakens: The Table Read – Cast members familiar and new reflect on the memorable day they all first came together to read the movie's script.
Plus Deleted Scenes, according to the official Star Wars website.
The 3D version of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" will be available later this year.
"The Force Awakens" is the highest-grossing film in the United States, earning more than $925 million.


Our firm is located in the north-west of Turin, you can easily get there from the motorway and public transports serve the area very well.
It is just a few minutes away from Turin international airport "SandroPertini".
If you come from A4 take the ring towards Piacenza – Savona and leave it through the second exit "Borgaro". Drive towards Torino and at the fourth traffic lights turn left to Via Orbetello.
If you come from A6 or A21 take the ring towards Milano and leave it through the exit "Borgaro". Drive towards Torino and at the fourth traffic lights turn left to Via Orbetello.


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Katie Price's website is DEACTIVATED after 'she fails to pay web hosting bills'
Mail Online | 1/11/2019 | Andrew Bullock For Mailonline
malik778 (Posted by) Level 3
Click For Photo: https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/01/11/01/8384948-0-image-a-151_1547171046786.jpg
Click For Video: https://videos.dailymail.co.uk/video/mol/2018/12/11/3221647810230109130/1024x576_MP4_3221647810230109130.mp4
Katie Price's personal website - katieprice.co.uk - has been deactivated.
The TV personality's longstanding site - which she has used for over a decade to sell branded products and promote her own work and public appearances - cannot be reached any longer, when users attempt to visit it.
Katie - Site - Link - Twitter - Bio
Despite Katie, 40, keeping the site's link on her Twitter bio, fans will be met with a lengthy wait, before the connection times out and leaves a blank page.
According to The Sun, Katie has 'failed to pay to keep the site going'.
Publication - Reports - 'tech - Source - Katie
The publication reports - from an unknown 'tech' source - that Katie 'failed to keep up with the monthly hosting payments' but that she 'will keep control of the katieprice.co.uk address until April this year' after which 'it can be sold on to anyone who wants it' [source unknown].
MailOnline has approached Katie's reps for comment.
Court - Week - Charges - Insurance
This comes after she appeared in court this week, facing charges of driving without insurance and driving while disqualified.
The model was fined £1,100 for the offence, and immediately asked the courts for an extension on the payment deadline, claiming not to be able to afford it in one lump sum.
Sun - Claims - Image - Puppy - £1k
While this marries up with The Sun's claims that she cannot afford to pay for her website any longer, she seems to have contradicted this by posting an image of a new puppy, worth £1k.
She took to social media to share a sweet snap of herself cradling the pooch, which the glamour model is said to have splashed out on just three months after buying blue German Shepherd Bear, The Sun reports.
Dog - Sparkle - Set - Extensions - Photo
She has named the dog Sparkle - and showed off a new set of glossy extensions in the photo to boot.
One of Katie's followers asked her 'Is that a new puppy Kate?', in the comments section...
(Excerpt) Read more at: Mail Online


text:
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Should We Always Examine the Subconscious Using Psychedelics? | The Tim Ferriss Show
Tim FerrissMon, January 3, 2022 4:07pm URL:
Watch the full Q&A here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Mv8LItRFSE | Brought to you by Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement (<a href="http://athleticgreens.com/tim" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://athleticgreens.com/tim), GiveWell.org charity research and effective giving (http://givewell.org/), and Eight Sleep's Pod Pro Cover sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating (http://eightsleep.com/Tim).
Show Notes: https://tim.blog/2021/12/22/qa-with-t…
Welcome to another episode of The Tim Ferriss Show, where it is usually my job to sit down with world-class performers of all different types to tease out the habits, routines, favorite books, and so on that you can apply and test in your own life. This time, we have a slightly different format, and I'm the guest.
As some of you know, I tested a "fan-supported model" in 2019, but I ended up returning to ads by request. That's a long story, and you can read more about it at tim.blog/podcastexperiment. I recently sat down with the supporter group for a fun and live Q&A on YouTube.
I answered questions on plantar fasciitis relief, manga-assisted language learning and retention, breathing exercises, wolf conservation, parenting ambitions, VR therapy, mood and energy remedies, post-pandemic social reintroduction, the value of college, favorite wrestling movies, and much, much more.
Please enjoy!
SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/1dSzTkW
LINK TO ALL SHOW TRANSCRIPTS: https://tim.blog/2018/09/20/all-transcripts-from-the-tim-ferriss-show/
About Tim Ferriss:
Tim Ferriss is one of Fast Company's "Most Innovative Business People" and an early-stage tech investor/advisor in Uber, Facebook, Twitter, Shopify, Duolingo, Alibaba, and 50+ other companies. He is also the author of five #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers: The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, The 4-Hour Chef, Tools of Titans and Tribe of Mentors. The Observer and other media have named him "the Oprah of audio" due to the influence of his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, which has exceeded 500 million downloads and been selected for "Best of Apple Podcasts" three years running.
Connect with Tim Ferriss:
Sign up for "5-Bullet Friday" (Tim's free weekly email newsletter): https://go.tim.blog/5-bullet-friday-yt/
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In a desperate move to convince me to marry the guy who proposed, my mother used a trick to get me to talk to him on the phone. What she did upset me, because it made me feel like there was something wrong with me that she needed to fix. In any case, although I refused the whole idea, I ended up talking to him.
When we started the conversation, something very strange happened to me: My legs began to shake, my eyes teared up, and my hands could not carry the phone anymore. It was as if I was talking to a guy for the first time in my life. I must have looked very silly.
He was very nice and sweet, and for a moment I was ready to give him a chance. This feeling scared me, so I told him that I could not talk at the time and ended the call. I did not understand what happened to me, or why I was disturbed and blushing. I am a university student and I've encountered men who expressed admiration for me before, but something was different about this guy.
He called again later and we had a long conversation. He was sweet, educated, and confident. He reminded me of my father, and maybe this was why I liked him. He sent me his picture, and my mother asked me to save it on my cellphone. I'm sure she sensed that I was leaning toward accepting the idea, and asking me to save the picture was one more tactic of hers.
After many conversations with him, things started to change. Obviously, I am not in love with him. I can't even say that I like him yet, but there is something pulling me toward him. Frankly, I've begun to seriously consider his proposal. What is happening to me? How could some sweet words affect me this way? Is it normal that I've begun to think of sharing my life with this person? Or is it because the situation I live in is so absurd that I am uniquely vulnerable? I don't know and I will let time tell me. I will, of course, continue my studies no matter what happens, and he actually encouraged me to do so. Anyway, my mother is very happy to see this change.
Oh, I got distracted by talking about this guy, and I forgot to update you on some things. My friends and I had an end-of-year party. We are all sophomores now. Also, my mother finally found a job as a secretary in a currency exchange company. It is a comfortable job and it pays well, but she does not love it—she misses teaching. Her new job is mostly about receiving and answering emails, and she misses the human connections that she used to make as a teacher.
Marah's diary is produced in collaboration with Syria Deeply, a digital news outlet covering the Syrian crisis. It was translated from the Arabic by Mais Istanbelli.


Calling all the magicians in Barcelona! Could you escape of the prison as Houdini did?
We propose you an exciting challenge to trick your guards and leave the jail of Peter and Paul's Fortress.
You will need to follow the same steps the most famous illusionist did to get free of the police forces in the most guarded and secure Russian prison.
You, along with your team, will need to learn about the mysteries of the disappearing trick and the secret to unlocking the padlocks and the handcuffs in one hour.
The quest is suitable for a wide range of players, although some tasks require certain physical fitness. Houdini was known for his exceptional strength and agility. Players don't need to be as talented as him, but you will need to be in a good shape.
Players need all their wits to escape within 60 minutes. As ordered by the prison governor, those who can discover the secret of Houdini's famous stunts will be freed while the others will be put into confinement forever.


Salary and wage are fairly similar but there is a big difference. Both refer to the money you get for a job, but one is a fixed amount and one is an hourly amount.
If you get hired at a job that pays $52,000 a year then that is a salary. Some companies in North America pay you once a week (payday!) and so you would get $1,000 every week. Although your job might have set hours (9-5) you won't lose pay if you are sick, late or there is a holiday. You may get in trouble for being sick or late, but it won't affect your salary.
A job that pays $10 an hour is giving you a wage. You get paid for how many hours you work in a pay period (maybe every week or every two weeks). If you worked 40 hours you get $400, if you worked 20 you get $200. Being sick, late or having holidays means that you didn't work certain hours and you will make less money.
Both positions do usually offer overtime pay if you work more than 40 hours in a week or on holidays. This isn't always the case with salaried positions, but it does happen frequently.


An FBI public corruption probe that has entangled at least two cities in eastern Pennsylvania - and has Philadelphia ties - netted another conviction Thursday, when a contractor admitted trading campaign contributions for preferential treatment from the Allentown mayor.
In a hearing in federal court in Philadelphia, Ramzi Haddad of Bethlehem acknowledged raising more than $21,000 this year for Ed Pawlowski's failed bid for the U.S. Senate after the mayor had agreed to intervene and help Haddad with building-inspection issues.
Haddad's role in the case had not been previously reported and prosecutors waited until after the hearing Thursday to announce his plea to one count of bribery conspiracy. It followed a similar one last month by the president of Reading City Council, and earlier FBI raids of City Hall there and in Allentown.
Pawlowski, who abandoned his Senate bid after the FBI raid, has not been charged and is not identified by name in the court filings. Details about a high-level Allentown official called "Public Official #3" in the documents match Pawlowski's resumé and the dates of his now-defunct campaign.
Pawlowski, a 50-year-old Democrat now in his third term as mayor, did not respond to requests for comment Thursday.
His Philadelphia-based attorney, Jack McMahon, denied the allegations and said that if Haddad believed the contributions would earn him favors, he didn't get that idea from Pawlowski. "The mayor confronted [Haddad] and told him flat out: 'You're not getting anything,' " McMahon said. "You've got a quid pro quo with nothing alleged and nothing being given."
McMahon added that Pawlowski had no plans to resign, because "he did absolutely nothing wrong."
Still, the plea raises more questions for a politician who had been widely credited with engineering an economic resurgence in the state's third-largest city, and who also previously had run for governor.
According to federal prosecutors' court filings, the unnamed Allentown official encouraged Haddad between April and June to raise money for his federal campaign. In return, prosecutors allege, the official "agreed to intervene with municipal inspections" in one of Haddad's buildings in Allentown.
Haddad initially agreed to raise $25,000 in campaign donations before June 30, prosecutors said. When he delivered only $15,000 on June 29, prosecutors said, the Allentown official pressured Haddad to live up to his promise, reminding the contractor of his power as an elected official.
The next day, prosecutors said, Haddad delivered two checks totaling $6,500 to the official's campaign. Haddad also paid for the Allentown official's food and drinks during their meetings, prosecutors said.
The records indicate Haddad did not personally donate to Pawlowski's Senate campaign. State records show he contributed $5,000 to Pawlowski's mayoral campaign within the last two years. The timing of those donations matches up with contributions the court documents say Haddad made to the Allentown official.
Prosecutors said Haddad's plea carries a maximum five-year prison term.


text:
Home QAs Relatives should check for signs of pressure sores on loved ones following rise of hospital cases
Relatives should check for signs of pressure sores on loved ones following rise of hospital cases
Senior nurses at two East Yorkshire hospitals have been warned that a rise in cases of bedsores amongst patients is 'unacceptable' – and it certainly is so. Five patients were found to have developed bed sores in Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham over the past month, it has been revealed.
Two of the patients reportedly developed bedsores when on surgical wards, two whilst in medical wards and one in clinical support, during the month of August.
All five "serious incidents" have since been reported to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and the Trust Development Authority.
Given around 95 per cent of both pressure sores and bed sores are easily preventable through appropriate mobility checks (simply ensuring a patient's position is changed regularly enough to prevent sores developing), it is not surprising to hear the chief medical officer at the Trust saying he is 'very concerned'.
Quite rightly, immediate and 'robust' action has been taken by the Trust, which has stressed that a number of measures have already been put in place to prevent future cases.
However, whilst we justifiably expect nurses and doctors to prevent such avoidable conditions from developing through poor care, we can also play a role as relatives by being aware of the signs of treatment and care not reaching the standards it should.
Reddened areas of skin which feel tender to touch can often be an early indication of a patient being left in the same position too long, and the onset of sores developing.
Heels, ankles, the spine, buttocks and shoulders are all areas of the body which are most susceptible to developing sores, so it is worth checking those areas should you have a relative in care whose movement is restricted in any way.
At Hudgell Solicitors, as experts in handling cases of medical negligence, we see far too many cases involving bed and pressure sores. They are a serious, painful condition which can develop into more serious infections, such as blood poisoning or gangrene.
We have seen cases ranging from simple soreness of skin and discomfort to extensive underlying tissue damage and destruction, which requires immediate surgery.
The Trust has said that every nurse on every ward where a patient had experienced a pressure ulcer had been involved in reviews of care in the wake of this rise in cases.
But this case also serves as a reminder to relatives to be aware and alert, and ensure they raise any concerns with nursing staff immediately.
If you feel those concerns are not being listened to, and still feel your loved one is not receiving the care they should, then seek further advice and support immediately.


text:
Patapaa Honored To Be "Insulted" By Sarkodie On Ypee's "Meye Guy" Song
by ThePrinceLive, Managing Editor February 19, 2018, 2:24 pm 100 Votes
Ghanaian musician Patapaa has revealed that he is honored to be dissed in a line by the most decorated rapper Sarkodie.
In a line on Ypee's recently released remix to his hit single "Meye guy", rapper Sarkodie who talks about how he made it from grass to grace in the song added that Patapaa would have performed at his funeral if he had not made it in Life.
Contrary to what many believed will cause a beef between the two, Patapaa speaking on "Showbiz Agenda" with Sammy Flex on Monday morning revealed that he sees it as an honor to have his name used in the line even though Sarkodie meant it as a diss to him.
"It's not easy for Sarkodie to mention your name in his rap. Which means that God is making ways for me in the industry. Because If Sarkodie wants no one either than Patapaa to perform at his funeral then it means that the man has a vision about me. As a senior rapper like Sarkodie — which is evident that the whole of Ghana no one compares to his rap. Sarkodie is a hero for Ghana. For Sarkodie to sit and pen down my name in his line means I have a bigger future ahead of me." He told Sammy Flex.
YPEE is an artist signed unto XTwo Entertainment Record Label. Visuals of "Meye Guy Remix" which features AMG rapper Medikal and BET Award winner Sarkodie was released 3 days ago and has garnered over 61K views on Youtube so far.
Listen Up! MUSIGA's Tribute To Ebony Reigns (Featuring Mzvee, Efya, Freda Ryhmz & More)
Zylofon Cash Is Active… Monetize Your Creativity Now!!


Theodore Roosevelt at what appears to be the first Progressive Party Convention. They met in August 1912 in Chicago, Illinois, and nominated him to run for president.
This week in our series, we talk about the presidential election of eighteen twelve.
The first ten years of the twentieth century in America were shaped by the strong leadership of President Theodore Roosevelt. And in the second decade, he returned to national politics to bring, once more, dramatic changes to the United States.
Theodore Roosevelt was a distant cousin of Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat who became president in nineteen thirty-three.
In nineteen twelve, Teddy Roosevelt organized a new political party: the Progressives. Roosevelt created this new party after he failed to win the Republican presidential nomination.
The Republican convention of nineteen twelve had been controlled by conservative supporters of President William Howard Taft. And, as we hear now from Leo Scully and Maurice Joyce, the party nominated Taft for four more years in the White House.
LEO SCULLY: As a result, Roosevelt broke with the Republicans. And he and his supporters held their own convention. They formed the Progressive party and approved a platform that promised reforms. These reforms were proposed to make the government serve the people and carry out more fully their desire for social progress.
The Democratic Party also nominated a candidate who supported progressive ideas. The Democrats chose Governor Woodrow Wilson of New Jersey, a former president of Princeton University.
So, for the first time in many years, there were three major candidates for president. Wilson clearly had the best chance to win. He had the support of almost all the Democrats. The Republicans, however, were split. Some supported Taft. The others were for Roosevelt.
MAURICE JOYCE: Roosevelt refused to accept the idea of defeat. He campaigned hard, visiting many cities and towns, making speech after speech. Wilson also campaigned hard. He seemed to enjoy it as much as Roosevelt.
Taft did not like it at all. He refused to do much campaigning. He spent most of the time at his summer home.
It was a quiet election campaign...until the middle of October. Then, only three weeks before election day, Roosevelt was shot.
LEO SCULLY: It happened in Milwaukee. Roosevelt had just left his hotel and climbed into the automobile that would carry him to the hall where he planned to make a speech. As he stood in the open car, an extremist named John Schrank ran up to him, pulled a gun from his coat, and fired a bullet into Roosevelt's chest.
The bullet knocked him down. Roosevelt said it felt as if he had been kicked by a mule. He jumped up and put his hand to the wound. The bullet had passed through the inside pocket of his coat. It struck a steel case that held his glasses, and went through the folded fifty pages of his written speech. These slowed the bullet, and it went only a few centimeters into his chest.
MAURICE JOYCE: Roosevelt did not know if he was seriously wounded. He put his hand to his mouth and coughed. No blood came. And he knew the shot had not damaged his lungs. Roosevelt ordered the crowd around to stop beating Schrank. "Bring him to me," he said. He looked down at the man. "You poor creature," said Roosevelt. Then he turned away.
Doctors arrived. They said Roosevelt must go at once to the hospital. But Roosevelt refused. He said he would go to the hall. "I will make this speech," he said, "or die. It will be one or the other." On his way to the hall, he told a friend: "It takes more than that to kill a Roosevelt. I do not care a rap about being shot. Not a rap."
LEO SCULLY: At the hall, he stood before the big crowd. His face was white. But he stood straight, without help. Someone announced that Roosevelt had been wounded, but still planned to speak.
Roosevelt's voice was very low, almost a whisper. "I am going to ask you to be very quiet. And please excuse me from making a long speech. I will do the best I can. But there is a bullet in me." He paused and then continued. "It is nothing. I am not hurt badly. I have something to say. And I will say it as long as there is life in my body."
MAURICE JOYCE: Roosevelt's speech was not important. He said nothing that he had not already said many times before. What was important, however, was his cool courage. Men did not see his act as foolish or overly-dramatic. They saw it as the brave act of a strong man. To the public, he was a hero.
Roosevelt spoke for almost an hour. Finally, very weak, he let himself be helped from the hall. He was rushed to a hospital where doctors could examine the wound.
LEO SCULLY: The doctors found that the bullet had broken a rib, but caused no serious damage. They decided to leave the bullet where it was. The next day, Roosevelt made a statement from his hospital bed. "Tell the people not to worry about me. For if I go down, another will take my place."
President Taft and Woodrow Wilson sent messages of regret to Roosevelt. They announced that they would not campaign until Roosevelt was able to do so.
MAURICE JOYCE: Roosevelt's condition improved quickly. After two weeks of rest, he was ready to continue his campaign for the presidency. He made a speech to a big crowd at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Everyone was surprised to see how strong and healthy he seemed.
Wilson ended his campaign in New York City the next day. He told a cheering crowd of Democrats: "What the Democratic Party proposes to do is to go into power and do the things that the Republican Party has been talking about for sixteen years."
LEO SCULLY: On November fifth, the people voted. The winner was Woodrow Wilson. He received more than six million votes. Roosevelt was second with four million. Taft received only about three and a half million. Wilson's victory was even greater in the electoral vote. He got four hundred thirty-five. Roosevelt got only eighty-eight. And Taft received only the eight electoral votes of Utah and Vermont.
The Democrats won not only the White House, but also control of Congress. And a number of Democratic governors were elected in states formerly controlled by Republicans.
MAURICE JOYCE: The nineteen twelve campaign ended public life for Theodore Roosevelt. Soon after the election, a friend visited Roosevelt and talked of possible victory in nineteen sixteen.
"I thought you were a better politician," Roosevelt said. "The fight is over. We are beaten. There is only one thing to do. That is to go back to the Republican Party. You cannot hold a party like the Progressive Party together. There are no loaves and fishes...no financial support."
LEO SCULLY: War was soon to break out in Europe. The United States would enter the struggle in nineteen seventeen.
As always, Roosevelt was ready to join in a fight. He asked for permission to organize an American force and lead it into battle in France. President Wilson, however, turned down the request. Roosevelt was sure that it was a political decision. He never forgave Wilson for keeping him out of the war.
MAURICE JOYCE: "Only those are fit to live who do not fear to die. And none are fit to die who have shrunk from the joy of life. Both life and death are parts of the same great adventure. All of us who give service and stand ready for sacrifice are torch bearers. We run with the torches until we fall, satisfied if we can then pass them to the hands of other runners.
"The torches whose flame is brightest are carried by the brave men on the battlefield and by the brave women whose husbands, lovers, sons, and brothers struggle there. These are the torch bearers. These are they who have dared the great adventure."
LEO SCULLY: Roosevelt's own great adventure was itself coming to an end.
He suffered from painful attacks of inflammatory rheumatism and from a serious ear infection. He had difficulty in hearing and could not walk. But the old man was still cheerful. He spent his sixtieth birthday in the hospital. And to his family and friends, he said: "I am ahead of the game. Nobody ever packed more kinds of fun and interest into sixty years."
Death came to Roosevelt as he slept on the night of January sixth, nineteen nineteen. Said Vice President Thomas Marshall: "Death had to take him sleeping. For if Roosevelt had been awake, there would have been a fight."
BOB DOUGHTY: Our program was written by Frank Beardsley. The narrators were Leo Scully and Maurice Joyce.
Roosevelt had a strong charactor ,he never wanted to be beaten ,he was a great president in the history of the USA.
Death had to take Roosevelt sleeping. For if Roosevelt had been awake,there would have been a fight.


Halloween is on the horizon, and it's time to start decorating your home to create that playful ambiance that makes this holiday so much fun for kids. Since little ones are often spooked by Halloween decorations, we've rounded up ten crafts that will help tots get into the spirit of Halloween, without all the scary stuff. These quirky Halloween crafts provide a great opportunity for you to bond with your children, and they may all be made using eco-friendly and recycled materials -- many of which you probably already have on hand. Read on for 10 of our favorite eco-friendly crafts for green kids and get ready for some not-so-frightfully good fun!
Have you found yourself with a large stack of pressed leaves from that family fall hike? If you are looking for a new and fun way to display them in your home, then this first project is for you. When you arrange them on a large piece of recycled wood into a much larger leaf – the impact is tremendous!
If you have a large stash of plastic bags stuffed in a cabinet, and you want to add a little autumn to your living room, this leaf garland will fit the bill. The kids can help by cutting out all of the leaf shapes and once the project is completed the entire family can enjoy this project all season long.
Why not have a shadow puppet show with the littles this Halloween? These shadow puppets will give your children hours of fun in the shadows. You can make these with all recycled materials too!
Here is another great baby food jar project – this time, one for Halloween. These little luminaries are perfect for your little ones to customize any way that they choose. In fact, they can make a lot of different kinds to decorate your home this Halloween.
If you have any paper plates from holiday and birthday parties and are looking for a fun craft for the kids – this is it! These paper plate spooks can be customized in any way your child can imagine and they are a great way to use up those leftover plates – giving you decorations that your children will enjoy seeing for years to come.
Now, these are the types of recycled Halloween projects that your family will adore seeing in the Halloween box each year. Reminiscent of many years past, these fun lanterns will be a great October project for the entire family.
Head to the garage for this project and scour the shelves for a leftover dryer vent and spray paint. After an afternoon of crafting these adorable pumpkins, you will be left with a decoration that your family will enjoy every autumn.
If you have a bunch of old books collecting dust in boxes in your garage, why not transform them into beautiful pumpkins that your family can enjoy all autumn? The great thing about pumpkin crafts is they can be enjoyed not only for Halloween but Thanksgiving too, giving you more bang for your crafting buck!
We are huge fans of terrariums and the spooky version is no different. These recycled bottles filled with creepy crawlies, birds, branches and moss will be the perfect decoration for your Halloween mantle. Or group a bunch of them on the dining room table for a centerpiece that will spook your Halloween guests.
Children will love making these monsters from recycled tissue boxes. What's not to love? Whether your child stuffs the monster with toys or Halloween goodies, it is a project that they will definitely enjoy. See our previous tutorial on how to make a monster box to house your Halloween candy handouts!
I can't wait to try some of these crafts with my little guy after a nature walk to find supplies! Have to love fall!
Have you found yourself with a large stack of pressed leaves from that family fall hike? If you are looking for a new and fun way to display them in your home, then this first project is for you. When you arrange them on a large piece of recycled wood into a much larger leaf - the impact is tremendous!
Here is another great baby food jar project - this time, one for Halloween. These little luminaries are perfect for your little ones to customize any way that they choose. In fact, they can make a lot of different kinds to decorate your home this Halloween.
If you have any paper plates from holiday and birthday parties and are looking for a fun craft for the kids - this is it! These paper plate spooks can be customized in any way your child can imagine and they are a great way to use up those leftover plates - giving you decorations that your children will enjoy seeing for years to come.
Children will love making these monsters from recycled tissue boxes. What's not to love? Whether your child stuffs the monster with toys or Halloween goodies, it is a project that they will definitely enjoy. See our previous tutorial on how to make a monster box to house your Halloween candy handouts!


text:
Takeda to trial depression-monitoring Apple Watch app
by Nick Paul Taylor |
Takeda and its collaborators will test the Apple Watch app in a 30-person study. (Takeda)
Takeda has teamed up with Cognition Kit to trial the use of an Apple Watch app to monitor people with depression. The project will assess the feasibility and effectiveness of using wearable devices to track the mood and cognition of people with the condition.
Cognition Kit, a joint venture between Cambridge Cognition and Ctrl Group, is contributing the app to the collaboration. Cambridge Cognition and Ctrl Group teamed up 11 months ago to develop mental health-tracking wearables that combine their respective strengths in cognitive assessment and healthcare technology. A prototype followed in April, and now, having attracted the attention of Takeda, Cognition Kit is ready to see how its app fares in clinical testing.
The collaborators plan to enroll 30 adults with mild to moderate depression who are being treated with antidepressants. By giving the subjects Apple Watches loaded with the Cognition Kit app, the study aims to build a picture of user compliance with the app and whether it delivers useful data. The partners will compare data gathered by the app to results from neuropsychological testing and patient-reported assessments.
Cognition Kit is looking to the trial to start the process of validating its belief that using wearable devices to assess psychomotor speed, memory, social cognition, attention and executive function can give researchers and doctors insights into a patient's mental health.
"By combining wearable technology with world leading neuroscience, we've created an app that collects real time passive and active high-frequency mental health data. Being able to access data regularly from daily life can help clinical decision making. Healthcare professionals can obtain patient data and increase patient engagement in their treatment," Cambridge Cognition CSO Jenny Barnett, Ph.D. said in a statement.
Cognition Kit is hoping to see its technology used to monitor the cognitive function of patients in clinical trials and healthcare settings, as well as through consumer products. As such, the bar it will need to clear is higher than for consumer-focused devices such as Fitbits.
All the companies involved in the pilot project have experience working in regulated environments—Cambridge Cognition has a CE-marked cognitive health app for touchscreen devices—but mental health-focused wearables represent new territory for them and the industry as a whole.
depression antidepressant wearables remote patient monitoring Takeda Apple Apple Watch Cambridge Cognition
Nick Paul Taylor


Keyword research is the initial step of Search Engine Optimization. While doing keyword research we should not only keep the keyword in mind but we should also think weather the keywords will bring right type of customers to the website or not.
You should write down all the search terms you think are good for your website. If you are facing problems in getting you can also go to your competitors' website and you can get the keywords from it as well. Also, you can Google the keywords and you can get suggestions from it. Check the following image.
Once you have a raw list of keywords. You can go to the keyword planner tool and search these keywords on the tool. The tool will give your average monthly searches for each of the keywords. You can set preference with this tool. Like which country you want to do your business in, You can also put a specific city name as well.
Also "allinurl: keyword" and put it in the next Colum. This helps you in knowing how many websites are using this keyword in their title tag and how many are using it in their URL.
If you follow these steps properly you can get your website optimized for most important relevant keywords and can rank them on major search engines.


text:
Wagatha: A Courtroom Drama
It follows the court case involving Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy, the wives of British footballers.
Year: 2022 · Season 1
Three Girls
The harrowing true story of three once carefree girls coerced into a frightening world of sexual abuse and betrayed by the system. Experience this searingly honest portrait of victims' struggle to finally make themselves heard.
This compelling series features dramatic reconstructions of some of Britain's most notorious crimes - a collection of cases that each demonstrate how truth can be stranger than fiction.
Based on a tragic case that shocked Britain, this true crime drama examines the investigation of school assistant Maxine Carr and her caretaker fiancé Ian Huntley.
The Heist at Hatton Garden
This is the true story of an audacious heist executed by an elderly gang in the heart of London's diamond district. Experience how these small-time crooks pulled off a crime of such scale and ambition that it became the robbery of the decade.
The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe
Some people will do anything to avoid their problems. Eddie Marsan and Monica Dolan star in this bizarre true con story about a couple who became a notorious media sensation.
An infamous earl suspected of murder disappears, never to be seen again. Rory Kinnear and Michael Gambon star in this riveting drama that explores one of the greatest mysteries of modern times.


text:
Q: what's the math behind cocos's gradient layer In cocos2d the gradient is implemented using a quad, and the color is interpolated by opengl, but there is an extra parameter which controls the gradient's direction, so how does the algorithm to work.
//_alongVector is the gradient's direction
float h = _alongVector.getLength();
if (h == 0)
    return;

// why a sqrt(2.0) ???
float c = sqrtf(2.0f);
Vec2 u(_alongVector.x / h, _alongVector.y / h);

// and what does this mean
if (_compressedInterpolation)
{
    float h2 = 1 / ( fabsf(u.x) + fabsf(u.y) );
    u = u * (h2 * (float)c);
}

float opacityf = (float)_displayedOpacity / 255.0f;

Color4F S(
    _displayedColor.r / 255.0f,
    _displayedColor.g / 255.0f,
    _displayedColor.b / 255.0f,
    _startOpacity * opacityf / 255.0f
);

Color4F E(
    _endColor.r / 255.0f,
    _endColor.g / 255.0f,
    _endColor.b / 255.0f,
    _endOpacity * opacityf / 255.0f
);

// what are these magic ??????
// (-1, -1)
_squareColors[0].r = E.r + (S.r - E.r) * ((c + u.x + u.y) / (2.0f * c));
_squareColors[0].g = E.g + (S.g - E.g) * ((c + u.x + u.y) / (2.0f * c));
_squareColors[0].b = E.b + (S.b - E.b) * ((c + u.x + u.y) / (2.0f * c));
_squareColors[0].a = E.a + (S.a - E.a) * ((c + u.x + u.y) / (2.0f * c));
// (1, -1)
_squareColors[1].r = E.r + (S.r - E.r) * ((c - u.x + u.y) / (2.0f * c));
_squareColors[1].g = E.g + (S.g - E.g) * ((c - u.x + u.y) / (2.0f * c));
_squareColors[1].b = E.b + (S.b - E.b) * ((c - u.x + u.y) / (2.0f * c));
_squareColors[1].a = E.a + (S.a - E.a) * ((c - u.x + u.y) / (2.0f * c));
// (-1, 1)
_squareColors[2].r = E.r + (S.r - E.r) * ((c + u.x - u.y) / (2.0f * c));
_squareColors[2].g = E.g + (S.g - E.g) * ((c + u.x - u.y) / (2.0f * c));
_squareColors[2].b = E.b + (S.b - E.b) * ((c + u.x - u.y) / (2.0f * c));
_squareColors[2].a = E.a + (S.a - E.a) * ((c + u.x - u.y) / (2.0f * c));
// (1, 1)
_squareColors[3].r = E.r + (S.r - E.r) * ((c - u.x - u.y) / (2.0f * c));
_squareColors[3].g = E.g + (S.g - E.g) * ((c - u.x - u.y) / (2.0f * c));
_squareColors[3].b = E.b + (S.b - E.b) * ((c - u.x - u.y) / (2.0f * c));
_squareColors[3].a = E.a + (S.a - E.a) * ((c - u.x - u.y) / (2.0f * c));

and here is another implementation in cocos2d-objc
// _vector apparently points towards the first color.
float g0 = 0.0f; // (0, 0) dot _vector
float g1 = -_vector.x; // (0, 1) dot _vector
float g2 = -_vector.x - _vector.y; // (1, 1) dot _vector
float g3 = -_vector.y; // (1, 0) dot _vector

float gmin = MIN(MIN(g0, g1), MIN(g2, g3));
float gmax = MAX(MAX(g0, g1), MAX(g2, g3));
GLKVector4 a = GLKVector4Make(_color.r*_color.a*_displayColor.a, _color.g*_color.a*_displayColor.a, _color.b*_color.a*_displayColor.a, _color.a*_displayColor.a);
GLKVector4 b = GLKVector4Make(_endColor.r*_endColor.a*_displayColor.a, _endColor.g*_endColor.a*_displayColor.a, _endColor.b*_endColor.a*_displayColor.a, _endColor.a*_displayColor.a);
_colors[0] =  GLKVector4Lerp(a, b, (g0 - gmin)/(gmax - gmin));
_colors[1] =  GLKVector4Lerp(a, b, (g1 - gmin)/(gmax - gmin));
_colors[2] =  GLKVector4Lerp(a, b, (g2 - gmin)/(gmax - gmin));
_colors[3] =  GLKVector4Lerp(a, b, (g3 - gmin)/(gmax - gmin));

are these algorithms the same?
I really want to know the math or algorithm behind those magic operations

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: Como exportar una funcion de un archivo js a otro archivo js Necesitaria un ejemplo basico de como exportar una funcion de un archivo js a otro.
Supongamos tengo dos archivos: main.js, y operar.js
En el archivo principal.js yo desarrolle una funcion y quiero saber si hay alguna forma de no copiar dos veces el mismo codigo y simplemente exportar esa funcion en el archivo secundario.js sin volver a desarrollarla.
Tambien necesito saber si debo poner algo en el script en mi html porque he visto varios videos pero ninguno me resolvio el problema.
archivo main.js
import { prueba } from './operar';

archivo operar
import { prueba } from './main';
prueba();

Yo estoy tratando de importarlo y me sale este error: Cannot use import statement outside a module

A:
Yo estoy tratando de importarlo y me sale este error: Cannot use import statement outside a module

Los métodos import/export rquieren de mayo énfasis en la llamada de los recursos (src) especificando con un type="module".
HTML
<!DOCTYPE html>

    <meta charset="UTF-8" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
    <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="ie=edge" />
    <title>Module Kevin Cánepa</title>

Abrir Consola...

main.js
import myFunc from './main_second.js';
myFunc();

main_second.js
export default function () { console.log("Nice job") };

Te en cuenta que el uso de import y export de ES6 trae consigo ciertos detalles a tener en cuenta dependiendo tu proyecto.

Ya no podrá correr un archivo .html de forma normal y corriente, solo
  podra correr su archivo .html en un servidor. @Riven

A: Ya tienes respuestas buenas sobre el asunto, pero te daré esta que tiene un enfoque diferente de cara a la falta de soporte de estas características aún hoy en día.
No todos los navegadores soportan las características de ES6 en la cual se da soporte a los llamados módulos.
Sin embargo, no es necesario el uso de los mismos para reutilizar código en tu página web.
Lo que debes tener presente es el llamado ámbito global y verificar que las funciones que deseas utilizar sean llamadas en el orden correcto y en el momento adecuado (ojo con la asincronía).
Si no existiera esta posibilidad, no hubieran existido frameworks o librerías como JQuery por ejemplo.
Dicho esto, supongamos que tienes una función que vas a utilizar recurrentemente en tu aplicación, no tiene sentido escribirla para cada archivo JS que vayas a cargar mediante el atributo src de la etiqueta script.
Lo que puedes hacer es escribir todas estas funciones utilitarias en un archivo llamado utils.js, y asegurarte que el mismo es cargado antes que el resto de tus archivos JS que usan las funciones de utils.
Por ejemplo:
Archivo utils.js:
function getDate() {
  return new Date();
}
function getWindowLocation() {
  return window.location;
}

Tengo 2 funciones en mi archivo util.js y como ambas están definidas mediante la declaración explícita de funciones, las mismas son elevadas (hoisted) al ámbito global (window), por lo tanto estarán disponibles en cualquier ámbito declarado dentro de window.
Archivo main.js
const dateDIV = document.getElementById('date');
const locationDIV = document.getElementById('location');

dateDIV.textContent = getDate();
locationDIV.textContent = getLocation();

En mi archivo main.js utilizo las 2 funciones que fueron declaradas en mi archivo utils.js.
Este código funcionará siempre que el orden en el que cargo mis scripts sea el correcto.
Archivo index.html
<!DOCTYPE html>

  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
  <title>Modules</title>

Como puedes apreciar, he cargado en primer lugar el script del archivo utils.js y luego el de main.js.
Así, no necesitas usar realmente las sentencias import y export que son parte de la especificación ES6. Solo debes asegurarte de cargar tus archivos en el orden adecuado.
Uno de los problemas de esta forma de trabajar, es que si tu aplicación crece demasiado, será difícil llevar el control de todas las variables, métodos y objetos que ocupan el ámbito global, y acabas teniendo problemas con el llamado Global Namespace Pollution. Existen técnicas para evitar esto, pero ya eso es otro tema.
Nota, en el ejemplo, se asume que los 3 archivos (index.html, utils.js y main.js) se encuentran en la misma carpeta (sea local o remota).

A: Yo uso module.exports en el archivo en que quiero compartir cosas y require donde quiero utilizarlas.
operar.js
var prueba = function () {
  console.log('probando...');
};

module.exports = { prueba };

main.js
var op = require('./operar');
op.prueba();

Ahora, en la línea de comandos:
node main.js

Aunque a mí no me gusta, también puedes hacer module.exports = prueba; en operar.js y luego var prueba = require('./operar'); en main.js. Así puedes llamar a la función directamente con prueba() en vez de op.prueba().

A: Si estás usando nodejs te recomiendo que uses la inclusión por Common JS (module.exports/require) y si estás en browser JS modules(import/export)
Teniendo el siguiente código
function pepe() {

}

function lala() {

}

Common js
module.exports = {pepe, lala};
const Mimodulo = require('ruta del módulo');
Js modules
export {pepe, lala};
import * as Mimodulo from 'ruta del módulo';
Nota: En los js modules en el html tienes que poner dentro de la etiqueta


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Q: Change/add text to current user@server Its kinda hard to pick a good title, sorry for that!
When you login to Linux, you see the user and the domain where you can type your commands.
[user@location domain.nl]$ mv ~/example ~/my-new-example.
I have 2 servers which almost are identical. Can i change the user@location text or add something to it like
[my-own-text-here]$ mv ~/example ~/my-new-example

A: You can do this by editing your /etc/bashrc file or by creating a custom shell script in /etc/profile.d
If you want to edit the bashrc, find this line (be sure to make a backup of at least this line if not the whole file in case you make a mistake):
[ "$PS1" = "\\s-\\v\\\$ " ] && PS1="[\u@\h \W]\\$ "
The second PS1 is using \u@\h which is user@hostname. You can change that to whatever you'd like. For example, if one is a database server then you can change it to PS1="[\u@DBSERVER \W]\\$ " and if the other is a web server then you can change it to PS1="[\u@WEBSERVER \W]\\$ "
Afterward, enter bash and you'll see the text change. The users will see it if they do the same or the next time they log in.
Just to add one more time, make a backup before you make any changes.


These two festivals are similar in size, programming and public. Between 40,000 and 65,000 participants a day, almost 20 different concerts, huge stages… and a street performing arts programme for curious onlookers or people who are fed up with BIG sound.
At the Paléo, the Hive is the area dedicated to street performing arts. We met some friends and did new encounters (the Aquamens, Cie Acquacoustique, Collectif BIB, 2 rien Merci, ect.). This year, the Hive team chose to dedicate the scenography to Shaun Tan's world (you know, the Australian illustrator we met in Australia…). With an efficient and warm team of volunteers, it was an absolute pleasure! In Lowlands, we did fascinating encounters too (for example De Stilh Want) and above all had really great quality listening, making for some unforgettable moments.


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CITADEL CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
Support CCS
Located on 40 scenic acres on the Redeemer Church property in Brenham, Texas, Citadel delivers a classical curriculum which integrates faith and learning. We are committed to the physical, social, and emotional security of our students in a loving environment. Citadel students leave with a sound Christian worldview and a strong educational foundation.
Watch a short video below that captures the perspectives of a former student, a parent, and a teacher.
2111 South Blue Bell Rd.
Brenham, Tx 77833
info@citadelchristian.org
Thank you for your interest in Citadel Christian School and for considering us as a partner with you in educating your child(ren). We encourage you to contact us directly regarding any questions or concerns you may have about CCS.
Please contact the office to set up a tour of our campus.
Established in 1993, as Brenham Christian Academy, the school has always been committed to honoring Christ through excellence in education. BCA provided 25 years of service to the community of Washington County, and developed a proud history of academic and athletic accomplishment. Recently, however, it became evident that some changes needed to be made—changes that required a new name to represent a new identity.
In our quest to maintain our commitment to Christ and to the provision of a highly effective education, we began to examine a variety of methods to deliver that education, analyzing the philosophical underpinnings of each method to ensure that our practice is first of all consistent with a biblical philosophy of education, but also supported by current research to demonstrate a superior student outcome. This research led us to classical, Christian education. In considering a name that would reflect our new culture, Citadel Christian School emerged. Citadel—a place in or near a city intended for its defense. Christian—acknowledging our commitment to Jesus and recognizing the source of all wisdom and knowledge. School—establishing our purpose to educate the next generation of leaders.
Citadel Christian School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, or ethnic origin
in administration of its educational policies and programs.
let us answer your questions or give you a tour!
To arrange a visit, click here:
2111 S Blue Bell Rd
info@citadelchristian.org
Site created by L2 Media & Marketing


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«Момент» — короткометражний фільм 2014 року. Екранізація за оповіданням Володимира Винниченка «Момент».

Сюжет
Історія короткого кохання між революціонером і панною в ризикованій для життя ситуації.

У ролях

Примітки

Посилання

 Фільм
 Бекстейдж фільму

Екранізації українських літературних творів
Екранізації оповідань

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Ніколас Вейд (нар. 1942) — британський науковий журналіст і письменник. Протягом багатьох років працював автором і редактором наукового розділу The New York Times.

Здобув популярність як автор дискусійною книги про вплив спадковості на поведінку людини (A Troublesome Inheritance: Genes, Race and Human History, 2014 року).

Біографія
Народився в Ейлсбері, Англія . Онук відомого педагога і письменника Лоуренса Бізлі — одного з небагатьох, хто врятувався з "Титаніка" . Закінчив Ітонський коледж. В 1964 році отримав диплом бакалавра мистецтв Королівського коледжу в Кембриджі . У 1979 році емігрував в США.

Працював в науковому відділі журналів Nature (1967—1971) і Science (1972—1982) . У 1982 році пішов на роботу в Нью-Йорк Таймс. Після виходу на пенсію в 2012 році продовжує поза штатом співпрацювати з журналом. Писав редакційні статті, присвячених науці, охороні навколишнього середовища і оборони; пізніше був головним редактором відділу науки.

Публікації
Написав дві книги, присвячених проблемним аспектам наукових досліджень. Книга "The Nobel Duel: Two Scientists 'Twenty-one Year Race to Win the World's Most Coveted Research Prize " (1980) присвячена боротьбі за науковий пріоритет між Ендрю Шаллі і Роже Гійменом, які отримали на двох Нобелівську премію з фізіології і медицини, за 1977 рік за відкриття пептидних гормонів. На думку «Вашингтон пост» Книжковий світ, це "можливо, найневтішніший опис вчених, з коли-небудь написаних. « Книга» Betrayers of the Truth: Fraud and Deceit in the Halls of Science "(1982), у співавторстві з Вільям Дж. Брод), описує історичні й сучасні приклади наукового шахрайства .

У 2014 році вийшла книга «A Troublesome Inheritance: Genes, Race and Human History», в якій автор стверджує, що еволюція людини відбувалася по-різному в різних місцях, і що відмінності в соціальному устрої різних народів можуть пояснюватися генетичними відмінностями. Книга була піддана різкій критиці на сторінках Нью-Йорк Таймс книжковий огляд; так, Девід Доббс назвав її «глибоко помилковою, що вводить в оману і небезпечною». Понад сто вчених-генетиків і біологів висловили категоричну незгоду з поглядами Уейда на расові відмінності. У спільному листі, опублікованому в Нью-Йорк Таймс 8 серпня 2014 року, зокрема, йдеться :На підставі неточного і неповного аналізу наших результатів в галузі генетики людини Уейд стверджує, що відмінності країн і народів в рівні інтелекту, політичних інститутів і економічному розвитку пояснюються генетичними причинами і природним відбором. Ми рішуче відкидаємо твердження Вейда про те, що його висновки засновані на наших результатах.Вейд відкинув ці звинувачення, припустивши, що автори колективного листа не спромоглися ознайомиться з його книгою і лише скріпили своїми підписами чужу думку .

Перу Вейда належать і інші книги з еволюції людини. Before the Dawn: Recovering the Lost History of Our Ancestors (2006), розповідає про «два зниклих періода» в розвитку людини. У книзі The Faith Instinct (2009) мова йде про еволюцію релігійної поведінки.

Примітки

Посилання

 New York Times page
Наукові журналісти
Випускники Ітона
Народились 1942
Уродженці Ейлсбері
Статті з джерелами з Вікіданих
Народились 17 травня


text:
Spokane County Sheriff Says Leaders Afraid of Agitators (Rioters)
John McKay Published: December 29, 2020
Spokane County Sheriff says some leaders "afraid" to stand up to agitators (Spokane county .org)
The Sheriff of Spokane County had some sharp words about certain political leaders in our state.
He made an appearance on the Jason Rantz show on AM 770 KTTH Radio in Seattle a week ago, and used this phrase to describe elected and other leaders when it comes to agitators, protesters and anarchists:
"I don't know if they're so much sympathetic to it, but I think they're afraid. I think they're afraid to stand up and and say, 'That's it, we're drawing the line. You're not going to do this in our community."
He was referring to Spokane, in saying it won't happen in our community. He told Rantz that he is a firm believer in the laws passed by the citizens of this county (Spokane) and state, and law and order and the Constitution. He told Rantz he's made it clear that the actions we've seen in Seattle will not be tolerated in his jurisdiction.
He did say that many of these agitators (such as Antifa and other rioters) often get back out on the street because of bail bond projects (some of which have been reported even nationally). However, he said these activities shouldn't even be allowed to occur at all.
He said CHOP-CHAZ was a low point for the State in it's history, the fact that 9 blocks of the city were taken over by "petty tyrants."
The ongoing actions of the Seattle City Council, and even other elected officials in our state only seem to reinforce his beliefs.
For more on this story, click on the button below.
Spokane County Sheriff says leaders are afraid of agitators
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NGOs are weird. And green NGOs are even weirder. Even at face value they are weird, precisely because we are supposed to take them and the issues they seemingly speak for at face value, as plainly as we would take the Campaign for the Abolition of Stubbed Toes (CAST) which doesn't exist yet. But give it time. Nobody likes stubbing their toe, so it stands to reason, right(?), that we should all get behind a movement to end pain caused to the lower extremities. CAST will speak not just for anyone who has ever stubbed their toe, but the friends, lovers and families of people with toes, who are vulnerable (i.e. they have toes) to stubbing. Research has shown that some people are at risk of stubbing their toe as often as once a month.
But take a step back from your concern for people with stubbed toes, and outrage about toe-stubbing. Who said CAST speak for us? Who appointed them? Who said they should raise awareness of stubbed toes? And why should their demand of action against stubbed toes be taken seriously by politicians, who were elected by us, to represent our concerns? This is the question that no NGO can answer: who the **** do NGOs think they are?
The latest Green NGO weirdness comes via Donna Laframboise. Donna notes the case of Greenpeace's disturbance of the Nazca Lines, and adds the case of the Cross on Mount Royal, Montreal, which was hijacked by a Greenpeace publicity stunt. The effect, says Laframboise, is to say "We spit on your sacred spaces".
Other instances of NGO weirdness emerged out of the UNFCCC meeting in Lima… Guardian "journalist" turned WWF activist, Leo Hickman chaired a discussion organized by the Met Office Hadley Centre, Pennsylvania State University (PSU) and the University of Reading, which "explored the challenges of making climate projections and linking damages from extreme weather events to changing emissions; risk management in the face of uncertainty; and the ethics of loss and damage".
This is weird for several reasons. First is Hickman's own emphasis on expertise — the consensus — in the climate debate, whereas he has none himself. Indeed, some might argue that a donkey has a greater intellectual qualification to chair a discussion between climate researchers than the Graun's former ethical agony aunt, who in the past laboured with such questions as 'how green is your web search'. Having been so keen to reduce the carbon footprint of such trivialities as searching the internet for information about how green the internet is, however, Hickman seems happy to have jetted off to Lima, spewing tons of CO2 into Gaia's face for the sake of a jolly in Lima. So much for 'ethics', Leo.
I digress. The point is the omnipresence and influence of green NGOs like WWF is a question which has been raised by Donna Laframboise again. Last Year, she braved the shenanigans of COP19 in Warsaw, and found them creepy. Here, again, is the WWF, chairing events at COP meetings, as though it were natural. And this brings me back to the point raised above about taking NGOs at face value.
Survival International — who may not thank me for highlighting their campaign — suggest that the WWF's moral standing isn't what it seems, and that they are 'complicit in tribal people's abuse'.
A later article goes into more detail.
Imagine, though, if it were an oil company that was accused of such human rights violations. Or, for that matter, an energy company had desecrated a sacred historical monument in blind pursuit of their aims. What might be the response?
Godwin Uyi Ojo of Friends of the Earth Nigeria had this to say about Shell at the conference in Lima.
Since 1956, when Shell came to Nigeria's Niger Delta, the Niger Delta have known no rest. It has been conflict, violence, human rights violations, killings and series of deaths. You all are aware of the situation of Ken Saro-Wiwa. Shell has polluted our rivers. Shell has taken our land. Shell has destroyed our livelihood. We say it is time that the world stand up against Shell, that they cannot continue in their violence against people, in their violence against communities. Shell has no place in Nigeria. Shell has no place in these negotiations.
I wonder if we can now see WWF in any better light than FOE want us to see Shell. Indeed, we now see WWF accused of hiring helicopter death squads, to protect large areas of land for rich people, by evicting people from the land they have occupied for countless years, on a scale greater than any attempt of genocide in the Western world.
Without taking sides, then, we can see that the world is far more complicated than the story offered by environmentalists — of indigenous people at the mercy of powerful companies, who rule over corrupt governments, with only NGOs holding the wrong-doers to account. It seems green NGOs are much closer to that story than they will admit.
And the story gets murkier. Uyi Ojo words were uttered as a group of green activists attempted to disrupt an event at the Lima COP meeting.
These words belong to Pascoe Sabido, a member of Corporate Europe Observatory, an NGO which aims to "expose the power of corporate lobbying in the EU".
Corporate Europe Observatory receives grants from a number of trusts and foundations. Currently we receive funding from the Adessium Foundation, Isvara Foundation, Polden-Puckham Charitable Foundation, RH Southern Trust, Sigrid Rausing Trust, JM Goldsmith foundation, Misereor, Human Earth Foundation, Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, Charles Léopold Mayer Foundation for the Progress of Humankind and the Marisla Foundation. CEO doesn't receive any EU or member state government funding.
So where would the Corporate Europe Observatory be without cash from billionaires, eh?
Who are Corporate Europe Observatory to say who should and should not be at side events at COP meetings? Who, apart from JM Goldsmith and Joseph Rowntree appointed Corporate Europe Observatory to police these discussions?
The Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute (GCCSI) held an excellent and well attended side event on Monday afternoon which was initially mobbed by some 100+ demonstrators and their press entourage. The demonstrators crowded into the modest sized room and the hallway outside, waited for the start of the event and then promptly left as Lord Stern opened the side event with his remarks on the need for a massive scale-up of CCS. Arriving and then departing en masse allowed them to tweet that civil society had walked out on Lord Stern. The demonstrators were equally upset that Shell was represented at the event with my presentation on yet another sobering reality; 2°C is most likely out of reach without the application of CCS; also a finding of the IPCC in their 5th Assessment Report.
Hold on to the thoughts about Stern for a moment. Green NGOs might not like CCS as a solution to climate change. But it is as viable as solution to the problem of climate change as is, for example, wind energy. To illustrate the point, we can do some back-of-an-envelope maths, to work out that if the approximately 8,300 COP20 delegates had each taken a five hour flight to get there, they would have used approximately half of the power output of the world's 80GW of net wind generating capacity while they were in the air (i.e. 4MWh per person).
The delegation from European Corporate Observatory would be stuck in Europe if it were not for fossil fuels.
By speaking, Stern gives all involved – and particularly the WCA – the veneer of respectability they received when Figueres spoke at their International Summit last year. It would be a gift for the IETA and the WCA, but there's nothing to be gained from his side. If the intention is challenging them, it's a lost cause. The room is tiny – maximum 30 people – and no-one outside the room will hear about it. Instead, IETA and the WCA will write it up, pull out a nice quote and show how they've engaged and even won-over serious climate change thinkers. His name will forever be there, associated with organisations who are stopping progress on tackling the crisis. Should he even be attending? Christiana Figueres' attendance at the coal summit didn't weaken the industry, it legitimised them (she said they had an important role to play and that they were key for development). At least since then she has taken a tougher stand against coal, perhaps as a result of the backlash.
If Lord Nicholas Stern decided not to go, it would send a strong signal to those very industries undermining the effort to tackle the crisis. It would question their legitimacy and stop their march towards the heart of our governments with false solutions like CCS. If we're going to tackle climate change, then we need to delegitimise the role that dirty industry currently plays, remove its access to power and channels of influence it has with our governments. And as an influential person himself, with strong climate credentials, Lord Stern has an important role to play. Those fighting against lung disease would not speak at a tobacco event, so Stern should should do the right thing and not attend this one.
Corporate Observatory have done so much more to publicise the event than the sponsors could ever have achieved by themselves, it's hard not to imagine that they asked them to try to shut it down for the free publicity.
Another delegation at COP 20, tweeted to remind us to ignore the corporations, and to tell us just how cheap it would be to save the planet.
This weird NGO protest mirrors the 'civil society' 'walkout' staged at previous COP meetings.
Frustration with the climate talks has grown in the past two years but progress in this year's conference of the parties (COP) has seen negotiations deadlocked in technical areas, and rich and poor countries at loggerheads over compensation and money. Anger has also mounted over the perceived closeness of governments to industrial lobbies, and because several developed countries have reneged on their commitments to cut emissions.
But although they walked out with shared purpose — to disrupt the, erm, failing talks — they were undecided about why. 'Lobbying from fossil fuel companies was impeding progress at the talks', claimed Hoda Baraka, global communications director for 350.org. Kumi Naidoo, director of Greenpeace International, said that 'The Polish government has done its best to turn these talks into a showcase for the coal industry', and that 'backsliding by Japan, Australia and Canada' was a 'slap in the face to those suffering as a result of dangerous climate change' (i.e. nobody). 'We are walking out of these talks because governments need to know that enough is enough', said Winnie Byanyima, director of Oxfam International, 'The stakes are too high to allow governments to make a mockery of these talks'. 'Civil society is being suppressed', said Anjali Appadurai of youth group Earth in Brackets. 'Developed nations would rather spend their time playing to vocal minorities at home rather than meet this global threat head-on', said Friends of the Earth International's climate campaigner, Asad Rehman. But though NGOs had failed to get their story straight about why their 'spontaneous', and not at all pre-planned, arranged months in advance walkout was happening, they had in fact had time to have T-shirts bearing the slogan "Volverermos" (We will return) printed to commemorate it.
So NGOs will blame big businesses, intransigent governments, disinterested publics and narrow interests for failed negotiations. But never themselves. Rather than recognising that the UNFCCC process, at best, suffers from something of a democratic deficit, and furthermore attempts to negotiate many competing interests, and seeking to find ground on which those differences might be reconciled, environmental NGOs actively disrupt negotiations that are not to their taste. Green organisations don't like CCS, so rather than seeking to hold a debate on CCS, they try to shut down the discussion on CCS.
Is it possible that one, major reason that talks fail is due to the fact that NGOs act like complete jerks?
"Civil society" groups' direct action/disruption is utterly incongruous with their actual status. It's like a teacher refusing to behave properly, a policeman breaking the law. They're at the top table, demanding to be at the top table, but complaining that they are not getting their own way. They represent nobody at all. They produce nothing. They have no mandate. Yet they are invited to the highest levels of political negotiations, such as the COP meetings, and to national and supranational governments. But you or I, as members of the public, could not go to see these events for ourselves, much less could we walk out of them to register our disgust.
And yet they behave, when things don't go according to their plan, in such a way as to disrupt proceedings — either of day-to-day life, or of political business.
There is no distinction between this and the destruction of ancient monuments. In both cases, green NGOs imagine themselves to be above the rest of the world. The most illustrative case of this was Greenpeace UK's demand to 'change the politics, save the climate' — a stunt in which activists climbed the Houses of Parliament, to unfurl their banners.
Just as Greenpeace activists in Peru trample over the country's history in order to achieve the NGOs' look-at-me objectives, UK activists believed that the elected representatives in the debating chambers below should be doing as they — not the public — had instructed. Greenpeace put itself above — on top of — democratic institutions. And NGOs also see themselves above the undemocratic UNFCCC process in Lima.
This is what organisations which feel they need no mandate from ordinary people, who feel themselves to be above the institutions of mere people, and who feel able to judge ordinary people do. This is how they behave. Like the Taliban blowing up the Buddhas of Bamiyan, or the tyrants of feudal Europe, they do not recognise that they are accountable to anyone. Not to the public, and not to the law. They have a higher purpose.
Their 'direct action' in the West usually consists of little more than inconveniences — the blockages of airport runways, roads and railways. But where their money gives them more power, they are no less toxic than the companies they attack, and no less intransigent than the governments they criticise. Indeed, they may be more toxic and more indifferent to suffering than any business and any corrupt government. This power is unchecked. Whereas we can hold governments and businesses to account, there is no mechanism for voting out of office an NGO, or boycotting it.
The weirdest thing about NGOs is that they are there because governments needed them. They are a construction of governments, and processes like the UNFCCC, because political institutions such as these are so remote from ordinary life. "Civil society" has developed in the gulf between power and people, not to hold power to account, but to hold people further away. Their attacks on power — ridiculous, childish publicity stunts — are charades, or rituals, intended to convince those who play them out more than the public, that they really are in opposition, and that there isn't a revolving door between NGOs, government, media, and big business.


As expected, Sony has the top-selling game console at the start of the holiday shopping season. But it is the PSone--not its successor.
As expected, Sony has the top-selling game console at the start of the holiday shopping season. But it is the PSone, a repackaged version of the 5-year-old original PlayStation, that is topping sales charts, not the new and impossible-to-buy PlayStation 2.
Market researcher PC Data reported Tuesday that the PSone was the top-selling game player for the week ended Nov. 25, capturing 42 percent of the market and claiming the top spot for the third consecutive week.
The PlayStation 2 accounted for just 6 percent of the market, as supplies all but dried up. Sega's Dreamcast and the Nintendo 64 came in second and third with 27 percent and 26 percent market share, respectively.
Sony released the PSone, a repackaged version of the original PlayStation, three months ago to the befuddlement of some analysts. It is unusual for a game console maker to promote an old format after it introduces a new one, and Sony's efforts to position the PSone as a somewhat-portable device were muddled.
But the PSone has enjoyed an unexpected advantage over the PS2: You can buy one.
Component shortages led Sony to cut in half the initial shipments when it introduced the PS2 in North America in October. The company has yet to ramp up production to expected levels, leading to frenzied competition for the few units available through stores and online auctions.
With its $99 price tag--compared with $299 for the PS2--the PSone looks like a good deal for parents ready to outfit their kids with their first game player, said Matt Gravett, game analyst for PC Data.
"I don't think the masses of people buying a PSone are necessarily the ones who went out looking for a PlayStation 2," he said. "I think some parents thought they could get the PS2 for their kids. Now they see they can't, and the PSone looks like a pretty good deal."
Sony's supply problems may also be helping Sega. The company experienced the biggest holiday boost, with Dreamcast sales jumping 104 percent the week of Nov. 19, compared with the previous week, PC Data reported. Nintendo 64 sales jumped 76 percent. PSone sales climbed 58 percent, while PlayStation 2 sales declined 71 percent because of the supply crunch.
"Dreamcast sales have been on the rise since they dropped the price back (to $150) in September," Gravett said. "They had a great week. Almost everyone did, except for PS2."


Can you believe that Ed Sheeran is anti-social and his bestie Taylor Swift is a cyborg.
Barney is known for his rock news but this time he has news from his 'favourite' pop stars.
ALSO READ: Yes Taylor, Kriya agrees the world is "Ready For It"!
According to Barney, Justin Bieber has a few fans that have been trespassing on his property, Ed Sheeran has given up on tweeter and Taylor Swift has turned into a half human cyborg.


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