African Palace Casino has successfully created a safe gaming environment by taking strict measures to preserve information security. All personal details that a user provides are kept confidential and safe from any form of abuse. We have undertaken to protect our user's banking information using tried and trusted software approved by industry leaders.
Make sure that you provide the casino with the correct financial details to ensure an easy process when dealing with African Palace Casino. When all documents have been verified, users can start enjoying all the games and offers we have on offer. All accounts and information contained therein are secure and protected. Access the software on any of your mobile devices and enjoy easy withdrawals and depositing.
We welcome and accept all major credit cards as well as most e-wallets. Get in touch with our outstanding customer service team to express any views, questions or anything pertaining to African Palace Casino, which you might need assistance with. We are available 24/7 for your convenience.
Although African Palace Casino accepts Visa and Mastercard, some banks prohibit their cardholders from making transactions with online casinos. Moreover, the credit card companies themselves place restrictions on the amount of money you can deposit into and withdraw from the casino. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you open an alternative payment method for your transactions, and will reward you for doing so.
NETELLER is the fast, simple and secure way to move your money online. With millions of members in over 180 countries, they offer secure eWallet and prepaid MasterCard® that you can use to deposit or pay at African Palace Casino or to send money to friends and family. Click here to open a NETELLER account.
Fund your account with all of the major payment brands like Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, Bank Wires, International and Local Bank Transfers and instant local deposits such as iDEAL, giropay, DineroMail, Ukash and more. All deposits and withdrawals to and from African Palace Casino are free.
Use Neosurf to make your deposit to African Palace Casino. Buy credits and get quick and easy transactional convenience with ease. We know how important your safety is and we've taken that into consideration by introducing Neosurf. Your personal details stay hidden to keep you from being vulnerable from online fraud and misuse of your money. Bet with ease and security with Neosurf and African Palace Casino.


Alberta's power system operator is imposing a 900 MW limit on the volume of wind generation it will take onto its grid until measures are in place to ensure capacity additions beyond that mark do not jeopardize system reliability. The cap is equivalent to no more than about 10% of the province's total installed capacity. With 541 MW of wind plant either online or under construction -- and another 1106 MW with interconnection commitments -- the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) expects the cap to be reached by late next year. More than 3000 MW of wind is at various stages of development in Alberta.
AESO set the cap on release of the second phase of its wind variability study. The study's first phase, aired in November, found the Alberta Interconnected Electric System (AIES) could face operational and reliability issues when wind generation hits 895 MW. Phase two was designed to test potential mitigating measures, including increasing regulating reserves, implementing forecasting techniques and curtailing wind power facilities.
"These are not the only possible mitigation strategies and more work needs to be done in this area," states Warren Frost, the AESO's vice president of operations and reliability. "However, the important conclusion resulting from this study is that the scope, scale and potential cost of necessary mitigating measures appear to escalate rapidly when more than 900 MW of wind generation operates on the AIES," he adds. "The increased mitigation measures will come at some cost, and therefore the allocation of these increased costs must also be determined."
Canada's wind industry counters that the study is based on limited data and assumptions that are not truly reflective of reality. "For example, this study is premised on a static system that has limited geographic distribution of wind energy development, no changes to transmission infrastructure, and a focus on the impacts of wind variability on a single key transmission intertie," says Robert Hornung, of the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA).
The industry, he says, is "gravely concerned" that the limit may end up influencing future policy decisions in areas like transmission planning. Already, adds West WindEau's Claude Mindorff, the AESO appears to be planning a transmission expansion in southeast Alberta "on the basis of no wind power development beyond the 900 MW in the queue." West WindEau, based in Medicine Hat, is developing a 200 MW project in the southeast with an anticipated in-service date of September 2008.
While the industry strongly disagrees wind's variability will be a significant issue at the 900 MW mark, says Hornung, it does accept that at "some higher level of penetration" mitigating measures could be needed. "CanWEA believes that wind energy forecasting has real potential to assist in managing the variability of wind energy production." He advocates a joint AESO-industry working group to design a trial of different wind energy forecasting technologies to determine their effectiveness, particularly in the four to six hours hour ahead of power delivery.
The group should be in a position to recommend a forecasting method and implementation plan by the end of the year, says Hornung. It is premature to consider wind generation curtailment as a tool to deal with variability, adds.
CanWEA has also initiated a study designed to quantify the benefits of wind energy to Alberta consumers. Integration studies in the US, Hornung points out, have shown that significant penetrations of wind are possible with only modest changes to the level of reserves, that the displacement of fossil fuels can provide substantial savings for consumers, and that the reactive power control and low-voltage ride-through capabilities of modern wind turbines can actually improve system stability. "Clearly, if wind energy provides market benefits for consumers, this may help to offset any concerns associated with the costs of modest increases in regulating reserve," says Hornung.
The situation has prompted the AESO to propose a method for managing the interconnection queue, a plan that has come under fire from the industry for unrealistic timelines and too much emphasis on cash payments to the AESO, rather than project development milestones, to lock up space on the grid.
Not all wind producers are convinced Alberta's wind capacity will hit 900 MW as quickly as the AESO expects. Unlike other provinces where long term purchase contracts are the norm, Alberta's competitive market model means wind producers will face some degree of merchant risk at a time when wind project costs are rising, says Vision Quest Windelectric's Kevin van Koughnett. There is also uncertainty about the timing of key transmission upgrades and about how wind will be treated under new market rules requiring generators to lock in energy volume and price offers two hours prior to delivery and to comply with dispatch instructions from the system controller. It all makes for a pretty tough environment, says Van Koughnett.
"That is why I am not really spooked by this thing. I see it as a whole bunch of things that are swirling around out there that give you pause in terms of making an investment -- and this is just one more of those."


text:
B.C. property value near $1 trillion
Property values stayed stable in most parts of B.C., with large increases in areas with high demand from Asian buyers.
Construction and new developments have added $14.69 billion to the total value of real estate in B.C.
VICTORIA – B.C.'s total real estate value increased by 6.54 per cent to $964 billion, according to 2012 values released Tuesday by BC Assessment.
New construction and development accounted for $14.69 billion of the added value, with the rest coming from assessment increases in parts of the province. More than two million assessment notices are being mailed this month, leaving time for an appeal period before property taxes are assessed.
The province has also raised the eligibility threshold for the homeowners' grant. Homes worth up to $1.285 million may be eligible to receive the entire homeowners' grant this year, as a result of an annual review to make sure at least 95.5 per cent of eligible homeowners receive the full amount.
Values stayed mainly stable in the Fraser Valley for residential homes and strata properties. Total assessed value for the region's 187,000 properties rose from $85.9 billion last year to $88 billion this year, mostly due to subdivisions, rezoning and new construction. Fraser Valley commercial and industrial properties have seen increases between zero and 20 per cent.
North Fraser, from Burnaby to Port Coquitlam, saw increased values on average, with pockets of increases in the 15 to 25 per cent range. South Fraser properties were also up on average in Surrey and White Rock, with Delta values holding steady and increases of up to 30 per cent for some areas of Richmond.
Single-family homes in West Vancouver also increased in a range of 15 to 30 per cent over last year, with demand fuelled by buyers from Asia. Single-family homes in North Vancouver are up on five to 10 per cent on average, with condominiums up less than five per cent.
In Greater Victoria, the 144,000 registered properties held steady on average. Most homeowners in the region will see a range from a five-per-cent increase to a two-per-cent decline. Values are stable or down slightly in the North Island, and holding steady in the Comox and Nanaimo regions.
Assessments in the Castlegar area are down slightly for a typical single family home in the urban area, from $265,000 in 2011 to $261,000 in 2012. Nearly $30 million in subdivisions, rezoning and new construction brought the total assessment for the area up slightly to $963 million.
Property values for the northwest region including Terrace and Prince Rupert were up on average, with increases ranging from zero to 10 per cent. Similar increases were recorded in Smithers, Hazelton and Telkwa.
Central Okanagan values ranged between steady and down five per cent. In the North Okanagan, average values declined between zero and 10 per cent, while South Okanagan values were in a range of five per cent decrease to five per cent increase.
Summaries for each region and values of individual properties can be viewed here.
A small wonder: Owners rescue dog Toffee lost in fatal crash
Revelstoke residential values drop by almost 9%

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Decor is just as challenging when you permit it to get. When you are willing to understand and make time to allow new suggestions kitchen sink in, you will effortlessly see your accomplishment. The guidelines in the post earlier mentioned were all tried and true by a lot of before you decide to, and may effortlessly function in your love too.
best of lighting kitchen island beautiful kitchen from Best Pendant Lights For Kitchen Island , Bring it together with you when looking for window curtains or any other designing resources screenshot got from: bigapplelittlekitchen.com.
79 awesome island chandelier crystal new york spaces magazine from Best Pendant Lights For Kitchen Island , Take it with you when searching for curtains or some other decorating components looks downloaded from: nyspacesmagazine.com.
Best Choices » Try to use flexible household furniture anytime designing a reduced scaled space. An ottoman is a superb decision. You can use it for sitting or possibly a dinner table, and you could even retailer products on the inside, if this starts. Items that have multiple uses are effective place savers for the smaller place.
incredible crystal pendant lights kitchen lightscapenetworks com from Best Pendant Lights For Kitchen Island , Bring it together with you when buying window curtains or other redecorating supplies looks got from: lightscapenetworks.com.
pendant lights astounding home depot kitchen light fixtures pendant from Best Pendant Lights For Kitchen Island , Take it along with you when buying curtains or other redecorating supplies looks sourced from: kemetsoftware.com.
kitchen island table combo lovely real marble kitchen table fresh from Best Pendant Lights For Kitchen Island , Take it along when shopping for drapes or any other decorating resources picture downloaded from: thevegankitchen.net.
17 amazing kitchen lighting tips and ideas for the home from Best Pendant Lights For Kitchen Island , Take it along with you when buying curtains or any other designing resources looks via from: pinterest.com.
Best Choices » Lights are an excellent addition to any house as these can be contained in the living room or proper by your side from the room. Furthermore these products offer you more light to read and compose, nonetheless they will give your property a conventional appear and match many different types.


The Begijnhof is one of the oldest inner courts in the city of Amsterdam. A group of historic buildings, mostly private dwellings, centre on it. As the name suggests, it was originally a Béguinage. Today it is also the site of the English Reformed Church.


Perfect for a fall wedding. A barrel of sugar apples top this tall pale green cake with a darker green scalloped edge. The couple's initials are "carved" into the front of the cake in a heart-shaped bark. The cake base is covered to resemble tree bark to tie in their nature autumn theme. The cake was Banana Bread Cake with Brown Sugar Buttercream and Pistachio Cake with Vanilla Buttercream.


You can get further information here.
Soon you'll find more information here, our latest product brochure, user reports and everything else you might want to know, ready for download. Is something missing? Let us know - we'll supply it!


text:
Rolls-Royce strike action to defend historic Lancashire factory to begin this week
Rolls-Royce workers based at the company's historic factory in Barnoldswick Lancashire, the cradle of the jet engine, will begin three weeks of targeted strike action this Friday (6 November).
Fighting for a future
The workers, who are members of Unite the union, are fighting to preserve the long-term viability of the site, following the decision by Rolls-Royce to offshore the production of the manufacture of its Trent jet engine blades to a factory in Singapore, with the loss of 350 jobs.
Unite believes that this would make the factory, which Rolls-Royce has owned since 1943, potentially unviable. The proposed loss of jobs, let alone the total closure of the site, would have a devastating effect on Barnoldswick, where the company remains the principal employer in the town
Rolls-Royce failure
Unite has always made clear Rolls-Royce could avoid industrial action and settle the dispute over compulsory redundancies by either cancelling its plans to offshore the work to Singapore or by ensuring the viability of Barnoldswick by introducing similar work and guaranteeing comparable employment levels. The company has failed to do so.
The targeted strike action will begin at 06:30 on Friday 6 November and end on Friday 27 November at 19:00. Unite will be maintaining a picket line with strict social distancing rules in place throughout the dispute.
Since Rolls-Royce's plans became public there has been a huge groundswell of support throughout the local community for Unite's campaign to maintain blade production at Barnoldswick, and opposition to the company's offshoring proposals, which coincide with its efforts to secure £1 billion of financial support from the government.
Last resort to preserve viability
Unite regional officer Ross Quinn said: "Our members are taking industrial action as a last resort and have given Rolls-Royce every opportunity to alter its plans by ensuring the viability of Barnoldswick and confirming there will be no compulsory redundancies.
"This dispute is not just about maintaining the viability of the Rolls-Royce factory in Barnoldswick, it is about the future prosperity of the local community.
"Barnoldswick is the cradle of the jet engine and its highly skilled workforce are not prepared to allow the viability of this historic site to be undermined without a battle.
"The ability to resolve this dispute is entirely in the hands of Rolls-Royce."
Completely unacceptable
Unite assistant general secretary for manufacturing Steve Turner added: "The decision by Rolls-Royce to shift work from Barnoldswick to Singapore, costing hundreds of skilled jobs, removing opportunities for coming generations and undermining the long term future of the site, is completely unacceptable.
"Involved in the fight of their lives, workers have united the whole community in demanding replacement products, investment and guarantees over jobs and the plant's future. We urge the company to commit to that long term future and a loyal, highly skilled workforce, before the dispute escalates and the name of Rolls-Royce as a world class UK brand is undermined further."
Ross Quinn will be available for interview
Three weeks of strike action announced at Rolls-Royce's Lancashire factory in battle to prevent jobs being offshored
During the coronavirus crisis Unite is working to keep workers and the public safe, to defend jobs and to protect incomes.
For media enquiries ONLY please contact Unite senior communications officer Barckley Sumner on 07802 329235 or 0203 371 2067.
Unite: Sunak turning his back on aviation workers again, urgent support needed as Covid restrictions impact the industry
Urgent government action needed to properly protect workers following plan B announcement
RNAD Coulport nuclear naval base workers set to strike
Unite's Sharon Graham new drive already winning for workers
RNAD Coulport nuclear naval base workers to start overtime ban this week
Future of Rolls-Royce plant at Barnoldswick finally secured after long campaign


text:
This Week In Doom: Rejecting Sex With HIV+ Is Now Discrimination
Journalism professor demonstrates a lesson.
This headline appeared in a paper with enormous circulation: "HIV positive man who was rejected on Grindr after bravely revealing his condition gives witty response that sweeps Facebook."
Grindr is (they say) an app that allows men with same-sex attraction to find partners for transient and potentially harmful sex-like acts. There is immediate astonishment that this newspaper is encouraging these activities that comes before the realization that the man has a debilitating if not deadly disease, one which is passed on in just those activities the man is openly seeking. The summary:
* Tom Knight, 28, from London was using the gay dating app Grindr
* He bravely revealed he was HIV positive to a prospective date
* The potential date replied: 'I'm not ready for that kind of complication'
* Tom replied: 'Oh you still wear flared jeans… I'm not sure I'm ready for that kinda complication in my life'
What's the worst sin the paper, and apparently a large chunk of Facebook, could identify? That the second man seeking immoral acts wears flared jeans? Or that this second man rejected unprotected sex-like activities with an HIV infected partner? The paper said (ellipsis original):
Tom [the man with HIV], who has 526 followers, later revealed that the [second] man in question had responded again saying: 'Someone in your situation should be a bit more realistic.'
However with enough ammunition for another come back, he wrote: 'Well the good news is my HIV can be treated. Your fashion sense however…'
Friends were quick to post their messages of support. One wrote: 'Well done luvey! x'
Another commented: 'Oh the life! Love your reply!!'
Tom told the MailOnline: 'I wasn't having a hissy fit because I got turned down for sex or anything of the sort.
The second man, the flared-jeans wearer, retained a notion that his health was important and was ridiculed for it. Tom said about his trolling, "It is what it is. I am proud of who I am and what I've done. I am by no means glamourising HIV or unprotected sex. I am simply living my life and doing my bit for a world I'm part of."
He's not glamourising it, he says, but he's still seeking and engaging in unprotected sex-like activities. That's "doing his bit" for the world.
This story was picked up on inter alia Buzzfeed. Their title? "This HIV-Positive Guy Gave The Perfect Slapdown To Someone Who Rejected Him On Grindr: 'Oh you have HIV…I'm not ready for that kind of complication in my life,' said the man on Grindr. BuzzFeed News spoke to Tom Knight about his awesome response."
Perfect slapdown. Awesome response.
In the story, Tom said, "I saw a story the other day from the Evening Standard and he [an HIV-positive man] was saying, 'HIV isn't a problem, it's the attitudes around it.'"
Throughout these articles, those with HIV are painted as harmless victims suffering unwarranted, unreasonable discrimination. Not only is their HIV not their fault, but if you refuse to engage in immoral acts with those who have HIV, it is you who is at fault. You are the one with the problem.
Let's categorize. The number of folks who still hold, via natural law or tradition-based arguments, that same-sex acts are immoral, are no longer a majority, but they're not terribly far from one either, despite media portraits. The media pounds its stretched skins to make it appear that more agree with them than actually do. That technique does win converts, so to speak.
Of the majority who hold, via desire-based or so-called libertarian arguments, that same-sex acts are moral, I think most still agree that purposely seeking same-sex acts with the risk of transmitting HIV is immoral. Such acts intentionally cause harm in others, which is the only libertarian no-no. Libertarians are weak on what defines "harm", which is their weakness.
The media never tires of beating its drum, so it tries to show that even these libertarians are wrong, and that the true immorality is in rejecting the desires of the HIV positive. Judging by the wealth and nature of comments to the stories linked above, the media is winning its war.
HIV is just a disease, and what's wrong with that, you bigot. If two consenting adults want to share it, what's that to you? How dare you deny somebody sexual access? Have you no love? Where's Anthony Kennedy when you need him?
I've said this before, but we are rapidly approaching the state where the only perversion left will be holding the traditional position. In the near future, you will not be allowed, in polite company, to say same-sex acts are (for instance) disgusting, dangerous, or immoral. To be socially rewarded, you will have to announce that same-sex acts are good, even appealing. The most moral will not be the man who claims predominant same-sex attraction, but the heteronormative man who says he (or his children) would be willing (or excited?) to "experiment."
Now this is a verifiable predictive, dear reader. The only thing I've left out is a date. Good question, that. Ten years?
Bonus Pay attention to the bottom-right corner of a magazine featured in the Buzzfeed article. Who said having same-sex attraction had anything to do with sex?
Update Did I say ten years? "The U.S. government says it will begin using the term 'sexual rights' in discussions of human rights and global development."
Update Apropos to timing. "Frito-Lay announced Thursday that for a limited time Doritos will come in rainbow colors to show support for the LGBT community. Sales will go to It Gets Better, a non-profit group started by the infamous anti-Christian bully and bigot Dan Savage."
Update One of the Buzzfeed comments caught my eye. It was by a man responding to a comment that the second man had a right not to be infected (all sic).
Hello there you are right to a point but do you know how many married men gets on grindr and How many younger guys that don't care if they get HIV. I know for a fact because I had plenty asking me to give them HIV to them. And Tom didn't ask for a date or a LTR or to get married.
Recall "bug hunting" or bugchasing, i.e. the intentional search for HIV infection. I had an email conversation with a long-time blog reader. It was painfully difficult for her to admit that this kind of behavior was immoral.
Failed Climate Scientists Call For RICO Investigation To Stop Criticisms, And Non-Scientist Claims Scientists Will Cause Next Genocide
Summary Against Modern Thought: God Wills The Future
A simple cure – allow others to do to you whatever you reckon is acceptible for others. That should put a stop to the nonsense. If you think it's ok for Mr HIV to give it to Mr Flares, then allow him to give it to you. Don't hold back as a voyeur of diversity – if you reckon it's ok then join in.
CI says:
If you're using petulant Facebook tantrums as an indicator to promote self serving agendas of alleged moral decay, you've missed the boat. Facebook has shown the true colors of many of our fellow citizens….."moral" and "immoral" alike.
Jim Fedako says:
Briggs,
Wow! In just a few paragraphs, you showed you have no ability to understand libertarianism or any aspect of liberty.
To your defence, you may be conflating the Libertarian Party with libertarianism (or Classical Liberalism) as a justification for a system of ethics — kind of like conflating the Democratic Party with democracy or the Republican Party with republicanism.
Or, and this may be the point, you are impugning liberty so as to justify your version of state-mandated ethics. If that is the case, those with the same system of ethics, but members of the other tribe, were justified in sticking it to us the last seven years, just as your tribe was justified the previous eight years, and so on.
Extra point: What is the opposite of Classical Liberalism (hint: also starts with a "c").
Answer: I suspect you answered, "conservative." You would have been wrong. The answer is actually, "collectivism," the basis for the platforms of both major parties, which is why thing move forward, incrementally, and rarely in reverse.
And it is why thirteen of the fourteen pretenders on your side all call for collective action, wars on everything, etc. And your tribe cheers.
Finally, it is why your side is told to fear, and then fears as a collective mass, various barbarians at the gates and assundry hobgoblins (seems you missed the famous quote from Schumpeter).
* Kennedy is the lasting gift from the eternal saint from your tribe. Keep that in mind, always.
* You know for certain the protagonist in the articles is not a classical libertarian. Just because two groups use similar terms or make similar claims or perform similar rituals does not make them the same (e.g. wiccans and Christians both use wine). You know this, I am also certain. Yet you still purposively conflate. Hmmm.
Is it rude to duck when someone points a gun at you and says "It's Loaded"?
Now, Jim, you must realize this article was not meant to be a dissertation on libertarianism. The shorthand argument I gave to roughly classify people is perfectly useful and as accurate as it needs to be in this context.
So, given you are "libertarian", is my guess correct? Do you think Tom is immoral to seek to inflict his disease on others?
DAV,
Bigot!
Truly disappointing.
While I'm not too fond of chips, I did quite enjoy the Rockstars, Leaf (unsweetened) tea, and Gatorade.*
Alas, such is not to touch my lips again. (At least not until a public recant.)
Frito-Lay owns near all brands of chips you; including but not limited to:
Fritos, lays, doritos, ruffles, tostitos, santinos (Mexican brand of tostitos).
The company also falls under the same umbrella which owns Pepsi – which itself owns Gatorade, the Pure Leaf tea brand, and distributes Rockstars.
Now that I know these brands have been offered to an idol and false god, I can no longer buy them.
DAV: Obviously, yes. (The way to avoid the problem is to always be the one holding the gun, be it metal or a nasty virus. Since this is a family blog, I'll skip what holding could mean.)
The only up side is that the more the HIV is spread at a cost of billions to taxpayers (Obama wants 33 Billion for 2016), the greater the probability of a mutation that science cannot treat. Only nature can fix stupidity and it does so the same way we deal with mosquitoes.
I'm still wondering why minority rule was wrong in South Africa. It's obviously championed and worshipped in the USA. Why the difference?
Speaking of desires and the heart wants what the heart wants category, two teachers in Douglas, Wyoming are out of a job and in big trouble for wanting sex with 18 and 17 year old students in the high school. No one seems to care what they wanted nor that the two of the students were 18. So, the heart can have what the heart wants, but not without consequence. Not yet anyway. Any one care to call the school bigoted and wrong for not allowing this? Of course, they have just had their licenses suspended for now.
(Does anyone remember the show "Everwood" where pedophilia was openly portrayed and condoned?)
There has to be a perversion, which is why pedophilia is still held to be wrong (except on Everwood). The traditional view is probably being groomed for taking over. Everyone knows someone has to be wrong or the tolerant have no one to beat up.
Adding Frito Lay to my list of DO NOT BUY.
Since this is a family blog, I'll skip what holding could mean.
Likewise with the alternate meaning of gun as used in the military ("My rifle is for shooting; my gun is for fun").
Alan McIntire says:
I'm reminded of Ambrose Bierce's definition in "The Devil's Dictionary:
"IMMORAL, adj. Inexpedient. Whatever in the long run and with regard to the greater number of instances men find to be generally inexpedient comes to be considered wrong, wicked, immoral. If man's notions of right and wrong have any other basis than this of expediency; if they originated, or could have originated, in any other way; if actions have in themselves a moral character apart from, and nowise dependent on, their consequences—then all philosophy is a lie and reason a disorder of the mind."
And that's why homosexual behavior is immoral- not because of arbitrary rules by prudes, but because such behavior is inexpedient both for the individual and for the species as a whole.
Pingback: This Week In Doom: Rejecting Sex With HIV+ Is Now Discrimination | Reaction Times
Senghendrake says:
The revolution eats its own.
Now it's no longer enough to actively engage in butt-stuff with totally strangers- if you do that but don't want to catch HIV you're backwards bigoted oppressor. I wonder if Mr. Flared Pants realizes that he is a now Girondin in the eyes of the Jacobin Club.
*Total, not "totally".
(You know what, I'll just give this a second try, I must be tired or something)
Now it's no longer enough to actively engage in butt-stuff with total strangers- if you do that but don't want to catch HIV you're a backwards bigoted oppressor. I wonder if Mr. Flared Pants realizes that he is now a Girondin in the eyes of the Jacobin Club.
"The revolution eats its own." A simple truth always lost on the faithful followers.
Years ago I read the homosexual manifesto and they were pushing the idea the homosexuality is normal, natural and healthy. Their agenda hasn't changed.
I think your "shorthand argument" was more telling than you want to let on.
Yes, I subscribe to Classical Liberalism (libertarianism). But I am a Christian first.
Is he being moral? Of course not. But that does not invalidate libertarianism as a system of ethics.
If you are looking to libertarianism as a source for morality, you will fall short. Just as those who look to democracy, republicanism, progressivism, conservatism, Marxism, etc., as sources of morality also fall short. Though, sadly, too many overlook the obvious shortfalls and continue to restate their -ism as the definition of morality.
Witness the nonsensical claim from those who worship democracy as a moral system, "I do not agree with that law, but at least I was giving the opportunity to vote on it (or for someone to represent me during the vote)." With one sentence, they perform a mental dialectic, so to speak, and justify the law based on the vote of the majority.
Others simple accept legalism — the belief that a legal system is moral — as their guide. So a man is vile because he broke an unjust law — he broke the law, only criminals break laws, and criminals are vile, so he is vile. The corollary is that staying within the boundaries of law implies morality.
I think the issue at hand is consent, or lack thereof, from the other side of the "intent to inflict."
Here's a question for you to ponder: Is it ethical for a man to seek to inflict harm (and occasionally kill) another in a ring? Assuming your system of ethics is airtight, why are you not scream "stop" after each death — or before, even? Why are you not crying for laws against such unethical acts (assuming you truly believe it is unethical to seek to harm another)?
Could it be that you occasionally have no issue with consenting adult wanting to harm one another, even to the point of risking death?
Again, as I suspect, your system of ethics is situational. Though, I do believe your moral system is much more eternal.
Briggs, your post brings to mind an old science-fiction story (so long ago I've forgotten the title and author) in which homosexuality WAS the norm, heterosexuality WAS a perversion, conception and fetus bearing was done artificially. The gimmick was this perversion would hold back the Malthusian bugbear of overpopulation. In reality contraception and abortion have done that already without making homosexuality the norm–witness low birthrates in Russia, Europe (excepting Muslim populations) that are not enough to maintain a steady state population.
David in Cal says:
I recall a related scene in the play "Angels in America". The protagonist is upset upon learning that his partner has AIDS. So, the protagonist goes out and finds another man to have sex with. And, this was written before medicines were as good as today's. I considered the protagonist to have committed attempted murder, but that was obviously the wrong reaction.
Sylvain says:
This is one story that should not have made it to any press cue.
As usual people here confound morality with responsibility and legality.
Morality is different from people to people. In the vast majority of developed countries around the world it is considered immoral to not provide healthcare to everyone. This statement does not apply to the USA.
In the end what is immoral or moral to someone can be very different to someone else.
Responsibility and legality are something else.
In the case of Tom he is irresponsible to want to spread HIV.
But the author of this blog is also irresponsible in conflating the comments of a few friends of Tom has being a fact. This is making a huge deal of a little rain.
Pingback: Outside in - Involvements with reality » Blog Archive » Chaos Patch (#80)
JMSmith says:
Sylvain @ There is no radical moral pluralism among humans. In order to make it appear that there is, proponents of moral relativism do three things: (1) mix manners in with morals, so that opinions about bad taste appear to be opinions about morality, (2) confuse tolerance with approval, (3) misrepresent moral particularism, so that, for instance, approval of lying to strangers appears to be approval of lying. Take out the manners, accept that societies vary in their degrees of tolerance (or laxity), understand moral particularism, and you will find that the large, successful civilizations all have (and have had) pretty much the same moral code. Theists and proponents of natural law explain this in one way, Darwinists explain it in another, but the fact remains.
I take it that the word "irresponsible" means heedless of consequences, unwilling or unprepared to pay the cost of an action. That one should heed the consequences and pay the cost of one's actions is a moral judgment, so calling the young man's actions (actually his intended but not realized actions) irresponsible is a moral judgment.
In the case at hand, the (immoral) irresponsibility is particularly egregious, since the first man presumably had no intention of paying the second man's medical bills, and could not under any circumstances restore him to his previous level of health. This is why casual sex of any description is the opposite of marital sex, from a moral point of view. The marriage vow is a vow of sexual responsibility–meaning a vow to take full responsibility for the consequences of sexual activity.
Hack says:
Briggs, it never ceases to amaze me, you correctly point out and discuss something that is literally insane. Then I go down to your blogs comment section and it never fails, there are several people defending the insanity.
I did not know what bugchasing was so I followed the link, wow. But I guess that should not be surprising, according to modernity we should be able to end our life whenever we want, so why shouldn't someone want and be able to get an incurable disease? Plus, don't forget all the sympathy from victim hood and that applies to poor Tom also since some one (many?) won't have sex with him. Poor Tom. All you insane defenders from this blog should go to his facebook page and click like him or something or become a follower or whatever, it'll make the poor victim Tom feel better.
Scotian says:
Bob K.
This is probably the story:
https://lostgayfiction.wordpress.com/2011/12/04/the-crooked-man-by-charles-beaumont/
It was published in Playboy, I only read it for the articles, in 1955.
"That one should heed the consequences and pay the cost of one's actions is a moral judgment, so calling the young man's actions (actually his intended but not realized actions) irresponsible is a moral judgment."
Irresponsibility and morality are two different things. Saying someone is irresponsible is not a moral judgment. It's a factual statement. This is why people say that that gays are immoral. They don't say they are irresponsible.
This is how the Merriam-Webster defines it
": not responsible: as
a : not answerable to higher authority
b : said or done with no sense of responsibility
c : lacking a sense of responsibility
d : unable especially mentally or financially to bear responsibility"
In this case it is not that Tom want to have sex with another man that some defines as being immoral, but the fact that he is HIV positive and that it is an STD.
Sylvan @ I think this is like saying that dishonesty and morality are two different things, or infidelity and morality. When we call a man irresponsible, we condemn the man, and when we condemn a man, we make a moral judgment. It's just occurred to me that we used to have a word to describe people who acted, non-culpably, without regard for consequences or higher authority. We used to say they were gay. Ironic, no?
@JMSmith
Someone can be irresponsible without being immoral. Someone can be immoral and not be irresponsible. And someone can be immoral and irresponsible at the same time.
For many it is not immoral to not pay there alimony, but it is irresponsible to not provide for a child you brought to the world. It is not irresponsible to be gay, while some people find it immoral. It is immoral and irresponsible to cause the death of someone.
Isn't that ironic that gay originally meant someone that was happy.
I find strange that no one here complains that the meaning of this word changed meaning pver the years.
Sylvain @ My grandmother used to resent homosexual's appropriation of the word gay. She felt no particular hostility toward homosexuals, but was fond of the word and the special sort of happiness it denoted. To be gay in the old sense was to be carefree, almost to the point of giddiness. It was to be momentarily relieved of the great weight of life–of all regrets, fears and responsibilities. I think my grandmother was acutely aware of that weight in the normal course of things, but her anxiety was intermittently broken by holidays of gaiety. She said there was really no word that described these holidays, other than gay.
In psychological terms, I suppose she was mildly bipolar, and gay was the manic phase of the cycle. Many years ago I lived in a large city and knew many homosexuals. Not one of them was happy in the ordinary sense, but most could crank themselves up to a giddy, manic, gaiety. In some this was authentic, in others affected.
acricketchirps says:
I still use the word 'gay' exclusively just as JM's granny would wish–usually without explaining it. For the other, I prefer "sodomite".
It's not moral to endanger other people's health. But there is no need to speak of that man's sexual partners as helpless victims – they are responsible for their own health. Don't want HIV, test your partners and use condoms. It's not moral to shift all the blame on the HIV-positive guy if someone else gets infected.
Pingback: This Week In Doom: Meat Eating & The Sins Of Sexual Normalcy | William M. Briggs


text:
Beat is powered by Vocal creators. You support Andreus Chia by reading, sharing and tipping stories... more
Taylor Swift's Best Visuals (Pt. 2)
by Andreus Chia 7 months ago in celebrities
Here are Taylor's 13 best music videos and the meaning behind them.
Safe and Sound, ft. The Civil Wars
"Taylor Swift is a lyrical genius," someone once said. Her songs captivate you in ways you would never imagine. While her songs are the best lyrical representations of her life, her music videos provide us with marvellous visual representations of her songs. Her array of music videos shows us many aspects of her faceted life and today I am sharing a few of my favourites as a respect to her.
As always, I am ranking them based on the aesthetics of the videos, how well they portray the themes of the songs and also the significance of the videos to a Swiftie (Taylor's fan).
Before we get started, I have written Part one of the list and the link is below. Read to find out what the videos at the final six places are!
Disclaimer: This list is entirely my opinion and is not in any way professional. It may differ vastly to most of the lists curated by professional critics as this list is mainly curated from the standpoint of a "Swiftie" (Taylor's fan).
Okay, now that the disclaimer is done, let's get to it!
7. "Out of the Woods"
With other videos which blew up like "Blank Space," "Bad Blood" and "Shake It Off" being released by Taylor during her 1989 era, the video for "Out of the Woods" is undoubtedly one of her least appreciated videos from that era despite its excellence in captivating its viewers. Using a lot of brilliant metaphors, it depicts the start and progress of her career and also hints on the main factor that has possibly driven the end of her relationship with the guy in context.
The video was directed by Joseph Khan and so it was no surprise that it has absolutely stunning visuals. From the opening shot of Taylor standing on the beach to the final shot of her looking back at the camera, every shot is almost perfect. The camera work is excellent and the transitions between the various settings are amazing.
At the beginning of the video, Taylor can be seen standing at the beach looking out to the vast ocean. As the song starts playing, branches grow around her rapidly all of a sudden and before she could even react, she is completely surrounded by them and she is now in the woods. This signifies the start of her career as a country singer. After she released her second country studio album Fearless, she became worldwide famous. With her fame, she drew the attention of the "wolves," (i.e. the media). The media went after her constantly and throughout the years, she was hurt in different ways.
After the first chorus, the video transitioned from the dark woods to a snowy terrain. This represents the bold change she made in hope for an escape. When she slowly transitioned into pop music in her Red album, she opened up new grounds for herself. However, the number of "wolves" increases drastically. With a greater audience for her music, the attention she got from the media was like never before. In the video, she can be seen throwing her paper-plane necklace away while the wolves are chasing after her. The necklace signifies one of her most talked about relationships. With the pressure and attention from the media, Taylor realised the relationship was bound to end. In the video, Taylor tries to grab the necklace back, but to no avail. Attempts to revive the relationship are fruitless and it is clear that it was heart-breaking for her to end the relationship. She mourns the loss and as the wolves get precariously close to her, she finally makes the leap off of the snowy cliff. Once again, she was trying to escape from the claws of the paparazzi.
While the song motivates broken hearts to stand back up after a failed relationship, the video motivates everyone to persevere through every failure in general. Taylor falls down seven times in seven different settings in the video, but she stands back up eight times. "She lost him, but she found herself, and somehow that was everything." I think the main message of the video is: It is okay to meet with failure many times along your way in life. The most important thing is that you find yourself after each failure and fight back every time you fall.
And with all being said, it is clear that "Out of the Woods" has a really solid video and it definitely earned the seventh place on this list.
December 1, 2018: 143 million views
6. "You Belong With Me"
In the sixth place of this list, we have the most viewed country music video in history, " You Belong With Me." Released in 2009, this video has garnered almost a billion views!
It has the same story-telling method as her most of her early videos like "Ours." In the video, Taylor is singing and narrating as everything goes on around her. It is the most common high school love story ever and although cheesy at times, the story is absolutely charming.
Taylor lives next door to her schoolmate (played by Lucas Till). She has a crush on him, but he has a brunette girlfriend (also played by Taylor in a wig) who is a popular girl in school. After a football game in school, however, Lucas finds his girlfriend flirting with another guy. This results in an argument which eventually leads to their breakup in the end. Lucas hopes that Taylor will turn out to prom but to his dismay, Taylor expresses that she can't make it. Finally, however, Taylor shows up at prom with a beautiful white dress. It is revealed that Lucas has feelings for Taylor this whole time. The video ends with them kissing adorably.
This video became such a staple of modern pop culture and it won her the MTV Best Female Video in 2009! This is also the video which started the Kanye West controversy when he stormed onto the stage and interrupted Taylor's award speech. Besides, the video spawned lots of parodies and fan fictions. There is even a gay parody of the video, which is really cool. The outfits in this video are memorable. The "Junior Jewels" outfit is so iconic that many people could recognise it almost immediately.
Most importantly, however, this video is responsible for her image in her early career. Her songs from her early eras like "Teardrops on my Guitar," and "Love Story" have successfully established her "girl next door" image with beautiful lyrics and romantic plots. This video further reinforces it and shoots her to mega-stardom.
Needless to say, this video stands as not only one of Taylor's most successful music videos but also one of the most iconic videos in modern pop culture.
5. "Wildest Dreams"
There is nothing more beautiful than nature, and this video shows it all. Set in an Africa savanna, the video uses the breath-taking natural sceneries as a canvas to paint its romantic love story on. Every shot from the cascading waterfalls to the galloping creatures is absolutely gorgeous. Directed by Joseph Khan, it has arguably the best visuals among all her music videos.
The video begins with Taylor shooting a romantic adventure film with her co-star (played by Scott Eastwood). They are having a love affair on set. However, there is a fight between them and that leads to the end of their romance. Despite being upset with Scott in reality, Taylor has to continue her role in the film so she acts nonchalant. During the premiere, it is revealed that Scott has a wife. While watching the film, Taylor is finally overwhelmed by her emotions and she storms out of the theatre. The video ends with a sad note as Taylor sighs in a car driven away from the theatre and Scott watches after running out into the streets.
This video adopts a storyline which encapsulates the theme of the song poetically. Taylor and Joseph draw their inspiration from classic Hollywood romances like Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton and add in their twist. In the video, Taylor and Scott are acting for a film and while in reality things may not have worked out for them, they have to pretend their romance for the film. This aspect of the video matches the song's theme of Taylor desperately trying to hold on to someone even if the romance is not real and will only be in their "wildest dreams." Eventually, the filming has to come to an end and when the lights finally go out, there will be nothing left as it has always been just an act. This echoes the lyrics "say you'll remember me...even if it's just pretend" in a rather melancholic way.
This video is a very solid effort from Taylor and her team in portraying a melancholic love story happening in the wilds of Africa in the 1950s. However, since it's Taylor we are talking about, there were definitely controversies about the video. While many praised the video for its spellbinding visuals and romantic plot, many others criticised it for being racist and for bringing back "white colonialism in Africa." Joseph defended the video, stating that "This is not a video about colonialism, but a love story on the set of a period film crew in Africa, 1950." I personally think it was a stretch to mark this video as an embodiment of white colonialism as it is obvious that the main focus of the video is on something else as I mentioned before.
All in all, this is a beautiful video and is definitely one of my all-time favourite music videos by Taylor.
4. "Blank Space"
The song started off as a joke in response to what the media has been saying about Taylor. According to Taylor, over the years, the media has been painting her as a psychotic serial-dater and she thought it would be interesting to write a song from the perspective of the girl character the media has been making up. And thus "Blank Space" exists.
If you think this was an intelligent move from Taylor to turn the tables, the music video for this song does an even exceptional job in poking fun at the media's ridiculous portrayal of her. Mirroring the lyrics, the video starts with Taylor being in a mansion with her boyfriend (played by Sean O'Pry). They have fun, ride horses, play games and even carve their names on a tree. However, good times don't last long. As the song progresses into the second verse, things begin to go downhill for Sean. Taylor starts to show who she really is and Scott is shocked by the insanity of Taylor. In the end, he leaves out of frustration and another guy (played by Andrea Denver) arrives at her mansion. The video ends with a somewhat menacing smile from Taylor before it cuts to black.
This is the first video on which Joseph Khan and Taylor Swift work together and it is spectacular. In the video, almost everything—from Taylor's wealth, Taylor's obsession with men to Taylor's craziness—is exaggerated and blown out of proportion to mock the media's tendency to stretch things whenever they can and to ridicule their portrayal of her as this "man-eater" character who dates men for inspiration to write songs. The video features an exceptionally huge mansion with an enormous garden and it also features Taylor acting all sorts of crazy and insane. It is definitely one of her quirkiest and funniest videos to watch.
Apart from once being the most viewed music video on Vevo in 2015, it also won the MTV music video awards for Best Pop Video and Best Music Video. With the success of the video, there is no doubt that it deserves the 5th spot on this list.
December 1, 2018: 2.37 billion views
And ... that is all for part two!
Taylor's creativity is boundless and her music and videos truly showcase this. From over 30 music videos, I have chosen 13 of my favourites and ranked them, and I have to admit it was very difficult.
I hope you guys enjoyed Part two. If you haven't checked out Part one, please do check it out. The link is at the beginning of this article. In Part three, I will be revealing my top three favourites and explaining why. Stay tuned!
Read next: Fly Away, Skyline Pigeon, Fly!
Andreus Chia
Andreus hasn't written a bio yet :(
All posts by Andreus →
The Best Nav Collaborations
Rap Disciple
Nav isn't the first producer- turned- rapper that hip-hop has seen, but he's quickly distinguishing himself in today's rap game as a thoughtful curator of songs and sculptor of beats. He's contributed...
Life in Plastic, It's Fantastic!
Joey Rupcich
"Wait, it gets cold in Wisconsin?" I sat there dumbfounded in my badger sandals as I had to explain to a friend from Maine that yes, it does get cold in Wisconsin. In the course of my one year in New ...
Mark Mancina's Music for 'August Rush'
Lynnsay O
The story of August Rush is undoubtedly a fairytale style film, and music is meant to be a driving force for that.	Evan/August is a young musical prodigy living in an orphanage, determined to find his...
"Colour Me In"
Maddie Christy
I'm taking a well-needed break from academic writing and turning my attention to this post. I need a change of tune, a chat… something more informal. The essay I have been writing is one about music a...
David Raksin's Music for 'Laura' (1944)
Nick Falkner
It was 1996. I was 19. I was overwhelmed by curiosity. In my hand was the Mercyful Fate album, Into The Unknown. Previously, I had bought a Judas Priest tribute album, which had Mercyful Fate covering...
Fly Away, Skyline Pigeon, Fly!


The decision to undergo eye removal surgery is not an easy one to make.
When this option becomes necessary for your overall health, we work to help you achieve the quality of life and vision you want and deserve.
Our team of board-certified surgeons and friendly, approachable staff are here for you when life happens, offering prosthetic solutions that guarantee the comfort and appearance you deserve.
Contact us today to talk about our prosthetic options.
Why would I need prosthetics?
People may consider pursuing prosthetics for any of the following reasons: injury, glaucoma, infections inside the eye, and/or eye tumors.
Is a prosthetic actually a "glass eye"?
In the past "glass eye" was really made of glass. Today, a prosthetic eye is usually made of semi-hard, plastic acrylic. The prosthetic is shaped to your individual need.
Will the prosthetic move like a human eye?
A prosthetic eye moves, but often not as fully or freely as a typical eye. The pupil on a prosthetic does not change with light. So the pupils of the two eyes may appear uneven.


Let's be real for a second. How often does your mood and confidence depend on the number of likes you get on Facebook, Twitter, or any other place that has social currency? Sadly, many of us trade social currency for confidence. Sounds like a pretty good deal, right? I'll like your dog pictures on Facebook. And you like my cool new profile picture with sunglasses while I'm looking away from the camera.
There's one downside this exchange. It's fleeting - and makes us more reliant on external validation than ourselves.
It's what I call crowdsourcing confidence. But, what happens when no one likes the stuff we share? We feel like crap.
It's not only on social media. A lot of people don't have social media profiles at all. Instead, they trade compliments from their spouse, boss, friends, colleagues, for confidence.
It's validation. We depend on it. For years, I've chased validation without even knowing it. It just creeps in your system.
For more tips to help boost your confidence, sign up for Shine.
As an entrepreneur, I worked hard to get validation from clients or prospects. If people didn't like our products, I doubted myself. But when a client gave me a compliment the next day, I thought I was doing well.
And when I worked for a major corporation, it was the same. When my colleagues or boss acknowledged my work, I was happy with my job. And when people didn't acknowledge my effort, it was the worst job in the world.
It's also true for relationships.
That type of behavior damages relationships, and more importantly: Yourself.
"But why should I do anything?
Do things for yourself. Not in a selfish way. You're here for a limited time so you might as well enjoy it. And stop worrying about what other people think about you.
Don't rely on outside sources like compliments or attention.
Have you heard of Mirror Neurons? In the 80s, neuroscientists in Italy found that primates have neurons in their brain that are responsible for imitative behavior. In simple words: We copy each other's behavior. That's how I also learned to stop searching for validation. From my mentors.
Confidence starts with a belief. It's something you can create instantly within yourself. Instead of believing that you can't you start believing that you can.
Next, your body follows. Instead of sitting hunched, with your shoulders pointing towards the ground, you straighten up, open up your chest, and breathe through your nose. Think it. Feel it. Do it. Believe it. I have several mentors, and they all work hard for themselves. But at the same time, they also provide value for other people.
Because they don't worry about what other people think of them, they can spend their time on their own business.
And the best thing about stopping to crowdsource your confidence is that you can focus on what matters. At the end of the day, you're not defined by how many likes, compliments, or pats on the back you receive.
Actions are the only tangible thing we have in this world. It's not our word that counts. And if you feel strength in your own abilities, you will ultimately become more confident.
You have more capabilities than you think. You just have to look inside yourself, not outside.


At the Chicago Blackhawks Convention this July, I found this oddball Bobby Hull card that seemed to be some sort of unlicensed issue. It is printed on thin stock and uses a very grainy photograph. You would think that maybe some guy made this in his basement 20 years ago when hockey cards started to become popular. However, this was from an actual 45-card set of, ahem, superstar players from different sports. Allegedly, a company named Card Collectors Closet in Springfield, MA released them. The first series from 1980 had yellow borders, while the second series from 1982 had red borders. Besides Hull, the only other hockey players to appear in the 45-card second series are Gordie Howe, Rod Gilbert and Bobby Orr.
The front of this flimsy card shows a black and white photograph of Hull from his playing days with the Chicago Black Hawks (the team name was two words until 1986). The photo is poorly cropped, perhaps in an effort to hide Hull's receding hairline. The photo also appears to be taken directly from a newspaper, as the half-toning "dots" are quite visible. You can almost smell the lousy production values. And notice the little star between the E and R at the top. Kind of cute, in a "my kid made this" sort of way.
The card back is plain ol' black text on a white background. It tells us a bit about Bobby Hull.
The "Golden Jet" broke the 1944-45 record of Maurice "Rocket" Richard for most goals in a season. This became a reality on March 12th, 1966 when he shot the puck past Ranger goaltender Cesare Maniago at the Chicago Stadium. Bedlam broke out as the fans went crazy showering the ice with hats and some foreign objects.
Bobby recorded 604 N.H.L. goals before joining the World Hockey Association. Amongst his N.H.L. Awards were MVP, 1965 and 1966, leading scorer '60, '62, and '66 and Lady Byng Trophy winner 1965.
Any spelling or punctuation errors are from the card, and not my mediocre typing.
No company name or licensing information is visible on the card, leading me to believe that Collectors Closet did not get the licensing rights from any players, teams or leagues. You can find most cards from this set from $1 to $5.
Not sure if you are still around but Thank you so much for the info on this card as I received this card free and had no idea who made it.Any idea where i can find a list of all 45 cards?
Yep, I'm still around. Glad that I could help!


text:
Red Hill (Pennsylvania)
Red Hill (South Carolina)
Red Hill (Queensland)

Zie ook
Redhill (doorverwijspagina)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
| PROGRAM
| SPEAKERS
| ORGANIZERS
| Select language:
◄ BACK TO
Εleni Sakellariou
Coping with crisis: cities and towns in southern Italy in the late Middle Ages
The late Middle Ages in Italy is a period of crisis at many levels: the demographic, economic, institutional and political. The crisis seems to be systemic and long lasting; however, it is interrupted by shorter periods of recovery and growth. In this rapidly changing environment, the prime role of cities and the high level of urbanization is the distinguishing feature of the Italian case. In the study of Italian cities, the paradigm of the largely independent urban communes of the centre and north is still dominant as a reference point for the evaluation of the economic, social and institutional complexity, of the polity and the civilization of these urban centres and of the peninsula as a whole. At the same time, and next to the dominant paradigm of the north, the towns and cities of southern Italy attain a mature civic identity following a different path. As a rule, they do not claim autonomy and a large margin of initiative outside and in opposition to the centralized royal authority that has dominated the south since the twelfth century, nor do they try systematically to secure control over an extended hinterland. Rather, they seek and achieve participation, next to the central government, in the administrative control of their territory and, in the last analysis, in the government of the unified institutional entity, which was embodied in the monarchy in southern Italy. They also achieve recognition of, and set in motion, their role as political bodies with a certain negotiating clout towards the central authority and other social and political entities. Under this viewpoint, it seems that the yardstick for the assessment of southern Italian urban settlements must not be their neighbours in the north of the peninsula, but the cities of political structures with comparable characteristics in the north and west of Europe.
© EPLO 2017


text:
Guido Torzilli (* 29. November 1962 in Mailand) ist ein italienischer Viszeralchirurg, bekannt für sein chirurgisches und wissenschaftliches Wirken im Bereich der Präzisionschirurgie der Leber, insbesondere bei der Behandlung von bösartigen Tumoren.

Ausbildung und Laufbahn
Torzilli studierte Humanmedizin an der Universität Mailand und bekam seine Approbation mit der Bewertung Summa cum laude. Anschließend spezialisierte er in der Allgemeinchirurgie an der gleichen Universität bis 1993. Für sein PhD-Programm zog er nach Tokyo in Japan, arbeitete dort als Fellow der japanischen Stiftung zur Beförderung der Krebsforschung und wurde Assistent Professor. Vier Jahre leitete er dann die Abteilung für hepatobiliäre Chirurgie in Klinikum von Lodi und kehrte danach zurück zu seiner Alma Mater, wo er als Direktor der Sektion für Leberchirurgie an der Universität Mailand angestellt wurde. Während dieser Zeit war er lehrtätig im Bereich der radiologischen Facharztweiterbildung an der Universität Pavia sowie in mehreren anderen Fachbereichen an italienischen Universitäten. Seit 2006 ist er Direktor der Abteilung für Leberchirurgie des Humanitas Research Hospital. Er ist Vorsitzender der AICEP (italienischer Verein für hepatobiliäre und Pankreaschirurgie).

Wissenschaftliche und chirurgische Tätigkeit
Torzilli hat über 200 wissenschaftliche Artikel veröffentlicht, hat zwei Bücher herausgegeben und über 50 Kapitel in medizinischen Fachbüchern geschrieben. Laut Google Scholar seien seine Publikationen 11.624 zitiert worden (2020).  Seine Interesse für die intraoperative Ultraschalluntersuchung der Leber und ihre Gefässstruktur führte zur Entwicklung mehrerer neuer Techniken, wie die Lebertunnelierung, die Minimesohepatektomie und die obere transverse Leberresektion. Die durch Torzilli ausgedruckte Überzeugung ist, dass bei maßgeschneiderten Operationen für bösartige Tumorerkrankungen der Leber das Schonen von Parenchym und des Gefäßgerüstes als eminentes Ziel verfolgt werden soll. Diese Strategie, der viele seiner wissenschaftlichen und chirurgischen Aktivitäten gewidmet sind, wurde bekannt als "parenchymschonende Leberchirurgie".

Einzelnachweise

Chirurg
Mediziner (20. Jahrhundert)
Hochschullehrer (Universität Mailand)
Italiener
Geboren 1962
Mann


text:
Home People Community 19 Forgotten Political Prisoners Of The Past
19 Forgotten Political Prisoners Of The Past
Crystal Ang
19 people worth remembering but sadly, nearly forgotten
These 19 people were all imprisoned, some for Operation Coldstore, others for their art. However, they have one major similarity: our school history books have forgotten all about them.
In remembrance of these people, many who were detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA), here are their life stories, and of what happened after they were finally released from prison.
1. Lim Hock Siew
Before: Lim was once part of Lee Kuan Yew's PAP and even campaigned in the 1955 and 1959 General Elections. However, he left the PAP in 1961 and joined Barisan Sosialis. He was arrested in Operation Coldstore along with other leftists and unionists.
After: He worked as a general practitioner and was generous, giving out free medicine to poor patients and even transport money to get back home. He was admitted to Parkway East Hospital after he bumped his head at home in 2012. Although originally in stable condition, he had a fatal heart attack and died on 4 June 2012.
2. Lim Chin Siong
Before: Believe it or not, Lim Chin Siong founded the PAP together with Lee Kuan Yew in 1954. He was a popular politician, namely because of his strong command of the Hokkien dialect which allowed him to appeal to the masses. Even LKY himself acknowledged Lim's prowess.
"…a ringing voice that flowed beautifully in his native Hokkien. The girls adored him, especially those in the trade unions. Once he got going after a cold start at the first two meetings, there was tremendous applause every time he spoke."
However, he was arrested in Operation Coldstore and detained under the ISA.
After: Lim was released from prison on 28 July 1969 after he renounced politics and went into exile in London. He returned to Singapore 10 years later and eventually died of a heart attack on 5 February 1996.
3. Poh Soo Kai
Before: Dr. Poh Soo Kai hails from an illustrious family. Tan Kah Kee (who has a MRT station named after him) was his maternal grandfather, and Lee Kong Chian (whose name adorns several libraries at least two separate faculties) was his uncle. Dr. Poh was the assistant Secretary-General of the Barisan Sosialis, and implicated in the Operation Coldstore crackdown.
After: He set up a clinic at Upper Serangoon and practised for eight years until he emigrated to Canada in 1990, living there for nearly 20 years. Poh returned to Singapore in 2007.
He currently lives in a two-storey terrace house in East Coast and no longer has plans to return to politics.
4. Fong Swee Suan
Before: Dr Fong Swee Suan was classmates with Lim Chin Siong at the Chinese High School. He joined the Singapore Bus Workers' Union (SBWU) in 1952. Fong was part of the PAP as their convener.
After: Operation Coldstore took away four years of Fong's life. After his release in 1967, he started working in Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru. Fong started his own company in 1976.
He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Kensington University in 1991, and a Masters and PhD in business administration through a distance learning programme. Fong was allowed to enter Singapore again in 1990, and he returned as a permanent resident. He officially retired in 1996.
5. Said Zahari
Before: Said Zahari was a writer and newspaper editor before he joined politics in the 1960s. He was also one of the editors for Rakyat, the Malay paper for the Barisan Sosialis. Zahari was placed in solitary confinement, which he later described as "psychological trauma". He spent a total of 17 years in prison as a result of Operation Coldstore, and was only released in 1978.
After: Said continued to be an editor. He suffered a mild stroke in 1994, and joined his family in Malaysia in 1995. Zahari became a guest writer at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in 1996 and published two memoirs.
6. James Puthucheary
Before: Puthucheary was one of PAP's founding members, but broke away from PAP to form the Barisan Sosialis. He spent six months in solitary confinement due to Operation Coldstore.
After: He was banned from Singapore until 1990. During that time, he practiced law in Kuala Lumpur at a firm called Skrine & Company. Puthucheary suffered a stroke that left him speechless for the remaining five years of his life, while a second stroke suffered caused his death.
7. Dominic Puthucheary
Before: Dominic Puthucheary is the brother of James Puthucheary. Lee Kuan Yew wanted Dominic to stand for the 1959 General Elections but he rejected as he did not want to become a Singaporean citizen.
After: He was detained for ten months and eventually released after he pledged to quit politics. He studied law at Queen's University and moved back to Kuala Lumpur in 1970 to practice. He married in 1971 and he has two sons, three grandsons and a granddaughter. The Dato is currently a partner at Malaysia law firm Puthucheary Advocates and Solicitors.
Fun Fact: His son, Janil Puthucheary, is a PAP politician and MP for the Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC.
8. Ho Kwon Ping
Before: A former Stanford student, Ho admitted to being a Marxist and engaging in pro-communist activities while he was studying there.
After: He is currently the Chairman of Wah Chang International and the Banyan Tree group of hotels and resorts. Also, Ho is the 2014/15 S R Nathan Fellow for the Study of Singapore at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
9. Tan Wah Piow
Before: Tan Wah Piow was a former University of Singapore Student Union leader. He was accused of being the mastermind behind a conspiracy to make Singapore a Marxist state, and arrested in a covert mission known as Operation Spectrum in 1987.
After: He has been living in London since 1976 in political exile.
10. Chia Thye Poh
Before: Chia Thye Poh was a physics lecturer, political activist, and a member of the Barisan Sosialis. He was detained for alleged pro-communist activities for a total of 23 years without charge or trial, and had another nine years under house arrest, thus making him one of the longest serving political prisoners in the world.
"Under the PAP rule, there is no genuine parliamentary democracy. In essence, it has been practicing a one-party rule. It seems to want to remain as the sole, dominant party, with other smaller parties acting as marginal opposition and 'sparring partners' for new PAP MPs. The opposition parties will never be allowed to grow strong… The PAP… seems elitist and arrogant, regard themselves as the best and the most suitable to rule Singapore. And they rule with iron-handed policies."
After: He pursued a Master's degree in development studies at the Institute of Social Studies in the year 2000 and completed a PhD in 2006 through the same Institute. Chia was awarded the Lim Lian Geok Spirit Award in Kuala Lumpur in 2011.
11. Wong Souk Yee
Before: A playwright, she presented Esperanza at the local art festival fringe in 1986. She was arrested in Operation Spectrum a year later.
After: She left for Hong Kong to work for various publishing companies. She then went to Australia to finish her post graduate studies in creative writing, and later returned to HK to lecture for three years. Wong is now back in Singapore and her latest play, Square Moon, centres on Singapore's famous terrorist Mas Selamat.
12. Teo Soh Lung
Befroe: Teo Soh Lung graduated from the University of Singapore with a law degree in 1973, serving under the late David Marshall. She was detained in 1987 for four months, and her second detainment came in 1988. She was released in June 1990.
After: She published her memoir Beyond the Blue Gate: Recollections of a Political Prisoner in 2010 and has since retired from legal practice. She entered politics under the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) and was fielded for the singles-seat wards at Yuhua in the 2011 General Elections.
13. Lim Chin Joo
Before: Lim Chin Joo, brother of Lim Chin Siong, was accused of pro-communist activities in the 1950s. He was detained for nine years during 1957-1966, but made use of his time in there to read law.
After: He joined the civil service after his release and started to practice law in 1973. He retired in 2002. Lim published a 442-page Chinese memoir last year (2014), My Youth in Black and White and is now the vice-president of the Ee Hoe Hean Club.
14. Francis Khoo
Before: Francis Khoo was a human rights lawyer who lived in exile in London for 35 years. He fled to England when his friends were arrested under the ISA in February 1977.
After: Khoo worked as a cleaner at a London hotel but continued to fight for the release of political prisoners. Khoo was the Chairman of RADICLE, a London charity for teenage mums and the elderly, and also set up Medical Aid for Palestinians with his wife.
Francis suffered from renal failure. According to his wife, he died unexpectedly and suddenly in 2011 at his London home, aged 64.
15. Kuo Pao Kun
Before: Kuo Pao Kun was a playwright and theatre director. During the 1970s, Chinese theatre had grown increasingly influential and political in nature, thus resulting in a clampdown by the authorities. Kuo was one of those detained under the ISA for four years and seven months.
After: He was released in 1980 and resumed the teaching of drama in 1981. He wrote his first English play The Coffin Is Too Big For The Hole in 1984. Kuo was diagnosed with kidney cancer in July 2001 and died on 10 September 2002 at the age of 63.
16. Goh Lay Kuan
Before: Goh Lay Kuan is the wife of Kuo Pao Kun, and an artist in her own right, studying ballet at 15. She was accused of communist activities in 1976. Funnily enough, Goh thanks the authorities for detaining her as she became "more forthright".
Goh paints a different picture of her detainment as the rest of the prisoners.
She was also unafraid of the police, and claimed to have "overturned their tables". Goh was awarded the Cultural Medallion in 1995.
17. Yeng Pway Ngon
Before: The story of Yeng's detention under the ISA is slightly different from that of the others mentioned in this article. Yeng was accused of being a communist by one of his friends, which led to him being locked up for four years.
After: He set up two Chinese bookstores: one in 1995 at Textile Centre and the other at Golden Mile Tower. The Textile Centre bookstore was sold, but has now reopened at Bukit Pasoh Road. Yeng is a 2003 Cultural Medallion recipient, 2013 SEA Write Award winner and a prostate cancer survivor.
18. Ho Piao
Before: He was a keen trade union activist, to the point that he chose to withdraw from university education in order to commit full-time. He joined the Singapore National Seamen's Union, one of the "happiest and most meaningful part of his life". Another victim of Operation Coldstore, Ho Piao holds the dubious honour of being the third longest detainee (18 years) under the ISA.
After: He left for London soon after his release and was known to have a close friendship with fellow exile Francis Khoo. Ho Piao died in 2007 in London.
19. Lee Tee Tong
Before: Lee Tee Tong was a Barisan Sosialis politician who won the 1963 elections in Bukit Timah. However, he was arrested before he could be sworn in. He spent a total of 17 years in prison, and ranks fourth in the list of Singapore's longest serving detainees under the ISA.
After: He has been relatively low-key since then, although he made a public speech at a launch of the book, The 1963 Operation Coldstore in Singapore.
Singapore's political climate was dangerous back then. Thankfully, the situation is much better now, and we envision a greater and stronger opposition in the years to come.
Featured Image via The Online Citizen
With reference to Wikipedia, Wikipedia, navalants, Singapore Infopedia, Singapore Infopedia, Singapore Infopedia, Wikipedia, Sembang-Sembang Forum, Wikipedia, Wikipedia, Wikipedia, Think Centre, The Independent Singapore, Wikipedia, Facebook, Singapore Democratic Party, Jacob69er, Jacob69er, Unravelling 1987, Facebook, Singapore Rebel, Camden New Journal, The Real Singapore, S/pores, Wikipedia, Singapolitics, Wikipedia,
chia thye poh
dominic puthucheary
fong swee suan
francis khoo
goh lay kuan
ho kwon ping
ho piao
internal security act
james puthucheary
kuo pao kun
lee tee tong
lim chin joo
lim chin siong
lim hock siew
operation coldstore
operation spectrum
poh soo kai
said zahari
tan wah piow
teo soh lung
wong souk yee
yeng pway ngon
Previous article13 Controversies Of Lee Kuan Yew
Next articleSingapore Needs To Stop Caning For Vandalism
Old Man Allegedly Kicks & Throws Stones At Cats In Marsiling; Residents Seek Information
Ang Mo Kio Gym Lets S'poreans Above 65 Enter For Free Every Wed
S'pore Scammers Running Out Of Ideas, Blatantly Ask People For WhatsApp 6-Digit Code


It's been a few years since Robert Rodriguez was tapped to helm a remake of John Carpenter's Escape From New York. That announcement followed news that broke in 2013 of its development at Fox and now, while still without a director, it hasn't stopped the studio from bringing people aboard to help bring the new revisal to life.
Enter Upgrade helmer Leigh Whannell whose work as a respective producer and director on select installments of the Insidious and Saw horror franchises have made a name for him in the last decade or so. Whannell is now next in line to pen the script after Neil Cross, a move in which he's looking toward a fresher mix of both the original elements and new ideas instead of hampering it with the usual tropes that crippled the Robocop and Total Recall reboots.
Starring Kurt Russell, the original 1981 cult classic set our story in 1997 when our protagonist, Snake, goes on a mission to rescue the President whose chopper crashes in New York City's borough of Manhattan – now outfitted as its own maximum security prison. The film went on to gross more than $25 million dollars after its theatrical release prior to Russell later reprising his role in the sequel, Escape From L.A. in 1996, which flopped at the box office. Both films were directed by Carpenter.


The Photobook Club's Natural Collection (found online here) returned from a stay in Australia recently where it was exhibited at the Monash Gallery of Art in Melbourne. The collection is now back in Coventry where it awaits an exhibition at the Lanchester Library and a number of social engagements with schools in the area.
A number of the books have already been requested and sent to Casablanca – if you would like any packages of books sent on then just get in touch.


2. Another thing that you need to consider is the reputation of the manufacturer or the brand that you are going to choose. There are different kinds of companies for these machines. You can always use the power of the internet to help you locate the best company. You can as well find a website with reliable information and useful reviews coming from the different purchaser. Buyers of machines will tell you about their real experience for a specific type of machine. You need to read through several reviews to find out who are the best manufacturers in the field of this machine. You can look for companies that have favorable reviews and read thoroughly.
Sewing machines can either be computerized or mechanical. Some offer thousands of stitches while others only offer ten or twenty. Choosing the wrong machine could add frustration to your sewing pleasure, so it's always good to try out a few machines that fit the criteria you've set. If you're going to buy a machine on the internet, you would need to read some solid sewing machine reviews first. This is the recommended method of purchasing because 1. you will get the best price and 2. you can read other people's experiences with certain machines which will help you make the right choice.
if you are not yet engaged or do not want to buy a sewing machine at this stage; sewing by hand is a good start. There are many tutorials available on the internet and the supplies you need are minimal. Even if you have a sewing machine, when you learn to sew by hand, you will learn a very valuable skill that you can take anywhere.
the best way to truly learn is through experience, so get in there and take in beginner patterns as fast as you can. Keep things simple and start learning basic skills very quickly. Remember to come back to the manual of your machine if you get stuck, but also realize that you do not have to be perfect at this stage. Every little stitch you make will add up and help you improve your skills. Gradually increase the complexity of patterns as you move forward.
Sewing machines are the best instruments that people use to make different pieces of mold, toys, family unit clothes and extras. Regardless of the infant sewing machine or the only machine running for a little work, it is important to take something of quality that will always be used. Here are the Secrets for Purchasing a Sewing Machine.
Take a minute to find out what things and dimensions are on the machine.
provide all the potential alternatives with adding tips to their sewing efficiency. Although many novice machines will have a basic base, there are other models that will provide subscriber settings.
This lightweight, a portable sewing machine is anything but complicated to utilize and offers ten worked in join with programmed four-advance button holer and various line capacities. Sibling LS2125I was intended for ordinary use by experienced sewers and tenderfoots alike. The machine accompanies an extensive variety of adornments, including twin needle, new spool stick, bobbins, screwdriver, foot pedal, and darning plate. It likewise has a worked away compartment where you can continue sewing extras.
The organization has a longstanding notoriety for being a standout amongst the most dynamic and natural sewing machine organizations on the planet. Established in Japan in 1921, Janome indeed signifies "eye of the snake", which is the thing that the round bobbin the organization developed at the time resembled.
A portion of the highlights that can be found on Janome machines incorporate an assortment of fastening examples and buttonhole choices, worked in needle threaders, a turn around catch for securing the finish of your join, the capacity to choose to what extent each line will be, a "Predominant Feed System" which enables you to begin sewing ideal on the edge of your texture, and speed control sliders.
The sewing machine evaluates can very easily assist anybody in acquiring the most effective sewing machine as per the everyday requirements. You can quickly compare sewing machines with the help of Sewing machine reviews.
You need to list up your wants just before buying any stitching machine to suit your needs. Select a machine as per your requirements. Do not just go with the recommendations of everybody. Maintain you get the job done in thoughts after which choose the very best for you.
The quality of cloth, which you might be going to sew together with the support of machine, will need to be very clear to you. With its support, you can very easily go for the best sewing machine for you. You'll be able to compare sewing machine on this quality quickly.
Automatic sewing machines are easy to use, no matter how small you get. There are good base parts and restrictions buttons and handle boards are placed on automatic machines.
it makes a very important approach to learning basic sections and settings so you do not need to start from the beginning while taking a more professional example.
If you adore sewing and you need to purchase your sewing machines for your utilization at home, there are many brands and sorts of them that you will run over in the market. If you have not decided on which sort of machine to get, you have to consider purchasing a universally useful one first. This universally useful machine should give you several sewing choices with the goal that you can play out the majority of the capacities on the double instead of being in need of help when you need to weave or sew some denim texture. The broadly useful machines I am alluding to is the kind of business sewing machine. It is vast and has a larger number of capacities than the first home one, yet it will undoubtedly perform more errands for you at home.
The business sewing machine can be utilized to sew anything; you don't need to manage the needle breakage of the home machine one any longer. This unit can be utilized to sew shoes, denim and a few layers of texture. Regardless of the possibility that sewing shoes or denim aren't your things, you will be amazed at how the sewing machines will prove to be useful in your home one of these fine days.
Like different creations in the realm of devices and gadgets, the sewing machine has made considerable progress with its innovation and usefulness. Nowadays, the mechanized sewing machine has occurred of manual sewing gadget. The computerized sewing instrument of the machines has empowered the makers to create heaps of fantastic, all around planned dresses in a financially savvy path and with insignificant cost.
Before putting resources into one of the sewing machines, it is critical to know whether the gadget is being bought for a fledgeling or an accomplished client. The learners can begin with the more affordable machine with a portion of the major highlights. While the accomplished and gifted sewer can select the machine that has more refined highlights. Indeed, you can consider the toy sewing machine for your child.
Your motivation behind purchasing a sewing machine will improve things significantly in your determination procedure. Regardless of whether you are putting resources into it as an expert sewer or for household utilize, your machine should fit your motivation. The sewing machine used for proficient employ, for example, dressmaking, artworks and knitting, must have the extensive variety of sewing highlights alongside manual and mechanized controlling alternatives. On the off chance that you are taking the machine only for repair, adjustment and home outfitting, a first machine additionally can unravel your motivation.
At the point when space is at an exceptional, search for the sewing machine that gives stockpiling to the extras. A few machines accompany underneath capacity zone.


text:
David II., gruz. დავით II, (umro 937.), bio je član dinastije Bagrationi u Tao-Klardžeti, te naslovni kralj Iberije/Kartlije od 923. godine do svoje smrti.

Najstarijem sinu i krajnjem sljedniku Adarnaza IV., Davidu II., vlast je bila ograničena samo na vojvodstvo Queli-Džavahetija, a Donji Tao, kao središnja zemlja Unutrašnje Iberije bila je pod vlasti Abhazije. Unatoč svom kraljevskom naslovu i za razliku od svog oca, David II. nije nosio tradicionalni bizantski visoki naslov kuropalat, koji je car podario Davidovu mlađem bratu Ašotu II. Kao rezultat toga, Davidov utjecaj i ugled su u sjeni njegovog mlađeg brata. O tome svjedoči i djelo Konstantina VII. Porfirogeneta "O upravljanju carstvom". David je imao samo nalov Magister officiorum, koju je dijelio sa svojim rođakom Gurgenom II. od Taoa. Oba, David II. i Gurgen II. se odlučno protive bizantskom preuzimanju bagratidskog grada Artanuji, vlastelinstvo Gurgenovog očuha Ašota Hitrog. Tijekom spora, David je čak i uhitio bizantskog opunomoćenika patricija Konstanta, koji je poslan napraviti Gurkena magisterom, te Davidovom bratu Ašotu dati posjed kao kuropalatu       .

David je umro bez djece, a naslijedio ga je njegov brat Sumbat I.

Izvori

Gruzijski vladari
Bagrationi


text:
Louis Wessels foi um comandante dos boêres durante a Segunda Guerra dos Bôeres . Ele ficou conhecido nos Países Baixos pela série Louis Wessels , uma série de livros de Louwrens Penning que contava histórias fictícias ambientadas na Segunda Guerra dos Bôeres.

Wessels também foi guarda-costas do presidente Marthinus Theunis Steyn .

Uma batalha bem conhecida na qual Wessels esteve envolvido é a Batalha de Spionkop .

Segunda Guerra dos Bôeres


This course in econometrics is designed for the Cambridge MPhil in Finance and the MPhil in Management Science & Operations. The course gives an introduction to the following concepts. For a textbook treatment of lectures 4 to 8 refer to chapters 2 to 9 in Jeffrey M. Wooldridge's "Introductory Econometrics".
Documentation for R is provided via the build in help (use, for example, help.search("t test") in the console) but also through the R Homepage. Useful are An Introduction to R and the R Reference Card. Other manuals are available on the website.
The R Commander allows an easy start with R using mouse and menu. Install the commander by typing install.packages("Rcmdr") and load it in the active workspace library(Rcmdr). You can run the Commander by typing Commander() in the console.
If you prefer to do your stats in a spreadsheet, consider RExcel, a free Excel add-in that combines the de facto industry standard for data analysis (Excel) and one of the most popular languages for econometrics and statistical research (R).
Click OK whenever something pops up.
When clicking Start R, a warning pops up: "No R server configured".
It is important to understand that RAndFriends downloads other components DURING the installation process, so if the user's computer is not connected to the internet, then installation often fails.
This may fail again because of your computer's own security system being overprotective, so the second remedy is to download several installers manually and install.
If you get the warning message: "R server not found", go to Addins -> Rexcel -> Set R Server, then select Background. Click Save and then Click Close.
Look at the data in Excel or in R Commander and make sure no strange symbols are appearing in your data. If so, restart Rexcel with a clean sheet, open the data in wordpad, copy the data, and then import via clipboard. On some computers, importing via the Rexcel menu rather than Excel itself also solves this issue.
Mac and Linux users have two options. Either download the OpenOffice.org extension ROOo from http://rcom.univie.ac.at/download.html (limited functionality), or install Windows 2008 server with Microsoft Office 2010 Professional trial.
To explore the options of RExcel, watch this video demonstration.
Documentation for RExcel is available in the Springer book R through Excel. You can download the pdf version for free with your Raven password.


State-run ONGC hopes the government will make gas prices "attractive" for it to develop asset in the Krishna-Godaveri basin, Chairman D.K. Sarraf told reporters.
Sarraf said that ONGC is keen to start developing cluster-2 if the gas price is lucrative but it will revisit its plan for cluster-1 after the alleged transfer of gas from this asset by Reliance Industries.
"We are going ahead with the development of cluster-2 in KG basin but the only challenge is the current pricing. We hope government will give a boost to this project by giving good attractive price for gas," Sarraf said.
RIL's D6 block in the basin borders ONGC's gas fields. ONGC has alleged that RIL dug wells close enough to draw gas from the state-owned company's gas reservoirs. RIL has refuted the claim stating that the reserves of the two companies were found to be interconnected that may have led to migration of gas.
Reliance Industries has been, for years, saying that the pricing of the gas from the KG basin should be linked to market price. The company, along with its join venture partners, has been under pressure gas output from the field and consequently revenue, fell sharply. The UPA government had approved doubling of gas prices towards the end of its tenure from $4.2 per mmbtu, but last year, the NDA government adopted a new formula that increased rates by 33%.
The ONGC head said the company is "fine tuning" a development plan for the cluster-2 asset and aims an output of 75,000 barrels of oil and 17 mmscmd of gas.
"We will first work on gas extraction and then oil. The timeline for the project will depend on government approvals," he said.
Sarraf said that ONGC's capex in 2016-17 would be lower than 2015-16, since the cost of services have fallen and projects cost has become cheaper.