text:
Rear Admiral Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. (November 18, 1923 – July 21, 1998) was an American astronaut, naval aviator, test pilot, and businessman. In 1961 he became the first American to travel into space, and in 1971 he walked on the Moon.
A graduate of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Shepard saw action with the surface navy during World War II. He became a naval aviator in 1946, and a test pilot in 1950. He was selected as one of the original NASA Mercury Seven astronauts in 1959, and in May 1961 he made the first crewed Project Mercury flight, Mercury-Redstone 3, in a spacecraft he named Freedom 7. His craft entered space, but was not capable of achieving orbit. He became the second person, and the first American, to travel into space, and the first space traveler to manually control the orientation of his craft. In the final stages of Project Mercury, Shepard was scheduled to pilot the Mercury-Atlas 10 (MA-10), which was planned as a three-day mission. He named Mercury Spacecraft 15B Freedom 7 II in honor of his first spacecraft, but the mission was canceled.
Shepard was designated as the commander of the first crewed Project Gemini mission, but was grounded in 1963 due to Ménière's disease, an inner-ear ailment that caused episodes of extreme dizziness and nausea. This was surgically corrected in 1969, and in 1971, Shepard commanded the Apollo 14 mission, piloting the Apollo Lunar Module Antares to the most accurate landing of the Apollo missions. At age 47, he became the fifth, the oldest, and the earliest-born person to walk on the Moon, and the only one of the Mercury Seven astronauts to do so. During the mission, he hit two golf balls on the lunar surface.
Shepard was Chief of the Astronaut Office from November 1963 to July 1969 (the approximate period of his grounding), and from June 1971 until his retirement from the United States Navy and NASA on August 1, 1974. He was promoted to rear admiral on August 25, 1971, the first astronaut to reach that rank.
Quotes by Alan Shepard
We worked with the engineers in the design and construction and testing phases in those various areas, then we would get back together at the end of the week and brief each other as to what had gone on.
You have to be there not for the fame and glory and recognition and being a page in a history book, but you have to be there because you believe your talent and ability can be applied effectively to operation of the spacecraft.
I must admit, maybe I am a piece of history after all.
I'd like to say I was smart enough to finish six grades in five years, but I think perhaps the teacher was just glad to get rid of me.
It's a very sobering feeling to be up in space and realize that one's safety factor was determined by the lowest bidder on a government contract.
Later, in the early teens, I used to ride my bike every Saturday morning to the nearest airport, ten miles away, push airplanes in and out of the hangars, and clean up the hangars.
I think all of us certainly believed the statistics which said that probably 88% chance of mission success and maybe 96% chance of survival. And we were willing to take those odds.
Of course, in our grade school, in those days, there were no organized sports at all. We just went out and ran around the school yard for recess.
I didn't mind studying. Obviously math and the physical science subjects interested me more than some of the more artistic subjects, but I think I was a pretty good student.


Muddle, garnish, and top your favorite cocktail with these Woodford Reserve bourbon cherries! Tart, sweet, and soaked in bourbon, these cherries make the perfect finishing touch to your classic bourbon cocktails, like a Manhattan or Old Fashioned. Not just for beverages, try switching out your maraschino cherries for a few of these bourbon cherries over flambe ice cream for an indulgent adult dessert, or incorporate into a sauce or marinade to drizzle atop your seared pork tenderloin. Their rich taste that delivers just the right amount of oaky notes, sweet tones, and Kentucky bourbon will serve as a valuable addition to your cocktails, desserts, and entrees!
Handpicked at the peak of ripeness in Oregon, these cherries are then pitted, and preserved in a mixture containing Woodford Reserve bourbon to develop an incredible flavor that is the perfect finishing touch for your cocktails. Plus, the glass jar's sleek design and Woodford Reserve logo provides attractive shelf presence in your bar, lounge, or tavern, so your customers will instantly know they are being served a high quality drink when it is used.
Bourbon Barrel Foods first began in 2006 as the U.S.'s only soy sauce microbrewery and the only soy sauce in the world that was fermented and aged in bourbon barrels once used to age Kentucky's finest bourbon. Finding extreme success, Bourbon Barrel Foods looked to combine the Kentucky bourbon industry with more local foods. Continually expanding its product list, it has since partnered with Woodford Reserve and Old Forester to create award-winning gourmet foods and drinks for your customers that are backed by iconic brands. Bringing unique flavors from bourbon country itself, discover how Bourbon Barrel Foods can bring new life to your handcrafted cocktails.
I have been introduced into the world of bitters, beyond the typical yellow lidded aromatic bitters collecting dust in the liquor cabinet. I was quite excited to try these in my Old Fashioneds. I do enjoy Woodford and I thought this would be perfect. I like these bitters and have even just added a dash or two to seltzer water for a non-alcoholic, low calorie "cocktail.
Woodford reserve bourbon cherries are so incredibly delicious. They make a great garnish to any whisky cocktail and are even good to eat straight from the jar.
These are GREAT quality bourbon cherries. We use them in our manhattans and everyone loves them. They are a bit pricey but you get what you pay for.


text:
package io.bootique.lm.cayenne.auto;

import java.util.List;

import org.apache.cayenne.CayenneDataObject;
import org.apache.cayenne.exp.Property;

import io.bootique.lm.cayenne.SDomain;
import io.bootique.lm.cayenne.STag;

/**
 * Class _SArticle was generated by Cayenne.
 * It is probably a good idea to avoid changing this class manually,
 * since it may be overwritten next time code is regenerated.
 * If you need to make any customizations, please use subclass.
 */
public abstract class _SArticle extends CayenneDataObject {

    private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;

    public static final String ID_PK_COLUMN = "id";

    public static final Property<String> BODY = Property.create("body", String.class);
    public static final Property<String> TITLE = Property.create("title", String.class);
    public static final Property<SDomain> DOMAIN = Property.create("domain", SDomain.class);
    public static final Property<List<STag>> S_TAGS = Property.create("sTags", List.class);

    public void setBody(String body) {
        writeProperty("body", body);
    }
    public String getBody() {
        return (String)readProperty("body");
    }

    public void setTitle(String title) {
        writeProperty("title", title);
    }
    public String getTitle() {
        return (String)readProperty("title");
    }

    public void setDomain(SDomain domain) {
        setToOneTarget("domain", domain, true);
    }

    public SDomain getDomain() {
        return (SDomain)readProperty("domain");
    }

    public void addToSTags(STag obj) {
        addToManyTarget("sTags", obj, true);
    }
    public void removeFromSTags(STag obj) {
        removeToManyTarget("sTags", obj, true);
    }
    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
    public List<STag> getSTags() {
        return (List<STag>)readProperty("sTags");
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


managing corruption risks in funding of NGO delivery human services.
Executive briefings for public sector senior management teams can also be arranged.
For further information please send an email to workshops@icac.nsw.gov.au or complete the form below.


text:
Soldiers essential to Nomad mission
From left, U.S. Army Capt. John Logan and Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Brodhead, 33rd Operations Support Squadron ground liaison officers, stand in front of an F-35A Lightning II assigned to the 33rd Fighter Wing Nov. 6, 2018, at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Logan and Brodhead are the only Soldiers assigned to the 33rd FW, however their role is significant for the employment of the F-35A. As ground liaison officers their mission is to track, understand and brief the enemy ground formation from the battlefield to pilots and intelligence Airmen. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Peter)
NEWS | Nov. 19, 2018
By Airman 1st Class Emily Smallwood 33rd Fighter Wing
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. –
Military branches often work in conjunction with each other, performing joint operations all over the world. Air, ground and sea power are all crucial to the Department of Defense's mission of protecting the security of our country. However, there are challenges that come when engaging in joint functions.
U.S. Army Capt. John Logan and Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Brodhead, 358th Ground Liaison Detachment, 4th Battlefield Coordination Detachment ground liaison officers attached to the 33rd Operations Support Squadron, can attest to those challenges after being stationed at their first Air Force base, Eglin Air Force Base, with the 33rd Fighter Wing.
"There are cultural differences between the Army and Air Force," said Brodhead. "The structure is set up differently, learning the different roles of Airmen and understanding the different acronyms and lingo was difficult at first."
After three years of being integrated with Airmen, Brodhead faces less challenges now since adjusting to the lifestyle. On the other hand, Logan arrived in September and is still adapting to the differences.
"My interaction with the Air Force was limited before being stationed here but it has been nothing but a positive experience so far," said Logan. "The biggest challenges I've experienced deal with Air Force operations and the capabilities of the different platforms. Thankfully, there are a lot of knowledgeable people around me that are open to answering the questions I have."
As ground liaison officers, their role entails tracking, understanding and briefing enemy ground formation on the battlefield to pilots and intelligence Airmen. They are the subject matter expert for ground operations.
"We are focused on providing the clearest picture possible of what is happening on the ground for pilots executing close air support for ground forces," said Logan. "From the Army's perspective, one of the key missions of the F-35 is providing [ground forces] CAS. As pilots go through their training here at Eglin Air Force Base to become F-35 pilots, it is important that their training is as realistic as possible."
Brodhead added that working together strengthens familiarity with each other allowing for a stronger force.
"This assignment has provided me knowledge about the Air Force that will give me an upper hand in the future and progression of my career," said Brodhead. "Not everyone has had this opportunity or experience and gaining knowledge about airpower will allow me to support and assist the ground force commander more efficiently."
While the Soldiers are learning about the Air Force lifestyle, Airmen here are also being acquainted with Army customs.
"We also provide academic training to the pilots regarding Army task organization, capabilities and how Army forces execute their mission on the ground," said Logan. "The more discussions, knowledge and experience the pilots have regarding the Army will only make the joint battle that much more successful."
Joint operations are not uncommon and will continue to be a critical tool in ensuring a more efficient and effective joint force.
4th BCD

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Nominated by Jimmy Carter on June 2, 1980, to a new seat authorized by 92 Stat. 1629. Confirmed by the Senate on June 26, 1980, and received commission on June 30, 1980. Assumed senior status on October 10, 1994. Service terminated on February 3, 2017, due to death.


Super cute 3 Bedroom 2.5 bath townhome with custom upgrades including ceramic tile and hardwood floors, granite countertops, custom kitchen cabinets, 9 ft. ceilings, travertine back splashes, powder room, single car garage, patio and more. Not to mention, ALL Stainless Steel appliances are included, as well as blinds and wired with an alarm system! Great investment for St. Simon's… close to the beach, shopping and dining. Furnishings are negotiable!
Directions: Proceed on Demere Road, just upon entering onto the island. As soon as you pass the Health Club, The Reserve will be on your right. It is before you get to Ace Garden Center.
Hello, I have a question about 607 Reserve Lane St. Simons Island GA 31522.


text:
Q: What is the fastest way to change a key of an element inside std::map I understand the reasons why one can't just do this (rebalancing and stuff):
iterator i = m.find(33);

if (i != m.end())
  i->first = 22;

But so far the only way (I know about) to change the key is to remove the node from the tree alltogether and then insert the value back with a different key:
iterator i = m.find(33);

if (i != m.end())
{
  value = i->second;
  m.erase(i);
  m[22] = value;
}

This seems rather inefficient to me for more reasons:

*

*Traverses the tree three times (+ balance) instead of twice (+ balance)

*One more unnecessary copy of the value

*Unnecessary deallocation and then re-allocation of a node inside of the tree
I find the allocation and deallocation to be the worst from those three. Am I missing something or is there a more efficient way to do that?
I think, in theory, it should be possible, so I don't think changing for a different data structure is justified. Here is the pseudo algorithm I have in mind:

*

*Find the node in the tree whose key I want to change.

*Detach if from the tree (don't deallocate)

*Rebalance

*Change the key inside the detached node

*Insert the node back into the tree

*Rebalance

A: In C++17, the new map::extract function lets you change the key.
Example:
std::map<int, std::string> m{ {10, "potato"}, {1, "banana"} };
auto nodeHandler = m.extract(10);
nodeHandler.key() = 2;
m.insert(std::move(nodeHandler)); // { { 1, "banana" }, { 2, "potato" } }

A: Keys in STL maps are required to be immutable.
Seems like perhaps a different data structure or structures might make more sense if you have that much volatility on the key side of your pairings.

A: You cannot.
As you noticed, it is not possible. A map is organized so that you can change the value associated to a key efficiently, but not the reverse.
You have a look at Boost.MultiIndex, and notably its Emulating Standard Container sections. Boost.MultiIndex containers feature efficient update.

A: I proposed your algorithm for the associative containers about 18 months ago here:
http://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg21/docs/lwg-closed.html#839
Look for the comment marked: [ 2009-09-19 Howard adds: ].
At the time, we were too close to FDIS to consider this change.  However I think it very useful (and you apparently agree), and I would like to get it in to TR2.  Perhaps you could help by finding and notifying your C++ National Body representative that this is a feature you would like to see.
Update
It is not certain, but I think there is a good chance we will see this feature in C++17! :-)

A: You can omit the copying of value;
const int oldKey = 33;
const int newKey = 22;
const iterator it = m.find(oldKey);
if (it != m.end()) {
  // Swap value from oldKey to newKey, note that a default constructed value
  // is created by operator[] if 'm' does not contain newKey.
  std::swap(m[newKey], it->second);
  // Erase old key-value from map
  m.erase(it);
}

A: You should leave the allocation to the allocator. :-)
As you say, when the key changes there might be a lot of rebalancing. That's the way a tree works. Perhaps 22 is the first node in the tree and 33 the last? What do we know?
If avoiding allocations is important, perhaps you should try a vector or a deque? They allocate in larger chunks, so they save on number of calls to the allocator, but potentially waste memory instead. All the containers have their tradeoffs and it is up to you to decide which one has the primary advantage that you need in each case (assuming it matters at all).
For the adventurous:
If you know for sure that changing the key doesn't affect the order and you never, ever make a mistake, a little const_cast would let you change the key anyway.

A: If you know that the new key is valid for the map position (changing it wo't change the ordering), and you don't want the extra work of removing and adding the item to the map, you can use a const_cast to change the key, like in unsafeUpdateMapKeyInPlace below:
template <typename K, typename V, typename It>
bool isMapPositionValidForKey (const std::map<K, V>& m, It it, K key)
{
    if (it != m.begin() && std::prev (it)->first >= key)
        return false;
    ++it;
    return it == m.end() || it->first > key;
}

// Only for use when the key update doesn't change the map ordering
// (it is still greater than the previous key and lower than the next key).
template <typename K, typename V>
void unsafeUpdateMapKeyInPlace (const std::map<K, V>& m, typename std::map<K, V>::iterator& it, K newKey)
{
    assert (isMapPositionValidForKey (m, it, newKey));
    const_cast<K&> (it->first) = newKey;
}

If you want a solution that only changes in-place when that's valid, and otherwise changes the map structure:
template <typename K, typename V>
void updateMapKey (const std::map<K, V>& m, typename std::map<K, V>::iterator& it, K newKey)
{
    if (isMapPositionValidForKey (m, it, newKey))
    {
        unsafeUpdateMapKeyInPlace (m, it, newKey);
        return;
    }
    auto next = std::next (it);
    auto node = m.extract (it);
    node.key() = newKey;
    m.insert (next, std::move (node));
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Bayhawks Inconsistency Cost Them in 2014
The defending champion Chesapeake Bayhawks finished out the 2014 regular season with a record of 5-9, winning their final home game against the Charlotte Hounds in Week 14. The reigning champions suffered through a tough season to say the least where at one point they took the field without nine of their best players due to a mixture of injuries and players participating in the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL)…
NLL Top 50 Draft Prospects: 20-11
11. F Todd Nakasuji—Limestone, Oakville Jr B The Oakville product might be the highest drafted Jr B player in years. Nakasuji has 106 points in three years in Oakville and he has a knack for scoring in the clutch with 59 playoff points. Nakasuji is a risk pick in the first round but the weak class might allow some teams to take a flyer on more projects. 12. F Brandon…
MLL Draft Recap: Chesapeake Bayhawks
Alex Urquhart The defending MLL Champs really haven't had too much to improve on in the last few years. This year's Collegiate Draft saw the Bayhawks drafting with an eye on defense. With their first pick, a third round pick at 21st overall, the Bayhawks selected Mike Harris. Harris is currently an LSM at Syracuse and lead the Orangemen in a number of stats last season. Harris adds an element…
MLL: Season 12 One To Remember
The MLL season has now come to a close with the Chesapeake Bayhawks on top for the fourth time in franchise history. Another chapter in the history of the league has now come and gone, and in my eyes it was an important one for the future. The most notable storyline we can take away from this season has been talked about a lot, the additions of Charlotte and Ohio….
MLL Championship Weekend Recap
The Chesapeake Bayhawks had arguably the best off-season in the league, acquiring a talented number of veterans with championship experience. Then they had one of the best regular seasons in the league, holding first place for the majority of the season, falling out just after the final game of the regular season. Then they had the best MLL Championship Weekend, winning the semi-finals and finals by an average of eight…
Chesapeake Bayhawks 2012 Season Review
When the Chesapeake Bayhawks brought in Drew Westervelt, John Grant Jr., Brian Spallina and Kip Turner in the off-season the moves created a championship-or-bust attitude to this team. The Bayhawks could fulfill that destiny this weekend as they head to MLL Championship Weekend as the No. 2 seed. Chesapeake, who also acquired veteran defender Nicky Polanco early in the season, has been one of the most consistent, well-rounded and successful…
Top MLL Teams Duel in Regular Season Finale
The Major League Lacrosse regular season could not come to a more exciting conclusion. On the last game before the playoffs the Denver Outlaws (10-3) will travel to play the Chesapeake (10-3) Bayhawks with the No. 1 seed in the playoffs on the line. Although Championship Weekend will be at a "neutral" site (the games are being played at Harvard Stadium, home of the Boston Cannons who have a good…


Beverly Gulley claims a bank mistakenly foreclosed her family home because of a clerical error. The home has been in the family since 1947.
Two Cantonment sisters are afraid they are going to lose their family home because of a clerical error.
Beverly Gulley and Patricia Robbins say their mother bought the home at 216 Louis St. back in 1947 and it has been paid off for years. The sisters and their siblings grew up there, and they took over the tax payments when their mother passed away in 2002.
However, JP Morgan Chase Bank, argues that a couple named Dwayne and Sylvia Moore are the homeowners of record, and the Moores defaulted on their $69,000 mortgage.
Despite the sisters' pleas that there has been a record-keeping mistake — and that the Moores' actually lived in a different home next door — the bank is moving forward with foreclosure proceedings.
"We paid taxes on 216 for 70 years, and now it's not ours anymore," Robbins said.
Gulley and her attorney believe the source of the problem is a mix-up involving the two families' lot numbers.
According to the area's plat map, the affected homes on Louis Street have lot numbers that increase sequentially as they go south.
*Editor's note: the highlighting and addresses were added by the News Journal for illustrative purposes.
So the northernmost home in the group, 218 Louis St., appears to have a lot number of 7.
The home immediately to the south, 216 Louis St., appears to have a lot number of 8.
The next home over, 214 Louis St., appears to have a lot number of 9, and so on.
Documents from the Escambia County Property Appraiser's office follow that pattern, but numerous documents associated with the financing and inheritance of the two homes don't match up.
When Gulley's mother, Ruby Mae Riley, mortgaged the home in 1993, the address was listed as 216 but the lot number was listed as 9, according to court filings.
Similarly, a 1980 warranty deed on the neighboring home — then owned by Willie McCarty and later passed down to Sylvia Moore — lists the address as 214 Louis St. and the lot number as 8. It was the same when the Moores took out a mortgage on the property in 2007.
When the payments stopped coming in a few years later and the bank launched foreclosure proceedings in 2012, it named the Moores and targeted the home on lot 8.
The bank won a judgment allowing the foreclosure to proceed in 2013, but no one actually arrived to put a foreclosure notice on the door until late last year.
The Moores were already long gone from their home next door, and Gulley and her family had already renovated their mom's old home and rented it out when the bank put locks on the door.
According to an emergency motion Gulley filed in court to reverse the judgment, neither she nor her siblings nor a tenant who was renting the house were ever notified of the pending foreclosure — presumably because none of them were listed as owners.
Both Gulley and the bank admit there have been errors concerning the paperwork, but they disagree greatly on how significant the error is.
Gulley's attorney, Christine Kelly Fausel, who is representing her on behalf of Legal Services of North Florida, wrote in the emergency motion that the foreclosure represented a "grave injustice" against Gulley and her family.
The bank's response to the motion is that "any errors made with regard to the property address are largely irrelevant, because the chain of deeds for each property makes clear the mortgagor's predecessor in title."
From the bank's perspective, Moore's family always owned lot 8, and Gulley's family always owned lot 9.
That's despite the fact the sisters have tax records, mail correspondence and even childhood photos that place them in the home that's been foreclosed because of the Moores' debts.
Shaking her head in frustration, Gulley said none of that evidence had swayed the bank.
"I thought this was going to be so easy and simple to fix," Gulley said.
The case went before a magistrate in January, who transferred the case to a circuit judge who could more thoroughly review the history and circumstances of the case.
Robbins said she and her family are hopeful the judge would would recognize the error, and instruct the bank to seize the vacant house next door rather than their mother's home.
"We're just trying to keep it in the family, as she would have wanted it," Robbins said.


text:
Detail View: David Rumsey Historical Map Collection: Franklin Valley. May 24th at 10 A.M. from a spur of the Humboldt Mountains. C. Schumann from F.W. Egloffstein. Selmar Siebert's Engraving & Printing Establishment, Washington, D.C. U.S.P.R.R. Exp. & Surveys 41st Parallel. Expl. by Lieut. Beckwith. Vol. II.
Beckwith, Lieut.; Schumann, C.
Franklin Valley.
T. Ford XII.
A.O.P. Nicholson I-XI Washington
Obj Height cm:
Obj Width cm:
Uncolored view.
WC 262.
Full Title:
Franklin Valley. May 24th at 10 A.M. from a spur of the Humboldt Mountains. C. Schumann from F.W. Egloffstein. Selmar Siebert's Engraving & Printing Establishment, Washington, D.C. U.S.P.R.R. Exp. & Surveys 41st Parallel. Expl. by Lieut. Beckwith. Vol. II.
List No:
Series No:
Engraver or Printer:
Egloffstein, F.W.; Siebert, Selmar
Publication Author:
Pacific Railroad Survey; Warren, Gouverneur Kemble, 1830-1882
Pub Title:
Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to Ascertain the Most Practicable and Economical Route for a Railroad From the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. Made Under the Direction of the Secretary of War, In 1853-56, According to Acts of Congress of March 3, 1853, May 31, 1854, and August 5, 1854. Volume XI. Washington: George W. Bowman, Printer. 1861. 36th Congress, 2d Session, Senate, Ex. Doc.
Pub Reference:
Pub Note:
This Quarto issue of the report is the House issue, except for volume XI which is the Senate issue. W. Heckrotte has an unusual copy of the Warren U.S. map found in this report. It is dissected on linen and is an earlier version of the map published with the Quarto report. It has 40 authorities vs. 42 in the quarto issue map, shorter note to left of authorities, lots of plate differences, especially: nothing in Owyhee area, differences in N.M., Calif., etc. Looks like someone asked for the map before it was finished -see the Lack of ocean lines in the top half south of Gray's Harbor. In 13 volumes. Bound in full leather with "Explorations and Surveys for a Railroad to the Pacific Ocean" and the volume number on the spine in gold.
Pub List No:
Pub Type:
Exploration Book
Pub Maps:
Pub Height cm:
Pub Width cm:
Image No:
Ownership Statement:
Download 1:
Full Image Download in MrSID Format
MrSID Image Viewer for Windows


text:
Jamyang Buddhist Centre
Benefits of Buddhist meditation
What is Buddhism
Geshe Tenzin Namdak
Geshe Tashi Tsering Lhundrup Palbar
Geshe Namgyal Wangchen
In Depth Buddhism
Gradual Path (Lam Rim)
Buddhist Tantra
Tailoring our offer
What is On
Programme Calendar
Venue Hire & Accommodation
Cafe at Jamyang
Interfaith and Intra Buddhist
Watch Live Streaming
Teachers A – H
Teachers K – R
Teachers S – Z
Tibetan language resources
MBSR Mindfulness
Jamyang Walks
Repaying the Kindness
Community programme
IMI registered Sangha
Trustees and Staff
Lama Zopa Rinpoche message to Jamyang London
offering protection - safeguarding
Buddhism and Meditation
Buddhism was founded by the Buddha Shakyamuni who lived in India in around the 5th/ 4th centuries before the Common Era (C.E.).
Through a thorough commitment to practice he became fully enlightened at the age of 36 and then spent the next 45 years or so teaching others how to do the same.
It is a spiritual path for leaving behind the repetitive unsatisfactory experiences (in Sanskrit: Samsara) that come about when the mind is dominated by or prone to anger, clinging and ignorance. It is a spiritual path for experiencing life free of those crippling mental tendencies, to awaken (in Sanskrit: Bodhi).
Over its around 2,500 years of existence it has taken on many different cultural forms and aspects. At its core it is a system for developing the social skills of unbounded love, compassion and joy and the wisdom that sees the reality of any given situation free from superstition, prejudice or bias so as to be able to act in the most beneficial way.
The Tibetan form of Buddhism is a Mahayana form of Buddhism and within that a Tantra Mahayana form of Buddhism.
What that means is that idea of the Bodhisattva - some devoted to helping others and willing to work for however long it takes to become fully enlightened so as to be best able to do that in the most appropriate ways - is the inspiring heroic ideal that motivates Mahayana Buddhists.
A practitioner of Tantra Mahayana is someone who, motivated by that ideal, seeks to continuously model the attitude, understanding and behaviour of a fully enlightened being to speed up the process of becoming enlightened. This requires a strong healthy mind and a healthy sense of self in addition to the guidance of a qualified teacher as anything else has fairly clear psychological risks attached.
The Tibetan form of Mahayana Tantra Buddhism has its roots mainly in the Buddhism of late Medieval India (7th - 12th centuries C.E.), though it also has practices that have come through Central Asian, Chinese and Korean Buddhism. In Tibet four main styles of practice developed: the Nyingma, the Sakya, The Kagyu and the Geluk (which came out of the Kadam).
At the more refined end of philosophy and in the more subtle aspects of practice there are a number of differences between them but at the level of the beginner there is far more in common than not.
The Buddhist path emphasises the use of meditation as a key tool to help make the mind stronger, more gentle and more wise. Meditation in Tibetan Buddhism is not about just clearing the mind but about using the space of meditation to break the power of bad habits and develop new more beneficial ones.
The Geluk school, the source for the FPMT and Jamyang, encourages those who can to study broadly and deeply to enhance the richness of their meditation practice.
But it also recognises that such a way of practice is not for everyone and prides itself on carrying a truly vast array of practices suited to different people at different stages in their spiritual development.
At Jamyang we believe that the mind is fundamentally pliable and that it is possible to significantly improve one's self awareness and positive emotions. We believe that we are not bound by the opinions we have about ourselves nor are we obliged to behave in predetermined ways. Ultimately we can free our minds from all incorrect views about who and what we are and enhance our positive emotions of loving kindness and compassion.
In the Mahayana Buddhist tradition this is done by a combination of positive engagement with the world combined with developing the mind through meditation (in both its placement and analytical aspects) and through study/ learning.
One of the popular etymologies of the Tibetan word 'gom'' that is usually translated as 'meditation' is to link it to the Tibetan verb that means to familiarise (it sounds the same 'gom' but is spelt differently). So what do we become familiar with? In the first place we need to become familiar with what is going on in our minds. In order to do this we need to step back from our close involvement with mental activity and just observe. In doing this we will slowly bring stability to our minds. At its simplest level this can be a great way to recharge our mental batteries but we like to take this one step further.
The Sanskrit word 'Bhavana' which the Tibetans translated using their word 'gom' emphasises more the production of something new, of bringing something about. Both 'gom' and 'bhavana' neatly show what we are trying to do in meditation.
There are two related practices that lead you in this direction:
Placement meditation, which as a meditative training is known as Shamata or Calm Abiding, and analytical meditation, which as a meditative training is also known as Vipassana or Insight meditation.
We can regard these as a foundation level for our meditation practice.
As we become less caught up in our mental world then we can start to develop our positive emotions by practising a range of meditations in the Tibetan tradition that are aimed at developing a caring and loving emotional base for our activities. The aim here is to develop a deep compassion for other beings based on a strong understanding of the realities of unenlightened existence and its problems.
We want to develop a whole new emotional ground that is called Bodhicitta. In the Tibetan tradition, for those who are ready to move to that stage of practice, we use the mind of Bodhicitta and the wisdom gained through insight meditation to enter the path of Vajrayana - deity yoga.
Here the meditator models the enlightened state by visualising himself or herself, firstly in the presence of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and then by adopting the knowledge emotional well-being appearance and behaviour of an enlightened being.
Here at Jamyang we try to offer meditation classes and practice groups to suit everyone.
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1 of 'biggest players in gun violence' in Springfield gets 23 years
Credit: DaytonDailyNews
By Katherine Collins
A man described by prosecutors as one of the biggest players in gun violence in Springfield has been sentenced to more than 23 years in prison.
Dennis Kennedy Jr., 23, was sentenced Tuesday morning on two counts of discharging a firearm into a habitation and one count of improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle. Clark County Judge Richard O'Neill ordered him to serve a total of 23 and a half years.
"This is an individual that used guns to solve his problems and he did not care who he was going to hurt in trying to do that," Clark County Assistant Prosecutor Brian Driscoll said.
READ MORE: Man accused of burglarizing Springfield home, hit with prosthetic leg
It's a benefit to the entire Clark County community to have him behind bars for a long time, he said, as he has a history of charges related to guns.
"This was a great win today to not have to worry about this individual," he said.
Kennedy was found guilty of the charges by a jury earlier this month. He received the maximum sentence for the charges he faced.
In court the judge said Kennedy turned the streets of Springfield into a war zone when he opened fire on two different houses.
RELATED: Gun thefts, illegal weapons linked to Springfield violence
"Mr. Kennedy used a semi-automatic rifle and fired approximately 19 shots into a house on Pine Street here in Clark County, Ohio, and then another 17 on a house on South Center," Driscoll said.
Evidence showed there were children inside the home at the time of the shooting, he said.
"Luckily we weren't here on murder charges," he said.
Kennedy's attorney argued he should face a lesser sentence because no one was injured in the shootings but the judge disagreed.
Kennedy was charged in connection to the fatal shooting of George Walker Jr. in 2014. But those charges were dropped when a key witness was killed. Walker was shot near the intersection of Grand and Lowry avenues and died at the hospital. At the time of the shooting, callers to 9-1-1 reported hearing as many as 10 shots fired.
"There was evidence that he was connected to it," Driscoll said. "Unfortunately an eyewitness in that matter was killed in a separate incident and was no longer available for us at trial."
Now it's a good time for anyone with information on that case to come forward, prosecutors said.
MORE COVERAGE: Find out who Springfield to hire as new police, fire chiefs
"We believe with Mr. Kennedy now in prison for the next 20-plus years that those witnesses should now feel safe to come forward," Driscoll said.
He has been in contact with Walker's family, Driscoll said, and they're crushed that no one has been convicted for his death.
"They want the individual who committed this crime, who killed their son, to answer for that," he said, "and we are still looking to try to do that for them."
Kennedy is already serving an 18-month prison sentence for a separate improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle charge.
He was convicted in that case in August 2016 but skipped out on his sentencing. He was later found hiding in an attic in South Carolina.
3 QUICK CRIME READS
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Staying with the story
The Springfield News-Sun has reported on Dennis Kennedy Jr. since he was first arrested in connection with a murder case in 2014, including stories on those charges being dismissed after a witness died and Kennedy's later conviction on separate gun charges.


John James Audubon, Pl. 4 Caracara Eagle, hand-colored lithograph, first edition octavo, 1839–44 | Joel Oppenheimer, Inc.
Acquire a superb first edition Audubon octavo print from the Birds of America, Plate 4, Caracara Eagle, Polyboris vulgaris. after John James Audubon, at a special discount from our already low prices. The current name for this species is Crested Caracara, Caracara cheriway. The plate depicts two Caracaras in motion, showing the upper bird flying toward a lower bird that is clinging to a branch. In this way, Audubon represents the Caracara from all sides, presenting detailed views of the plumage and physical characteristics from both top and bottom of this beautiful bird in a dramatic composition.
In the accompanying text, Audubon relates an accounting of his first sighting of this bird."I was not aware of the existence of the Caracara or Brazilian Eagle in the United States, until my visit to the Floridas in the winter of 1831. On the 24th November of that year, in the course of an excursion near the town of St. Augustine, I observed a bird flying at a great elevation, and almost over my head. Convinced that it was unknown to me, and bent on obtaining it, I followed it nearly a mile, when I saw it sail towards the earth, making for a place where a group of Vultures were engaged in devouring a dead horse. Walking up to the horse, I observed the new bird alighted on it, and helping itself freely to the savoury meat beneath its feet; but it evinced a degree of shyness far greater than that of its associates, the Turkey-Buzzards and Carrion Crows."
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Home » news » Fantasy Focus Waiver Wire Watch
Fantasy Focus: Waiver Wire Watch
Basketball Insiders combed through the waiver wire and compiled a list of players that fantasy owners should consider.
It's close to the halfway mark in a long 82-game NBA season; so barring injuries or unexpected trades – maybe a few other variables – fantasy basketball owners know what kind of team they have by now. Devoted owners are always looking ahead to the playoff rounds and wondering if their team is good enough to carry them all the way. If that answer is unclear, it's probably time to carefully analyze the waiver wire for gems.
Basketball Insiders is here to help you out in your waiver wire endeavors. We've compiled a list of players who are showing signs of real improvement and just may be available in your league. We suggest you find out sooner rather than later.
Be advised that when we talk fantasy, it is based on nine-category fantasy scoring leagues that account for points, assists, rebounds, steals, blocks, three-pointers made, turnovers, field goal percentage and free throw percentage. (Note – all stats reflect games played through 1/14/14)
»In Related: Six Buy-Low Fantasy Basketball Assets
D.J. AUGUSTIN (Chicago Bulls)
The Bulls acquired D.J. Augustin in mid-December in the wake of the Derrick Rose loss. The Toronto Raptors had waived Augustin as part of a four-player acquisition deal, so the timing was right for Chicago to add him as a backup point guard to Kirk Hinrich. This is Augustin's fourth team in six years, but he just may have found a home. Augustin seems to have immediately clicked with this team. Since donning a Bulls uniform, he's averaged 10.3 points per game, 6.2 assists, 1.5 three-pointers (at .343 percentage) and has gone 35-of-38 at the free throw line in nearly 29 minutes of play. These numbers even take into account his woeful start in the first two games. A quick look at his 10 games in Toronto before the move (2.1. points, 1.0 assists in 8.2 minutes), and one can easily spot the reason why collective heads are turning and why home fans are giving Augustin standing ovations. Another reason fantasy owners should take note? Hinrich's name is often linked to possible trade scenarios. In the event that Hinrich is moved prior to the February 20th trade deadline, the Bulls will rely on Augustin even more. In the three games in which he started, he averaged 13.7 points, 8.0 assists and 3.0 three-pointers at .529.
IMAN SHUMPERT (New York Knicks)
J.R. Smith's recent antics and dismal shooting have cleared the way for Iman Shumpert. Knicks' coach Mike Woodson seems to have reached his limit with Smith, so Shumpert is getting more minutes. Fortunately, he's answering the call in a far better way than his start to the season. In the first 30 games (from the start of the season until the end of 2013), Shumpert averaged 6.2 points per game, 1.9 assists, 4.7 rebounds and .83 three-pointers in 27.02 minutes. Now compare that to eight games in January thus far: 12.1 points, 2.4 assists, 6.3 rebounds, 2.6 three-pointers at .436 percentage in 33.8 minutes. He's shooting .473 in field goal percentage and grabbing 1.9 steals per game. Shumpert's numbers plummeted a bit in the most recent few games, but with Smith's recent benching and possible trade bait situation, he should continue getting an opportunity to shine.
GERALD GREEN (Phoenix Suns)
Speaking of opportunity, Gerald Green's role, hence minutes, are increasing as a result of Eric Bledsoe's unfortunate knee injury (torn lateral meniscus). Bledsoe had surgery on January 10th, and the Suns say he could possibly return in the second half of the season. It doesn't exactly sound like a sure thing. Green doesn't contribute in every category, but if you need three-pointers and steals, make sure he's not languishing on the waiver wire. He's in the starting lineup and has logged double-digit scoring in five of the past seven games. Be aware Green will have off-nights in shooting percentages. When he does, he seems to contribute fairly well in other categories. And he keeps turnovers to a minimum.
KRIS HUMPHRIES (Boston Celtics)
After a particularly slow start to the season (and limited playing time), Humphries seems to be finding a niche in Boston. He's appeared in the starting lineup in the past four games, averaging 9.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steal and 2.3 blocks in 29.04 minutes. Coach Brad Stevens is still playing around with frontcourt rotations and minutes, but if Humphries can sustain this level of production, he may have a chance of edging out Jared Sullinger.
C.J. MILES (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Fantasy owners have largely ignored C.J. Miles (only owned in 25 percent of Yahoo Sports' leagues); we suggest you check out his numbers now. Starting for the Cavaliers since mid-November, Miles has averaged 15.7 points per game over the past seven games in nearly 27 minutes. He's also averaged an outstanding 3.1 three-pointers at .638 percentage, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals. Not only that, but his field goal shooting is .551. He's doing what fantasy owners want: contributing in categories across the board. He had a five-point game in his last outing – we're calling it a fluke.
»In Related: Fantasy Top 100 Overall Rankings
QUICK HITS:
Mo Williams (Portland Trail Blazers) – Now in his 11th year in the league, Mo Williams doesn't post numbers like he did in the old days, but don't overlook what he's doing in Portland off the bench. In the past five games, he's averaging 12.6 points, 5.8 assists, 1.3 assists and 2.2 three-pointers Solid numbers for those hard-to-find guards on the waiver wire.
Randy Foye (Denver Nuggets) – Is Randy Foye's slump over? Consistency from now on? Hard to say, but his numbers are encouraging. He's dropped double-digit scoring over the past nine games (15.3 ppg), along with 3.4 assists, 3.6 rebounds, 2.4 three-pointers and 20-of-23 at the foul line.
Terrence Jones (Houston Rockets) – Fantasy owners really need to look at their waiver wire to ensure Terrence Jones is not available. Owned by 52 percent of Yahoo Sports' players, Jones is quietly averaging 10.4 points, 1.4 blocks and 7.4 rebounds this season.
Patrick Patterson (Toronto Raptors) – Patrick Patterson is loving his new life in Toronto and his coach, Dwane Casey, says he's a perfect fit. Looks like a win-win situation. In just 22.1 minutes, he's averaged 9.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in 16 games with the Raptors. However, in the past six games, those numbers have jumped to 14.8 points and 6.0 rebounds. Tyler Hansbrough's return is a threat, but maybe not a strong one.
»In Related: Six Sell-High Fantasy Basketball Assets
Now we want to know, who are your waiver wire favorites at this point in the season? Tell us in the comments section below.


diet and gout • Is Sleep Apnea One Of The Causes Of Gout?
Is Sleep Apnea One Of The Causes Of Gout?
All Causes Of Uric Acid - Is Sleep Apnea One Of The Causes Of Gout?
There are many different potential triggers for gout that you should be aware of if you suffer from the condition. One of the potential triggers that we've been asked about recently is sleep apnea. It may seem as though these two conditions are completely unrelated, but in reality, they are connected. The connection was first noticed when sleep apnea patients effective methods of treating gout their disorder and they can folic acid truly advantageous alleviating gout syndrome? simultaneously improved.
Other links between sleep apnea and gout include show up in the fact that not only delicious low purine foods free youth sufferers demographically the same as the primary sleep apnea sufferers (middle-aged, overweight men), but sleep apnea and gout are also both much more common among does shrimp have purines through menopause. Also, stop gout pain sleep apnea are associated with people who have a larger neck circumference. This can be considered to be a valuable article on Uric Acid Crystals Joints. Vit c because there is so much to learn gout colchicine Crystals Joints here.
Most notably, though, foods that fight gout attacks are the most common while asleep, indicating that sleep has an impact anti gout diet tips and sleep disturbances turn to diet for everyday ailments influence the causes of gout attacks.
The treatments for sleep apnea include preventative actions, such as avoiding sleeping on one's back. When sleeping on the back, the airway can become constricted and is more likely to close, causing the oxygen levels in the blood to be lower than in other sleeping positions. Therefore, changing the way you sleep can help to prevent gout attacks simply by increasing the overall blood oxygen level. Other sleep severe gout treatment can include a pressurized CPAP mask or surgery.
Until recently, gout and sleep apnea have been treated separately. However, many sleep apnea patients who implement treatments for gout condition find that heel gout improves at the same time. Using great confidence in ourselves, we endeavored to write such a long article on Gout complications. Such is the amount of matter found on Gout Symptoms.
No matter the final remedy, recipes for gout patients sleep apnea problem ensures that blood oxygen levels remain high, neutralizing uric acid will cure gout vitamin c for gout? it is a good idea, but there's a caution if you use it as a gout treatment therefore gout flare ups.
This effect is very similar to what happens within the cells when excess alcohol is consumed. And it should be noted that drinking alcohol can cause sleep apnea to become more pronounced. Therefore, gout home remedies how to get relief apnea have two major reasons to avoid drinking alcohol. The sources used for the information for this article on Uric Acid are all dependable ones. This is so that there be no confusion eliminate the pain with natural gout cures the article.
The reason for this link is believed to be the reduction in blood oxygen during apnea episodes, causing cell disintegration in the body and the generation of uric acid in the bloodstream. Vitamin c is a substitute of gout treatment is, after all, the presence of uric acid crystals in the joints. Furthermore, during apnea there is an increase in the carbon dioxide percentage within the blood, making the blood's acidity level higher all you need to know concerning treating gout in a easier way of uric acid precipitation as monosodium urate. Daytona state college in the joints and can even lead to an increased risk of developing kidney stones. It was with great relief we ended writing on Prevent Gout. There was just too much information to write, the way to relieve gout pain? to lose hopes on it's completion!


I owe it to Srila Prabhupada and to the devotees, to yourself, as having been appointed by Srila Prabhupada to act as trustee for life, to clarify what happened with the BBT.
In your post "Copyrights Transferred to the BBTI?", published up on the Sampradaya Sun, you've understood correctly that BBTI is not the same as Prabhupada's BBT. BBTI (Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.) is a California corporation (non-profit) that was registered in 1988, in a deliberate attempt to bypass the legal trust.
Immediately thereafter, ISKCON GBC voted to assign the copyrights from BBT to BBTI. However, they had no legal authority to do so, because Prabhupada gave express instructions in the trust document that ISKCON was to have no jurisdiction over the trust.
But that's not all… for years Ramesvara operated a shell as if it were the actual BBT – used ISKCON of America and later another ISKCON registered in California for which he applied to the local authorities for the dba ("doing business as" otherwise known as a fictitious business name) "Bhaktivedanta Book Trust". For so many years he and the GBC bypassed Srila Prabhupada's actual trust and trustees.
Devotees did not know it, but Ramesvara was never a BBT trustee – he was only ever appointed secretary by Prabhupada. He might have been a trustee of the Indian Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, which was really only a publishing trust and did not hold the copyrights to Prabhupada's books.
So you can see that the term "BBT" has been loosely applied to any one of a few different legal entities, a convenient smoke screen for ISKCON to take over the trust.
First of all, stop here and understand what is a trust. A legally constituted trust consists of the Settlor, or the person who is making the trust; the property vested in the trust; a beneficiary, or the party who benefits from the trust; and trustee or trustees, who carry out the terms of the trust.
Prabhupada's trust, the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, is no different. Prabhupada is the Settlor and was, until his departure, one of the trustees. He made ISKCON the beneficiary of the trust.
And he vested all the copyrights to his books in the trust. As for the trustees, he designated that there be no more than three at any time. Initially there were just Srila Prabhupada, Karandhar and Bali Mardan. Later, when Karandhar resigned, Prabhupada appointed me to replace him.
Prabhupada inserted a provision in the Trust Agreement (pdf, 540 KB) stating that the BBT existed independently of ISKCON and that the trustees were bound to carry out the duties of the BBT separately from and not depending on the ISKCON GBC.
But even without such a provision, by law the beneficiary of a trust has no legal right to direct the trustees or to take over the trust assets. So what ISKCON did is actually illegal.
ISKCON bypassed the trustees and took over the operation and property of the BBT. Let's say a father sets up a trust for his children, and vests all his property in it, and appoints a trustee to look after it in the interests of the children.
But somewhere along the line, the children decide they want direct control over the property and so they scheme to get rid of or go around the trustee and seize the assets for themselves. Why is this so wrong? After all, they are the beneficiaries, and the trust is supposed to be for them.
But no, the court takes the view that the trust belongs to the Settlor, not the beneficiaries, and although the Settlor may have departed, his expressed wishes live on in the terms of the trust document, and so the court upholds the trust, and finds that the children have attempted to convert the trust res illegally. This is exactly what has happened in the case of Prabhupada's BBT.
So I asked him, "Suppose I take your wife, I do all those things that you do with her – maybe even better than you do – what does it matter to you?" Poor Amarendra was shocked. The point is: BBT belongs to Prabhupada, not to ISKCON. Prabhupada set it up to work in a particular way, and ISKCON has no right to interfere or to take over, as they have done.
Going back to 1988, the time when BBTI was incorporated, devotees may remember that around that time ISKCON began blacklisting devotees who were outspoken against GBC or official ISKCON policies, especially with regard to the policy of forced reinitiation.
Some devotees had gone through four Gurus! Many left ISKCON and went back into material life; and the few who tried to go it on their own were subjected to a campaign to extinguish them – they were made unwelcome at ISKCON temples, they were unable to buy Prabhupada's books at wholesale rates for sankirtan, and ISKCON devotees went out of their way to sabbotage their preaching efforts.
This is what happened in Singapore to Bhima das, who, with one other brahmachary, had been distributing Prabhupada's books in Malaysia and Singapore, even Philippines, Thailand and Taiwan, at least 1.5 million books from 1978. But from 1988 the regional "BBTs" refused to sell to him, and he was refused even when he approached "BBT" in Australia.
Not only this, but the BBT was letting so many books go out of print, and publishing only Jayadvaita's new and improved books.
In 1990 I approached Tamal Krishna Goswami to buy chinese Bhagavad gitas from him, he refused , telling me he would sell them to me only at the retail price. OK, I said I'll buy two copies, thinking enough is enough. So in 1990 we printed Bhagavad-gita As It Is in Chinese. Within a few months, Bhima received a letter from a lawyer alleging copyright infringement.
The lawyer's client was none other than Sundar Gopal in Singapore, then still working under Tamal Krishna Goswami. Shortly afterwards, BBTI brought a lawsuit against Bhima in Singapore, claiming their copyrights had been infringed and asking for damages.
We challenged BBTI to prove ownership, and they came back with a fake, back-dated document signed by Svavasa, supposedly assigning BBT copyrights to BBTI. But we presented the original Trust Agreement for Prabhupada's Bhaktivedanta Book Trust and the resolution bearing Srila Prabhupada's signature appointing myself as trustee, and demanded that BBTI prove its legal connection with the original BBT. When they couldn't do that, they all at once backed out of the lawsuit.
That's when ISKCON and BBTI sued Hansadutta, myself, in 1997. It was not actually a lawsuit against myself personally. It was a direct attack on Prabhupada's original BBT.
ISKCON and BBTI were seeking a court declaration that Prabhupada's BBT was never a legally valid trust and thus never held the copyrights to his books; or in the event that it was once valid, that it had ceased to be valid; moreover, that Hansadutta, myself, was never a trustee of that trust, or if I was, then I had ceased to be or should be removed and new trustees appointed. Download the complaint (pdf, 3.2 MB).
Over the course of more than 1-1/2 years, much came to light. For instance, ISKCON claimed that Prabhupada had never owned the copyrights, that they were "works for hire", meaning that Prabhupada was ISKCON's hired worker – they supplied Prabhupada with room and board, dictation machine, paper, pen… and whatever he wrote was the property of ISKCON. Read it yourself what ISKCON said (pdf, 1.5 MB).
I did not relinquish my position as BBT trustee lightly. It was a grave decision. I understood very well that Prabhupada had appointed me for life to safeguard his books, and I would never have simply thrown it away. But after 17-18 months of litigation, we had no financial resources to continue the legal battle into trial. Our lawyer, Fedorowsky (Gupta das), required us to come up with another $100,000 in advance payment to go to trial.
Contrary to what has been reported by some, I did not leave ISKCON with money, and I have never done business or been gainfully employed, so I had to rely on Krishna to send help in defending Prabhupada's BBT. Bhima had spent more than a million dollars fighting the BBTI courtcase in Singapore. Then when ISKCON – BBTI changed course and filed legal action against me, again Bhima came to the rescue, but by then he was pretty much tapped out.
He scrambled to put up the money to retain Fedorowsky. Veda Guhya also contributed – a quarter of the amount Bhima gave. But when Fedorowsky called for more money for trial, we just didn't have it, and no one responded to our appeals for help – not one of the Prabhupadanugas. Everyone just kept silent. No one came forward, and former friends retreated.
Moreover, Fedorowsky advised me that even if we were to proceed to trial and if we should prevail, there was every likelihood that ISKCON and BBTI would appeal and that ISKCON would petition the court to remove me from the trust in any case, and the matter could drag out for years. We didn't know it at the time, but Fedorowsky had already misappropriated money that was principal in an investment scheme that was to pay his fees.
Had we known that, we would not have trusted him, but we did trust him, and we had no other option for an attorney – Fedorowsky knew the ins and outs of ISKCON, he had a grasp of the legal issues, which baffled all other attorneys we consulted, and he had made us an offer impossible to refuse – very discounted fees.
And so it was that 18 months into litigation, I was corralled into accepting a settlement, crafted by Fedorowsky and Amarendra. Fedorowsky promised me that in exchange for stepping down from the BBT trustee position, BBTI and ISKCON would give me an "unfettered" license to publish all of Prabhupada's original books (pre1978) pretty much worldwide. This turned out to be otherwise, but at the time I trusted Fedorowsky's legal advice.
I had to consider that if we went to trial and lost, BBTI and ISKCON would get away with everything, spelling the end of Prabhupada's original books and depriving many devotees of access to buying books for distribution. And I had to consider that even if we went to trial and won, it would not be the end of it; ISKCON and BBTI would fight on and eventually I would be removed as trustee.
Then too, Fedorowsky spoke of the cost of protecting the copyrights, how if the BBT did not file legal action for each and every copyright infringement, then they would be lost to public domain – which might have been done anyway. So thinking to make the best of a bad bargain, I made the decision that I felt would protect the integrity of Prabhupada's original books and enable their publication and make them accessible to the devotees everywhere regardless of their affiliation with ISKCON.
I considered also ISKCON's and BBTI's assurances that the BBT would be left intact. It was for Prabhupada that I did what I did. For Prabhupada and the devotees. In the end, I could only hope that the settlement would resolve our differences, and so I took a leap of faith to trust our godbrothers at their word, give them a chance to make it possible for us to participate in serving Prabhupada and his mission by printing and distributing his unadulterated books.
I did not do so with personal profit in mind. That was not the case at all. For that reason I did not object when Fedorowsky added his own name as member of the board of the licensee.
Out of gratitude to him for his services, and desiring to include the persons who had sacrificed money, time and energy to defend Prabhupada's BBT and the purity of Prabhupada's original books, I consented to the naming of Fedorowsky, Veda Guhya, Bhima and his wife all as members of the board. As for the settlement money, it was initially agreed that the money would be used as startup capital for printing Prabhupada's books.
However, Fedorowsky laid claim to it, and a dispute arose. As it turned out, Fedorowsky, with the support of Veda Guhya, Bhagavan and Niscintya, pulled the carpet out from beneath us, and took control of the licensee, ousting myself, Bhima and Das devi dasi.
But I assure you, I did not ever intend to betray Srila Prabhupada or his Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. I acted in good faith. Fedorowsky and others took advantage of my trust and good will. If you are looking for those who betrayed Prabhupada, look to them, look to ISKCON and BBTI.
As you have pointed out, I have since put ISKCON and BBTI on notice that their failure to pay out the settlement monies as per the terms of the settlement means that the settlement has been breached, and so I have rescinded my resignation as trustee of the BBT. As far as I know, the BBT is intact. But ISKCON and BBTI continue to produce and distribute counterfeit books, and the BBT courtcase has been swept underneath the bed.
To check them with legal action is prohibitively costly. But if the devotees rally and demand remediation, that Prabhupada's BBT be restored and that BBTI cease all revisions of Prabhupada's books, then it's possible that one day things will be right again with the movement. This is my stand. And I call for all Prabhupada's faithful disciples to stand with me, to stand by Prabhupada's Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, to stand for Srila Prabhupada and his books.
Remember the Alamo! But devotees need to do more than talk. Many devotees have strongly protested the changes to the books, but BBTI and ISKCON turn a deaf ear to them and will continue to do so unless and until they are faced with real consequences such as court action. This costs money. So put your money where your mouth is, and let's see who is willing to do for Prabhupada.
I know that I have disappointed you and so many other devotees. I am very sorry for so many things I have done recklessly and for having failed to live up to all our expectations. All I can do is ask again for forgiveness from you and from the devotees everywhere, and for your blessings to be allowed to serve Prabhupada alongside his faithful devotees.
We are meant to follow Prabhupada, all of us as members of his entourage, as his servants, in this life and in the next and the next after that, forever, and this is all I look forward to – meeting up with Srila Prabhupada wherever he may be and being counted once again as one of his disciples. Please do not think too badly of me and cast me out from your association.
P.S. In hindsight, I see now there was a collusion between Gupta and the ISKCON attorneys to sideline my legal position. You may know that Gupta aka Joseph Fedorowsky was indicted for, "CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT MURDER" back in the 1970's.
He escaped prosecution because he cut a deal with the Federal authorities by ratting everyone out. Many believe that he remains a FBI informant to this day. These are things I came to know later on. I have the documents, if you care to see them.
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Regarding anyone who proclaims that Hansadutta left ISKCON with money, I am a witness of his dire poverty during those first years, and saw the old Volkswagen Bug, with passenger seat removed, that he and his pregnant spouse, lived in, in the Clearlake area.


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Q: Where to implement URL data validation in Node/Express? I'm building a RESTful API using Node/Express4 and so far I've been successful. However, I'm not sure where to implement URL data validation - should the router script block invalid URI requests or should it send the controller the invalid data for it to send back an error?
The expected URI is as in the following example:
/api/:tagName/:postYear/:postMonth/:postDay

And it should return me a JSON array of posts in Year/Month/Day.
What I want is to implement a way to prevent an invalid date request from being sent to the database query, for example
/api/:tagName/20170105

Should return an error.
My doubt is whether it is more appropriate for the router to validate the year in the example (4 digits, only numeric characters) or if it should send '20170105' to the controller and have it parse the URI and throw an error back at the client.
Is there a recommended way or does either work equally well from a structural point of view?

A: Not sure this comes down to a hard-and-fast rule, but generally validation is best done as early as possible. Why waste any additional time with invalid values?
Some Node-specific things to consider:

*

*Are you generating routing code with Swagger or other such tools? If so, validating the URL in the Swagger is a great contract-enforcement mechanism.

*Are you already using something like supertest to "run" your service as part of unit tests? This makes request-level validation much simpler than actually starting a service instance for each test. If not, then it makes a lot of sense to push as much validation and logic to the controller where it can be more easily tested.

Validation aside, if the API always requires year, month and day, you might consider using changing the endpoint to use the date as a filter either as a path param (/api/myTag/20170907) or as a query parameter (/api/myTag?date=20170907). Nesting many parameters as in your example is not really true to the resource-identification paradigm of REST, and may prove to both a better UX and more easily tested. (But this too is not something which requires adherence to a strict set of rules).


One of the most recognizable helmet styles of all time, the Classic Full Cut Water has you covered. This veteran comes equipped with our S.T.I.F.S. fit system, which provides adjustability to fit various head sizes, and hard protection around the ears with cutouts for ventilation and water drainage.


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You are here: Home / Archives for Editorial
Renewing the American Idea – Starting Today
September 9, 2014 By Paul Ryan
EDITORIAL - You might think it's a little late to give an Independence Day address, but New York's delegates to the Continental Congress didn't vote to approve the Declaration of Independence until July 15. So I'd like to think I'm fashionably late—or as they'd say in New York, "right on time." But the topic is always timely, because the Declaration of … [Read more...]
Filed Under: Editorial, Government
How Dissimulation About Islam is Fuelling Genocide
September 5, 2014 By Mark Durie
EDITORIAL - In northern Iraq religious genocide is reaching end-game stage. Islamic State (IS) soldiers, reinforced with military equipment originally supplied by the US, are driving back Kurdish defenders who had been protecting Christians and other religious minorities. While hundreds of thousands of refugees have been fleeing into Kurdistan, around 40,000 … [Read more...]
Ford Fusion Suffers Power Loss – Texas Driver Complains
April 18, 2014 By Letters to the Editor
FORT WORTH, Texas - I own a 2013 Ford Fusion, I have had a very serious mechanical malfunction over the past 3 weeks. The vehicle will completely shut down while operating the vehicle causing the steering wheel to lock, brakes not to work, emergency brake not work and finally the air bags do not deploy. I have taken the vehicle back to the dealership where … [Read more...]
Filed Under: Business, Featured, Letters to the editor
Do You Love Your City? Why I Moved Back to Dearborn
April 9, 2014 By Jonathan Swift
DEARBORN, Michigan - Do you love your city? One of my all-time favorite classic movies is Frank Capra's 1947 It's a Wonderful Life starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. Although this film is almost exclusively and religiously watched during the holidays, apart from the tear-jerking Christmas Eve ending scene, Wonderful Life isn't really about Christmas … [Read more...]
Filed Under: Community, Editorial, Featured
Western Ignorance of the 'Conditions of Omar'
March 29, 2014 By Raymond Ibrahim
EDITORIAL -- A jihadi group occupying the Syrian town of Raqqa recently gave Christian minorities living there three choices: 1) convert to Islam, 2) remain Christian but pay tribute and accept third-class subject status, or 3) die by the sword. According to the BBC, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria issued a directive: citing the Islamic concept of … [Read more...]
Filed Under: Editorial Tagged With: Christianity, Islam, persecution, Syria
Apology From the Boy Who Cried Wolf (an Editorial)
March 8, 2014 By Douglas Vos
Dear readers of the Dearborn Free Press, Do you remember the story about the boy who cried wolf? Teachers have often used the fable as "a cautionary tale about telling the truth". The old Aesops fable is about a boy in a village who tricked local villagers into thinking a wolf was loose in the village. The original story dates back prior to the 15th … [Read more...]
The Rising Sex Traffic in Forced Islamic Marriage
March 6, 2014 By Mark Durie
EDITORIAL - In 2008, the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, and Nicholas Phillips, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, both suggested that the UK could consider, in Lord Phillips's words, "embracing Sharia law" because "there is no reason why Sharia Law, or any other religious code should not be the basis for mediation or other forms of … [Read more...]
Filed Under: Community, Editorial Tagged With: Islam, Islamophobia, sex traffic
Remembering 1963: Orville Hubbard and M.L. King
January 20, 2014 By Letters to the Editor
LETTERS - During the summer of 1963, I was working for a landscaping firm which put in new or replacement lawns, for homes and businesses. I had a friend, who also worked with me and we were invited to a Labor Day Weekend Party at Joyce Symons house on Hanfor Street in Allen Park, Michigan. Joyce Symons was a State Representative for this voting district … [Read more...]
Filed Under: Editorial, History, Letters to the editor
What Can We Learn About Christmas from U.S. Presidents?
December 25, 2013 By Jonathan Light
EDITORIAL - What can we learn about Christmas from past and present presidents of the United States? What follows is a collection of quotes from various presidents. "Your annual Christmas service . . . is a dramatic and inspiring event of national interest. It symbolizes and vivifies our greatest Christian festival with its eternal message of … [Read more...]
George Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation
November 28, 2013 By News Release
Issued by President George Washington, at the request of Congress, on October 3, 1789 By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation. Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and—Whereas … [Read more...]
Filed Under: Community, Editorial


Weddings certainly bring out the absolute worst in people. If you are not married, just you wait. At your future wedding, your dad will surely embarrass you during his toast. Your mom will definitely get way too drunk and tear up the dance floor until she passes out. And your creepy (and way too touchy) uncle is most likely going to hit on one, or all, of your bridesmaids. He may even pinch one of their behinds. But, this is all somewhat normal, bad wedding behavior. The follow stories show us that weddings can be so insane, dramatic and outrageous, it will make you question if you ever want to get married. Here are 15 wedding horror stories so bad, you'll never want to get married.
Look, keep it quick and get to the free food and booze, okay? No one should have 14 bridesmaids, the ceremony should be 30 minutes (at most) and the songs and poems should be reserved for the rehearsal dinner. This isn't a share circle. No one cares about how you met the bride in preschool when you shared your peanut butter and jelly sandwich with her at lunch. We promise.
"Friends of mine had a small wedding with the reception in a private area of a restaurant...After the meal, our server came through the doors with the 3-tier wedding cake in her arms. When she got front and center, she slipped and hit the floor like a rock, face first into the cake. The initial laughter stopped quickly when it seemed like she might be hurt because she wasn't moving. She got up...crying as hard as I've ever seen. Hysterically apologizing over and over. Fast forward a couple hours, and thankfully she was physically okay. But even better, she was serving drunk New Yorkers who had money who felt terrible for her. I don't know what the hosting couple tipped her, but I'm certain she picked up another $5000 from the guests on the side. I threw her a $100, and I'm cheap."
This is probably what she's known for—she is the waitress who drops the wedding cake to cause a big scene and rake in big tips. It's a smart business move if you ask us. She's just lucky she wasn't dealing with a bridezilla, though.
Ruining a wedding ceremony with your own fart? That is pretty impressive. This is just another reason why men can not be trusted at fancy events, even if it is their own sister's wedding.
12 Is this a wedding or a rave?
A user named huffingtoncoast recalls an interesting wedding: "We had a real DJ at our wedding, spinning records and playing weird electronic dance music. Not exactly traditional, but it was still fun until… my brother got lit on all of the free booze and apparently took a bunch of pills. He then proceeded to give the DJ tons of pills. Not a great mix it turns out. Our DJ then went on a 45-minute set of original music and was the definition of sh*tfaced. When we tried to leave and say our proper goodbyes to everyone on the microphone, he told us that he was almost done and that we could have the microphone in like 10-15 minutes when he finished up. My brother puked in front of everyone after we left."
A rave/wedding is not a bad concept. We can see it now: glowsticks, lollipops and candy necklaces. Admit it—you would love to see your Aunt Martha in raver wear.
"My brothers fiancée showed up really late to her own wedding...She showed up an hour late to her own wedding shower, so that wasn't a giant surprise that she was late to the wedding, but still it was really rude... The odd thing was this. Her limo showed up in the parking lot (it was an outside event) and sat there for a bit. We all saw her and then the limo peeled out and drove away. She came back like nothing happened and everything went as planned. We learned less than a year later that she had been sleeping with someone else during that time, and they got a divorce when the baby was born and wasn't my brother's."
This sounds like the most dangerous wedding for sure. We can't help but wonder how they recovered from this. Did they even have another ceremony, or did this event just scar them for life?
They say rain at a wedding is good luck, right? Wrong. Very, very wrong! Not only did the rain completely ruin their wedding, but their marriage didn't even last very long. It probably was a sign, a very big one at that.
Look, we don't want to blame the bride, but, learning a song to sing about escaping and running away with an ex takes time and practice. She wasn't suspicious when he was humming the tune around the house, practicing dance moves or spending time away from home rehearsing? She didn't think it was strange that he suddenly took up singing as a hobby? But in her defense, this is the strangest way to run away from a wedding we have ever heard about.
How can someone wimp out of a wedding last minute? Can't you do it before? Before everyone gets ready and travels all the way to celebrate you? Before the bride does her hair and makeup for hours and hours and hours...and hours? Before the deposit is put down? If you're not ready, didn't you already know that you're not ready before the day of the actual wedding?
User cricketchaos was an angry groom at his wedding. He wrote, "My new wife's uncle and his son threw 200 live crickets into the front seat of our car as we got in it to leave the reception. 200 live crickets. They thought it was hilarious. My groomsmen had to drag me into the reception hall to keep me from going after them or have a meltdown on camera. My wife was covered in crickets...Took weeks to get the smell out of the car. We had to take her parent's car to the airport for the honeymoon and leave it with them to get detailed. Still found crickets coming out of the air vents when we returned from the honeymoon a week later."
We would murder, see red, and lose our minds if this happened to us. It's bad that it's crickets (of all things). Like, why couldn't they throw flowers or even gummy worms? But, what makes it worse is that both the bride and groom were probably dressed nicely and the crickets were stuck in their car for so long, making it smelly.
If the dead homeless guy wasn't a bad enough omen, then they really nailed it in with the whole pregnant with my baby, screwing my sister talk. It's good that this all happened before they got married, right? But, it's too bad it had to happen on their wedding day, in front of a bunch of guests.
Okay, you escape off to Mexico with an ex and then what? You have to come home to every single important person in your life, both friends and family, hating you from then on. It doesn't really seem worth it, does it?
Did she really need to bring it home by swinging a baseball bat? You're not Beyoncé in a music video. What were you planning to do with the bat? We get it, lady. Leave the 8-month-pregnant bride alone, okay?
Number one rule at a wedding: No one is allowed to die, you hear? It probably added so much more stress to this family (especially the bride and groom) that a loved one had an emergency on the day of a wedding. Thankfully, he was okay in the end (but not before his wife freaked out over the phone when she heard the news). This will be a day that this family remembers for the rest of their lives, and for more reasons than one.


Amateur video of 22 wild, uninhibited wrestling fights by untrained girls who volunteer from the audience. Squealing and screeching, these gals go at it with an intense passion. Slapping, sliding and tangling in cole slaw, tops get pulled off, and the audience goes nuts. These girls mean business and do anything to win. Spring Break was never this much fun!


Graduate Stories: As the Admissions Director of AeroStar, I learn a lot about our students and their careers.
Airlines were also willing to pay for type rating training for new hires.
Many of our students do exactly this.
It is good to see people who are so excited about their success.
A few months ago, Kenian Jabbour had had his doubts about our program. His crew partner was getting his flight training at a competing academy (PanAm) and had been quoted a lower price than AeroStar was offering. But Keenan toured our facility, compared the quality of the program, and started with us.
Kenian spent 10 days on site with us getting his A320 type rating. He was hired as a first officer for an airline, and recently stopped by our office while his aircraft was being fueled. They had just returned from France and were planning a trip to Casablanca.
Since then, his crew partner has actually spent MORE money on additional training and was still working on his type rating.
Why do AeroStar students get hired?
Our students stand out from the pack by showing that they've made a smart investment in their career.
Our students save time for the airlines because they are already fluent and proficient and no additional training is needed.
A big thank you to Sunrise Aviation for helping students like Kenian get started and referring them to AeroStar for advanced flight training. Together we help aviation career dreams take flight!
Do you have WIA or VA benefits?
AeroStar Training Service is approved for WIA and VA benefits and programs in Kentucky and Central Florida!
Contact us to find out how you could apply those benefits to acquire a type rating, a ATP-CTP certificate, or other advanced training!
How Can Flight Schools Attract More Students?
Paula Williams: All parts of that question. Great, exactly. Let's carry on with the next one. How can flight schools attract more students? I know this is a problem for a lot of flight schools coming out of what was a slow period and I know a lot of them are starting to get a few more students in the door but depending on where you are in the country, this is still a problem.
David Santo: We see this is a multifaceted problem. First of all, and I'm guilty of this too when we started AeroStar, we had the concept, if we build it they would come. When we built it and opened the doors, we were shocked and surprised that people weren't lined up around the street to enroll in our programs because nobody knew who we were, they didn't know we existed.
One thing that flight schools should really look at is their marketing, their branding, how they're getting their message out there, and I think that's a plug for you guys, Paula, at ABCI because I think internet-based marketing to the global market is the way to go. We see our opportunity working with the flight school as making yourselves even more attractive. You might have the best flight school in the world but how can you make it better? Are you offering your students the option to complete the ATP CTP? Are you offering your students the option to get advanced jet flight simulation training or type ratings? If you're not, that's where we think we can bolster your offering catalogue by adding classes that you don't have to spend the money in doing your own certification, research and development.
We're turnkey. We formalize an agreement. You advertise and market us as part of you and you're out there really attracting students who maybe want that extra program and then you package that into your pricing structure.
Paula Williams: That makes perfect sense. It's like what we call a white level service. As far as the student knows he's working with Cochise College or FIT, or Sun State Aviation and the student may not know or care or want to know about FIT or any other partners or anything like that, or sorry, about AeroStar. They just see the school that they initially entered in agreement with, is that correct?
David Santo: That is absolutely correct and we really do see ourselves as a subcontractor so we're not out there trying to beat the AeroStar drum, we're trying to beat the we're a subservice to the larger pipeline which is the flight school itself.
We just want to be there at the end to help you provide that finishing school, that graduate school piece which is the type rating ride. How you market it, package it, present it, it is really up to the individual school. We want to support whatever the school thinks is the best approach for their individual marketing efforts.
I will say that with FIT, for example, one of the things that we did early on with FIT was FIT actually got our programs approved for academic credit so that students could attend a type rating course or a flight deck observation program and receive college credit for it, number one, and therefore, they could apply student aid, financial aid to help offset some of the cost of these programs.
Paula Williams: Right, that makes perfect sense. The other side of that I think is that affiliating with AeroStar is to the advantage of flight schools because of AeroStar's reputation. As you've mentioned you've been in business for six years, a lot of the other providers in the market maybe don't have the reputation that you do for quality of training and things like that. It's like a Gulfstream with a Rolls Royce engine. You do want to have the best components in your system and AeroStar is a really good engine to have under the hood for those students that do want to look at the details.
David Santo: I'll say this, Paula. Our students have given us very positive feedback. The quality of the training that the students who have come to our type rating courses really has been very, very positive and that means a lot to us. Now, I'm not going to say that we don't occasionally have people that run into training issues because every flight school does.
In fact, if you have a flight school that doesn't have some kind of training issues, they're probably selling the license and not selling the training.
David Santo: We take great pride with the fact that people have been employed from our training program. We currently have a relationship with Tiger Airways where Tiger Airways in Australia is sending their initial new hires over to AeroStar, a preferential provider for them and the feedback that we're getting has been very, very positive so we're very proud of that.
Paula Williams: Right. Let me just expand on that just a little bit more as far as how can flight schools attract more students and I think the keyword here from a marketing perspective is competitive advantage.
If there are four flight schools on your field and you are the one that offers ATP/CTP and type ratings and all of the things that AeroStar can add to your catalogue, that really makes you stand out because people don't buy flight training, they buy a career. It's just like … the old marketing saying is people don't buy a drill they buy the holes that that drill can make.
They're really buying a solution. I think as flight school owners, sometimes people get in to the mode of we have to lower our prices, we have to offer training at a lower cost per hour than the other folks on the field and that's our competitive advantage but that's just a race to the bottom and that doesn't do anybody any good.
Adding to your competitive advantage rather than subtracting from your price I think is really, really key to staying in business, in a healthy business as a flight school.
David Santo: Yeah, you're absolutely right, Paula, and of course you've got a lot of experience with that. We try to compete on value and not on price. We want to have the best targeted value. We're not trying to be the Walmart provider in our market. We're trying to be the Target.
We're also not trying to be the Tiffany's. We find that most of the students are looking for somewhere in the middle where it's a reasonable price, reasonable quality product, they're going to get a good foundation of the training and they're going to be able to better afford it than some of the $40-50,000 type ratings.
I mean let's be clear here. To get a type rating on a Gulfstream or a Challenger at flight safety or semi-flight CAE, you're looking at paying 40, 50, $60,000. To get a type rating on a AirBus A320 or a Boeing 737NG with AeroStar is $13,500 and you're going to get 28 hours in that program of flight simulation training.
Now if you take 28 hours of flight simulation training and just run the math, so I think the average twin is about $350 an hour. If you get 28 hours of that, that's almost $10,000 of the cost right there so I think it's very attractive.
I think one of the other things that I didn't mention, Paula, if I can, I'm going to go slightly off the track here a little bit, but I think one of the challenges that we're faced with as flight schools in the United States is, with the new ATP rule how do we get graduates from the commercial multiengine instrument and/or type rating program to employment.
Because if we can't get them out the door and get them into a job, then it slows down that pipeline and this is where we really see a symbiotic solution to a global problem. In the US, we have a pilot shortage but that pilot shortage has a hurdle of 1500 or 1000 hours depending on what type of 141 school you are.
The international market does not have that limitation. Right now, the average new hire flying an A320 or a Boeing 737 or any narrow body airliner in Asia, the Middle East and Africa, the average new hire has about 300 hours or less. That's where the biggest demand is. Here's what we would propose. We would propose to the flight schools to go after the international foreign student, bring those foreign students into your flight school.
They are not going to get work visas so they're not going to want flight instructor jobs. They don't have time to go out and do the time building for flight instruction. As soon as they graduate they're going to go back and go into their airline's specific training program.
What that does for you is it increases the number of people utilizing your airplanes, increases your revenue streams and it also increases the flight instruction opportunities for our local American men and women. By helping the international market we're creating more flight instructor opportunities for our own market which then bridges the gap to get people to the airlines.
We really see it as a global and a symbiotic solution. If you stop and think about the demand, with a half million pilots needed over 20 years, if every single flight school in the United States pulled the resources together, we still couldn't meet that demand in that timeframe so there's plenty of work for everybody.
We need to try to figure out a solution. It really brings more foreign folks into our training environment and that helps our training environment produce more American pilots.
Paula Williams: Right, which brings up the question, is there anything specific that I need to do as a part 141 or 61 school to be authorized to do those visas and other kinds of things?
If I haven't been pursuing that market, is there something I need to do to make that legal, correct and all those kinds of things?
David Santo: Yes, you have to apply to SEVIS for what's called an I-20 authority to issue M1 visas. It's a lengthy process, it's a government process but any 141 school should have a fairly easy time of doing that. Even the 6191 schools I think have a venue for being able to do this.
Then of course when they come for jet transport training, we will do the TSA portion to make sure that they're properly vetted by TSA to train in the sims. I really think it's getting out there to the global market. There are going to be some hurdles. It's not going to be easy.
Nothing that's worth pursuing is going to be easy but we certainly are in a position to help flight schools. We've done the SEVIS I-20 visa authority, we've done VA, we're currently VA approved. We've trained a lot of foreign pilots and are very familiar with the process. Those are things that I think we can bring to the table to help the schools that are interested in diving into this ab initio market.
Paula Williams: I promised to bring this back up and that is the screening tools that you mentioned, COMPASS and others. At what point should flight schools even approach that? Do they want to disqualify students from the front end or would that actually be a selling point to be a little bit more exclusive with people who really have a good shot at becoming a pilot? David Santo: First of all, I think that the right time is at the beginning or prior to initiating the expense of the flight training but I also would not want to see this as a tool that weeds out the determined. I have to share with you. I don't know that I could have passed the COMPASS test back when I was trying to get … break into the industry.
I go with more the American concept that says it's a great screening tool for airlines. It's a great screening tool for moms and dads to feel like before they make a capital investment in their son or daughter, do they have the aptitude for it? I believe if they show the passion and certainly put forth the effort, I wouldn't take COMPASS as the ultimatum in deciding whether somebody can or can't do something.
I think with enough passion and effort and time and dedication, a lot more students would pass and graduate than what COMPASS would select.
Paula Williams: That makes perfect sense, so maybe a flight school could offer that as an option for students who maybe are not sure if this is something they want to do or for corporations or airlines or others to use as well.
David Santo: If we were going to use it in an ab initio setting, what we would tell the parents or the airline is if a person graduate … completes the COMPASS test and scores above a certain level, you have a high level of confidence that they're going to complete the training on track, on course without additional cost.
If they complete below that level, you should anticipate that they may take extra training and there may be some associated extra cost.
Meet our new graduates! Within the past few days AeroStar graduated two A320 initial type rating customers and two more on the B737NG. All of them did an outstanding job while completing their new ratings both on budget and on schedule! Congratulations!
David Santo, AeroStar President and CEO and JetBlue Captain delivers keynote address at the annual NIFA ( National Intercollegiate Flying Association) awards banquet.
This year's regional flight competition was hosted by Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) in Melbourne Fla. AeroStar was honored to be the major sponsor for the event and Scott Patton Director of Sales and Business Development at AeroStar served as an official NIFA Judge for the competition.
In his speech to the group of over one hundred and seventy five young pilots, and representatives from the competing aviation universities, Dave related his personal experiences with his aviation career and encouraged the group to continue to advance their training because the future for pilots is very bright and that they "are all in the right spot in history to enjoy long careers in aviation." Our thanks and congratulations to FIT, NIFA, and all the great young aviators for the tremendous success of the competition and banquet. Well done!