text:
Inhofe Calls on Congress to Look Into Reopening Military Base on Vieques Island
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) spoke on the Senate floor last night on how the departure of the U.S. military from Puerto Rico beginning in 2003 has contributed to the country's economic turmoil and discussed the strategic importance of reopening the military range on the island of Vieques. As Inhofe highlighted in his speech, Vieques is the only range in the Western Hemisphere that could accommodate naval surface, aviation and artillery live ordnance delivery, and he quoted Defense Department officials who have testified before Congress stating that the end of military operations at Vieques has resulted in a loss of critical combat training essential to the United States' Navy and Marine forces.
The following is Inhofe's floor speech as prepared for delivery:
The readiness of our military depends on several factors to include personnel, equipment and training.
Their success or failure when sent into combat is a direct function of the degree and realistic training they receive before combat.
Their ability to conduct live, joint operations is critical to battlefield success, and preservation of the ranges our military trains ensures that success.
One of those ranges was on the island of Vieques, the only range in Western Hemisphere with land, sea and airspace that could accommodate naval surface, aviation and artillery live ordnance delivery with amphibious landings supported by naval fires, all conducted in a realist joint training environment.
From World War II through operations in Kosovo, our military has been ready to execute combat operations due to training such as that afforded on the island of Vieques.
In April 1999, following an accident on Vieques training range that resulted in the death of a Navy civilian employee, all training activities at that range were suspended, and in May 2003, the Navy ended all training operations.
Numerous DoD officials have testified before Congress that the loss of training at the Vieques range has resulted in a loss of critical combat training essential to the Nation's Navy and Marine forces and would increase risk to our Sailors and Marines.
Secretary Richard Danzig, then Secretary of the Navy, said "Only by providing this preparation can we fairly ask our service members to put their lives at risk."
Admiral Johnson, then Chief of Naval Operations, and General Jones, then Commandant of the Marine Corps, said Vieques provides integrated live-fire training "critical to our readiness,'' and the failure to provide for adequate live-fire training for our naval forces before deployment will place those forces at unacceptably high risk during deployment.
Admiral Ellis, then Director of Operations, Plans, and Policies on the staff of the Commander in Chief of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet said during his confirmation hearing to be commander of Strategic Command, "Those types of facilities, particularly those in which we can bring together all of the naval, and that means both Navy and Marine Corps, combat power for integrated and joint training are particularly useful elements of the overall warfighting preparation."
Admiral Fallon, then commander of the Navy's Second Fleet, and General Pace, then commander of all Marine Forces in the Atlantic, testified that the U.S. needs Vieques as a training ground to prepare our young men and women for the challenges of deployed military operations.
General Wes Clark, Supreme Allied Commander of Europe said, "The live fire training that our forces were exposed to at training ranges such as Vieques helped ensure that the forces assigned to this theater"
What he was talking about was Kosovo, our forces were ready-on-arrival and prepared to fight, win and survive.
Captain James Stark, Jr., then commanding officer of the Roosevelt Roads Naval Station, said "When you steam off to battle you're either ready or you're not. If you're not, that means casualties. That means more POWs. That means less precision and longer campaigns. You pay a price for all this in war, and that price is blood."
Admiral Murphy, then Commander of the Sixth Fleet of the Navy, said the loss of training on Vieques would "cost American lives.''
We are talking about American blood – American lives unnecessary put at risk if they are not fully trained prior to combat operations.
This week, the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee will consider legislation that provides bankruptcy powers to Puerto Rico while subjecting it to the authority of a federal oversight board.
Puerto Rico owes $73 billion in government debt.
In January, Puerto Rico started defaulting on part of that debt.
Section 411 of this legislation would turn over approximately 3,100 acres of Department of Interior conservation zones that were formerly part of Vieques range.
When the Navy left Vieques Roosevelt Roads, it took with them over 2,500 military personnel, over 2,000 family members, and impacted more than 2,500 civilian employees.
The total economic impact from the Navy was estimated to be $600 million per year in 2003.
The departure of the Navy also impacted businesses, contracts, and depressed housing prices, severely impacting the total economy of Vieques.
The good news is the residents of Vieques and the citizens of Puerto Rico still have the opportunity to play a significant role in the Nation's defense.
Our military is facing a readiness crisis and it needs ranges like Vieques to train it in full spectrum joint operations.
We must ensure they are prepared for the next fight against a near peer competitor that will demand the full strength of our joint force.
There is still no range like Vieques in the Western Hemisphere – what can be done at Vieques cannot be done at one location by the joint force.
I understand firsthand both the importance and significance of having a range in your home state.
On 3 May 2000, I was on Crossfire with Juan Figueroa, president of the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund. He said, "This isn't about status. This is a question of, if this existed in the Florida Keys, or if this was in New York or even in your home state, do you think that 60 years of target practice is enough? Is that enough of a contribution. How much are people expected to pay?"
My reply, "Are you aware that Fort Sill, Oklahoma has a live range that operates 320 days out of the year. The most day that Vieques ever operated was 180 days. We are within a population of 100,000 people, with a three-mile buffer zone. You have a 10-mile buffer zone and only 9,000 people. And you talk about this happening in the Florida Keys -- this is my state of Oklahoma."
I think we have an opportunity to help both Puerto Rico and our nation by taking a serious look at reopening Vieques.


A little crack – that's all it was. But over a period of eight hours, that hardly perceptible space had a huge impact on my olfactory senses.
Phew! I tried to hold my breath upon entering the house after work. What was that awful smell? And why?
The next obvious deduction was the refrigerator. Something made me really scrutinize the door seal. That's when I saw that the suction of the seal wasn't working probably and the door was open ever so slightly. From head-on I would never have seen that and would have assumed everything was fine. It was only because I directed my attention to the side that I saw the reason for the unpleasant fragrance in the kitchen.
And that little crack meant I had to throw away several items. All because of a little crack!
How is it that it's often the small things that can make a big difference in our lives? Small sins, if left unchecked, will eventually leave gaping holes in our souls. If we don't check and recheck the seal around our hearts, rottenness can enter in. Mix in a little time for that sin to marinate, and we have ourselves a nasty mess.


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María Elena Walsh (1 February 1930 – 10 January 2011) was an Argentine poet, novelist, musician, playwright, writer and composer, mainly known for her songs and books for children. Her work includes many of the most popular children's books and songs of all time in her home country.

Biography

María Elena Walsh was born in Villa Sarmiento, Morón, Greater Buenos Aires, to a railway worker of English and Irish descent, who played the piano and a woman of Spanish descent. As a child, she lived in a big house, where she greatly enjoyed reading and listening to music in a cultural environment. When she was 15, Walsh had some of her poems published in El Hogar (magazine) and La Nación (newspaper). In 1947, before graduating from art school, she published her first book, Otoño Imperdonable, a collection of poems which was critically acclaimed and received recognition from important Latin American writers.

After graduation in 1948, she traveled to North America invited by poet Juan Ramón Jiménez and Europe during the era of Peronism and then moved to Paris, where she spent four years in the early 1950s.  While there, Walsh performed in concerts featuring Argentine folklore with fellow Argentinean singer Leda Valladares (born 1919), forming the duo "Leda & María" and recording for Le chant du monde.

She returned to Argentina in 1956 after the Revolución Libertadora. From 1958 onwards, Walsh wrote numerous TV scripts, plays, poems, books and songs, specially dedicated to young children. She was also a successful performer, singing her own songs onstage and recording them later in albums, like Canciones para mirar, Canciones para mí and El País de Nomeacuerdo.  Juguemos en el mundo, also an album, was a satirical show for adults, which was made into a film of the same title, albeit with a story unrelated to the original stage show and songs recording. The film was based on her characters Doña Disparate y Bambuco and was directed by her partner at that time, Maria Herminia Avellaneda (1933–1997).

Her work has often contained an underlying political message, as in the song El País del Nomeacuerdo ("I-Don't-Remember Land"), which was later used as the theme song for the film The Official Story, winner of the 1985 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

During the military dictatorship (1976–83) she was a fierce opponent, her song "Oración a la justicia" (Prayer for Justice) became a civil right anthem. In an open letter she criticized the regime censorship comparing the country with a preschool country calling it "Desventuras en el Pais-Jardin-de-Infantes" (Misadventures in the Preschool Country).

In 1985 she received the title of Illustrious Citizen of the City of Buenos Aires, and in 1990 was named Doctor honoris causa of the National University of Cordoba and Illustrious People of Buenos Aires Province as well.

In 1994 she was Highly Commended for the Hans Christian Andersen Award, a prize awarded by the International Board on Books for Young People.

Walsh has been considered a "living legend, cultural hero (and) crest of nearly every childhood".

Death
María Elena Walsh died of bone cancer in Buenos Aires, aged 80, on 10 January 2011.

Personal life
Walsh's partner from 1978 until her death in 2011 was Sara Facio (born 18 April 1932), an Argentine photographer, best-known herself for having photographed, along with Alicia D'amico, various cultural personalities, including Argentine writers Julio Cortázar and Alejandra Pizarnik.

Bibliography

Books
Walsh published her first poem at the age of 15, in El Hogar magazine of Argentina. Her favorite audience was children, for whom she wrote more than 40 books. The following list includes mainly complete books but also some long newspaper articles.

Books for adults
 Otoño imperdonable (1947) – edited by Walsh at 17
 Apenas Viaje (poems) (1948)
 Baladas con Angel (poems) (1951)
 Casi Milagro (poems) (1958)
 Hecho a Mano (poems) (1965)
 Juguemos en el mundo (poems) (1971)
 La Sirena y el Capitán - 1974 ("The Mermaid and the Captain")
 Cancionero contra el Mal de Ojo (poems) (1976)
 Los Poemas (1982)
 Novios de Antaño (novel) (1990)
 Desventuras en el País-Jardín-de-Infantes (1993) (*) ("Misfortunes in Kindergarten-Country")
 Hotel Pioho's Palace (2002)
 Fantasmas en el Parque (2008)

Books for children
 La Mona Jacinta (1960)
 La Familia Polillal (1960)
 Tutú Marambá (1960)
 Circo de Bichos (1961)
 Tres Morrongos (1961)
 El Reino del Revés (poems and songs) (1965)
 Zoo Loco (1965)
 Cuentopos de Gulubú (1966)
 Dailán Kifki (novel) (1966)
 Versos para Cebollitas (1966)
 Versos Folklóricos para Cebollitas (1967)
 Aire Libre (school book) (1967)
 Versos Tradicionales para Cebollitas (1967)
 El Diablo Inglés (short stories) (1970)
 Angelito (1974)
 El País de la Geometría (1974)
 Chaucha y Palito (short stories) (1977)
 Veo Veo (1984)
 Bisa Vuela (1985)
 Los Glegos (1987)
 La Nube Traicionera (1989)

Notes:
 (*) This book reprinted her famous letter against censorship in Argentina, originally published by Clarín newspaper on 16 August 1979.
Due to the publication of that article, Walsh herself would be censored by the Military Government of Argentina.

Discography
Walsh recorded many albums with songs for children and for adults too. Her first albums were strongly influenced by Argentine folklore, working with composer and singer Leda Valladares.
The album Canciones para Mí was her first release as a soloist, containing the songs Canción de Tomar el Té and Manuelita la tortuga (which had been previously edited on an EP). This would become Walsh's best-known song.

as "Leda y María", with Leda Valladares
 Chant d'Argentine (1954)
 Souns le Ciel de l'Argentine (1955)
 Entre Valles y Quebradas Vol. 1 & 2 (1957)
 Canciones del Tiempo de Maricastaña (1958)
 Leda y María Cantan Villancicos (EP) (1959)
 Canciones de Tutú Marambá (EP) (1960) 6

as "María Elena Walsh"
 Canciones para Mirar (with Leda Valladares) (1962) 1
 Doña Disparate y Bambuco (EP) (with Leda Valladares) (1962)
 Navidad para los Chicos (EP) (with Leda Valladares) (1963)
 Canciones para Mí (1963) 2
 Canciones para Mirar (1963)
 El País de Nomeacuerdo (1967) 3
 El País de la Navidad (1968) ("The Country of Christmas")
 Cuentopos (1968)
 Juguemos en el Mundo (1968)
 Cuentopos para el Recreo (1969)
 Juguemos en el Mundo II (1969) 4
 El Sol no tiene Bolsillos (1971)
 Como la Cigarra (1972) 5
 El Buen Modo (1976)
 De Puño y Letra (1976)

Notes:
 1 Contains the classics El Reino del Revés (whose previous version had been released on Canciones de Tutú Marambá), Canción del Jardinero, La Vaca Estudiosa, La Mona Jacinta.
 2 This was Walsh's first album as a soloist, with the hits Canción de tomar el té, Manuelita la tortuga, El twist del Mono Liso.
 3 Includes the songs la Reina Batata, Canción del Jacarandá (co-written with Palito Ortega).
 4 After many years of recording LP with songs for children, Walsh wrote and recorded an album for adult audiences.
 5 The song Como la Cigarra became a huge hit. The album also contains other successful songs like Carta de un León a Otro, with strong politic references.

References

External links

Biography at the Ministry of Education of Argentina (Spanish)
"María Elena Walsh y la opinión urgente", ensayistas.org; accessed 2 January 2018.
Interview with Sara Facio, escritorasunidas.blogspot.com, April 2011
 Obituaries: BA Times, ABC News, LAHT
Videos editados en 3D y otros desde Youtube (Spanish)

1930 births
2011 deaths
20th-century Argentine novelists
21st-century Argentine novelists
Argentine composers
20th-century Argentine women singers
Argentine women singer-songwriters
Argentine feminists
Argentine people of English descent
Argentine people of Irish descent
Argentine people of British descent
Argentine people of Spanish descent
Argentine children's writers
Burials at La Chacarita Cemetery
Deaths from cancer in Argentina
Deaths from bone cancer
Illustrious Citizens of Buenos Aires
Lesbian feminists
Lesbian singers
Lesbian poets
Lesbian novelists
Lesbian songwriters
Lesbian composers
Argentine LGBT singers
Argentine LGBT songwriters
Argentine LGBT poets
Argentine LGBT novelists
People from Ramos Mejía
Women diarists
Argentine women children's writers
21st-century Argentine women writers
21st-century Argentine writers
20th-century Argentine women writers
20th-century Argentine writers
Feminist musicians
20th-century Argentine LGBT people
21st-century Argentine LGBT people
Argentine women composers

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Suzanne Delbanco calls up Lisa Woods, Senior Director of Health Care Benefits at Walmart Stores, Inc., to discuss Walmart's efforts to control costs and deliver high-value health care using a Center of Excellence approach. Suzanne and Lisa catch up about Walmart's CoE strategy for spinal surgery, why Walmart initially began the program, and how these efforts help to reduce inappropriate care so far. Lisa also shares Walmart's decision to expand its' Center of Excellence approach and where Walmart's CoEs are headed in the future.
CPR is grateful that Lisa Woods also provided in-depth insights to the CPR team for the writing of the Centers of Excellence: Walmart Stores, Inc. Case Study, published in June 2018. Access the case study today!


text:
Lexi Donarski dribbles the ball up the court against Iowa on Dec. 8.
Cyclones fight to the buzzer, defeat Panthers with defensive stand
By Aaron Hickman, aaron.hickman@iowastatedaily.com, @hickman0000
Aaron Hickman
Aiming to go 3-0 against Drake, Iowa and Northern Iowa (UNI) for the first time since the 2013-14 season, the Cyclones had to battle all the way to the final buzzer.
Following an emotional win over Iowa on Wednesday night, the No. 15 Iowa State Cyclones were able to capture their second in-state victory in less than a week with a win against the Panthers.
The Panthers showed a lot of fight in the first quarter, out-rebounding the Cyclones 11-7 and scoring more points in the paint. Emerson Green and Kam Finley combined for 14 of UNI's 20 points, and Iowa State was down 20-17 at the end of the period.
Iowa State won the second quarter 17-3, and Morgan Kane was the star of the show. Scoring 11 points and grabbing nine rebounds, Kane's near double-double propelled the Cyclones to a 34-23 halftime lead.
Lexi Donarski scored eight points in the first half, but her defense was even better. Carrying over the lockdown effort she gave against Caitlin Clark on Wednesday, Donarski held Karli Rucker, the Panthers' leading scorer so far this season, to two points in the half.
UNI only shot 30 percent from the floor and went 0-9 as a team from beyond the arc in the first two quarters.
Just a few minutes into the third, Kane clinched the first double-double of her career by grabbing her 10th rebound. She also remained perfect from the floor, ending the third 5-5 overall.
The Panthers had their highest scoring quarter of the game in the third, outscoring the Cyclones 22-18. Despite only shooting 35 percent from the floor and 21 percent from beyond the arc, UNI ended the third down 52-45 and within striking distance.
Despite not having the greatest game offensively, Ashley Joens still found ways to impact the game. Contributing her usual hard-nosed rebounding performance, she also drew a few charges. None were bigger than one she took with just under four minutes left in the game, which was followed up by a three from Aubrey that put the Cyclones up 67-59.
But the Panthers still wouldn't go away.
Fighting all the way back to a one-point deficit, a steal by Rucker set UNI up to take the final shot of the game. They were able to do just that, but a defensive stand by the Cyclones won the game 70-69.
Iowa State moves to 10-1 on the season, and they will be off for a week before returning to action against Prairie View A&M next Sunday.
Northern Iowa
Ashley Joens
Morgan Kane
Lexi Donarski
Karli Rucker
Follow Aaron Hickman

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Pyglet 1.2alpha1 not working on Python 3.3.0 I can't use Pyglet 1.2alpha1 (which should be able to run under Py3) from Python 3.
I followed the instructions and installed it correctly, yet it doesn't run on Py3, but I know I installed everything right because I can use it from Python 2.7.
Every time I try to import piglet using the interpreter, I get this error:
>>> import pyglet

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
  File "./pyglet/__init__.py", line 276
    print '[%d] %s%s %s' % (thread, indent, name, location)
                   ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

Reading the errore message it's quite obvious that the error is in the print being written in Python 2 style (print foo instead of print(foo)).
So my question is: is it real that one can run pyglet under Python 3?
I know of people who use it correctly, so what should I do? May it be that there is a wrong version of Pyglet uploaded on the website? Should I convert it with 2to3?

A: I have gotten Pyglet 1.2alpha1 to work on Windows 8 with Python 3.3.2.  (The method should be the same on linux, aside from the different folder paths)
The problem is that when you run python setup.py install it will seem to hang for a long time after you see the first few lines following "skipping implicit fixer". If you then close the terminal/bash window (thus aborting the install process) and then run the setup.py again, it will skip 2to3 conversion and simply install the py2 source files.
The reason for the apparent "hang" is that it simply takes a while for 2to3 to convert the files, but if you wait long enough, the conversion will take place, and it will correctly convert and install the module.
If you have already installed this once, you will have to delete a few folders for the install to work properly.
First, delete the build folder in the 1.2alpha1 source folder: %unzip_folder%\pyglet-1.2alpha1\build
(where unzip_folder is the folder where you unzipped the Pyglet 1.2alpha1 source)
Also delete the pyglet folder from the python Lib: %python%\Lib\site-packages\pyglet
(where %python% is the python install folder, which defaults to  C:\Python33 on Windows)
Then run python setup.py install. It should go through all the steps (copying files to build, converting using 2to3, and finally byte-compiling to the Lib subfolder).

A: Pyglet 1.2 alpha is only "python3 ready" i.e. it won't run with python3 out-of-the-box but has to be converted via 2to3. (After the conversion it won't run with python2 anymore.)
To use pyglet with python2 and python3 projects I always copy pyglet into a subfolder of the project (and convert it with 2to3 if I want to use it with python3).

A: I have the same problem: Windows 8, Python 3.3.2 and Pyglet 1.2alpha1.
I look around a lot but until now no solutions found.
I installed the 2.7.5 Python version, changed the previous Python.exe file (the one of the 3.3.2 version) to Python33.exe and adjusted accordingly the PATH environment variables.
Then I installed Pyglet 1.1.4 (from command line, the executable has also more errors) in the 2.7 version.
I use Eclipse, so I have added both the Interpeter in the PyDev Settings.
For now all works fine if I use the Python27 interpreter.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


There are hundreds of Best Hi Hat stand s out there, and as a consumer, you probably feel overwhelmed with that much options available in the market.
That is why we have compiled this list of Top 5 best hi hat stands.
There are a number of factors to be considered before purchasing a hi hat stand. Those factors are stand's operating mechanisms, weight, and portability, sturdiness, balance, and reliability. That's why it is not going to be an easy decision. Our top 4 list takes a look at the best hi hat stand available, from drumming experience. And this list will help you to choose the hi hat stand which suits you the most. I recommend you to read our Hi Hat Stand Buying guide below before making a purchase.
Well, now without wasting any further time, let's jump on to our top 4 Best Hi Hat Stand list.
What size and weight are your cymbals?
Our first hi hat stand in this series comes all the way from California hardware manufacturing company known as Drum Workshop. when it comes to balancing between rugged construction and lightweight materials, no one in the market can beat Drum Workshop CP9500TB. If you are about to return your stand, just because your hi hat stand is failed to provide you with the balance between rugged construction and lightweight materials, then give it a try and you will change your decision.Undoubtedly, it is still the best hi hat stand out there and number 1 in our list. Enough Praise, let's get into the business now.
Drum Workshop CP9500TB is a 2-Leg Hi-Hat Stand uses a patented double eccentric which increases the sensitivity of the footboard in relation to cymbal movement. fully-adjustable, letting you instantly make changes to the angle of the lower cymbal, and offering an infinitely adjustable locking spring.
in addition to durability & mobility, the uni-body folding footboard stays attached to the base casting when secured in the folded position.
The mechanisms of this stand is absolutely fantastic. There is no doubt that this stand is the best hi hat, ever built by Drum Workshop.
impressive balance between rugged construction and lightweight materials.
The Pearl series H is no doubt the most popular series ever built by this company and the model H930 is the most sold hi hat stand of all time.
The stand provides amazingly quick and smooth action as compared to others in our lineup. Series H930 is quite different in terms of Stability from other hi hat stands. the stand offers chain drive, standard clutch, and rubber made tips with swivel legs to allow for a double kick pedal.
The pedal swivels help the stand allow for a very customized position relative to the location of tripod legs.Not to forget that this is a Pearl hi hat stand, which has a great design & construction, which helps the stand to be more steady.
The only downside in this Hi-Hat Stand is that it is not so easily transportable. However, once it is set up it performs very well.
Overall, the Pearl H930 Hi-Hat Stand is my all time favorite and Best Hi Hat Stands out there in the market. The built quality is great, Demon Style Long Footboard, Trident Design Tripod with Swivel Function and Spring Tension Dial are enough for comfortable drumming. Other than that, this is one of the most budget Hi Hat Stands available in the market. The price is very good as compared to the quality it offers.
thoughtful design with solid construction.
The next one in our list is from the Yamaha.
This Hi-Hat stand works in the same way as the above, the only difference is that Yamaha HS-740A comes with 11-step adjustable tension and rotating legs.This leg helps the stand to adjust from extra sloppy to very precise. Additionally, it is incredibly responsive.
The Hi-Hat Stand use direct pull design, which makes it stable, flexible, and convenient.
Wrapping it up, the Yamaha series HS-740A has all of the great features including Medium weight which was missing in the above Pearl H930. It is tension adjustable, chain linked On the other hand, the downside of this stand is that the main rod that goes up through the stand seems to be a bit on the short side.
If you're a drummer on a budget,Check out this is a professional & beautiful, very stable, and very sturdy stand with good pedal action, swivel legs, and tension control.
The stand is low-mass and double-braced with round rubber feet for stability, 3-tier cymbal stands, cast-hinged height adjustments, and a 2-point hideaway boom.
The stand is swivel base which makes it easy to use.
Overall, the Gibraltar 5707 providing you with simple but solid features in very affordable price, this is the best hi hat if you're on budget. It comes without the built-in lever, that's how Gibraltar manage to keep the price low. But that's not a problem, I am sure it's not a headache it just requires a small Phillips screwdriver. Other than that, the mechanism is smooth and moves easily without any noise from either the stand or the foot pedal.
We know that hi hat stands seem pretty simple and basic in terms of design and purpose, but there are few things to consider that can make the difference how well a certain stand works for you.
Most hi-hat stand is more than capable of sustaining a wide variety of cymbals sizes.However, if for you want to have the heavier ones, make sure the stands you're looking at will support your specific cymbals.
Make sure your stand is stable enough for the way that you play.
Ensure your stand is durable.
Investing in the best hi-hat stand is something you'll appreciate for as long as you have it, because hi-hats are still the cornerstone of a good drum set, the four models we presented in our guide are what we consider to be the top choices for stands, but every drummer has their own set of conditions and requirements.
These stands were chosen based on their ability to meet the broadest spectrum of both quality and performance levels that most people are interested in.
With all things considered, the DW CP5500TD is the best hi-hat stand on the market, it was our top choice not only for its superior quality and performance but also for its versatility due to its unique two-legged setup.
In case you feel that we left out some other great hi hat stands, feel free to let us know.


Stripes are levelled awards for TRC members that provide a means to encourage, inspire, motivate and celebrate each member's achievement and progress over time at Tring Running Club. Having a goal to strive for helps focus and motivate us all.
and must be achieved over a year (from January 1st to December 31st).
Apart from the first level, Steel, which has no time specification, the levels are age-graded, starting at 45% in 5 year bands, with the intention of keeping things simple in terms of times to aim at, and also providing a bit of healthy competition and comparison within the club.
You will then have your award read out at club night (as soon as it is earned) and be presented with your certificate at Presentation Evening/another club event.


text:
Citizen Control
In July 2021, the World Economic Forum (WEF), together with Russia's Sberbank, hosted the Cyber Polygon exercise for the third year in a row. Two hundred IT teams from international companies and institutions took part, but only a few of them were able to fend off the simulated hacker attack. Meanwhile, the live event was attacked by real hackers. In the public part of the conference, WEF founder Klaus Schwab this time refrained from apocalyptic announcements – nevertheless, the event provided a glimpse into the intentions of the architects of an envisioned digital world of control.
STEFAN KORINTH, 12. Februar 2022, 0 Kommentare, PDF
Note: This article ist also available in German.
"Those who think they can sit out the transformation of a free society to totality while preserving their little private happiness will soon wake up to a cashless, digital vaccination and climate-protected controlled world that has penetrated every private sphere." – Raymond Unger (1)
Cyber Polygon – according to the WEF, the "world's largest technical exercise for corporate teams" – recently came under critical public scrutiny after WEF founder, Klaus Schwab, warned of a large-scale cyberattack in quite dramatic terms at the opening of the 2020 event. If such a catastrophic hacking attack on critical infrastructure (electricity, water, and food supplies) were to be successful, our entire society would be paralyzed. The coronavirus crisis, in comparison, would appear as a mere "minor disruption," Schwab predicted at the time, and once again called for a global reboot – a Great Reset.
Simultaneously, the organizers announced that Cyber Polygon 2021 would simulate an attack on the digital supply chains of economic sectors. This aroused suspicion among critics that this could be an elitist simulation game that anticipates precisely what will actually happen during or shortly after the event. The background and model for these fears include Event 201, a simulation exercise jointly organized by the WEF and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, that in October 2019 played out a fictitious coronavirus pandemic.
Corporations and authorities working together
Cyber Polygon is one of several projects on the digital security of companies that the WEF organizes in cooperation with international corporations as well as with many government institutions. Since 2018, the various initiatives have been brought together in a Centre for Cybersecurity. The goal is not only to ensure that politicians and law enforcement agencies are jointly responsible for the digital security of private corporations, but also to permanently inculcate the mantras of the WEF into society and government representatives.
The most important of these messages, which in the WEF's cybersecurity projects are sometimes explicit and sometimes implicit, is that hacking is a global problem that can shake countries to their core due to the universal shift toward digitalization. Ultimately, governments and authorities can only counter this danger by working together with the corporations of the superrich to extend digital surveillance into all areas of life.
Cyber Polygon and Sberbank
Russia's state-affiliated Sberbank plays a leading role at Cyber Polygon. Its IT security service provider, BI.ZONE, supplies the technical staff that organize the exercise, and the public event of the annual Cyber Polygon conference is broadcast to the world from the bank's appropriately spruced-up IT premises in Moscow. In addition, Sberbank CEO, Herman Gref, who also plays an important role at the WEF, brings high-ranking Russian state officials, such as Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, on board for the conference.
The conference consists of two independent elements. The first is a public event that includes commentaries and talk sessions by corporate and state representatives involved in the event. In these talks, there are usually no disagreements, as all participants are in line with the WEF. The other part of the event is a two-day exercise in digital enterprise security, into which viewers get little insight – BI.ZONE participants report on the progress of the exercise during the livestream for only for a few minutes between the talk sessions. The written final report also reveals little in this respect.
Only a handful of participants could defend themselves against the attacks
According to the organizers, 200 teams of IT specialists competed at Cyber Polygon 2021 to independently defend themselves against simulated hacker attacks on a given virtual structure and then forensically investigate them. The number of participants in the format has risen sharply over the years. More than 1,200 IT teams signed up for the limited seats for this event, the final report states. At the next event in the summer of 2022, capacity is expected to be unlimited.
The teams were from companies in sectors including finance, IT, and consulting, as well as from public agencies in law enforcement, government, academia, and health. The majority of participants chose to remain anonymous. The organizers reveal only this much in the final report: Most teams came from Russia, the US, Great Britain, and Kazakhstan (more than ten each). There were also between five and ten companies from each of Switzerland and Germany. Only the Deutsche Bank is mentioned by name.
More than half of all the participants at Cyber Polygon 2021 came from IT and financial concerns. Teams from these companies were also the best in the exercise, according to the final report. However, only "five or six" of the 200 participants were able to secure all of the vulnerable sections of the maneuver software in the allotted time, explains one of the organizers of BI.Zone, who was part of the exercise's attack team.
This devastating result, however, was accepted with indifference by the presenters in the livestream broadcast and was not mentioned at all in the final report. The report reveals that 15 percent of the participants failed to score any points at all in the first scenario, but that this was a marked improvement over the exercise in Cyber Polygon 2020. In the second scenario, on the other hand, the participants performed worse than last year by 13 percent. The Cyber Polygon organizers have not publicly discussed the practical consequences of such sobering results.
Alleged attack on Cyber Polygon itself
After a good 90 minutes of the nearly six-hour, livestreamed broadcast, host Alexander Tushkanov made a claim that Cyber Polygon had been attacked by real hackers "just 15 minutes ago" through a DDoS attack.
"You always need to be ready, even more so during the training. Needless to say, the attack was stopped and deflected."
Although it remains to be seen how credible this is, this kind of news fits perfectly into the WEF's continuously repeated threat mantra.
Just days before Cyber Polygon, a so-called supply chain attack on US software provider Kaseya received widespread international attention. On July 2, 2021, blackmailing encryption programs entered the IT systems of up to 1,500 Kaseya customers –including the Swedish rail network, New Zealand schools, and German SMEs – via the company's digital supply chain. As a result, these customers were unable to access their computer systems without paying a ransom. The simulation exercises at Cyber Polygon 2021 were also based on a supply chain attack.
Geopolitical accompaniment: Kaseya attack preoccupies Putin and Biden
A short digression is useful here: According to official information, the Kaseya attack immediately before Cyber Polygon was carried out by the hacker group REvil. This group is suspected of being based in Russia, since, according to the Anglo-Saxon media, it has never targeted former Soviet countries. REvil was also responsible for hacking the world's largest meat company, JBS Foods, in the spring.
The target company, Kaseya, however, received a digital master key to unlock the blocked data just three weeks after the attack. At first, it was unclear where the company had obtained the key. Some media suspected that Kaseya had paid the requested ransom of $70 million to REvil. However, company officials denied this, saying they had received the key from a "trusted third party."
According to the Washington Post, this trusted party was the FBI, which had obtained the key itself by accessing the REvil server. The newspaper does not investigate this claim further, but again, the explanation from anonymous Washington circles may well be held in doubt. Anyone who has the key could, themselves, have been the attacker.
The fact that the whole incident looks like a geopolitical blame game is reinforced by the fact that the Kaseya incident was the subject of a conversation between Presidents Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin. The outcome was a victory for Biden. REvil disappeared from the darknet only a few days after the attack and the US media presented this as if it was a consequence of Biden's exhortations to Putin to address the problem of the Russian hackers, or else Biden would instruct the US services to take matters into their own hands.
Be that as it may, Kaseya CEO, Fred Voccola, was not fired in August 2021 despite the devastating supply chain attack on his company and its customers. Instead, he was awarded for the successful performance of the company and the strength of its products. The REvil hacking group resurfaced in September, carrying out further extortions before being finally dismantled by international investigators in the following months. Suspects were arrested in Romania, Poland, the US, and South Korea. The perpetrator in the Kaseya case was said to be a Ukrainian. And in January 2022, Russian authorities arrested 14 more suspects in raids.
Russian government target of highly complex hacking attacks
Back to Cyber Polygon: It is precisely these kinds of geopolitical entanglements and politically usable culprit speculation in hacking that provided the background to one of the most interesting conversations at Cyber Polygon 2021. This was the discussion between senior Microsoft security advisor Roger Halbheer and Igor Lyapunov, vice president for information security at Russia's Rostelekom.
In this interview, there is piece of information that is usually rather rare for Western ears. Lyapunov tells of cyberattacks against the Russian government. He said Moscow is dealing with highly complex attacks attempting to gain control of digital government systems. The Russian expert explained that his organization has estimated the cost of a single attack of this nature at $1.5 million. He added that these cyberattacks are very difficult to detect and often go unnoticed by IT security systems. Just five days after it went online, a new resource under the government domain gov.ru experienced a sophisticated attack.
Although Lyapunov did not address the question of the identity of the perpetrator, he suggested that by taking into account the target and the obvious resources involved, it is unlikely that these attacks were the work of private hackers. This indirect suggestion that Western governments and intelligence agencies are investing considerable resources in hacking attacks against Russia was enough for the moderator and former CNN reporter, Ryan Chilcote, to interrupt and, although he did not ask any in-depth questions here, as if in retaliation, he brought into play the narrative of Russian hackers attacking Western infrastructure on behalf of the Kremlin.
Microsoft only knows of anti-Western hackers
This dominant narrative in Western debates on hacking ("Russian hackers are attacking our democracies") does not usually come up at Cyber Polygon – either to avoid upsetting the Russian hosts, or because this narrative is only intended as theatrical media thunder for the Western public anyway and not for elite decision-makers at the event, as journalists Whitney Webb and Johnny Vedmore suspect.
The influential WEF players obviously do not like this narrative. When it comes to the identity of the attackers, Cyber Polygon speaks only of anonymous "bad guys," criminal hackers who appear to be motivated solely by financial gain. For a brief moment in this conversation, it was different.
Microsoft's Halbheer mentions two groups by name – Nobelium (from Russia) and Hafnium (from China). Both of these groups are listed in this chart from the 2021 Microsoft Digital Defense Report. The report defines the hacker groups through the use of chemical element names.
According to the report, more than half of all the hacking attacks detected by Microsoft originated in Russia. This was followed by North Korea, Iran, and China. Western hackers are not identified at all in the Microsoft report. Halbheer calls the paper a "must read."
Hackers attempt to destabilize Russian financial market
In the Cyber Polygon interview, Lyapunov tries to appease by emphasizing that cybercrime is nationless. He promotes information sharing and interstate cooperation in the defense against hackers. He says that the same kind of attacks employed against Russia's state agencies are also employed against other parts of Russia's infrastructure.
However, this does not necessarily weaken the presumptions of the intelligence-hacking perpetrators. In the weeks after Cyber Polygon, the Russian media reported massive attacks on Russian banks since the summer of 2021, with the newspaper Kommersant reporting in mid-September:
"More than 150 attacks on Russian financial institutions were uncovered last month, a threefold increase from last year's record … In the process, the fraudsters have moved from targeted attacks on individual companies to massive attacks. … 'Judging by the persistence and ingenuity of the cybercriminals, we can say that we are dealing with a complex planned operation aimed at destabilizing at least the Russian financial market'."
Schwab: Increased digitalization requires more security
The intelligence service-geopolitical component of the hacking issue, the only source of dissent at Cyber Polygon, surfaced briefly only once more. (2) Otherwise, representatives of corporations and governmental institutions conveyed the WEF's messages in comfortable unison. These public conversations do, however, at least provide viewers with an insight into some of the plans and reasoning of those who are working to build a world of digital control and surveillance.
The basic argument, which also runs through Klaus Schwab's 13-minute greeting message, follows these lines: All areas of life are becoming increasingly digitalized. The coronavirus pandemic was the catalyst for this development. However, comprehensive digitalization has created entirely new areas of attack. Everything and everyone are potential victims of a hacker attack. Anything can be weaponized by hackers – even security updates, as in supply chain attacks – and anyone can be turned into a perpetrator by hackers – through, for example, identity theft. Thus, everything and everyone needs to be permanently controlled. This last statement, however, is neatly packaged by the actors in euphonious or technical formulations.
According to the WEF's vision, "security" is to be guaranteed jointly by states and corporations. In his welcome address at Cyber Polygon 2021, Klaus Schwab emphasized that, while governments are responsible for cybersecurity, the technical expertise often lies in the private sector. From this, he derives his assertion of an increasingly necessary cooperation between public authorities and corporations (public-private partnerships) – a core demand of the WEF in all subject areas.
In contrast to the previous year, Schwab refrained from issuing apocalyptic warnings. But he again uses the Covid vocabulary to compare hacker attacks to pandemics. Masks are inadequate protection against the virus and vaccinations are needed; in IT security, too, we need to move away from simple protection and toward "immunization." Schwab talks about digital "antibodies" that need to be built into the system. He is not more specific than that.
Cyber immunity, zero trust
IT entrepreneur Yevgeny Kaspersky, head of the Russian software company Kaspersky Lab, also uses this vocabulary. At Cyber Polygon, he tells how his company is developing a strategy for cyber "immunity". Each module of an IT system is "isolated" from the others and assigned a level of trusted behavior. This digital security system is currently being developed for industrial systems and the Internet of Things.
What sounds like a digital implementation of quarantine and AHA rules (The German Covid rules of physical distancing, hygiene, and face masks) is the future concept for critical infrastructure, he said. According to Kaspersky, this could prevent supply chain attacks because any infected part would then no longer infect other parts.
In an expert presentation at Cyber Polygon, the concept of zero trust was also introduced by one of Microsoft's security executives.
"This security concept requires any user or device to present their credentials every time they request access to a resource inside or outside the network."
Again, this sounds like the 2G rule (the German Covid rule requiring an individual to prove their status of being either recovered or vaccinated) has been applied to the virtual world. Users are required to certify their own harmlessness by permanently identifying themselves.
Another security concept that resonated at Cyber Polygon is biometric authentication. Roger Halbheer, the Swiss Microsoft consultant quoted above, is convinced that people will soon no longer log into their online accounts via passwords but rather via biometric identifications like fingerprints and facial or iris scans.
Kaspersky: Attacks on supply chains will increase
Why these extreme concepts? Halbheer says that in IT security it is crucial to protect identities in order to protect data. Kaspersky explains that the number of professional hacker gangs is growing rapidly. They share information and work together, and are getting better and better. This reasoning is not surprising to IT security entrepreneurs. Nevertheless, the warnings fit well into the WEF's scheme.
Kaspersky fears there will be many more attacks on digital supply chains in the future – in times of extensive digitalization almost everything can become a potential target. Incidentally, the EU is also prioritizing the problem by conducting a six-week simulation exercise of a large-scale cyberattack on supply chains starting in mid-January 2022. The next national civil protection exercise in Germany (LÜKEX 22) will also focus on a cyberattack on government and critical infrastructure.
Attacks via digital supply chains in recent years show that corporations are primarily threatened by hackers, but, through them, critical infrastructure in countries, which is often operated by private companies, is also at risk. Kaspersky explained that the security and risk assessment of critical infrastructure is very different from that of a normal company. In the case or critical infrastructure, the extent of the risk is unpredictable. Damage, he says, can be almost unlimited. If a power plant is attacked, it is not just a question of the cost of a turbine, but of the consequences for the entire economy, the state, and society, because the power supply collapses.
However, the fundamental question of whether the digitalization of all areas of life really still has a positive cost-benefit ratio in view of such risks is not addressed at all during the event. Instead, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announces at Cyber Polygon that, as instructed by Vladimir Putin, all of Russia's "socially significant" government and official services will be converted to user-friendly digital formats by the beginning of 2024.
Surveillance and restriction: digital central bank money is on its way
Advanced plans are also underway in Russia to introduce the digital ruble. In a conversation titled "New world - new currency", Alexey Zabotkin, an executive at Russia's central bank, provided insight into the policy plan at Cyber Polygon 2021. According to Zabotkin, the digital ruble will differ from cash and fiat money in that it will be in distinctive, identifiable units. This will improve the traceability of the flow of money. In plain language, digital central bank money will make it possible for the authorities to document and monitor every payment transaction.
His subsequent statement is even more compelling:
"We explore the possibility of setting conditions on the permitted terms of use of a given unit of currency."
In concrete terms, this means that the central bank would like to be able to decide what may and may not be purchased with a monetary unit. Zabotkin says nothing about the enormous control and steering potential that such an instrument would place in the hands of governments and central banks vis-à-vis the population. Instead, the Russian banker explains it using the example of pocket money that parents give their children in digital ruble form. This condition could then, for example, be used to prevent the children from spending their money on fast food.
What Zabotkin is only hinting at is that with state-programmable money, any other use could also be restricted or linked to the fulfillment of certain preconditions. Digital central bank money would be a key to introducing an effective state bonus system.
Will digital central bank money replace cash?
One step along this path is the abolition of cash, as cash represents a fallback option. While the Russian central bank still denies this as their goal behind the digital ruble on its website ("Will a digital ruble replace cash? No."), Zabotkin's message already sounds different. In the Cyber Polygon interview, he casually announces: "[In the future] it will be up to the users [Russian citizens] to choose between the electronic bank money or the digital ruble as today they choose between the electronic bank money and cash." Accordingly, the digital ruble would replace cash.
Zabotkin reassures the other speakers that the commercial banks and payment service providers will remain as facilitators between the central bank and the citizens, even with the digital ruble. This will distinguish central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) from the free cryptocurrencies and is particularly important for the large commercial banks and well-known payment service providers who are convened at the WEF. After all, Western countries are also working on CBDCs.
The digital ruble has been in actual use in Russia since January 19, 2022. The central bank launched its first test phase in cooperation with twelve Russian financial institutions – including Sberbank. Two years of citizen-to-citizen payments will be the first to be tested. Digital central bank money can also be transferred, without an Internet connection, from smartphone to smartphone. After this pilot phase, transactions between companies and consumers, between different companies, and between companies and the government will also be tested.
China as pioneer; EU interested in exchanging experience
In China, these test phases are at an even more advanced stage. Following tests in ten major regions of the country, including the well-known metropolises, the app for the digital yuan has been available to all citizens since the beginning of the year. According to official statements, the e-CNY (digital yuan) is intended to partially replace cash. The earmarked programming of monetary units is also possible with the Chinese digital currency.
The Frankfurter Allgemeine reported that the German Bundesbank President and other eurozone officials have also expressed interest in exchanging experiences with China with regard to a digital euro.
In addition to the aspects of surveillance and the abolition of cash, the topic also has a significant geopolitical component that could explain the pioneering role of China and Russia in this regard: Digital central bank currencies facilitate an exit from the Western-dominated SWIFT payment system as they enable international payments independent of US sanctions.
Cryptocurrencies are unwelcome
A strong indication of the importance of the topic of digital currencies is that the WEF organizers put it on the agenda at Cyber Polygon. Furthermore, hacking did not play a role in this discussion, which was also attended by high-ranking representatives of Visa and Mastercard.
In the discussions, the representatives of the credit card companies confirmed that the coronavirus crisis had given their business a strong boost. Mark Barnett of Mastercard said that, in five months of the pandemic, they saw progress in electronic payments that would otherwise have taken five years. Matthew Dill of Visa pointed out that Covid-19 has created a lasting behavioral change in people's payment patterns.
However, according to the Cyber Polygon participants, free cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, which can be used anonymously, are better off not playing a role. Central banker Alexey Zabotkin explained that Russia would not accept cryptocurrencies as a means of payment in the country. The Russian central bank recently called for a complete ban. In China, cryptocurrencies are already illegal.
In another interview, Michael Daniel of the lobby group Cyber Threat Alliance calls cryptocurrencies the "fuel" of the ransomware industry – that is, the hackers who, as in the attack on Kaseya, encrypt other IT systems and release these only after receiving a ransom in bitcoin.
Michael Daniel is not just any lobbyist. Prior to his current job, he was cybersecurity coordinator and advisor to US President Barack Obama for some years. (3) Hacking today is no longer merely a criminal act, but, as he emphasizes in his talk, also "a national security and public health and safety threat."
The revolving door effect: From state appointments to big business
A look at Michael Daniel's curricula vitae, as well as those of numerous other Cyber Polygon participants, shows how far the WEF has already advanced with its public-private partnership project. The career of Cyber Polygon initiator Troels Oerting demonstrates the extent to which the competences and interests of government agencies and private corporations have already merged. Oerting was also the moderator of one of the discussion rounds.
Since the 1990s, Oerting worked in various management positions with the Danish police and the Danish Security and Intelligence Service. From there, he moved to Europol in 2009, where he headed the European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) from 2013. In 2015, Oerting moved to the private sector – as head of information security at the major British bank Barclays. In 2018, he was employed at the WEF as head of the Centre for Cybersecurity. He has subsequently started his own IT company called BullWall.
Jürgen Stock and Craig Jones – both from Interpol – are two other (albeit active) representatives of international police organizations involved in Cyber Polygon. In their statements at the event, they represented the WEF's position almost one-for-one, as if the interests of public law enforcement and those of the superrich owners of corporate organizations were identical. Stock, who was vice president of the German Federal Criminal Police Office until 2014, also talks about "cyber hygiene" and throughout his talk emphasizes that online crime must be fought by the private and public sectors together. He calls the cybersecurity industry an ally of Interpol.
These types of police forces seem like ideal candidates for the private-public partnerships that the power and financial elites at the WEF would like to see. Even Interpol itself is now no longer funded solely by its 190 or so member states, but also by corporations, including corporations from the pharmaceutical industry.
Outlook: Collect data, control the people
The general suspicion that was first comprehensively carried into the analog world with the coronavirus crisis – i.e., that everyone is a potential security risk – is obviously to be transferred to the digital world. Events like Cyber Polygon are part of the WEF strategy to reinforce this mantra among the public. If this intention prevails, cybercrime could fulfill the same political functions in the future as terrorism did in the years after 9/11, or as the coronavirus crisis currently does: an omnipresent scaremonger and a universal justification for tightening the law.
The parallelism between pandemic and hacking, which is repeatedly invoked at Cyber Polygon, is an indication of this intention. Klaus Schwab and his associates have, over the past years, identified hacking as a topic with great potential for political instrumentalization. Attacks on hospitals (e.g., the Uniklinik Düsseldorf) or power plants (e.g., Stadtwerke Pirna), as discussed at Cyber Polygon, are perfect for those interested players to highlight the frightening dimension of possible hacking attacks. Who is not afraid of a prolonged blackout? Who could possibly be against the protective measures?
But these initiatives by big business are always cloaked in a benevolent, philanthropic mantle that should not deceive us, argues journalist Norbert Häring in his current book, Endspiel des Kapitalismus (Endgame of Capitalism). He writes that the big corporations gathered at the WEF, among others, dream of a "wholly monitored, neo-feudal world" in which people "can do practically nothing without leaving a digital trace." (4)
According to the ID2020 initiative, run by Microsoft and Gavi, the vaccination alliance, among others, and based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, all citizens of the world should have a biometric digital identity by 2030. (5) According to Häring, the common denominator of numerous projects, business games, and initiatives by the superrich and their foundations is:
"the goal of comprehensive, automatable collection and storage of reliable data on the activities of the world's population. Because whoever has the data has the power, both commercially and politically."
Nearly all aspects discussed at Cyber Polygon, from protection against hacking to digital central bank currencies, converge on this goal.
(1) Raymond Unger: Das Impfbuch. Über Risiken und Nebenwirkungen einer COVID-19-Impfung (The Vaccination Book. About the Risks and Side Effects of COVID-19 Vaccinations). Scorpio-Verlag, Munich, 2021, p. 190.
(2) Talking about resilient supply chains, IT security entrepreneur Yevgeny Kaspersky says the system must be built in such a way that a hack would be more expensive for the attackers than the damage they could do with it. Former Europol director and Danish intelligence chief Troels Oerting adds shortly after this that against normal criminals, this is an effective strategy; but it would not prevent state attacks. In this case, costs would not play a role. Oerting thus indirectly confirms the assumption that the expensive attacks on Russian government infrastructure are state attacks.
(3) Michael Daniel, however, was not one of the anti-Russian hawks. After an alleged Russian hacking attack on the White House, he justified the decision not to impose sanctions on Russia as a punitive measure, saying remarkably candidly, "It [the alleged Russian hack] was information collection, which is what nation states – including the United States – do. From our perspective, it was more important to focus on shoring up defenses."
(4) Norbert Häring: Endspiel des Kapitalismus. Wie die Konzerne die Macht übernahmen und wie wir sie zurückholen (Endgame of Capitalism. How the Corporations Took Power and How We Are Taking It Back). Quadriga, Cologne, 2021, p. 254.
(5) Norbert Häring: Endspiel des Kapitalismus (Endgame of Capitalism). p. 242.
Editorial Note: The Multipolar editorial team has decided to place this article under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). This means that the article can be republished by other media and users in compliance with the terms of the license, i.e. unedited, for non-commercial purposes and with attribution to the author and source Multipolar.
Further article on the topic:
Announcing an attack (Stefan Korinth, 19.7.2021)


Andy asked me about the JonERP business model.
I love working with smaller, entrepreneurial third party SAP firms that have lots of attitude and plenty of ambition about making a name for themselves in the SAP market.
Some firms want me to go beyond strategy to roll up sleeves and help with the execution. I'm up for that too!
combining a community mentality with a savvy use of social networking and a smart "inbound marketing" strategy via a content-rich and search optimized web site.
I get more into the details of how I help companies with these issues in my JonERP client services blog.
If you want to talk more on these topics, contact me through JonERP.com or find me on Twitter.
You may be wondering how I can help such firms in unique ways. The answer has to do with my deep background in the SAP world (since 1995), and my equally deep background in web-based community building (see my bio for more, or check out my public LinkedIn profile with recommendations). Being an SAP Mentor and a member of SAP's blogger relations program gives me access to important information about SAP's overall direction that informs the advice I share with my clients. Some of the information that is disclosed to me cannot be repeated, but other conversations are "bloggable," and I can share that type of information with clients who act on the possibilities.
In the podcast with Andy, he asks me some interesting questions about my business model and we talk about some of the dynamics of finding success in the SAP marketplace.
On a recent advisory session with a third party SAP developer: "I recently had a two-hour session with a software vendor on Friday that's looking into how can we take our knowledge of ERP and create a meaningful product that would be successful, so they had questions like, 'Should we become an SAP software partner?' and 'How should we market to the SAP community?' That second question is one I am particularly interested in, because marketing to the SAP community is something that many companies still do a poor job of."
On the right (and wrong) SAP marketing tactics: "When we talk about the new social networking tools like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook, and how third party SAP services firm can use these tools, too often there is an emphasis on broadcasting and not enough thought around, 'How do I make an impact and join a conversation about how to solve SAP problems in a meaningful way, as opposed to just pushing product?' I help companies with their strategy around these new tools and how to better participate in the SAP community, but also to be more successful with their services and make sure they're rolling out services that anticipate the trends they are seeing. For example, the trends around analytical tools and getting more out of transactional data - those are trends that I try to help companies make the most out of."
On how the SAP market differs from other ERP markets: "With smaller ERP packages, you can find master level consultants who may be able to implement almost the entire suite of functional products. But I warn them, 'You can't do that on the SAP side. You can't have one or two or three go-to consultants.' Even in an area like SAP financials, you have a range of consultants, from a product costing expert to a new General Ledger expert, to someone with industry specific costing knowledge, so you can't have just a few consultants to cover SAP the way you might have done in another product."
For more on the topic of becoming a successful third party SAP developer, you may want to check out the webinar I did for SAP SDN Subscriptions.
To check out the complete podcast with Andy, head to the JonERP Podcast Directory.


Emerging Therapies: What's on the Horizon?
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication with far-reaching consequences. There is currently no approved therapy to prevent or treat this condition but there are numerous potential agents on the horizon. At a cellular level, important targets include mitochondria, the cell membrane, and the endoplasmic reticulum. In particular, mitochondria have been shown to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of AKI. Several novel therapies have been developed to target these organelles. A variety of cell surface receptors have been implicated in the processes of injury and repair in AKI. Several new drugs are targeting receptors to treat or prevent AKI. A number of novel agents with antisepsis properties are also in development, and some have the potential to treat, as well as prevent, AKI. Many of these agents are at an advanced stage of development and may become therapeutic options in the near future. However, there have been many proposed therapies that have failed to yield positive results in clinical trials despite promising preclinical studies. Flaws in trial design may be partly to blame. In addition, the complex and multisystemic nature of AKI makes research in this area very challenging. The ideal therapy is safe and efficacious and has the ability to target a common feature in the pathogenesis of AKI, regardless of the triggering injury.


Hello and welcome to exampundit. Today we are sharing the important Expected Questions on PM Vaya Vandana Yojana. These will be important for all Banking and Insurance Exams.
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text:
Shallow water and big boats don't mix
The operator of a boat outside the normal channel was just waiting for a tow. This and other police reports in this week's Longboat Key Cops Corner.
All boxed in
2:44 p.m., 2400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Traffic hazard: While traveling south on Gulf of Mexico Drive, an officer noticed multiple vehicles swerving around a cardboard box that was sitting in the middle of the lane. The officer pulled over and removed the box from the street. Another driver pulled over and offered to take the box off the officer's hands.
No flight risk
Animal complaint: An officer was dispatched to the area after word of a possible injured bird. Shortly after, a Sarasota Animal Services unit took over, rescued the bird and took it to the Wildlife Center of Southwest Florida.
Weekend homework
9:31 a.m., 500 block of Reclinata Drive
Citizen assist: A resident made a call to the department to complain about his neighbor across the street cutting tile. The officer returned his call and explained that cutting tile on a Saturday was not against the law. The resident thanked the officer for the information.
No touching
9:46 a.m., 4000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Fire assist: Police and fire personnel came to a home to check into a report of a downed power line. The wire wasn't impeding traffic but was draped across a residential driveway. The homeowner was told to stay clear of the until a utility team could arrive and make repairs. A crew from the power company arrived promptly.
Not my property
Citizen assist: A resident called police to alert them of water bubbling up from the ground adjacent to a home. The resident said the water and backflow valves at the home were closed, but because water still bubbled up, he surmised the problem was on the town's side of the water-service pipe. A staffer from the town's Public Works Department was called and responded to the scene.
Not the town's property
5 p.m., 600 block of Old Compass Road
Citizen assist: A steady stream of water coming from a home's backflow valve prompted a call to police, which in turn prompted a call to a staffer from the town's Public Works Department. The staffer said the leak was on the residential side of the town's water meter and would have to be addressed by a private plumber.
Nowhere fast
9:54 a.m., Sister Keys
Boating call: The town's marine patrol officer encountered a vessel aground outside of the Intracoastal Waterway's marked channel. Connecting with the boat's captain via radio, the officer learned no emergency assistance was needed, and that a commercial towing service was on the way.
Not grate
12:46 p.m., 2500 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Citizen assist: Police took several steps in rectifying a report of a storm drain uncovered by the requisite iron grate. An officer was able to move the grate back into place, but it remained loose. An orange cone was placed at the site for safety purposes until it could be better looked at.
Citizen assist: A caller to police complained about a vehicle and its trailer parked improperly along a public right of way. An officer sent to investigate found the combination parked properly in a gravel piece of private property, not subject to town parking rules. The caller was informed of the officer's findings.
Soapy situation
10:41 p.m., 500 block of Sanctuary Drive
Fire assist: Police was called out to accompany fire-rescue personnel on a call of a person stuck in a shower. Fire-rescue personnel handled the call.
9:30 p.m., 1000 block of Bogey Lane
Alarm: An officer responding to an activated alarm learned from the alarm-monitoring company that the resident accidentally set off the device and that no emergency was in progress.
Checking with police
8 a.m., police headquarters
Information report: Police provided a Sarasota resident with an information report about a fraudulent use of a check on the resident's account. The Sarasota resident said his personal bank had requested a police report be made regarding the incident. Longboat police said they had no jurisdiction in the case.
He's back every day
6:51 a.m., 600 block of Dream Island Road
Suspicious person: Police quickly determined that a report of a suspicious person in a neighborhood was connected to the sighting of a brown van, known to officers as that of a newspaper delivery driver.
Maybe? Maybe not?
7:37 a.m., 600 block of Longview Drive
Noise complaints: Police were not able to confirm a report of disallowed work noise before 8 a.m. because of officers' arrival time at the scene.
Eric Garwood
Eric Garwood is the managing editor of the Longboat Observer and the Sarasota Observer. Since graduating from University of South Florida in 1984, he's been a reporter and editor at newspapers in Florida and North Carolina.
Longboat Key Cops Corner: A fair fare?
Longboat Key Cops Corner: Credit where credit is due
Longboat Key Cops Corner: Paws in the laws
Longboat park saxophonist's Sinatra standard falls flat
Longboat Key Cops Corner: A lot of water, falling
You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here
Longboat Key Cops Corner: Lights out!
Longboat Key Cops Corner: You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here


text:
Release of Preview Version of Dr Diggler v0.7
by Fugue on January 5, 2020 at 9:47 am
Rated R: only click images if you're an adult not offended by strong language or sexy/sexual situations
I have a preview release of Dr Diggler for patrons today! It highlights some of the new sequences, and actually has all the sequences that the new release will have, except for 4 sequences (that lead you to the beginning of level 3) and about half the third date. You can just enjoy the new sequences, or you can play it through (though you might want to wait until the end of this month or next, when I'll be releasing the full version 0.7).
I was afraid I was going to have to postpone this preview release a week, and felt terrible, since I was aiming so hard to get this to you all this weekend. But the menu strip at the left was broken, I realized, so you couldn't save or load your place in the game … But I worked double-hard and managed to get it working on Saturday! (Many thanks to GoThunder57, who hunted down a number of bugs, that I was able to fix for this version too!)
I'm going send the link to download the preview version to 10$ patrons in a few minutes. In two weeks, I'll widen that to 7$ patrons, and two weeks after that, I'll widen it to 3$ patrons.
This preview version will take you to a Patrons' Page in the game (after the cover and a page or two intro), where you can click on links to preview a bunch (not every one, but many of them) of the new stuff. You can also click on links to go to level 1 or level 2 and start playing the game as it stands now. Right now, it's missing about half the variations of Bryan's and Trish's third date, and Bryan's exam to pass to level 3, plus the three intro sequences on level 3. You can always get back to the special Patrons' Page by clicking the big red button near the top-left of the webpage.
I'm aiming to get the full version 0.7 out to everyone by the end of next month (or possibly even this month if things go quickly). I'm also going to include a "map" that will be free for everyone that highlights where new updates are. I'll still be releasing a special Patron's version when the full version 0.7 come out, that adds a few extra patron courtesies (for example, a Next Page button on the quiz pages, so you can "cheat" slightly; plus other little cheats and niceties for patrons).
Hope patrons all enjoy this preview release! And whew, I'm going to catch my breath and catch up on a few hours of sleep now …
(P.S. I also widened one more Aftermarket 2 page for 7$ patrons (see www.blog.fuguetales.com/patrons7/ for links), and three more pages for 3$ patrons (see www.blog.fuguetales.com/patrons3/ for links).)
Become a supporter at https://www.patreon.com/Fugue


text:
Candice Thompson
Dec. 01, 2015 09:13AM EST
How Tammi Shamblin Teaches Ballet
Shamblin with her fifth-grade boys' class at Ballet Tech. Photo by Kyle Froman
"Let's build our houses together, gentlemen. Shall we?" Tammi Shamblin asks 20 fifth-grade boys at the top of ballet class, during the final week of Ballet Tech's summer program in New York City. "Is your body square, dragon tails down? Are your eyes looking out your vacation windows? Where do you want to go today?" Every boy stands at attention, ready to begin a series of pliés facing the barre. As they lift their heels and stretch their knees, Shamblin offers corrections like a modern-day Mary Poppins, brightly singing out images like "Sip your slurpee legs up!" and "Squish marshmallows under your heels!" to the rhythm of the accompanist.
For the next 90 minutes, her goal is twofold: She will train dancers as she develops young men. For its year-round program, Ballet Tech auditions NYC school children, selecting the most naturally talented youngsters—many of whom would not otherwise be exposed to ballet. The school currently enrolls 180 students in grades 4 through 10, and nearly half are boys. Elementary- and middle-schoolers take their academic courses in classrooms located at the Ballet Tech School, downtown on Broadway. (Another 400-plus youngsters are bussed in from their schools for a free, six-week introductory program each semester.) To allow for their different learning styles and energies, boys don't take dance classes with girls until sixth grade.
Shamblin's role is not just to teach steps but to instill a love for an artform that most of her students didn't know existed. "They aren't here out of an intrinsic desire to dance. They're all picked for their bodies and potential," she says. "I'm hoping to develop a love of dancing." She also understands what ballet can teach them about life: self-esteem, discipline, learning from mistakes, working in a group and pursuing goals. To that end, she uses terms such as "dancers" or "gentlemen"—never "boys"—to establish mutual respect and a formal tone. And she knows the value of specificity and surprise. "I use a coda with a fast beat when I want them to hold a tendu, so they aren't bored," she says.
Photo by Kyle Froman
She sticks by her few rules religiously: no leaving (which means no water or bathroom breaks during class); no talking (unless called upon); and always do your best. That last rule, she says, is the number-one reason most kids are dismissed from class. "When I have to send a kid out, I always ask, 'Do you know why?'" says Shamblin. "It's important for them to understand the cause-and-effect relationship of their conduct."
Eliot Feld—Ballet Tech's founder and artistic director—was immediately impressed with Shamblin, who started out as a substitute teacher in fall 2004. At his request, a permanent position was created for her. "Beyond the task of introducing young boys to the vocabulary and grammar of classic dance, there's the issue of concentrating their intellect, imagination and physical appetites," says Feld. "Tammi accomplishes this with a magic of her own invention."
Those magical inventions include a series of interactive "learning stations," aimed at understanding ballet technique on an anatomical level. This gives her a chance to break up the flow of class and the strictures of ballet barre to go over the details of a given movement or body position. Today, Shamblin calls out, "Study Group! Gather around Marquis," and the boys flock around the named boy to deconstruct rond de jambe.
"What do you love about rond de jambe? What are we practicing here?" Shamblin asks. The students' observations are astute: "Straight legs." "Turnout." "Straight back." Still, she demands closer scrutiny: "Some of you seem to have ordered a small pizza," she says, regarding the semicircular outline of the boys' ronds de jambe. "How can we fix the size of that circle?"
Often it is in Study Group that Shamblin first introduces students to palpating their own bodies to locate and understand muscles, tendons and joints—taking advantage of their interest in anatomy and biomechanics. After she has worked with a class for at least nine months, and students have become used to manipulating their own bodies, she will offer another interactive break and an early introduction to partnering: Operation Station. "You're the ballet doctor now," she jokes, as she lies down on the floor, asking them to point out what she's doing right and wrong in a particular posture. After a couple of students tap her lower ribs to get her to drop them and another points at her belly button (to get what they've learned to call a "TNT stomach"—a bundle of dynamite sticks), they all find their place in the room and resume adagio with a deeper respect for the core strength involved. It is a testament to Shamblin's well-honed teaching style that the boys focus on Study Group and Operation Station with a maturity beyond their years.
Shamblin breaks up the barre portion of class with Study Groups, where students gather to deconstruct a particular step. Photo by Kyle Froman
Shamblin herself exhibited an unusually focused demeanor as a child. After begging her mother for ballet lessons to no avail, she eventually found a phone book, chose a nearby studio and insisted on being taken there. (She was 8.) She trained with Kathy Milo and Kirk Derby at the Roseville School of Dance in California before graduating from the University of Utah, where she majored in ballet with an emphasis on both pedagogy and performing. Though she danced professionally for Sacramento Ballet and Capitol Ballet Company prior to moving to New York City (where she performed with Frank Ohman and Deborah Lohse's ad hoc Ballet), her first love was teaching. Capitol Ballet Company's Stuart Carroll remains the master teacher she still thinks of when she is leading a class. "I loved the expectations of excellence at CBC," she says.
It's apparent she is instilling that same excellence—with a good dose of fun—in these young gentlemen as class nears its end. She somehow finds time before révérence to fit in a traveling skipping competition, a round of freeze dance and a question about how best to count a polonaise. Like Poppins, there's no end to the tricks in her imaginary carpet bag.
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Sure, the hoverboard chase in Back to the Future 2's 2015 sequence looks incredibly cool—but it was also incredibly unsafe. Just ask stunt performer Cheryl Wheeler, who was badly injured during filming. Find out more, in an exclusive excerpt from We Don't Need Roads: The Making of the Back to the Future Trilogy.
We Don't Need Roads, by author Caseen Gaines, devotes an entire chapter to the hoverboards in the second movie. We find out how the movie producers were already fielding calls from parents demanding to know where they could buy a hoverboard, before filming was even completed—because a half-hour TV special about the making of the film aired during production, and it featured the hoverboards extensively. There's also a lot about how the hoverboards were created using wires and greenscreens. And instead of using rotoscoping to paint out the wires frame by frame, as would have been done previously, Industrial Light and Magic used the then-new technology of computer animation to remove the wires.
But there's also a large section about a crucial stunt—where four gang members, chasing Marty McFly, crash into the clock tower. All four members of the stunt team were to be attached to a large crane, which would move back and forth, generating enough momentum for them to swing towards the tower. They would crash through the window, and then a member of the effects team would press a button, cutting their wires and dropping them onto airbags inside the tower. Easy, right?
But during a test of the sequence, using sandbags in place of the stunt performers, one of the four bags fell on the ground instead of safely onto the airbags. Another time, two out of four sandbags landed on the ground instead of on the airbags. When the stunt was tested with live performers, two of them fell the wrong way and landed on an empty airbag, nearly breaking their necks.
Stunt performer Lisa McCullough wasn't willing to take the crew's assurances that it would be all right on the day, and bowed out. So another stunt performer, Cheryl Wheeler stepped in.
And then there was one more change on top of that: The crew decided to install a rocket under one of the stunt performers' hoverboards, so it would look like sparks were coming out of Griff's "Pit Bull" board.
[Stunt coordinator] Walter Scott approached [Cheryl Wheeler] quickly, obviously ready to get on with the show.
"Walter, I am not getting cold feet at all. I just want to understand. I was in hair and makeup and haven't been out there to see the stunt setup." She wanted to say a lot more. She wanted to put her foot down and insist on seeing the marks. She wanted to say she trusted them, because she really did, but she trusted her eyes and gut more. But she didn't do any of those things. Maybe she bit her tongue because she was relatively new to the business.
She had just started doing stunt work in 1985 and didn't want to ruffle any feathers, while Walter Scott had two decades of experience under his belt. Who was she to ask him to prove anything to her? Maybe she was afraid, also, of appearing weak in front of the other stunt performers, or, more accurately, stuntmen. Lisa McCullough had already left with "cold feet," and now Wheeler was exhibiting similar symptoms. She was as tough as these guys, wasn't she? Why weren't they asking questions? She got in her harness, which Croughwell had already stepped out of.
But her mind still wasn't at ease. She called over Greg Tippie, the special effects team member responsible for pressing the wire-cutting button. She asked him if everything was good to go and exactly the same as last time. "Yeah," he said. "Listen, you do your job and I'll do mine." They were minutes away from starting. She was already dangling.
"Your job and my job are really intertwined here," she said. "I have a right to ask these questions." As it turned out, things weren't exactly the same, not even with how he was planning on doing his job. During the test run, Tippie hid behind one of the pillars of the clock tower and stared up, counting the stunt crew as they made their way through the face of the building—one, two, three, four. Once he could see they were all in, he pressed the button and down they came. But today he decided to move inside the tower. He thought it would be easier to tell if everyone had made it through if he was on the same side. But candy glass isn't transparent. It has a dark tint to it and, because it's made of sugar, actually sparkles in the light. You can see through it, sure, but only shapes and figures. With clear glass, Tippie would be able to see the stunt performers making their way toward the window. But now that would be more difficult, and after the stunt performers made it through the clock tower, the glass would rain down and it would be difficult to tell in a split second if everyone had made it through. He started to walk away, but she called after him.
She was spinning like a figure skater, parallel to the ground like Superman in midflight. She hit the pillar dead‑on, but because she was covered in shin guards, knee guards, elbow pads, and other well-concealed braces hidden within her costume, she felt fine. A little disoriented, perhaps, but fine. As she was rotating, she noticed she was alone. The rest of her colleagues must have made it. This was supposed to be a one-take shot, but whatever went wrong meant they would have to do it again. Maybe they'd be pissed, but she was okay and, most important, Greg Tippie hadn't cut the cable. He must have seen she hadn't made it inside.
Which might have happened if he had stayed outside the pillar. Or if the special effects team hadn't gone with opaque trick glass. Or if there wasn't so much smoke from the rocket. Or if she had gone with her gut and gotten answers to her questions. But that wasn't what happened. He pressed the button and the stunt performers were released. As two other stuntmen headed toward the blue pads, Wheeler fell flat, like she was lying in bed, from thirty feet in the air. She knew she was going to die. She was certain of it, as certain as she had been that she would hit that pillar. She was falling from too high an altitude. She was going to die on the Universal Studios backlot.
We Don't Need Roads: The Making of the Back to the Future Trilogy is out today. Read more about it here.


This episode is the first in a series called 'shoe wars'. By the end of the series we'll have around 10 pairs of shoes for listeners to vote on. We'll buy the winning pair regardless of the result and wear them as much as possible on the houseboat.
This week we rate and discuss shoes. The winner will be worn by us on a houseboat in Africa.
Do you have a favorite shoe you'd like Premiere Quest to rate and review in Shoe Wars Battle #3? If so, let us know! And include a link to a picture of the shoe below.
Thank you for your Shoe Wars (Battle #2) submission! Tune in to Premiere Quest to see if it made the cut!


We know, we know—as far as buying coffee goes, you just want to go to the store, get your preferred blend or roast, and go. But if you take a quick moment to read what's on our World Market OneCup Coffee boxes, you'll see that they're 97% biodegradable. In the coffee world, that's a really high percentage of biodegradability for a single-serve product. And what's even cooler is that we source our coffee from environmentally responsible farms, so you can have your OneCup and feel good about its disposal and where it's coming from, too.
What's your favorite World Market OneCup Coffee flavor?
I would like the Texas turtle in one cup coffees. It is the best !
Can these cups be used in the Keurig Vue?
Thank you! I didn't know that you had something like a this for my Kuerig. Life suddently got good!


In many countries coal is the primary source of a readily available and relatively low cost fuel that can be easily processes and used in homes, industry and for power generation.
Coal reserves are a source of fossil fuel that is generally safe from international embargoes.
Coal uses production, transportation, and combustion technology that is easily understood and easily implementable.
Extended coal use technology can provide a wide range of other hydrocarbon products generally obtained from oil.
The main consumption of coal involves its combustion. This releases carbon dioxide, SOX and other air pollutants. Air pollution treatments requires. Water used for cooling is released to increase thermal burden on streams.
Wastes from coal use include fly ash, bottom ash, fines, water treatment sludge, air treatment sludge, contaminated water. The solid wastes must be disposed of in secure landfill sites. Waste waters must be treated to meet discharge criteria.
Carbon dioxide makes up for 81.3% of greenhouse gas emissions in the US. While coal makes up only 51% of fuel consumption (used for generating electricity), 83% of carbon dioxide emissions (from generating electricity) is due to coal. Transportation figures into this because coal must be transported which takes fuel and increases carbon emissions.
Two of the waste products released from smokestacks of power plants that burn fossil fuels are sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. When these pollutants get into the atmosphere, they react with the water, oxygen and other compounds to form sulfuric acids and nitric acids. Acid rain causes acidification of bodies of water and can damage trees that are 2000 feet above sea level. At the acidic levels it is reaching now it can also decay building materials and paints, including historical buildings, and monuments. If we continue to pump pollutants into the air, this level may rise.
Methane is another product of coal. It is created before the coal is even burned. Methane is created when organic materials decompose. Decomposed material makes up today's fossil fuels. Some of the methane is trapped inside coal. It's released when the coal seam is disturbed in the mining process. Underground mines make up for 90% of methane emissions from coal. Burning coal has the highest effect on the quality of the air, but methane has a global warming potential 21 times greater than that of coal. Coal seams are also dangerous because they have a risk of starting a fire.
When water comes into contact with sulfur bearing minerals, it creates sulfuric acid. The runoff acid can dissolve different kinds of metals including copper, lead, and mercury into ground or surface water. The acid often comes from coal mines where rocks containing Pyrite have been exposed. Pyrite is one of the sulfur bearing minerals that contributes to Acid Mine Drainage. Acid Mine Drainage does not only happen while the mine is being used, but continues as long as there is pyrite exposed.
Strip mining is a method for mining coal which involves excavating the earth. The method consists of uncovering one reserve, taking out the coal, and moving the nearby sediment over another reserve to the empty pit to both create another open reserve and fill in the previous empty one. The process is then repeated. To do this, they use explosives and large machinery. This obviously has a big effect on the wildlife in the area. Most often the wild life in a mining area must leave.
Is associated with the development of chronic respiratory disease in children.
Additionally, researchers have found that infants in areas with high levels of particulate matter pollution face a 26% increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and a 40% increased risk of respiratory death.
The continuous use of fossil fuels, such as coal, presents us with several problems.
Fossil fuels are nonrenewable. If we continue to burn coal, we will eventually run out of this resource, rendering all of our coal power plants useless. Because of the limited supply of coal, in a matter of years coal prices will skyrocket & obtaining it will be extremely costly.
Another issue with coal power is the amount of pollution it causes. Burning coal produces several harmful chemicals including methane gas & CO2, both of which are greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases have been known to damage the ozone layer & contribute to climate change. Acid rain can also be produced as a byproduct of burning coal. Acid rain causes adverse effects on the health of both flora and fauna. Not only does it harm wildlife, but it can also pollute water supplies, rendering them unusable. Ash, sludge, & excess heat created as a result of burning coal also may cause various environmental issues.
If we endorse coal power, we are also indirectly endorsing coal mining. Coal mining itself causes various problems. Coal mining results in the destruction of the environment & changes in the landscape. These environmental changes may have harmful consequences on any number of fragile ecosystems. Entire species of animals and plants may be lost to coal mining. If we continue to mine coal, we will end up destroying the environment.