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Stella Lilian Colless
Date of Birth: 5 December 1883 Place of Birth: Penrith, NSW
Biographical details: Stella Colless was born on 5 December 1883, Penrith NSW, the fourth daughter of Alfred and Georgiana (nee Jordan) Colless. Alfred Colless had founded the Nepean Times newspaper in 1882. After leaving school, Stella completed her nursing training at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. At the outbreak of World War 1, Stella volunteered to serve on the Hospital Ship Grantala, along with two other Penrith nurses: Rachel Clouston and Constance Neale. The Grantala served with the Australian Naval and Military Expedition Force in the former German possessions of New Guinea and Rabaul between September and December 1914 before the ship was paid off and returned to its owners. After returning from Rabaul, the nurses were discharged from their duties. The first two Australian General Hospitals had sailed for Egypt and the nurses were told that it was improbable that any more nurses would be sent as the war would soon be over.
Stella Colless enlisted in the Australian Imperial Forces in July 1915. Stella left Australia on the 14 July 1915 aboard the Kanowna which was on its way to England to be converted into Hospital Ship No 2. She returned to Australia aboard the Karoola (No 1 Hospital Ship) on 4 December 1915. In February 1916, the Nepean Times reported Stella's arrival home on aboard the Karoola which had transported troops home from Egypt. The article also mentioned Private K Stanton, another Penrith soldier, who was also working on the hospital ship. Stella continued to serve aboard the hospital ships until October 1916 when she was detached for duty at No 1 Australian Auxiliary Hospital,(1 AAH) Southall. In February 1917, Stella was transferred to 2 Australian General Hospital (2 AGH) at Wimereux for duty and was almost immediately posted to No 3 Casualty Clearing Station (3CCS). Casualty Clearing Stations were normally located near the fighting and provided emergency treatment before transferring the wounded to General or Stationary Hospitals for further treatment. On 21 August 1917, Stella was detached for duty to No 7 General Hospital and then detached for duty with No 10 CCS, No 4 CCS and No 3 CCS. In December 1917, Stella was posted to No 2 Australian General Hospital.
In October 1918, Stella was granted two weeks leave and returned to No 2 AGH before taking a further two weeks leave in England January 1919. Stella returned to Australia aboard the Karoa in 1919. In 1921 Stella was nursing at the Randwick hospital. No other details are known of her later life.
Nepean Times 24 October 1914, p8 c7
News from Rabaul: In a letter recently received by her relatives, and written from the Hospital Ship Grantala , then lying at anchor in the harbour of Rabaul, New Britain, Nurse Stella Colless (daughter of Mr A Colless, proprietor Nepean Times) writes interestingly of experiences at the tropical seat of the war since the Grantala reached the locality. Inter alia Sr Colless writes: "On Sunday morning we were told that Dr Mcguire and Colonel Paton had invited us ashore to have afternoon tea with them; so after our long sojourn on the ship, you can well imagine our excitement. We were taken to the wharf in a small launch, and there we were met by Dr Maguire, who took us to the town. Everywhere there were armed guards – and imagine our importance when we were saluted, and on being allowed to pass were taken to the Officers' Mess Room. Here we were greeted by a number of officers, who were so pleased to see us that it seemed they could hardly do enough for us. Their mess-room was formerly the German Club, and I believe they had some amusing experiences in taking possession of this. Colonel Paton sent word to the Secretary of the Club to call and see him. When the Secretary arrived the Colonel told him he wanted to take possession of the Club. the man said he did not think it would be convenient at once – it was then 10 am – so the Colonel said they would have to make it convenient at noon. At this the secretary nearly had a fit on the spot, but they had to get out, and our fellows are now in possession … They had prepared afternoon tea for us in elegant fashion – we had chocolate ice-cream, for instance; and then dozens of different types of cake. All the cooking is done by the officers' orderlies, and they seem delighted at our appreciation of everything. The house (late German Club) is a large weatherboard cottage, and there are three very large rooms built upon blocks about 6ft from the ground, with a veranda all around, about 8ft wide.
All the outhouses and kitchen are built away from the house. They (the Expeditionary Force) have taken possession of numbers of ex German Government houses, which had been occupied by officials. In these houses our officers are now living. The houses are well furnished and are really very comfortable. They have taken possession of one of the very large stores for the troops, and they (troops) seem very much at home in their new quarters. After tea we were taken to see the sights of the town. Rabaul is a very pretty place and well laid out. There are fine broad streets, with rows of trees in the centre; and hundreds of natives strolling about, dressed in little more than the scriptural fig-leaf, and a piece of red cloth, in keeping with the tropical climate probably. A small portion of the main street is inhabited by Chinese; their dwellings take up about 200 or 300 yards of the street, and in that space there are between 400 and 500 Chinese, and other Asiatics. They (Chinese) have a small temple elaborately fitted up. We next went to view the Botanic Gardens. These are really wonderful; mostly tropical plants and shrubs, some very wonderful trees among them. The Germans, it appears, had been doing a lot of experimenting in botanical affairs here.
Sister Colless concludes with reference to the patients on board, most of whom were about to be sent back to Sydney at time of writing , as the "Grantala" was about to leave Rabaul for some other destination.
The "Grantala" arrived at Rabaul soon after the taking of New Britain by the Australian Forces. The ship's company were in splendid health and spirits, and very fully occupied.
Nepean Times 26 February 1916, p6
Home Again: Sister Stella Colless returned home again on Wednesday by No 1 Australian Hospital Ship after voyaging to Egypt, where a full complement of sick and wounded Australians were taken on board. Private K Stanton, AMC, also returned. Both these Penrithites expect to leave Sydney again shortly by the hospital ship.
Nepean Times 24 Nov 1917, p2 c4
Sister Colless Under Fire: Sister Stella L Colless, daughter of Mr A Colless (proprietor "Nepean Times") and Mrs Colless writes as follows: – "As you have probably heard, Fritz has been paying a great deal of attention to C.C.S.'s (Casualty Clearing Stations). He visited us many nights, and dropped bombs all around. Once he managed to drop one in our camp. Thank goodness, most of the staff were late on duty, so there were very few people about. The bomb fell in our compound, between the officer' mess and ours. One officer and a batman were killed. Goodness, knows, what would have happened to us if we had been in our tents, as they were simply riddled with holes. Fritz always came between 9.15 and 9.45, and it was rather weird lying in bed waiting for him to arrive. There were many searchlights about, and as soon as the planes were sighted, there was a perfect shriek of guns – anti-aircraft and machine guns – and the sight was perfectly fascinating – the plan, lit up by the searchlights, with shells bursting all around, then little streaks of light from the machine guns. One night we were working in the operating theatre, when we heard guns, so rushed to see what was happening, when suddenly Fritz darted apparently overhead. Immediately we heard a report as if a bomb had fallen on us. The first thing I knew I was being hurled on to the ground by one of the M.O.'s, and a steel hat put over my head. When all the excitement was over I found myself amongst about a dozen men on the ground, in my clean white cap and apron. Well, Fritz continued bombing all round for several days, and did not think he was having much success with us; so last Tuesday, 21/8/17, he commenced putting some H.E. [High Explosive] shells into our compound. During the morning we were working in the theatre with pieces of shell flying round; at least, we commenced when one of the M.O.'s insisted on our leaving the place. Fritz continued shelling the camp. One fell into the Q.M.'s Stores, and one into a ward, which, thank goodness, was empty. When things became too hot they decided to evacuate the patients, and until they could arrange for us to be got away we were sent to a dug-out, and the M.O.'s and orderly's carried on in the wards. I do wish you could have seen us, about 20 women huddled together in a dug-out, which I should think had been built for two men. The dug-out belonged to some officers of a camp behind us. They were awfully good to us. We were quite glad when the cars arrived to take us away. We were sent to -, and it was a treat to get away from the guns, etc. Of course, we had to leave the camp as it was, and also had to leave a guard. Unfortunately two of our orderly's were killed during that night. Since then things have been very quiet: I am very pleased to have had all this experience – still I shall be quiet happy not to have any more. We are now at a beautiful camp, which is a good many miles further away from things. They have been here for nearly two years, and have nice gardens and huts to live in ."
In a later letter home, Sister Colless says: "I wonder will they ever get conscription in Australia? I cannot see why so many of our noble boys should be killed, and the large number of eligibles left who are doing nothing towards defeating the Hun. There does not seem any chance of Australia being able to keep up the voluntary replacements at the present rate of casualties."
Nepean Times 14 June 1919, p1 c1-3
A Nursing Sister's Work in France:
Bombs on Hospital: Sister Stella L Colless (daughter of Mr A Colless, proprietor "Nepean Times," and Mrs Colless), of Penrith, who returned home recently, has had a lengthy service with the Navy and AIF, and has gained an insight into many phases of the Great War, which is denied even to many "diggers." She being under a bombardment and of being exposed to the dangers of Hun air raids, which, unfortunately, did not discriminate very nicely between the fighting forces and the life-saving and nursing sections of the army. Her nursing adventures, if related in detail, would no doubt contribute appreciably to the history of the AMC in the Homeric struggle.
That Awful Winter: Sister Colless's first war work was on a hospital ship "The Grantala", attached to the Australian navy that went to Rabaul. She continued there until December, 1914, when she returned to Sydney, and re-enlisting, went away in July, 1915, on the hospital ship "Karoola." Sister Colless continued on the hospital ship work until September, 1916, when she disembarked in England, doing hospital work there till the following January, when she went to France. That was the time of the cruel winter of which "diggers" who experienced it still speak with a shiver, even if they happen to be crossing the Equator when speaking of it. A man's laundry would freeze on the trees if he was foolish enough to leave it there for the purpose of drying, and the amount of clothing that was necessary to keep the biting cold away from his body added materially to his burden, which didn't make route marches over bad country any the easier. After serving at Base Hospital, Sister Colless joined the nursing staff at No 3 Casualty Clearing Station, just outside Bapaume. This was at the beginning of April, just after Fritz had made a "ruekwartz" movement on the Somme front. It will be remembered that the old Squarehead, after having been badly hammered for some months, decided to advance towards Germany, home and beauty a few miles. When he did so, the British army, including the Australians, moved well past the great slaughter ground that had been so miserably racked and torn from July, 1916, to March 1917. Sister Colless went over much of that historic ground, viewing such sacred (to Australians) places at Pozieres, Mouquet Farm, and Grevilliers. Her first experience of heavy CCS work was during the great struggle at Bullecourt in April and May, when the staff was kept extremely busy. A wounded man usually receives his most critical treatment at the CCS, and it evacuated as soon as convenient to the base; but when there is a fierce "stunt" in progress, the resources of the CCS are taxed to the uttermost, and the medical and nursing staffs are kept working at high pressure. And so it was in this case.
Round Ypres: At the end of July, Sister Colless, with the whole CCS staff, moved up to the Passchendale front, where there was more hot work in progress. The staff had a most strenuous time for several months, and had as many as ten surgical teams working at a time in a theatre. (A team comprises a surgeon, an anaethetist, a sister and an orderly.) Many blood-transfusion operations were carried out, and quite a number of remarkable surgical feats were accomplished. During the early stages of the war, blood-transfusion was not known, or, at least, was not put to practical use. According to Sister Colless, many noble lives have been saved by its introduction, and on many occasions she has seen men brought back to the CCS practically lifeless through loss of blood; but after being treated, one could immediately see the colour returning to their pale, ashen faces, and they would become "living men" in a very short space of time. From one to two pints of blood was usually injected into the patient's arm, having previously been taken from a "volunteer" – one of whom was always on hand for the purpose. There were occasions on which a nurse would have to work as much as eighteen hours a day. At first , they were stationed at Brandhock, near Ypres. They were constantly subjected to the horrors of air raids. On one occasion an officer and three men of their staff were killed.


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Chatel Skiing Guide
All You Need to Know About Skiing in Chatel
Chatel Menu
Overview and facts
Apartments/Self-catering
Skiing Guide
Off the Slopes
Spa Guide
Piste & Resort Maps
Chatel Resort Map
Beginners have both a wide variety of learning terrain and a good choice of ski schools ready to teach you basic technique. There are small nursery slopes dotted around the village itself and a main learning area up at Super Châtel accessed by gondola. Châtel also participates in an initiative launched recently by the wider Portes du Soleil region and named 'You Can Ski!' Available in three and six day variants the package includes tuition, rentals and lift pass with the first few days spent learning in a special beginners-only area, the idea being that you have fun and progress quickly on to the main slopes.
With 650km of cross-border skiing waiting just beyond your ski tips it's hard for regular recreational skiers to go wrong in this 'intermediate's paradise.' There's something of everything from long flattering wide blue cruisers to more challenging technical reds. All this with the added thrill of being able to ski from village to village including over the border in to Switzerland. An interesting option is the 250m long 'Smoothpark' near the Bellevue blue piste in the Super-Châtel / Châlet Neuf sector. It has electronic timing and lots of safety nets so is a fun place to work out how fast you can go. Officially, however, the idea is to learn to ski safely at speed, and if you're in ski school you may be taken here for some top tips too. Floodlit skiing is also available each week in the Linga stadium.
Plenty to entertain advanced skiers around the village with six of the 30+ blacks in the Portes du Soleil on the local slopes, and the rest waiting there to be found. The Linga sector has a particular reputation for steeper, more challenging runs closest to the resort. There are also plenty of off-piste itineraries in the region to explore. One of the most popular is to hire a mountain guide and head in to La Leche, an easy and accessible side valley near the ski lifts which has gained a reputation for its usually great snow conditions.
Snowboard / Freestyle Skiing
Boarders and twin-tippers have special terrain parks to enjoy here as well as the endless pistes and off-piste opportunities of the Portes du Soleil. The Fun Zone near the Bellevue blue piste in the Super-Châtel / Chalet Neuf sector has rails, kickers, slide boxes, hips, boardercross and much more, with a variety of skill levels catered for from beginner to expert. There's also a sound system to help you chill as you leap, and a barbecue area to refuel at afterwards.
Cross country skiing fits well with the traditional nature of Châtel. There are 40km of marked tracks around the village linking it to Portes du Soleil neighbours Abondance and la Chapelle d'Abondance (where there are changing facilities and a warm-up building) as well as tracks following the banks of the Dranse River, close to the Swiss border.
The trails vary over 600m of vertical altitude between 900m and 1,500m of altitude and there are runs for all ability levels from beginner to expert, the latter most challenged by the new 'Le Moulaz' black run at La Chapelle.
La Chapelle is also the main biathlon site in the Abondance valley if you fancy trying this exciting sport which combines target shooting (for which calm and a low heart rate are required) and cross country skiing (which really gets your heart rate racing with exertion). There's also a mobile biathlon stadium that moves between the three villages.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Данило (световно Драган Здравковић; Земун, 27. јун 1905 — Манастир Велика Ремета, 8. јануар 2000) био је православни игуман Манастира Велике Ремете.

Биографија

Игуман Данило (Здравковић) је рођен је Земуну 1905. године. Као младић је дошао у манастир и замонашио се. Живео је у манастиру Вујан код Горњег Милановаца и у другим манастирима, а у манастиру Благовештење у два маха: као сабрат и као старешина. Имао је и старијег брата Доментијана, који се пре њега замонашио и био у своје време старешина манастира Клисуре и старешина манастира Студенице. Јеромонах Доментијан је, по причању оца Данила, повучен од сваке политике, живео у манастиру мирно, али су га неки потказали немачким окупационим снагама, које су га ухапсиле, одвеле на Бањицу у Чачку и тамо стрељали.

Архимандрит Данило је 1973. године обновио је средњовековни манастир Велика Ремета на Фрушкој гори, који је био у рушевинама након што је запаљен од стране усташа за време Другог светског рата. Обнављање Велике Ремете је створило од ње велики духовни центар, који је осамдесетих година 20. век окљупао омладину на симпозијумима о вери, држаним од стране професора веронауке.

Преминуо је 2000. године у Манастиру Велика Ремета.

Референце

Рођени 1905.
Умрли 2000.
Игумани Српске православне цркве
Архимандрити Српске православне цркве

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Home World News (Analysis) EU Candidate Status for Ukraine and Moldova: Political Signal or Geostrategic Move?
(Analysis) EU Candidate Status for Ukraine and Moldova: Political Signal or Geostrategic Move?
By Vitalii Rishko November 29, 2022 November 29, 2022 Eastern Europe, Enlargment, European Commission, European Council, European Union, Geopolitics, Moldova, Pan-Europeanism, Russia, Russo-Ukrainian War, Ukraine
Vitalii Rishko
Vitalii is contributing to TNGO as a Сontent Writer for EU affairs. He holds a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. Vitalii also completed his Master's programme in International Security at the University of Groningen. His research interests are International Order, Major Power Rivalry, Transatlantic Security, European and Euro-Atlantic Integration.
Latest posts by Vitalii Rishko (see all)
(Analysis) EU Candidate Status for Ukraine and Moldova: Political Signal or Geostrategic Move? - November 29, 2022
Leaders of the EU made a very consequential decision on 23rd June to grant Ukraine and Moldova official status of candidate for EU membership. The potential granting of candidate status prompted heated debate in the EU's political circles. Russian aggression in Georgia and Ukraine demonstrated the failure of EU's policy regarding its eastern neighborhood. This policy was based on the arrangement of so-called "buffer zones" of friendly states, without hindering Russia's core interests explicitly. Expansion without enlargement has shown that such a strategy can neither satisfy the geopolitical goals of the EU, nor ensure the security of the Union. The bloc cannot rely solely on its soft and transformative power. Therefore, the EU is likely to return to its strongest geopolitical tool – enlargement. Though, before Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the issue of granting candidate status to any country of the Associated Trio (Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine) was not being discussed, let alone the prospects of a new wave of EU enlargement.
Rethinking the EU Policy Towards Eastern Partnership Countries
Source: EURACTIV. Photo by Olivier Hoslet/EPA-EFE
For quite a long time, Eastern European countries, such as Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia have been developing their cooperation with the EU in the framework of Eastern Partnership. The EU and these countries managed to sign Association Agreements and established the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas. These efforts are aimed at internal transformations of EU neighbors that will allow them to fulfill criteria for potential membership in the Union. Nevertheless, there was relatively limited engagement between the EU and these countries, owing partly to Russia's claim to "privileged spheres of interest" in the post-Soviet space and also to the lack of the EU's strategic vision. Consequently, the EU's goals in this region are unclear as there are no consistent policy in this respect, and one could hardly predict what the EU was intending to do. This begs the question of whether the EU is planning to challenge Russia directly to retake the initiative in this region by acceleration of the integration of Ukraine and Moldova into the bloc or will Brussels keep maintaining the status quo and sticking to the "buffer zone" approach? Anyway, the Post-Soviet space will remain an area of geopolitical contestation between the European Union and Russia.
Russia's military involvement in Georgia in 2008 and invasion of Ukraine in 2014 have further raised questions about whether the EU is ready to respond firmly in order to strengthen its own influence in these countries. It turned out that in 2014 Russia was ready to use force in order to preserve control over its sphere of "vital interests" while the EU was, to a large extent, divided in its response to Russia. A new critical challenge that the EU faces is Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which requires the unified position of all member states. Ukraine applied for EU membership during the first days of Russia's large-scale invasion and other countries of the Associated Trio, Georgia and Moldova, did the same.
The context of the Russo-Ukrainian War revitalized the EU's enlargement agenda. However, before the EU Commission issued its recommendation to grant candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova, certain member states were pushing for the establishment of a framework that would include EU neighbors. For instance, Emmanuel Macron suggested to create a "European Political Community," which would be a club of the EU member states, its neighbors and non-EU members. The neighbors of the EU opposed this initiative because they thought it would serve as a substitute for candidate status and EU membership. EU leaders responded to the pressure by reassuring that the platform was not intended to serve as an alternative to EU membership. The goal is to strengthen political dialogue and cooperation, particularly in the area of international security. The EU has decided to act after almost a decade of ambiguous policies towards Eastern European countries.
Earlier, the EU stuck to the so-called "Open Doors Policy" and avoided any concrete statements on potential membership of these countries. Without exaggeration, the EU has taken a serious decision to grant candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova. It also promised the same status for Georgia when it fulfills all the necessary preconditions. One of them is strengthening Georgia's political institutions, which seem fairly fragile. There are also accusations of fraud, intimidation, vote-buying, cronyism and police harassment in Georgia. Also, the EU is concerned about civil liberties, the influence of oligarchs on politics and the freedom of the media. It is therefore necessary to understand why this decision was made and what the consequences are for both the EU and these countries.
The EU's Profile: Commitment to Defend Human Rights and Democracy
First of all, this decision was made in order to send a signal to Russia, as it means that the EU recognizes Ukraine and Moldova to be a part of the European family, not a distant relative as Moscow would want. Practically, the EU is shifting from its inconsistent stance on the integration of the Associated Trio countries and conveying a clear message that they will never be part of Russia. By sending this signal, the EU is stating that it is ready to support Ukraine in its efforts to counter Russian aggression and to protect the core values of a rules-based international order. By sending this signal, the EU is stating that it is ready to support Ukraine in its efforts to counter Russian aggression and to protect the core values of a rules-based international order. By granting candidate status to Moldova, the EU reaffirmed its commitment to support Chisinau considering the background of Russia's actions in Ukraine. This is especially relevant because of the occupied territory of Transnistria, where according to various sources some 2000 military personnel of the Russian Federation are present. Concerns over Transnistria were also expressed in the MEPs statements, where they stressed the serious provocations and security incidents in Moldova. As a result, the EU pledged to support these countries as much as needed, making this the strongest response to Russian actions since 2008. As a result, the EU pledged to support these countries as much as needed, making this the strongest response to Russian actions since 2008 by imposing unprecedented sanctions and pressure on Putin, freezing Russian assets and providing military assistance to Ukraine. As the Ukrainian people demonstrated their willingness to fight for the free and democratic future of their state, the EU cannot remain silent.
The role of the core values the EU is pursuing and their impact on decision-making cannot be overestimated in its relations with any country, considering the EU's strong profile in democracy promotion, protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. In this context, it is worth mentioning the visit of Olaf Scholz, Emmanuel Macron, Mario Draghi and Klaus Iohannis to Ukraine on 16th of June. They were able to see with their own eyes the consequences of Russia's invasion on the liberated areas of the Kyiv region. It is likely that the EU leaders in Irpin, Ukraine felt the atrocities and human rights violations committed by Russia, which could have influenced their positions in favor of granting candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova.
Source: AP News. Photo by Ludovic Marin
The Role of Public Opinion and Pressure on the EU Member States
Along with the need to send a signal to Russia, the EU's commitment to democracy and preserving human rights, there is another critical aspect that could shape the EU's decision – public opinion within the Union. It was not just the EU leaders who saw the evidence of war crimes committed in Ukraine. The public support increased after the EU leaders visited liberated Irpin in the Kyiv region. Even before the trip of the European politicians to Kyiv, the whole world, and the citizens of the EU, were shocked by the photos shared on the Internet that showed hundreds of innocent civilians that were tortured and killed. In this respect, it is noteworthy to mention the survey conducted among EU citizens by Eurobarometer in April 2022. As a whole, Europeans are of the opinion that the EU has been strong (79%) and united (63%) as well as quick (58%) in responding to the war. Most respondents embrace unwavering support for Ukraine as 80% approve the financial support provided to Ukraine and 66% agree that "Ukraine should join the EU when it is ready." In addition, 71% believe that Ukraine is part of the European family and 89% feel sympathy towards Ukrainians. In April the level of public support for Ukraine's integration into the EU was probably at its highest. Such strong support could be a result of popular outcry regarding Russia's actions and a widespread sympathy towards Ukrainians. The EU's decision of granting candidate status could also be driven by the significant pressure of public opinion. The creative strategy of Volodymyr Zelenskyy should also be mentioned as his approach has thus far been on delivering online speeches to the parliaments of various countries, including those of EU member states. In his appeals, he emphasized the need for Ukraine's fast-track membership in the EU and the granting of candidate status as a first step towards it.
Towards Greater Europe: von der Leyen's "Geopolitical Commission" and Support of the EU Institutions
It is pertinent to note the commitment of top EU politicians to this decision as they are the ones who were most active in pushing the agenda and course of action that was being taken by the EU. First of all, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, played a major role.
Ukrainians are ready to die for the European perspective. We want them to live with us the European dream
European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Source: Deutsche Welle June 17, 2022
The European Commission has always been a key institution of the EU that drives major changes and policies of the Union. Von der Leyen's ambitions to increase the EU's role on the international stage can also be explained by her strong position with regard to granting candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova. Furthermore, it is also consistent with the remarks she made after being appointed European Commission President that instead of a "political Commission" as Junker had, von der Leyen will lead a "geopolitical Commission." Such a take on the EU's global role has a direct influence on the EU's Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, as well as the EU's Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement. Von der Leyen's desire to strengthen the EU's geopolitical standing clash with Russia's claims over countries that Moscow believes to be its "near abroad." And it was not only von der Leyen who supported the EU's decision. President of the European Council, Charles Michel, was also supportive in his speeches regarding granting candidate status. For instance, he mentioned that this is going to be an unprecedented event in European history with the EU making such a strong geopolitical move in order to strengthen security and stability across the continent. In addition, Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, urged the EU to grant candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova in response to the autocratic threat. This shows that the EU's main institutions, the European Commission, European Council and European Parliament, have backed this critical step.
As opposed to 2014, the EU is now willing to demonstrate its ability to carry out proactive policy towards its eastern neighborhood. A key question is whether the EU will be unified enough and able to find the "power" it needs to project its influence on Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia. Specifically, it raises doubts considering the internal crises that the EU faces right now with regard to energy crisis, Brexit outcomes, and democracy backsliding in certain member states. Furthermore, the decision to grant candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova was made against the backdrop of rising tensions between the U.S. and China. Candidate status for Ukraine and Moldova can be regarded as the EU's attempt of achieving strategic autonomy in the context of a fragmented international order and geopolitical contest between major powers, by strengthening its eastern flank. Such move can be regarded as a geopolitical maneuver that would help the EU to expand its influence and enhance its position in the international system.
Advocacy of Integration Processes by Poland and Baltic States
Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia could have a major impact on the EU decision as the countries are often referred to as the "New Europe" which tend to position themselves as supporters of European integration. Their position can be explained by the rooted perceptions of Russian menace that these countries are facing because of the close geographical proximity of Russia's borders. Moreover, besides the constant threats coming from Russia, these states are also exposed to the harmful actions of Belarus and its autocratic regime. A case in point is the recent artificial border crisis, which might be viewed as a hybrid tool used to threaten Poland, the Baltic states, and the EU in general. Overall, EU enlargement has been a key topic on the agenda of these countries in order to boost stability and security on their borders. Not to mention Poland's role in creating the Eastern Partnership to bring eastern neighbors closer to the EU.
Source: president.gov.ua
In a practical sense, before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine started, Polish President Andrzej Duda and President of Lithuania Gitanas Nauseda visited Kyiv to deliver the message that their countries will do everything in their power to ensure that Ukraine receives candidate status. In addition, the Polish president paid a few visits to some European capitals in order to persuade member states that were hesitant about granting candidate status.
Financial background of the EU decision, Ukraine's Post-War Reconstruction and support of Moldova
Another significant factor that impacted the EU's decision was the necessity to provide increased economic support and investments for Ukraine and Moldova. Providing additional funding to Ukraine and Moldova not only facilitates reforms but is also considered essential to minimizing the negative impact of the Russian invasion. A candidate state of the EU is entitled to additional financial and institutional assistance through the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA). A basic purpose of the IPA is to speed up the transfers of EU funds, which in turns ensures reform stability. Moreover, considering the fact that Ukraine's economy and infrastructure are severely damaged as a result of ongoing aggression, candidate status was thought to be an effective step to support Ukraine's economic and financial sectors, as well as to help rebuild the country after the war is over. Candidate status, in turn, is seen as helpful in attracting more investments, which the country urgently needs now. For Moldova, the aftershocks of the war also caused immense damage to various sectors of its economy. Candidacy, therefore, could be viewed as a vital step in supporting the fragile economy of Moldova by utilizing the IPA and unblocking additional sources of financial assistance to Chisnau.
There is not a single social or economic area that would not be affected by the war. Rising prices for oil products and natural gas, difficulties with the export of agricultural products, the closure of trade routes are the consequences of the war.
Maia Sandu, June 24, 2022. Source: Info Tag
What Is Next: Fast-Track Membership for Kyiv and Chisinau or a "Balkan Trap"?
Upon the EU's decision to grant candidate status, the speed of the integration process will depend on how successfully Ukraine and Moldova implement necessary reforms and carry out internal transformations in order to move to the next stage – opening of the accession talks. Nevertheless, the ball is not only in Ukraine's or Moldova's court, as much will also depend on the consensus and readiness of the EU to go further. In a nutshell, the political will of the EU member states is going to be a decisive factor for the possibility of fast-tracking membership to Ukraine and Moldova. Indeed, these factors raise the question of whether the EU will be able to absorb new members in the near future. That is why many Ukrainian and Moldovan experts are afraid of falling into the so-called "Balkan trap."
Source: European Union
Before giving candidate status, international experts, politicians, and diplomats were worried about the differentiation of the enlargement process. This is in light of the fact that Western Balkan countries have not yet achieved success in their integration into the EU despite receiving the same status. The fact that any country can veto the EU decision to open accession talks makes the process time consuming, as it was in the case of Bulgaria's veto regarding North Macedonia.
The experiences of North Macedonia and other states indicate that the issue of the EU's readiness to accept new members is truly critical. In the short-term, candidate status is not a panacea, because accession talks can begin in 10 years or so. One needs to remember that candidate status does not guarantee accession. To a large extent, the European integration of Ukraine and Moldova will depend on the success of the Western Balkans as these two processes seem to be intertwined. For instance, Olaf Scholz was talking about the possibility of the accession of the Western Balkans and other candidates, including Ukraine and Moldova. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte was skeptical even about candidate status for Ukraine and Moldova.
Furthermore, Rutte was saying that granting this status would be "unfair" with regard to Balkan states who have been waiting for such a status much longer. Another key factor that might be a problem when taking into account the experience of the Western Balkans is the size of territory. As far as the EU is not ready to integrate small countries such as Montenegro, Albania and Northern Macedonia, integration of bigger states seems to be complicated indeed. When it comes to Ukraine, for example, the process can be difficult indeed as it will require additional reforms within the EU that can take time. Hence, fast-track membership for Ukraine and Moldova is difficult to imagine in the short term. In the end, it is the progress in reforms by Kyiv and Chisnau and the political will of member states that are going to be decisive factors for the future enlargement. Despite this, the EU's decision seems to be more than just a political gesture.
Author: Vitalii Rishko
View all posts by Vitalii Rishko →
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Just decide on how many pet guests you'd like to sponsor at $25 per pet each month (the more the merrier!) then take this link to our secure Stripes Payment page. No account needed, just use your preferred credit card, PayPal account, bank check, Apple Pay or Google Pay on your mobile device to set up your continuing donation. If you prefer to use a paper check mailed to us, we welcome those, also. Our mailing address is 66 Evelyn Lane, Huntsville, TX 77340.
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English Abstract: Duration Calculus (DC) is an extension of interval temproal logic which is proposed by Zhou Chaochen, C.A.R. Hoare and A.P. Ravn, and can specify the real-time requirements of computing systems and prove their real-time properties. DC has been proved to be a powerful logical frame by lots of case studies of it. DDS (stands for Deadline Driven Scheduler) is about scheduling multiple tasks on a single processor dynamically which is proposed by Liu and Layland. It assumes that all tasks raise periodic requests for processor time, and priorities are dynamically assigned to tasks according to the deadlines of their current requests. A task will be assigned the highest priority if the deadline of its current request is the nearest, and will be assigned the lowest priority if the its current request is the furthest. As any instant, the task with the highest priority and yet unfulfilled request will occupy the processor. As an application, we will formally descripe DDS and prove the sufficient and necessary condition about DDS given by Liu and Layland in terms of DC. The main results of this paper coven how to describe the real-time behaviours of programs in terms of duration calculus. In order to deal with hiding, e.g. local variable declaration and so on, quantifications over program variables are inevitable. So a higher-order duration calculus is established in this paper including its syntax, semantics and proof system. Its completeness on abstract domains will be proved under the assumption that all program variables have finite variability. We will explain how to apply the higher-order duration calculus to define semantics for real-time programs.
詹乃军. 高阶时段演算及其应用[D]. 中国科学院软件研究所. 中国科学院软件研究所. 2000-01-01.


text:
Riot says League of Legends source code has been stolen and is being held for ransom
Studio "confident" no player data or personal info was compromised in recent cyber attack
24th Jan 2023 / 5:24 pm
Tom Ivan
Riot Games says it has received a ransom demand after source code for two of its games was stolen during a cyber attack.
The studio confirmed on January 20 that its development environment had been compromised by a social engineering attack, a method which involves the psychological manipulation of people into performing actions or divulging confidential information.
The attack led to the theft of source code for League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, and a legacy anticheat platform, and has temporarily affected Riot's ability to release new content.
Riot Games available with Xbox Game Pass
"Today, we received a ransom email," the studio said in an update on Tuesday. "Needless to say, we won't pay.
"While this attack disrupted our build environment and could cause issues in the future, most importantly we remain confident that no player data or player personal information was compromised."
Riot continued: "Truthfully, any exposure of source code can increase the likelihood of new cheats emerging. Since the attack, we've been working to assess its impact on anticheat and to be prepared to deploy fixes as quickly as possible if needed.
"The illegally obtained source code also includes a number of experimental features. While we hope some of these game modes and other changes eventually make it out to players, most of this content is in prototype and there's no guarantee it will ever be released."
Riot said it is working with law enforcement as the authorities investigate the attack and the group responsible for it.
"We're committed to transparency and will release a full report in the future detailing the attackers' techniques, the areas where Riot's security controls failed, and the steps we're taking to ensure this doesn't happen again," the studio wrote.
Riot Games has made layoffs across several departments
Update: The company has eliminated 46 jobs in a round of cuts
"We've made a lot of progress since last week and we believe we'll have things repaired later in the week, which will allow us to remain on our regular patch cadence going forward. The League and TFT teams will update you soon on what this means for each game."
Last week Riot said it had cut 46 jobs as part of "strategic shifts within a few teams" designed to sharpen its focus in several areas of its business.
Riot Games titles are coming to Xbox Game Pass next week: benefits detailed
Square Enix warns hackers are trying to access Final Fantasy 14 player details
The PS5 has reportedly been jailbroken
ESRB Teen
SAMSUNG 49-inch Odyssey G9 Gaming Monitor
$843.89$1,399.99 £1,065£1,149.99
Xbox Elite Series 2 Wireless Controller
$109.99$179.99 £139.95£159.99 $153.95$179.99 £159.99
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti 24GB
£1,079.79 $1,449
AKRacing Core Series EX Gaming Chair
£329 $399
Delayed The Lord of the Rings: Gollum has received a new launch window
The game will now be released between April and September 2023
Forspoken is getting a PC demo alongside today's release
It follows the release of a PS5 demo in December


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Q: Refactoring C code by introducing functions with VS Code. Parameter values and pointer syntax I am doing some code refactoring with VS Code. There may be extensions to do this, but unless they are installed by default I will not be able to use them.
The project code is written in C.
The question is about the best way to emulate the concept of references in C++.
Here is a quick example:
int main()
{
    int the_variable;
    // long sequence of statements which modify `the_variable`
    the_variable += 1;
    the_variable -= 1;
    the_variable &= !the_variable;

    // I want to create a function which contains the long sequence of statements
    // In reality there are hundreds of lines of code here, so I want to
    // put them inside a function

    my_function(&the_variable); // have to take address of here - not a big problem
}

// now create a function and copy and paste the contents from the long
// sequence of statements
void my_function(int *the_variable)
{
    // copy and paste:
    the_variable += 1;
    the_variable -= 1;
    the_variable &= !the_variable;

    // problem: `the_variable` is now a pointer
    // so I have to change every instance of `the_variable` to
    // `*the_variable` - could be a potential source of
    // introducing a bug

    // is there an alternative?
}

// possible alternative
void my_function(int *the_variable_with_another_name)
{
    // make a local variable to keep the same name
    int the_variable = *the_variable_with_another_name;

    // copy and paste:
    the_variable += 1;
    the_variable -= 1;
    the_variable &= !the_variable;

    // problem: `the_variable` is now a local variable
    // and the value does not change outside of this
    // function
    // we need to remember to "return" the variable at
    // the end of the function

    *the_variable_with_another_name = the_variable;

    // problem: introducing more complexity to function body
    // if function takes ~10 arguments, then need to remember to
    // create 10 local copies of variables and then "return" 10
    // values by dereferencing each pointer at end

    // is there a better solution?
}

I also have been thinking about a potential solution with macros, but I'm not sure this is a good idea.

*

*Create a new file with the function body in.

*Do something like this:

    #define the_variable (*the_variable)

    // should macro-convert all instances of `the_variable` to `*the_variable`...
    // but this seems kind of "dodgy"
    int my_function(int the_variable)
    {
        the_variable += 1;
        the_variable -= 1;
        the_variable &= !the_variable;
    }

    #undefine the_variable // not sure if needed?
    // can I `#define` something and confine the scope of the define
    // statement to a function body? Will this work if I write one function
    // body per compilation unit? (.c file)

Perhaps there is a "safer" way to do this with macros?
In C++ the solution is simple: Pass by reference, using references. But C does not have references.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Our Homeless Outreach team is going out again on Saturday, September 8th, this month with the special goal of feeding 400 people while teaming up with the Presbyterian Night Shelter! They will be meeting at the church and then leaving at 8am. We are in need of food items including the following; if you are able to donate, let Dorcas know what you can commit because we can't accept the food until close to the outreach to retain freshness.
If you aren't able to make it that day, you can still help out by donating things like clean new or gently used clothing, as well as gently used bags, plus a variety of things on this list for blessing bags that we will distribute during the outreach like normal, which these items can be dropped off at the church at any time.
You can bring donations to the offices anytime during the week or to table near the Second Harvest pantry in the foyer during any of our services.
If you have any questions or want to learn more, you can email Dorcas Fischer at .


text:
Scary goth girl is actually ex-'American Idol' contestant in disguise
Lyndsey Parker
When 20-year-old goth girl Lady Mapo — who got her stage name from her dead cat, natch — stomped into the American Idol audition room Monday rocking her clunky platform boots, head-to-toe Hot Topic couture, double lip rings, corpse-blue lipstick, and a scowl, and practically trailing clove smoke behind her, she seemed on a mission to bring Idol to the dark side. (She also kind of resembled RuPaul's Drag Race alumnus Adore Delano, who competed on Idol Season 7 as Danny Noriega, but I digress.)
"Last year was boring — too American," Lady Mapo drawled monotonically in her deep Daria voice. The judges looked scared. Personally, I was hoping she'd do a scary-good cover of a Siouxsie or Sisters of Mercy deep cut.
Instead, Mapo surprisingly cued up "Rainbow Connection" — the warm 'n' fuzzy Muppets ballad that last season's winner, Maddie Poppe, sang at her adorable audition and reprised with the actual Kermit the Frog on the finale. I got ready for Mapo to "make the song her own" with a death-metal Cookie Monster voice. But then she dramatically ripped off her black Bettie Page wig… and lo and behold, it was the actual Maddie Poppe!
Maddie actually made a spookily convincing goth. The judges never saw it coming (I sure didn't!), and they seemed greatly amused — and probably a bit relieved — to find out it was the Season 16 golden girl under all that sooty black eye makeup. I just wish they'd put Lady Mapo through to Hollywood. She looked like she belonged there already.
The real auditions of this new American Idol season wrapped Monday, and while none of them were as funny as the Mapo/Maddie reveal, there were a few surprises. Here's how it went:
Jade Flores, 22: "Strawberry Wine"
Jade was realllllllly excited to be trying out for the show and meeting her idol Katy Perry, with whom she bonded over their shared experiences of rebelliously piercing their noses at age 13. (I wondered if Jade also bonded with the septum-pierced Lady Mapo in the waiting room?) I thought Jade was going to be some annoying joke contestant, but this audition was solid. And it was also enjoyable. I think I'm going to like this girl. Lionel Richie called her an "entertainer," and Katy told her she had "the personality to back up the voice."
Christiaan Padavan, 19: "Vienna"
Disappointingly, Christiaan sang the Billy Joel song, not the Ultravox one. His crooner voice would probably fit the New Romantic genre well! This was a sweet performance, but honestly, when he dragged his shy, reluctant girlfriend Victoria into the audition room to do the Alex & Sierra shtick on a sultry acoustic cover of Britney Spears's "Toxic," I thought Victoria was better than him. I also thought it was a setup. So how come only Christiaan went through to Hollywood?
Ryan Hammond, 25: "Lay Me Down"
This church-trained singer nearly died three years ago, when his gastric bypass surgery went horrifically wrong. Thankfully he survived, then thrived, and now, 170 pounds lighter and newly confident, he is Idol-ready. He was powerful and soulful on this Sam Smith cover (an interesting and timely choice, since Sam has recently opened up about his own weight struggles), but pastor's kid Katy wanted to "take him out of the church vibe a bit." Ryan's song selections will be crucial going forward.
Chloe Channell, 16: "Stupid Boy"
This sweet, Danielle Bradbery-esque girl was introduced to her mentor, '90s country singer Billy Dean, by Lionel's old pal Kenny Rogers. That's some pretty serious industry networking for a teenager! Luke Bryan was of course impressed, especially because Billy Dean actually accompanied Chloe to her audition. Chloe was very young and very raw, but promising, and her deep connection to her lyrics was impressive even if her voice wavered in the beginning. "If this is 16 years old, I can't imagine what 19 or 20 will sound like," said Lionel. Luke told her, "Your voice was a little small at first, but then you showed us it wasn't small."
Emma Kleinberg, 21: "American Privilege"
This girl was giving me Elise Testone sass and Natasha Lyonne realness on this intense Allen Stone song. And her falsetto was everything! I was also moved by her sob story (she cares for her brother, who suffered brain damaged from a suicide attempt last year) and resilience and positive spirit. "You showed us everything. … You cannot showcase yourself any better, in my opinion," Luke told her.
Zebulon Spencer, 27: "Porch Swing Angel"
Zeb is a state champion clogger, so he can always try out for So You Think You Can Dance if this show doesn't work out. And it might not work out. Zeb had a nice voice, and a fanbase nickname already (the "Zebulars"), but there was nothing extraordinary about him. However, maybe I should defer to country expert Luke, who said Zeb was "thisclose to being absolutely incredible" and his favorite country voice of the past year.
Jorgie, 23: "Heaven"
This sensitive gay man left his conservative family in Israel at age 18 and moved to Hollywood to be his true self. "I used to feel shamed, and I questioned, 'Why did God make me this way?' But now if you gave me the choice of being anything else than what I am, I would say no," he said triumphantly, while literally wearing rose-colored glasses (and a rose-colored fun-fur coat). Interestingly, Jorgie said it was Katy's "I Kissed a Girl" — a controversial song that Katy herself has distanced herself from in recent years, due to its problematic depiction of bi-curiosity — that made him believe there could be a place for an LGBTQ singer like himself in mainstream music. I honestly thought Jorgie was going to be a novelty contestant (he's in a band called Jorgie & The Jorgies, for instance), but his audition, of an original song dedicated to a secret same-sex crush, was genuinely great and super-serious. This audition was Jorgie's way of coming out to his parents as well, and he said his biggest wish was to make them proud. Hopefully they were. Katy told him, "You have a real chance of being your dream."
Nick Merico, 22: "Back to Black"
This former tween star of Nickelodeon's Every Witch Way is all grown up now. His sultry, slow-burning piano version of the Amy Winehouse classic proved he's no kiddie act, and even though I think he took too many liberties with the song, it was a memorable and mature audition. Luke called him a "Hunkasaurus Rex." Katy was flirting with Nick so shamelessly that I wouldn't be surprised if her jealous fiancé Orlando Bloom just happens to "drop by" Hollywood Week. (Nick later confessed, "I've had a crush on [Katy] forever" and said, "I think Katy's kind of into me.") Katy will have to compete with all the screaming fangirls that Lionel and Luke predicted/warned will be waiting for Nick in Hollywood.
Jackson Gillies, 19: "Make It Rain"
A sufferer of both a rare autoimmune skin condition and type 1 diabetes, Jackson has been through a lot in his young life, but he has a good attitude that will make him a favorite with viewers. He didn't have the best voice of this highly competitive season, but his Voy Fance cover showcased bluesy grit and gravitas. Luke called him "blessed." This is the kind of kid America will root for.
See you in Hollywood next week!
Why 'Idol' winner Maddie Poppe wishes she could get a 'do-over' of her duet with boyfriend Caleb Lee Hutchinson: 'I was so awkward'
'American Idol' singer Wade Cota shares shocking tale of abuse survival: 'My biological father was the devil'
David Archuleta opens up about his post-'American Idol' PTSD
Follow Lyndsey on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Amazon, Spotify.
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Somali-born lawmaker brands Trump 'fascist' after rally taunt
Celine: Are they Muslims or communists? Don't send them home. Send them to jail. 18 U.S. Code § 2385.Advocating overthrow of Government U.S. Code Whoever knowingly or willfully advocates, abets, advises, or teaches the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying the government of the United States or the government of any State, Territory, District or Possession thereof, or the government of any political subdivision therein, by force or violence, or by the assassination of any officer of any such government; or Whoever, with intent to cause the overthrow or destruction of any such government, prints, publishes, edits, issues, circulates, sells, distributes, or publicly displays any written or printed matter advocating, advising, or teaching the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying any government in the United States by force or violence, or attempts to do so; or Whoever organizes or helps or attempts to organize any society, group, or assembly of persons who teach, advocate, or encourage the overthrow or destruction of any such government by force or violence; or becomes or is a member of, or affiliates with, any such society, group, or assembly of persons, knowing the purposes thereof— Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction. If two or more persons conspire to commit any offense named in this section, each shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction. As used in this section, the terms "organizes" and "organize", with respect to any society, group, or assembly of persons, include the recruiting of new members, the forming of new units, and the regrouping or expansion of existing clubs, classes, and other units of such society, group, or assembly of persons. (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 808; July 24, 1956, ch. 678, § 2, 70 Stat. 623; Pub. L. 87–486, June 19, 1962, 76 Stat. 103; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(N), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2148.)


For a long time I wanted to do the kind of video where you take one photo every day and then you show make a slideshow of them, like this one. Today is the day where it finally happened, even if it contains only 50 days worth of data!
The images are from the 1st of May until the 17th of July. I usually took two pictures every day, one in the morning and one in the evening. But I also travelled a lot, so I don't have photos from every single day.
What gave me the incentive to finally do this project was that I wanted …continue.
It's that magical time of the year when the stars align, you realize you have too much garbage on your computer and you need to reinstall it, and you actually have the time to do it.
First, I wanted to reinstall my Linux, a poor old Ubuntu that has been much abused, and replace it with Elementary OS. That was quickly foiled as it wouldn't boot of my USB drive. "No operating system found". Eventually I figured out the problem was with UNetBootin …continue.


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Johnsen Wikander will send an engagement letter to the client upon retention, which outlines the scope of involvement and fee requirements, along with a "DRO Information Form" which will need to be completed and submitted to Johnsen Wikander prior to commencement of the drafting process. Upon receipt of both the signed engagement letter, the requisite fee and the completed DRO Information Form, Johnsen Wikander will commence work. Unless prior arrangements are made with Johnsen Wikander, the DRO will be drafted with no attorneys of record identified. Johnsen Wikander will draft all documents consistent with the terms of the final divorce judgment.


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The City of Colorado Springs (City) and Colorado Springs Utilities (Utilities) have joined together, along with Panasonic CityNOW, to help develop a smart city vision, known as SmartCOS. Being a smart city is the concept of deploying advanced technologies to improve public services, drive economic development and solve issues facing the city.
Through an extensive stakeholder process with more than 100 participants representing private, public, academic and non-profit institutions in the Pikes Peak Region, 11 SmartCOS concepts have been identified to explore and deploy as opportunities arise and funding allows. The City and Utilities will pursue funding options to support the SmartCOS program, including grant opportunities, public-private partnerships, and leveraging existing capital expenditures where it makes sense.
In addition, the City and Utilities have partnered with US Ignite, a national non-profit that has developed an ecosystem of other cities pursuing smart technologies across the nation to share lessons learned and best practices. Furthermore, Colorado Springs is one of the founding cities of the Colorado Smart Cities Alliance, which is a statewide, multi-jurisdictional collaboration of public, private and academic sector leaders committed to accelerating the adoption of smart cities initiatives in their respective communities.
For complete descriptions and a narrative of the process, download the complete SmartCOS Strategy (pdf).
The Southwest Downtown redevelopment district has been identified as an area where the City would like to leverage existing public and private funding to deploy smart technologies that support the mission of both the City of Colorado Springs and Colorado Springs Utilities. This district offers a unique opportunity to leverage the momentum gained through the SmartCOS program so far, leverage over $42 million in existing state and local public funding, and deploy a wide range of smart technologies in a defined area. This will allow the opportunity to explore various use cases in a confined area to that could be scalable across the community in the future.


My spiritual journey started with this book. But let me tell you I am just a new born baby in this spiritual world who doesn't know anything about it. Like a baby I need help of others (especially God and my Master) to do anything. My heart is not pure and this "I" is very much alive in me. I am just sharing my experience with as they call it "spiritual treasure".
I was not a spiritual or religious person. Few years back when I was going through a different phase of my life, my uncle took me to his childhood friend's house. He is a spiritual person. I didn't understand most of the things he said to me but I somehow felt good talking to him and I remember feeling calm and peaceful inside which had become rare thing in those days. Later he introduced me to his Master and after few days I also become the follower of his Master.
Unfortunately, I went to visit my Master (spiritual Guru) after that only twice or thrice. He lived far away from my house and sadly I lost interest in my spiritual journey even before it actually started. May be because I had no clue what this was all about. My life turned completely upside down and people around me started making fun of me for becoming his follower. That was also the reason for my spiritual death.
I didn't want to change myself and unfortunately I thought that His teachings would change me into a Nun. I thought I would stop eating non veg, I would stop hanging out with friends and I would stop enjoying life. I was such a fool (though still I am). All these foolish thoughts and lack of knowledge blocked me from walking on the spiritual path. This had happened in 2010.
In 2012 I met my husband. He is both spiritual and religious person (which I am not). One day he asked me If I know Yogananda and have I read his book "Autobiography of a Yogi"? I was unaware then that the spiritual turning point of my life had arrived.
My husband recommended this book to me and my reaction was like: Are you crazy? I am not at all a spiritual person and I have no wish to read books like these. I am not reading this ever in my life. But later a name which he had mentioned was on my mind even after I dismissed his recommendation. That name was "Babaji". I started googling about "Babaji" and surprisingly found a free e copy of Autobiography of a Yogi.
I told myself that I will read only one page and as soon as I finished the first page I ordered the hard copy online and started waiting for it's day and night. When I held the book in my hand the man in the cover looked familiar to me. I had seen this picture at my uncle's friend house and our master's house.
It feels like Yogananda somehow found me even though I left him 2 years back in a small town of Durgapur. Your life will change completely when Yogananda will stare at you from the cover of the book. You will not forget his eyes for the rest of your life. This book is for those who is seeking the ultimate truth of life. It was first published in 1946.
Parmahansa Yogananda was born with a divine mission on earth. His mission was to introduce yoga to the west. Although it is a spiritual book but it is written in a very simple and interesting way. Once you start reading it you will find it hard to take your eyes away from it. People from any background, age, religion can read and enjoy this book.
I am no one to write about this book. I have no qualification. I just want to say that if you feel lost then just hold his hands and He will take you to a most peaceful and happy place.
All the best to you and May God Bless you!
Have you read this book? How you find it?
I've read that book, it was a long time ago. In my early 20s I was very interested in Hinduism and Buddhism and was reading everything I could get my hands on.


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Кубок России по баскетболу среди женщин в сезоне 2012/2013 являлся Х турниром Российской федерации по баскетболу. Екатеринбургский УГМК стал шестикратным обладателем Кубка (5-й раз подряд).

Регламент
В Кубке России участвуют все клубы Премьер-Лиги, Суперлиги, молодёжные составы Премьер-Лиги и команды Высшей лиги чемпионата России в обязательном порядке, а также все желающие команды.

Соревнование проводится в два этапа:
 I этап — VII Кубок В. Кузина: первый раунд, второй раунд и Финал четырёх.
 II этап — финальная часть Кубка России: 1/8 финала, 1/4 финала и Финал четырёх.

Кубок В. Кузина

Первый раунд
Команды Высшей лиги и молодёжные команды клубов Премьер-лиги образуют группы «А», «Б», «В», «Г» и играют туром в один круг. Лучшие команды в группах выходят во 2-й раунд.

Группа А (Москва)

Группа Б (Верхняя Пышма)

Группа В (Иваново)

Группа Г (Йошкар-Ола)

Второй раунд
Команды Суперлиги и лучшие команды 1-го раунда распределяются на четыре группы, где игры проводятся турами в один круг. Победители групп выходят в Финал четырёх Кубка В. Кузина.

Группа Д (Казань)

Группа Е (Красноярск)

Группа Ж (Курск)

Группа З (Воронеж)

Финал четырёх (03—04.10.2012, Самара)
Во второй этап Х Кубка России в «1/8 финала» выходят команды, занявшие 1 и 2 места в Кубке В. Кузина.

 Полуфинал
 Енисей — Юность —
 Спартак — Политех СамГТУ —

  Матч за 3-е место
 Енисей — Политех СамГТУ —

 Финал

Финальная часть Х Кубка России

Плей-офф

1/8 финала

1/4 финала

Финал четырёх

Полуфинал

Матч за 3-е место

Финал

Главный тренер —  Поки Чатман (1 фол)

 Примечание: Мин — игровое время, Очк — очки, 2-х — 2-х очковые броски (попадание/попытки), 3-х — 3-х очковые броски, Шт — штрафные броски, Под — подборы, АП — атакующие передачи, ПР — перехваты, БШ — блок-шоты, ФО — фолы

Обладатель кубка УГМК
 Ольга Артешина Сью Берд  Сандрин Груда  Сильвия Домингес Анете Екабсоне Эвелина Кобрин Деанна Нолан   Кэндис Паркер — MVP финала Анна Петракова   Татьяна Попова  Мария Степанова  Дайана Таурази  Кванитра Холлингсворт Главный тренер —  Олаф Ланге

Символическая пятерка
По итогам турнира была названа символическая пятерка лучших игроков

  Кристи Толивер (Динамо)
  Дайана Таурази (УГМК)
  Сеймон Огастус (Спарта энд К)
  Татьяна Видмер (Динамо)
  Мария Степанова (УГМК)

См. также
 Система женских баскетбольных лиг России
 Чемпионат России по баскетболу среди женщин 2012/2013
 Кубок России по баскетболу 2012/2013

Примечания

Ссылки
 Статистика турнира на сайте РФБ

Кубок России по баскетболу среди женщин
2012 год в баскетболе
2013 год в баскетболе


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Michelle Obama Confirmed to Headline Upcoming ESSENCE Festival
By newyorktrend on May 22, 2019 in Books, Entertainment, Featured, Lifestyle
ESSENCE Communications, the number one media, technology and commerce company dedicated to Black women, has announced that former First Lady Michelle Obama will headline its 25th Anniversary ESSENCE Festival of Culture in New Orleans, LA, taking place July 4-7, 2019. On the heels of the historic success of her book Becoming, the appearance will mark Mrs. Obama's first engagement at the Festival and will include a sit-down interview on July 6 at the Louisiana Superdome. Mrs. Obama also appeared on the December 2018 cover of ESSENCE magazine and will contribute the monthly closing article – A Word – to the July/August issue.
The 2019 ESSENCE Festival® presented by Coca-Cola, the world's largest cultural, entertainment and empowerment experience, is a one-of-a-kind epicenter and celebration of global Black culture and continues to reach new heights with a focus on economic inclusion, cultural ownership and community development. The Festival now attracts more than 500,000 attendees each weekend and surpasses every national music, entertainment, and cultural festival based on average daily attendance.
"We are indescribably thrilled and honored to have 'Forever First Lady' Michelle Obama as a part of our 25th Anniversary ESSENCE Festival, which will mark our most exciting and extensive programming to date," said Michelle Ebanks, CEO of Essence Communications. "As inspiring and aspirational as it is relatable, Mrs. Obama's story – told on her own terms – is a remarkable example and celebration of everyday Black women who accomplish extraordinary things, who confront challenges with courage and truth, and who remind us that all things are possible when we support one another. Over 25 years, the Festival has done just that – becoming a cultural home for millions of Black women to honor, celebrate and engage each other in service and sisterhood, laughter and love, and empowerment and community."
The 25th Anniversary ESSENCE Festival will have its largest footprint ever, spanning more than 10 venues across New Orleans and encompassing several new and enhanced curated experiences. These include the Global Black Economic Forum; Fashion House; Wellness House; ESSENCE Black Excellence Awards; ESSENCE Food & Wine Festival; ESSENCE Music Festival; Beauty Carnival; ESSENCE After Dark; ESSENCE Film & TV Festival; Power Stage; E-Suite; ESSENCE Marketplace; and ESSENCE Day of Service/Girls United.
In addition to Mrs. Obama's appearance, an epic 'homecoming' musical line-up of more than 80 performers is slated at the Louisiana Superdome – including Mary J. Blige, Nas, Missy Elliott, H.E.R., Big Freedia, Davido, Frankie Beverly, Jermaine Dupri, MC Lyte, Pharrell Williams, Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky & Mike (RBRM), Sheila E., Teddy Riley, Teyana Taylor, Timbaland, and more. A 25th anniversary celebration of 1994's most culturally impactful and transformative albums that redefined pop culture will also be curated and performed by the original artists. These include Mary J. Blige's My Life, Nas' Illmatic, Brandy's Brandy, Method Man's Tical, Scarface's Diary, Big Daddy Kane's Daddy's Home, Da Brat's Funkdafied, Slick Rick's Behind Bars and Brownstone's From the Bottom Up.
Weekend and single-night ticket packages for the evening Music Festival concert series are on sale now. For the first time ever, ESSENCE is introducing the 2019 Weekend VIP Power Pass, which provides access to a premium experience at all of the Festival's ticketed events throughout the weekend, including the evening Music Festival, Fashion House, Beauty Carnival, ESSENCE Day in the Park, Wellness House and Power Stage, among other experiences to be announced.
For information about ticket sales, accommodations and the latest news about the ESSENCE Festival® visit Essence.com/festival. Join the festival community: Follow us on Twitter@essencefest #EssenceFest and become a fan of Festival on Facebook.
Sponsors for the 25th anniversary ESSENCE Festival® include Coca-Cola, AT&T, Disney, Ford, McDonald's, State Farm and Walmart. The ESSENCE Festival is produced by ESSENCE Communications Inc.


In neighboring Italy, several months have gone by and the issue of the government has not yet been solved. After the deal struck between 5 Stars and the League for a joint government, the candidate proposed to president Mattarella for the post of Prime Minister was Conte, a consensual figure of the two parties that managed to secure a parliamentary majority. But fears that the new government could alter relations with the EU, discussing not only issues such as the comeback of the lira, but also an aggravation of the situation which could lead to Itaexit, forced the president to refuse the request to mandate this government. Instead, upon his own incentive, the president has mandated a technocrat for the post of PM, the economist Cottarelli, former head of the IMF. This move has sparked anger amidst the populists of 5 Stars and League, which see this as an interference of the president and European lobbies to prevent a government of majority and its policies. Based on this, the political crisis in Italy enters a new phase. It's hard to say if the new mandated PM will manage to obtain the votes for the new government and thus, Italy could head to new general elections.
In a way or another, crises are solved through elections. Elections measure everyone's strength in the electorate. The elections decide not who is the strongest or who shouts the most, but they show which political force is closer to reality and public interest. After the electoral result, all political parties are positioned in their places, to continue a parliamentary life based on principles conditioned by democracy.
In the conditions that our country finds itself in, we're far from these principles of a fair game. The elections held a year ago were associated with problems, which were noted by international observers. Based on this, when there are accusations for vote buying, it's hard to expect a very fair game after the elections. However, what really surprises everyone in this long saga of crises is that nobody ever requests fresh elections. The political crisis is omnipresent, but the sides want it to remain like that, in chaos, without a clear solution.
The latest protest of the opposition mainly focused on Xhafaj, demanding his resignation. So, Rama was asked to remove his Interior minister. If Xhafaj had been impeached a week ago, then the opposition's protest would have no motive. If we have accusations relating to the traffic of drugs and ties of the political class with the underworld, then these are serious issues which require a solution. And the request for the resignation of a minister is not enough. The opposition in this case should demand the resignation of the entire cabinet and the holding of fresh elections. But the opposition has no courage to demand this, because opinion polls do not place it in a favorable position. Meanwhile, pressure is exerted to damage the opponent as much as possible, in order to achieve a joint government deal until the opposition is strengthened for the elections.
All of this is considered to be a dirty way of doing politics, because it bears no values for the citizens and it's there with the sole purpose of serving to a political group in its strategy to seize power. This is an indirect route and not a direct electoral confrontation, where political sides measure their strength among voters. Basha is scared of true battles, therefore it's more than normal to expect a low participation in the protests that he holds. At the end of the day, with these kinds of politicians, where the crisis is permanent and without a solution, problems remain the same and unchanged. Under these conditions, if Rama challenges the opposition with snap polls in response to the issues that it has raised, it would be interesting to see how the DP would react. Chances are that it will boycott the elections.