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US Congressman highlights Bitcoin and Crypto as revolutionary Technology
Scott Cook Follow on Twitter March 12, 2019Last Updated: September 17, 2020
Tom Emmer (R-Minnesota), a US Congressman, says he supports Bitcoin, blockchain and digital forms of money, and is working to enable the sector to expand. The US administrator co-chairs the Congressional Blockchain Caucus. Speaking at the current year's DC Blockchain Summit, Emmer speaks highly of Bitcoin as a revolutionary technology.
DC Blockchain Summit
On the first day of the current year's DC Blockchain Summit in Washington, D.C., there was a concern that a clumsy approach from the federal government could suppress blockchain development in the United States. This was diminished by the regulators, who told participants that they help in enabling the technology to thrive.
The financial stakes were featured during the meeting when it was noticed that there is $130 billion in value as of now being stored in open blockchain systems.
Emmer congratulated the Chamber of Digital Commerce for discharging its National Action Plan for Blockchain, which requires a pro-growth regulatory approach to deal with creating blockchain innovation in the U.S. The record explicitly refers to how the technology is now being applied in supply chain network systems for tracking the food safety.
Emmer said he is doing his part to speed the development of blockchain in the U.S. through his Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act, a bill he presented in January. The enactment guarantees that blockchain developers that never assume control for customer reserves do not have to enlist as a cash transmitter in the states in which they work.
Emmer gave a positive viewpoint for digital forms of money, the presence of which is empowered by blockchain innovation, despite the flow, and after that jump of bitcoin value in the course of the last two years. He said that bitcoins represented the first utilization of a system open to the public and letting two members a chance to associate with no intermediaries.
Current News on Crypto
From a significant endorsement from a US Congressman to the new report on Tron's Project Atlas, here's a look at some of the stories breaking in the areas of crypto:
Tom Emmer (R-Minnesota) says he supports Bitcoin, blockchain and digital forms of money, and is helping the segment to grow. The US lawmaker co-chairs the Congressional Blockchain Caucus. Emmer says Bitcoin is the primary use case of a public system that enables members to exchange and trade value and information without an intermediary.
Another report by crypto asset management firm, Electric Capital finds Ethereum has the greatest developer network in crypto. The firm says it cleared more than 20,000 code repositories and 16 million resolves to get information, finding 216 developers contribute code each month to Ethereum's repos. On average, Ninety-nine monthly developers add to Ethereum's core protocol. In correlation, 50 developers every month add to Bitcoin's repositories.
XRP and Ripple
Thomas Silkjær, Big data analyst and Forbes benefactor, has released an overview intended to set the record straight on Ripple and XRP. From the digital assets instability to its utility, compared with stablecoins, the report outlines 14 misinterpretations individuals frequently make about the San Francisco-based organization and the main digital asset.
The Litecoin Foundation is connecting with LTC fans. The Foundation is requesting for inputs on which organizations they would like to acknowledge the fourth biggest cryptographic money by market cap.
Four night clubs in Tokyo, including Mezzo, are currently accepting Bitcoin Cash (BCH).
The Stellar-based micropayments startup SatoshiPay is giving 5% of its equity value to a German finance related media company. According to a public statement, the strategic association will integrate SatoshiPay's payment arrangement into Börsenmedien AG's computerized media outlets, permitting online readers "to pay for premium content with only a single click."
Tron CEO Justin Sun says early tests with BitTorrent Token (BTT) are running efficiently. The token is being coordinated with the file-sharing platform BitTorrent in an effort called as Project Atlas. BTT will be utilized to reward clients who share content on the platform.
The team from Monero says it has effectively implemented a new protocol upgrade. The upgrade is intended to increase the coin's resistance from ASIC miners, avoid spam attacks, revise how block sizes are managed, etc.
Around the globe, Venezuela is one of the nations using cryptographic forms of money the most. Coffee giant Starbucks, last week had written a deal with crypto payment platform Bakkt, to make sure that crypto clients can pay for their espresso utilizing digital currencies. These digital currencies would then be changed over to Fiat money on the platform. Emmer's words come in the wake of developing utilities for cryptographic forms of money in the United States as well as around the globe.
Scott Cook
Scott Cook got into crypto world since 2010. He has worked as a news writer for three years in some of the foremost publications. He recently joined our team as a crypto news writer. He regularly contributes latest happenings of crypto industry. In addition to that, he is very good at technical analysis.
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State Library of South Australia
Title: State Library of South Australia
Subject: Migration Museum, Adelaide, Art Gallery of South Australia, Australia/Featured picture/2007, University of Adelaide, Australia/Featured picture/2008
Collection: Adelaide Culture, Buildings and Structures in Adelaide, Libraries in South Australia, Library Buildings Completed in 1884, State Libraries of Australia, Visitor Attractions in Adelaide
The modern Spence Wing entrance of the State Library of South Australia connects the Institute Building (1861, left) and the Mortlock Wing (1884, right)
The State Library of South Australia, located on North Terrace, Adelaide, is the official library of the Australian state of South Australia. It is the largest public research library in the state with a collection focus on South Australian information, and general reference material for information and research purposes.
It holds the "South Australiana" collection, which documents South Australia from pre-European settlement to the present day. Reference material comes in a wide range of formats from digital and electronic to film, sound recordings, photographic, video and microfiche. Library collections are not for loan and must be used on site. Customers can gain access to a large array of journals, newspapers and other resources from the comfort of their own home by registering for Home Access.
The State Library of South Australia:
provides information, research and referral services for the community,
actively collects, preserves and give access to the state's documentary heritage (both historical and contemporary),
enhances the cultural life of the state through public programs and other lifelong learning opportunities,
supports public libraries, and
co-operates with other agencies to enhance economic, educational and social benefits of the state.
Mortlock Wing 1
General reference collections 2.1
Heritage collections 2.2
Rare books 2.3
Children's Literature Research Collection 2.4
Mortlock Wing
Mortlock Wing.
Mortlock Wing interior,
view to South
The building now known as the Mortlock Wing was opened on 18 December 1884 as a Public Library, Museum and Art Gallery for the colony of South Australia with 23,000 books and a staff of three.
In 1860 the Library was housed in the Institute Buildings, North-terrace, and construction of the new building took over 18 years to complete after the initial foundations were laid in 1866. (In 1873 the foundations of the western wing of a proposed new block were laid, but there the matter ended until 1876, when fresh plans were drawn, and another set of foundations put in. Again the work went no further until 1879 when the west wing was finally commenced. The earlier work was condemned, and had to be removed before the Public Library could be started.)[1] The foundation stone was laid on 7 November 1879 by Sir William Jervois and the building was constructed by Brown and Thompson at a total cost of £43,897, and opened in 1884. Supervision for the Board of Directors was undertaken by secretary Robert Kay (1825–1904), later general director and secretary of the Public Library, Museum, and Art Gallery of South Australia.
The building is French Renaissance in style with a mansard roof. The walls are constructed of brick with Sydney freestone facings with decorations in the darker shade of Manoora stone.
The interior has two galleries, the first supported by masonry columns, and the second by cast iron brackets. The balconies feature wrought iron balustrading ornamented with gold while the glass-domed roof allows the chamber to be lit with natural light. Two of the original gas "sunburner" lamps survive in the office space located on the second floor at the southern end.
Restoration of the building occurred in 1985 as a Jubilee 150 project by Danvers Architects, consultant architect to the South Australian Department of Housing and Construction. The $1.5 million project was jointly funded by the government and the community.
In honour of a substantial bequest from John Andrew Tennant Mortlock,[2] the Libraries Board of South Australia resolved that a percentage of the South Australiana Collections would be housed in the wing and named the Mortlock Library of South Australiana in 1986.
After the State Library underwent a substantial redevelopment, commencing in 2001 and reaching completion in 2004, the main chamber of the Mortlock Wing became an exhibition space providing a glimpse into the history and culture of South Australia.
In August 2014 the Mortlock Wing featured in a list of the top 20 most beautiful libraries of the world, compiled by the U.S. magazine Travel + Leisure.[3][4]
General reference collections
The general reference and research material in the State Library was named the Bray Reference Library in 1987 after former SA Chief Justice, Dr John Jefferson Bray, who served on the Libraries Board of South Australia from 1944 to 1987.
The State Library has a national responsibility to collect, preserve and give access to historical and contemporary South Australian information. The South Australiana collections document South Australia from pre-white settlement to the present day, and the Northern Territory to 1911. The South Australiana collection is one of the most comprehensive in the world due to legal deposit requirements for published material, and through donations of unpublished material. A well known donation is the Bradman Collection of cricketing memorabilia.
Using items from its rare books collection, Keith Conlon gives a talk on the 200th anniversary of the death of Matthew Flinders, at the SLSA's Institute Building, 21 July 2014.
The State Library's rare books collection is the major collection of its kind in South Australia. It comprises Australian and international items which have been identified as having a special interest through subject matter or rarity.
Children's Literature Research Collection
The Children's Literature Research Collection was formed in 1959 and has over 65,000 books, periodicals, comics, board and table games, and toys. The collection has been enhanced by donations from South Australian individuals and families and from organisations. It is one of the State Library's heritage collections and is of international importance.
Art Gallery of South Australia
^ "An Important Institution". This reference contains interesting details of the "cultural precinct" of North Terrace and list of chairmen of the Board of Governors to 1898.
^ Valmai A. Hankel, 'Mortlock, John Andrew Tennant (1894 - 1950)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 15, Melbourne University Press, 2000, pp 426-427.
^ Travel + Leisure > Most Beautiful Libraries in the World Accessed 5 August 2014.
^ Adelaide's library in world's beautiful top 20 891 ABC Adelaide Accessed 5 August 2014.
Arts SA
State libraries of Australia
State libraries:
Adelaide landmarks
Buildings / structures
Adelaide Desalination Plant
Ayers House
Beehive Corner
Bonython Hall
Brighton Town Hall
Carrick Hill
Government House
Grenfell Centre
Myer Centre
National War Memorial
National Wine Centre of Australia
Old Government House
South African War Memorial
Torrens Building
The Heights Observatory
Regal Theatre
St Francis Xavier's Cathedral
St Peter's Cathedral
Westpac House
Adelaide Gaol
Contemporary Art Centre of South Australia
South Australian Aviation Museum
Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute
Adelaide International Raceway
Adelaide Super-Drome
City Sk8 Park
Football Park
Gillman Speedway
Greyhound Park
Hindmarsh Stadium
Kensington Oval
Kooyonga Golf Club
Memorial Drive Park
Morphettville Racecourse
Priceline Stadium
Royal Adelaide Golf Club
Sidewinders Speedway
South Australia Aquatic and Leisure Centre
Speedway City
State Hockey Centre
Titanium Security Arena
Adelaide Casino
Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Adelaide Festival Centre
Adelaide Showgrounds
The Beachouse
Aldinga Beach
Use Australian English from April 2015
All WorldHeritage articles written in Australian English
Commons category template with no category set
Buildings and structures in Adelaide
Adelaide culture
Visitor attractions in Adelaide
Libraries in South Australia
Library buildings completed in 1884
Kangaroo Island, Adelaide Hills, States and territories of Australia, Government of South Australia, Fleurieu Peninsula
French Renaissance
France, Renaissance, Louvre, Leonardo da Vinci, Paris
Australia, Adelaide, United Kingdom, South Australia, William Morris
South Australia, Sydney, Brisbane, Australian rules football, Melbourne
Migration Museum, Adelaide
Adelaide, Australia, South Australia, Museum, Government of South Australia
Australia/Featured picture/2007
Australia, Sydney, Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Western Australia
University of Melbourne, University of Sydney, University of New South Wales, Monash University, University of South Australia
Australia, Western Australia, States and territories of Australia, Victoria (Australia), Melbourne

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Discord bot with user specific counter I'm trying to make a Discord bot in Python that a user can request a unit every few minutes, and later ask the bot how many units they have. Would creating a google spreadsheet for the bot to write each user's number of units to be a good idea, or is there a better way to do this?

A: Using a database is the best option. If you're working with a small number of users and requests you could use something even simpler like a text file for ease of use, but I'd recommend a database.
Easy to use database options include sqlite (use the sqlite3 python library) and MongoDB (I use the mongoengine python library for my Slack bot).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


In 2014 and 2016 Ligonier Ministries and Lifeway Research conducted a study that surveyed participates nation wide of their theological beliefs. The participates ranged from Protestant, Catholic, Evangelical, 'mainline christian', and 'other' in the christian faith. Age, gender, ethnicity, region, education, marital status, income and church attendance data was also collected. The questions asked are huge and fundamental to the identity of the Christian Faith. The questions analyzed the participants understanding of who God is, who they are before God, how they view the Bible and sin. The results are stunning. So shocking in fact, Gospel4all.com feels it is critical to address these topics in a more clear fashion. We will look at those who attend church one or more times a month and how they understand the questions asked. We will also focus on the 18-34 year old age group. The results are eye opening on what the Church body in 2016 believes.
1. "God is a perfect being and cannot make a mistake"
Ages 18-34 who attend church one or more times a month: 4% disagree, 11% somewhat disagree, 2% are not sure. 17% of young adults who attend church do not believe God is perfect. That's almost 1 in 5 church attending Christians think God makes mistakes. This hits at the heart of God's Holiness.
4. "God is the author of Scripture"
Ages 18-34 who attend church one or more times a month: 7% disagree, 9% somewhat disagree, 4% are not sure. 20% of young adults who attend church do not trust that God is the author of Scripture. That's 1 in 5 church attending Christians who do not wholly trust the Bible as the absolute source for spiritual truth.
5. "There is one true God in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit."
Ages 18-34 who attend church one or more times a month: 6% disagree, 6% somewhat disagree, 4% are not sure. 16% of young adults who attend church do not believe in The Triune God; or understand God as in The Trinity. That's 1 in 6 church attending Christians who do not know or understand God in light of the Trinity. This ultimately goes to the heart of Jesus and his divine nature.
7. "Biblical accounts of the physical (bodily) resurrection of Jesus are completely accurate. This event actually occurred"
Ages 18-34 who attend church one or more times a month: 4% disagree, 7% somewhat disagree, 6% are not sure. 17% of young adults who attend church do not believe the bodily resurrection of Jesus actually occurred. That's almost 1 in 5 church attending Christians do not believe in the Gospel message! This ultimately goes to the heart salvation!
10. "Jesus is truly God and has a divine nature, and Jesus is truly man and has a human nature."
Ages 18-34 who attend church one or more times a month: 8% disagree, 7% somewhat disagree, 6% are not sure. 21% of young adults who attend church do not believe either Jesus is God or Jesus was also fully man. That's 1 in 5 church attending Christians do not believe or understand the identity of Jesus This goes to the heart of who Jesus is!
11. "The Holy Spirit is a force but is not a personal being."
Ages 18-34 who attend church one or more times a month: 15% disagree, 11% somewhat disagree, 12% are not sure. 38% of young adults who attend church do not believe The Holy Spirit is the unique third person of the Triune God or that he is a being at all. That's a little over 1 in 3 church attending Christians do not believe in or know the Holy Spirit! This goes to the heart of The Trinue God and the being, the Holy Spirit!
15. "Everyone sins a little, but most people are good by nature."
Ages 18-34 who attend church one or more times a month: 15% disagree, 17% somewhat disagree, 5% are not sure. 37% of young adults who attend church do not believe in or understand their sinful nature from birth. That's a little over 1 in 3 church attending Christians do not know themselves in the deepest level. This goes to the heart of why Jesus had to die on the cross and what his sacrifice meant and did for us.
18. "By the good deeds that I do, I partly contribute to earning my place in heaven."
Ages 18-34 who attend church one or more times a month: 22% disagree, 13% somewhat disagree, 6% are not sure. 59% of young adults who attend church believe their hard work earns them a place in heaven and contributes to their self-righteousness. That's a little over 1 in 2 church attending Christians think they can earn a spot in heaven through their works. This goes to the heart of legalism and God's Grace. When we remove the Catholic participants in the percentage we still see that 52% of non-Catholic church attending Christians still believe their deeds earn them a place in heaven.
46. "Jesus Christ's death on the cross is the only sacrifice that could remove the penalty of my sin."
Ages 18-34 who attend church one or more times a month: 7% disagree, 12% somewhat disagree, 0% are not sure. 19% of young adults who attend church do not believe or trust completely in Jesus' sacrifice for sin. That's at 1 in 5 church attending Christians do not believe the Gospel Message and absolute reason for Jesus being the Lamb of God. This goes to the heart of the saving message of The Gospel!
Knowing God: Averaged 23.6% of 18 to 34 year old Christians who attend church one or more times a month do not correctly understood who God is.
The Gospel: Averaged 23.25% of 18 to 34 year old Christians who attend church one or more times a month do not believe in The Gospel Message!
Legalistic and Self-Righteous: Averaged 38.6% of 18 to 34 year old Christians who attend church one or more times a month have legalistic self-righteous beliefs about themselves.
In the church, in 2016, we see the belittling of God, corruption of the gospel message, and growth of self-righteous attitudes; all within the church in this current time; validated by this study.
Even though this study and these statistics are scary, it also points us in areas that the church needs to focus on, study, discuss, and more accurately address and teach. Gospel4all.com sees these statistics as an opportunity to focus on the truths that are needed the most and address the 'weightier of matters' as Jesus put it.


GLAAD claims victory in the gay language wars; vows to mount charge up Bisexual Hill.
"No longer are we looking for mere acceptance. You not only have to tolerate us, but you must like us, love us, watch us do what we do, praise us, and generally fellate our egos until we've had enough and decide to roll over to go to sleep. If you don't? You're a bigot."
Reading this along with Robbie's piece about the gay media makes me wonder more than ever if our "community" will ever have its priorities right. I suppose if you want more nuanced coverage of figures like Samuel Alito, you'll have to get it from blogs.
GLAAD has hired a (*GASP*) Republican as its new President. Neil Giuliano, a "progressive Republican" and former (nonpartisan) mayor of Tempe, Ariz., takes over the helm from Joan Garry on Sept. 1.
The move is a good one, and a sign that GLAAD, unlike some organizations, knows how to play the Washington game.


Home / Beth Bence Reinke / Caption This winner / Chad Knaus / Jimmie Johnson / "Caption this" winner: Jim K.
"Caption this" winner: Jim K.
Maybe if I just sit here and don't move, nobody will notice me next to this clown!
Congratulations to Jim K. who contributed the winning caption for this photo of Jimmie Johnson. Please send your full name and mailing address to bbreinke@skirtsandscuffs.com to receive your prize, a copy of the devotional book Race Fans' Devotions to Go.


text:
Illustration by Roman Muradov
The American Literary Scene
(AFTER READING SEVERAL ESSAYS, IN ENGLISH MAGAZINES, ON THE PLIGHT OF THE AMERICAN WRITER AND THE NATURE OF THE AMERICAN MALE)
By James Thurber
I have but now returned to England, and to my tranquil pen, after spending six interesting, rather, but scarcely restful weeks in America. It had been my purpose in setting out, or perhaps I should say my thought, to look at, but not exactly to examine, in the journalistic sense of the word, what is going on in the field, or fields—they are quite separate—of book and magazine publishing over there. I bore, in my portfolio, letters, pressed upon me by various friends, to Mr. Horace-Lorimer, of the Saturday Review Post, a Mr. Bok, whom my distinguished compatriot, Lord Tweedley, had visited in Tamiami, long years since, and who turned out unhappily to be deceased; and to the strenuous Mr. William Rose, who in addition to writing for New Yorker, conducts a column of chat about the underworld in the New York Herald, known for some amusing American reason as "the Trib."
Mr. Rose was not in when I called at New Yorker, a weekly journal of capricious opinion published, with massive drollery, in an enormous hotel of the same name, and I was unable, alas, to present my letter to Mr. Horace-Lorimer, since I could not find him in Boston, and, indeed, no one seemed to have heard of him.
At this point, I am afflicted by the uneasy suspicion that my American readers, if perchance I have any, will condemn this small commentary for its confessed, its flaunted lack of that kind of wearisome research of which Americans, in their desperate and deplorable love of fact, are so intensely avid. I have not "checked," as they would say, a solitary statement herein contained. I proudly, even gaily, protest that at no time during my sojourn abroad did I descend to the vulgarity of "taking notes"—to use another Americanism. My prayer for forgiveness, if such I must seek, rises from the heart of a stout conviction that speculation, when cramped by certainties, is eased of its wonder and its warmth. So much, then, for apology.
New Yorker, the journal and hotel, rises, I should imagine, to a height of one thousand feet, and it contains somewhere between two and four thousand rooms, of which, I fancy, a third to a half is given over to the editorial offices. This amazing "plant" labours incessantly to turn out, on each Wednesday, a periodical that contains surely not more than twenty thousand words of letterpress.
One should not be led to assume that New Yorker is the most commodious plant in the city of New York. The American Broadcasting System, owned by Time-Holiday, Ltd., I believe someone said, is housed in Rockefeller's Plaza, a gigantic world of steel and granite, somewhat north of my hotel, that once accommodated the entire population of Kansas City. The ABS employs one hundred and fifty thousand persons, or perhaps a hundred thousand more than New Yorker. The Staff of that weekly is made up exclusively of wealthy residents of the city, curiously devoted to its prodigious commerce and shipping, its eccentric millionaires and their wives, and its several legends—the metropolis, of course, has no traditions.
It has several times been pointed out, I expect, that New Yorker letterpress sounds as if it were the work of one man. This comes delightfully close to being true. The letterpress is, in reality, written by three men: Mr. Alexander Wolcott, our own Mr. John Collier, and Mr. William Rose himself. Mr. Rose actually has two styles of writing, the exasperatingly lucid and understandable prose of New Yorker, in which one may never find comfort for even a moment in a weirdly managed construction or a charmingly uncorrected error of printing, and the sort of hard-hitting bully-boy mannerism he affects in his underworld gossip. On the side, it is interesting to note, Mr. Rose manufactures hundreds of kinds of tinned goods, which are marketed under the trade label of "White Rose."
I was appalled to learn, at a cocktail party (which degenerated, as not infrequently happens, into an alcoholic rout), that the Rose weekly, after employing America's most distinguished novelist, Truman Capote, had let him go, out of hand. My informant, a Mr. Busby or Bixby—it was infernally noisy at the party—told me that the magazine's controlling stock is held by a syndicate of Southern bankers, or bakers, who had conceived the fantastic notion that Mr. Truman's novel, "Other Rooms, Other Voices," was a deliberate assault on the virtue of Southern womanhood. He was given the sack, without ado or farewell, and New York publishers are now madly bidding against one another for the rights to his future work. This bidding is an odd and graceless procedure, in which the rival publishers outdo one another in wining and dining the prospective author. They are not above buying him expensive cars and other costly presents, and advance royalties in the amount of fifty thousand dollars are by no means unknown.
Publishers all occupy skyscraper penthouses, or "random houses," and although I was never actually in one of them, I can see them as clearly as if I had been. The publishers dictate ideas for novels to the writers, supplying them with titles and, in some instances, writing the books themselves. The American custom of seducing one's best friend's wife, and later killing oneself while on a "spree," out of fear that one is actually in love with one's best friend, is the basic theme most recently insisted upon by the publishers. It is good to be able to report that a small but sturdy group of male American writers (there has been no woman novelist since Miss Cather's death) stubbornly and courageously refuse to be enslaved or chivvied about. This little band consists of Ernest Hemingway, Elliott-Paul, the Dreiser brothers, Henry Miller, Faulkner, Upton Sinclair, Earl Stanley Gardner, and possibly a few others. The chances of this slender list being appreciably lengthened are far from good. A great many young American writers, having made sizable fortunes before the age of thirty, have retired, and pass their time drinking and attending the boxing matches.
Drinking, in the American literary set, has reached unbelievable heights, or depths, depending upon one's view. I think Spender, in his Horizon essay, went a bit far in intimating that many older authors have surrendered themselves completely to alcoholism. That word connotes, indeed it specifically defines, a form of almost incurable disease, whose most distinctive characteristic is the inability to stop, after one has started. I am sure that I got about as much as Spender, but it is obvious that he is able to sit up later than I am. Since all the American writers I met, of every age, were still carrying on at evening parties after I had left, it is impossible for me to estimate fairly how many of them eventually stopped and how many were unable to stop. I was informed that one American writer sat for seven days in an actors' club without going home, or ceasing his tippling, but this was told me by a gentleman well into his own fourth day and "unfolding" rapidly, and its credibility is perhaps negligible. It is safe to say that quantitative literary drinking in America is well beyond any and every mark that we English writers might fear, or hope, to achieve. American writers speak, quite openly and freely, of "drinking their luncheon" and of being "poured onto trains." The latest expressions for being intoxicated are "buzzed," "punch drunk," and "mugged."
The social intercourse of the American writer is realized, almost exclusively, in public houses or private homes and flats, between the hours of 5 P.M. and 4 A.M. the following day. When the writers meet in a public house, there is little conversation, the eleven hours of confined but distant intimacy being given over to a gambling game known as "matches." I think as much as forty thousand dollars may change hands in one night. The superficial observer might regard these nocturnal meetings as a sign of gregariousness, but they are, in reality, gloomily planned assemblages of separate lonelinesses. Friendship in America is indicated and proved by a steady flow of insult and contumely between friends, who smilingly accuse each other of insanity, depravity, spiritual damnation, duplicity, conspiracy, and the stealing of flowers from the graves of mothers.
Some American writers who have known each other for years have never met in the daytime or when both were sober. The coming together of writers in the home or flat of one of their number is invariably a signal for trouble to start. There is no discussion, to speak of, but controversy rages shortly after all are seated in the living, or "rumpus," room. A controversy usually rises out of a fiercely stated prejudice, hatred, or admiration by the host or one of his guests. A novelist or essayist is likely to get to his feet, on his twentieth or twenty-first highball, and announce that he is "the greatest goddam writer in the world" or that one of his friends is. This is instantly challenged by one or more candidates for the special distinction of greatest goddam writer in the world. The commonest terms of opprobrium during these bitter debates are: interior decorator, poet, chef, florist, and milliner, since Americans believe that a talent in any of these directions is prima-facie evidence of a lack of virility, or at the very least a dearth of the true go-getter spirit.
The foreign writer who is fortunate enough to be present at one of those rare evening parties at which there is discussion instead of argument is likely to be at a loss, nonetheless, since the conversation holds tenaciously to such highly specialized subjects as the Buick, the Pontiac, the Cadillac, the Saint Louis Cardinals, the Cincinnati Communists, money, clothes, success, ladies of questionable discretion, and heels (both goddam and round).
I had wished to make some small exploration of Hollywood, home of the millionaire cinema writers, whose life span is so shockingly brief. (I understand that they are taken directly from the studio to the cemetery, such is the pace even of death in California.) I must confess, however, that my farthest west in America was an hotel in the Eighth Avenue, a region of New York City charmingly named the Devil's Kitchen. The trip to this hotel marked the end of my American adventure. Others will follow me to those violent shores, just as, in the past, others have preceded me, from Mrs. Trollope to Geoffrey Gorer and Evelyn Waugh. The American writer will always be a richly rewarding subject for study.
He does not, to be sure, like to be studied, but he loves to be listened to, and thus the path of the foreign observer is made comparatively easy. It is well to remember that he resents all and every criticism of himself, his colleagues, or anything else, and he is likely to regard whatever you may say as "goddam patronizing." The American writer is constitutionally unable to "take it," but there is always the danger that he may turn on one, and "dish it up." In such event, it is advisable to apologize and to "powder out" before objects are thrown. Of course, if one has nothing to apologize for, one does not want meekly to "put up and shut up."
It is rather difficult, I see, to formulate a code of behaviour for the Englishman in America that is at once judicious and honourable. I shall continue to think about it. ♦
More:American WritersCriticsEnglandNew YorkerWriters
Sex and the Single Boy
By S. J. Perelman
Why We Laugh—or Do We?
(LET'S GET THIS THING SETTLED, MR. EASTMAN)
By Robert Benchley
Has Academia Ruined Literary Criticism?
Literature departments seem to provide a haven for studying books, but they may have painted themselves into a corner.
By Merve Emre
Fifty Years of "Learning from Las Vegas"
The cool appraisal of Denise Scott Brown and Robert Venturi's revolutionary book has a lot to inspire the architects of today.
By Christopher Hawthorne


The Bar Weiz cabinet is perfect for all settings and is an essential accessory for both evenings outside and in the bar.
It is completely closeable and can also be used as a partition between rooms.
In this photo it is combined with a foldable Weiz stool.


text:
DIRECTOR OF OUTREACH & EVENTS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
Post author By Oscar
Categories In Jobs
Reporting to: Board of Directors
Line Manages: Pending restructure
Place of Work: Home & varying locations across Surrey for in person activities
covers: Surrey
Salary: Initially, voluntary We will work together to create funding bids with aim of funding FTE roles and freelanced interactions.
Conditions: An initial 6 month probationary period will be set upon appointment. Continued appointment to the role will be subject to achieving KPI's.
General Summary
After four years of fantastic achievements & growth, we've realised it's time to get ready for the future. Toward the end of 2022, our company created a vision for how Blossom LGBT CIC will look within the next 5 years, this starts with a fresh executive director team & rebrand.
Each of our directors focuses on a particular area of the organisation.
You'll take over the management of the groups, events, and activities relevant to your role. This will require you to be onsite at venues across Surrey (Currently Woking & Guildford) or find appropriate cover when you're unavailable.
We're looking for talented individuals to join us "at the top of the tree" to shape and conduct key areas of our organisation. We'll work collaboratively to introduce our new structures, improve our internal processes, and start creating paid opportunities for those involved in our organisation. Whilst you'll work collaboratively with our managing director to take care of the overarching organisational direction, you'll have control over your designated area with the ambition to insert a fresh point of view, create opportunity, and reach a wider audience.
It's important to identify you'll be listed as an official director on companies house so it's imperative that you understand the implications of this and are prepared for the responsibility.
Role Specific Summary
In 2022 our Director team planned and executed 10 events including a queer art exhibition, a queer safe space at a music festival, and even take over day in a local school. We have loved doing these but as the scope of our managing director role creeps up, we've recognised the need for building a team who are dedicated to the creation and hosting of these events.
You'll be responsible for establishing this department and finding its directon within the company.
You can read more about the director role including person specification by clicking here.
You should email your cover letter & CV to Oscar@Blossom.LGBT.


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I'm hearing a lot of chatter about Cincinnati for a show in October. And a big announcement to be made today involving the fall tour. Is Red Rocks on the calender? Not for me of course, I'm hoping for Bridge School, Oct 25th and 26th. Good Cause,and Great Venue,with Killer Performers. And Close!
Autism Is greater than Cancer.


The other day I came across an article from iVillage titled "The Real Sizes of Famous Women." Adele, the Grammy Award winning singer, was the first beautiful woman shown in the gallery. I really like Adele's soulful sound and often wondered how a young woman could translate her hurt and life's lessons into such beautiful music. Because of the themes in her songs I looked upon her as a strong woman.
After reading "the Real Sizes…" I had another ten reasons to love Adele and she grew ten times stronger. A very succinct quote accompanied her curvaceous photo. Now that's what I'm talking about, rang through my head. Her words were so on the mark that I tweeted it.
Throughout the day the quote was retweeted. Women and men identified with her perspective. It made me feel good to know that others believed that too. People are so much more than their clothes, body structure, and looks.
But Karl Lagerfield didn't think that. A few months back he began to say that Adele was the "thing" of the moment and ended up saying she was fat but she had a divine voice.
After Lagerfield's "a little too fat" quote hit the air, I think he went into hiding, thought twice about it and looked for the nearest spin doctor to concoct an apology. Too late. Flurries of interviews, tweets, and magazine articles repeated the quote. Even 'my' Anderson Cooper interviewed Adele for a "60 Minutes Overtime" segment. The infamous quote was repeated in that and several other interviews.
His quote reminded me of a phrase I heard more than twice in my teens…'but you have such a pretty face.' I never did have a comeback to these comments, except to roll my eyes at my mother. When she started on my own daughter I added a little more than the rolling of eyes, but nothing like Adele's words.
Adele was cool, self assured. During those interviews she gave us insightful words of wisdom which evidenced her self-confidence. Her healthy perspective gave us more bits of wisdom filled with positive self-image and strength.
She offered this to young girls and women, who are bombarded with images of skinny-mini models: The first thing to do is be happy with yourself and appreciate your body– only then should you try to change things about yourself.
7. "I've never had a problem with the way I look. I'd rather have lunch with my friends than go to a gym.
8. I don't want to go on a diet, I don't want to eat a Caesar salad with no dressing, why would I do that? I ain't got time for this, just be happy and don't be stupid.
I'm very partial to #8-10. I wish I had this list on the tip of my tongue when I heard my own "fat" phrase roll off my mother's 'just trying to be helpful' tongue. Although I haven't heard these comments in the last few years, I think I'll have them ready if I ever hear similar phrases.


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Top World cup moments
This is why football is more than just a game!
Football is not a normal sports competition in which the contestants seek to win prizes and titles. But it's a destination where we live many feelings and humanitarian meanings.
Here are some of the "human" footage documented by the cameras of the World Cup Russia 2018 away from great goals, missed opportunities and the enthusiasm of the fans.
1-Oscar Tabarez…The Will is stronger than Disability
Before the 2018 World Cup, Tabarez suffered a rare neurological illness that slowly paralyzed his body. But this did not lead him to retire from training. He was determined to continue the challenge and try to carry out his project with his country or walk among the players in the green arena, driving an electric bicycle.
Football has been described by many as "the sport of the mighty." A person's injury may cause him to be sidelined, but Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez has decided to give us all a role model in the challenge of disability.
In Croatia … The children happiness
After the Croatians qualified, a group of Croatian children, dressed in their national uniform, rushed to the stadium and started jogging around the pitch.
With a great difficulty, the Croatian team managed to win a legendary victory over England in the semifinals, with a winning goal during the second half extra, after the original time drew the two teams to each goal; for the first time in its history to the World Cup final with his French counterpart.
kolinda grabar kitarović… When defeat smile
One of the most eye-catching scenes during the World Cup was the president of the Republic of Croatia, Kolinda Grapar Kitarović, who was keen to attend most of her country's matches. She appeared wearing the national team's shirt. She did not prevent herself from dancing or showing
joy with Every step taken by the Croatian team towards the title.
Peter Schmeichel… Proud father
Peter Schmeichel was present during his country's game with Croatia in the 16th round. His son Casper, keeper of Leicester City, took charge of the Danish den. The moment Kasper managed to repel a penalty kick by Croatian captain Luka Modric, The father screams with
enthusiasm and joy at his son.
Team of Japan… Another planet
The fans of the Japanese team, who were shown more than once after the matches, cleaned up their places in the stands before leaving. This impressed many of the social networking leaders, who viewed the images as proof of their sophistication and urbanization. Citizens of the "Planet of Japan".
Isco and Piquet… Lifesavers
Spain's players Gerrard Pique and Francesco Isco were able to win the admiration of the masses and animal rights organizations after they rescued a small bird, just moments before the start of their country's national team game against Iran in the first round.
World Cup Russia 2018: A wonderful organization… High insurance… And the atmosphere is incomplete yet!


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Malaysia's Health Spending Estimated To Hit 5% GDP In 2021
By CodeBlue | Posted on 21 September 2021 21 September 2021
The country's health expenditure, comprising both public and private spending, has been steadily increasing from 4.2 per cent of GDP in 2016 to 4.7 per cent of GDP in 2020, says the finance minister.
Ampang Hospital allocates extra beds in its emergency department. Picture from the Selangor state health department's Facebook page on July 24, 2021.
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 21 — Malaysia's health spending is expected to reach 5 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) or RM72.7 billion in 2021, according to Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz.
The amount — comprising both public and private spending — represents an increase in the country's health expenditure, which has been steadily increasing from 4.2 per cent of GDP in 2016 to 4.7 per cent of GDP or RM63.8 billion in 2020, Tengku Zafrul said.
"This shows that the government is continuously giving emphasis and priority to health services. Additionally, the private sector also plays an important role in providing health services in the country," Tengku Zafrul said in a written parliamentary reply yesterday.
He was responding to Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran's question on the government's plan and policy to raise health allocations to levels recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) at seven per cent of GDP for overall health expenditure.
The Malaysian Health Coalition (MHC) previously expressed disappointment about the 4.3 per cent increase in the overall allocation for the Health Ministry (MOH) in Budget 2021 from the previous year, saying it is not enough in the midst of a pandemic and did not come close to the proposed target of 4 per cent of the GDP.
Note that the health spending figure of 5 per cent mentioned by Tengku Zafrul covers both public and private spending, which is roughly equal at over two per cent. Advocates want public allocations alone to reach 4 per cent of the GDP.
"We reiterate our call to raise the health allocation to close to 4 per cent of the national GDP. We urge Members of Parliament from all parties to rally behind this call. There must be a higher allocation to manage non-Covid-19 care such as non-communicable diseases (NCD), mental health and preventive care, as well as public health systems.
"We are especially disappointed that there was no mention of more permanent posts for frontline health professionals who are currently on contract. This Budget must address these issues," the MHC said.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin told Parliament last week that the Ministry of Finance must give its commitment to train young doctors to become specialists as Malaysia's disease burden is expected to rise in line with the country's ageing population and higher incidence of NCDs.
The federal government is expected to table Budget 2022 later next month, with Tengku Zafrul pledging to strike a balance between the people's health, wellbeing, as well as socio-economic interests with the coronavirus becoming endemic.
He said health services need to be seen more broadly by taking into account the government's duty to provide health access to public facilities and the private sector's responsibility in jointly mobilising efforts in improving the quality of access and health facilities.
"In this regard, the government is conducting a review on the effectiveness of the national health system to ensure that it can address current and future challenges to safeguard the wellbeing of the people. The government will continue to focus and prioritise on improving health services in Budget 2022, especially in efforts to address the Covid-19 epidemic," Tengku Zafrul said.
Tags: health care cost,health care financing
Where Are Covid-19 BIDs Dying In Malaysia?
World Patient Safety Day – Safe Maternal And Newborn Care
Malaysian Baby With Polio Was Vaccinated
Malaysia May 19, 2021
Malaysia Notches Record High 6,075 New Covid-19 Cases
Stay Home, Test Results May Take Over Four Days, MOH Tells Sabah Returnees
Court Upholds Smoking Ban At Eateries
Malaysia Out-Of-Pocket Health Spending More Than Triples In 15 Years
Malaysia Mar 23, 2020
MOH Gets RM600Mil For Equipment, Contract Staff


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P&Z hearing on conservation ideas June 22
By Michael P. Walsh
Special to the Voice
The Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing June 22 for residents and other stakeholders to comment on the proposed update of the city's master Plan of Conservation and Development, Mayor Edward M. O'Brien and commission Chairwoman Kathleen Hendricks announced.
The meeting is slated for 7 p.m. in the Carrigan Intermediate School auditorium, 2 Tetlow St.
O'Brien said the Plan of Conservation and Development, or POCD, will steer the development of West Haven and the protection of its open space and conservation areas for the next decade.
State law requires municipalities to update conservation and development plans, which set out goals for the future, every 10 years.
West Haven's current POCD was adopted in 2004.
People can review the proposed plan, which requires P&Z approval, on the city's website athttp://www.cityofwesthaven.com/DocumentCenter/View/785.
Paper copies of the plan are also available for review in the city clerk's and planning and development offices at City Hall, 355 Main St., as well as at the Main Library, 300 Elm St.
The POCD update was developed under the guidance of the Plan of Conservation and Development Steering Committee, an 11-member panel appointed by O'Brien a year ago, said Hendricks, who serves on the committee with "residents of different neighborhoods, local businesspeople, government leaders and local university representatives."
The other committee members are University of New Haven representative Louis Annino, West Haven Black Coalition President Carroll E. Brown, attorney Aaron Charney, Yale University representative Justin Freiberg, Hamden Hall teacher Karl Gasteyer, mayoral Executive Assistant John W. Lewis, Board of Education Chairman James W. Morrissey, West Haven Chamber of Commerce Director Alan R. Olenick, engineer Christopher Phillip Onofrio and Councilman Sean P. Ronan, D-9.
During the yearlong development of the POCD, the city encouraged the public to participate in the process through in-person events and workshops and via the plan's website at www.planwesthaven.com.
"To be effective, the POCD needed to reflect the highest-priority issues and concerns of the public," O'Brien said. "I am pleased with the hard work of the Steering Committee over the past year, and I am grateful to the residents and other stakeholders who participated in the planning process."
Hendricks said: "I would like to thank everyone who came out and participated in the workshops and public meetings. I feel the proposed plan is responsive to the opportunities and challenges residents raised during those sessions."
Hendricks added that "Residents want to see some development along parts of the waterfront, but only if our beaches and natural areas are protected."
"We also heard that people want to see the continued development of Allingtown, the revitalization of downtown, new development around the train station, and improved transit routing and connections," she said.
Through a competitive request for proposal process, the city hired a consulting team led by The RBA Group of Norwalk, now known as NV5, to help prepare the plan.
Neil Desai, NV5's senior city planner who directed the West Haven POCD planning process, said: "The POCD presents a strategic approach to stimulating economic development in West Haven. Residents recognize the potential that the city has, and this plan aims to put together all the right pieces to guide the city toward reaching its full potential."
City Planning and Development Commissioner Joseph A. Riccio, Jr. and Assistant City Planner David W. Killeen served as resources for the Steering Committee and the plan update process.
For information, visit www.planwesthaven.com or call the planning and development office at (203) 937-3580.


Does what it says on the tin: here are some interesting stories from 1993.
Do you know the fate of the 100 tiny woolly coats made for Scottish birds?
Who were these Japanese children cheering in 1993?
Why was this four-hour drive made in 1993 in Nigeria?
How well do you know the 1991 Census?


text:
Alexander Kniazev
"Kniazev is an artist who has an incredibly sense of musicality, elemental thinking and a phenomenally perfect technique." (BBC Music Magazine)
"Russian cellist Alexander Kniaziev is, of course, one of few to attain the loftiest praise and who is one of the most outstanding classical musicians of our time." (The Western Mail)
Legendary cellist Alexander Kniazev received international acclaim as a cellist when he won various international music competitions including the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, the UNISA competition in South Africa and the Cassado Competition in Florence.
As a soloist Alexander Kniazev has performed with the world's great ensembles, among them the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra (London), the orchestras of Bayerische Rundfunk and Radio Bucharest, the Czech Philharmonic Orchestras, the Orchestre National de France, the Orchestre de Paris, the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra and the NHK Symphony Orchestra, the Symphony Orchestras of Vienna, Gothenburg, Luxemburg and Ireland, the Residence Orchestra of The Hague, the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, the Svetlanov State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia, the Tchaikovsky symphony Orchestra, the Symphony Orchestras of the Moscow and St Petersburg Philharmonic Societies, the Russian National Orchestra and the chamber ensembles Moscow Virtuosi and Moscow Soloists.
The musician has appeared with many renowned performers including the conductors Kurt Masur, Yevgeny Svetlanov, Mstislav Rostropovich, Yuri Temirkanov, Neeme Järvi, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Mikhail Pletnev, Yuri Bashmet, Vladimir Spivakov and Alexander Vedernikov and the instrumentalists Jean Guillou, Viktor Tretyakov, Vadim Repin, Sergei Krylov, Denis Matsuev, Augustin Dumay, Boris Berezovsky, Valery Afanasiev, Mikhail Voskresensky, Nikolai Lugansky, Yevgeny Kissin, Elisabeth Leonskaja, Edouard Oganessian, Plamena Mangova, Katia Skanavi and Alyona Bayeva. He has frequently appeared in a trio with Boris Berezovsky and Dmitry Makhtin and, more recently, with Nikolai Lugansky and Vadim Repin.
Alexander Kniazev's concerts have received great critical acclaim throughout the world at such prestigious venues as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Salle Pleyel and the Théâtre des Champs Élysées in Paris, the Palais des Beaux Arts in Brussels, Wigmore Hall and the Royal Festival Hall in London, the Mozarteum in Salzburg, the Musikverein and Konzerthaus in Vienna, the Rudolfinium in Prague, the Auditorio Verdi in Milan and Suntory Hall in Tokyo. The musician has also appeared at prestigious venues in Australia, Brazil, Germany, Denmark, Ireland, Spain, South Korea, Portugal, the USA, Finland, Sweden and South Africa among other countries.
Alexander Kniazev also performed as a trio with Boris Berezovsky and Dmitri Makhtin on the prestigious scenes of the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, of the Brussels Palace of Fine Arts, at the London Wigmore Hall, at the Salzburg Festival and many others.
The Trio also recorded a DVD dedicated to Tchaïkovsky with the pieces for piano, violin and cello, and the Trio Elégiaque « A la mémoire d'un grand artiste ». This DVD was awarded the « Diapason d'or ».
His Ernest Bloch CD, « Schelomo », which was recorded with the Russian State Symphonic Orchestra /Maestro Svetlanov, was highly acclaimed by the International musical press. Furthermore, his « Max Reger » CD was chosen amongst the best by the French music magazine « Répertoire ».
Recordings with Warner Classics International include a CD of the Bach cello suites, the Shostakovitch Trio n°2 and the Rachmaninov Trio Elégiaque with Boris Berezovsky and Dmitri Makhtin, which was awarded the « Gramophone prize », the « Diapason d'Or » and the « Echo Award». On the same label, Alexander Kniazev also recorded a Tchaïkovsky album with the Chamber Orchestra of Moscow/Constantin Orbelian including the Variations Rococo, Andante Cantabile and Romances, and the two Mendelssohn trios with Dmitri Makhtin and Boris Berezovsky which were awarded the « Echo Award».
Lontano /Warner Classics International released in 2009 the Dvorak cello concerto with the Tchaïkovsky Symphony Orchestra of Moscow, and Vladimir Fedoseyev and went on an European tour with the same programme.
Alexander Kniazev is an Honoured Artist of Russia and a soloist with the Moscow Philharmonic.
Alexander Kniazev enjoys a successful career in two professions – as a cellist and as an organist. He graduated from the Moscow State Conservatoire in cello (class of Alexander Fyodorchenko) and the Nizhny-Novgorod State Conservatoire in organ (class of Galina Kozlova).
New Musical Generation represents Alexander Kniazev for Scandinavia.
Title: Alexander Kniazev
About: Full Discography of works by Alexander Kniazev
Label: Various
VIEW FULL DISCOGRAPHY HERE 1
© All Rights Reserved NMG 2016.


Sweden must be a schizophrenic country. Something strange is happening, after all, if a statist like Jeffrey Sachs and a rabid libertarian like yours truly both cited it as a role model in our remarks last month at the United Nations.
So who's right? Well, it depends what you care about.
Jeffrey and other folks on the left are correct in that Sweden has a big government financed by high tax rates. According to OECD data, only France and Denmark have a bigger burden of government spending. And the OECD also shows that Sweden's top income tax rate of 56.6 percent is the most onerous in the industrialized world.
But if you look at non-fiscal policy variables, Sweden ranks as one of the world's most free-market nations. Like Denmark, it compensates for a big public sector with laissez-faire policy in other areas, including nationwide school choice and a partially privatized Social Security system.
And if you look at the direction of reform, Sweden is moving in the direction of smaller government, rejecting Keynesianism, lowering tax rates, and reducing the burden of the public sector.
In a column for Bloomberg, Anders Aslund elaborates on Sweden's efforts to reduce the size of the state.
Not so long ago, Sweden could claim world leadership in unmitigated Keynesian economics, with a 90 percent marginal tax rate and a welfare state second to none. …but in the last two decades the country has been reformed. Public spending has fallen by no less than one-fifth of gross domestic product, taxes have dropped and markets have opened up. …no turnabout has been as dramatic as Sweden's. From 1970 until 1989, taxes rose exorbitantly, killing private initiative, while entitlements became excessive. Laws were often altered and became unpredictable. As a consequence, Sweden endured two decades of low growth. In 1991-93, the country suffered a severe crash in real estate and banking that reduced GDP by 6 percent. Public spending had surged to 71.7 percent of GDP in 1993, and the budget deficit reached 11 percent of GDP. …Sweden's traditional scourge is taxes, which used to be the highest in the world. The current government has cut them every year and abolished wealth taxes. Inheritance and gift taxes are also gone. Until 1990, the maximum marginal income tax rate was 90 percent. Today, it is 56.5 percent. That is still one of the world's highest, after Belgium's 59.4 and there is strong public support for a cut to 50 percent. The 26 percent tax on corporate profits may seem reasonable from an American perspective, but Swedish business leaders want to reduce it to 20 percent.
Interestingly, the Swedish people and the Swedish elite (just like the Estonians, as I discussed in my takedown of Paul Krugman) seem to understand that there's no going back to the statist era of the 1970s and 1980s.
Where are the left-wing intellectuals to challenge this new order? They have disappeared. The old socialist research organizations have closed down. The Center for Labor Market Studies was a state institution that generated propaganda, not research, and the government closed it. The Trade Union Confederation had a sophisticated research institute, which it eliminated for not being sufficiently political. The union economists, who dominated Swedish economic debate in the 1970s and '80s, have been replaced by bank economists. The free-market right has influential research centers in Stockholm. After many years of absence from the debate, I attended a conference on the Swedish economy in the southern city of Malmo last month. …the 180 speakers represented the full range of Swedish views. I was amazed to hear how far the consensus had moved to the free- market right, even among Social Democrats and trade-union leaders. …The Social Democrats haven't only joined the free-market consensus, but seem to attack the current government from the right, pushing for a better business environment. Gone are demands for the restoration of social benefits. Opinion polls have rewarded the Social Democrats for their right turn with sharply improved ratings.
In other words, Sweden is a lot like Canada – a nation that took a misguided turn to the left but since then has moved significantly in the right direction.
I'm not willing to trade places with either nation, but that may change at some point. The Bush-Obama policies of bigger government and more intervention have made America less attractive, while other nations have learned from their mistakes.
If Sweden adopts a flat tax and figures out how to cancel winter, I may have to move there.
P.S. Sweden's government-run healthcare system can be quite emasculating.
Our welfare state is doing anything but shrinking. Maybe Sweden will end up like we were and we will replace them as the biggest socialist state?
The figures for tax as a percent of GDP can be deceptive, because continental European countries tax their deceptively generous welfare benefits, while the UK and USA don't tax benefits (except for sales tax).
Also, of course, Sweden taxes public sector pay at a higher rate than pretty much any other country.
I wish Sweden well, especially since there seem to be seeds of good liberating thought in the country.
However, Sweden's — and the rest of the Western World's — existential problem boils down to one thing: What growth trendline is the Sweetish prosperity riding on in the long term?
Depending on how one looks at it, Sweetish prosperity seems to be riding a 1.5% annual growth trendline. In other words, Sweden is toast, and Sweetish people are losing about 3.5% of their privileged status per year, riding the road to relative decline and world averagedom in a world that grows by 5% every year. That is the central theme of all western world countries in this fast moving and ever accelerating early 21st century.
It's a race for who will wake up first. But few will, especially when trapped into large homogenizing unions like the European Union or the Union of American states. At a time when three billion people have finally learned the lesson of individual freedom and decentralization, the less than one billion western world voter lemmings seem to be hoping that coercive enslavement of the individual to a centrally planned common good determined by government bureaucrats and publicly funded intellectual elites is the way to preserve superior prosperity. Convergence will come soon. Lemmings think it's their children's problem. Yes, perhaps, if you are 60-70 years old or above.
but it is still a social-democratic welfare state, with the world's second highest taxation (right behind Denmark) filled with rules and regulations. Certainly the overall tax pressure has been reduced by the Reinfeldt conservative administration, but it is certainly not a tax hawk government. Borg's main focus has been on moving money around in the budget (sometimes in a beneficial direction, as the tax cuts to companies for employing young under the age of 25) and keeping the budget balanced. The government may have its house in order, but ordinary Swedish citizens don't, with a high degree of personal debt.
The economy of Sweden in the first quarter of 2012 shrunk most in the whole of Europe, which is not that surprising as the economy is dependent on foreign trade that produces 60% of the GDP. This is not entirely the fault of the government's policies, but it shows that the country's economy has a strong dependency on factors the Swedish government cannot influence – for better or for worse.
The center-right government's policies have generally been in a good direction, but I am tempted to note that it is rather easy to become the poster boy of fiscal conservatism and liberalization today. You become a tax punk rocker by not being a tax hiker.


This property is Energy Star certified. Featuring direct access to public transportation, tenants will find a sprawling campus-like layout. Tenants will also enjoy both covered and surface parking.
The property is close to medical services, residential areas as well as parks and an aquatic center.


This is the second of my Polish pieces. I'm sorry that it follows on from the first after quite a gap – I've been hi-jacked by a nasty cold this week. I'll try to be a bit more punctual from now on.
Cold notwithstanding, I should have preferred to get this post out earlier, because its main purpose is to share with you some photographs of our visit to the famous Wieliczka salt mine some seventeen kilometres outside Kraków. The chambers and carvings in the mine are spectacular – as you can see. Discovering them was an opportunity that we almost passed up, because we're pretty averse to joining any kind of organised tour, and the salt mine is obviously not a place where tourists can be allowed to wander around on their own; indeed, so many tunnels are there, it would be very easy to get lost. We were persuaded to make the visit only the evening before, by some Danish people dining in the same restaurant. I suppose that making holiday plans on the advice of complete strangers about whom you know nothing and whom you're never likely to see again is as good a way as any! In any case, I'm published by Salt and it therefore seems an appropriate kind of tribute to Chris and Jen Hamilton-Emery.
Determined not to be an entire pushover to the tourist industry, we travelled to the mine on an ordinary service bus instead of one of the special tour buses. For me, one of the highlights of the day was encountering people from the suburbs as they travelled on this bus, though I was much less enthusiastic about the return journey in the afternoon, when the driver was clearly behind schedule and rattled along at such a speed that I had to face the back of my seat and hang onto it in order not to be thrown into the aisle. I was grateful that I hadn't had lunch! I was also fascinated to note that, beyond the suburbs, Kraków has quite an industrial hinterland.
Tours at the mine are extremely regimented and quite expensive – entry costs about as much as a visit to the Tower of London, which is extortionate by Polish standards. The experience was also shot through with a slightly bizarre streak: for example, our tour was called a 'non-tour tour' (we worked out that this meant that we were not part of a pre-booked group). Endearing rather than annoying was how the enterprise running the mine tried to make money out of absolutely everything, from coffees and ice-creams to printed guides, knick-knacks made of rock salt and 'genuine miners' soup', but in a slightly amateurish way. It is noticeable in Poland that everyone is desperate to make money, but in a friendly, almost apologetic, manner. The same thought struck me when I was watching the drivers of the horse-drawn carriages in the main square in Kraków trying to cajole tourists into taking rides.
The non-tour tour guide was a young woman immaculately dressed in uniform. She was extremely professional and her English near perfect. She was obviously highly educated and very knowledgeable about the history of the mine, which has existed since mediaeval times. Rock salt was quarried there for seven hundred years, until 2002, after which the mine was devoted entirely to tourism. Engagingly, the guide explained that this was because more money could be made out of tourists than digging for salt. There is another commercial salt mine elsewhere in Poland, with much lower extraction costs, and that provides the supply.
I was almost as interested in my fellow tourists as the mine itself. We were a jovial bunch from many countries; the only thing we had in common was that we had chosen an English-speaking guide, rather than one who spoke the other languages on offer: Polish, German, Dutch, French or Italian. Our group therefore included people from India, Japan, China and the USA, as well as several other Brits. I particularly admired the Indian couple, who gamely negotiated with two quite small children the up-and-down kilometres that we had to walk within the mine.
The initial descent, down many short flights of wooden stairs within a vertical shaft, was neither frightening nor particularly taxing, if dizzily repetitive. Walking back up all of those stairs would have been a challenge, and might have caused a few heart attacks. Nevertheless, I didn't enjoy the return to the surface, which had to be made in a small miners' cage, crammed in with seven others. I was delighted to reach the exit and emerge into the warm autumn sunshine again.
I've already written more than I intended, so I'll leave the pictures to speak for themselves now, just adding that all the sculptures and carvings – and indeed all the floors – in the mine have been fashioned from rock salt and that (although it is probably self-evident) Polish salt miners were very devout, some of the chambers having been turned into chapels, the most impressive being the Chapel of St. Kinga, which, with its altarpieces, wall-friezes and statuary, as well as carved floor, all in rock salt, is like a cathedral. The caverns are astonishing in scale (the Staszic Chamber has a ceiling thirty-six metres high), in some cases with self-supporting ceiling, in others prevented from collapse by elaborate wooden prop systems or by much more modern metal rods, inserted into drilled holes and therefore much less obtrusive to the eye.
Hi Christina, hope you feel better soon. I have seen this Salt Mine of T.V., it looked fabulous, your photo's have confirmed it. A wonderful post – you'll have to take up travel writing!
Marjorie, you are just the kind of stalwart supporter I need this week! Lovely of you to comment like this; you're making me feel much better! The salt mine is astonishing; apparently just three men were responsible for the Kinga Chapel sculptures. I'm not surprised that it was televised.
I understand the cash-harvesting business. I'm always embarrassed when I go to Ireland over the huckster-like attempts at profiteering.
I think the same dog-and-donkey tin-whistle show (literally, dog and a pony) has been at the Cliffs of Moher for 50 years. Maybe they got a new donkey.
Really, the culture isn't about extorting money from tourists based on sentiment. Really it isn't. Okay. So it is. You got me.
Hope you get some rest and kick the cold.
Christina, I haven't been to the Salt mines either, and neither has Koos, but they look wonderful! Very appropriate for you too! Poland still has so much poverty, it's not surprising people try and make a few extra coins out of the tourists. I've seen women selling single flowers and solitary pieces of fruit on the streets of Katowice. I have enjoyed your Polish posts very much.
There are other salt mines around Europe, apparently; my son visited one in Romania in 2006, where, he says, the health and safety standards I experienced in Poland were not in evidence; he enjoyed the experience, however.
We thanked the horse-drawn carriage and electric city-tour truck drivers for their efforts to win us over and engaged them in conversation; they were very pleasant and keen to talk, quite different from the hard-nosed, hard-bitten tourist-trappers we've met elsewhere in European hotspots.
I'm really pleased that you have enjoyed the posts. Thank you, Valerie!
Years ago – in my teens – I went down a salt mine in Austria. We rode up the mountain in the back of a post van – so thrown about all over the place like a parcel. Then we had to get into onesies (no hard hats though, this was a long time ago) and were led into the mine.


text:
World Cup excitement can do without format problems and pointless Twitter spats
by Neil Drysdale
Two World Cups are producing thrills, but also controversy.
There are two World Cups in progress at the moment – in cricket and women's football – and both events, in different ways, have demonstrated how sport can impress and depress and occasionally during the same match.
During the weekend, for instance, there was some spellbinding action between England and India at Edgbaston, with the hosts, sparked by Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy and Ben Stokes, inflicting a first tournament loss on Virat Kohli's side.
Yet we also witnessed instances of crowd trouble and brawls between Pakistan and Afghanistan supporters at Headingley, which cast a blight over a small minority. Just as controversial was the snail's pace of Indian maestro, MS Dhoni, who made no effort to press the accelerator as his charges slipped to an anti-climactic defeat in Birmingham.
Was this simply resignation as the imposing run rate kept increasing? Or has the veteran wicket-keeper/batsman simply reached the end of the road? Or, heaven forbid, might he have decided it was actually better that England won the contest, given its possible impact on helping to eliminate Pakistan?
One trusts the latter was simply another transient Twitter conspiracy, but the ICC should realise that the protracted nature of the competition adds fuel to such theories.
It has also provoked unseemly media spats between the likes of Bairstow, who claimed, prior to hitting a century during the India tussle, that many people "were waiting for us to fail" and the former England captain, Michael Vaughan, who described his fellow Yorkshireman's claim as "pathetic".
Similar ructions have erupted at regular intervals throughout the World Cup in France, with the skill and aggression of so many of the female participants undermined by "Groundhog Day" with VAR, "The Crying Game" from Cameroon and "Anger Management" – or the lack of it – between USA star, Megan Rapinoe, and her country's own president, Donald Trump.
The latter row illustrates the absurdity of celebrities and politicians trading blows on social media. Trump declared his intention to invite the Americans to the White House, whether or not they retained the World Cup, whereupon Rapinoe, an articulate gay rights activist, used an expletive as the launch for her message she wouldn't be attending.
Cue lashings of outrage from both sides of the debate and a completely needless distraction from the football which has often been very good.
The moral of the story for the ICC is: Keep cricket tournaments short and sharp and avoid a format which drags on longer than a Chancery court case. And for the FIFA authorities: Don't implement baffling and often muddle-headed technology without thinking things through properly.
Come to think of it, that message would work for some of our political masters too!
**Aberdeenshire's cricketers lost again at the weekend in the Eastern Premier League against Stew Mel, and the city club are now staring relegation in the face.
Currently bottom of the table with just one win from more than half their fixtures, Shire need at least three victories in the remaining eight games to have any prospect of avoiding the drop.
Nobody should write them off, but they are simply not putting enough runs on the board to help their young bowling unit. And relegation won't just affect Shire. If they go down, their Mannofield colleagues would face the same fate.
Kenny Reid's men require a rapid change in their fortunes. Speaking as an Aberdeenshire member, it nonetheless seems unlikely.
Cricketer of the decade Kyle Coetzer still chasing new targets
What is on the schedule for sport fans in 2021?
Ben Stokes returns to the field with Indian Premier League appearance
Jos Buttler insists England's Twenty20 focus is on being ready for World Cup
Aberdeenshire CC
Jonny Bairstow
Kenny Reid
Mannofield


A piping style frame adds industrial charm to this metal and glass bathroom light.
Add authentic industrial charm to your space with this metal and glass bathroom light fixture. Industrial rust finish on the piping style frame and backplate complement the tea-tone seedy glass that protects the two lights. A great addition to your home lighting decor.
14 1/4" wide x 9" high x extends 6 1/4" from the wall.
Uses two maximum 60 watt or equivalent medium base bulbs (not included).
Industrial rustic farmhouse 2-light bathroom wall fixture by Franklin Iron Works.
Industrial rust finish, metal piping cross arm; mirrored oval wall plate.
We just put in shelves and towel racks made from same plumbing materials. Perfect match!!
Can this be installed with lights pointing up?
BEST ANSWER: Hi Deb - No, this can only be installed with the glass pointing downwards.


It may be back-to-school season for students everywhere, but that doesn't mean we can't get our fix of brand-spanking-new office supplies, too. So we scoured Instagram for the most organized (and beautiful) desks to help you refresh yours. After all, we spend most of our waking hours sitting at our desks—it should be inspiring!
01. Upgrade your lighting situation.
Science proves natural daylight is associated with higher alertness, mood, and cognitive performance. If your work area doesn't get natural sunlight during the day, invest in a full-spectrum bulb positioned for bright, ambient (indirect) lighting—like in gold sconces above and behind your desk.
02. Control the clutter in unconventional ways.
The Princeton Neuroscience Institute found that visual clutter has a negative impact on focus. But let's face it: Unless you're Marie Kondo, your desk will always have odds and ends cluttering up your workspace. Herd miscellaneous papers into a square ceramic vase, and place your pens and scissors in a pretty teacup. Your desk isn't the place to sacrifice form over function.
03. Listen to the sound of productivity.
Noise pollution is linked to a decrease in cognitive performance and adverse health effects through the body's continued stress response. To drown out distracting background noise or random sound bursts, set a couple small speakers on your desk and tune into Noisli or Defonic for soothing white noise.
04. All's well that smells well.
Comforting scents in the office can rekindle conditioned memories that put you in a good mood or positive state of mind. Display a scented candle, essential oils, or a favorite perfume in a glass tray so that you remember to reach for it whenever you need the sweet whiff of optimism.
05. Keep it curated and clean.
Improve the health quality of your workspace (and thus your mood and focus) by wiping away water rings, coffee splashes, crumbs, stray hairs, the crevices in your keyboard—all the little things that tend to go unnoticed but make a big difference. To maintain an easy-to-clean desk, only keep out your most favorite and most used items. Opt for a single corkboard to keep your treasured mementos—photos, reminders, postcards—in one place.
06. Take it or leaf it.
A 1989 study by NASA identified plants that can improve indoor air quality, thus having positive effects on cognitive performance. So bring in some flowers and greenery. We promise these indoor plant types are hardy enough to survive the brownest, most negligent thumbs.


I remember my first day of middle school. Though I'm loath to admit I can't remember much of what I learned there, the seriously embarrassing moments stick with me. On that memorable day, I sat in the clinic in fourth period feeling nauseous.
"In the clinic, already?" the nurse asked, skeptical about my illness. I'm sure she thought it was just first-day jitters, and maybe it was, but that didn't stop me from showing just how sick I really was all over the back of the school bus on the way home. That was pretty much the worst way to start a new stage of life, especially for a shy, reserved kid who worked hard to avoid drawing attention to herself.
Although starting middle school gave me the most anxiety, I endured many more transitions in my school career, and my kids will, too. Except for elementary school, the typical student adjusts to a completely new environment, schedule, and group of peers at least every three or four years! Even when kids stay at the same school, each year brings a new teacher or set of teachers, changing expectations for success, and a different classroom dynamic.
How well kids adjust to these transitions dramatically affects their future school success. Several studies have found that difficulties transitioning in school heighten the potential for alcohol and drug use as well as school truancy. Numerous studies have also shown, however, that parents' involvement in positive transitions leads to better academic engagement and long-lasting positive attitudes about school in general.
Though by now, students' first-day jitters have eased, their transitions to a new school year still have an impact. Often school adjustments go smoothly in the beginning when the excitement of the new situation dominates the experience. As fall days tick by, however, many kids struggle. Once the honeymoon phase wears off, kids may experience separation anxiety, complain about homework, or face difficulties navigating new social situations.
Thankfully, local school professionals have shared their insights into how parents can help their kids transition at each stage. Many of the techniques for dealing with difficult transitions work no matter what grade your child is starting. But parent roles shift as kids get older, so I've broken up the advice according to age. Because starting middle school can be the most traumatic change (as it was for me!), there's extra advice devoted to helping sixth-graders cope.
For children who do have trouble saying goodbye, Edmondson encourages parents to end drop-off with a hug, a kiss, and a reminder of when you'll see him again. Remind your child in ways that make sense to her. For instance, explain that you'll see her again after snack-time or recess. No matter what, avoid hanging around. "It's so hard to leave your child with tears," Edmondson says, "but lingering can indirectly validate the child's nerves." Most likely, your child will settle down after you have left and he has a chance to get involved in a school activity.
You can also ease kids into preschool by forging a strong home/school connection. "Some students need a lovey or transition item to help them get out of the car and into the building," explains Edmondson. Last year, when my youngest daughter felt nervous, she liked to take her special stuffed animal to the classroom for our goodbye. After she settled in, I took it back to the car with me. Your child's teacher might also let her keep the lovey in her bag so she can give it a hug when she feels homesick. I would advise asking the teacher about this strategy before you try it out.
Some of the same practices for preschool help kids handle the kindergarten transition. According to Jan Schreiber, a Henrico County teacher who has taught for twenty-four years, "the most important key to a successful school year is communication." She encourages parents to open lines of communication early and "set the tone by sending a positive note to the teacher." Schreiber says the note can be something as simple as My child really enjoys the way you _______ at school. Thank you for all of your hard work. Most importantly, she advises, make clear to the teacher you want to work together as a team. If any problem arises, Schreiber encourages discussing it with the teacher before talking to the principal.
It sounds simple, but making time to talk with your child will also help. If she struggles to make friends, "Talk to your child about what good friends do, then role play," Schreiber says. Remember to follow up the next day. For instance, ask specific questions about how the strategies worked: How did it work when you told your friend you liked to play soccer?
If separation anxiety remains an issue, "Give your child a sticker to place under his sleeve," Schreiber advises. "Tell them to touch the sticker whenever they miss their parents for extra reassurance and to know that you are thinking of them." Read books like The Kissing Hand to remind your child you'll be thinking of him. And, always remember, Schreiber says, that teachers, guidance counselors, and administrators can help you access any available resources to help your child transition well.
As you now know, starting middle school was the most traumatic – and messy – transition for me. It's not surprising, given the middle school environment is drastically different from elementary school. It involves changing classes frequently and receiving instruction from multiple teachers. Elizabeth Farner, guidance counselor at Robious Middle School, explains that "all students in the hall at once visiting lockers, using restrooms, and getting to class in four minutes is a stark contrast to the silent single-file lines of elementary school." And if those changes aren't enough, middle schoolers also undergo overwhelming physical developments and changes in cognitive processes as they enter adolescence.
Middle school prepares your child for high school, which in turn prepares your child for college. At this stage, it is vital to foster independence. "The goal of parenting and education is not to create straight-A students," explains Farner, "but, rather, to create contributing members of society and lifelong learners." She suggests reviewing the assignment book to stay on top of things, but letting them do their homework independently. When your child struggles with a class assignment or social issue, ask her how she thinks she should handle the problem rather than jumping in to fix it.
A veteran parent friend of mine suggests starting out with a side-by-side parent-child review of online grades once a week at the start of middle school. You may quickly discover that even that session is unnecessary.
Also, be sure to help your child set up a place and time to complete homework assignments. "Typically, our students come to middle school well-prepared academically," Farner explains. "The organization required to balance the expectations of five to six different teachers can sometimes be a challenge, however." Schedules may be busy with after-school activities, so help your child make time to complete homework and study for tests. Remind them to factor in time each day to prepare for big tests or complete large projects.
This brings us to the part of middle school that often worries parents the most: social interaction. If your child is shy or feels overwhelmed by all the new people, help him get involved and meet new friends through school clubs or sports. Encourage him to listen to the announcements for information about club activities, and check the school website for their calendar of events.
Once your child establishes new friendships, explains Farner, "It is normal for peers to become much more important in middle school than they were in elementary." Unlike in elementary school, you may not have the chance to get to know these new friends who now play an important role in your child's life. If possible, invite them over or arrange a meet-up so you can have a chance to get to know them.
"To help your child navigate his new social environment," Farner says, "talk often about your expectations." Parents need to remember that their silence is perceived as permission in many instances. Also, keep in mind that middle schoolers face many of the same social challenges we faced decades ago, but they experience the added complications of social media, including feelings of isolation or depression. Loneliness is another effect of social media. It feels bad to look at pictures of people you perceive as friends having fun without you.
Farner says, "If you have any doubts about whether your child is ready for a smart phone or a social media account, just say no, and talk about why your family has chosen to hold off on these things: like saving money, focusing on real-life interactions, or decreasing distractions." If you do choose to let your kids have a smart phone, help them carve out phone-free time so they can work on homework and get sufficient sleep.
Preparing your child for high school involves some of the same approaches you have already used. Ultimately, you are raising a person who will need to go out into the world and function as an adult, so self-reliance continues to be important. As children get older, the expectations change. Instead of helping your child open a lunch container, you are helping him manage a complicated schedule of schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and a part-time job.
High school kids have much more freedom than they have had in their earlier school experiences. Robyn Walsh is school counseling coordinator for Monacan High School. She says freedom can be "good or bad, depending on the student." For some students, independence can be positive, but for others, autonomy creates some challenges. "Teachers do not hand-hold as much," explains Walsh, "and the classroom expectations can be more rigorous." Walsh encourages parents to cultivate that new independence in a way that works for each child. She also advises parents to let children make mistakes while also holding them accountable.
Another important piece of advice: Relocate cell phones while students work on homework so they can focus on their work instead of getting distracted by the drama of technology and social media. "Last, but not least," Walsh says, "make sure they get a good night's sleep!" Though they may not be happy about it, students need to keep cell phones out of their bedrooms.
Parents can also ease the transition to high school by helping students acclimate to the new social situation. For teens, getting involved in clubs or sports provides a great chance to meet people and "can also make a big school seem so much smaller," Walsh says. If the right club doesn't exist, teens can work with administrators to start a new one.
Walsh also advises parents to help their children identify adults in the building – coaches, teachers, counselors, or administrators – they can go to with questions or problems. "That person will be with them all four years," explains Walsh, "and can be a great resource!" Besides, learning how to talk to adults during high school will help teens tremendously once they start college.
If your child went off to college a month or so ago – and especially if he is now far away – your role in the school transition has shifted dramatically. At this point, you can't do much to help beyond maybe bringing the next season's clothes when you visit for parent's weekend.
When her daughter started college last year, Richmond mom Sue Weber experienced a steep learning curve. "One of the most difficult challenges for me during my daughter's transition to college was recognizing that she was now entering a new chapter in her life," Weber explains. Weber has a keen awareness that, in some ways, she plays a less dominant role in this new chapter of her daughter's life. Deciding whether to talk on a particular day fell into her daughter's purview rather than hers. "Daily phone calls initiated from our end were not always excitedly received," Weber says, so they let her decide when to touch base.
While Weber and her husband understood the need to back off, they missed their daughter and had to cope with their own feelings of sadness. Weber found that for her, talking to friends and family who had already been through the same process reaffirmed that the transition to college is a normal process.
If your child is starting at a new school during a non-typical transition year (coming to a high school as a sophomore for example), she will face the challenges of meeting potential new friends and learning the layout on her own. Robin Oliff, director of admissions at The Steward School, encourages parents and students to participate in any activity the school offers to get to know the school and connect to the community. "Get connected yourself to help kids get connected," she advises parents, urging them to volunteer in the school and get to know other families, even though that may seem intimidating.
Although students may want to delay getting involved in school clubs and sports until they have adjusted to a new school, Oliff says that can be a mistake, particularly for older kids. Group activities provide invaluable ways for students to build connections.
At the same time, Oliff says, "Anticipate that it takes a lot out of kids to make these adjustments, and try not to make too many other changes outside of school." Lastly, if you have concerns about your child's adjustment, talk to the school. Oliff reiterates that kids may not show how they're feeling at school, so teachers may not be aware when students need help.
Ultimately, staying connected to your children – no matter their ages – seems like the best way to help them navigate school transitions. In the spirit of communication, I asked my oldest daughter – who just started her second year of middle school – what advice she would give sixth graders. Her response? "Don't get too caught up thinking about what a big deal middle school is. Remember all the transitions you've already been through, and just try to enjoy it." Sounds like the advice my 11-year-old self needed to hear!
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You are skilled at firing many arrows at once, even at different opponents.
Benefit: When you use the Manyshot feat, you can make each attack at a different target instead of directing all of them at the same target. You make a separate attack roll for each one, regardless of whether you attack separate targets or the same target. Your precision-based damage applies to each attack, and if you score a critical hit with more than one, each critical hit deals critical damage.


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text:
#ifndef FRAMEWORK_SQL_DECLARATIONS_H
#define FRAMEWORK_SQL_DECLARATIONS_H

#include <framework/global.h>

class Database;
class DBResult;

typedef stdext::shared_object_ptr<Database> DatabasePtr;
typedef stdext::shared_object_ptr<DBResult> DBResultPtr;

#ifdef FW_SQL
// MySQL
class DatabaseMySQL;
class MySQLResult;

typedef stdext::shared_object_ptr<DatabaseMySQL> DatabaseMySQLPtr;
typedef stdext::shared_object_ptr<MySQLResult> MySQLResultPtr;
#endif

#endif

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


1. Please determine the requirements for your industry or market.
2. You should fully understand how the casters and wheels will be used, and select the proper combination for your application.
3. Please inspect your casters regularly after you buy your casters.
4. You can maintain your casters properly if necessary.
As a China caster wheel supplier, we produce industrial caster, shock absorbing caster, pu caster, heavy duty casters and so on. Looking forward to your purchase!
Next: Are you looking for a China rubber caster manufacturer?


Ohlins, k-tech, traxxion or anything on the MA approved parts list.
Improving with practice or race school or?
Forward will reduce trail. Reducing trail will make the bike steer with less effort at the expense of stability and front end feel.