text:
Jan 7 Intervju z dr. Miodragom Jovanovićem o katalonskem vprašanju
Veronika Cukrov
Intervju, Katalonija
Sprašuje Veronika Cukrov
1. What sort of role, if any, should political criminal prosecution have in the modern society? 14 Catalan cabinet ministers were prosecuted and some jailed for rebellion, sedition and embezzlement. It is a common consent that some forms of political criminals still exist, such as terrorists. Do you agree with jailing separatist movement members, such as those from Catalonia?
It is difficult to abstractly answer on this question. Virtually all criminal legal systems, including those of well-established constitutional democracies, know of certain criminal acts, which are, broadly speaking, conceived as the threat to the established constitutional order. This is a grey area of intersection of law and politics, which is becoming even blurrier in situations like the present one in Spain. If one rephrases this question in the following way – should a mere separatist rhetoric, as a platform for an organized political action, be criminally punishable – my answer would be no. As long as political activity, including the separatist one, is not based on violence, it should receive protection under the freedoms of expression and association. This stance is confirmed by the ECtHR's jurisprudence in a series of cases regarding several Kurdish political parties (Socialist Party and Others v. Turkey; 20/1997/804/1007; 25 May 1998; Freedom and Democracy Party (Özdep) v. Turkey; 23885/94; 8 December 1999; Yazar and Others v. Turkey; 22723/93, 22724/93, and 22725/93; 9 April 2002), which were banned by the Turkish Constitutional Court on account of unconstitutionally fostering ethnic distinctiveness of Kurds and, thus, promoting separatism. In all the aforementioned cases, the ECtHR used the 'violence test', arguing that as long as no violence is used as a means for reaching political goals, even a secessionist political agenda enjoys the protection under the freedom of assembly and association (Art. 11). In Court's words, the essence of democracy is "to allow diverse political projects to be proposed and debated". All this does not by default exclude the possibility that some separatist party officials or members are individually involved in certain criminally punishable acts, which are not necessarily political in nature (e.g. embezzlement). However, in such cases it is of the utmost importance that such criminal charges are not mere cover for the hidden political prosecution.
2. Does mere declaration of independence in your view have, or let's say should have, legal consequences? The famous advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice stated that Kosovo's declaration of independence wasn't illegal, since it in some way posed no legal consequences.
It is first important to note that the ICJ rephrased the question that had been submitted to it. Whereas it was asked to assess whether the Kosovo universal declaration of independence (UDI) was "in accordance with international law", the ICJ somewhat laconically concluded that "[t]he answer to that question turns on whether or not the applicable international law prohibited the declaration of independence" (Advisory Opinion, par. 56) According to many commentators, including Judge Simma who drafted a separate Declaration, with this specific reformulation in mind the ICJ resurrected the outdated Lotus principle, which favorites "anachronistic, extremely consensualist vision of international law". Once it had decided to narrow down the question as to investigate the existence of a general prohibitive rule of international law, the ICJ concluded that the state practice "points clearly to the conclusion that international law contained no prohibition of declarations of independence." (par. 79) Despite being so, the ICJ stated that a UDI, including the one in the Kosovo case, would be deemed illegal either if it were issued in connection with some violation of general international legal norms of jus cogens, or if it were as such prohibited by some special legal regime, like the Security Council Resolution 1244. And yet, The ICJ's overall argumentative strategy was to separate the fact of issuance of the declaration of independence from the purported legal effects of that act. It supposedly focused only on the former issue, while leaving aside the letter. However, one can reasonably ask whether an entity can declare independence without violating international law, but then find itself in the violation of international law, when it manages to effectuate independence by seceding and creating a new state. Since this reasoning seems hardly consequential, one may infer an implicit ICJ's conclusion regarding unilateral acts of secession. It is that the principle of effectiveness will eventually determine if a declaration of independence has resulted in the creation of a new state. Hence, while it remains open whether the Kosovo Advisory Opinion indeed provides a first-help tool kit for various secessionists around the globe, as was back then also believed by Catalan separatists, it is far clearer that the ICJ's Opinion can hardly advance the cause of international rule of law in self-determination conflicts.
3. How do you think international law will develop in light of current events? Is public opinion likely to shift modern paradigms into favoring Catalan independence?
I will refrain from making any prognosis of such a nature. Instead, I will leave readers to test their intuitions regarding these questions in light of my analysis of the ICJ's Kosovo Advisory Opinion, which I have published some five years ago. There I argued that some of the Court's findings were of rather general nature. Apart from finding in which circumstances a UDI would be in the contravention of international law, the Court also concluded that "the scope of the principle of territorial integrity is confined to the sphere of relations between States" and, hence, did not concern non-state actors, including secessionist groups. Moreover, the Court found that "persons who acted together in their capacity as representatives of the people" of some territory under the UN interim regime of governance were not bound to act within the framework of powers and responsibilities established to govern the conduct of provisional institutions. I thought back then – and I am still thinking – that these findings of the Court might have quite troublesome consequences for the future of self-determination conflicts. First, by being excluded from the duty to respect the jus cogens norm of territorial integrity, secessionist groups, as non-state actors, might be inclined to use all possible means, including the violent ones, to seize as much power as possible over delineated piece of territory of the recognized state. Second, secessionists may now even more relentlessly resort to the issuing of UDIs, while simultaneously searching for some patron(s) among Great Powers, which would at the critical moment back up their strive for statehood, by formally recognizing the new entity as a state. While the Catalan case in that respect is not so illustrative, let us not forget the dynamics of the secessionist tale of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which occurred only six months after the western recognition of the Kosovo UDI. Finally, less stable states, drawn into prolonged self-determination conflicts with their rebellion minorities, will be dissuaded from entering into provisional UN-mandated conflict-settlement, which is hardly in line with the purposes of the world organization, enshrined in the opening article of its charter.
Dr. Miodrag Jovanović je redni profesor na Pravni fakulteti Univerze v Beogradu.
Posebna zahvala Matiji Žguru.
[1] Vir: http://misamajic.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/P5290019-tekst-m.jpg
Katalonija, Evropska konvencija človekovih pravic, ESČP, ICJ, Kosovo, ECJ
Jan 10 Luka Lisjak Gabrijelčič o katalonskem vprašanju
Jan 4 Neodvisna Katalonija v luči katalonskih športnih klubov
Sep 25 Intervju s predsednico Ustavnega sodišča RS, Dr. Jadranko Sovdat
Jan 9 Luka Lisjak Gabrijelčič o katalonskem vprašanju
Jan 15 Intervju z Boštjanom Koritnikom


text:
Q: Как в js обрезать 5 символов? Переменная из php передает "8187 \r\n".
Как в js обрезать -  пробел\r\n, чтобы было "8187"; ?
var port4 = "148.251.68.37";
var port5 = "8187 \r\n";

A:

console.log("[" + "8187 \r\n".trim() + "]");

A: А не логичнее прямо в PHP обрезать лишнее?
var port5 = <?php echo trim(json_encode($chunks2[2])); ?>;
console.log(port5);

Более того, если ваша цель в итоге получить число, то имеет смысл явно привести к целочисленному типу:
var port5 = <?php echo intval(json_encode($chunks2[2])); ?>;
console.log(port5);

Или, если вы во что бы то ни стало хотите манипулировать переменной на фронтэнде, то привести к целому её можно так:
var port5 = parseInt("<?php echo json_encode($chunks2[2])); ?>");
console.log(port5);

A: В javascript есть функция для обрезания строки substr,
Пример использования:

var str = '8187 \r\n';
console.log(str.substr(0,4));

Подробнее об этом можете смотреть тут.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Music Superstar Says He's DONE
One of the globe's biggest superstars recently let slip the stunning news that he was cancelling his next three weeks of shows.
In Shawn Mendes' own words, "I've reached the breaking point."
Mendes has been in the spotlight since he was just a fifteen-year-old child.
For almost a decade now, he's been entertaining his legions of fans around the globe.
For years he put on amazing show after amazing show and released new music in an effort to give his fans the very best at all times.
There was just one problem with all that effort:
He burnt himself out.
Now he's having trouble recovering.
Elvis, the Rolling Stones, Motley Crue, they refreshed and reenergized with cocaine.
Kudos to Shawn Mendes for realizing he needed a different strategy.
This is obviously a hard pill to swallow for fans that had purchased seats to his next three weeks of shows, but I'm sure they'd rather see him healthy and alive than deceased on stage.
pic.twitter.com/dnqNDdh1W8
— Shawn Mendes (@ShawnMendes) July 9, 2022

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Feather Point is a permanent artwork in Thaddeus Kosciuszko Park. Artist Olga Ziemska's sculpture takes inspiration from the Coat of Arms of Kosciuszo's native Poland and finds commonality with Bill Moose, known as the last of the Wyandot American Indian Tribe to have lived in Ohio. Feather Point is a 20-foot-tall cast stainless steel sculpture patterned from trees found on the site. The sculpture is visible from the intersection of Hard Rd., and Riverside Dr., in Dublin.
Ziemska is a Cleveland-based artist who has completed public artwork commissions both nationally and internationally, most recently in Italy and Romania. She is the recipient of many prestigious grants and awards, including a Fulbright Fellowship in 2002 and a Creative Workforce Fellowship in 2009 and 2013. Ziemska, born in 1976 as the daughter of Polish immigrants, received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Columbus College of Art and Design, Columbus, Ohio and pursued Master Studies in Sculpture at the Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, R.I.
Feather Point was selected and commissioned by a jury of community members. Three finalists were selected from more than 100 applicants. Ziemska's proposal received unanimous support from the jury after a presentation in early 2016, and was reinforced decisively by community preference as evidenced by comment cards selected at the conclusion of the presentations. The commission represents the twelfth she has been awarded since 2009.
The jury that awarded the commission included eight members: Peter Kwok Chan, Ph.D., associate professor of Visual Communication Design at The Ohio State University; Curt Gettman, public art contract specialist for the City of Dublin; DAC Executive Director David S. Guion; Fred Hahn, retired director of Parks & Open Space for City of Dublin; Jerry Hayslett, an artist and architectural designer with The Wendy's Company; Andrea Myers, Assistant Professor of Sculpture at Kent State University at Stark, North Canton; Diane Nance, chair, Columbus Art Commission and director of the Office of Sponsored Programs and instructor of arts administration at Otterbein University; and Polish-American Club of Columbus member, Dublin resident and Poland native Iwona Testani.
Feather Point was dedicated on Sept. 19, 2017.


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Will Brazil Lead A Recovery In Deepwater Drilling?
June 20, 2018 By Dave Messler Leave a Comment
The Pre-salt arena, discovered only a decade ago, contributes an increasing share of Brazil's daily oil production. In the graphic below, you can see that there is a steady ramp up in Pre-salt production since 2009. You can also see a slow, but steady decline in other sources.
With the scandals and political strife that have become the stuff of legend in the last decade, Brazil finds it again needs external sources of capital to supply its oil requirements. In furtherance of that goal, it has been auctioning off attractive blocks, and happily pocketing the Dinheiro that the IOCs (International Oil Companies) offer up for them.
Why drill in deep water?
This is a fair question. With all the press that the American shale has received in recent years, the Deepwater arena has been neglected. Deepwater drilling has fallen by the way over the last few years, largely due to the front end cost. The rigs needed to drill in this environment were very expensive, and when added to the ancillary services used across the life of the wells, made the overall proposition uneconomic for the oil companies.
Deepwater is a necessary part of the energy basket that modern society will need to make sure that it is adequately supplied with power. To understand why it is helpful to know that not all hydrocarbon reservoirs are alike. So, to further the discussion, I will discuss the topic briefly below.
I will start by defining some terms to help you understand the points I will make below.
· Clastic. This refers to a type of petroleum reservoir comprised of detrital sediments that accumulate over time; typically sandstone. Shale is also a clastic, but its grain structure is so tightly compressed that it has little or no matrix permeability.
· Matrix permeability. This refers to the rock's flow characteristics and is measured in Darcy units.
· Stimulate. That's what fracking is — an attempt to massively increase the near-wellbore flow characteristics to increase production from the well.
Back to our question. Why drill in Deepwater? The short answer is that if you want big discoveries, you must drill in prolific reservoirs that are capable producing thousands of barrels per day for a long period of time, reservoirs that are typically the target of DW exploration. Part of the reason for this is that many of these DW reservoirs are clastic (sandstone) and have some matrix permeability already. What this means is that unlike most shale reservoirs, where the permeability lies in tiny, vertical fractures, sandstone reservoirs have at least some horizontal connectivity back to the well bore. When you stimulate (frack) this type of reservoir, the increase in permeability is huge, literally achieving gains of 1,000s of times. Part of the reason shale is so drilling-intensive is that it lacks that horizontal permeability. Fracking overcomes this for a while, but in the end — usually two to three years usually — Mother Nature takes over and these wells play out.
OK, that's it for the tech stuff. If you want more you're going to have to take a class. If you didn't understand any of this, then I will ask you to take my word as an industry veteran — and the word of virtually every major oil company on the planet — that DW is where the big finds are.
Tool Box Talk
What is the Pre-salt? It consists of oil formed from depositional activity in basins formed by the breakup of the super-continent of Gondwana 300 hundred million years ago. In modern times these deposits lie beneath a thick layer of evaporite salt and is further overlain by additional sedimentation, and of course about 6,500 feet of water.
It is a massive resource that is likely replicated to a large extent in West Africa as the graphic above reveals. In Brazil, it is estimated that the Pre-salt runs from Santa Caterina to Espirito de Santo, a distance of some 800 kilometers. It may also be as much as 200 kilometers wide.
Petrobras has drilled a number of wells in the Pre-salt and has not hit a dry hole yet (a fact which might account for the strong IOC interest in this play). This resource was originally declared so basic to Brazil's oil independence that it was restricted to Petrobras. Over time, the capital cost to develop these fields led the ANP, the Brazilian oil regulator, to open the Pre-salt to IOCs. Which brings us to the recent auctions.
The success of this auction, Round 15 in particular, might also account for the relatively mild showing in the recent U.S. GoM auction that yielded only a $124 million for a record auction of 77K acres. By contrast, the Brazil auction net the government $2.4 billion in hard currency. In short, each auction had many of the same players, and clearly, the big money was tied up in Brazil.
Who got what in Brazil's 15th Round?
ExxonMobil (XOM) and partners were the big winners and snagged 8 blocks to add to the 10 blocks captured in the September 2017 round. Clearly, XOM who needs to start ramping up reserves replacement, and has not operated in Brazil before is on the board now. Exxon was so confident in one block, CM-789, that it paid a record $853 mm for that block alone.
Why was Block CM-789, so special to XOM and partner Petrobras? Perhaps it was the fact that the Paleocene, turbidite depositional mechanism creates the potential for huge finds. This geology is similar to the West African structures it has tapped offshore Angola and Liberia. It has further similar acreage offshore Ghana. Perhaps they dream of a reservoir that will deliver the Erha-type performance it found offshore Nigeria- wells making twenty-thousand BOED.
Turbidite describes a depositional state characterized by a high energy environment that often yields clean, high quartz reservoirs capable of delivering wells with flow rates as high as 20-30K BOPD. These wells can produce for many years.
Exxon's interest is surely also drawn by the tantalizing proximity to some of the Pre-salts biggest finds to date, Lula. Shown above in orange. It also near another new Petrobras operated Mega-field that has just come online, Libra. Libra is shown in gray in this graphic. Libra has been estimated to contain between 8 and 12 billion barrels of recoverable oil. With reserves potential like this, XOM's interest in block CM-789 comes into sharp focus.
Note in the graphic above that this block is directly adjacent to the Pre-salt polygon, originally reserved for exclusively for Petrobras.
This is a structure identified as a "lead" in the ANP Roadshow prior to the lease sale. In the paste below, you see a lot of wonderful anticlines (an upward folding of the rock, with the oldest sediments at the center) that are famous for forming stratigraphic traps for oil accumulation. The ANP has helpfully pointed out in blue what might appear to be hydrocarbon accumulations just under the salt.
Was what XOM saw here worth almost a billion dollar front-end investment? Time will tell. One thing is for sure. With a billion on the table, exploration drilling will begin shortly. Even Exxon doesn't park that kind of money for very long. I see a rig getting a contract soon.
Chevron, (CVX), picked up four new blocks. It was the first time in a number of years CVX had participated in the Brazilian play. It has other Deepwater operations in Brazil's offshore market, key among them the Frade (FYI- "D" makes a soft "g" sound in Portuguese) project. You may recall CVX and Brazil had a bit of a dustup regarding oil leaks from shallow flows on Frade, that to senior CVX execs being slapped in jail for a weekend. There's nothing like a night in a South American jail to cool the ardor of oil execs for a particular country. Time heals all wounds, however, and CVX is back in Carioca-land. Perhaps with a new set of execs.
You can see that CVX has been treading water the last couple of years, with reserves being markedly down since 2014. So back to Brazil, and Deepwater exploration it came.
Shell has operated in Brazil for nearly 30-years. It has a considerable infrastructure already and is in a good position to develop the blocks it picked up in round 15.
Shell picked an additional 4-blocks in round 15. Those, with the 6-blocks it picked up last Fall give it a total of 18 exploratory blocks to probe for oil and gas. It plans drilling on the highly prospective Gato do Mato (Jungle cat) block in 2019.
The Spanish oil operator could use some reserves addition as well. It has been treading water largely for the last several years. This particularly true when the recent suspension of their license in Vietnam to drill the CRD project is taken into account.
Source Chart by author
Statoil (STO), BP, and Wintershall, Division of Germany's (OTCQX:BASFY), were all winners in this auction as well.
With billions of dollars in leases laid out, these companies are not going to be sitting on their hands. They need to replace reserves… badly. That's the reason for the interest in the Brazilian Pre-salt. Drilling will start soon, as these companies look to start capitalizing on the huge down payments they've made here.
Over the next year or so we should see some DW rigs returning to service, and starting the cycle for other service providers to follow.
Author's Bio.
Dave Messler is an oil industry veteran who maintains a consulting and training practice called, ACME Fluids Training. More info can be obtained at www.acmefluidstraining.com.
In addition, he writes for a financially oriented blog site called Seeking Alpha, under the pseudonym The Fluidsdoc. There he runs a Market Place investing service known as The Daily Drilling Report. More info on this can be obtained at https://seekingalpha.com/author/fluidsdoc/articles#regular_articles.
Dave Messler
Dave Messler is an oilfield veteran with 38-years of experience in the industry. He is currently a Senior Trainer at ACME Fluids Training, a small organization that focuses on teaching the development of reservoir drill-in fluids (RDF's) to the industry.
www.acmefluidstraining.com
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New photo spots around Orlando are here! Brand new murals and random hidden finds, perfect for your next shoot.
Having a hard time keeping up with local makers? Here is a list of some of my favorites and some new kids on the block.
Let them take pictures. Here is a list of over 30 of Orlando's most instagrammable spots.


text:
Q: redis dump.rdb / saving small files Context

*

*I'm using redis. The database is < 100 MB.

*However, I want to make daily backups.

*I'm also running on Ubuntu Server 12.04

When type in:

redis-cli save

I don't know where dump.rdb is saved to (since redis is started as a service and not in my local directory).
Questions:

*

*How do I find where redis is saving my dump.rdb to?

*Is there someway that I can specify a filename to 'save', so I type in something like:

redis-cli save ~/db-2012-06-24.rdb

Thanks

A: To be a little more helpfull... How to find or set where redis is saving the dump.rdb file (ubuntu server):
First find you redis.conf file: In your terminal run:
ps -e aux | grep redis

I found my redis.conf file in:
var/etc/redis/

If yours is the same place then open the file with:
pico var/etc/redis/redis.conf

Look for:
# The filename where to dump the DB
dbfilename dump.rdb

# The working directory.
#
# The DB will be written inside this directory, with the filename specified
# above using the 'dbfilename' configuration directive.
#
# Also the Append Only File will be created inside this directory.
#
# Note that you must specify a directory here, not a file name.
dir /var/lib/redis

Depending on your setting for "dbfilename" and "dir" then that is where you find your redis dump.rdb file.

Update:
To see your redis configurations just run:
redis-cli CONFIG GET *

A: In mac,
the location of dump.rdb is at /usr/local/etc/dump.rdb.
the location of redis.conf is at /usr/local/etc/redis.conf.
In order to find the location use the command find - sudo find / -name "redis.conf"

A: You can set the file location on the redis.conf file (which you start the server with)
look at the server configuration for that:
# The filename where to dump the DB
dbfilename dump.rdb

finding the location of the currently saved file, it depends on how you start the server - where you have the redis-server file - i think you can find it with ps -e aux | grep redis or ps -e | grep redis

A: On my (default, Ubuntu) setup the db file is in
/var/lib/redis/redis.rdb

As Christoffer points out, you can see all the settings from the command-line client with
CONFIG GET *

A: One liner to get both directory and dump file name
echo "CONFIG GET *" | redis-cli | grep -e "dir" -e "dbfilename" -A1


text:
Home News Iranian Opposition New report details Iran's violence against MEK
New report details Iran's violence against MEK
By INU Staff
INU- A prominent former member of the European Parliament and expert on Middle East affairs has published a new report on why the Iranian Regime is increasing its propaganda campaign and terror measures against the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), the largest member of the Paris-based Iranian opposition coalition National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).
Struan Stevenson, author of "Ashraf III – Rising from the Ashes", presented his report at a press conference in London on Tuesday and explained that the Regime is intensifying its domestic repression, even though the supposedly moderate Hassan Rouhani is currently the president.
Stevenson told the conference about the several terror plots that Iran had planned in Europe over the past year alone, including their plan to bomb the NCRI's Free Iran rally in Paris in June, a rally that Stevenson attended.
He said: "But despite all that, we still have Europeans trying to sign trade deals with Iran as part of an appeasement policy. These countries have shamefully set up [a financial mechanism] to bypass U.S. sanctions in a somewhat barter system."
He called the move "embarrassing" and "desperate".
The Regime has even launched a disinformation campaign about the MEK in Europe, where many of the dissidents live after fleeing the Regime, which helps to justify the Regime's violence against them.
Listen to the People
Stevenson said: "The people of Iran now look to the organized opposition as the harbingers of a future of democracy, justice, and peace. The fortitude and stamina of PMOI members in Albania have acted as a beacon of hope for the 80 million beleaguered citizens of Iran who hope and pray for freedom from oppression… The Iranian people have lost their fear and are demanding 'regime change.' We have a regime that has executed 4,000 only during the so-called moderate Rouhani's tenure. After 40 years of dictatorship, today 80 million Iranians have had enough."
Stevenson was joined at the conference by Hossein Abedini, a member of the NCRI Foreign Affairs Commission, who laid out exactly how Iranian agents had used their diplomatic immunity to carry out terror plots on European soil.
Abedini said: "It is time for Europe to listen to people of Iran and blacklist the regime's Ministry of Intelligence & Security and the IRGC as foreign terrorist organizations. The mullahs' regime only understands the language of firmness. The UK government blacklisting Hezbollah, which is on the payroll of the mullahs' regime in Iran, is a good move but not enough."
While Lord Clarke of Hampstead, CBE, who also attended the London press conference, said: "After one year of popular protests in Iran against the regime, the world and Iran experts now understand and admit that the people want genuine change and freedom."
All of the participants agreed that regime change is coming is Iran and that it is imperative for the EU to stand on the right side of history.
Stevenson said. "We are witnessing the final collapse of the theocratic dictatorship in Iran. It is a pivotal moment in history when the UK Government and the EU must back the Iranian people and not betray them by propping up their fascist oppressors."
While Abedini said: "The regime's overthrow, which is the desire of the people of Iran, has never been so much within reach."
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It was nearly impossible to make it through this past winter without having some interaction with news about blockchain technology. In an attempt to get to the forefront of a technology that could change the internet forever, the revolutionary nature of the blockchain has resulted in the development of hundreds of products and currencies. Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin are some of the popular cryptocurrencies that took the investment world by storm at the beginning of 2018.
Due to investors taking chances on technologies developed on top of the blockchain infrastructure, the growing public interest created an extremely volatile stock market. The problem is many people don't really understand what it actually is or does. Much like a car, you don't have to understand how it works to use it. However, a baseline understanding is a good idea for people curious about the blockchains future in business and investments. Read on and improve your understanding of blockchain technology.
A blockchain is a decentralized way of storing and changing information, and began gaining fame when implemented to support Bitcoin transactions. Moving away from the old way of storing information in one or a few locations, the blockchain creates a digital ledger that is duplicated on thousands of nodes across the world. Nodes are essentially any computer that has joined the blockchain network in order to store, change, and confirm transactions.
The easiest way to picture it is as a document that is stored across a network of computers. The network is designed to make regular edits or updates to this document. The only way the document can be edited is when the network's nodes mutually agree that the edits should happen. The main implications of this technology currently are that they take banks and creditors out of the process of sending and receiving payment. However, since blockchain is information based, the possibilities of future uses are endless.
Why is the Blockchain is Better Than Centralized Storage?
As mentioned before, taking the third party out of transactions could save major corporations millions of dollars in fees per year, but that is not the only reason a decentralized system is the preferable option. Data security has been in the limelight over the past few years, and its importance has only continued to grow with the blunders of major corporations like Facebook and Yahoo!.
Blockchain technology eliminates having a single vulnerable point like a computer or server for hackers to exploit. They may be able to find their way onto a single node in the network, but the only way they would be able to make changes to the chain is by overriding the entire network with an unrealistic amount of computing power. Fraud, corruption, and hacking aren't eliminated completely but are substantially more difficult on a decentralized network.
Technology is the fuel for every industry, and travel is no different. At Teplis, we stay current on developments like the blockchain ensuring our customers the best travel experience. If you're looking for more information on how the blockchain is changing business or need assistance on booking your corporate travel, contact us today!
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The Center for Rural Affairs last week released "Powering Iowa: Rural Perspectives on Iowa's Renewable Energy Transformation," a report examining renewable energy development in the state. Authors of the report, Stephanie Enloe and Katie Rock, used survey results from Iowa county officials and landowners to explore how Iowans are responding to renewable energy technologies, such as wind, solar and electric transmission lines. Read more here.
The report is available for download by clicking here and scrolling down.
This entry was posted in Nebraska / Midwest News and tagged Center for Rural Affairs, Nebraskans for Solar NewsBlog, Powering Iowa: Rural Perspectives on Iowa's Renewable Energy Transformation, Wallaces Farmer on February 8, 2018 by Helen Deffenbacher.


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Q: Angular 2: add csrf parameter to noNgForm Today faced an issue with submitting a form from an html template on angular SPA.
First of all simple form with submit doesn't work out of the box since angular catches the submit event not letting the form to be submitted.
   <form action="/api/connect/facebook" method="POST">
       <input type="hidden" name="scope" value="email" />
       <button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary btn-block">    Login via Facebook</button>
   </form>

To let angular ignore that and let your browser to do the post you have to add ngNoForm header:
   <form ngNoForm action="/api/connect/facebook" method="POST">
       <input type="hidden" name="scope" value="email" />
       <button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary btn-block">    Login via Facebook</button>
   </form>

This may be not very common for SPA because such form submit will navigate browser away from SPA, however that's what I need.
Good thing - I am using spring-boot as my backend, so with spring-security it has nice csrf and cors protection not letting me to submit the form. I getting the exception:

Invalid CSRF Token 'null' was found on the request parameter '_csrf'
  or header 'X-CSRF-TOKEN'

So, the question is how to provide the value of csrf for angular template?

A: I found a nice example how this is done in JHipster framework.
Three things are required:

*

*angular2-cookie plugin

*CSRFService

*Add hidden param to the form

Adding angular2-cookie plugin is as simple as:
npm install angular2-cookie --save

However you will need to add all required mappings to SystemJS or whatever module framework you use. For SystemJS everything is explained quite nice here. Read it carefully because first time I forgot to make:
import { CookieService } from 'angular2-cookie/services/cookies.service';

@NgModule({
  providers: [ CookieService ],
})
export class AppModule { }

Now, the CSRFService:
import { Injectable } from '@angular/core';
import { CookieService } from 'angular2-cookie/core';

@Injectable()
export class CSRFService {

    constructor(private cookieService: CookieService) {}

    getCSRF(name?: string) {
        name = `${name ? name : 'XSRF-TOKEN'}`;
        return this.cookieService.get(name);
    }
}

Now, you need to inject it to the component which renders your template:
import {Component, OnInit} from '@angular/core';
import {CSRFService} from './csrf.service';

@Component({
    moduleId: module.id,
    selector: 'login-form',
    templateUrl: 'login.component.html',
    styleUrls: ['login.component.css']
})
export class LoginComponent implements OnInit {

    private csrf: string;

    constructor(private csrfService: CSRFService) { }

    ngOnInit() {
        this.csrf = this.csrfService.getCSRF();
    }
}

And finally don't forget to add the hidden parameter to the form in login.component.html:
<form ngNoForm action="/api/connect/facebook" method="POST">
    <input name="_csrf" type="hidden" value="{{ csrf }}"/>
    <input type="hidden" name="scope" value="email" />
    <button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary btn-block">    Login via Facebook</button>
</form>

Hope, that helps anybody, because I spent half of the day trying to figure out how to achieve what I want.


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Tucker Carlson debated Univision news anchor Jorge Ramos over the fact he voted in both Mexican and American elections.
Ramos was born in Mexico City but later became a United States citizen.
Carlson said that, in taking his oath of citizenship, Ramos swore to "renounce all allegiance to any foreign state you have ever been a citizen of."
"You took that oath, but you're voting in a foreign election," Carlson said.
Ramos said there is nothing wrong with doing so, as some countries like Mexico allow the practice.
"Mexico is not invading the U.S.," he said.
"Yet, Mexican citizens live in this country, vote in Mexican elections, then write books telling Americans like me how we should run our government when you clearly haven't renounced your loyalty to a foreign government," Carlson said.
Ramos said he should indeed be able to "complain" about Donald Trump, who he called the "most anti-immigrant president since the 1950s."
Ramos then accused Carlson of being "state media" because he is "criminalizing immigrants," which the Carlson then dismissed as a "Univision talking point."
"In what sense are you fully American?" Carlson asked.


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Home / County Politics, News / Do you want an Opposition chief after RAILA joined Govt? Well, look no further, here I am - WETANGULA shocks Kenyans again
Do you want an Opposition chief after RAILA joined Govt? Well, look no further, here I am - WETANGULA shocks Kenyans again
County Politics, News 06:08
Monday July 30, 2018 - Bungoma Senator and Ford Kenya Party Leader, Moses Wetang'ula, has crowned himself the new official Opposition Chief after former Prime Minister Raila Odinga joined the Government of President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy, William Ruto, following the March 9th handshake.
This comes even as his fight with the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader escalates.
Wetangula also reiterated that he would be a Presidential candidate in 2022 and challenged his worthy opponents to prepare for a shock.
Speaking at his home in Bungoma County yesterday, Wetangula claimed that the Opposition leader had been captured by the enemy (Uhuru's Government) and therefore he had officially taken over the role.
"I am leading the opposition and we are fighting for Kenyans."
"In history, we have people who fight and in the process of the fight, however, strong and lethal they are, they get captured."
"And once they are captured, they distort the process of the fight, but eventually others emerge and lead the fight," Wetangula argued.
"We are here to lead Kenyans into the next level of leadership that would make sense."
"Those who have been captured, we wish them well in their state of capture," he added.


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Published by Lauren Miller at February 20, 2019
Wendy Lothian interviews Jane Hayward about her novel "The Baby Box"
Wendy Lothian met Jane Hayward to discuss her new memoir about her experiences as a teenager in a mother-and-baby home during the sixties. It is published by Matador, an imprint of Troubadour.
When I met Hayward in the National Portrait Gallery Café, she had been looking for a portrait of Queen Anne, having recently watched The Favourite. After reading The Baby Box in one sitting, I was intrigued to meet the writer. Despite the subject matter, familiar from the kitchen sink dramas of the period, the story is uplifting rather than depressing. This is due in part to the careful and precise language as well as the honesty and self-deprecating humour of the author. In person, Hayward is warm and engaging. Our conversation ranges from her views on historical fiction (she prefers the real thing) to the seventies sitcom Rising Damp (a guilty pleasure for both of us), but I begin by congratulating her on the publication of The Baby Box. So, why tell this story now, after fifty years?
'There were three main reasons. One, that it had been around for a long time and I was fed up with it being on my to-do list. The second thing was that it was a long time, nearly twenty years since my mother died and that was a great stumbling block, with writing some of those scenes. The third thing was that I realised I had got the money to go into a self-publishing project.'
Hayward had always felt her story would make a novel, and began at first writing a dual narrative, with the story told from both mother's and daughter's points of view. She felt that this didn't quite work, but persevered with different iterations, which she submitted to agents. One commented that the piece struggled not to be a memoir, which was a turning point for the project, Hayward recalls. 'I thought: Good. I think I'm the kind of person that now and again needs to be told what she's doing is right.' Then began a serious process of re-drafting. 'I knew then what I was going to do, with a great sense of certainty. I got it all out, and put more of me into it, which is a great release because as a writer you can hold your personal self back, and this time I let myself be me.'
Nevertheless, the piece was set aside for a while, as Hayward completed an MA in Creative Writing at the University of Chichester, amongst other things. However, she returned to it again and again, and it continued to evolve over a number of years. At one point a single chapter, one of the author's favourites, became a short story, told in the first person, with the beginning and the end re-written. This was published on MIROnline, under the title My Mother's Daughter. Jane considers this another significant point in the process. 'I thought, yeah, gosh, somebody likes this, there's something in it. And I needed to get it done, get it finished and get it out there.'
I ask about the writer's choice of MA course and how she felt it had helped her. After researching alternatives, she settled on the University of Chichester. The taught course appealed to Hayward, who, coming to higher education later in life, found the structured learning helpful. Hayward submitted the short story she wrote in the second module, the darkly domestic The Way To a Man's Heart, to the Lightship prize, winning £1,000, which was encouraging. 'I was very pleased with myself.'
The location of the campus meant spending two days a week in Chichester, which Hayward enjoyed, and an unexpected source of inspiration, as she used to use the library to watch black and white sitcoms such as I Love Lucy.
Hayward owns a love of television comedy, past and present, and credits this with her ability to write effective dialogue 'I think, with one other thing, that's where I learnt how to write dialogue because also my father ran a dramatic society. So I was always hearing lines, where the story comes over just in dialogue.'
Since doing the MA, the author maintains her writing practice and has been a member of a writers' workshop for eight years. The three of them meet every two months, and it seems to serve a very clear purpose, 'It makes me write a new piece because the rule is you don't submit the same thing twice.' She appreciates the input from two very different voices, one of whom is also a very good editor. Hayward would recommend it to fellow writers: 'I think you do need one writers' group actually, however, infrequently you meet. Because otherwise, would you bother?' She is also enthusiastic about the Birkbeck events on Saturday mornings, which she attends frequently.
We talk about the process of self-publishing, why she chose this route and how it compares to her previous experience. Typically pragmatic reasons determined the decision. 'When I first started writing, you submitted directly to publishers. Then there was the rise of the agent, and you couldn't go directly to publishers. Now there's the growth of the independent, so you can go to those, but they nearly always have an agenda.' Hayward decided that self-publishing was worth investigating, and was attracted to Matador by their ability to provide marketing support, which she feels is key, and speaks highly of their transparency about pricing, and the enthusiasm and commitment of the team.
The experience has been positive so far, but Hayward doesn't feel it's for everyone, 'If I wanted to recommend it to anybody, I'd want it to be person to person. I think a) you've got to be the right sort of person and b) you've got to really think about it for a long time.'
One thing that gets a solid recommendation, however, is checking any contract with the Society of Authors, which Hayward also found helpful in the process selecting a publisher, and considers an essential part of the process. 'Even if you're not a member they'll do it. They'll charge you a one-off fee, but it's not enormous.'
Hayward does admit to being a little frustrated that the narrow categories offered resulted in The Baby Box being classified as autobiography, rather than memoir.
We discuss the current seeming vogue for creative non-fiction and life-writing, and why there seems such an appetite for it. Hayward wonders whether fear of the future causes people to look back. 'We want to make the past a better place than it was or reassure ourselves that today is a better place than the past was, one or the other.' We agree that social media may accustom readers to prefer 'true' stories, but as Hayward says, with typical practicality, 'Otherwise, of course, it's just the publishing world isn't it? It's finding something new to publish.'
The author's taste in reading is nearly always fiction about the domestic. 'I don't read crime, apart from Ruth Rendell on holiday. I don't read Science Fiction at all. I don't read historical fiction, I've got to read the real thing. So I read the fiction that's going or I get a bit behind. The last thing I read was Eimer McBride's The Lesser Bohemians.'
The cover image is a striking picture of a section of an interior, with a woman seated on a bed. Only her lower half is visible, and a half-finished knitting project beside her, a single cornflower blue bootee in the foreground. I feel it's in keeping with the book, which, while it relates a most personal and difficult experience, is most definitely not a misery memoir. I ask whether this was something the publisher provided; however, Hayward's daughter recommended a friend, a professional book designer, who worked with Hayward to create the look and feel of both the ebook and print edition. It's clear that the author enjoyed the process and is very happy with the result. 'It almost gets you there but not quite.'
We discuss whether, having been almost given permission to write a memoir, it changed the approach to writing such a personal subject and whether she felt a responsibility to the other people involved. While Hayward's primary concern is to be honest, citing Wendy Cope's view that writing is nothing if not the truth, she hopes also the reader will understand her situation. 'I didn't want to come over as a selfish, ungrateful person. I suppose mine is possibly a little bit different from some memoirs, in that there was another person in that triangle, the baby, and I had taken that decision, not an unusual decision, in the first chapter. There was no way that this was going to go away. So I think that's a thing that, well, I hope hangs over the memoir; that there's no escape.' The inevitability of her decisions, the lack of choice at the time for unmarried mothers, as well as the judgement from others, is of course of another age and is strongly evoked by the writer's detailed, sensual descriptions and convincing dialogue.
'And I think that's the biggest thing that people will find difficult. Because youngsters will just think, "I don't know what all the fuss was about". And even the people of my generation. I have a number of friends who got married straight from university. But that was what happened, that was normal. Well if you just happened to be pregnant when you got married…'
As well as the more pragmatic concerns of timing and ownership of the process, there is a sense that there was a more overarching motivation for Hayward to publish. 'The other thing that was driving me to write it was that I really wanted, and still do want, people who have been adopted and who are not happy about it to read the book. That was a strong reason for me writing it: if it helped one person, I would be happy and comfortable with myself.'
I think it's a very brave endeavour, and I wonder if anyone is going to find out the first time by reading the book. 'Everybody except my husband.' Reactions have been good so far, and her husband and daughter have been encouraging; her husband assisted with proofreading, and her daughter even suggested the strapline for the title: When Motherhood is Tested, Who Gets to Decide? Hayward relates that the response has been surprise that she was able to keep this to herself for so long, which in turn surprises her. 'It wasn't a question of how I could keep a secret; I couldn't not keep it.' And now that it's out in the world? 'Funnily enough, much easier. It's in the book. The book is not me.'
I ask what's next and whether she might return to shorter forms again. It seems she will, 'I've got at least ten short stories about peculiar ways of dying, and the first story is about FGM. That story came out of me being somewhere where it was a 97% cut rate and yet the women that I met were so sassy and amazing.'
There is also a return to another project, related to life-writing, begun while studying for her MA. Hayward is looking to re-write, 'restructure would be a better word', and shorten the memoir of a family member who had suffered from PTSD. This one will be a dual narrative, with the alternative point of view of a child, Hayward as a young girl. She recalls her feelings of regret on reading the story about the difficulties he had suffered, and understanding that she had been judgemental about him as a child, motivated her to write his story.
It seems as if publishing The Baby Box is only the beginning and that there is a sense of closure. 'I just wanted to get it out of the way. I think a lot of memoir is written like that for those reasons. You want to move on, as the cliché goes. It's just that it's taken me 50 years to move on.'
For more information on Jane Hayward please visit janehayward.blog
Wendy Lothian studied for her MLitt in Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow. She works in exhibition-making in a contemporary art museum, which provides much inspiration for writing, and is interested in the relationships between text, narrative and image.
Jane started writing when she was 13 and, after a dalliance with painting at Camberwell School of Art, returned to putting words on paper, at work and at home. Working as a consultant with her husband gave her the time to complete a romantic novel (pub. Robert Hale). With a prize for a short story and some published by indie publishers, she set out to write a novel of her story. After receiving 'this struggles not to be a memoir' from an agent, she converted to writing a memoir, offering the scope to be personal, emotional and uplifting at the same time. She has enjoyed the self-publishing journey and still submits short stories as often as she can write them. And attending events with MIROnline.


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Morgan's batting woes in IPL continue as World Cup approaches
https://www.safrica24.com/sport/morgans-batting-woes-in-ipl-continue-as-world-cup-approaches/318565-news October 02, 2021 631
England Twenty20 captain Eoin Morgan's poor batting performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) continued as he scored only two runs in Kolkata Knight Riders' defeat by Punjab Kings, raising concerns over his form ahead of the World Cup.
Morgan, who also leads Kolkata, has scored a total of 17 runs in four innings since the IPL resumed in the United Arab Emirates last month.
The 35-year-old has an average of 10.90 runs in the T20 tournament and Kolkata coach Brendon McCullum said the team expects more from the batter.
"I think he's captained the side really well. But look, you want some more runs from him there's no doubt in there," McCullum told reporters after Friday's five-wicket loss.
"He's one of our senior players. He's one of our international batters and in his own head, he would have loved to contribute more runs.
"You need runs from your overseas players and you particularly need in those key spots as well. I am confident he will come alright."
Morgan is set to lead England in the T20 World Cup, which will be held in the UAE and Oman.
England face defending champions West Indies in their opening match on Oct. 23 in Dubai.
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MODERNIST ARCHITECTURE BEYOND GAUDI: DOMENECH I MONTANER WORKS
Home » MODERNIST ARCHITECTURE BEYOND GAUDI: DOMENECH I MONTANER WORKS
Leave a Comment / Barcelona Sightseeing / By Marta
TOP DOMENECH I MONTANER SITES IN BARCELONA
Everyone coming to Barcelona wants to see the Gaudi sites. But if it hadn't been for him, then the masterpieces of Domenech i Montaner would have been now famous all over the world. This now not so famous architect was born in 1850, two years before Antoni Gaudi, and in 1877 he was already a professor in the School of Architecture while Gaudi was still a student.
He was also very involved in the turbulent politics of the end of the 1800's, always in favor of a strong Catalonia in front of the Spanish powers, and he even became a president of our region for a short time. So it's not strange that his architecture reveals lots of Catalan symbology.
If you are curious to see the architectural works of this genius that missed international fame due to the impossible to beat competition of Antoni Gaudi, we've selected the buildings you shouldn't miss, some of which we see in our Eixample tour.
These are the Domenech i Montaner masterpieces in Barcelona:
Twice Domenech i Montaner worked in sanitary projects: teh first time precisely in Gaudi's hometown, Reus, where he built an institution for the mentally ill, then in Barcelona a more ambitious project. The medieval Hospital of the Holy Cross had become too small and dated to continue being of service to the city, and the donation of the businessman Pau Gil created the opportunity to build a large and modern hospital facility in what then was still the suburbs of Barcelona, just a few blocks away from where Gaudi was building the Sagrada Familia Church. Domench i Montaner studied the leading hospitals in Europe and designed a group of pavilions where the ill would be organized by disease (rather than being all mixed up, as it was custom at the time). The pavilions where decorated with gorgeous modernist tiles, which were considered a hygienic material as they were easier to clean than stone. The Entrance and Administration pavilion features also some gorgeous stained glasses. Unfortunately the project wasn't finished, but the part that was completed hosted one of the most prestigious Spanish public hospitals until in 2003 it was moved to a new venue nearby. Get your tickets online here.
Casa Lleó Morera
This apartment building is part of the famous Block of Disagreement, that also includes Gaudi's Casa Batlló and Casa Ametller by Puig i Cadafalch: the three competitors working side by side, pretty much at the same time! Domènech i Muntaner's was built in 1902 and received the award to the best building of the year (you can still see the stylish modernist sign announcing that in the wall facing Passeig de Gràcia). As it was customary, the owners lived in the second floor, the street level was reserved for commerce and the other floors were rented out (families used to live there, but now they're mostly offices). The main floor is now open to the public and the best part are the room with the balcony overlooking the street, and the spectacular stained glass wall that faces the backyard (from where you get to see the stained glasses of the other floors, by the way, that all together represent a tree. The building is temporarily closed until it is adapted to the current accessibility regulations.
Fonda Espanya
The Fonda or Hotel Espanya was a refurbishment of an old hostel from the 1850's that Domenech i Montaner upgraded to an exclusive hotel in 1903. The architect was mostly in charge of the decoration rather than its structure, but the results were astonishing as we united with some of the top artisans of the time. As you go in from the street, to the left you have the hotel bar decorated with a massive marble fireplace with sculptures about life: from childhood to old age. But the best awaits for you at the bottom of the street level: a gorgeous dinning room decorated with a spectacular fresco of mermaids and fish. The rest of the hotel is embellished with marble columns and sgraffiatti in the walls displaying good wishes to the travelers. The place continues to be a hotel (a 4-stars), with a lovely rooftop terrace bar and a restaurant run by the prestigious chef Martin Berasategui, a close friend of the owners of the hotel.
Casa Fuster
This other building has also become a hotel (5-stars) although that wasn't it's original purpose: it was commissioned to be a private home. The works lasted between 1908 and 1911. Mr. Fuster intended it to be a gift to his wife (whose initials CF appear on a rose in one of the façades) and spent so much money in the decoration of the building that it was considered the most expensive in town: white and pink marble all over the place, over 300 capitals each one sculpted in a different way with flower and animals relieves. The street level was designed as a reception room for the owners' guests. And it is said that a music quartet would play every night for dinner. Unfortunately, that was too much for the family economy and they had to sell the house in the 1920's, when it became an apartment building. Later on in the 1960's it was bought by the local electricity company Enher to become their office headquarters despite the protests of the local population. It wasn't until 2000 that it was bought by the hotel chain that owns it now.
Montaner i Simón printing house (now Fundació Tàpies)
This industrial building from 1881-1885 is considered to be one of the first modernist buildings in Catalonia, and the first one in the Eixample district to use brick in its façade. Domenech i Montaner was assigned the project, as he had already built a summer house for one of the owners of the printing house and they needed new headquarters. The machinery was installed in the basement, the main floor housed the public area and the books warehouse, while the smaller upper floor was used for the company offices. The company changed hands in 1962 and closed permanently in 1981. Six years later, the grandson of Domènech i Montaner, Lluís Domènech i Girbau – also an architect, together with Roser Amadó were asked to restore the building and adapt it to host the Tàpies Foundation
AND BONUS! The Domenech i Montaner masterpiece that can be visited at night:
Well, rather than visiting, what you can do is attend a concert there. Palau de la Música Catalana is definitely the top masterpiece of Domenech i Montaner: an outstanding concert hall that was built between 1905 and 1908, commissioned by the Orfeó Català choir. The construction was paid exclusively from donations, and built in the heart of a working-class neighborhood because they wanted to bring music to the lowest classes of the society (as the Liceu opera house was intended for the wealthy only). Actually, that shows in the huge sculpture that decorates a corner of the façade: a group of Catalan people from all the society levels singing together under the lead of Saint George, patron saint of Catalonia. It was also going to welcome any type of music: from the most popular and traditional to the one for the most educated ears. That also shows in the decoration of the stage, surrounded by ceramic muses holding a variety of instruments, some of them used for classic music, some other for traditional and folk. The acoustics of the place are amazing, and is also the treatment of the light. If you can't attend a concert, join one of their guided tours in the morning and don't miss the gorgeous stained-glass skylight over the main floor. Tickets sell out, make sure to get them in advance.
So what about you? Head to the comments below and tells us: had you ever heard about Domenech i Montaner before and are you planning to visit any of Domenech i Montaner works during your trip?
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October 18, 2018 / 4:12 PM / in 9 months
Square introduces new payment terminal for small businesses
FILE PHOTO: Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey answers a question as he testifies at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on foreign influence operations on social media platforms on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., September 5, 2018. REUTERS/Jim Bourg
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Square Inc, the company led by Twitter Inc Chief Executive Jack Dorsey, on Thursday launched a payment terminal for small business clients, expanding its suite of hardware products.
Square's new touch-screen terminal allows merchants, such as liquor stores and hairdressers, to ring up sales, take credit card payments processed through the company's system and print receipts.
The terminal also accepts mobile phone and other contactless payments via Apple Inc's Apple Pay and Alphabet Inc's Google Pay.
Square said it believes its new terminal offers a cheaper, more user-friendly alternative to the credit card terminals provided by more established companies.
Businesses will be charged $399 for the device and a fee of 2.6 percent plus 10 cents for every transaction, regardless of the type of payment used.
"Square Terminal is designed from the ground up to ensure a feeling of familiarity, so sellers and their customers can use it right away," Jesse Dorogusker, head of hardware at Square, said in a statement.
The San Francisco-based company made a name for itself through its flagship small credit card reader that turns smartphones into payment terminals. It has been expanding into other lines of business, including consumer lending.
Square also provides invoicing software and other tools for small businesses.
Reporting by Anna Irrera; editing by Jonathan Oatis


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BLACK TONGUE - Nadir
As you are undoubtedly aware, a team of battle-scarred (yet remarkably personable) scribes have recently moved into our humble Village. First out of the gate is the mighty Ancient Hand. Best give him your undivided attention voluntarily, lest he demand it. - Mgmt
Black Tongue's sound is made to be the heaviest thing in the known universe. There's no flash or unnecessary showiness in their music; it simply wants to be as heavy as it possibly can. On their last record (2015's "The Unconquerable Dark"), Black Tongue did an incredible job blending funeral doom and deathcore to create a deep, heavy, and monumental record that bridged the gap between two very different sub-genres of metal. Now, in 2018, Black Tongue have undertaken a follow-up release that seeks to solidify their sound and add new elements on top of it.
Right as the record kicks off, it's clear that Black Tongue is trying some new things out. The ambient guitar work that builds to an ominous breakdown drips with dark atmosphere. The opening track itself, "The Eternal Return to Ruin," features lyrics that elevate the album to heavenly heights, while also featuring vocals that sound as though they were birthed from the deepest pit of Hell. The lyrical themes are consistent throughout much of the release; the afterlife, pain, death, hopelessness, and the abuse of God and people are all used to create one of the darkest records of the year.
This record also features heavy influences from black metal that the band pushes to the forefront of many songs. Most notably, the beginning of "The Cathedral" burns with the same intensity of Norway's churches in the early 90's.
In addition to wearing black metal influences on their sleeve, Black Tongue covers Celtic Frost's classic "A Dying God Coming Into Human Flesh," and, to my surprise, they do a wonderful job. Singing is retained for this song (its only instance on the entire record), but Black Tongue still manages to make it their own with their signature sound towards the end of the track. Other songs to note are the punishing "Contrapasso" and the crushing "Parting Soliloquy." The former also makes use of black metal influences from shrieks to tremolo-picked guitars, and the latter features some of the most haunting vocals I have heard all year with the repetition of "Please don't leave me here" layered over harsh noise that sends shivers down my spine after multiple listens.
Overall, this record brings Black Tongue to the next level. It is very clear that they mean business, and their goal of blending these two seemingly contrasting sounds of deathcore and doom metal can still have even more sounds added into it. With a release this varied in metal influences, lyrical quality, and consistency between songs, I think it's safe to say that Black Tongue have created one of the most punishing, dark, and stellar metal albums of the year.
Written by: Ancient Hand
Black Tongue can be found:
Youtube


Marike Bakker is a partner in NautaDutilh's Litigation Department. She focuses on government and internal investigations and matters related to regulatory enforcement, litigation and compliance, including improper payments, insider trading and market manipulation. Recognized for her experience in the areas of white collar and business defense, Marike is regularly engaged by corporations, directors, and officers to advise and defend in complex criminal and regulatory investigations.
Marike graduated from Utrecht University in 1994. She joined NautaDutilh as a partner in 2016. She is described in Legal 500 as 'recognized for showing impressive expertise in several high profile cases' and 'highly recommended and experienced in high-profile fraud and bribery investigations'.
Marike is a member of the Advisory Board on criminal law of the Netherlands Bar Association, the Netherlands Association of Defence Counsels and the International Bar Association. She is also a member of the Social Advisory Council of the Faculty of Law of the Utrecht University. Marike is a deputy judge at the District Court of The Hague. She is a frequent speaker and writer on the subject of financial crime and regulatory compliance.
Marike regularly blogs on the NautaDutilh Compliance & Business Integrity blog.


text:
CATTLE DECAPITATION: The Anthropocene Extinction Full-Length Out TODAY On Metal Blade Records
New album Legendary Thrash metal band EVILDEAD
Heiko Kleine-Neerken
New Release AOR Heaven-Rob Moratti-Paragon
New Album German Rockers from Mad Max
Interview Jaroslaw Pozarycki Elgibbor
Interview Juan Garcia, EvilDead....
Interview Patrizio Mameli
Interview David Marcelis from Black Knight...
Interview Patrick Harreman-Usurper NL
Interview Geoff Thorpe, Vicious Rumors
Newly Signed AFM Band Redemption releasing Live at Progpower 2018
Author AtV
Slayer Announce Zwolle Show
Thrash metal legends Slayer have announced details of a Dutch headline show. The quartet will take to Zwolle's Ijsselhal on Thursday, 15 November as part of an expansive European tour which will be announced... Read More...
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Signum Regis presents video for the song "QUITTERS NEVER WIN"
Official music video for "Quitters Never Win" from the new Signum Regis album "Chapter IV: The Reckoning". https://youtu.be/VZb9vQ2PQU4... Read More...
Delain just released a new audiotrack
The first track off "Lunar Prelude": an upbeat fight song about facing your demons and taking them on. Don't let them weigh you down! We hope you will enjoy "Suckerpuch", listen to it here: https://soundclou... Read More...
BLACKNING FINISH WRITING NEW ALBUM
Brazil-based thrash metal legion, BLACKNING, have finished the composition process of the follow up to their debut release "Order Of Chaos". Their yet untitled sophomore album is set to be recorded during Febru... Read More...
Doom metalheads Aggelos premieres new lyric video for 'Vivente'
Medellin, Columbia's own Aggelos is premiering their new lyric video for "Vivente" today on HM. The band (which means "messenger") formed in 2002 with the goal of combining eerie and haunting female vocals with... Read More...
Jason Mackenroth, Former Rollins Band Drummer, Dies at 46
Jason Mackenroth, who played drums for Rollins Band from 1998 to 2004, died on Sunday after a nearly four-year battle with prostate cancer. He was 46. Following his tenure with the Rollins Band, Mackenroth ... Read More...
THE WORD ALIVE STREAM NEW SINGLE "TRAPPED" FROM THE FORTHCOMING ALBUM "DARK MATTER"
Phoenix, AZ's The Word Alive are set to take 2016 by storm, armed with their fourth full-length "Dark Matter" set for release March 18th via Fearless Records and now available for pre-order. Lead singer Tell... Read More...
© & ℗ Bonavox part of the Bonavox Foundation


The Society of Interventional Radiology provides general information about PAD, screening guidelines, clinical trials, and self-testing. Their website also offers information about the "Legs for Life" PAD screening program.
This site provides a glossary, FAQs, and a physician finder sponsored through the American Association of Vascular Surgeons.


archery-FAQ Intro. and T. of C. for Archery FAQs.
arch-books-FAQ List and reviews of books on archery.
clout-shoot-FAQ Clout shooting in and outside the SCA.
construct-FAQ Construction of self bows and longbows.
crossbow-FAQ Crossbow history, definitions, construction.
serving-FAQ Repairing and replacing your bowstring serving.
string-mak-FAQ Making and serving your own bowstring.
WB-tuning-FAQ Walk-back tuning of bows.
This symbol indicates these files are new or have been updated since 9/1/00.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Monogram wrap bracelets! These make great bridesmaids gifts, graduation gifts in school colors or personalized birthday gifts.
Select the color you'd like in the drop down menu. Don't have the color you're looking for? Just message me.
Want to choose the color of beads you like to use, or have no beads? Want to choose the color of wire used (Silver, Copper, Gold)? Want to use two different colors of leather? No problem, just let us know in "notes to seller".
Upper and lowercase letters and numbers are available for each font style. Additional symbols are available. If you don't see the one you're looking for in the images, please message us and we can see if we can get it for you.
Every bracelet is around 36" long which should allow you to wrap it easily 3-4 times around your wrist. Due to its adjustability, it's made to fit practically any wrist size.


Time for my second track weekend. I had a blast back in November at TWS and am ready for the next go 'round.
Ready to go with the AWESOME paddock spot!!
I register for this event around mid-month. Waited too long and it is nearly full up. There are 120+ driving event cars, and 30+ BMW club racers. The garages are all full for both days and I am wait listed. With this many vehicles on site, Costas and I decide that it is best to go out Friday night and stake our claim to a paddock spot. Neither of us wants to be in the back forty and have to walk a long way to get where the action is. I go out at 8pm on Friday night and set up camp just inside the paddock gate by the concession stand. I leave the trailer to block a spot for Costas. He is coming in to instruct for me on Saturday. The plan is to get a lot of quality instruction on Saturday so Paul does can go back to San Antonio on Saturday night. Hey, someone has to feed his pups, Race and Rally!
BMW club racer...err.....Hunter? Whiskey-tango-fox? Why didn't you tell us????
It rains Friday night but the weather looks good for Saturday and Sunday. High in the low to mid 80's, but w-i-n-d-y. 30+ mph windy. So windy that I got windburn windy.
Paul comes out of his driver's meeting looking for his other student. His name is Mike and he is number 197 in a green 2008 Mustang Bullitt. Unfortunatley, Paul read that as green group, (Yeah, my morning reading skills were weak that day!!! ~Costas) so he is having quite the issue finding his guy J Green group comes to grid and goes out on track. No Mustang. Oh well, time for Blue group and my turn to run. I ran green (rookies) back in November for one day and Blue for one day. I'm a bit apprehensive about starting in blue again. It has been 5 months since I have been on the track and I think maybe I have forgotten the nuances that I picked up last time. Paul and I give Darcie a thumbs up as she directs the THIRTY cars on grid out to the track. I don't really remember much about this session except traffic. Just cars everywhere. Slow and slow. Fortunately the session ends uneventfully. The car is running well and I felt good about the refresher session. We pull back into the paddock and hop out. Paul disappears, presumably to find his absent student. He was mumbling something about Mustangs turning and how it's just not right J He comes back and has found his student, now sitting in grid in yellow group. Super nice guy who has some experience with the Driver's Edge group, he just has not run with TWS MSC before. Paul's going to give him a check ride and see how he does. The session goes well and Paul agrees to sign the driver off for his next session. Paul tells me that he isn't way fast, but consistent and patient and smooth on his street tires.
Broken foxes emit a high-pitched noise (way beyond normal hearing range) that Wade can easily hear and thus track them down. It rivals his bowstaff skillz.
Yellow group is up. This is my second session of the day, on my second ever track weekend. Costas has agreed to ride with Mike again, his yellow group check ride student. Hmmmm…Paul is gonna ride with Mike, Mike is in yellow, I am now running in yellow…Oh NOES! What to do? What to do? Paul assures me that I will be fine. Just drive my line, watch my mirrors, and watch the corner stations. I'm not as convinced about not only moving up to Yellow so quick but also making my SOLO run in the same session. I suggest to Paul that maybe I'll follow Mike in his '08 Bullitt for the beginning of the session…as long as I can keep up. We both agree that this is a good idea and buckle down.
Wade moving on up the rainbow!!
Martin's slick BMW was there for the w2w racing!
Wade back in the paddock after a session.
Most of the rest of the weekend was delightfully uneventful. There are four Honda S2000's in my group, and they all pretty much know each other. I grid amongst them during one session and follow a black one for the entire session. That is, until the last lap when he drove off the end of turn one! I wave and drive by as he checks his shorts. Two sessions later I get behind the same guy and follow him for most of the session. He botches the entry into 13, and thus punts on 14 and 15. He gives me a point by on the front straight and lets me lead for a while. I run one lap with him on my tail. He is fast, but not blazingly slow. I can't really pull away, but he never was able to when he was up front. I let him by the next time around on the straight and back off quite a bit. The water temp is creeping up (230*). No sense is abusing the equipment. Half a lap later I am on the gas hard again and I spy the corner worker in turn six frantically waving the yellow flag. There is a bit of a blind spot as this is basically a 180 degree turn, so I get on the brakes hard and bring my speed down. The same Black S2000 is sitting in a cloud of dust off the inside of T6! Again I wave at Harley (we had introduced ourselves by now as he was garaged two spaces down) and I pull away. He may be just a TAD faster, but I have not been four wheels off yet, compared to his two offs! Harley is a nice guy and I give him crap about the two red dots on his windshield. One more spin and you are going home!!
Wade heading through T4 - AWESOME picture courtesy of Kat.
The weekend ends without further event and I am on cloud nine. The car has run spectacularly and I have run right in the mix of things in Yellow group. I ended up running solo for seven of my eight sessions, even doing one session as a lead/follow with Sam in his CMC Fox and my neighbor Chris riding shotgun with him. Sam flat ABUSES that car and is faster than me on almost every turn. I found out later that I was puuuuuuuuuuuuuulllllllling on him on the front straight. I thought he was lifting to give me some room since he was faster in T1, but Chris said the Blue Coupe was just walking away J Sam later confirmed this. That makes me feel good since his motor is fresh and mine has 200,000 miles.
Wade headed into T4, another nice shot courtesy of Kat.
Post race inspection finds minor casualties to be a warped front brake rotor and a very small leak around the timing cover/water pump. I have to find time to fix these soon as Tilton and I are planning to hit the track at the end of May! Spectacular weekend!
I had to give a 'check-ride' to a student that was in a car with no passenger seat. After him riding with an instructor I led him for a few laps and then followed for a few laps so I ended up doing some lapping in Miss (I was on streets with street pads) and had a good time. Now, to wrap up this story with some random shots!
Above and below are Miss and I in t4 and both are courtesy of Kat (thanks Kat!!).
The sticker on the back of Sam and Darcie's fox. Sweet.
BMW club racers headed to grid.
Triple stacked in grid. I bet that sports racer is tough to see from inside the 911.


text:
Lisa Klakulak's creativity was nurtured at a young age by her mother's arts, good public-school art programs in the suburbs of Detroit, and classes at the local art association. With these foundational experiences as well as self-directed exploration in fabric dyeing, sewing, and off-loom bead weaving, Klakulak began her BFA studies in 1993 at the University of Colorado. During her college years, she exhibited sculptural beaded jewelry at local art cooperatives and independently pursued the study of natural dyes, graduating in 1997 from Colorado State with a BFA in Fiber Arts.
Klakulak relocated to Taos, NM in 1997 to work as the chief natural dyer for a fiber supplier and began selling her work at Fine Art and Craft Shows. International travels over the millenium intensified Klakulak's textile focus, motivating her move to the southeast to study at Penland School of Craft and to accept an Artist-in-Residence position at The Appalachian Center for Craft, in Smithville, TN. While at ACC from 2002-2005, Klakulak extensively explored the medium of felt, educated children in middle Tennessee public schools through ACC's Outreach Programs, began instructing adult workshops and acquired a K-12 Visual Arts certification.
Asheville, NC became the base of operations from 2006-2018 for Klakulak's business, STRONGFELT, inc, encompassing the making of body adornment, vessels for holding and figurative sculpture as well as K-12 artist residencies and the instruction of workshops worldwide. An inspirational cycle had developed: traveling to teach, gaining new perspectives though travel, making new work that inspired others and being invited again to teach. In 2012, exhausted by such a pace, Klakulak added a studio to her house to allow for small group instruction without the need for travel.
An adventurer at heart, within four years Klakulak was hiking along Patagonian Glaciers, after teaching in Santiago, Chile. Klakulak recognized the glacial concept of porosity (the relation of space and mass) as familiar: both familial and at the core of her attraction to the wet felting process. Additionally, research into the vast tidal changes (exposure and the cover up) experienced at this southern outpost resulted in learning that the Bay of Fundy located between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in Canada has the most extreme swing of water on the planet.
Inspired by big ideas and designated time to explore them while acquiring the paper needed to teach young adults in postsecondary schools, Klakulak decided to pursue a Master of Fine Arts degree in Sculpture at the Nova Scotia College of Art & Design from 2018-2020.


Caleb Mutfwang, the chairman of Mangu local government area in Plateau state, has said that seven persons were killed during attacks in some parts of the area.
Addressing journalists on Saturday, Mutfwang said that some gunmen shot one Yoila Micah dead in his residence at Jwak-Maitumbi, a village in the area on December 26.
He said while the community was recovering from the attack, the gunmen struck again on Tuesday and shot two men riding on a motor-cycle, killing and beheading one Longji Mikyes while another unnamed person escaped with gunshot wounds.
Mutfwang said the killing precipitated violence in parts of the local government and attracted the attention of the Special Task Force (STF) which moved in to ensure peace.
He, however, said that following the killings, some youths tracked the killers by tracing the blood mark to the house of one Alhaji Wada, a Fulani resident of the community.
"Upon their request to search the house, someone came out with a gun and shot randomly at the youths injuring some of them," he said.
"Angered by this reaction, the youths went on rampage and burnt some house belonging to Fulani residents and causing the death of a Fulani man on a visit from Barkin Ladi.
"Not surprising, the Fulani mobilised at night and attacked some of the other communities, resulting in the death of four people, burning of houses and properties, and throwing up a lot of internally displaced persons," he said.
He appealed for aid from relevant agencies for the displaced persons while noting that the council held a major stakeholders meeting with all the parties in the dispute for peace to reign.


Their work was their journey; their work was their task.
are left in this temple as memories of strife.
and shine light in darkness as part of the One.
"Dear Ones, I feel as if I've got one leg on earth orbiting normally and one leg hoisted in outer space orbiting a totally different path and I'm trying to balance my body and my psyche as I swim, float and "be".
carvings/mosaics and pictures and other caves with all sizes, shapes and kinds of Buddhas discovered in them, we saw the Taj, with its gorgeous jeweled art decorations encrusted within its stone edifice, the Sikh's Golden Temple".
For me the most beautiful setting and sight of the trip, visited a small 500 plus/minus peopled village and were welcomed into primitive huts/homes, interacted with loads of children and people along the way, so eager to connect and show warmth and friendliness to us, visited two "widow colonies" (remember Water?) and danced with them, visited a Tibetan nunnery/school and were hosted to a marvelous lunch prepared by the nuns, enjoyed the extreme warmth, gentleness and generosity of the Tibetan people in Dharmasala (their city in exile)…..learned more of their plight…..attended a teaching from the Dali Lama who was in residence while we were there, watched/participated in ceremonies on the holy River Ganges (where people wash clothes, bathe, put candled flowers afloat by day and night sending and coveting blessings), saw an un mechanical crematorium operating on a 25 hour basis, walked in the narrow streets of the Ghats around the Ganges…..were warmly welcomed to a young man's coming out event (he was 10)….it was like a Bar Mitzvah..where a party was given by his parents for 600 guests in the rear grassed yard at the hotel we stayed at, with everyone all dressed up in gorgeous traditional Indian dress/attire….they introduced us to the family, they wanted us to sit and eat, people came up to chat, one man asked me about the elections.
In India we saw contrasts of great wealth and unbelievable poverty side by side, went to Hindu temples, saw silk being woven by hand on looms many hundreds of years old, rode in rickshaws, functioned in traffic so tight there were millimeters separating six or more lanes functioning together in unbelievable fashion, took trips on busses whose drivers were so unbelievably skilled they went honking through places we thought surely we would hit either cows, people,carts or other moving objects…..saw monkeys freely flying, elephants sharing space with pedestrians (living animals are revered) so much went on, my head still reels. Had the wonderful experience of visiting Gandhi's memorial set in a beautiful park whose energy exuded serenity and reverence. I know I left much out and I have yet to sit still and pour over the days/notes to recapture it all although I had little time for my journal…..oh yes, had wonderful outdoor lunch parties where we danced to Indian music, ate Indian food……hotels were gorgeous, food was fabulous for me (mostly Indian) , lots of camaraderie in our group with warm, loving, spiritually minded, multi dimensional and very intelligent people…. found out there are over 10 fully functioning religions getting along side by side and hundreds of dialects throughout the country where its people live in harmony….it is noted that India is the only country where Jews did not incur anti Semitism during the Diaspora. Most of the Jews have emigrated to Israel although there still are very small pockets functioning in synagogues. I visited a Chabad house in Mumbai. To simply summarize……. India is a magical country and I had a magical journey!!!!!!! I adored and reveled in every minute of it!!!!!!!!!!.
"Ephanies" were experienced at some point along the way by many. I don't think I had one. The trip simply reinforced my constant feeling of being very blessed and grateful for all the riches and richness in my life….. …..and with continued humility, I experienced this marvelous new adventure into the heart and belly of an interesting, vastly spiritual, pulsating, vibrant country and its wonderful people.
Joan Borysenko was fabulous……quite brilliant, erudite, accessible, down to earth, unpretentious, self effacing, open, soft, real, humorous, honorable and admirable.
I hope I've given you a taste of my very full meal. With love and caring connection to all.
tread on touchstones of forever with junkyard vitality.
Every once in a while in life, a rainbow appears. It might not be the real thing with an arc of magenta, ruby, and emerald. But when a figurative rainbow shines, the resulting chemistry can mi…mic the real McCoy. That's what happened last week in Amritsar, Punjab, in northern India. An array of people, many in a rainbow of sari and turban colors, connected magically.
The scene was a sunny afternoon in the Jallianwala Bagh Memorial Park. The issue was finding a turban tutor. The area is Sikh country and men (and a few women) wear them as proud displays of their culture and religion. Turbans also seem to be a fashion statement here, and there's a display of colors for turbans worn, from deep rose to canary yellow.
Eugene, a New Yorker and one of the members of my tiny tour group of North Americans, wanted to immerse himself in an afternoon of Sikh culture. The crowning glory of the day would be to visit the opulent and holy Golden Temple. But the Big Apple native wanted to wear an authentic turban to the temple, not one of the handkerchief-type head covers most tourists tie on.
Enter Sheena, our tour guru from Toronto. Speaking Punjabi like the native she is, she coaxed a newly-married Sikh to wrap Eugene's head in 6 yards of royal blue linen/cotton blend. Sheena told us the guy was a recent groom because the woman with him had telltale bride bling bracelets stacked halfway up her forearms.
So the Sikh groom turned turban-master confidently pleated the length of fabric and worked his wizardry. While Eugene clenched his teeth on the fabric tip, the Sikh expertly wrapped the New Yorker's head. With each twist and turn, local Punjabis stopped to stare. After all, who was this American–a white guy–wanting to wear the regal-looking turban?
By the time Eugene's head was half-way encircled, at least 50 people were lingering, laughing, and outright gawking. They angled for the best view. They commented on how well his turban wrap was progressing. They smiled at the spectacle of the moment itself.
As the Sikh groom put the finishing touches on Eugene's turban, phone cameras clicked. People wanted shots of the real Sikh and his pseudo-counterpart. They wanted photos of our group together. They wanted photos two-by-two. They even wanted sari-clad Grandma to pose with Eugene.
Serendipity is my favorite word and that day, I saw it in full arc. By the time we'd finished the rounds of snapping photos, the rainbow magic of people mixing had peaked. Interesting what a pot of gold we discovered through the experience.