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Where to See Wildflowers This Season
This winter may have been drier than last year's, when record-breaking snow and rainfall brought wildflower superblooms to national parks and fields across the West, but that doesn't mean you won't be able to spot gorgeous blossoms this spring. As temperatures continue to rise, wildflower season is in full swing. Here are some prime spots to catch the blooms.
Set along the Puget Sound near Bellingham, Anacortes Community Forest Lands holds old-growth forests filled with native berry shrubs that bloom from February to August. Among these, Indian plum, red flowering currant, salmonberry, and red huckleberry are ones to watch for. Later in the spring and into summer, orange trumpet honeysuckle hangs from the trees overhead, and wild Lily of the Valley and coral root orchids blossom underfoot. The real treat is a trek through bald meadows on Fidalgo Island's Sugarloaf Mountain, where hiking trails give views of spring gold, blue-eyed Marys, fawn lilies, Western buttercup, and red Indian paintbrush. Take a guided hike through the 2,700 protected acres, led by a local steward of nonprofit The Friends of the Forest.
Tom McCall Preserve, 231 acres of grassland along the Columbia River Gorge, is home to 300 species of plants, and grants you stunning views of Mount Hood and the Columbia River. Every spring, starting in late February, it's also home to one of the most incredible wildflower displays in the state. Keep an eye out for grass widows, prairie stars, shooting stars, lupine, and Indian paintbrush. The grasslands are also home to four plant species unique to the River Gorge—Thompson's broadleaf lupine, Columbia desert parsley, Thompson's waterleaf, and Hood River milkvetch. Catch the blooms along the Rowena Plateau, near the edge of the River gorge, along a 3.6-mile round-trip hike.
California's golden coast has long been famed for its poppy-filled plains. Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, a state-protected reserve of Mojave Desert grassland in northern Los Angeles County, offers 8 miles of hiking trails through rolling hills of golden poppies, lupine, and coreopsi, from mid-February to mid-May. Though National Weather Service and Park Service officials aren't confident that rainfall will increase significantly enough in the coming month to warrant another superbloom, the reserve is known for consistent poppy displays each year.
Further north, Death Valley's famous flower displays begin earlier in the spring at lower elevations, where desert gold, notch-leaf Phacelia, golden evening primrose, and gravel ghost dot foothills until mid-April. As temperatures continue to rise, upper desert slopes and canyons welcome desert dandelion, Mojave aster, indigo bush, and desert paintbrush.
Colorado's sweeping plains and mountainsides are prime for wildflower viewing, especially at the popular Roxborough State Park, 3,245 acres of wild land just southwest of Denver. Naturalist Ann Sarg suggests visiting the park to catch blooms in May, when natives like Nelson's larkspur, nuttall violet, sand lilies, and mariposa lily bloom along paths like the Willow Creek trail. She also says some natives, like the spring beauty, have already begun to bloom, and that late-blooming varietals like porter aster and Liatris pop up later towards summer. Fellow naturalist Susan Dunn suggests arriving earlier in the morning for flower hikes in order to take advantage of cooler temperatures, and also recommends that visitors hop on the RoxRide, a five-passenger cart driven by a naturalist who can point out the blooms along the way during spring weekends.
You might not expect wildflowers to bloom in the deserts of Arizona, but the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix showcases dry-weather flowers that can be found across the state. Prime viewing time in the gardens starts in early March, when they fill with desert wildflowers like firecracker penstemon, blackfoot daisy, and Mexican gold poppies, along with blossoming cact, which bloom along the popular Harriet K. Maxwell wildflower trail.
Just an hour outside of Phoenix, the Boyce Thompson Arboretum is a 323-acre state park committed to the study of drought-toleran, desert-happy plants from all over the world. Come mid-March, spring flowers like desert marigolds, brittle brush, and perry penstemon fill the park's several gardens with color, and native milkweed attracts monarch butterflies. After April, the park's collection of cacti, which include ocotillo, yucca, hedgehog, saguaro, and aloes, share their regal blooms.
View the full article here at Sunset
March 20, 2019 /0 Comments/by AltPDX
https://www.altpdx.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/logo-horizontal.png 0 0 AltPDX https://www.altpdx.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/logo-horizontal.png AltPDX2019-03-20 00:52:552019-11-20 00:53:21Where to See Wildflowers This Season
This fire-resistant home is the next line of defense against climate change Developers Are Now Designing Apartments for Selfies


Sorella Organics is a high end, luxury, organic sleep, lounge and maternity wear label at an extremely affordable price point. They also do menswear! Luxe lounge is the best way to describe the label.
The label (formally sorella & me) was founded in 2010 by sisters Alisha & Anna McGregor following Alisha's frustration of a lack of sleep & loungewear during her own two pregnancies. The sisters were inspired to create a collection of maternity pieces that would nurture a woman's changing body all the way through pregnancy, and provide the features needed to nurse her new baby with comfort ease.
Sourcing the softest certified organic and fair trade cotton ensured the pieces would be kind on the delicate skin of both mother and baby; kind to the environment; and kind to the workers growing, dyeing and knitting the cotton.
Following unanticipated demand, the sisters expanded the collection to pieces for every woman. A mens line was added in 2013 proving men also seek comfort and style!
Based in Melbourne, Anna is excited about bringing Sorella Organics to the Sunshine Coast Fashion Festival.
"I'm originally from the Sunshine Coast and while I love Melbourne life, I try and get back there as much as I can. There's no place like it," said Anna. Alisha still resides in Noosa Heads.
Sorella Organics' latest catalogue was shot in Coolum Beach on the Sunshine Coast.
"The talent is all available on the Sunshine Coast – models, styling & photographers. So we thought, why not? We used my parents' gorgeous beachside home at The Boardwalk in Coolum Beach and it really captured the relaxed luxe feel of the collection we were after. And I'll admit it was also bonus I could call on family for extra pairs of hands! Shooting is always massive work so the more the merrier!" continued Anna.
The brand has been awarded honorary membership to Ethical Fashion Forum's Fellowship 500 (the elite global industry body for sustainable fashion) recognising Sorella Organics as a leader in sustainable and ethical fashion.
The collection is made in Australia and Fiji and is available via their online store (www.sorellaorganics.com.au) They are offering your readers 15% off storewide! Just use code IFWvip at the check out.


So we all know that I LOVED Leigh Bardugo's debut novel, SHADOW AND BONE, right? If not, refresh yourself here.
Well the sequel, SIEGE AND STORM, came out in June and my god, it is even better then the first book! That almost never happens!
I didn't put this book down until I had read the last page and then wanted to go right back to the beginning again! Alina continues to be a strong willed leading lady and the many men in her life (including a delightful new guy to throw into the mix) add to the story rather than take away form it (who here is tired of uninteresting romantic interests? Show of hands?) Bardugo writes with a loveliness that intermingles tragedy and hope into every page. I am so excited to read the next book.


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Children of War | Ministries
Wherever, Whenever, However, To Save A Child's Life
Romans 12:9-13 NLT
Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God's people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.
Mission USA
Assisting Veterans and Non-Veterans alike combat the difficulties of life's challenges by finding our God given purpose in life. Promoting the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to strengthening our body, soul, and mind.
Mission South Sudan
CWM currently operates a center for orphans in Gumbo, South Sudan. Providing a Food & Water, Housing, Medical, and Education Programs for the Street Children and Orphans there-of. Sharing the Gospel and promoting peace in a conflict ridden nation.
cwm center (cwmc)
Children of War Ministry Center (CWMC)
Our Founders first mission to South Sudan, he came across a shack like structure. Seven children lived in this structure, sleeping in the dirt and all orphaned by the civil war that killed nearly half of the population and left 2 million children orphaned. These children had not eaten or drank for days, and had infected lesions all over their bodies. He bought them food, water, medical medical treatments, then prayed. As he returned the next day, 9 children grew to over 20 and over 50 the day after that. Each town in South Sudan and the surrounding countries has an epidemic of orphan children. In the town of Aweil alone 15,000 orphans call the street their home.
Our answer to combat this issue is simple. Build a center that provides free meals, water, medical support, education, and a safe place to sleep for orphan children of the Street in South Sudan and beyond.
WARNING GRAPHIC: Some of the photos you are about to see contain graphic images.
There is no comparison between 1st world and 3rd world nations. Those of us in the West have been bombarded with images like there for decades asking for donations. We have become numb.
The problems still persist, the people are still starving, the way of life is still 3rd world.
Many of the pictures you are about to see were taken by our founder Scott Long during his first trip founding CWMC in South Sudan.
PO Box #792, Hershey Pennsylvania, 17033-0792, USA | Phone: (717) 602-4470 | Email: Info@childrenofwar.org
EIN 84-1917510 | Copyright © 2022 Children of War

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Year 7 bounded through the gates for the first day of their bright futures with us and displayed the mixture of nerves and excitement we have come to expect from our newest learners.
It is a particularly special year, as not only was it the start of a brand new 5 year cycle, but 2015 marks the first year that students from Ark Primary have moved up into secondary.
They certainly enjoyed their Induction Week but for some the reality of Ark Academy was very different to how they pictured it!
It is more than just the academics that count and, as ever, we place strong importance on our core values. By the sounds of it, they agree!
Special Mentions: Congratulations to Teonne Sifflet (7 Pankhurst) (pictured below with Principal Mrs Smith) for winning the Best Handwriting contest.
We wish our new Year 7 every success during their time with us, we know they will settle in beautifully alongside their older peers and take advantage of all the opportunities that come their way.


Two men who fled to Malaysia after allegedly taking part in a gang robbery at a shophouse last year appeared in court yesterday.
Thava Kumuran Ramamutty, 33, and Shanker Maghalingam, 30, were both charged with one count of gang robbery.
Police were alerted to the robbery involving $300,000 in cash at 93A Rowell Road between 2.45am and 3.08am on Dec 11 last year.
Officers from Central Police Division found after investigations that 12 suspects were involved in the gang robbery.
They are all Singaporeans mostly in their 20s.
The Sunday Times understands that Thava had allegedly robbed a 27-year-old Bangladeshi worker of the money that he had earlier collected from other workers to remit home. Thava had entered the shophouse unit with four other suspects, while the rest waited outside as lookouts.
Ten suspects were arrested in a series of police operations between Dec 11 and Jan 8. They have been charged in court and their cases are ongoing.
The pair who fled to Malaysia after the robbery were nabbed with help from the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP), said the police in a statement on Friday morning.
They were extradited to Singapore on the same day.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Arthur Law, commander of Central Police Division, thanked the RMP for their assistance.
"The SPF (Singapore Police Force) will do its utmost to track down those who flee Singapore after committing crimes. With the assistance from foreign law enforcement agencies counterparts, we will ensure that justice is served," he said.
The pair will be remanded for a week at the Central Police Division. They will return to court on April 20.
Offenders convicted of gang robbery can be punished with up to 20 years in jail and at least 12 strokes of the cane.
Correction note: An earlier version of this story spelt Thava Kumuran Ramamutty's name wrongly. We are sorry for the error.


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Celibacy index
Celibacy Articles
Napoleon Hill, from
Think & Grow Rich
Sex Transmutation Part 1
Temptation (1947)
Notes on Celibacy
Prostaglandins and Morality
Mark Jaqua,
Biochemistry of Sex
Conservation Therapy
Dhananjay, celibacy expert
On Brahmacharya
Harm of Masturbation
Sublimating the Vital Energy
Swami Kripalvananda
Yoga and Celibacy
The Illusion of Conjugal Sadhana
Franz Hartmann
On Chastity
Torkom Saraydarian
Sexual Abuse and its Effects
Pythagoras and Celibacy
Shankaracharya on Celibacy
George Gurdjieff
Kundalini and Transmutation
The Abuse and Use of Sex
L. Ron Gardner
Celibacy, the Great Aid to Meditation
Comments on Sexual Energy
H.P. Blavatsky
Comments on Celibacy, Chastity
On Relations (Review of novella by Tolstoy)
Book review of Sexual Force Or The Winged Dragon
Lee Warfield: Same-sex attraction overcome
Freedom is a Gift
Max Freedom Long's experiments with celibacy
The Thrice-Coiled Serpent
Sridhar Swami - commentary by Srila Prabhupada
Eight Aspects of Brahmacharya
Comments on Celibacy by a Hare Krishna Devotee
The Joy of Celibacy
Comments on Celibacy by an Esoteric Student
Arguments for Celibacy, by Anonymous
Gary Wilson, scientific study, effects of porn
The Great Porn Experiment
Bernarr Macfadden, from Manhood and Marriage 1916
Truth About Masturbation
Part 2: Treatment
NoFap online community
overcoming porn addiction and masturbation
NoFap page (this site)
Michael Shelton
Paraphilia: Unacknowledged Harm of Masturbation
The Dalai Lama
Interview on Celibacy
Bhante Henepola Gunaratana
Gnostics
Negative Effects of Masturbation
Abdullah Ismail (Islamic)
Masturbation, a Disastrous Problem Faced by the Youth
Early Vinaya Stand on Monastic Sexual Behaviour
Christian Celibacy
John Paul II - Chastity for the Sake of the Kingdom (1994)
John Paul II - Continance for the Sake of the Kingdom (1982)
Father Amaro Saumell - Facing Celibacy
Christopher West - Celibacy for the Kingdom
Sexual Compulsives Anonymous
20 Questions, 14 Characteristics
Voices of Experience:
Oscar Brown Jr -
A Ladies' Man
Cuckholded!
Santo Cachón
Matt Cross PUA
Going No-Fap
Also on this site:
Celibacy Resources
/celibacy/celibacy-articles-and-links.htm
Chastity, unchastity, imagination, astral effects, see ch. 5 in Hartmann's Life of Paracelsus, in the Magic section
/magic/paracelsus/hartmann-life-of-paracelsus/05-pneumatology.htm
#morbid-imagination
Celibacy Quotes
< Richard Rose: Notes on Celibacy
Jaqua: Conservation Therapy >
Source (pdf): SearchWithin.org
Biochemistry may have produced facts that will affect our morality ... and may conclusively damn the guesswork and direction of perhaps half a century of psychiatry and sociology. Fritz Peters and B. F. Skinner undoubtedly have theories in jeopardy.
There may also be an intelligence manifesting in Nature that is superior to and negative to a prevalent immoral and un-Natural system of psychological opinion. That psychological opinion is a wild tangent from the pseudo-magical "normal curve theories" of the nineteen-twenties and thirties. Of course actions can be classified by graphs and geometric curves. But the data must be well-defined. The normal curve had nothing to do with finding the correct or Natural behavior of man. Men "naturally" do things which are demonstrably un-Natural.
A statistical curve shows only that which is happening ... not that which is decreed by Nature, or, that which for some other reason, is supposed to happen. The early days of Psychology were not scientific. They did not have Biochemistry for a basis. In fact the psychologists of the thirties, based their fledgling science, or scientific pose, on an unexplored materialistic concept, namely that man was receptive and reactive flesh, that existed only as an accident. That which they did not see they did not believe. In the great haste to acquire status, funding and fabulous fees, they led legislators to believe that this "accidental man" needed to be conditioned and programmed ... and planned instead of being allowed to disturb the "peace-loving" and phlegmatic masses of the population who dreamed of endless paradisiacal pajama-parties.
Not only did the legislators endow them and fund them, they incorporated them into the judicial and executive systems. They became authorities of the court like the parrots of early Russian-communist courts. If the parrot bit you, you were damned. But it did not bite you if you concealed something in your hand that it liked. When the courts gave permission allowing two parrots in cases hinging upon sanity (one parrot for each side) it was found that each parrot bit the hand of the cause that did not feed him.
When the unscientific masses saw this, they began to have their doubts about Psychiatry itself.
About the time that the decline of behavioristic psychology began, Zasz came out with a desperate psychological edict, -- that his colleagues were grossly mistaken. Mental illness did not exist. If the mind did not exist, -- how could mental deterioration exist? A good lie should appear to be consistent. Mental illness was a criminal mask which was used by malingerers. And perhaps criminals. Back to bedlam, Belleview and the Bastille, icepacks, icepicks, firehoses and flagellation, to challenge public apathy by inciting public sadism.
Instead of damning malingering as a ploy or crime, Zasz should have "discovered" it as a national epidemic which required the formation of a federal department to be chaired by a Psychiatrist elected by the Psychiatrists' union. This would of course require that all behaviorists be repudiated and that the "normal curve" would no longer define sanity ... the repudiation of the "normal curve theory" would be necessary because it would be discovered that there is about seventy five percent of our population who would be found to be malingerers. Malingerers are the people who are fed up with a political system that encourages weaklings, creates a gigantic police force of sadists, criminals and industrial rejects, which is designed and creates a mafia-type internal revenue that has every member of society cowering in silence or racing with manic disregard, hoping that their speed makes them invisible. Malingerers who are also people whose families or businesses were crushed by finding themselves between Bureaucratic entities on a collision course with each other.
Behaviorism was a shill-game. It was caused by the invasion of merchants disguised as psychologists. These merchants were a class of people who placed business acumen above morals.
Morality was previously fostered by religious institutions. When the new shill-game invaded the universities, it attacked the previous belief-systems by posing as a new kingdom, of and for the people, promising to bring forth scientific truths for prosecuting the rebellious, and clever excuses for those who would be scholastically or politically promoted. In the seventies, young people with bachelor degrees in psychology were rejected and openly ridiculed if they were not both liberal and behavioristic.
Religion lost its right to protect a moral system, because it became amoral, power-dominated, and was in many respects, not much more than a shill-game itself. For centuries, the human race fed and protected spiritual systems which built great Basilicas, Pyramids and Potalas which were supposed to be universities for endless study of things supernatural and things which might better define the human being and his destiny.
After a century of two the slow-moving minds of humanity realized that they were being fed "bulls" and edicts instead of revelations; and realized that the vigor and vitality of their religions were directed toward politics outwardly, and inwardly toward regimentation and social classification or rank. Today the Potala has become a tourist attraction, and the Basilicas that remain are infested with homosexuality and politics. The rituals have been adjusted in an attempt to guess the whims of some nebulous zeitgeist, and the altars have been reversed so that the service of the clergy must be directed to the mundane, and the services must be "shared" or communal. And the bewildered, sincere searchers for God must become malingerers.
The Jesuitic Church-Militant has become the Church-Sycophant. The Church-Suffering has become the Church-Orgiastic. And we may become pessimistic about the debacle brought about by the victories of materialism. It would seem that we are entering another dark age, in regard to philosophic enquiry.
The discovery of prostaglandins will not prove any theological concepts, but its discovery will elevate to a scientific level, the study of equality of differences between the sexes and even more importantly it will point to the need for sexual conservation for both males and females. We may read into the one-sided superior production of prostaglandins by males, the notice that men have more to lose by sexual excesses or promiscuity.
Prostaglandins are not the only discovery-catalyst that will open up new frontiers of hope for the philosopher and mystic. Serotonin and other neurotransmitters have been discovered which act individually and in compounds with other enzymes and gland secretions to produce still other mental catalysts.
Colin Wilson (Man's Latent Powers) states that there is a relation between serotonin and Factor "X", which is his symbol for deliberate human expansion of mental powers. It was found that LSD destroys the serotonin molecule, so that we had beautiful dreams but no mental power. A true mystic will always reject the dream catalyst for the mystical power, because the power element is like a mental, diagnostic arm to use in exploration and to render the intuition more valid.
It was the intuition, which up until the discovery of prostaglandins, was the only source of great psychic convictions which were announced by the highly inspired, but picked up by the lesser intuitions to a point where mankind in large masses submitted to moral codes or laws. These moral codes were in some cases strongly reinforced by some corroboration in Nature. In other words people who lived by some moral codes were not as likely to spread venereal diseases, and they witnessed the corroboration in nature, when the people who had erotic sexual practices were wiped out by plagues or ridden with abnormalities.
Jaqua, in his paper on prostaglandins, indicates that women produce less prostaglandins than men, but that they have "receptor cells" in the vagina with which they capture and absorb prostaglandins from the male. If this is a function of Nature which is necessary for the female to receive enough anti-schizophrenia, anti-psychosis, anti-anorexia nervosa medicine to maintain some sort of immunity, -- then the distaff side would have more patience (if they cannot afford respect) for the males who spread their largess about with a sort of idiot's delight.
We presume that religion is a barometer, if not a custodian of morality. Morality is always rooted in health and survival. It is the written and unwritten code of human social compatibility. We become conscious of a need to respect the likes and dislikes of our fellowmen. Religion, which pretends to be a medium with the Divine, too, often has origins which are, like morality, rooted in health and survival. In the Old Testament we find prescriptions for diet (things that must not be eaten), and sexual prohibitions which would manifestly improve tribal survival. We have the history of Sodom and Gomorrah, which implies that homosexuality was destroyed by a celestial force. Whether there was or was not a celestial force involved, does not matter. The importance to this reference rests in the fact that it was given credence by its perpetual publication and interpretation throughout the centuries.
The Mohammedan code calls for the execution of homosexuals and lesser deviates ... adulterers. I find it hard to believe that Mohammed was ordered by God to enact such laws. I find it easier to believe that Mohammed was a wise and observing ruler. A nation without reproduction may diminish and grow effeminate. Caesar blamed effeminacy (homosexuality?) for the diminishing power of the Roman Empire.
Nearly every major religion takes a more subtle and less defined step toward sexual continence. The Christian religion has its priests and alchemists. The Mohammedans have their Sufis and saints. In India we have the sannyassis and the science of the kundalini. The idea of sexual continence was not a momentary fad with these groups, -- nor was it a compulsory law of conduct. It was a universal understanding by religious people that the celibates were the giants or (the hundred percenters) of any spiritual direction.
Of course the question immediately arises: why do the "hundred percenters" comprise less than one or two percent of the population? I think that the answer lies in the obstacles, internal (internal to the aspirant) and external or social. The latter carries with it the implication that Nature, as expressed by the masses in their reproductive service (to Nature), has designs for mankind that are more planned for reproduction than individual education about primary causes and revelations on ultimate destiny or absolute existence.
I think that the evidence which we have up to now, from biochemistry, religion and the laws of Nature with their limited flexibility give us some surprising answers to the questions about that which we can do without harm to our self, in regard to individual behavior, and that which man can, as an individual, become.
I think that the biochemists who isolated the neurotransmitters and prostaglandins are the first true alchemists. The evaluation of true alchemy claims that alchemy in its truest form is the transmutation of human energy into the sublimated gold of esoteric, or beyond mundane, knowledge. The blood of the lion and the gluten of the eagle, in the old prescriptions, were indicative of the male sex power, the importance of which was only known through the intuition of the early writers on alchemy.
But why the arcane symbolism? Why did there exist such small percentages of people with this intuition? Why did some religious leaders have to invent such items as sin, damnation, and a God whose good advice (such as on sexual restraint) had to come through the vocal cords of ventriloquists.
I maintain that Nature will not maintain or allow homosexuality, and that there is a built-in trigger in the human programming to create antibodies. These antibodies will not necessarily be a specific reagent. When science finds a cure for AIDS, a totally new agent will appear, even as AIDS came. But Nature will allow the bleeding of millions in wars, and it will promote perpetual programming to maintain the population of humans, animals and plants. None of which seemed to be important to Nature except for their efficient labors and deaths which serve a mysterious plan ... or a celestial greenhouse.
On the other hand each individual yearns to be an individual. (This must be part of the programming also, else the programmer would have eliminated it in the same manner with which it attacked homosexuality through AIDS.) There must be a key to an escape door ... some surcease from sorrow ... to borrow a line from Poe. I am sure that there is.
This is the quest of the Holy Grail. The Philosopher's Stone. The ultimate Samadhi of the Yogis. The ultimate Satori of Zen. The Enlightenment of St. John of the Cross. Man number seven of Gurdjieff.
Let us get back to the small percentages ... and the reasons for their smallness. First of all most people think that they are highly intelligent for choosing the natural path. In embracing it so completely their sensual pleasures dominate their intelligence, and their sorrows seal the door to any alternative. No one can, -- even if he dared to, convince the vegetator that it is no crime against Nature, to try to understand Nature.
Secondly all human potentials are pyramid in form. The primitives outnumber the precocious. The majority of the populace has an intellectual capacity inadequate for college entrance. The military recruiters can give you figures on that capacity. That is the base-line of the pyramid. They are instinctive. This is a name which Gurdjieff gave that category.
Far above that level are the intellectuals, -- masters of the slide-rule, scientific pioneers, and financial geniuses. But they have intellects which are limited to mundane symbols, and in the field of philosophy they can only argue for materialism.
On closer to the peak are the two percent who are intuitive enough to read and understand the very rare books on the subject. The Biblical wise virgins retain full cups. The light enables them to read true or Real literature. And Real literature reinforces Real purpose.
In other words, the readers of these lines are among the two percent, but less than half of them will act. Man is that which he does, not that which he reads. But in order to act Man must corroborate his intuitions by comparisons and criticisms. Books become mirrors ... where there is no human to teach, or criticize.
What is this great corroboration? We learn that a mystic should never oppose Nature. Nature only seems to be inimical to spiritual search and discovery. Nature has left two doors open for spiritual realization. One is the door of death. This one we do not have to seek after. However it does not have the value of the second door, which is the Experience of death while living. The former understands only from his present point of reference, and this may limit capacity to understand a totally different dimension. The latter is able to witness his consciousness in another dimension, while being aware of his mundane point of reference.
The second door requires of the candidate that he (or she) avoids the hypnoses of life. Where there is no action, there is no penalty. Sensualism negates the intuition. The sensualist would not know the door if he saw it.
Richard Rose lecture series on this site: selfdefinition.org/rose/


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Over The River PR
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February Blog Tour for THE JUICE by Janet Stilson
Release Date: February 9, 2021 from Dragon Moon Press
We are excited to introduce to you a new female voice to the sci fi and fantasy genre, Janet Stilson, a journalist who also writes scripts, novels and short stories that illuminate the human condition in provocative ways. Her work has been selected to be part of the Writers' Lab for Women, which is funded by Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman. And it's also been published by the esteemed sci-fi literary magazine Asimov's. Her debut novel, THE JUICE is at turns an espionage rollercoaster ride and a spellbinding romance. Along the way, it explores the future of America and government control of media. Check out the February Blog Tour schedule in the above graphic and also on the author's website.
When charisma is a superpower, it's a mind-bending force.
Jarat Ellington was just an exile from Elite society, trying to lead a simple life, when a genius friend dropped an explosive mystery in his lap. The old pal, Thom Tseng, created a priceless chemical substance called the Juice that turns mildly charming people into almost god-like presences, known as Charismites. But the Juice is stolen, and Thom killed.
With the help of a secret organization, Jarat goes on an obsessive quest to uncover the deadly adversary who now controls the Juice. He must fight his intense attraction to a Charismite named Luscious Melada—once a dirt-poor, homely teen who transformed into an extremely magnetic starlet. And he goes up against Petra Cardinale, a powerful, ambitious media executive with a secret agenda.
Janet Stilson lives in two worlds. On the one hand, she is a journalist. On the other, she writes scripts, novels and short stories that largely fall in the grounded sci-fi and fantasy genres and illuminate the human condition in provocative ways.
Her work has been selected to be part of the Writers' Lab for Women, which is funded by Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman. And it's also been published by the esteemed sci-fi literary magazine Asimov's.
As a journalist, Janet got her "chops" at the storied showbiz bible Variety. She has traveled the world, chronicling the business of media and entertainment.
It afforded her many busman's holidays in places like Shanghai and Paris, for which she is forever grateful. Along the way, she interviewed lots of executives about many aspects of showbiz—most notably, where the heck we're all going.
Janet lives in New York City with her husband and two mischievous cats. To learn more about her, visit janetstilson.com, or connect with her on Twitter @janetstilson.
Praise for the Novel:
"Stilson debuts with an energetic vision of a dystopian near-future America…This cyberpunk adventure delivers plenty of future tech and social commentary to please genre fans." — Publishers Weekly
"The Juice is a rollicking, inventive and insightful read — heady, heart-felt but never heavy-handed." — Elizabeth Guider, novelist, former executive editor of Variety and editor of The Hollywood Reporter
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: blog tour, Debut novel, Debut novelist, February Blog Tour, February Release, Janet Stilson, OTRPR, Over the River Public Relations, science fiction
The Astronaut's Son by Tom Seigel
THE ASTRONAUT'S SON (Woodhall Press Hardcover) by Tom Segiel is a fast-paced mystery that was inspired by the true story of ex-Nazi scientists and engineers at NASA. Read the well-deserved interviews and reviews for this debut thriller:
BookLoons -review
Oregon Jewish Life – included in a holiday roundup
The Times of Israel – interview
The Book Decoder Blog – review
Jennifer Tar Heel Reader Blog – review
The Book's The Thing Blog – review
Jewish Book Council – guest post
Locus Magazine Online – included in a roundup of new releases/
The Rap Sheet Blog – included in a roundup of new releases:
Too Jewish Radio Show – interview
Tita Writes – review
Mystery Scene – review
The Weston Forum/Han Network Newspapers – interview
Mystery People – interview
The Jewish Week (NYC) – included in Fall Arts Preview 9/13:
ForeWord Reviews – review
Book Q&A With Deborah Kalb – interview
Publishers Weekly – review
Detroit Jewish News – included in summer roundup:
Reviews by Amos Lassen – review
Filed Under: Books, Reviews & Features, Thrillers Tagged With: Debut novel, Debut novelist, Jewish author, Jewish Book Council, Jewish fiction, mystery, thriller novel, Tom Seigel, Woodhall Press
Vaughn Sherman receives rave review in Publishers Weekly for SASHA PLOTKIN'S DECEIT
Retired CIA Agent Vaughn Sherman has received a rave review in Publishers Weekly (October 15, 2012) for his debut espionage thriller, SASHA PLOTKIN'S DECEIT – out now in trade paperback original from Camel Press: http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-60381-811-7
Filed Under: Thrillers Tagged With: Debut novel, espionage thriller, novel, Sweden, thriller
O Magazine Picks Miss Timmins' School for Girls in August issue
Congratulations to Nayana Currimbhoy, whose debut novel, Miss Timmins' School for Girls (Harper; June 2011) was chosen as one of the "16 Books to Watch for in August 2011" by O Magazine. Here is the full article: http://www.oprah.com/book/Miss-Timmins-School-for-Girls-by-Nayana-Currimbhoy
Filed Under: Reviews & Features Tagged With: Debut novel, Harpercollins, Miss Timmins' School for Girls, Nayana Currimbhoy, O Magazine, Summer Reading 2011
Miss Timmins' School for Girls
We're excited about new client, Nayana Currimbhoy and her debut novel, Miss Timmins' School for Girls that Harper Paperbacks will publish on June 21, 2011. It's part coming-of-age story, part murder mystery, set in India during the monsoon season of 1974. Publishers Weekly calls it "an absorbing atmospheric thriller. Learn more about the book and author at www.harpercollins.com.
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Debut novel, Harpercollins, India, Miss Timmins' School for Girls, mystery, Nayana Currimbhoy
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Club World Cup: FIFA plan expanded 32-team tournament
bet365 News Team 18 Dec 22
Football's world governing body FIFA has announced plans for an expanded, 32-team Club World Cup to be held every four years from 2025.
A smaller version of the tournament, featuring seven clubs from six confederations, is currently played annually but FIFA president Gianni Infantino wants to introduce a bigger competition for the world's top men's and women's clubs.
FIFA's expansion plans
The format of the Club World Cup has been under discussion for several years and in 2018 FIFA announced plans to broaden the tournament to 24 teams and hold it every four years from June 2021.
That proposal was delayed, but the Club World Cup has been back on the agenda at a FIFA Council meeting in Qatar during the World Cup and the latest suggestion is that 32 clubs will be invited to compete for the trophy.
Speaking in Qatar, Infantino said: "The details of the location still need to be discussed but it has been agreed and decided that a 32-team Club World Cup tournament will go ahead, making it like a World Cup.
"[It will] be played every four years and the first edition will take place in 2025 in the summer, during that slot where in other years it would be the Confederations Cup. It will be slightly longer because there are 32 teams but they will be the best teams in the world who will all be invited to participate."
The Confederations Cup, last held in 2017, was traditionally part of the build-up to a men's World Cup finals. It was an international tournament involving the World Cup holders, the host nation and the six continental champions.
The 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia was won by Germany, who suffered group-stage eliminations at the World Cups of 2018 and 2022 but are 5/1 to win Euro 2024, which they will host.
Related Football News
World Cup: Format change for 2026
What is the history of the Club World Cup?
The inaugural Club World Cup was held in Brazil in 2000 and was dominated by teams from the host nation with Corinthians beating Vasco da Gama in the final.
Manchester United, who qualified after winning the Champions League in 1998/99, failed to reach the semi-finals but the Red Devils became the first English club to claim the trophy in 2008, beating LDU Quito of Ecuador 1-0 in the final in Japan.
There have been 18 editions of the tournament, most of them featuring seven clubs, and Real Madrid are the most successful team in the Club World Cup's history, winning four titles in five years between 2014 and 2018.
Real will be Europe's representatives again at the 2022 tournament, which will be held in Morocco in February 2023 due to the timing of the Qatar World Cup, after they won the 2021/22 Champions League final against Liverpool.
The Madrid giants are 12/1 to win the UEFA Champions League 2022/23 while Chelsea, who won the 2021 Club World Cup in the UAE, are 14/1 to be crowned European champions again this season.
How will an expanded Club World Cup affect the schedule?
FIFA president Infantino was prepared for pushback from the media and top European clubs but he insists that player welfare will not be compromised by an expanded Club World Cup.
The World Leagues Forum, the world association of professional football leagues, responded to the idea by saying that it will ask FIFA "for a transparent process for their calendar and competition decisions, which must involve meaningful agreements with the leagues".
The new-look competition is effectively taking the place of the Confederations Cup in June, after the conclusion of the European league season and UEFA club competitions.
In his statement after the FIFA Council meeting, Infantino spoke of the organisation's desire "to protect the health and wellbeing of players", adding that they do not want to "overburden the calendar".
Those concerns will be weighed against the possible financial benefits to FIFA of an expanded Club World Cup. In the current format, only one European club qualifies each year and Real Madrid's rivals in Morocco in February will include Flamengo, Wydad Casablanca, Seattle Sounders and Auckland City.
A 32-team tournament could feature many more clubs from the Premier League and other high-profile European divisions. That would increase the interest in the Club World Cup and mean, according to Infantino, that "we're going to have an even greater sum that we'll be able to invest in world football over the next four years".
More football betting news Latest sports betting odds Build a bet with Bet Builder Premier League: All you need to know World Cup 2022 news Latest Football results Head to the bet365 YouTube channel for exclusive football content Join now - bet365 Open Account Offer
World Cup World Cup: Format change for 2026 World Cup: Format change for 2026 bet365 News Team 16 Dec 22


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The Wichita Massacre
By Chris Blondell • 2 years ago
In December 2000, two brothers arrived in the city of Wichita, Kansas. They came not to take in the sights, but to set it on fire. Their names were Reginald, 23, and Jonathan Carr, 20, and they went on a killing spree so heinous that it became known as the Wichita Horror.
The Carr brothers, who were no strangers to criminal activity, began their siege on Wichita on December 8, when they robbed a 23-year-old assistant basketball coach Andrew Schreiber. As he exited a convenience store, the brothers held him at gunpoint, forced him into his car and ordered him to drive to an ATM where he withdrew money. While the brothers didn't harm Schreiber, they shot out the tires to his car and left him alone in a field.
Three days later on December 11, they attacked and chased Ann Walenta, a 55-year-old cellist, and librarian. As she tried to escape them in her car, they shot and mortally wounded her. While under hospital care, she was able to give police an accurate description of the brothers.
After three days in critical care, Walenta died.
That same day, December 14, is when the Carr brothers took their horror show to the next level when they entered a randomly selected home.
Five people, Brad Heyka, Heather Muller, Aaron Sander, Jason Befort, and Holly Glover were spending the night in said house. Hekya was a director of finance with a local financial services company, Muller was a local preschool teacher, Sander was studying to become a priest, Befort was a local high school teacher, and Holly a teacher.
With the intent to rob the home, the Carr brothers rummaged around the residence for valuables. Upon finding Sander, they woke him up at gunpoint and dragged him to Hekya's bedroom. One by one, the brothers entered the rooms of the sleeping youths and gathered their hostages.
They ordered the five to strip naked and proceeded to beat the men with golf clubs as they took turns repeatedly raping the women. They also forced the men to perform sexual acts on the women and each other.
As the night continued, one of the Carr brothers would take each captor out one by one to various ATM machines while the other kept watch on the remaining four. While continuing to search the house, one brother found a diamond ring hidden inside of a coffee can.
"That's for you," Befort reportedly said to Holly. "I was going to propose on Christmas Eve."
After each of the five had their bank accounts drained, the Carr brothers forced them into Sander's car, a Honda Accord. The men, still naked, were forced into the trunk. The women were allowed to wear sweaters while the rode in the back seat.
The captives were driven to a snow-covered soccer field and ordered out of the car. They were told to kneel down in a row. And, one-by-one, the Carr brothers shot each of them in the back of the head, execution style. The brothers then drove the car over the five bodies and left.
Holly G., however, survived. A plastic barrette in her hair deflected the bullet. She heard the brothers leave and called out to her friends. Only Befort groaned, the rest were silent. Stark naked, Holly ran for over a mile in the snow until she reached a house.
Before she could be treated, Holly told her saviors what happened to her and her friends. She gave a detailed description of the Carr brothers, and the residents called the police.
The next day, the police captured the brothers. Thanks in part to Holly's testimony, the Carr brothers were convicted of almost all of the 113 counts against them that included kidnapping, robbery, rape, four counts of capital murder, and one count of first degree murder.
The Carr brothers were sentenced to death. Those sentences were eventually appealed and overturned.
During the trial, Holly and Andrew Schreiber became friendly and began dating one another. They married in 2004. Holly even became Teacher of the Year.
The World's Most Prolific Murderess
Florida Boy Scout Leader Arrested for Child Pornography


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Brown University Library News
Services, People, and Events at the Brown Unviersity Library
BruKnow
Wilmeth Lecture | Oskar Eustis, "The Non-Profit Theatre in a Market Society"
Posted on December 1, 2014 by Jennifer Braga
On Monday, December 8 at 7 p.m. in Stuart Theatre, Oskar Eustis will deliver the 11th Annual Don Wilmeth Endowed Lectureship in American Theatre, entitled, "The Non-Profit Theatre in a Market Society." A reception will follow the lecture. This event is free and open to the public.
Artistic Director of The Public Theater since 2005, Oskar Eustis has enjoyed a distinguished career in the arts in Rhode Island and beyond. Prior to his work at The Public, Eustis served as Artistic Director at Providence's Trinity Repertory Company from 1994 – 2005, Associate Artistic Director at Los Angeles's Mark Taper Forum, and Resident Director and Dramaturg at San Francisco's Eureka Theatre Company.
Eustis is currently a Professor of Dramatic Writing, Arts, and Public Policy at New York University, and he has held professorships at UCLA, Middlebury College, and Brown University, where he founded and chaired the Trinity Rep/Brown University Consortium for professional theatre training.
Throughout his career, Eustis has been dedicated to the development and production of new plays. At The Public, Eustis directed the New York premieres of Rinne Groff's Compulsion and The Ruby Sunrise and Larry Wright's The Human Scale. At Trinity Rep, he directed the world premiere of Paula Vogel's The Long Christmas Ride Home and Tony Kushner's Homebody/Kabul, both recipients of the Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Production.
His production of Julius Caesar won a Bay Area Critics Circle Award in 1988, and in the quarter century since then he has directed and produced Shakespeare across the United States, in venues ranging from prisons to Broadway.
Eustis has received honorary doctorates from Rhode Island College and Brown University.
The Don Wilmeth Endowed Lectureship was established in honor of Professor Don Wilmeth and his monumental contribution to the study of theatre at Brown. The lectureship supports an annual lecture series on American theatre. Past visiting lecturers have included Laurence Maslon (2005), Jim Steinmeyer (2007), Christopher Bigsby (2008), Laura Linney (2008), Lynn Nottage (2010), and Bill Irwin (2011).
This event is supported by Brown University Library and Friends.
Date: Monday, December 8, 2014
Location: Stuart Theatre, 75 Waterman Street, Providence (Within Faunce House)
This entry was posted in Uncategorized by Jennifer Braga. Bookmark the permalink.
BROWN UNIVERSITY | PROVIDENCE, RI 02912 | (401) 863-2165 | WEBSITE FEEDBACK


text: Q: Is square root required when sorting points by distance to a reference point? Given a large bunch of points in 2D and a reference point x_0, in order to find the closest (couple of) points to x_0, i.e. distance d, I could calculate the distance of each point from x_0 using Euclidean distance formula. The formula however needs taking a square root, which is computationally expensive. Would I get the same result if I'd just calculate the square of the distance d^2 and choose the points with lowest d^2? I'm not interested in the real distance, just in the relative ordering.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Color is especially important in the creation of the videos for major dance hits of the early to mid nineties plus its to these videos that i refer.
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NASA's next Mars rover will land at the foot of a layered mountain inside the planet's Gale Crater.
Scientists who study the Red Planet say they whole-heartedly approve of the choice of Gale Crater as the landing site for NASA's next Mars rover.
The space agency announced the decision to go with Gale today (July 22), after a five-year process that originally considered about 60 possible sites. NASA narrowed the list down to four choices in 2008, then revealed last month that it was deciding between two finalists: Gale and another crater called Eberswalde.
Gale is 96 miles (154 kilometers) wide, and a 3-mile-high (5-km) mountain rises from its center. The crater also harbors clays and sulfate salts, signs that liquid water flowed in the area long ago.
Maria Zuber (geophysicist at MIT in Cambridge, Mass.): To be honest, I am thrilled with the decision to land in Gale Crater.
Geologically, the site is complex. But given the mission objectives, that is a good thing, as it contains much of what one would like to observe and measure to assess habitability and biological potential, and how these may have changed over time.
The Curiosity payload and the ruggedness of the rover are well suited to address the science objectives at this site.
With such a singular mound of sedimentary rocks, the view will combine aspects of seeing Mt. Rainier and the Grand Canyon. Along the way, the rover will see clays from a wetter Mars and could drive to where those clays meet the sulfates deposited during the drying out of the area.
As an atmospheric scientist, I am also looking forward to watching the seasons at the site. It was the site best positioned for seeing water-ice clouds that form every northern summer, when Mars is farthest from the sun.
All of the finalist sites were good, but Gale seemed to be the one that had the biggest story about Mars' history to tell.
Peter Smith (planetary scientist at the University of Arizona in Tucson): Gale Crater is an excellent site that allows exploration in the truest sense.
The challenges and rewards of driving a nuclear-powered rover up a 5-km mountain over several years will test the abilities of both the science and engineering team. I am sure that they are up to the task and look forward to the results.
Chris Carr (engineer and research scientist at MIT in Cambridge, Mass.): Any of the final four options (Gale Crater, Eberswalde Crater, Holden Crater or Mawrth Vallis) originally considered by NASA would have been great (that is why those sites made it to the top four).
One challenge for Gale Crater is the need to traverse a significant distance to reach the central mound of the crater, where the rover could study the stratigraphic layers of (presumed) clays and sulfates.
These deposits are very interesting, because on Earth such deposits can preserve organic materials over geologic timescales. For example, some lipids can be preserved for up to billions of years.
Chris McKay (astrobiologist at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif.): I am happy with the decision to go with Gale Crater.
SPACE.com: What are the most exciting or interesting aspects of Gale?
McKay: The prospects of investigating clays and sedimentary layers that span most of, if not all of, Mars history in the central mount in Gale Crater.
The evidence for water ranges from the deposition of the mountain itself to the chemistry of the rocks to channels that cut the terrain, and argues for an extended and changing aqueous history.
Smith: The wealth of water-related features and altered minerals opens a window onto the past history of Mars that has never before been explored. My hope is that there remains ample evidence showing that organic materials were common in ancient Mars.
Slowly working our way up through the layered deposits is sedimentary geology done in a classical fashion. Can we find the transition from an early wet Mars to the modern dry state that we see today? The question then is what happened to the water — Gale Crater may hold the answer.
Carr: The thick stratigraphic layers of the Gale Crater central mound. If Curiosity is able to traverse to and up through these layers, we will be taking a walk through time that covers a large swath of Martian history, a period when Mars may have been more habitable than it is today.
SPACE.com: Do you have high hopes for Curiosity's mission? What do you think it will find?
McKay: I do indeed have high hopes for Curiosity's mission. I think we will be able to detect organics on the surface of Mars.
My optimism on this is the result of the combined Phoenix and Viking results. Taken together, they imply that there are organics in the soils of Mars (at the few ppm [parts per million] level) but that the presence of perchlorate prevented their detection by the Viking instruments.
Zuber: Whenever we have looked in a new place at higher resolution or with new sensors, the discoveries have been remarkable, and I expect Curiosity to continue in the great tradition of Mars robotic explorers.
As far as what the rover will find, I have a wish rather than a prediction. I am hoping that as Curiosity moves up the stratigraphic section in the central mound and maps the evolving chemistry, that the measurements will inform our understanding of the role of the atmosphere in the evolving surface environment.
Lemmon: If the rover lands safely, the investigation of the clays and sulfates at the base of the mound will put MSL onto the list of missions that revolutionize what we know about Mars.
Carr: I definitely have high hopes. This is an extremely capable rover with a tremendous set of instruments.
In particular, I am personally excited about the role the ChemCam instrument will play in providing rapid context at a distance, the in-depth sample analysis capability of the SAM instrument and the radiation data that will be collected by DAN, with its implications for modern habitability of Mars, including for future human visitors.
I make no predictions but hope we will find unambiguous evidence of organics among the layers in Gale Crater.


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Obiano, Obi: Story of a Cold War between a Governor and His Godfather
On the surface, no one will believe that the Anambra State governor, Chief Willie Obiano and his predecessor, Mr Peter Obi are at war. They will stop at nothing to embrace and throw banters when their paths cross at public events. But IKEUGONNA ELEKE in this piece writes on the cold war between the duo, mostly fought on their behalf by their foot soldiers in the papers and social media. He also attempts to trace its history.
Even before the swearing in of Chief Willie Obiano as the governor of the state in 2014, a misunderstanding was said to have already ensued between then Governor Peter Obi and his godson, Obiano. Those who know say the problem may have started after Obi gave conditions to be fulfilled by the incoming governor for helping to win him the governorship seat of the state. But during the handing over to Obiano, Obi had stated clearly that by helping Obiano win the election, he had kept his promise of ensuring that an APGA governor succeeded him, and also giving power to the Anambra North zone of the state as they have never tasted the position since the creation of the state.
The godfather, godson relationship of both men, it was also gathered, started from their secondary days at the Christ the King College, Onitsha which is most popularly known as CKC, Onitsha. In a radio programme once, Chief Joe-Martins Uzodike, an old boy of the college and former information commissioner in the Obi administration, who also worked as the Director General of Obiano Campaign Organization, revealed that he and Obiano were both seniors in the college as at the time Obi was a junior student in the same college.
Some people have even said that Obiano was godfather to Obi at the college, and that both men had maintained a very cordial relationship then. Their relationship then may have also been the reason Obi, while scouting for a successor from Anambra North, dumped all his allies and went for Obiano, who had at that time retired from Texaco as a senior staff and was enjoying his retirement in the US. This and the victory of Obiano at the polls, had contributed to now make Obi, Obiano's godfather, as against what it used to be in their college days.
At the swearing in ceremony of Chief Obiano in 2014, Mr Peter Obi while delivering an address, had said that he had fulfilled his promise of producing a governor from the northern zone of the state, and that he had satisfied his conscience by doing so. Obi added that in 2006 when he was sworn in after a protracted legal battle with the then governor, Dr Chris Ngige, he was never given any hand over note, nor was he handed any official vehicle. 'I used my own car, and I came to work from my house in Agulu because both the government house and the governor's lodge were all burnt during the crisis.'
Obi expressed happiness that he was on that day handing over a very buoyant economy to the new governor, with N75 billion in cash and investment, and had also ensured the provision of bullet proof Toyota Prado SUVs to him to ensure that Obiano functioned optimally in the office. He added that having done all that, he was expecting nothing from Obiano for himself personally, and that the only thing Obiano owed him was to ensure that Anambra was taken to a better height, higher than where he left it. For this, Obi was hailed for his selflessness, and love for Anambra State.
That however was not to be as soon after, stories of estranged relationship between the duo started circulating. Those in the know said that the problem with both men started when the former governor allegedly gave the present the bill with which he was enthroned as governor, which sources said, ran into billions. Obiano according to the source, had declined payment and was also said to have sought advice from his Aguleri kinsmen who were said to have advised him to discard the debt notice from his predecessor, leading to the war between both men.
Even before his first year in office, Obi's loyalists had already accused Chief Victor Umeh, the former National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) of being responsible for plotting the alienation of Obi from the party with the collaboration of the governor, leading to his exit as against his previous vow that, 'I will quit politics any day I leave APGA'.
Speaking once on the reason for the exit from the party by Obi, his media aide, Mr Valentine Obienyem, said the leaders of the party collaborated to shut Obi out of the party. He stated how he and his boss Obi were in Owerri one weekend for a function when they saw buses with APGA inscription all lined up on the road, and also saw the convoy of the state governor and the national officials of the party in the town for a major rally to support former President Goodluck Jonathan's second term bid for the presidency. It took calls from the former governor to know the reason APGA was literally relocated to Owerri that day, leading Obi to suspect that he had been edged out of the party, the main reason he left without waiting to be pushed out.
The former governor's exit from APGA fully showed the misunderstanding between both men and further fuelled the war between them. While Obi joined the PDP team, and amassed more followers to fight his battle, Obiano deployed the arsenal within his reach to ensure he was not outdone. Though the war is mostly fought on the social media, the state broadcasting outfit, Anambra Broadcasting Service, ABS, also helped to fight for its principal.
Obi's supporters accused Obiano of commissioning the ABS to air clips of his promise never to leave APGA except he wished to retire from politics. To this, Obi stated during a visit to his Onitsha home by the leaders of PDP to woo him to the party, that with the calibre of politicians in the party who had consistently wooed him, it would be foolhardiness for him to remain adamant, the reason he accepted to join them.
On Obi's side in the internet and social media war are his media aide, Mr Valentine Obienyem and Mr Stanley Chirah who operates with several pseudonyms, including APGA Alaigbo and Mazi Odera.
For Obiano, his media aides are Mr James Eze and Ifeanyi Aniagoh. Though these men are mostly civil with their support for their principal, several other names which are suspected to be fake, also give the governor support, while attacking his predecessor.
If the war between them was fought in secret, then the recent declaration by Mr Peter Obi to vie for a senatorial seat to represent Anambra Central on the platform of PDP against APGA's Victor Umeh may have aggravated the fight. The Obiano/Umeh faction views this as a move to dislodge Umeh from what would have been a smooth sail to the senate after PDP's Uche Ekwunife was dislodged from the senate through a court judgment, and also stopped from contesting the rerun election.
The Obiano/Umeh faction believed that Obi was the brain behind the decamping of Ekwunife from PDP to APC, but was still stopped by the court which insisted that only those who contested in the original election in 2015 could participate in the rerun. According to a source in the Anambra Government, Obi's quest to contest the senatorial election was not borne out of a desire to give service, but to fight Umeh who he believes, was the brain behind the shielding of Anambra Governor from paying him the money expended to win Obiano the election.
To outwit Obi, Obiano has further made incursion into the community of the former governor, Agulu, and also secured the love of the traditional ruler of the community, Igwe Innocent Obodoakor, who was said to have pledged support for Obiano, describing his tenure in the state as the best. According to those who attended the meeting, the traditional ruler who the governor has also pledged to renovate his palace, flayed Obi for not remembering a simple task like renovating the palace of his traditional ruler, whereas Obiano from far Aguleri in Anambra North area of the state had come to his rescue. To this, the allies of the former governor had attacked the traditional ruler, and accused him of selling out to a 'foreigner' for the favour of his palace being renovated.
Recently, a new twist appeared, with Obi's internet warriors reporting that at the wedding of the son of Prof Ben Nwabueze in Lagos, Obi and Obiano had come close up, and as usual had thrown banters, with cameras picking them out. But reports by Obi's allies stated that in the house of the constitutional lawyer, Obiano had threatened Obi with the words, 'I will finish you and your family'. This had been dismissed by media handlers of the governor as mere lies.
But in a swift response to the allegation, some indigenes of Agulu, Obi's hometown, under the aegis of Agulu Leaders of Thought (ALT), in a press release signed for it by its interim chairman, Chief Joachim Emegwamuo warned Obiano not to harm their son.
Part of the press release had read, "When the news of threat to the life of our son, Mr. Peter Obi, started circulating, we ignored it as one of those online rumours until Barr. Joe Martins Uzodike made allusion to that in a programme on Blaze Radio. Investigations also revealed that Mr. Peter Obi related it to Chief Willie Obiano's Omabala people during a peace meeting in the house of Chief Nwobu Alor on Saturday, the 11th of June.
"Anambra politics is not synonymous with political murder and assassination and we hope and pray it remains like that," the group concluded and added a caveat that if anything happened to Mr. Peter Obi or any of his aides, that Obiano should be held responsible.
As the governor and his school son, but political godfather, remain at war, many believe that the state is losing with this protracted battle by their prominent sons. The Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, His Lordship, Paulinus Ezeokafor, while admonishing both men in one of his attempt to resolve the 'war', called on them to sheathe their swords, noting that the state was losing a lot from their frosty relationship. The bishop also called on them to rein in their supporters as they were the reason the battle had remained unresolved.
Several notable personalities in the state have also waded into the matter with a view to settling the rift between them, all to no avail. Council of Bishops of the Catholic and Anglican stock in the state, Traditional Rulers Council, and even the clergy of the Pentecostal stock, are some of the groups that have tried to settle the rift at different times to no avail.
The main reason for the inability of these prominent people to settle both men have never also been made known, but a source who claims to be in the know, and who does not want his name in print, however stated that the problem had remained campaign funds used in 2013. According to the source, 'Obi and Obiano will never agree, unless Obiano accepts to pay the money which was used to fund his campaign. The money for the campaign was said to have been borrowed from some powerful people in the state who accepted to do so because of Obi.
'Obiano was even said not to have contributed any money to his election, the reason for Obi to borrow to fund the election. Obi had refused to surrender state funds for the election, but borrowed monies running into billions, with the hope that Obiano will pay back when he has won,' the source said.
He revealed further that as a result of the debt, Obi had to sell off his Next Shopping Mall in Abuja to pay off the debt which was given because the persons trusted him to pay back.
Obiano has also been accused of dumping projects initiated by Obi as a way to further spite him, but during the official opening of a mall in Onitsha, which also houses Shoprite, Obiano stated clearly that the project was initiated by his predecessor and completed by him, which is a testimony that he is not abandoning projects by his predecessor, stated a source.
The frosty relationship between the men has also been the reason for the halt in the Anambra Central Senatorial Election, but should that scale through, and the barrier holding it is removed, and if the feud persists, the governor may have an uphill task when the next election comes up, especially as he has indicated interest to vie for a second term.
Then, he will not only be battling fellow contestants from other parties, but with a predecessor who is known to be powerful in the state.
Meanwhile, contrary to information passed through the social media on the feud between Obiano and Obi, the state publicity secretary of the All Progressives Grand Alliance in Anambra State, Hon. Chinedu Nkwonta, has faulted such information, insisting that there is no war between the duo.
He said it was wrong for any person or group of persons to say that the former governor and his successor were at loggerheads over some unresolved issues.
Nkwonta who made the position of the party on the issue known at the party secretariat, Awka, wondered why some people would make such insinuations.
He however reminded the bearers of such information and the entire citizenry that the present government's success is anchored on the legacy of the former APGA government led by Mr. Peter Obi.
Although the state publicity secretary of the party noted that the former governor made a mistake by walking away into what he described as a den of confused people, he said the prayer of the party remained that the prodigal son should return home.
He further disclosed that Peter Obi did not belong to PDP but APGA and noted that no matter how badly he felt he had been treated by his former party, he would be treated even worse in the People's Democratic Party.


text:
Idris Elba returns in the full-length trailer for BBC's 'Luther'
Image: BBC One
By Charlie Mock 2015-11-26 10:41:04 UTC
After teasing an enticing 9 second clip, BBC have released the full-length trailer for the December comeback of British crime drama Luther. The show, which stars the formidable Idris Elba as DCI John Luther, returns to BBC One for a two-part special following its conclusive third series that aired back in 2013 and is set to be one of the biggest television events this winter.
Luther begins on Dec. 15 at 9pm GMT on BBC One.
Watch poet Amanda Gorman's powerful reading at Joe Biden's inauguration
Trevor Noah calls BS on Fox News and social media companies in Capitol riot recap
James Corden channels 'Les Misérables' for 'One Day More' of Trump's presidency
'Democracy kicked his ass:' Stephen Colbert looks back at the lowlights of Trump's presidency
Topics: BBC One, Entertainment, idris elba, UK, Luther, Television


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Since 1979 the St. Louis Metro Collegiate Baseball League has been the premier baseball program for college players in St. Louis area. Our reputation for superior coaching coupled with outstanding, competitive talent affords young men the opportunity to showcase their talents among the finest players in the area. This level of competition and player development is evidenced by the 400+ Metro Collegiate Alumni that have gone on to the professional ranks and the Metro League Baseball Hall of Fame where you will find 20 of these players that have played in the Major Leagues. Our Major League players include 2011 NLCS and World Series MVP, David Freese, among many others.
On Sunday, June 5th, a group from the St. Louis Metro Collegiate Baseball League attended the 7th Annual Ozzie Smith Gala for the Gateway Section of PGA Reach. PGA Reach is a wonderful organization and one of Mr. Smith's favorites.
Front Row: Coach "Bo" Bunton, Coach Rick Fiala and Coach Logan Bone.
Back Row: Director Adam Stahl, VP Legal Corey Franklin, Coach Kevin Moulder, Director Dave McFarland, President Marty Stein and MLB Alumni Dwight "Doc" Gooden.


The National Minimum Wage Act 9 of 2018 provides for a national minimum wage. The national minimum wage is R20 for each ordinary hour worked. There are, however, certain exceptions to the national minimum wage amount of R20 per hour. Domestic workers are entitled to a minimum wage of R15 per hour.
The National Minimum Wage Act 9 of 2018 (NMWA) came into effect on 1 January 2019. The NMWA provides for, amongst others, a national minimum wage; the establishment of a National Minimum Wage Commission; a review and annual adjustment of the national minimum wage; and the provision of an exemption from paying the national minimum wage.
Mobbing is 'bullying on steroids', a horrifying new trend where a bully enlists co-workers to collude in a relentless campaign of psychological terror against a hapless target. (This is different to flash mobbing in a workplace which can be a form of a strike where employees do something collectively to draw attention to an issue).
The Employment Equity Act (EEA) known as the 'equality clause' was recently amended to make more explicit the remedy for unequal pay based on discrimination. Prior to this, the act did not specifically deal with wage discrimination on the basis of race or gender, despite the Labour Court having held that there were no reasons why equal pay claims should not be claimed in terms of the Act.
On 23 November 2018, the Labour Laws Amendment Bill was signed into law. The Bill provides a minimum period of leave entitlement to employees who are fathers, adoptive parents and parents in a surrogate motherhood agreement, amending the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) and the Unemployment Insurance Act (UIF).
It is widely accepted that human capital is a company's most precious resource. It is crucial that an organisation's people be kept engaged. Where this is not the case, challenges must be identified and addressed as the risks of towing a disengaged workforce can threaten the very survival of the business.
Legal liability to pay employees bonuses?
We welcome the signing of the Minimum Wage Bill into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa. Our firm was appointed by Nedlac to draft the Minimum Wage Bill as well as the amendments to the Labour Relations Act, which also came into effect today.
In most organisations, we don't have the luxury of time to determine if we can trust someone – especially a new hire. We don't know how they'll react in stressful situations. We don't know, ahead of time, if we can rely on them to do their jobs and take responsibility for their decisions and actions.


text:
Q: How to calculate the BMI with python I have to make a script that calculate the BMI with a function that can accept only 2 arguments (those arguments can't be str or bool of course...)!
+ I have to use "{}.format()" in it but I don't know how!
BMI= height/weight**2
import sys

#if the script has been given 2 arguments, he continues, if not(=else) he print a message
if len(sys.argv) == 3:

#The first argument should be the height and the second one should be the weight
height=sys.argv[1]
weight=sys.argv[2]

    def bmi (height,weight):

        bmi=(height/weight**2)

        if type(height) is float and type(weight) is int:
        res=print("your bmi is {}".format(bmi))

        else:
        res=print(" height should be a float and weight an int")

    return(res)

else:
    print("you should enter 2 arguments")

I have no response from python...

A: Be very careful with indentation, as Python code depends very strong on it.
The print() function doesn't return a result. It just prints out what you ask it.
Also, be careful with executing the line bmi=(height/weight**2) before you checked the validity of height and weight. Best wait until you checked them. Otherwise, Python would write out a cryptic error about these types.
A function is not executed when you define it. You should add a call to the function bmi() you defined, as in:
import sys

def bmi (height,weight):
    return height/weight**2

#if the script has been given 2 arguments, he continues, if not(=else) he print a message
if len(sys.argv) == 3:

    #The first argument should be the height and the second one should be the weight
    height=float(sys.argv[1])  # argv[1] is a string and should be converted to float
    weight=int(sys.argv[2])    # argv[2] is a string and should be converted to int

    if type(height) is float and type(weight) is int:
        print("your bmi is {}".format(bmi(height,weight)))
            # "bmi()" calls the bmi function
    else:
        print(" height should be a float and weight an int")
else:
    print("you should enter 2 arguments")

Although Python allows to define functions anywhere in your code, it is best to separate such functions. isinstance() is normally preferred to type() == because isinstance() also checks for subclasses.
edit: added conversions from string to int/float as indicated by Patrick Artner
PS: Check out Checking if a string can be converted to float in Python for information about better checking whetter a string is a valid float.
This would mean following adaption to the code:
    try:
        height=float(sys.argv[1])  # argv[1] is a string and should be converted to float
        weight=int(sys.argv[2])    # argv[2] is a string and should be converted to int
    except ValueError:
        print(" height should be a float and weight an int")


A few years from now, stories like this may not even qualify as news. That's how quickly cybersecurity laws—nearly unheard of until recently—are becoming the norm.
For now, though, each new law is worth noting, and the Colorado Protections for Consumer Data Privacy law, which took effect on September 1, is the latest law to hit the books in the US.
In what may go down as one of the least surprising cybersecurity developments of 2018, the California state legislature has passed the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), a data protection law that brings the key concepts of Europe's GDPR onto American shores.
What are businesses doing differently now that the GDPR has taken effect? That was the topic of discussion in two executive boardroom sessions moderated by PKWARE CEO Miller Newton.
The discussions took place during recent Evanta CISO Executive Summits in San Francisco and London, bringing together information security executives from major corporations on both sides of the Atlantic.
PKWARE is proud to announce that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Jen Ferguson, Director of Partner Marketing, to its prestigious 2018 Women of the Channel list. The executives on this annual list span the IT channel, representing vendors, distributors, solution providers and other organizations that figure prominently in the channel ecosystem.
It was great to see everyone at this year's RSA conference! The year's biggest industry event is an ideal opportunity to gain insight into the trends and developments that are shaping the future of cybersecurity. Here's a quick rundown of the recurring themes we heard in our conversations with information security professionals from around the world.
One month from today, Europe's General Data Protection Regulation will take effect, and the security strategies prepared by organizations around the world will be put to the test.
The GDPR presents a complex challenge, creating new rules for corporations and new rights for the individuals whose data those corporations collect and process. The more data an organization has, the more difficult it will be to meet that challenge.
If you want to see what data-centric protection really looks like, PKWARE's new demo videos are here to show you.