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2015 ELECTIONS: RULING PARTY CRUMBLES IN HISTORIC ELECTION
Posted on April 4, 2015 May 21, 2019
Posted in Election 2015, Socialist Democracy: May-June, 2015 Edition
But Only Mass Struggle Can Guarantee the Interests of Workers and Poor Masses under Buhari's Presidency
By National Executive Committee(NEC), Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM)
The March 28, 2015 election was without doubt a major turning point for Nigeria. For the first time in the country's 55 years existence as an independent country, a ruling party – the People's Democratic Party (PDP) which has been in power for 16 years since the end of military rule in 1999 – was roundly defeated in an election. Although 14 political parties and candidates participated in the presidential election, the contest was essentially a two-horse race between two biggest elite political parties – the ruling PDP and the opposition All Progressive Congress (APC).
The winner of the election is APC's General Muhammadu Buhari – former military ruler and a Muslim from the Northwest region of the country. This election is his fourth attempt. He won 15, 424, 921 votes (54%) to the incumbent's (President Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP) 12,853, 162 thus winning with about 2.6 million votes. This is not a wide margin when compared with past elections since the return of civil rule in 1999, yet it represented a significant defeat for the PDP. Now the PDP is a minority party in the next National Assembly as the APC, in addition to winning the presidency also won over 60 seats in the Senate and won a majority in the House of Representatives. Despite this however, the APC will still lack the two-thirds majority needed for key decisions. However for the first time, the APC would at least be able to produce leaders for the National Assembly.
Past elections frequently returned the ruling PDP which often used the power of incumbency, state funds, the police and the army to carry out massive rigging of polls in its favour. Such was the confidence of the PDP in its expansive rigging machinery that one of its past chairmen boasted that the party would rule for 60 years.
But these elections marked a shift of power from one section of the ruling class to another. For most of the Nigerians that partook in the elections, it was an opportunity to vote out a government that was much despised because of anti-poor policies despite initially coming to power on a wave of 'relative popular support'. But barely a year after his election Jonathan's surprise increase of fuel prices to N140 from N65 was met with angry protests by millions of working people across the country in Nigeria's largest ever general strike. Now the threat of renewed austerity after the benefits of high oil prices had been stolen by the apparent wanton corruption by the ruling elite, plus the government's inability tackle insecurity as represented by Boko Haram, only added to the anger that was ultimately reflected at the polls.
Regardless of the fact that the winner is just another representative of the capitalist ruling elite, the working and toiling masses now feel the potency of their power to punish any party at the polls and effect a change of government. "If there is no change we will vote out the government in four years' time" has become a common refrain among some layers.
For Socialists and working class activists however, the lesson of this election must not be lost. It means for instance that in the coming period, a genuine working class political party can emerge to bid for power and win. Although the chances that a real party of "change", i.e. a mass worker alternative political party that can threaten the interest of capitalism and the corrupt ruling elite, would win in an election and the defeated ruling class party would simply peacefully concede defeat is slim. However the confidence which the working masses and youth who partook in this election now have will be pivotal in building such a mass workers' political alternative.
As the last results were announced in the evening of Tuesday 31st March 2015, there were spontaneous jubilations in places like Lagos, Ibadan, Osogbo and many parts of the North. Not since the June 12, 1993 election, which was annulled by the military regime of General Badamosi Babangida, has there been an election that drew the attention of millions of Nigerians and elicited such celebration of its outcome. Certainly none of the general elections since the return to civil rule 16 years ago had the same electrifying impact. Nevertheless it should be noted that less than half of the registered voters, 42.76%, officially voted, tens of millions felt that the election offered no choice or was irrelevant to their lives.
The difference this time was a mix of different economic and political factors. One is the complete failure of the ruling PDP in delivering socio-economic dividends to the working and toiling people of the country. For 16 years and under the rule of the PDP, the working masses constantly endured worsening economic, social and living conditions in the midst of oil wealth. Despite the pre-2014 economic growth fuelled by crude oil export, greater inequality was the lot of vast majority of the people while government officials were engaged in corruption and looting of the treasury. According to the United States' Department of Energy, Nigeria earned $424bn from oil exports between 2010 and 2014. But there was nothing to show for this huge revenue in term of infrastructural development and living conditions of the vast majority.
The second significant factor is the economic crisis into which the country has found itself since mid-2014 as a result of the collapse of the global price of crude oil. Suddenly, the country found itself unable to meet its basic obligations as a result of declining revenues. About 18 state governments, including those governed by the opposition APC, are owing workers salaries from between 5 months to 2 months. Nigeria derives 70% of its revenue and 90% of foreign exchange from crude oil. The decline of crude oil price led to the collapse of the Excess Crude Account and the Foreign Reserve which according to the most recent update by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has again fallen by 4.9% to $29.79 billion in March. This in turn has led to the free fall of the Naira which has lost about 20% of its value against the dollar threatening the performance of banks and operations of manufacturers and importers.
Just after the election the Economist magazine in London wrote that "inflation, now at 8.4% … could reach 15% before the end of the year" and that falling oil income means "more budget cuts will be needed. Road-building and other construction may be frozen because there is no money to pay contractors" (April 4 issue). All this has elicited worries among investors whose profitability is threatened and of course anger among the working masses who gained little, if anything, from the extra income when oil export prices were high but whose living conditions have taken a further plunge in recent times as a result of this crisis. It was a little surprise therefore that apart from Boko Haram insurgency, the most important issue that dominated the campaign were questions about the management of the economy as well as the corruption of the regime.
The third factor is the perception of the Jonathan's presidency as the most failed capitalist government since 1999. The Jonathan Presidency was first popularly elected in 2011 with about 24 million votes. There was so much expectation from the working and toiling masses that this then little known figure in the PDP political machinery, and someone from a poor background who said he had no shoes to wear to school as a kid, would usher in a dispensation of social and economic development and progress for the country and its people. But just as the members of the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM) predicted and warned, the Jonathan presidency worked in favour of capitalism and the interests of imperialism. Its anti-poor policies of privatization were a disaster for the working class and poor masses. So also was the government's pervasive corruption and failure in all areas of life including in dealing with the Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast. Less than 8 months into President Jonathan's presidency a massive nationwide movement and general strike spontaneously erupted in January 2012 when the government suddenly hiked the pump price of fuel and ended fuel subsidy.
Against the background of the failure of Jonathan's government new divisions opened up in the ruling class and realignments took place between the competing cliques, something symbolised by Obasanjo's shift away from Jonathan and the gale of defections from the ruling PDP. As Jonathan weakened the main imperialist powers also distanced themselves from him.
Regardless of the character of the winner of this election, Jonathan's and the PDP's defeat is a welcome development and a deserved loss. Already at the height of the protest movement in January 2012, the masses had called for an end to Jonathan's regime. So in actuality, the anti-poor President Jonathan government should have been brought to an end since 2012 but for the pro-capitalist Abdulwaheed Omar-led leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) which, alarmed at the radicalization taking place and developing pan-nigerian revolutionary mood for change, called off the strike without winning even the basic economic demand for reversal of the fuel price not to talk of the political demand for an end to the government.
So actually, the March 28, 2015 election was not just a referendum on Jonathan's presidency. In a way it was also a referendum on the ineffective and class-collaborationist methods and tactics of the labour movement leadership. In any case it is this political demand, issued since January 2012, that the masses, incensed and fed up with the anti-poor and pro-capitalist policies and failures of the Jonathan/PDP government especially in curbing the Boko Haram insurgency have now effected though the ballot box.
The fourth factor in this election was the candidacy of General Muhammadu Buhari – a former Military dictator who ruled Nigeria from December 1983 until August 1985 when he was removed in a coup. His then 20-month rule was characterized by attempts to curb corruption and waste but also reckless attacks on democratic rights, repression, banning of press freedom, strikes and demonstrations, expulsion of migrant workers, retrenchment of workers for embarking on strike. This was supplemented by a cocktail of capitalist austerity policies which tried to curb spending through vicious budget cuts.
Interestingly his regime broke ties with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) when the fund asked the government to devalue the naira by 60%, yet the reforms he imposed on his own were as rigorous and vicious as those required by the IMF. One of such vicious anti-poor policies was the cancellation of subsidized feeding (cafeteria system) in the public Universities which drew mass opposition of the people especially students. In 1984, the Lanre Arogundade-led leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) organized a nationwide boycott and mass protest to resist Buhari's anti-poor education attacks. Other policies include ban on recruitment into the federal civil service and halt of capital projects.
Without doubt, the 1983-5 Buhari-Idiagbon regime carried out actions to stem corruption and curb waste. These include going after high profile treasury looters, speculators and money launderers, the passing of a decree prescribing death sentence for armed robbers which was applied retroactively in complete violation of democratic rights of the working masses. However and as is often the case with capitalist reformists, most of these actions failed because they did not address the real and fundamental source of corruption in the system which is capitalism itself.
Some of these actions were also selective and targeted at critics of his regime. Thus while the Buhari-Idiagbon regime claimed to be tackling corruption, he arrested the late Afro-beat singer and a prominent critic of his regime, Fela Anikulapo on September 4 1984 at Lagos airport as he and his band were about to embark on an American tour. Amnesty International described the charges brought against Fela for illegally exporting foreign currency which obviously was for the upkeep of members of his band as "spurious". Despite protestations within Nigeria and internationally, Fela was jailed for five years. Meanwhile in the same year on June 10, 1984, the Emir of Gwandu, whose son was Buhari's aide-de-camp, allegedly transported 53 suitcases filled with cash through customs without inspection on his return flight from Saudi Arabia. This is aside countless journalists like Tunde Thompson and Nduka Irabor of The Guardian who were jailed under the infamous Decree Number 4 – a repressive law to protect the officials of the regime from "false accusations".
Therefore and unlike attempts by his party propagandists to prettify his past, the Buhari-Idiagbon military regime was one widely despised for its vicious pro-capitalist attacks on democratic rights, human rights and living conditions. Under the infamous War Against Indiscipline (WAI) launched on 20 March 1984 and meant to address the regime's perceived lack of public morality and civic responsibility of Nigerian society, civil servants who showed up late to work were humiliated and forced to do "frog jumps" by soldiers, so-called unruly Nigerians were asked to form neat queues at bus stops and soldiers had the right to flog with horsewhips anyone perceived to be unruly.
However despite all these pro-capitalist and infamous characteristics of Buhari, he is largely seen by the poor of the North and now by a substantial section of the working masses and urban youth in the South, as an ascetic, austere and incorruptible person who had the chance to amass wealth while in government but instead lived a modest life compared to the opulence in which past rulers live. The poor of the North also see Buhari as not being a member of the establishment or what is called the Hausa/Fulani ruling oligarchy.
It is this perception of Buhari, coupled with the absence of a credible and genuine working class political alternative on offer by the labour movement, in the face of the monumental failure of Jonathan government that created the popularity and enthusiasm his campaign elicited. Therefore, the election outcome is not so much an endorsement of Buhari and/or the APC. Rather Buhari and the APC are beneficiaries of a burning widespread desire to kick out an anti-poor government which had failed in all ramifications. If a genuine mass working peoples' political party campaigning on anti-capitalist and socialist alternative economic and political agenda had participated in this election, Buhari or the APC would not have been able to become such a rallying point. This is because people would have been able to see clearly that a real alternative existed to the rot, corruption and backwardness represented by the ruling PDP as well as the phony change of the APC. However faced with the monster of a PDP returning for another 4 years to superintend another round of anti-poor economic and political policies, the working masses reasoned that Buhari represents a "lesser evil" or as the Economist (London) puts it "the least awful".
THE ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS LANDMINES
Unfortunately, Nigeria's age-long ethnic and religious divide did not fail to play up in the elections. This of course does not mean that ethnic and religious factors dominated like previous elections. What it does mean is that as a result of the unresolved national question, this election again demonstrates that Nigeria's neo-colonial capitalist ruling elite whether of the PDP or APC faction are incapable of forming a truly pan-Nigeria national consensus/agenda without the age-long ethnic and religious divide sticking out like a sore thumb. The voting pattern is where this perspective can be verified.
For instance except in the Southwest where both candidates had largely competitive votes, both Jonathan and Buhari got huge and decisive votes primarily from the region where they hail from. For instance, Buhari – a Northern Muslim – got 1.9 million votes from Northern city of Kano while Jonathan – a southern Christian – got 1.4 million votes from Rivers State. Also the turnout of eligible voters in both the North and the South were way ahead of the turnout in the Southwest.
In the Southwest for instance, aside from the ethnic and religious factor having very little appeal (except for reported cases of easterners, Niger Delta people and Northerners residents in the Southwest voting along ethnic leanings) for the simple reason that none of the presidential candidates hail from there, the working masses of this region have at different point in time experienced governments formed by both PDP and APC with similar devastating consequences. Indeed presently, four States of the region is governed by the opposition APC.
One of them is Lagos which has been under APC rule (under different names e.g. AD, AC, ACN and now APC) for 16 years with little or nothing to show in terms of improvement in the lives of the mass poor majority of Lagosians. While claiming that it wants to transform Lagos into a mega city, the APC government in Lagos has carried out several vicious attacks against the working masses. Motorcycle taxi (okada) riders have had their livelihoods taken from them with many lives ruined in the process, commercial bus and taxi drivers are constantly harassed to pay all kinds of levies, artisans, market men and women and shopkeepers are burdened by multiple taxes that ruins their small business, doctors in the State employment and other categories of workers have at different times gone on strike and sacked for daring to do so etc. Three years ago, tuition fee was increased at the State-owned Lagos State University (LASU) from N25, 000 to N350, 000. It took a mass struggle by students and staff of the University with the active involvement of the Education Rights Campaign (ERC) and Joint Action Front (JAF) for the government to back down on the fee. In other States like Osun State similarly governed by the APC, workers are owed as much as 5-months' salary.
While the state governments put the blame on low allocation from the federation account as a result of declining crude oil price, yet the same governments have been financing the APC's election campaign. All of these have created a feeling of near indifference or lack of enthusiasm for either the PDP or the APC among the working masses in the Southwest. This is reflected in the closeness of the votes garnered by both Buhari and Jonathan in most states in the Southwest, with just a few exceptions. The low turnout in Lagos where just 1,495,975 people voted out of the 5,827,846 on the register showed the disillusionment with both the APC and PDP, but no other force was seen as a credible alternative. While Buhari won 792,460 votes and Jonathan 632,327 in Lagos, the next highest candidate, the AD, gained just 4,453 votes.
Of course unlike 2011, the PDP/Jonathan lost many of the States they have often won in the North and South while, for the first time, Buhari got huge votes in the South including winning the most votes in five out of the six states in the Southwest. The change mantra of the APC/Buhari undoubtedly had an effect on voters across ethnic and religious divides. For instance, efforts by the ruling PDP during the campaign to scare Christian voters in the South from voting Buhari using the propaganda that Buhari would Islamize Nigeria had little or no effect.
It is instructive to note that Buhari had huge votes in the middle belt states with significant Christian population where he won in four out of the six states. In these states, especially in Benue state with a predominant Christian population, the electorate put aside the ethnic and religious sentiments to punish the PDP government which could not pay teachers salaries and schools were shutdown for several months between 2013 and 2014 at a period when oil was still selling above $100. Going to the election the Benue workers were owed 6-months' salaries. But conversely however, it was the huge votes Buhari got from his Northern stronghold that swung the election in his way. It is true that celebration of the APC and Buhari victory have taken place in all parts of the country including in Port Harcourt – the Rivers state capital in President Jonathan's South South region. Yet this merely masks the ethnic landmines already planted.
Surprisingly, it was The Nation newspaper – the mouthpiece of the opposition APC – that first voiced this concern in the bourgeois press in Nigeria. Writing in the April 1st 2015 edition of the paper, its group political editor Emmanuel Oladesu made the following telling points: "Unlike the June 12, 1993 mandate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate, the late Chief Moshood Abiola, the mandate conferred on Gen. Buhari may not be viewed as a pan-Nigerian mandate, owing to the voting behavior along ethnic and religious leanings". Arguing further, he wrote "the response from the Muslim-dominated North to the Presidential battle was obviously shaped by its clamour for power shift. Conversely, the voting behavior of the South-South and the Southeast was also influenced by ethnic and religious appeal". Commenting on the new realignment of political forces that this election has created, Emmanuel Oladesu pointed out that "The seemingly natural alliance between the North and the Southeast/South-South, which predated the First Republic, was erased. For the first time, Southwest and the North were in political marriage".
Even if muted for now partly because of President Jonathan's immediate and publicized concession to the defeat in a phone call to Buhari even while the votes were still been collated, ethnic disaffection would inevitably come to the surface at some point. This is because capitalism – which Buhari and the opposition APC hope to continue once in power – is an inherently unjust system which does not permit equal distribution of wealth but instead concentrates it in a few hands. Only decisive action by the labour movement can lead united struggles of the working people, but in the absence of such united struggles discontent can take an ethnic or religious character. Rival factions within the ruling class can try to exploit ethnic divisions. It was not accidental that in his outburst during INEC's announcement of the elections results the PDP National Agent, the ex-minister Godsdey Orubebe, accused Jaga, the INEC chairman, of being "tribalist".
This could mean that at some point, the people of the oil-producing Niger Delta in the South will again start feeling marginalized and edged out of the scheme of things, despite the fact that the lot of the common peoples in the region did not improve for the better under Jonathan. In most states of the South-South, including Jonathan's Bayelsa, majority remain poor while communities, that has long suffered from exploitation and repression by oil multinationals, lack access to electricity, roads and infrastructure. Many of the desperate youths have taken to illegal refinery business just to survive. The Financial Times (London) also pointed out: "There is also a strong risk, according to political leaders from the Niger Delta, that former militants, who have had it good under Mr. Jonathan will attempt to establish their continuing relevance by causing disturbances" (March 31, 2015).
NOT SO FREE AND FAIR
As most local and international observers reported, a feature of this election was the supposed minimal irregularities, rigging and violence. Yet this did not stop 50 people from being killed during the balloting on Saturday March 28 according to the National Human Right Commission (NHRC). There was reported violence in Rivers state as well where about four deaths including that of a soldier were recorded in election-related violence. This was in spite of 360, 000 police officers deployed nationwide at strategic areas with sniffer dogs etc as well as mobilization of the army.
In its report, the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) observed other glitches in the elections to include late opening of polling sites, failing biometric voter verification, some regrettable violent incidents and re-polling on Sunday. According to the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), the votes from Rivers State and some South-South states (the stronghold of incumbent President Jonathan) appear to have been significantly inflated during collation. On Monday, protesters in their thousands laid siege on the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to demand that elections be re-conducted in the State. In one incident, a local office of INEC was torched by protesters in Rivers state. Also there were allegations of underage voting and inflation of accreditation and vote figures in the Northern stronghold of Buhari.
However one of the significant features of this election is the enormous amount of money spent by both the PDP and the APC. Of course the PDP, being a party in power at the federal level, had an almost inexhaustible source of funds to finance its campaign. Within the six-week postponement of the election (between February 14 and March 28), the ruling PDP spent multiple billions of naira on campaign adverts, rallies, meetings with interest groups, jingles and hate documentaries. However the APC was not too far behind. Billions of naira was equally expended by the APC dipping hands in the funds of States under their control. This also partly explains why many states, notably Osun state, governed by APC governors were behind by as much as 5 months in some cases in the payment of salaries. Even right from the onset, at the point of picking up nomination forms, both the PDP and the APC had determined the election to be a money contest between rival wings of the ruling elite with the working masses acting, unfortunately, as cheering spectators. Buhari despite his anti-corruption and "change" mantra picked up the APC presidential nomination form for N27.5 million while incumbent President Jonathan paid N22 million for the PDP's form.
This is another reason why the masses' illusion in Buhari's presidency would most certainly come to naught. He who pays the piper dictates the tune. Buhari could not have run such an expensive campaign, far expensive than his three previous attempts put together, which saw him traverse the length and breadth of the country in private jets without substantial investments by many crooks and treasury looters who abound in the opposition APC. These elements will most certainly demand to be paid back or compensated with juicy contracts and favorable government economic policies once Buhari is sworn in. This would therefore mean, as has happened with previous government, that despite purported good intentions, monies meant to fund education, health and social services would find their way into the pockets and bank accounts of party backers and godfathers who would waste no time in extracting their share of the cake once the new government is sworn in.
PROSPECT FOR THE WORKING AND POOR MASSES
The working and poor masses, especially the sections that invested the most illusion in Buhari, are entering a new period where these illusions will be subjected to the most severe tests and verifications. It would be vital for Socialists and working class activists to use the current period to maintain and strengthen links with the working class, the youth and the poor masses as well as their organizations in order to jointly learn the lessons that the new period opening up in Nigeria has in store.
In the aftermath of the elections, some sobriety seems to be quietly overtaking the dizzying enthusiasm of the past weeks. Even the Punch newspaper in an editorial on Thursday 2 April 2015 has recognized that "Nigeria has seen false dawns before, above all after the last general election in 2011, when voters swept Jonathan into office in a wave of sympathy following the sudden death of president Umaru Yar' Adua".
Most certainly the incoming government of Buhari is coming at a very bleak period for capitalism. Government revenues have plummeted on account of drastic fall in crude oil price. The Naira has crashed in value while inflation has risen by 0.25 to 8.4% between January and February. Having squandered most of the proceeds of crude oil sale when the economy was buoyant, the new government will have relatively little for capitalist government to start life with. For a capitalist government on which the vast working and toiling masses have presently invested their hope and aspiration for a better life, the unfolding economic situation will constrain it seriously and force it to abandon many of its promises at a time when working people will be expecting "change". Without doubt, Buhari's government will be a government of crisis.
The incoming government, in spite of Buhari's self-righteousness, will also be a capitalist government i.e. a government devoted to making the rich richer at the expense of the poor majority through policies like privatization and commercialization and the so-called public-private partnership. Forged two years ago from the merger of some opposition parties and defectors from the ruling PDP, the APC under which Buhari contested elections is a pro-capitalist party which subscribes to the same policies of privatization and deregulation as the PDP and has demonstrated in the State where the party has won election that it is a far more capable defender of capitalism. The Guardian of April 2nd 2015 reported the excitement in the market at the announcement of Buhari as winner of the election. According to the report, market capitalization of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) soared by 8.5% on Wednesday appreciating by N906 billion. Operators explained that "since the history of stock trading with machine, the market has not recorded such significant improvement". A stock broker described the improvement as "restoration of investors' confidence". Also events took a dramatic turn in the foreign exchange market with the naira gaining strength with other major currencies, to stem its hitherto sliding profile. Tunde Adanri, the Managing Director of Highcap Securities Limited, summed up the mood when he said he is hopeful that the new regime will sustain investors' enthusiasm by implementing "market oriented economic policies".
This means that beyond some initial temporary concessions to appease the masses' expectations, such pro-capitalist economic policies that defined past governments like privatization, deregulation, underfunding of education, tuition fee hikes would most likely be the hallmark of the new Buhari administration. This would mean that the condition of mass poverty in the midst of plenty which has been the lot of Nigeria since inception will continue indefinitely.
Particularly as a result of the decline in revenue, the government will attempt to impose austerity while also possibly taking some high profile action against a few of the most corrupt. But against a background of falling oil prices, austerity will be the main course of action that is opened to the Buhari government. Austerity will lead to job losses, economic depression and worsening living standards. Corroborating this, the Financial Times (London) of March 31, 2015 had this to say: "having taken power at a similarly bleak period in the 1980s, Gen. Buhari has a record of imposing austerity". However the working masses and youth whose power sent the Jonathan/PDP government packing will not be sitting idle while their living conditions are attacked. The Buhari's presidency might therefore see an explosion of mass struggle. Mass protests and strikes could be on the agenda sooner than later
Struggles can unfold which, if decisively carried out, can win some concessions. But against a background of crisis these will only be temporary. What is needed is a movement which fights for a complete break with the capitalist system. As disappointment in the Buhari government spreads and the scale begins to fall from masses' eyes, there will be frantic search for an alternative. But if the labour movement, socialists and working class activists are again not prepared with an alternative mass workers political party there is the danger that sections of disillusioned working masses and youth will put their faith in just another party or member of the capitalist ruling elite. In the States, we have seen power change hands between PDP and APC many times over with little or no improvement in the lot of the masses.
Therefore the best way to avoid a situation where the working class again has to put faith in rival wings of the ruling elite for its salvation is for the labour movement, socialists and activists to begin the important work of building a mass working class political alternative. We in the DSM and the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) repeat our call for the labour movement to hurriedly, especially in the aftermath of the 2015 election, convene a summit of trade unions, Socialists and civil societies where the question of building an alternative working class political party can be posed.


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Could an Elon Musk and xQc Overwatch stream actually happen? Twitch star makes an offer
Published: 29/Jul/2019 12:08
Elon Musk Twitch
Top Overwatch session with Elon Musk – as well as some inside information about SpaceX.
Since departing the Overwatch League back in March 2018, xQc has gone from strength to strength with his live streams – racking up over 1.4 million followers on Twitch. Thousands of fans tune in on a daily basis to watch the Canadian flip out at whatever game he's playing or give his opinion on some ongoing drama.
Yet, it appears as if he's switching things up and looking to take his newfound interest in the game Kerbal Space Program and get Elon Musk on board for at least one stream.
xQc still dabbles in Overwatch despite no longer being a full-time pro.
The former Dallas Fuel star didn't opt to send a video message or even make an on-stream plea, but instead tagged Musk in a tweet with his offer during his July 28 broadcast – where he was, again, playing the popular Kerbal Space Program.
Read More: Twitch streamer in tears after raising $11k for his struggling mother
"Hey @elonmusk, my community and I would love to learn about rockets and livestream a tour at @SpaceX," he tweeted. "It would be amazing, maybe some Overwatch duos after?"
Hey @elonmusk my community and I would love to learn about rockets and livestream a tour at @SpaceX . It would be amazing , maybe some Overwatch duos after?
— xQc (@xQc) July 29, 2019
While his ever-helpful viewers have tried to chip in with their own advice and tutorials for the rocket-building title, getting someone with the experience of Musk on-board will absolutely help xQc master space travel.
After all, despite the fan assistance, he needs all the help he can get to even break into space and maintain orbit after seeing some of his creations come hurtling back to the ground with an incredible dire outcome.
Despite not replying to xQc's offer at the time of writing, the SpaceX and Tesla CEO has already shown a willingness to get on board with internet personalities.
Read More: Evidence suggests Jake Paul and Tana Mongeau are not legally married
Back in February, after an eye-watering number of pleas from fans, Musk helped YouTube sensation PewDiePie in his fight against T-Series by appearing on his meme review show. He's taken his own memes to the next level with a bizarre song about Harambe and using Call of Duty: Zombies to pay respects to a dead Nasa rover.
Elon Musk appeared on PewDiePie's 'Meme Review' in February
Musk has even admitted to being an Overwatch fan in the past, revealing on Twitter that he opts to choose Soldier 76 instead of some more powerful heroes.
Ok, fine. Soldier 76. My dark secret is out …
— e^:eye::pie: (@elonmusk) January 24, 2017
It remains to be seen if the pair actually do link up, but it definitely isn't out of the question – especially if xQc continues his interest in space exploration and Musk wants to take his Overwatch skills to the next level.
Twitch/Ninja/xQc
Twitch has been rolling out 2020 recaps for both viewers and streamers, letting you see who you watched the most, and if you streamed, how many total viewers you racked up. So, here's how you can get ahold of yours.
Over the last few years, services like Spotify and Apple Music have started to give users a recap of their year – showing off who they listened to, how many hours they spent on the app, and also adding a few recommendations for the following year.
Users of other platforms have called for similar things, so they can see just how much time they've spent watching videos, listening to music, and even playing games.
Twitch is one of those platforms that has followed suit, giving both viewers and streamers a recap of their 2020 on the platform – including who they watched the most, how many messages they sent in chats, and what their favorite emote to spam was.
Twitch / xQcOW
xQc showed off his 2020 Twitch Recap numbers and explained that they aren't accurate.
To get your hands on your own, account-specific recap – whether you streamed or just watched along with Twitch chat – you don't have to jump through many hurdles.
Read More: Sykkuno announces streaming return
Just make sure that the email address you use on your Twitch account is active and can receive emails. If that's all sorted, then, you'll get an email from Twitch delivering your stats.
If you think you've already got an email and might have missed it, then simply go into your email inbox and search either your Twitch username or 2020 Twitch recap. It should be there. Also, make sure to check your spam inbox, it might have gotten lost along the way and ended up in there.
If you haven't gotten your Twitch Recap yet, it's because we're saving the best for last.
Emails are rolling out throughout the day, so it'll hit your inbox soon.
— Twitch (@Twitch) January 15, 2021
That's all there is to it, really. You don't have to go to any new website and opt into anything special, just make sure that the email account linked to your Twitch is able to receive emails.
Read More: How to clip and download Twitch clips
Of course, as nice as it is to see which streamers you've wasted far too much time watching, some content creators aren't happy. Felix 'xQc' Lengyel pointed out that the stats are skewed, and his case ruined altogether, for some streamers because of bots.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Currently at the Forum: MOVIES you might have missed
Stephen McFeely
Total Titles at Criticker: 10 - You've Seen 0
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Titles You Haven't Rated: Writer (10) | Creator (1)
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After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War (2018), the universe is in ruins. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers assemble once more in order to undo Thanos' actions and restore order to the universe.
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The Avengers and their allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.
Political interference in the Avengers' activities causes a rift between former allies Captain America and Iron Man. (imdb)
Agent Carter (2015) - TV Series
In 1946, Peggy Carter is relegated to secretarial duties in the Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR). When Howard Stark is accused of treason, he secretly recruits Peggy to clear his name with the help of his butler, Edwin Jarvis. (imdb)
Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world and battles a new threat from old history: the Soviet agent known as the Winter Soldier. (imdb)
A trio of bodybuilders in Florida get caught up in an extortion ring and a kidnapping scheme that goes terribly wrong. (imdb)
Marvel launches another super franchise with this action-packed origin story, which follows Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) as he volunteers for a secret experiment during World War II. Transformed into a superhero named Captain America, Steve goes after the Axis. With his perfect physique and heightened reflexes -- and his sidekick, Bucky (Sebastian Stan) -- Steve battles the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving), a super soldier created by Italian fascists.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010)
With their dour, bookish cousin Eustace (Will Poulter) in tow, the youngest Pevensie offspring -- Lucy (Georgie Henley) and Edmund (Skandar Keynes) -- take an unexpected trip back to Narnia and join noble King Caspian (Ben Barnes) for an epic high-seas adventure. Setting sail aboard the Dawn Treader, the young heroes head for the end of the world, determined to rescue seven once-powerful lords banished by Caspian's evil uncle.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)
"Prince Caspian" finds the Pevensie siblings pulled back into the land of Narnia, where a thousand years have passed since they left. The children are once again enlisted to join the colorful creatures of Narnia in combating an evil villain who prevents the rightful Prince from ruling the land. (imdb)
You Kill Me (2007)
This street-smart mob comedy is the story of what happens when two mismatched people find a common calling. (IFC Films)
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Following up on the most recent post about the New Release Scheduling System, I'm bringing you the news about the new Oxwall Update.
According to the new schedule, we have completed the Quality Group Testing last week and are now ready for the public release. This time it is a combination of a major bug sweep operation, as well as the introduction of several key improvements and new features.
Enjoy the Update and lets us know what you think in the comments or in the forum.
This entry was posted in News, Release and tagged 1.2.4, bugfix by Zima. Bookmark the permalink.
Everything will be ok with Grunge theme? becouse there is no update for Grunge.
Please, ansver to me 🙂 everything will be ok after the update , i am using grunge theme ,an for grunge theme is no update.
So i am ignored, again……… thanks.
I'm sorry for the delay. You will have to manually upload the Grunge theme. Only default ones are updated automatically.
Got it. Thanks for pointing that out. Much appreciate it. The team is re-uploading it to the store now.
The theme is ready. Again, thanks a lot for pointing that out.
OH NOOOOO!!! Turn it back turn it back!!!! What have you guys done??? Oh noooo, now, I can't post videos or pictures, that had been FIXED and now you went back in there and BROKE IT! UGGGGH! Why'd they do this? I don't get it? 10 steps forward, 5 steps back! No no no no no!!! Dammit, if I had known this – I wouldn't have updated it, how can I go back?
You should be able to go back if you have backed it up. Although I have to say that we have not disabled posting of videos or pictures. Rather it was done through Rich Text in the last version and now you can do it in a more user-friendly way with Attachments. If it doesn't work, please report it to the support team at the forum.
*smh* I am just spinning, who gives a ding-dang-dizzy about iPones and iPads – WYSIWYG worked…it WORKED for what's most important, people on their computers and people without KNOWLEDGE of how to post. Now, those people, who are the MAJORITY visiting my site, are BACK in the dark and asking me HOW TO???
Totally the wrong move here… totally… and – I could kick myself a hundred times, because I have been backing up every single time I updated – but because I trusted the update, I went and updated without backing up THIS TIME – serves me right – the one time I don't do it, I regret it – BAM – Murphy's Law man, Murphy's law. I HATE that this incredible software has been set-back instead of forward – all for some freakin' iPhone and iPad that only a FEW people have! Geez!
Once again, you should be able to attach photos and videos, just like on the screenshot. Are you sure that beside the platform itself you have updated all of the plugins; more specifically, the Newsfeed?
Okay, if it is done via my PROFILE – there you can attach it – I see that. WYSIWYG is still connected to Blogs and the Forum, thank goodness for that, Phew… however, most persons come onto the "MAIN" page of the community and it is from THERE that 99.9% make their comments or comment off of a post that has been made. THAT particular area – in the MAIN area of comments – there is no way to attach pictures or videos – that attribute is GONE. All they can do now is simply comment – can't add videos – I tried – no deal – can't add photos, UNLESS you know html and that I'm assuming, I haven't tested it. However, most all of the members having a CLUE of how to do what I might be able to – which is why I LOVED the small icons that were there for adding photos or videos.
I assume that, as usual, there will be an auto-update option shortly? I don't know why people don't wait for it like I do – the auto-update is as easy as pie!
Great work Oxwall folks – it is very much appreciated!
That's right. The auto-update button will appear in the span of 24 hours after the launch of the update.
Thanks Zima – keep up the good work.
By the way, if any Oxwall users want me to help with updates etc, I'd be more than happy to help. Just drop me a line using the Contact Us link on my site and explain what your problem is and I'll do whatever I can to help!
Instructions say to unpack update to the root folder of your software install; exactly which folder is it they are referring to. Is this the main folder, or one of the other folders, I have no idea. when they give instructions they need to be more specific, you can't just assume people know what you are talking about, people can't read your mind. That's why so many people are having problems with the updates.
Just like instructions say, it should be the same root folder, where you have installed the software.
I can't seem to find an auto update button, I've look every place, I can't find it. Could you tell me exactly where it is suppose to be?
The link to the button is hard to miss, as it should appear at the top of your Admin Dashboard. I assume you've looked there, so perhaps the problem is with something else. See if this forum topic is of any help.
Thanks all for your help, I know sometimes people can get pretty frustrated when they are trying to do something and it's not working out, lol. I just wanted to remind your crew, that there should be a asterisk next to required questions on profile edit, so people know. They should also give people the option of not showing their age on their profile, that way if it is a required field, they can still choose not to have it displayed. I'm getting kinda old, so I will usually choose not to have it displayed.
I've forwarded your suggestions to the team.
One more suggestion, It should probably default, or an option, for links on the link plug-in to open in a new window or tab. That way you can view a link without having to leave the site. It's easier to view a link then close the tab, than to have to press the back button, or have to come all the way back after they have viewed the site.
I've checked the Oxwall Demo Site and attaching photos and videos works fine on the Main page there. Are you sure you have updated all of the plugins?
Yep, sure did. Updated the software, updated the theme I'm using as well, and then refreshed it several times. And it does not give an option on the MAIN page, to attach photos or videos.
I can do a print screen but there's no way to attach it here – so I can't show you. If I go to my Profile page, I can attach in the comment that I make. However, if another member makes a comment and I try and comment on what they've said in the MAIN area, all I can do is comment, no where does it show me a means to attach photos or videos.
Just to be absolutely sure, have you updated the Newsfeed plugin? This one – http://www.oxwall.org/store/item/43 ? If you have, and attachments still don't show up, it should be reported on the forum.
Hi, I have been using a few themes, Club, Graphite and was hoping for an update to those themes ? would that be possible, I'm sure many people out there are also using some versions also.
All of the themes have been updated.
Just went to the demo site – yep, you're right – I can do it there …. so now, the question is, why not at my site? Everything else is working fine and I did the update because the changes are there. Plus, at the My Profile page, I can see the attachment ability… so what's going on? Now I'm really baffled!
I've joined your site to see if I can help you – it currently says the account is pending approval so once approved then I will take a look for you.
Oh shoot Paul, I wish I had known that, I saw a few new applications and I'm so used to Spammers that I assumed that is what you were and deleted you. Aaaaah, I feel awful, – but all is well now. Totally happy with the way it is.
Just try to go in the plugins folder and install the new newsfeed. but it has downloading from the internet first.
things just are not working because not to do this correctly .. I did and it works as it should be.
I really appreciate the way you all over there at Oxwall keep moving to improve this great product, thanks again.
Aaaah, all is now restored to order – once more all correct in SpaceNook universe – today I found updates that took platform from version 4227 to 4230 – AND – multiple plugin updates… after doing them… ALL is as it should be.
Tested everything… hmmm, well – it's all the way you guys updated it to be, but in truth, it was better before – I and the visitors had control over putting smilies and other captions RIGHT IN the post, now as an attachment, doesn't look good.
Oh well… it is what it is..
oEmbed compatibility for the Newsfeed (pasting a link into the Newsfeed will now generate a summary with title, picture or video, like in Facebook or Google+) is not very good, becouse then you post the link it generates first image from web page, for example: very small twiter image , sing in icon ,very first imige from web page.
Yes, we are aware of that. The issue will be addressed in the near future.
Thank for the report, I have forwarded it to the Development Team. If you want to see the progress on the issue, please set up a topic in our forum.
It should be in the Admin Dashboard.
Installed, now newsfeed wont allow new text to be added, no button, pressing enter just makes a new line, uninstalled (updated) newsfeed, have lost ALL TIMELINE, not impressed. Since the beginning of the site.
now reinstalled, still not working, I am on 1.2.4 core update did today. please help.
Please report this on our support forum.
So where do i register to post on the support forum ???
You can log-in at the top of the page using your registration details or Facebook Connect.
Thank you for the suggestion, we will add it shortly.
Hey, just wanted to add that I am super-impressed and thankful for all the great work on Oxwall. Have i not found it or is there no way to moderate groups (make it private)? Thanks again!!
That feature is currently unavailable, but it will be implemented in one of the upcoming updates.
Deep thinking – adds a new dmienoisn to it all.
If you have a problem with pictures not showing up on your page, please report it in the forum. Also, Oxwall is Open Source, so we don't sell licenses.
Hi. I cant join to the site. i think its a issue on captcha field!
Might be a bug. Report it on the forum with additional details.
n i found this place to report it.
I have forwarded your report to the team, but please do try to get on the forum, as that'll speed up the process greatly. You can log in on the forum using Facebook Connect.
I tried updating the site twice, when I tried commenting and embedding video, I got description but no video. It just shows the code. I tried the link to the video, the old embed code, and the new. It doesn't work. And I know that I updated the site the way I was suppose to. I am going to leave my site the way it is. It's good enough I suppose. I can always make my own improvements. I will make some donations to your Oxwall, for the website. But I'm probably not going to try updating again. Even if I do back it up, I still run the risk of the site not working right..
Sorry to hear that something does not work. It should. Please report it on the forum and we'll help you. Also, if you have trouble updating your site manually, just wait for the auto-update next time.
I recently set up my forums. Maybe… 2 weeks ago, give or take.
I'm going to gather, I'm running the most current version then.
I can't add videos or pictures to comments in the news feed. The buttons are there to do it, you can upload, and add embedded code, but you can't select add or send with the image or video there.
Any thoughts on why this is occurring?
Should work. Report this on the forum.
I'm helping the creator of the site with some issues. One in which pictures are not viewable. I've been told that it is because the photo directory for users is missing. But i can sure use some help.
Have you tried the forum?


text:
1MATCH URL: https://assets.rappler.com/61B178CDD3014413811AA0539733C97C/img/3ECF0DEEB68E48CBB60979D10ED96C28/mayon-watch-jan-14-2018-003.jpg
After months of quiet, Mayon volcano erupts again
'There's no time to relax. Even if the volcano looks calm from the distance, from our instrument, the volcano is still in abnormal condition,' says Phivolcs resident volcanologist Ed Laguerta
Rhaydz B. Barcia
Published 11:30 PM, July 01, 2018
Updated 11:30 PM, July 01, 2018
MOUNT MAYON. This photo taken in January 2018 shows the popular Mayon volcano. File photo by Mau Victa/Rappler
LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines – Following months of quiet, Mount Mayon erupted again on Sunday afternoon, July 1, sending white to light gray ash clouds 500 meters up the sky.
The eruption took place around 12:30 pm on Sunday. This was months after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) lowered the volcano's alert level status from 3 to 2 in March.
Ed Laguerta, resident volcanologist of Phivolcs in Bicol, explained that Sunday's eruption was phreatic in nature.
A phreatic explosion is a steam-driven episode that occurs when water beneath the ground or on the surface is heated by magma, lava, hot rocks, or new volcanic deposits.
Laguerta said: "There's no time to relax. Even if the volcano looks calm from the distance, from our instrument, the volcano is still in abnormal condition."
"The phreatic explosion that occurred on Sunday afternoon demonstrated our recommendation not to lower the alert status of Mayon volcano as it is still exhibiting signs of restiveness, though the trend of abnormalities is moving from moderate level of unrest to a quiet period," he added.
The restive condition of Mount Mayon earlier forced thousands of Filipinos to evacuate. Earlier this year, more than 54,600 evacuees went home. – Rappler.com
Filed under:Ed Laguerta•Mount Mayon•Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology•Phivolcs•Mayon Volcano


text:
Mission & Commitment
Letter to Members
Who Was Kodály
The Kodály Concept
Benchmarks & Standards
What is an Endorsed Certificate Program?
Donate to OAKE
Chapters and Divisions
Chapter Workshops
How to Log In
Rates and Registration
Sessions and Presenters
Conference Choirs
Accepted Singers
Meet the Conductors
Choir FAQ
Kodály Benchmarks
Purchase Publications
Clinician Directory
Kodály Envoy
Ruth Boshkoff Composition Prize
The Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE) is proud to partner with organizations which share common goals and interests that support high-quality music education and promote universal music literacy and lifelong music making. For that reason, OAKE is an affiliated national institutional member of the International Kodály Society (IKS), a corporate member of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), a member of the Alliance for Active Music Making (AAMM), and a member of the Music Education Policy Roundtable (MEPR). OAKE has officially endorsed the 2014 MEPR Legislative Agenda and the NAfME "Broader-Minded: Think Beyond the Bubbles" National Music Advocacy campaign. More information regarding these organizations and OAKE-endorsed advocacy campaigns are provided below.
International Kodály Society
The International Kodály Society is active in 34 countries and has Affiliated National Organizations in 16 countries. The IKS supports those working in the field of music and music education, particularly those following the legacy of Zoltán Kodály. Values of the IKS: 1) Individuals should be afforded the right and the opportunity to develop their musical gifts. 2) Music education is an integral part of the normal school curriculum. 3) The need for musical expression, inherent in every human being should be satisfied. 4) Room should be made for authentic musical material that has educational value. 5) As a step towards understanding between people, school song books, in addition to indigenous musical heritage, should contain songs selected from all over the world.
The Alliance for Active Music Making
The Mission of the AAMM is to promote active music making approaches in general music teacher education. Goals of AAMM: 1) To provide a forum for sharing philosophies and practices of active music making, including, but not limited to, those of Jaques-Dalcroze, Gordon, Kodály, and Orff. 2) To promote collaboration between music teachers and university methods teachers toward implementation of active music making. 3) To provide resources that will promote understanding and practice of active music making. 4) To encourage in-depth professional development in active music making approaches. 5) To promote awareness among education leaders and policy makers, arts educators, future teachers, and the general public about active music making approaches. 6) To encourage, support, and disseminate research regarding active music making.
The Music Education Policy Roundtable
The Music Education Policy Roundtable is an alliance of music advocacy organizations formalized by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) and American String Teachers Association (ASTA). The mission of The Roundtable is the unification of all music education advocacy organizations under a single policy apparatus, working in unison to achieve a consensus set of federal legislative recommendations, on behalf of the profession and all of those who stand to benefit from its contributions to education. The Roundtable is dedicated to ensuring the presence and perseverance of school music programs operated by certified music educators teaching sequential, standards-based music education to students across the nation.
2016 NAfME Roundtable Legislative Agenda (April, 2016)
Statement by the Music Education Policy Roundtable on U.S. Department of Education's Proposed Teacher Preparation Regulations Overhaul (April, 2015)
The 2014 Roundtable Legislative Agenda (July, 2014)
National Association for Music Education
Among the world's largest arts education organizations, NAfME advocates at the local, state, and national levels; provides resources for teachers, parents, and administrators; hosts professional development events; and offers a variety of opportunities for students and teachers. The Association orchestrates success for millions of students nationwide and has supported music educators at all teaching levels for more than a century. Since 1907, NAfME has worked to ensure that every student has access to a well-balanced, comprehensive, and high-quality program of music instruction taught by qualified teachers. NAfME's activities and resources have been largely responsible for the establishment of music education as a profession, for the promotion and guidance of music study as an integral part of the school curriculum, and for the development of the National Standards for Arts Education.
Our vision is the realization of a world where the power of music as a unifying, humanizing, and healing force is an integral part of the lives of the American People.
OAKE is an affiliate member of the International Kodály Society.
3415 S Sepulveda Blvd Suite 1126, Los Angeles, CA 90034
Email: info@oake.org
Copyright © 2020 Organization of American Kodály Educators


This name is in version 1.1 of The Plant List, record kew-2695953, with some changes.
This name is the accepted name of a species in the genus Canarium (family Burseraceae).
The record derives from WCSP (in review) which reports it as an accepted name with original publication details: Monogr. Phan. 4: 111 1883 .
Full publication details for this name can be found in IPNI: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:127404-1.


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Working at Chapman Announcements
Human Resources Sponsored Events
The Office of Human Resources has enjoyed celebrating the impact of our staff and administrators with the following events. If you have any suggestions on how we can continue to celebrate and support your impact, please email hroffice@chapman.edu.
Staff Summit
Our staff summit is an annual week-long event created to celebrate our staff and administrators. We provide workshops, activities, fun, games, and an opportunity to build relationships and make fond memories. At the 2022 Staff Summit we introduced the concept of Celebrating Impact, a year-long initiative that recognizes our staff and administrators' impact at Chapman University. More than 400 staff and administrators participated in the week-long festivities.
Staff Years of Service Celebration
The service awards were created to honor, highlight, and thank our staff for their loyalty, impact and years of dedicated service. Traditionally, the Years of Service award ceremony occurred during our weeklong Staff Summit. This year, we presented Chapman University staff and administrators with a new stand-alone tradition, the Staff Years of Service Celebration, to honor special milestones achieved. This year we celebrated the work-year milestones of the past three years with more than 317 recipients being recognized.
Staff Years of Service Celebration – Pin Pickup
We want to congratulate those who were honored and celebrated at the Staff Years of Service Celebration. For those who missed the event, please pick up your years of service pin at the Office of Human Resources. We are in DeMille Hall, and you can stop by Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Pumpkin Panther Pageant
The 2022 Pumpkin Panther Pageant was an inspirational display of creativity, unity and comradery. With more than 25 departments participating, we were impressed with the ingenuity behind the pumpkin carving contest, individual costumes and group costumes. We are looking forward to seeing the elevation of creativity and dedication next year!
Holiday Mixer – Winter Wonderland
We look forward to hosting our staff and faculty at the 2022 Holiday Mixer and closing this year out with a Winter Wonderland. For more information, please click here.
If you would like to flex your creative muscles and participate in the planning of one of our events, keep an eye out for further communications.
Enjoy some images from these events and we look forward to making more memories as we celebrate the impact you make all year long.
ThrivePass
2022 Holiday Mixer – Winter Wonderland
Elevate the Working@Chapman Experience with Your Feedback
Chapman University is committed to fostering an environment where all employees feel supported and included. As the university works towards continuous improvement, senior leadership encourages staff members to share...
Faculty Lunch Service Begins Jan. 30
Spring 2023 Faculty Lunch Service will begin Monday, Jan. 30. Each day, the elaborate buffet lunch service will run Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The lunch menu will be posted by the end of this week.
Review Retirement Savings Contributions
As we enter a new tax year, it is an excellent time to review the amount you contribute to your retirement savings. The Internal Revenue Service has announced the maximum contribution and compensation limits for pension...


text:
Mark Sweney
Agencies line up for three-year contract at the Dairy Council
The Dairy Council has shortlisted four agencies to pitch for a three-year advertising contract to promote the benefits of milk to 15- to 19-year-old girls.
It is not known if BMP DDB, responsible for the Dairy Council's "The White Stuff" campaign, is participating in the pitch.
The initiative is to be funded by the European Community and the Milk Development Council. Until now, the advertising was funded by milk processors, and the new arrangement is expected to see UK budgets reduced.
Last year, the Dairy Council won funding from the European Community and British farmers to manage a print advertising campaign promoting the health benefits of milk to parents aged 20 to 40 years old.
The campaign, by BMP, ran from April through to September this year in national newspapers, TV listings titles and lifestyle publications.
One execution featured the Commonwealth Games gold medallist Graham Beasely in his boxer shorts with the slogan "see the inner man".
A skeleton appears on the next page with the strapline "nice bone structure" and a nutritional message on the contribution of milk to the recommended daily intake of calcium.
Two other ads, "fork" and "arm", explained how the calcium in milk helps teeth and bones. The strapline runs: "The white stuff, are you made of it?"
An online campaign through BMP's digital sister agency Tribal DDB will use rich-media advertising on high-traffic websites including MSN UK and ITV.com/ football. One creative execution uses a skeleton walking across the web page.


text:
The rainfall regime in Lisbon in the last 150 years
H. Kutiel, R. M. Trigo
Department of Geography and Environmental Studies
The first decades of the rainfall series of Lisbon have been digitized recently allowing a long-term assessment of the rainfall regime for 150 years of uninterrupted, i.e., the first assessment for the longest continuous precipitation time series in western Iberia. This data has been monitored continuously at the D. Luís observatory having started to be published in 1864 in the Observatory's log books (Annals). We use an approach based on different characteristics of rain spells that has been proved to be satisfactory for the analysis of the different parameters related to the rainfall regime in that part of the world. Thus, a rain spell is defined as a series of consecutive days with a measured daily rainfall equal or higher than 1.0 mm. Each rain spell is preceded and followed by at least one dry day. For each rain spell, its duration, its yield (RSY), and its average intensity (RSI) was calculated. Additionally, the total number of rain spells in each year was also considered. Dryness was analyzed using the dry days since last rain approach. Besides the evaluation over the entire 150-year period available, we have also looked into three equally spaced sub-periods. Lisbon reveals large inter-annual and intra-annual variability and both have increased considerably in the last decades. The large intra-annual variability is demonstrated by both; a very large range of annual rainfall percentage accumulated at any given date and by a very large range of dates on which a certain rainfall percentage was accumulated. Again, both metrics increased in the last decades. Parallel to the increase in the uncertainty, a very significant net increase is noticed in the annual totals since the 1960s compared to the first half of the previous century. The increase is mainly due to more intense events which are reflected by higher RSY and RSI values in the last 50 years.
Theoretical and Applied Climatology
Ricardo Trigo was supported by ERA-CLIM (European Union, FP7, Grant Agreement Nr. 265229). The authors acknowledge the contribution from Maria Antónia Valente and Vojtech Bliznak with the digitizing and preliminary analysis of the Lisbon precipitation time series. Thanks are due to Mrs. Noga Yoselevich for making the drawings.
© 2014, Springer-Verlag Wien.
Dive into the research topics of 'The rainfall regime in Lisbon in the last 150 years'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
rain Earth & Environmental Sciences 100%
rainfall Earth & Environmental Sciences 81%
observatory Earth & Environmental Sciences 39%
book Earth & Environmental Sciences 18%
time series Earth & Environmental Sciences 15%
world Earth & Environmental Sciences 12%
evaluation Earth & Environmental Sciences 10%
parameter Earth & Environmental Sciences 7%
Kutiel, H., & Trigo, R. M. (2014). The rainfall regime in Lisbon in the last 150 years. Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 118(3), 387-403. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-013-1066-y
Kutiel, H. ; Trigo, R. M. / The rainfall regime in Lisbon in the last 150 years. In: Theoretical and Applied Climatology. 2014 ; Vol. 118, No. 3. pp. 387-403.
@article{f66d00b663404faa86e378ee44699f57,
title = "The rainfall regime in Lisbon in the last 150 years",
abstract = "The first decades of the rainfall series of Lisbon have been digitized recently allowing a long-term assessment of the rainfall regime for 150 years of uninterrupted, i.e., the first assessment for the longest continuous precipitation time series in western Iberia. This data has been monitored continuously at the D. Lu{\'i}s observatory having started to be published in 1864 in the Observatory's log books (Annals). We use an approach based on different characteristics of rain spells that has been proved to be satisfactory for the analysis of the different parameters related to the rainfall regime in that part of the world. Thus, a rain spell is defined as a series of consecutive days with a measured daily rainfall equal or higher than 1.0 mm. Each rain spell is preceded and followed by at least one dry day. For each rain spell, its duration, its yield (RSY), and its average intensity (RSI) was calculated. Additionally, the total number of rain spells in each year was also considered. Dryness was analyzed using the dry days since last rain approach. Besides the evaluation over the entire 150-year period available, we have also looked into three equally spaced sub-periods. Lisbon reveals large inter-annual and intra-annual variability and both have increased considerably in the last decades. The large intra-annual variability is demonstrated by both; a very large range of annual rainfall percentage accumulated at any given date and by a very large range of dates on which a certain rainfall percentage was accumulated. Again, both metrics increased in the last decades. Parallel to the increase in the uncertainty, a very significant net increase is noticed in the annual totals since the 1960s compared to the first half of the previous century. The increase is mainly due to more intense events which are reflected by higher RSY and RSI values in the last 50 years.",
author = "H. Kutiel and Trigo, {R. M.}",
note = "Funding Information: Ricardo Trigo was supported by ERA-CLIM (European Union, FP7, Grant Agreement Nr. 265229). The authors acknowledge the contribution from Maria Ant{\'o}nia Valente and Vojtech Bliznak with the digitizing and preliminary analysis of the Lisbon precipitation time series. Thanks are due to Mrs. Noga Yoselevich for making the drawings. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2014, Springer-Verlag Wien.",
journal = "Theoretical and Applied Climatology",
publisher = "Springer-Verlag Wien",
Kutiel, H & Trigo, RM 2014, 'The rainfall regime in Lisbon in the last 150 years', Theoretical and Applied Climatology, vol. 118, no. 3, pp. 387-403. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-013-1066-y
The rainfall regime in Lisbon in the last 150 years. / Kutiel, H.; Trigo, R. M.
In: Theoretical and Applied Climatology, Vol. 118, No. 3, 11.2014, p. 387-403.
T1 - The rainfall regime in Lisbon in the last 150 years
AU - Kutiel, H.
AU - Trigo, R. M.
N1 - Funding Information: Ricardo Trigo was supported by ERA-CLIM (European Union, FP7, Grant Agreement Nr. 265229). The authors acknowledge the contribution from Maria Antónia Valente and Vojtech Bliznak with the digitizing and preliminary analysis of the Lisbon precipitation time series. Thanks are due to Mrs. Noga Yoselevich for making the drawings. Publisher Copyright: © 2014, Springer-Verlag Wien.
N2 - The first decades of the rainfall series of Lisbon have been digitized recently allowing a long-term assessment of the rainfall regime for 150 years of uninterrupted, i.e., the first assessment for the longest continuous precipitation time series in western Iberia. This data has been monitored continuously at the D. Luís observatory having started to be published in 1864 in the Observatory's log books (Annals). We use an approach based on different characteristics of rain spells that has been proved to be satisfactory for the analysis of the different parameters related to the rainfall regime in that part of the world. Thus, a rain spell is defined as a series of consecutive days with a measured daily rainfall equal or higher than 1.0 mm. Each rain spell is preceded and followed by at least one dry day. For each rain spell, its duration, its yield (RSY), and its average intensity (RSI) was calculated. Additionally, the total number of rain spells in each year was also considered. Dryness was analyzed using the dry days since last rain approach. Besides the evaluation over the entire 150-year period available, we have also looked into three equally spaced sub-periods. Lisbon reveals large inter-annual and intra-annual variability and both have increased considerably in the last decades. The large intra-annual variability is demonstrated by both; a very large range of annual rainfall percentage accumulated at any given date and by a very large range of dates on which a certain rainfall percentage was accumulated. Again, both metrics increased in the last decades. Parallel to the increase in the uncertainty, a very significant net increase is noticed in the annual totals since the 1960s compared to the first half of the previous century. The increase is mainly due to more intense events which are reflected by higher RSY and RSI values in the last 50 years.
AB - The first decades of the rainfall series of Lisbon have been digitized recently allowing a long-term assessment of the rainfall regime for 150 years of uninterrupted, i.e., the first assessment for the longest continuous precipitation time series in western Iberia. This data has been monitored continuously at the D. Luís observatory having started to be published in 1864 in the Observatory's log books (Annals). We use an approach based on different characteristics of rain spells that has been proved to be satisfactory for the analysis of the different parameters related to the rainfall regime in that part of the world. Thus, a rain spell is defined as a series of consecutive days with a measured daily rainfall equal or higher than 1.0 mm. Each rain spell is preceded and followed by at least one dry day. For each rain spell, its duration, its yield (RSY), and its average intensity (RSI) was calculated. Additionally, the total number of rain spells in each year was also considered. Dryness was analyzed using the dry days since last rain approach. Besides the evaluation over the entire 150-year period available, we have also looked into three equally spaced sub-periods. Lisbon reveals large inter-annual and intra-annual variability and both have increased considerably in the last decades. The large intra-annual variability is demonstrated by both; a very large range of annual rainfall percentage accumulated at any given date and by a very large range of dates on which a certain rainfall percentage was accumulated. Again, both metrics increased in the last decades. Parallel to the increase in the uncertainty, a very significant net increase is noticed in the annual totals since the 1960s compared to the first half of the previous century. The increase is mainly due to more intense events which are reflected by higher RSY and RSI values in the last 50 years.
JO - Theoretical and Applied Climatology
JF - Theoretical and Applied Climatology
Kutiel H, Trigo RM. The rainfall regime in Lisbon in the last 150 years. Theoretical and Applied Climatology. 2014 Nov;118(3):387-403. doi: 10.1007/s00704-013-1066-y


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Easter Sunday Massacre: Who, and What Next?
First thought to be the work of a small group of terrorists retaliating for the earlier mosque shootings in New Zealand, evidence now suggests that ISIS played a major role in the April 21st terrorist attack on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka. This development, along with the long and complicated history of religious, ethnic, and political strife in Sri Lanka, creates a complex problem for peacemakers. This article by OMNIA President Rev. Dr. Shanta Premawardhana, unpacks some of that complex history, and suggests a way forward.
OMNIA IMPACT REPORT
Our enthusiastic celebrations of the growth and progress of our Interfaith Peacemaker Teams in Sri Lanka have recently been tempered by the tragic news of Easter morning terrorists attacks on churches and hotels. We mourn the crushing loss of life and extend our heartfelt love and abiding support. We are especially mindful that our work, however difficult, is needed now more than ever. Even in the midst of suffering, joy may be found and a higher purpose made clear. It is in the spirit of that higher purpose that we offer to you our report on Interfaith Peacemaker Teams in Sri Lanka and invite you to join us in answering the call to peacebuilding.
Terrorist Violence in Sri Lanka: A Statement ...
Like you, we are heartbroken to hear of the brutal attacks directed at Christian worshippers and tourists on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka. Please read OMNIA's statement below and share with your colleagues, family, and friends. Together we must embrace the conviction that love is stronger than hate and that peace is everyone's to build. Please join us as we pray and work together to help heal Sri Lanka.
Suzanne Morgan Receives OMNIA Institute's Award ...
Suzanne Morgan, founder and president of Sacred Spaces International, was awarded the Ken Bensen Award for Excellence in Contextual Leadership by the OMNIA Institute in Chicago for her work in supporting OMNIA's peacemaking initiatives in Sri Lanka and Nigeria, and for her groundbreaking work in promoting inter-religious understanding.
"Always Preach Peace" says OMNIA's IPT Leader ...
OMNIA'S Lead Coordinator in Nigeria, Rev. Abare Kallah, is in the national news, calling on the Nigerian Govt. to create opportunities for training in peace building. Thanks to the work of visionaries like Rev. Kallah, OMNIA's Interfaith Peacemaker Teams are helping to change Nigeria for the better.
Contextual Leadership
Peacemaking, Nigeria, Contextual Leadership
WGN News Features OMNIA's Abare Kallah Discussing Chibok Girls Release & Importance of OMNIA Leadership Summit
OMNIA's Abare Kallah on WGN News discussing his role in Chibok girls release & OMNIA Leadership Summit. See story HERE
Source: http://wgntv.com/2017/05/17/reverend-instrumental-in-release-of-several-nigeria-school-girls-discusses-leadership-summit/
Contextual Leadership, Nigeria, Peacemaking
OMNIA Leadership Training Draws more than 300 in Northeastern Nigeria
On July 30th a team from OMNIA arrived in the city of Gombe, Nigeria to begin a week-long series of leadership workshops. This was our second time training in Gombe. Our first had brought together more than 400 people and included four tribal rulers (chiefs), a representative of the governor of Gombe State, two members of the State Parliament, and numerous senior Muslim and Christian leaders. They gathered to learn ways in which Muslims and Christians can work together in a context in which religious tensions have given way to some of the deadliest extremist violence in the world.
Tagged: interfaith leadership, extremism, boko haram, Nigeria, Muslim/Christian relations, religious extremism


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Lithuania: Facts and Information
James Europe
Here are some facts about Lithuania.
Lithuania is one of the three Baltic states, located in the northeast part of Europe.
The country covers about 65,000 square km and is bordered by Latvia, Poland and Belarus.
Vilnius, the largest city and the capital, has a population of about 540,000 and was European Capital of Culture in 2009. The light show marking that event could be seen from space.
Vilnius is also known for its old town, which is a World Heritage Site. At one time it was known as the Jerusalem of Lithuania because of its large Jewish population.
The Kingdom of Lithuania was established in 1253, and during the 14th century it was the largest country in Europe.
During World War II, Lithuania was occupied by Russia and Germany.
The country was the first one to declare independence from the USSR, in 1990. In 1991 Lithuania joined the United Nations and the European Union in 2004.
Lithuania claims to have the geographical centre of Europe, marked by a tall pillar.
The country's highest point is less than 300 metres, and about 33 percent of it is forested.
Salt and bread are important to the Lithuanian people. It is customary to welcome a guest with some salt and a loaf of bread.
One of the most popular Lithuanian dishes is Cepelinai, made from meat and potatoes and served in an oval shaped dish. It got its name from the zeppelin – a hot air balloon.
Lithuania's national bird is the stork, and the country is sometimes called the Land of Storks. Many Lithuanian children believe that the stork brought them into the world.
There are over 2,500 lakes in Lithuania and over 800 rivers.
Lithuania has the shortest coastline of all the countries that have a coastline on the Baltic Sea, just 38 km.
Europe facts facts about Lithuania Lithuania facts Lithuania for kids
Czech Republic: Facts and Information
Kosovo: Facts and Information


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Big Changes for Xamarin | Also Creative Inc.
A few months ago we posted a blog about Xamarin, a cross-platform mobile development tool that we use frequently when developing native mobile apps. Xamarin was officially acquired by Microsoft as of March 18th, 2016. So what does this mean for mobile developers? According to Xamarin's website the software will now come free with all versions of Visual Studio, including the free Visual Studio Community Edition.
HockeyApp another program which we use to test our mobile applications will soon be merging with Xamarin Insights into one product that will reach a larger customer base, making it the industry leader. Together they will issue crash reports, provide feedback about the stability of your apps, and track which devices your apps are being tested on. It will also serve as a distribution center for testers to download and install apps.
It was also announced that Xamarin's Mono Project will now be available as an open source program through the .NET Foundation making it easily accessible to many new users. It will be relaunched under the MIT License meaning there will be very few restrictions for users. Overall these changes will make coding in C# a much cleaner and easier process.
We think this is a big win for both Xamarin and Microsoft. As Xamarin becomes more widely available to a larger user-base, we'll start to see more and more companies using it. The demand for Xamarin development and Xamarin based applications is already seeing a big boost and we're excited to be at the forefront. If you and your team have questions about building with Xamarin, we'd be happy to chat with you.


After a little time away, Cobra brings back the KING Forged TEC iron, this time in a sleek black finish. The Cobra KING Forged TEC Black irons are perfect for the low-to-mid handicap player looking for some distance and forgiveness. The changes to these irons go beyond the looks. We peel back the outer layer and show you the inner "beauty" of these irons.
As mentioned above, the obvious change to the KING Forged TEC Black irons is the finish. Cobra uses Diamondized Black Metal (DMB) technology to give the irons a black finish that's durable and doesn't give off a glare. The black color gives the club head a smaller, compact look at address, appealing to better players.
The color extends beyond the club head too. The stock True Temper AMT Tour White shaft comes with a black PVD finish. In graphite, the stock UST Recoil 780 ES SmacWrap shaft has a matte black finish. More on these shafts shortly.
The top line is moderately thin, aided by the black finish. There is also just the right amount of offset that appeals to mid-handicap players and won't scare away the low-handicap players.
The original KING Forged TEC irons had a J15 high-strength steel face. This steel lowered the CG and gave the clubs high launch with low spin. Looking for improvements, Cobra switched to using a forged 4140 Chromoly Steel face in the KING Forged TEC Black irons. This steel is more wear resistant and durable, keeping the black finish longer. Chromoly steel is also stronger than the J15 steel. This let designers forge the face thinner, giving more ball speed and distance across the face.
A new carbon composite badge on the back of the KING Forged TEC Black irons dampens vibrations at impact. The resulting soft, solid feel lets you know when you've flushed it while still providing feedback on misses. Better players use that feedback to detect and make adjustments.
Also adding to the feel are tungsten weights in the heel and toe of each iron. The weights keep the CG low and centered so your good shots feel even better. The weights also increase the forgiveness by placing more weight on the outside of the club.
The final major change of the KING Forged TEC Black irons is the inclusion of Cobra Connect, powered by Arccos. Cobra fans are familiar with this technology offered in the KING F7 and KING F8 drivers (also the KING F8 fairway woods and hybrids). Paired with the Arccos app, it tracks average distance, accuracy, GPS and more. This is now extended to the rest of your bag.
As mentioned above, the stock shafts are the True Temper AMT Tour White (steel) and UST Recoil 760/780 ES SmacWrap (graphite). The AMT has a lower launch and spin. The weight of these shafts increases as the clubs get shorter. This makes it easier to hit the long irons and gives more control when using the short irons.
The Recoil shaft has mid-launch, mid-spin properties. The chart below gives more details about the shafts and shows loft, lies, etc. of each available club.
Note: These irons are available in traditional lengths as well as One Length, where each club is the length of a 7-iron.


Ahead of her time, Chester edited this first collection of 20th century, American women's poetry, including the work of seventy poets from Gertrude Stein, Marianne Moore and Edna St. Vincent Millay to Adrienne Rich, Erica Jong and Anne Waldman.
Rising out of the consciousness that gave birth to the Women's Liberation Movement, this book is a feminist statement in the largest sense: it expresses a belief in the full humanity of woman and her right to define herself.
"It is the poetry of today, and the poetry of woman at a crucial period of evolution. The selection is wide. It will place poetry as a daily necessity, as nourishment, indispensable…The fusion here is in the voice of woman. Woman determined to end woman's mysteries and woman's secrets. We need to know her better. Let us approach her and listen to her in these condensed, in these concentrated and distilled messages, to become intimate with her."


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Radu Gherghe, romunski general, * 1886, † 1959.

Glej tudi
 seznam romunskih generalov

Zunanje povezave
 Generals.dk

Rojeni leta 1886
Umrli leta 1959
Romunski generali
Veterani druge svetovne vojne

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


g75| lookie here, a series win!
Home stand off to a good start, baby steps . . .
Mariners get a weekend win! They had lost their last 8 Saturday-Sunday games.
Nathan retired EIGHT straight to start the game . . .
then allowed a run w/TWO out in the 3rd and a THREE-run shot in the 5th (he just can't seem to get over that 5th inning hump) but, tonight it was enough for the W . . .
Kyle again flashing the leather . . .
Seager makes that play on the quick reaction.
Great diving stop by Seager at the bag to rob Thommy Pham on a shot down the line and get M's into bottom of 8th with 5-4 lead vs. Cards.
Is Dae-Ho Lee the smartest hitter on this team?
Fan gets tackled by security … Seth Smith makes the catch … and Leonys Martin can't stop laughing.
I love Montgomery. So solid.
Wow. Simply Seager on defense. Brings the fans to their feet.
g70-73 | spittin' bristles in DEtroit . . .
I can't even . . .
the story of this series was gettin' 'em on, not gettin' 'em in when it really counted . . .
and, to add insult to injury . . .
On May 26, Mariners were 28-18 and led AL West by 1 1/2 games. Since then, 8-16 and now trail Texas by 9 1/2.
From April 20-May 26, Mariners went 9-1 in 1-run games and 23-10 overall. Since then, they're 0-8 in 1-run games, 8-16 overall.
Nelson Cruz has had 9 GDPs this year, 6 in the last 14 games.
't was a pretty tall order for local talent, Adrian Sampson's major league debut . . .
Monty goes THREE.ONE (his longest of the season – maybe stretching him out to start) and gets THREE K's but, allows another TWO runs.
At least the rest of the pen should be fresh . . .
Promising start with the bases-loaded and no outs in the 1st . . .
but, when they only came away w/ONE, even this rosy one was discouraged.
Then a nice solo shot by Adam to take a TWO-nothing lead I was back to encouraged.
But, that would be that . . . such is the ebb and flow of the game and the season.
Servais says today's starter, Adrian Sampson, was most-consistent starter in Tacoma. "He has climbed the depth chart. He earned it."
Taijuan Walker threw 10 pitches off bullpen mound yesterday and said he has "no concerns" about tomorrow's start.


JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Jalen Ramsey is making headlines from his couch.
Three days after being suspended for screaming obscenities at reporters, the Jacksonville Jaguars All-Pro cornerback is criticizing several NFL quarterbacks — and praising a few.
In an interview with GQ magazine , Ramsey called Buffalo Bills rookie Josh Allen "trash" and said Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was "overrated" and a product of Kyle Shanahan's offensive system.
The interview is part of an interesting week for Ramsey, who was suspended for the week after he screamed at media members who were videotaping a post-practice altercation between defensive ends Dante Fowler and Yannick Ngakoue.
Ramsey weighed in on two dozen quarterbacks in all. The harshest comments were directed toward Ryan and Allen, the seventh overall draft pick from Wyoming. Buffalo and Jacksonville play in late November.
Ramsey said Ryan's MVP season in 2016 was due to Shanahan, who was the Falcons' offensive coordinator at the time and is now the San Francisco's head coach.
"I think Matt Ryan's overrated," Ramsey said. "You can't tell me you win MVP two years ago, and then last year, you a complete bust, and you still got Julio Jones? There's no way that should ever happen. I don't care. You know what that tells me? That tells me Shanahan left, went to San Francisco, got (Jimmy) Garoppolo, made Garoppolo this big thing. And now Garoppolo is a big name — and now (Ryan) has this bad year?


Keeping your shots on target is what it's all about. Whether you require the quick target acquisition of a red dot or the range of a magnified optic, the Gen-3 Dog LegTM scope rail has you covered. Mounted directly over the receiver, the patented Dog LegTM scope rail with integral dust cover provides optimal balance, generous rail space, and protects delicate optics from barrel heat. The ingeniously simple and rugged design provides a rock solid mount for accuracy. The forward hinged cover with rear cam lock design preserves the AK's field stripping qualities.
OPTION NOTE: The M85/M92 Dog Leg Rail does NOT incorporate a quick detach feature. The weapon may be permanently modified for quick detach cover capability by drilling out the hinge pin hole in both the weapon and top cover from 4mm to 0.250 inches. Requires the additional purchase of the optional Enhanced Push Button Take Down Pin.
NOTE: The M85/M92 Dog Leg Rail does NOT incorporate a quick detach feature.


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Diggerland USA Announces Opening Date!
North America's first-ever construction-themed adventure park will open its doors to the public, Saturday, June 14, 2014. Diggerland USA covers 14 acres of centrally-located land in Camden County, NJ and offers visitors the opportunity to operate heavy machinery in a safe, family-friendly environment.
Once the Diggerland USA gates open at 10:00 AM on Saturday, visitors will have access to 23 on-site attractions, most of which are comprised of modified JCB heavy construction equipment. The rides have been engineered to allow parents and children to safely dig, drive and ride familiar, real-sized construction equipment.
The decision to build the unique park was made by the owners and senior management of the neighboring indoor and outdoor water park, Sahara Sam's Oasis, who leveraged the blueprint set forth by the four Diggerland parks in the United Kingdom.
"The opportunity to take the concept of a construction theme park and make it our own was very exciting for us," said Ilya Girlya, CEO of Sahara Sam's and Diggerland USA.
The Girlya family owns and operates SAMBE General Contracting which is overseeing the construction of Diggerland USA.
"My family has a very personal connection to the project, just as we did with Sahara Sam's five years ago," Girlya said. "Construction has been in my family for many years so it was a natural fit for us to build a construction theme park."
Plans for Diggerland USA were officially unveiled just a few months ago in January and since, the park has seen significant progress, particularly this month. Local residents driving down Cooper Road can now see the black-and-yellow Diggerland USA sign with attractions and indoor facilities spanning the landscape behind it.
More notably, however, were the ride equipment deliveries received over the past two weeks that ensure the final touches to the park are completed in time for the grand opening in 40 days.
"Six months ago we returned from the United Kingdom and concurred that this was a project that would be a huge success," said Chris Peters, Director of PR and Marketing. "The pace at which this park has come together is unheard of. It's been a remarkable experience working with this team, our partners in the UK, and a 5-star global equipment manufacturer like JCB."
A preview day for members of the media will take place Thursday, May 22. Press interested in attending the event should contact the Public Relations department for details via email PublicRelations@DiggerlandUSA.com or by visiting the Diggerland Newsroom.