Military & Veterans News 5 Ways Dogs Can Improve Lives Whether playmates or protectors, the human-animal bond is often a powerful connection that goes beyond pure companionship. Dogs typically have many talents and personas – they can be man's best friend, a canine companion during a difficult time or even a service dog helping veterans and others through daily routines. No matter the relationship between dog and human, these animals can improve lives in numerous ways.
Military & Veterans News Forever GI Bill Expands VA Educational Benefits Effective Aug. 1, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) implemented 15 more provisions of the Harry W. Colmery Educational Assistance Act of 2017, also referred to as the Forever GI Bill.
Military & Veterans News Burn Pits Legislation Gains Momentum on Capitol Hill Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), America's leading post-9/11 veterans empowerment organization, announced today significant, additional support for its Burn Pits Accountability Act (H.R. 5671/S. 3181) to improve the tracking and reporting of servicemembers' exposure to burn pits and airborne toxins during their deployments, and the recent passage of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2018. Burn Pits are among IAVA's 2018 Big 6 Priorities for post 9/11 veterans.
Military & Veterans News President Trump Selects Jake Leinenkugel to Lead VA Commission Focused on Veterans' Mental Health Treatment Today the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that President Donald J. Trump has selected former VA White House Senior Advisor Thomas "Jake" Leinenkugel to lead a key commission focused on the department's mental health care programs.
Veterans Advantage Awards Scott's View: One of NBC's Finest, Chuck Scarborough, Air Force Veteran This week we are recognizing Air Force veteran and NBC news anchor Chuck Scarborough, and a new addition to our partner coalition, Alaska Airlines.
Veterans Advantage Awards TopVet: Chuck Scarborough Air Force Veteran Chuck Scarborough is one of the most experienced and successful journalists in the country. Over five decades, both in New York City and nationally, he's earned a total of 36 Emmys. Importantly, he credits his military service for the skills, education, and discipline to break into and achieve a remarkable career that continues today.
Veterans Advantage Awards TopVet: Richard C. Hartnack Richard C. Hartnack, known as Rick, is the Non-Executive Chairman of Synchrony Financial, the recent spin out of GE Capital's consumer credit business, and a leading provider of credit cards.
Military & Veterans Life Department of Defense Announces Invictus Games Sydney 2018 Team Members The Department of Defense announced today the names of the 72 competitors who will compete on the United States team at the Invictus Games in Sydney, Oct. 20-27.
Veterans Advantage Awards Pat Pacious, Choice Hotels International New CEO and Navy Veteran Navigates Industry Waters of Disruption Editor's note: Patrick Pacious became President and Chief Executive Officer of Choice Hotels International, Inc.
Military & Veterans News New text messaging feature available through VA's Women Veterans Call Center The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) added a text messaging feature to the Women Veterans Call Center on April 23, providing another convenient way for women to seek information about VA benefits, health care and available resources.
Military & Veterans News VA ensures Veterans have same-day access to emergency mental health care As part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) efforts to provide the best mental health care access possible, VA is reminding Veterans that it offers all Veterans same-day access to emergency mental health care at any VA health care facility across the country.
Military & Veterans News VA increases contracting with Service-Disabled and Veteran-Owned Small Businesses Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) Robert Wilkie today announced an increase to the department's goals for contracting with Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) and Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSB).
Military & Veterans News Military Officials Dispute Amnesty International Allegations of Civilian Casualties Allegations by a human rights group that U.S. Africa Command is responsible for civilian casualties in Somalia are not correct, Defense Department officials said.
Military & Veterans News VA on path to cure 100,000 Veterans of hepatitis C Today the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it is on track to eliminate the hepatitis C virus (HCV) in as few as two months, in all Veterans willing and able to be treated.
Military & Veterans News Precision health initiative brings genetic testing to Veterans WASHINGTON — Today the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that, as part of an innovative partnership, VA and Sanford Health, one of the nation's largest nonprofit health care systems, will soon provide free genetic testing to some Veterans cared for by VA.


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Sweden's Storytel sees streaming revenues of 1.9-2.0 bln SEK in 2020
STOCKHOLM, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Swedish e-book and audiobook service Storytel said it expected streaming revenues to rise sharply this year to 1.9-2.0 billion Swedish crowns ($201-212 million), with continued strong growth seen in the years ahead.
The company said it expected streaming revenues to grow by 32-35% in 2020 and forecast that subscriber growth of 36% would take the company past 1.5 million paying customers before the end of the year.
Storytel, which holds a capital markets day for investors, analysts and media on Tuesday, said it targeted an average yearly annual streaming revenue growth for the period 2020-2023 of around 35%.
Its stock has risen 41% over the past month.
Storytel is in the midst of an international expansion drive. The company said it aimed to launch the Storytel service in one to three new markets during 2020, and continue to expand in its 20 existing countries. ($1 = 9.4488 Swedish crowns) (Reporting by Johannes Hellstrom, editing by Louise Heavens)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Party City opening Toy City/Halloween City pop-up store on West Shore
Party City is opening a Toy City and a Halloween City seasonal combo store on the Carlisle Pike.
Some companies are hoping to fill a void left by Toys R Us. About two months after a Toys R Us store closed on the Carlisle Pike, a toy store will make its debut this week on the Carlisle Pike in Hampden Township, even if it's only temporary.
Party City announced in June that it would be piloting approximately 50 new 'Toy City' pop-up stores alongside its Halloween City pop-up stores, and one of the Toy City/Halloween City combo stores will open in the Mechanicsburg area on Saturday.
The Toy City/Halloween City combo store is opening in a small portion of the former Staples stores at 5850 Carlisle Pike in Hampden Commons next to PetSmart. In general, the Toy City stores are only expected to be approximately 4,000 square feet.
The store will have costumes for both children and adults as well as Halloween accessories, decorations, and supplies as well as a variety of toys and party supplies.
In early November, the Halloween City side of the store will be condensed and the store will expand its toy offerings. The pop-up store will close during the first week of January.
Party City also has a location on the Carlisle Pike which is in Silver Spring Township in addition to a location on Jonestown Road in Lower Paxton Township. Party City also says it is testing an expansion of its online assortment of toy offerings.
Another retailer, Spirit Halloween, known for its seasonal Halloween stores lists numerous seasonal stores in Pennsylvania on its website including stores at 3515 Gettysburg Road in Lower Allen Township, 6520 Carlise Pike in Silver Spring Township, 234 Westminster Drive in South Middleton Township and 5098 Jonestown Road in Lower Paxton Township.


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The Republic of Kiribati's per capita Gross National Product of US$1,420 (2010) makes it the poorest country in Oceania. Phosphates had been profitably exported from Banaba Island since the turn of the 20th century, but the deposits were exhausted in 1979. The economy now depends on foreign assistance and revenue from fishing licenses to finance its imports and development budget.

The Asian Development Bank's assessment of Kiribati's growth potential point identifies constraints imposed by "(i) land area, (ii) geographic dispersion across 5,000 km of ocean, (ii) remoteness from major markets with associated high external transport costs, (iii) high vulnerability to natural forces including climate change and sea level rise, and (iv) scarce natural resources."

Government revenue
The expiration of phosphate deposits in 1979 had a devastating impact on the economy. Receipts from phosphates had accounted for roughly 80% of export earnings and 50% of government revenue. Per capita GDP was more than cut in half between 1979 and 1981. A sovereign wealth fund financed by phosphate earnings was established in 1956. In 2008, the Revenue Equalization Reserve Fund was valued at US$ 400 million. Prudent management of the Reserve Fund will be vital for the long-term welfare of the country.

In 2009 the RERF was valued at A$570.5 million. The RERF assets declined from A$637 million (420 percent of GDP) in 2007 to A$570.5 million (350 percent of GDP) in 2009. As the result of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) the RERF was reduced due to failed Icelandic banks, as well as withdrawals made by the government of Kiribati to finance budgetary shortfalls.

In May 2011 the IMF country report described the impact of the GFC as being that "Kiribati has been affected by the global crisis through a fall in remittances and large decline in the value of its wealth and pension funds—the Revenue Equalization Reserve Fund (RERF) and the Kiribati Provident Fund. The spike in food and fuel prices in 2008 has already taken a toll on economic activity. Vulnerabilities to climate change, including coastline erosion, have also worsened."

In one form or another, Kiribati gets a large portion of its income from abroad. Examples include fishing licenses, development assistance, worker remittances, and tourism. Given Kiribati's limited domestic production ability, it must import nearly all of its essential foodstuffs and manufactured items; it depends on these external sources of income for financing .

Fishing fleets from South Korea, Japan, People's Republic of China, Taiwan, and the United States pay a licensing fee in order to operate in Kiribati's territorial waters. These licenses produced A$25.4 million in 2007, A$32.2 million in 2008 and A$29.5 million in 2009. The existence of El Niño climatic conditions boosted the local catch. Due to its small size and spread-out nature, however, Kiribati also loses untold millions of income per year from illegal, unlicensed fishing in its exclusive economic zone.

Visitor arrivals are predominantly business-related with total visitor arrivals of 3,380 in 2008 and 3,915 in 2009. These visitors provide $$5–$10 million in revenue. Tourism attractions include World War II battle sites, game fishing, ecotourism, and the Millennium Islands, situated just inside the International Date Line and the first place on earth to celebrate every New Year.

Most islanders engage in subsistence activities ranging from fishing to the growing of food crops like bananas, breadfruit, and papaya. The leading export is the coconut product copra, which accounts for about two-thirds of export revenue. Other exports include pet fish, shark fins, and seaweed. Kiribati's principal trading partner is Australia.

Remittances from Kiribati seamen working on foreign flagged ships provided A$11.6 million in 2009.

In May 2011 the IMF country report assessment of the Economy of Kiribati is that: "After two years of contraction, the economy recovered in the second half of 2010 and inflation pressure dissipated. It is estimated to have grown by 1¾ percent for the year. Despite a weather-related drop in copra production, private sector activity appears to have picked up, especially in retail. Tourist arrivals rebounded by 20 percent compared to 2009, although from a very low base. Despite the rise in world food and fuel prices, inflation has bounced from 2008 crisis-highs into negative territory, reflecting the strong appreciation of the Australian dollar, which is used as the domestic currency, and a decline in the world price of rice. Credit growth in the overall economy declined in 2009 as economic activity stalled. But it started to pick up in the second half of 2010 as the recovery gained traction."

Financial sector

The financial institution in Kiribati are the Development Bank of Kiribati (DBK) that is wholly government-owned and ANZ Bank (Kiribati) Limited (formerly known as Bank of Kiribati), which is the sole commercial bank in Kiribati. Insurance services are provided by another government financial institution, the Kiribati Insurance Corporation. The Kiribati Provident Fund (KPF), also government-owned, manages the assets of the pension system, about 60 percent of GDP in 2010.

International development assistance
The economy of Kiribati benefits from international development assistance programs. The multilateral donors providing development assistance in 2009 were the European Union (A$9 million), the United Nations Development Program (A$3.7 million), and the World Health Organization (A$100,000). The bilateral donors providing development assistance in 2009 were Australia (A$11 million), Japan (A$2 million), New Zealand (A$6.6 million), Taiwan (A$10.6 million), and other donors providing A$16.2 million, including technical assistance grants from the Asian Development Bank.

The major donors in 2010/2011 were Australia (A$15 million), Taiwan (A$11 million); New Zealand (A$6 million), the World Bank (A$4 million), and the Asian Development Bank.

Kiribati joined the Asian Development Bank (AsDB) in 1974. The AsDB has provided US$27.14 million over seven project loans to Kiribati from Asian Development Fund (ADF). The AsDB has also provided technical assistance funding of US$13.9 million for 41 projects.

Australia continues as the largest donor to Kiribati and has committed to provide A$28.2 million in development assistance in 2011-12.  The Australia-Kiribati Partnership for Development (signed in January 2009), provides to Australian aid to focus on improving basic education standards, developing workforce skills, and strengthening economic governance.
The development assistance from Australia is allocated to: AusAID country program A$18.3 million (2011–12 est.); Regional assistance estimate A$9.9 million (2011–12 est.)

New Zealand has committed to provide NZ$14.3 million in development assistance in 2011-12, which is allocated primarily through the NZAID bilateral programme to projects related to economic development, education and developing workforce skills, and addressing vulnerabilities in Kiribati.

Kiribati became a member of the World Bank in 1986.  On 1 March 2011, the World Bank announced a Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) for Kiribati, which is structured around the themes of: (i) addressing the existential threat posed by climate change; and, (ii) mitigating the effects of geographic isolation.  The CAS is intended to be implemented through grants and trust fund investments of up to US$50 million during the period 2011 to 2014.

GDP and other economic performance indicators

Further information sourced from:

GDP - purchasing power parity: US$618 million (2010 est.)

GDP - official exchange rate: US$147 million (2010 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: -0.7% (2009); 1.8% (2010 est.) 3% (2011 proj.)

GDP - per capita: US$1,420 (2010)

GDP - composition by sector: (2002)

Agriculture: 8.9%

Industry: 24.2%

Services: 66.8%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.8 (2009), -2.8% (2010)

Total population: 103,280 (July 2011 est.)

Labour force: 7,870 economically active, not including subsistence farmers (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate: N/A

Budget: (millions)
Total revenues and grants: A$124.4 million (2010 budget); A$136.9 (2010 est.)

Total expenditures: A$143.3 million (2010 budget); A$150.1 (2010 est.)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel:
100%
other:
0% (1998)

Electricity - production:
14 million  kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - consumption:
13.02 kWh (2007 est.)

Agriculture - products:
copra, taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables; fish

Currency:
1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents

Exchange rates:
Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 – 1.0902 (2010), 1.2822 (2009), 1.2059 (2008), 1.2137 (2007), 1.3285 (2006)

The Australian dollar (A$) is the currency of Kiribati.

References

External links
Kiribati Ministry of Finance
Kiribati National Statistics Office

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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MS Dhoni: Cricketer extraordinaire
Unfolding now is the last World Cup MS Dhoni will play. This is in celebration of a most extraordinary and exhilarating sportsman
By Mihir Bose, an extract from his book The Nine Waves: The Extraordinary Story of Indian Cricket
Rahul Dravid, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Irfan Pathan in the dressing room during the second cricket test match between India and Pakistan at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad, in January 2006 Image: Utpaal Sorkkar
In Aditya Chopra's film Chak De! India there is a scene where two young women hockey players arrive at the stadium in Delhi for a training camp before going to the Women's Hockey World Cup. The two girls, Rani Dispotta and Soimoi Kerketa, are from remote villages in Jharkhand and the man checking them in to the camp cannot believe they are hockey players. For him, the idea that Jharkhand could produce hockey players, let alone women hockey players, seems mystifying. What is more, they do not speak English well, and this sets them apart. But in the end, they prove world-beaters and the film is a celebration of an India that can overcome differences in class, religion, caste and discrimination against women and, led by a man determined to prove that he is a patriot, take on and beat the world. The film proved a great box office hit, grossing $1,49,59,326 and making tremendous social impact while its song "Chak De! India" became the sports anthem of a country hungry for sporting success. It was three days before the film was released that [Mahendra Singh] Dhoni held his first press conference as captain in London, talking about how he was a brand ambassador for Jharkhand, and in many ways Dhoni's career can be seen as the real life equivalent of Rani Dispotta's and Soimoi Kerketa's.
Yet before Dhoni emerged, had a scriptwriter suggested that Jharkhand would produce such a player, no one in Bollywood would have found it credible. Dhoni's is one of those Indian stories that seem to belong to the pages of Indian mythology. He has made a town famous for its mental asylums (it has India's biggest mental asylum, Ranchi Mansik Arogyashala) well known around the world as a sporting centre. And in a state which had produced hockey players, including the man who captained India to their first Olympic hockey gold in 1928, and where, in missionary schools in tribal areas of the state, schoolchildren carried hockey sticks to school along with their textbooks, he emerged as a cricketer of world renown. As Fardeen Khan, a Mumbai filmmaker who captained him in the Under-19 side, says: "Wherever cricket is played in the world, if they know Jharkhand it is because of M.S. Dhoni. He put Jharkhand on the world map. It's a big thing. Dhoni is such a big brand that he will go down in history books as not only one of the greatest cricketers India has ever produced, but one of the greatest cricketers in the world."
But the Dhoni story is not quite as straightforward as all that, and if he has become a success, it is both a testament to Dhoni himself and a reflection of how India, and in particular Indian cricket, has changed since the country first took to the game.
His rise also shows that to succeed in India you do not always require a godfather, the famous "pull" that many believe you need. However, Dhoni did have support, though from unexpected sources. The man who got the fifteen-year-old what was in effect his first contract for bat and equipment, Paramjit Singh, was himself not much older — he has since acquired a sports shop in Sujata Chowk, Ranchi's main bazaar — and had nothing going for him except being a stubborn man willing to tell endless tales of how well young Dhoni had done in Ranchi gulli cricket matches, often with a tennis ball. He persistently badgered the Kohli brothers, bat makers in Ludhiana, to take a chance with Dhoni. At one stage, they got so irritated by the badgering they asked in some exasperation, "Bradman hai kya?" [Is he Bradman?], to which the man responded, "Bradman ka baap hai, Sir" [He is Bradman's father]. But in the end, the man who had appointed himself in effect as young Dhoni's agent succeeded, and the Kohlis gave eight bats and other cricket equipment free, despite the fact that it cost Rs 20,000 and they had never seen Dhoni play or really knew who he was. Dhoni had tears in his eyes as he accepted the gift and more tears when he got home and told his parents of what he had brought home. Little were the Kohli brothers to know they were making a huge contribution to Indian cricket or, in the sort of accident of history which seems part of Dhoni's cricket career, that Dhoni's mantle would fall on another Kohli, but one not related to them.
The twists and turns in Dhoni's story are also illustrated in the way he was weaned away from his first love of football by a sports master who should have encouraged his love for the round-ball game. Teachers at Dhoni's school quickly realised that he was never going to be much of a scholar and some of them did encourage him to watch videos of great goalkeepers such as Lev Yashin, Peter Shilton and Dino Zoff. But not his sports master, Keshav Banerjee.
Dhoni, as captain during a one-day International match between India and Australia at Reliance Cricket Stadium, Vadodara, in 2009 Image: Utpaal Sorkkar
THE RANCHI KID'S FIRST MENTOR
Banerjee had no cricketing icon from Jharkhand with which to tempt Dhoni. It would have been more logical had Banerjee let Dhoni develop his football skills. Jharkhand had had some football players of note and one famous goalkeeper, Peter Thangaraj, who had settled in the state. Banerjee, a Bengali, should have had football in his blood, but having heard of Ramakant Achrekar and the great cricket coaches who had found fame nurturing great cricketers, he wanted to emulate them. "When will I groom a cricketer?" Banerjee had said in anguish, and when he saw Dhoni he was convinced he had found the boy who, even if he did not become a Tendulkar, would be one India would notice.
It helped that by 1994, when Dhoni first discarded goal-keeping gloves for wicketkeeping ones, cricket was by far the most popular sport in the country. Banerjee could hold out to young Dhoni the prospect that cricket could take him to the world of his dreams. "This is a great game and those into it are heroes in India, you will also become one if you stick to it. Cricket has taken India to great heights, football hasn't. You are in the right place. Do not ever think of walking out."
In such stories of recollections there is always the possibility that the coach who first spotted the youngster is claiming more credit than he should. Banerjee readily admits that he was more of a physical education teacher than a cricket coach and had little to do with Dhoni's batting style. But he did make sure that as a wicketkeeper Dhoni did not catch the ball like a fish with its mouth open, which he was doing when Banerjee first saw him. And whatever the gloss Banerjee may be putting on it, his chat with Dhoni one evening in Ranchi has a nice ring to it and does provide an insight into Dhoni. The pair were talking, sitting on a wooden bench on the edge of a cricket field in Ranchi. The young boy kept looking at an advertisement of a Kawasaki Bajaj motorbike which transformed into a cheetah on the prowl, and Banerjee advised Dhoni that, like the cheetah, he would have to prowl behind the stumps, move at speed the moment he saw prey, a batsman edging the ball or moving out of his crease, and like a revved motorbike "maintain a blistering pace in batting. I told Dhoni that he will have to transform himself from an average player into a powerful man- machine. Only then he would be noticed."
Initially, Dhoni's problem was to get into the school team. The school had a regular wicketkeeper and Dhoni's initial reaction to Banerjee was, "Chance doge?" [Will you give me a chance?]. In his first year he played just one match, when the regular wicketkeeper was away. It was after that boy left school and Dhoni had been playing cricket for a year that he became a regular member of the side.
It is remarkable that Dhoni's cricketing career would replicate his first introduction to cricket. So, Dhoni made his first-class debut on January 12, 2000, when Bihar's regular wicketkeeper, who was also the side's leading batsman and captain, decided he had too much on his plate and gave the gloves to Dhoni. Four years later, in July 2004, sent as a reserve wicketkeeper on an India A tour of Zimbabwe and Kenya, the No. 1 keeper, Dinesh Karthik, was suddenly called away to keep wickets in the ODI matches for the senior Indian side playing in England and Dhoni made his international debut. And, as we have seen, a further three years later, in 2007, with the greats of Indian cricket deciding that T20 cricket was not for them, Dhoni led India to the first T20 World Cup. On every occasion Dhoni seized his chance brilliantly and always got the timing of the next stage of his career right. But because nobody expected him to get the chance, let alone that he would do it so brilliantly, they could never get over their surprise that he was now occupying centre stage. And even today, those who played with Dhoni when he was a schoolboy in Ranchi, and saw him rise through the ranks of Indian cricket, cannot conceal their astonishment at how far their old friend and colleague has come. Dhoni, defying the most unpromising of cricketing backgrounds, would go on to such greatness that he can rightly be said to have ushered in a new generation of Indian cricketers.
Amir Hashmi, a left-handed batsman who made his Ranji Trophy debut for Bihar in the same match as Dhoni, grew up with Dhoni in Ranchi and, like him, also got a job in the Railways under the sports quota working for the Railways at Kharagpur. Hashmi is still with the Railways, based in Dhanbad, and can claim to know Dhoni better than almost anybody else. He told me: "I played as a child with Dhoni in Ranchi and until he came into the Indian team we played together. The only difference between Dhoni and me was he went to a Hindi medium school. I went to an English medium school. My Papa was a government employee. He worked in Ranchi for the Coal Mines Provident Fund and Dhoni's father worked for Mecon [Metallurgical and Engineering Consultants]. We were all middle class. We were not rich. When we were at school we had cycles. When we played Ranji Trophy we bought motorbikes. Ranchi has changed ever since the state of Jharkhand was formed. Now if you come to Ranchi you will find a Ranchi which is not like the Ranchi of the Nineties when we were growing up. Then Ranchi wasn't a nice place, and there was a lot of crime in Ranchi. After seven you couldn't roam around in Ranchi."
Dhoni, Hashmi and their friends could not wait to escape dreary, unsafe Ranchi and seek the excitement of the big city. Kolkata: "Whenever we went to Kolkata to play cricket we used to go shopping and look for sales and search for places where they were giving discounts. We used to buy jeans, T-shirts. Dhoni also grew his hair but that was later." Both friends loved Bollywood films, and Dhoni fairly early on hitched himself to its greatest star. "We used to watch a lot of Bollywood films and Mahendra Singh Dhoni loved the songs of Kishore Kumar. And his favourite film was Deewar, one of Amitabh Bachchan's films. We used to recreate the scenes from Deewar and loved to recite the dialogue from the film. Sholay was also very popular. Dhoni was very fond of Amitabh Bachchan movies."
But as they were growing up, Hashmi never for one moment thought that his young friend would become the colossus who would dominate Indian cricket.
"When I first saw him in 1996 he was a very simple lad. Everybody liked Dhoni because Dhoni was very quiet. He hardly said anything, he was very shy. Like me he loved football and both of us from the beginning were great Manchester United fans. We got a Manchester United jersey and a Manchester United cap that we used to put on. Although he had started as a goalkeeper at school he like me also played as a striker and I played in a lot of football tournaments with him in Ranchi. In Ranchi there is a St. Xavier's School and we used to play football at the St. Xavier's ground. We started playing what was called tennis ball cricket. However, it was a lighter ball than most tennis balls, being the ball used in lawn tennis, a green coloured ball that was called the Cosco ball. [India's bestselling tennis ball which is used in the Davis Cup.]"
A young Dhoni at the CC&FC ground in Calcutta in December 2000 Image: Santosh Ghosh
DHONI INVENTS THE HELICOPTER SHOT
The tennis ball cricket that Dhoni played did produce a new cricketing shot. Hashmi recalls: "Even when we played as youngsters, Dhoni played the helicopter shot. He learned the helicopter shot from another of our colleagues, Santosh Lal, who unfortunately died two years ago due to kidney failure. What used to happen is that in tennis ball cricket, the bowler would try to bowl a yorker so a batsman could not hit a six. And Santosh Lal used to practise how he could hit the yorker for a six. Dhoni saw him play the shot and told him, "Yeh to badhiya shot hai tennis ball mein" [It's a great shot in tennis ball cricket] and Dhoni started playing that shot as well and by playing that shot repeatedly he got very good at it. He was a very powerful hitter and he used to hit very long sixes. We didn't call it the helicopter shot."
For Fardeen Khan the use of the term shows the effect of the Dhoni phenomenon: "We didn't call it anything. This is obviously a marketing thing. What would you call Azharuddin's great wristy shot off his legs which he played throughout his career? It is the most astonishing shot in cricketing history according to me, how beautiful it looked."
Hashmi, a classical batsman, never much played the helicopter shot. "I used to play shots along the ground." This difference in batting styles may explain why Dhoni and Hashmi had rival cricketing heroes: "My heroes were Brian Lara and Sourav Ganguly. Dhoni was a big fan of Sachin Tendulkar. Dhoni and I would discuss who was the better batsman. I felt Lara was a match winner. Tendulkar was not a match winner."
However, playing a helicopter shot with a Cosco ball was one thing. What made the helicopter shot famous around the world was that even when Dhoni, at around fourteen, started playing hard red ball cricket, what Hashmi calls "deuce ball or leather ball" [in Mumbai we called it "season ball"], the helicopter shot remained part of his repertoire. This was all the more remarkable because, as Hashmi says: "We did not have the infrastructure to play proper cricket. We would be frustrated that we could not play on turf wickets. In Ranchi there was only one ground belonging to Mecon where they had a turf wicket. The other grounds where we practised on were not good. But while compared to other stadiums Mecon was much better, even there the outfield wasn't very good and did not encourage diving."
This meant most of the cricket was on matting wickets, and in Dhoni's school the matting had to be pulled out from the school auditorium every day and was uneven.
For both Dhoni and Hashmi playing cricket was itself an act of rebellion: "At that time the feeling was that cricket could damage your life, that playing cricket means you were not studying. Our parents used to say what will cricket bring you. Parents used to think if you are playing cricket your life will be destroyed, you won't be able to have a career. Our parents used to tell us study hard, become an officer, a doctor, an engineer, a chartered accountant. When I became a professional cricketer my Papa was very upset, he said you are not taking your studies seriously, this is not a good thing. I said this is what I am interested in. Dhoni had the same problem but his parents let him play cricket seeing that their little boy was very interested in playing the game. They felt that if this is what you want to do, go ahead. His father thought if he plays the Ranji Trophy and gets a good job the lad will get settled."
In the Dhoni biopic there is a scene which shows Dhoni's father, Pan Singh, letting young Dhoni play a cricket tournament just before his exam. As Dhoni set off, his father said, "If you've studied and worked throughout the year, then there's no problem if you go off to play today. If you haven't studied every day then one day is not going to make a difference." Pan Singh made sure his son studied, and, says Dhoni, "My dad used to wake me up at dawn every day to study for two hours throughout my years at DAV Jawahar Vidya Mandir because my evenings were crowded with football and cricket practice." Dhoni was well aware that coming from a middle-class family, job security was important. "It can be a tough decision to choose between job security and your dream," says Dhoni.
Pan Singh's dedication would pay off. The man whose job was working as a pump operator watering roads lining the Shyamali Colony where his son's school was located would see his son's cricket prowess get him several jobs, although it was some years before he felt he had been right to let his son play cricket. Dhoni's first job at SAIL (Steel Authority of India Limited) was to play for its cricket team on a salary of Rs 625 a month, but his wages were cut by Rs 25 if he missed practice. Within a year, cricket brought him a job with more money: Rs 2,000 with a bonus of Rs 200 at Central Coalfields (CCL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited. Then, in 2002, a job with Railways at Kharagpur. Here again Dhoni got a job as a ticket collector because of a Bengali -- divisional manager Animesh Kumar Ganguly's enthusiasm for cricket. He had laid out a cricket pitch at his railway bungalow. There he gave Dhoni a forty-five-minute cricket test, with Ganguly bowling to Dhoni; delighted with the trial, Ganguly gave him a Class 3 job as a train ticket examiner and a place in the team.
The Railways job made Pan Singh feel playing cricket was worth it as it had given his son a secure job.
Reproduced with permission from The Nine Waves: The Extraordinary Story of Indian Cricket by Mihir Bose; Published by Aleph
Mahendra Singh Dhoni
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Have you ever been disappointed by a person's response to the gift that you bought him or her? Most of us have had the experience of someone opening a gift from us and putting it aside quickly with very little appreciation. And most likely we have also reacted the same to gifts that others have given us, perhaps without any awareness that we were hurting the giver's feelings.
Since gift giving is such a major part of this season, I have decided to commit to the following: to do a much better job of receiving the gifts that I am given on a daily basis.
The gifts I am referring to are not material gifts--they are the daily gifts of family, friendships, and faith. They are the daily gifts of a loving touch, a kind smile, supportive words, humor, forgiveness, joy and grace. They are the daily gifts of breath, health and life itself. They are the daily gifts of abundance, beauty, and peace.
It is far too easy for me to mindlessly "receive" these gifts, quickly put them aside, and act as if they were not everything I wanted or expected. When I do this, I mindlessly hurt the giver of the gifts: my family, friends and God.
There is an additional dimension to this new way of receiving gifts that I am excited about. It seems to me that in order to better receive the gifts I am given, I need to truly open them! I need to really open and explore the gifts of loved ones, friends, and my faith. How wonderful is that! To do this I will of course need to more fully open myself at the same time.


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Q: Flutter update causing error "Flutter requires PowerShell 5.0 or newer" irrecoverable After I updated flutter (using "flutter update") I start getting an error

Flutter requires PowerShell 5.0 or newer

And on my Windows 8, I am not able to install PowerShell 5.0. It is throwing an error

The update is not applicable

Now I just want to revert back to older version of flutter (which was working on my system). But I am not able to figure out which flutter version that was working on my PC before upgrade, and which version it became after upgrading. Because for all command line params, flutter is just giving above mentioned PowerShell version error and is quitting.
Flutter is stuck after upgrade. Any solution?

A: Ok I found that in this script bin\internal\update_dart_sdk.ps1 there is variable $psMajorVersionRequired = 5 I just made it's value 3 and flutter seems working so far.
Now "flutter doctor" shows me version 1.22.5 (and as I can see it here it is latest as of now)

A: In order to resolve this issue, in my case it was resolved updating Powershell, I'm currently using Windows 8.1. I downloaded following these steps:

*

*Go to -> https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/scripting/windows-powershell/install/installing-windows-powershell?view=powershell-7.2

*Clic on Download PowerShell.

*After that will show you a github page and you'll have to download the version needed to your system.

I hope that works for you!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Kadaf is milking his uncanny resemblance to the late US rap icon Tupac Shakur for all it's worth.
But he has his own music legacy to be proud of. His father was a saxophonist for the iconic Soul Brothers.
"My father influenced me so much and in so many ways because I used to tour with the group around the country... if you listen to my music, it's very mature and diverse."
Born Mbongeni Magubane in Phiri, Soweto, he got the name Kadaf from a friend who commented that when he rapped he sounded like Kadaf from the group Outlaws that featured Tupac.
Kadaf is carving a career for himself in kwaito, which he says had a big impact on him. He says he fell in love with kwaito because it expressed the lifestyle and difficulties that young people in SA faced.
His new album, Royalty901, features 15 tracks bursting with fresh sounds and live instruments. It's a potpourri of sounds that traverse genres such as house, gqom, soul, jazz and a sprinkle of hip-hop.
He has already released two music videos for the songs Vuma and Ibhasilomjolo.
He has also worked with Davic, JRoss aka Sgonondo, Elliker and Shado.


My name is Jessica MacLeish, but everyone calls me Jess. Some people call me "JMac" or "Jessie," but those people have known me my whole life and old habits die hard.
I'm a writer and children's book editor with a passion for pop culture and all forms of storytelling and media. I've written for Teen Vogue, Paste Magazine, NYLON, Fashionista, Bustle, and more. Feel free to explore my portfolio and check out some of my writing work.


East Chen Consultancy, a professional Feng Shui master in Singapore offers Bazi analysis, bedroom Feng Shui tips and Fortune Telling that give you the necessary support to seek your wealth and fortune. It helps you use various feng shui cures to create an environment – both at home and in the office – that will strengthen you and attract the feng shui energies of prosperity and wealth.
There are many simple and easy feng shui money tips and products to use in your space for strong wealth energy.
Classical feng shui cures such as Chinese coins, the Dragon Turtle, the Laughing Buddha, the Money plant, Wealth vases, Wealth ships and many others, have been used for centuries to attract wealth. You can explore the links above with details on how to use these classical feng shui wealth cures.
Here let me share with you 8 basic feng shui tips to attract Wealth Chi.
Tip #1. Create a strong front door. Be sure you know how to create a strong front door, because your house needs it in order to be able to attract Wealth Chi. The front door is called the Mouth of Chi in feng shui and its strength and auspicious energy is very important. Protect your front door, if necessary, with feng shui symbols of protection, abundance and good luck.
Tip #2. Have a clutter free space. Have your home and business free of clutter. A cluttered space cannot either attract, nor keep the energy of wealth.
Tip #3. Create good feng shui in your money area. Locate your feng shui money area and take very good care of it. If part of your wealth area is missing, or if your wealth area is in the bathroom, be sure to address it with proper feng shui cures.
Tip #4. Display wealth feng shui cures and symbols. Display feng shui symbols in your home that speak to you of wealth and abundance. You can use either classical symbols, such as the wealth ship, for example, or your own representation of wealth energy.
Tip #5. Use the feng shui fish symbol. Decorate your home or office with a feng shui aquarium to attract wealth Chi (or feng shui symbols/ images of specific fish).
Tip #6. Display feng shui for wealth crystals. Citrine crystal is long known for attracting wealth, so it is often used in feng shui wealth applications. Also a very popular feng shui wealth stone is pyrite. You can display these crystals on a feng shui gem tree in your money corner, for example. Citrine is also known to strengthen one's self-esteem, so it can be a good choice for your jewelry.
Tip #7. Decorate with fountains as wealth cures. Use fountains – very powerful feng shui cures to attract wealth energy and fresh Chi (or feng shui symbols representing fountains). You can also use images of flowing water – waterfalls, seas, rivers, etc – as water is an ancient symbol of wealth. Water images as feng shui symbols with plenty of foam and open views are especially powerful in feng shui wealth applications.
Tip #8. Create a strong and harmonious Chi flow. Be sure to regularly check the flow of Chi, both in your home and in your office. A fresh and strong flow of Chi, coupled with various feng shui wealth symbols, must be your goal if you are focused on attracting the energy of wealth and abundance.
Did you know that many Asian millionaires do not sell the places where they lived or worked (if owning the business) while accumulating wealth? Knowing the feng shui power of the space, they keep them for wealth luck.


text:
s. 17200 (and Proposition 64) roundup
More about the Magna Carta for California bounty-hunters known as the Unfair Competition Law or s. 17200, which Golden State voters have a chance to rein in tomorrow by approving the much-needed Proposition 64:
* Attorney Harpreet Brar, whose law firm of Brar & Gamulin was among those to arouse public outrage in the shakedown-lawsuit scandal of 2002-03, has been ordered to pay nearly $1.8 million for filing shoddy lawsuits against small businesses and seeking to settle them quickly for cash (see Aug. 20, 2002) (various news sources, via Legal Reader, Oct. 20);
* Justice David Sills's spirited dissent in the "Six Screws" case in June (mentioned in my Friday WSJ piece) can be found, along with the majority opinion, here. An excerpt from Sills's opinion to illustrate the flavor:
What is the difference between the $3 million attorney fees award here and the petty shakedowns which made the Trevor Law Group infamous in Southern California? Nothing but the size of the law firm and its target. As this court noted in People ex rel. Lockyer v. Brar (2004) 115 Cal.App.4th 1315, 1316-1317: "The abuse is a kind of legal shakedown scheme: Attorneys form a front 'watchdog' or 'consumer' organization. They scour public records on the internet for what are often ridiculously minor violations of some regulation or law by a small business, and sue that business in the name of the front organization."
Thus, if the Trevor Law Group sues an auto body shop over not having its license up to date, that is an abuse of the unfair competition law. But if a more established law firm sues a big corporation over an equally trivial putative violation — it is rewarded with $3 million in fees. The net result is to bless the same kind of abuse in which the Trevor Law Group engaged — looking for a hypertechnical violation of some law by a California business and then going after that business under section 17200 as a profit-making venture — with appellate holy water.
* Rutan & Tucker attorney Layne H. Melzer has published a succinct guide to the headaches s. 17200 can inflict on an unwary California businessperson ("A Step Toward Disarming California's 'Business Practice Bandits'", undated, at Rutan site (PDF))
* On the other hand, as we mentioned Jul. 7, there's a whole blog about s. 17200, written by a class action lawyer who has filed many cases using the law. She has published on the blog a description and defense of the law and a post in opposition to Prop 64. (Fixed 11/1 to correct description of blog's author and to add last-mentioned link.)
* Tim Sandefur (Oct. 28) examines allegations that Prop 64 would impair the enforcement of environmental laws.
* According to the latest Field Poll (Oct. 30, PDF), proponents of Prop 64 have been gaining momentum as the word gets out about the measure. In late September the proposition was behind by twelve points, 26 to 38 percent. Now the deficit has been shaved to five points, 37 percent No and 32 percent Yes, with a gigantic 31 percent of likely voters still undecided. And Gov. Schwarzenegger has started storming the state at rallies to promote his "road trip to reform" which includes a Yes vote on 64, further improving the measure's chances if its supporters can be made to turn out at the polls.
Filed under: class actions, politics, Prop 64, s. 17200
along the sidewalk
By f/k/a . . . .
California's Proposition 79
As CoyoteBlog (Oct. 18) notes, this ballot initiative on drug prices contains a sneaky, little-discussed provision that will empower trial lawyers to file bounty-hunting suits against pharmaceutical companies if the companies charge prices "that lead…
By Overlawyered
Calif. court OKs countersuit in "shakedown" case
Just over a year ago, following numerous scandals about law firms' filing of mass shakedown suits based on California's s. 17200 unfair-competition law (UCL), the state's voters curtailed somewhat the law's extortive potential by requiring…
[…] After nine years, the notorious Bill Lerach California-unfair-competition-law suit against Kwikset (over several screws from Taiwan in a lock marked "Made in America") finally winds down [California Civil Justice, earlier] […]
By March 31 roundup
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Lawrence Lessig file defamation suits


...Leave with a complete, performance-ready freestyle routine!!
This workshop builds on the teamwork, focus and moves taught in previous classes and workshops. Any previous freestyle experience is accepted. Did you know you can create a very beautiful routine using only three freestyle moves?
Students will be shown how to design and polish brief off-leash routines and set them to music that showcases the unique strengths of their individual dogs.
Overt prompts for learned behaviors will be faded, moves will be combined with transitions to create interesting combination moves, and strategies for reward will be discussed. Learn how to select music, cue behaviors to the music, and teach dogs signature poses. Basic requirements for entry-level competition via different freestyle venues will be discussed.
See Some of STCA's Freestyle Students!


text:
Q: Complex Boolean simplification
Simplify the following Boolean expression:
  $$F=A'B'C'+A'B'C+A'BC'+AB'C'+AB'C.$$

I have tried and am getting stuck at $A'+B'+C'+A'BC'$.
According to the K-Map it should get to $B'+A'C'$.

A: $F$ is NOT equal to
$$A'+B'+C'+A'BC'=A'+B'+C'+A'BC'=A′+B′+C′(1+A′B)=A′+B′+C′.$$
If $A$ and $B$ are true and $C$ is false then $F$ is false whereas  $A′+B′+C′$ is true.
In order to simplify the given Boolean expression, note that  $A'B'C'=A'B'C'+A'B'C'$ and
\begin{align*}
F&=(A'B'C'+A'B'C+AB'C'+AB'C)+(A'BC'+A'B'C')\\
&=B'(A'(C'+C)+A(C'+C))+A'C'(B+B')\\
&=B'(A'+A)+A'C'=B'+A'C'\\
\end{align*}
where we used the fact that $A+A'=B+B'=C+C'=1$.

A: There is a handy equivalence rule called Adjacency:
Adjacency
$PQ + PQ' = P$
'Adjacency' is of course named after the fact that it reflects exactly what you do in a K-map: you group together adjacent cells in order to get a simpler expression.
Another very useful principle is called Reduction:
Reduction
$P + P'Q = P + Q$ (that is, in the context of $P$, the term $P'Q$ reduces to just $Q$)
Applied to your problem:
$$A'B'C'+A'B'C+A'BC'+AB'C'+AB'C= \text{ (Adjacency) }$$
$$A'B'+A'BC'+AB'= \text{ (Adjacency) }$$
$$B'+A'BC'\text{ (Reduction) }$$
$$B'+A'C'$$
If you didn't know these two equivalences yet ... put them in your toolbox immediately!
And here is one more:
Absorption
$P+PQ=P$
$P(P+Q)=P$


text:
Encyclopedia Judaica: Amulet
Category » Ancient Jewish History
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Encyclopedia Judaica: Table of Contents|Dagon|Oils
From earliest times, man has tried to protect himself from misfortune by the use of objects which he considered holy or otherwise (e.g., magically) potent. One of the ways of doing this was to keep the object close to his person, frequently wearing it as an article of clothing, or as an ornament. It was felt that the evil spirits which cause misfortune would not dare to attack one so protected. It has been suggested that this desire for protection is the source of man's habit to adorn himself with jewelry and other ornamentation; the female being weaker – and consequently in greater danger – has the greater need for protection. The custom developed for people to have on their persons pieces of paper, parchment, or metal discs inscribed with various formulae which would protect the bearer from sickness, the "evil eye," and other troubles. The use of inscription as a means to ward off evil spirits stemmed from a belief in early times in the holiness and in the power of words. Such artifacts are known as amulets (for other types of charms and protective items, see *Magic ). It is not known whether amulets were used in the biblical period. Presumably they were, but there is no direct evidence to prove it. Traditional Judaism does not consider tefillin and mezuzah – whatever their original antecedents may have been – to be amulets. The purpose of tefillin is stated to be "for a sign upon thy hand" (Deut. 6:8) and from the immediate proximity of the verse regarding mezuzah it would seem that its purpose is the same. While one biblical rite involving the doorposts (Ex. 11:7, 13) had an apotropaic function and the current translation for tefillin ("phylacteries") suggests the same purpose, the traditional interpretation of the "sign" was that of a reminder of God's commandments and of the duty of the Jew to bear witness to his God.
Amulets are frequently mentioned in talmudic literature. The term used is kame'a or kami'a (pl. kemi'ot or kemi'in), a word whose origin is obscure. It is possible that it derives from a root meaning "to bind" (cf. Rashi to Shab. 61a), but it might come from an Arabic root meaning "to hang." In either case, the reference is clearly something that is bound or hung on the person (cf. Kohut, Arukh, 7 (19262), 123). The Talmud mentions two sorts of kemi'ot: a written one and the kame'a shel ikrin, a kame'a made from roots of a certain plant. The written kame'a was a parchment inscribed with one or more quotations from a variety of sources, including the Scriptures (cf. Shab. 61b). The question arose whether the amulets were invested with the holiness of the scriptural scrolls and whether they should, therefore, be saved from a conflagration occurring on the Sabbath. A baraita is quoted which specifically states that they are not holy and that they, together with other texts which contain scriptural quotations (lit. berakhot), should be left to burn (ibid.). In the original Tosefta text, however, no mention is made of kemi'ot (Tosef. Shab. 13:4). Unfortunately, there is no record in the Talmud of the inscriptions in the amulets (but see Yoma 84a). Later amulets were inscribed with quotations relevant to their specific purpose. The text of the *Priestly Blessing (Num. 6:24–26) was considered effective against the "evil eye." Permutations and combinations of the letters of the different names of God were frequently used; names of angels were also very common. The simplest amulet had an inscription of the name of God on a piece of parchment or metal, usually made of silver; ה (He),יה (YaH), and שדי (Shaddai, "Almighty") being very popular. These still feature prominently on pendants worn by Jewish women today. The efficacy of the amulet depended not only on the inscription but also on the person who wrote it; the more pious the author the more effective was the amulet.
The Talmud differentiates between "expert" (or proven, min ha-mumḥeh) amulets and others. The former had proved its effectiveness by curing a sick person on three different occasions or three sick persons, and hence one may wear such an amulet outside the home on the Sabbath (Shab. 6:2).
The Talmud (Shevu. 15b) states that it is forbidden to recite verses of the Torah for the purpose of curing an existing illness but it is permitted "to guard" against possible future sickness (see also Maim , Yad , Avodat Kokhavim 11:12). This distinction was equally applied to amulets. During the Middle Ages, the rabbinic attitude to amulets varied considerably. *Maimonides , following the precedent of *Sherira Gaon and his son *Hai , opposed the use of amulets and came out very strongly against the "folly of amulet writers" (Guide, 1:61; Yad, Tefillin 5:4). He also opposed the use of religious objects, such as the Torah scroll and tefillin, for the curing of sickness (Yad, Avodat Kokhavim 11:12). On the other hand, both Solomon b. Abraham *Adret and *Naḥmanides permitted the use of amulets. Earlier magical traditions, including the use of amulets, magic charms, names of angels, combinations of Hebrew letters, etc. subsequently merged with the *Kabbalah and came to be known as "practical Kabbalah." Many mystical texts, such as the Sefer Yeẓirah and the Sefer Razi'el, contain instructions for the preparation of amulets and other charms, for a variety of purposes. After the expulsion of the Jews from Spain, the belief in the efficacy of amulets spread to Eastern Europe. In Ereẓ Israel, it spread from Safed, the center of Kabbalah, to all parts of the country.
One of the most vehement controversies in Jewish history was caused by amulets. Jonathan *Eybeschuetz , the rabbi of Hamburg, was accused by Jacob *Emden of having used the name of the false messiah Shabbetai *Ẓevi in amulets which he had prepared. Eybeschuetz vigorously denied the charge. It is interesting that the validity of writing amulets was not questioned in the controversy. The congregational burial society of Hamburg officially endorsed the efficacy of Eybeschuetz' amulets. In a particularly sharp attack against Maimonides' rationalism in these matters, *Elijah b. Solomon Zalman , the Gaon of Vilna, a bitter opponent of Ḥasidism, also endorsed the use of amulets (to Sh. Ar., YD 179). The belief in amulets gradually diminished with the emancipation of European Jewry, although in Eastern Europe it remained widespread until World War II. Kemi'ot, in particular, were worn during pregnancy to prevent miscarriage; amulets called Kimpet-Tsetl, Shir Hamalos-Tsetl, and Shmine-Tsetl were also placed above the head and under the pillow of a woman in labor, to ward off the evil demon *Lilith . Among Oriental communities, amulets are still widely used. Many amulets were inscribed on small discs of silver or other metal and worn as a pendant around the neck. Amulets being small in size, biblical verses and names were indicated by their initial letters, with the result that the inscription is frequently very difficult to decipher. The Samaritan community uses names of angels unknown in Jewish tradition.
For specific laws regarding amulets see Shulḥan Arukh (OḤ 301:24–27; 305:17; 334:14; and YD 179:12).
[Raphael Posner]
Amulets for Safe Childbirth and Protection of Infants
Amulets and talismans intended to protect women in childbirth and their newborns were a significant part of Jewish folk religion in Christian Europe and the Islamic world. The late ninth to early tenth century Alphabet of Ben Sira promulgated the legend of *Lilith , the "first Eve," who claimed that she had been created to harm newborn babies. According to this folk tradition, Lilith was convinced by three angels, Sanoi, Sansanoi, and Semangalof, that she would be unable to enter a house to harm either a baby or its mother wherever she saw their images illustrated or their names written on an amulet. Sefer Raziel (first printed Amsterdam, 1701), a compilation of magic, cosmology, and mystical teachings popular among both Ashkenazi and Sephardi communities, contained a recipe for an inscribed amulet to protect a laboring woman as well as for an amulet for a newborn specifically directed against Lilith. Polish and Russian Jews put the book itself under the pillow of women in childbirth; in Iraq it was put on the Chair of Elijah, an object believed to have protective powers which was placed in the center of the birthing room.
In Europe, amulets to protect mothers and infants were generally written or printed on paper, sometimes with illustrations. In the Muslim realm, protective objects made of metal, especially gold and silver, were preferred and also functioned as jewelry for women and for small children. The mystical texts and formulas inscribed on these amulets did not differ significantly in east or west.
[Judith R. Baskin (2nd ed.)]
Childbirth Amulets in Art
While the Hebrew texts inscribed on Jewish amulets in the different countries, East and West, often share similar formulae, names, and selection of biblical verses, the images drawn on those which are ornamented vary greatly, reflecting folk beliefs and traditions, visual ideas and ideals, and the influence of local folk arts. This is best exemplified by childbirth amulets – the most prevalent category of extant amulets produced in Europe and the lands of Islam from the 17th century on, reflecting the high mortality rate of children before the modern era.
Paper German childbirth amulets are often printed with small, crude figurative woodcuts expressing the ideal roles expected for the newborn when he/she grows up. For example, the amulets for a male newborn depict a boy holding an open book from which he reads, while those for a female show her kindling the typical star-shaped Sabbath lamp used by German Jews. The proselyte *Abraham ben Jacob working for the acculturated Dutch community decorated his popular amulet with a biblical image, which he copied from a Christian Bible, depicting a nude Eve and Adam in Paradise. In Poland handmade colorful papercut amulets were preferred, featuring intricate designs, including a wide selection of animals, such as a pair of rampant lions, which symbolize ideal human qualities ("be strong as the lion …" Pirkei Avot 5:23). Images of leading rabbinical authorities, known for their righteous conduct, may appear on East European amulets as a sign of blessing and protection. In amulets of the Old Yishuv on the other hand the preferred "protective" images were conventional pictures of the holy sites (Temple Mount, Rachel's Tomb). Italian Jews created for the amulets of their children attractive silver cases decorated with appliqués of the Temple implements. In Islamic lands silver amulets and jewelry were very common, not only for newborn babies but also for children and women, considered weak and susceptible to the evil eye. Prevalent images included the hand (ḥamsa) mentioned above and fish. Both were interpreted by local ḥakhamim (e.g., *Joseph Ḥayyim of Baghdad) as symbols imbued with deep Jewish meanings. The ḥamsa, as well as the closely related number five, were viewed as bearing potent magical powers based on Jewish textual sources (for example, five is associated with the monogram-maton, he, the holy single-letter name of God, which is often inscribed in the center of amulets). Persian Jews also depicted a fantastic image of *Lilith , usually shown "in chains." In modern Israel some of the designs, the ḥamsa and ḥai [חי], in particular, have been revived and enjoy widespread popularity. Images of rabbis considered holy, both Sephardi and Ashkenazi, are common in modern Israeli amulets as well.
[Shalom Sabar (2nd ed.)]
"Illuminated Amulets"
Illuminations on amulets are seldom applied for purely decorative purposes. The various designs, symbols, and letters were believed to be efficacious in warding off the evil eye, disasters, or sickness. They consist of magical triangles, squares, rectangles, and other geometrical features, e.g., the Hexagram ("Star of David") and the Pentacle ("Star of Solomon"). The menorah with its seven branches, as well as an outstretched hand, is often used. More rarely, birds, animals, human figures, Satan, and the angel Metatron may appear. Letters which are not as yet completely understood and which are known as "kabbalistic writing" have also figured on amulets.
MAGICAL TRIANGLES
By gradually reducing the size of an inscription, the evil spirit is eased out of its victim and its influence is thus diminished. Magical triangles therefore serve a useful purpose and when used in writing amulets it is with this idea in mind.
SQUARES AND RECTANGLES
These are divided into several boxes each of which contains one or more letters. In this way acrostics may be formed in which powerful inscriptions may be secretly placed in the amulets to exert their beneficent influence without the knowledge of the uninitiated. The squares vary from those of nine boxes to those of 64 or even 100 boxes. The rectangles are usually small and often contain hidden verses from the Bible. Their use and influence naturally depend on the particular biblical verse inscribed.
THE HEXAGRAM
The Star of David as a silver amulet is one usually made by the Jerusalem group of amulet makers. The six points of the hexagram often contain the letters ירושלים or מלך דוד, the latter obviously alluding to the city of David. Hexagrams may also appear in written amulets.
The 7-branched candlestick is often found on the shivviti amulets from Persia. In the silver amulets only the initial letters of the words are used but in the parchment ones the verses are written out in full. These are so called because tradition states that King David's shield was shaped like these silver amulets, and headed with the words "I have set (shivviti) the Lord always before me" (Ps. 16:8).
A frequent occurrence is a hand inscribed on the paper or parchment amulets. Silver amulets made in the form of hands are common and are usually North African in origin and the hand is supposed to ward off the "evil eye." It is considered by some to be the hand of Fatima, who was Muhammad's daughter, but hands have appeared on North African amulets since the times of the Carthaginians and these people antedate the Muslim tradition by more than a thousand years. The tradition of using hands on amulets still persists strongly in Morocco, Tunis, and Algeria, as well as throughout the Muslim world.
THE DISC, CRESCENT, AND CROSS
The cross and the crescent are rare. The disc and crescent represent Baal and Tanit respectively and may be found as pendants on silver amulets from North Africa. They carry on the traditions of the Semitic colonization of Carthage and its neighboring countries.
THE KABBALISTIC LETTERS
Mysterious and unexplained to this day, the interpretation of these letters has long aroused controversy. Letters of this type are found on ancient amulets before they appeared on Jewish amulets, e.g., on a magic plate discovered in Pergamon from the tannaitic period. There is no proof that they were made in Jewish circles but apparently they were adapted to the needs of Jewish magic. Some scholars derive the origin of these signs from cuneiform writing. Moses *Gaster considered that there were variant forms of Samaritan (i.e., Old Hebrew) writings and in support of this opinion he cites *Rashi (TB, Sanh. 21b), who called them Ketav Libbona'ah and also thought they were of Samaritan origin. However, the Samaritan script bears little resemblance to these curious characters. It may well be that these letters are Hebrew writing in code form. The manuscript "Alphabet of Metatron" in the British Museum is one of the codes that enables the deciphering of some of these letters but much more research is necessary before all the kabbalistic writing can be interpreted. Many manuscripts of practical Kabbalah include alphabets of angels, each alphabet belonging to a different angel, according to the pattern of this writing. It is quite possible that some amulets can be deciphered by the use of such angelic alphabets. Although these characters are often used for ornamental purposes, they should not be dismissed as mere ornamentations. In Hebrew books on magic, many examples and formulas of amulets are published. These sources include Ta'alumot u-Mekorot ha-Ḥokhmah (Venice, 1664); Derekh Yesharah (Fuerth, 1697); Toledot Adam (Zolkiew, 1720); Mifalot Elohim (Zolkiew, 1727; the latter in many editions); Refu'ah ve-Ḥayyim by Ḥayyim Palache (Smyrna, 1874).
[Theodore Schrire]
T. Schrire, Hebrew Amulets, Their Decipherment and Interpretation (1966), includes bibliography; J. Trachtenberg, Jewish Magic and Superstition (1939), index. ADD. BIBLIOGRAPHY: N. Behrouzi (ed.), The Hand of Fortune: Khamsas from the Gross Family Collection and the Eretz Israel Museum Collection (2002); E. Deitsch (ed.), Kabbalah: Mysticism in Jewish Life, Exhibition catalog, Museum of Judaica, Congregation Emanu-El, New York (2003); Living Khamsa: Die Hand zum Gluek / The Hand of Fortune, Exhibition catalog, Museum im Prediger Schwäbisch Gmünd (2004); H. Matras, "Jewish Folk Medicine in the 19th and 20th Centuries," in: N. Berger (ed.), Jews and Medicine: Religion, Culture, Science (1995), 1133–5; S. Sabar, "Childbirth and Magic: Jewish Folklore and Material Culture," in: D. Biale (ed.), Cultures of the Jews: A New History (2002), 6707–22; idem, "The Judaization of the Khamsa: The Motif of the Magic Hand in the Thought and Folklore of the Jews in the Lands of Islam," in: Mahanaim, 14, (2002), 1922–03 (Heb.); Y. Stillman, "The Middle Eastern Amulet as Folk Art," in: I. Ben-Ami and J. Dan (eds.), Studies in Aggadah and Jewish Folklore (1983), 951–01.
Source: Encyclopaedia Judaica. © 2008 The Gale Group. All Rights Reserved.


Naur-hoit, the ruins south of Mithechad, is home to a roving pack of Wargs.
Objective 2. Perindúr is at Mithechad, north of Naur-hoit.
This entry was posted in Lotro Quests and tagged Ashenslades, Mirkwood. Bookmark the permalink.


Dr Filiberto enjoys giving talks to the public about planetary exploration.
Feel free to contact him to schedule a public talk or to learn more about where he will be speaking.
Dr Filiberto giving a talk about Planetary Exploration: Planetary Research at SIU at the Eclipse Crossroads Astronomy, Science, and Technology Expo, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL. August 2017.


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There are times when I despise advertising and am hesitant to claim my years spent in the industry – when Carl's Junior releases yet another commercial objectifying women or click bait ads are positioned next to vetted news…but yesterday was not one of those days. Yesterday, I held my head a little higher, was eager to claim my membership in the industry, and exclaimed, "Amen!" after watching an ad. The ad that caused this response was Amazon's commercial, "A Priest and an Imam Meet for a Cup of Tea," produced by Joint of London and Amazon's in-house team, according to an appreciative tweet by Amazon's CEO Jeff Bezos. While watching Amazon's ad I was reminded of the legendary George Lois and his transformative work, including his controversial design of the 1968 cover of Esquire featuring Muhammad Ali. In the film Art & Copy, a reflective Lois claims his work wasn't just about selling products, but he and his colleagues wanted to change the world. The last time I was truly in inspired by an ad was Misty Copeland's Under Armour Commercial, "I Will What I Want" by Droga5, but Amazon's ad has the potential to be both inspiring and transformative.
Is it too much to ask of an ad to be the healing balm for a wounded country? In fact, there is scientific evidence that it can be a powerful starter. Advertising, for better or worse, is part of the American culture. When we are exposed to an idea – say, for example, the commonality in our humanity regardless of religious beliefs – we often seek social interactions to make meaning of it. The science behind the process is called sociocultural theory, and it was spearheaded by one of my constructivist heroes, Lev Vygotsky, who helped us realize that learning is indeed a social activity. The theory recognizes that knowledge and learning do not exist solely within our own brains (cognitive functions), but meaning is negotiated where individuals, culture and activity intersect. There is also a biological-based theory – Niche construction theory (NCT), that recognizes the possibility of environments being modified through culturally derived behaviors.
Being aware of the science behind how we learn and how environments can be changed leads me to recognize the great promise in advertising as a way to introduce ideas in the world - ideas that force us to consider the humanity of each other and invite us to take an active role in changing this post-election environment from hate speech to human conversations. Can I get an Amen?
LATE (but important) ADDITION: A Pew Research Center story posted on Nov 21, 2016, "Anti-Muslim assaults reach 9/11-era levels, FBI data show" confirms the importance of highlighting this issue.


text:
De Wereldvredesvlam is een sinds 1999 brandende vlam in Wales. Door het wereldwijd verspreiden van deze vlam wordt aandacht voor de wereldvrede gevraagd.

Op 31 juli 1999 werden zeven vlammen vanaf vijf continenten samengebracht in Bangor in Noord-Wales. Van die zeven vlammen werd een achtste vlam gemaakt, de Vlam van de Wereldvrede. Vanaf dat moment zijn er vlammen in Bangor ontstoken om vredesvlammen over de wereld te verspreiden.

De vredesvlam is een initiatief van de spirituele en charitatieve instelling Life Foundation. Deze stichting werd in 1978 opgericht, onder meer door de (zelf benoemde) goeroe Mansukh Patel, die ook bekendstaat om zijn vredeswandelingen. Daarnaast organiseert hij ieder jaar een vredesconferentie. De Life Foundation is de drijvende kracht achter het dru-yogaprogramma.

Monument bij het Vredespaleis
De eerste wereldvredesvlam in Nederland werd op 18 april 2002 naast de toegangshekken van het Vredespaleis geplaatst. Daar is een speciaal monument opgericht met een altijd brandende vlam. Op het monument staat de tekst: "May all beings find peace". Het monument wordt sinds 2004 omringd door het "Wereldvredespad" langs een rand van 196 stenen en steentjes uit 196 landen. Sommige stenen zijn bijzonder: zo ligt er een brok steen uit de Berlijnse Muur en een steen van Robbeneiland, de plek waar Nelson Mandela jarenlang gevangen zat.

Aan het begin van het rond het monument gaande vredespad ligt een platte ronde steen met de tekst:

Verspreiding
Inmiddels zijn met de vredesvlam van het Haagse monument ook andere vredesvlammen ontstoken zoals:
 2001: In Deventer bij het Albert Schweitzer monument op de Brink.
 2005: In Venlo in het Julianapark achter het Limburgs Museum.
 2007: In Cadzand. Deze vlam wordt doorgegeven, eerst naar Knokke, en later naar een school in Terneuzen. Op 3 december 2007 werd van hieruit een vlam ontstoken in in Brugge.
 2010: In Nijmegen kwam een monument met vredesvlam op de Titushof tegenover het Titusbrandsma memorial.
 2012: In Oosterbeek is een vredesvlam ontstoken bij het Airborne Museum
2017 In Hengelo (Gld) is een vredesvlam naast de Remigiuskerk geplaatst.

Kritiek op de Life Foundation
De stichting Life Foundation en haar oprichter hebben sinds 2001 kritiek te verduren gekregen. Zij werden ervan beschuldigd slechts een miniem deel van de fondsen aan goede doelen te besteden, en ex-leden traden naar buiten met beschuldigingen over uitbuiting en misbruik. De organisatie veranderde haar naam inmiddels in "Dru World Wide".

Monument in Den Haag


Wooby is a set of educational coloring books that use augmented reality. In less than a year, we have built a product from just an idea to a working product gaining traction.
A mobile application that unites avid fishermen around the world. In 5 months, we have transformed business requirements in 128 wireframe screens and a full UI supporting the developers throughout the entire process, at the same time creating coherent branding.
Recruiters have a lot of challenges in finding talents. Skillhunt is a platform that helps you to find IT specialists more effectively. A number of functions make it easier to choose the right candidate, and there is a bounty for the referrals.
We had some initial version of our product, but we knew that we needed a UX/UI team to enhance it. EFEKT helped us to improve the usability of the app and created the whole UI. They acted very quickly, and communication was smooth. Thanks to EFEKT, we managed to show our prototype to investors and customers on a Tradeshow in Switzerland.
Efekt turned our idea into ready design & documentation for our development team. By creating a clickable prototype, we were able to validate the product with early users. EFEKT understands the process of building products and I can highly recommend them as a reliable UX/UI partner.
EFEKT Agency has been our UX/UI partner since 2017. They helped us with numerous demanding projects. Our cooperation resulted in developing many of our internal products which are used by millions of customers all over the world. Their approach is always focused on understanding our business needs, conducting creative workshops, creating from rapid prototypes to high fidelity interface, and cooperation with our hardware&software teams.
Thanks to EFEKT Agency, we could run a successful campaign on Kickstarter raising money for further development of our product. The main challenge was to create a visually appealing interface of the sports watch according to strict requirements from our hardware team. After a week I was able to see the progress to discuss, after 3 weeks I had completed mock-ups & animations which helped me a lot to launch the crowdfunding campaign.
I'm delighted with the outcome of cooperation with EFEKT. They understood my point of view and needs. Despite 8 000 km distance and different time zone, we managed to complete a logo and website remotely. What I liked most was them paying attention to details such as animations, visual aspects, and empathy for a non-technical person.


text:
Sam Becomes A Hurricane And Expected To Rapidly Intensify Over Weekend
Jeff Huffman
Sam rapidly intensified overnight and is forecast to become a major hurricane over the weekend. While models suggests Sam may stay out to sea, it is still too soon to credibly predict whether there will be impacts to Florida.
'Tampa Bay Toxic Bus Tour' Highlights Energy Inequality And Potential Disaster Zones In Hillsborough
Local residents and activists were guided through Hillsborough County by environmental justice advocates, who are fighting for clean energy, equality and safety.
1 Death From Hurricane Ida And New Orleans Is Left Without Power
Ida blasted ashore Sunday as one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the U.S., blowing roofs off buildings and reversing the flow of the Mississippi River.
Hurricanes May Strain Condo Collapse Rescue Efforts. Authorities Work To Split Resources
Martin Vassolo
A busy hurricane season — four storms have already been named — could hamper search-and-rescue efforts at the Surfside condo collapse.
Delta Strengthens Again And On Course For Friday Landfall
Ray Hawthorne
Update as of 11:30 AM: Delta strengthened a little more as of the 11am advisory. Top sustained winds increased to 105 mph, which is a category 2 storm....
Florida's Constitutional Amendments Up For Vote, New U.S. Sanctions On Cuba, The Infamous 1935 Hurricane
A look at this year's ballot amendments in Florida. The new restrictions on Cuba and a historic hurricane takes on a new meaning.
Emergency Management Sends Shelter Experts To Mississippi
News Service of Florida
The Florida Division of Emergency Management sent staff to Mississippi to help set up shelters that comply with coronavirus health regulations.
Isaias Makes Landfall In North Carolina
Alana Wise
The eye came ashore near Ocean Isle Beach before the system weakened into a tropical storm. It's expected to linger in North Carolina before swirling up the Mid-Atlantic coast.
Hurricane Warnings Issued from Treasure Coast to Space Coast Ahead of Isaias
Update as of 11:30 am Saturday: Isaias has slightly weakened this morning, and is now producing 80 mph sustained winds, as of the latest update from the...
Gov. DeSantis Declares State Of Emergency For Isaias
TALLAHASSEE --- Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday issued a state of emergency for all counties along Florida's east coast in response to Hurricane Isaias as the…
Florida Will Pause Coronavirus Testing Due To Impending Storm
After the state's testing sites close Thursday evening, they won't reopen until at least Tuesday morning — part of the safety precautions for Tropical Storm Isaias.
COVID-19 Is Rewriting Plans For Hurricane Evacuation Shelters
Jenny Staletovich
With a storm in the Atlantic pointed its way, South Florida could soon get its first real test of a hurricane season during a pandemic and one of the more…


This book demonstrates how puppetry and associated art forms such as singing and story-telling can be used to nurture and support connections with people with dementia. Strategies for using puppetry in daily care are suggested and step-by-step instructions for making the puppets are included.
Even in the later stages of the disease, when memory, words and relationships are affected, it is possible for people with dementia to express emotions, imagination, humour, sensitivities and personal preferences. This book demonstrates the many ways in which puppetry and associated art forms such as singing and story-telling can be used in a person-centred way to create opportunities for these human responses to emerge.
The author describes different scenarios in which puppetry can help facilitate connections, including in response to changes in relationships, communicating when words fail and in times of distress or conflict. She explains how puppets can be used to stimulate memories, celebrate life achievements and promote self-esteem and confidence, as well as with those nearing the end of life as part of palliative care. Strategies for introducing puppetry and other forms of creative stimulation into daily care are suggested, and real examples are used to illustrate how creativity may benefit the person with dementia beyond the immediate session. Step-by-step instructions for making a variety of puppets are also included.
This thought-provoking book will be a source of inspiration and practical ideas for care staff and activity coordinators, creative arts therapists, occupational therapists, puppeteers and other artists working in care settings, as well as relatives of people with dementia looking for new ways to connect with their loved ones.
This inspirational book explores the use of creativity through puppetry and person centred care... The text has numerous examples where a variety of techniques have been used to establish rapport and develop therapeutic relationships. It explores the theoretical basis of dementia care and how theories can be applied in care homes and in the community.
The book is particularly relevant to occupational therapists working with clients with dementia when communication and social interaction deficits may be present. It gives practical examples of how a variety of activities can be graded and adapted for individual use and highlights alternative approaches that may be beneficial... Creativity is used to build bridges and strengthen relationships through shared projects which can be incorporated into everyday life. It suggests activities that people with and without dementia are supported in expressing emotions, imagination, personal preferences and humour. Words are not always necessary, colours and visual stimuli are essential. Memories are unlocked with puppets bringing to life nursery rhymes and fables.
The engaging style of writing encourages the reader to continue from chapter to chapter. It provides practical ideas to inspire care givers to enter a shared world which can promote well-being and understanding. The text is balanced between theory and case studies... The author has a background in nursing and education. She clearly demonstrates her understanding of the complex needs of those with dementia and how we need to enter and understand the world they live in through her insightful comments and analysis.
I would definitely recommend this book for use within the occupational therapists toolkit. It is an excellent resource to support practice and education of carers and students.


text:
import { Injectable } from '@angular/core';
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var NgbTabsetConfig = /** @class */ (function () {
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Kicking off on the 12 November 2018, The Exchange team have launched their latest initiative – The Exchange Bartender Exchange.
The program supports and facilitates bartenders to exchange places with their contemporaries from bars across the country and the world. From menu takeovers, to pop-up bar swaps and special guests, the Bartender Exchange showcases the very best in bartending talent and the latest drinks trends from the outstanding Australian bartending community.
On Monday 12th November, Kayla Reid & Timo Van Hest hailing from Fortitude Valley's Savile Row did a one, two, switcheroo with Natalie Ng & Jono Carr from Door Knock in Sydney CBD. The two chosen talent from each venue journeyed to their neighbouring state for the one night only. Each venue also collaborated with The Exchange Brand Ambassadors to create phenomenal cocktails menus. The bartenders brought to life a variety of hometown venue staples alongside quirky creations specifically made for the night.
On the 18th November QLD's The Gresham representatives Millie Tang, Jack Stacy & Ryan Lane sailed south to take over SA's Hains & Co for one night only, bringing with them an eclectic menu honouring 70's & 80's rock.
Josh Mack & Josh Esposito of Hains & Co returned the favour on November 25th, bringing some of their SA know-how north to The Gresh with cocktails varying from "Folsom Prison Blues" to "Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing".
Keep an eye out for more Bartender Exchanges to come in 2019. Get involved and support the legends and collaborators of the Australian bar scene.


An update to the zoning code in 2018 allows a residential use in certain Planned Manufacturing Districts, which normally don't allow any residential uses.
At a public meeting on Tuesday, October 9, 2018, the Chicago Department of Planning and Development (DPD) proposed minor changes to the Planned Manufacturing District (PMD) #4, Kinzie Industrial Corridor. PMDs are intended to preserve the city's manufacturing bases by preserving manufacturing zoning; essentially, only manufacturing uses are permitted. A small number of commercial uses are allowed, such as accessory retail, food & beverage, and office uses. The meeting was part of the Kinzie Framework Plan, part of Mayor Emanuel's Industrial Corridor Modernization Initiative.
The PMD and its subareas are shown in blue. The black outline is the Kinzie Industrial Corridor.
In the proposed PMD map, the internal border between subareas A and B would shift to the east, and the positions of A and B would swap.
Some of the changes are significant: The area of the PMD closer to the Fulton Market construction and conversion activity would allow larger office, retail, retail food and beverage, and eating and drinking establishments. The PMD would not open up to allow residential.
Recycling facilities and waste-related uses would no longer be allowed in the area east of Ashland Avenue.
If you have any questions about how this affects your existing properties or proposed developments, or you would just like to discuss your zoning options in the Kinzie PMD, please contact MAPS.
View the slideshow presented at the meeting. View the other materials in the Kinzie Framework Plan process. If you would like to comment on DPD's proposal, send them to dpd@cityofchicago.org.


This 7.25 x 49 stick offers a oily dark chocolate wrapper with slight tooth and fairly firm construction. The aroma has a slight sweet cocoa note along with a rich tobacco. This was a monster of a smoke pushing the 2 hour mark and building to full strength by the last bit – not an early morning smoke! It had some minor burn issues needing several corrections but nothing show stopping. Several transitions were present and flavors were fairly diverse including cream, cocoa, espresso, mocha, wood, pepper and a bit of spice. The draw was a bit firm at the start but quickly opened up to just on the loose side. Thank you very much to Ashton for donating this for review!


BASIC Authentication with Apache - Middleware wonders!!
Now if we try to access any unprotected resource on Weblogic Server, a BASIC Authentication Window will be popped up for authentication against Apache.
Otherwise Weblogic Server will try to validate the BASIC authentication Header.


Central Pennsylvania: Contributor Rich Mehrenberg reviews TREASURE ISLAND at Fulton Theatre, writing "Fulton's executive artistic producer, Marc Robin serves as both the composer of the show and the director. Along with his partner, Curt Dale Clark, Robin has gifted Lancaster with an original show easily worthy of a Broadway run. Music, dialogue and action work seamlessly in moving the story forward. This is a show for audience members who like action. there are no tedious dance numbers and no sappy love ballads. pace is outstanding, and demonstrate how much better storytelling can be when a show's creators and directors are perfectly aligned."
Nashville: Contributor Jeffrey Ellis reviews NEWSIES writing "Wilkinson's expertise at delivering the theatrical goods pays off handsomely with Newsies: She and her artistic/creative collaborators do their usual mind meld to make certain the show is a hit, employing the tried and true to ensure audiences are riveted to every moment of the show. Utilizing every square inch of the space available to them, Wilkinson, Tarlton and company utilize the venue's intimate confines to create a pretty much immersive production that puts the audience right smack dab in the middle of the action. Never have we seen the space at The Barn used in such clever and inventive ways, with various cast members dancing quickly by in the aisles, noble characters speeding past you with nefarious no-goodniks in hot pursuit and with heartfelt evocations of "Santa Fe" being sung rapturously from the next table over - all of which is designed to draw audiences into the story, to make them a part of the tale playing out in front of and around them."
Salt Lake City: Contributor Tyler Hinton reviews THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL, writing "For the first time, the new Centre Stage in Sandy feels like the Hale Centre Theatre we knew and loved in West Valley but on a larger scale. The way in which the show is staged and the technical capacities are utilized is reminiscent of the familiar, special approach that Hale Centre Theatre is known for with a turntable that morphs and shifts into various formations. Add to that massive set pieces that fly in from the ceiling and rise from the ground, and the design team has finally found a way to fill all that space to awe-inspiring results. Congratulations are in order for set designer and technical director Kacey Udy, who seems to be growing more and more comfortable with the new space and its unique opportunities and challenges with every show."
Seattle: Contributor Jay Irwin reviews LEGALLY BLONDE, writing "This show is difficult enough with a normal rehearsal schedule so with the 40 hours of rehearsal Showtunes gets, even with books in hand, what they've accomplished is a miracle. Director Faith Bennett Russell has taken the minimal staging of a concert and kept it as minimal as "Legally Blonde" can be. Even before I went I was asking, "How on earth are they going to handle all the dance breaks?" Well with some minimal choreography for the rest of the cast and some not so minimal for Henderson and a band of four awesome dancers who kept appearing to fill out the scene, Russell and choreographer Jimmy Shields have made this concert staging feel more like a Broadway spectacle. Of course, with the orchestra led by music director Nathan Young doing the entire Broadway score it's no wonder we're feeling the entire Blonde experience."
Orlando: Contributor Aaron Wallace reviews THE COLOR PURPLE at Theater West End, writing "THE COLOR PURPLE is a crimson gem of a show, and it's a big opening statement for the Theater West End. These songs and singing voices are foils for anyone who doesn't believe that humans have souls. Unfortunately, unless they happen to extend their run a second time or stage a revival, the tickets are all gone. Performances are scheduled through Sunday, September 30, 2018."
Sweden: Contributor Annette Stolt reviews ON THE TOWN at Kulturhuset Spira, Jönköping, writing "A simple story performed by some of Sweden's best musical artists in terms of singing and dancing. Rennie Mirro, Karl Dyall and Hanna von Spreti have worked together in several musicals and are absolutely outstanding on stage when they perform together. Denny Lekström, Linda Olsson and Vera Veljovic are also very good in their roles. Hanna, Linda and Vera play three totally different girls, all are strong girls who know what they want. Veras Hidly has the strongest Will Power, and there is no escape for Chip. Åsa Arhammar plays a number of different women in the play where the vocal coach Madame Maude P Dilly comes back every now and then. She embodies them in a comical and beautiful way. In addition to these, there are another 17 people included in the ensemble. Great musical artists and dancers. AS the plot is simple the dance is the strength of this musical. The dance songs are absolutely amazing and of world class. It the dance genius, Roine Söderlundh, who is the choreograph and director. Anna Ståhl is a deputy choreographer. Together with the dancers, they have created dance numbers which enchant and are very beautiful. In combination with Camilla Thulin's beautiful clothes, it's the perfect dance act. So beautiful.
New Orleans: Contributor Jenny Bravo reviews THE MUSIC MAN at Rivertown Theaters, writing "The show is at its best during the big numbers, with impeccable choreography by Ashley Morand. The level of these dancers cannot be overstated, and your eye is drawn to the capability of Mason O'Rourke as Tommy Dijilas and Amelia Jacquat as Zaneeta Shinn. With the stacked dance interludes in "Marian the Librarian," "Seventy-Six Trombones" and "Shipoopi," the scenes are nothing short of impressive."
Jenny Bravo is a professional balancing act. She works full time in insurance, then writes novels and theatre reviews in her spare time. Additionally, she runs a successful blog for aspiring writers and novelists. When she's not working, she's practicing yoga and memorizing Hamilton raps.


I actually thought our navigation, overall, was pretty decent for a couple of non-Spanish speaking gringos who were dealing with mediocre maps, an absence of signs, winding mountain roads, and the adjustment to reading distances in kilometers. Plus, even when we were briefly "lost" we saw some beautiful parts of the country. Let me put it this way, it once took Andy and I something like 7 hours to reach Port Aransas when driving from Austin (which should be what? 3 hours?), and we were practically in our own back yard for that one with very little traffic. You underestimate your navigation skills, Roundball.


Ram your head through the wall with this extreme hold styling gel. Gum delivers firm control for shorter hair styles and creates volume and support for longer hair types.
How to use Apply to the palms of hands, distribute evenly through the hair and style as desired. Alternatively, apply desired amount to wet hair prior to blow-drying or setting, for added volume, root support and long lasting style.