text:
Silicon Diplomacy
Semiconductors are becoming a critical geopolitical focal point. Technology alliances and diplomatic initiatives are being championed as the pathway toward building supply chain resilience.
India, as a fledgling semiconductor power, has an important role in the current setup of the industry.
India must aim to utilise diplomacy and collaboration to become an indispensable part of the global semiconductor ecosystem.
Semiconductors are the brains of modern electronics:
Semiconductors, with specified electrical properties, that sit between the conductor and insulator.
They typically have four electrons in their valence shell (outermost shell), which helps in binding with other atoms to form crystals such as silicon crystals.
They are an essential component of electronic devices, enabling advances in communications, computing, healthcare, military systems, transportation, clean energy, and countless other applications.
A diode, integrated circuit (IC) and transistor are all made from semiconductors.
A semiconductor chip controls and manages the flow of electric current in electronic equipment and devices.
Current Techno-Democratic Alliances:
The Quad Semiconductor Supply Chain Initiative
The Quad in 2021 decided to include semiconductors as an area of collaboration, as part of The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue.
primary objective is to ensure a competitive market, prevent monopolies, and strengthen the current supply chain against future shocks.
US leads the world in chip design with its private sector design behemoths (such as Intel, Qualcomm, NVIDIA and AMD).
US owns all Electronic Design Automation (EDA) software licences used in chip design.
Japan has expertise in the production of silicon wafers (substrates on which designs are imprinted) and semiconductor manufacturing materials such as photoresists or etching gas, and remains critical to the fabrication process.
Australia is an important source of critical minerals such as silica, gallium and indium, which are essential for developing silicon-based and composite semiconductor products.
India can provide the required human resources, especially in the chip design services segment.
The Chip4 Alliance
It is a semiconductor industry alliance with US, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan, to keep mainland China's fledgling semiconductor industry at bay.
It covers all the key areas of the value chain of the semiconductor ecosystem.
Taiwan is the global epicentre of semiconductor manufacturing, with over 60 percent of the world's chips being manufactured.
South Korea is home to semiconductor behemoth Samsung, which has design and manufacturing capability.
Japan has dominance over the production of critical manufacturing equipment and materials such as
In 2021, China imported US$350 billion worth of semiconductors, with the US and South Korea being its biggest suppliers.
US-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC)
to coordinate their respective chip investments so that they do not end up engaging in a 'subsidy race'
Cross-border information dissemination
Challenges of semiconductors:
As a political weapon including use of semiconductors as a punitive tool to hurt certain economies.
Various restrictions have been imposed on exports, trade, and access to semiconductor technology that prevent certain states from moving up the value chain.
Export control mechanisms have been put in place for semiconductor technology considering its dual-use and military capabilities such as the Wassenaar Agreement.
Possibility of unilateral controls on countries' export of emerging technologies, which can hamper the chances of other countries accessing critical materials and equipment.
US's Export Control Reform Act (ECRA 2018), which identifies export controls essential for technologies directly related to the country's national security.
2020 US sanctions on China related to semiconductors and chips.
US also directed other companies, such as ASML Holding, a Dutch company known for their photolithography lithography tools—an integral semiconductor manufacturing equipment—to halt any exports to China
Extensive dominance of US – The most recent sanctions are so extensive that they could cause an economic fallout for China and other semiconductor manufacturers.
They can create high-end weapon systems which poses risks to national security.
Semiconductor technology is being used in the diplomatic and geopolitical space as a tool of punitive action.
In Russia-Ukraine war, West, imposed technology sanctions to punish Russia. Semiconductors and chips were central to the sanctions.
Suggestions for future:
Quad Semiconductor Resilience Fund Building to cover import duties and license fees.
Joint setting up of fabrication facilities focusing on emerging industries like AI, Quantum, Electric Vehicles, and 5G/6G Communications.
Building Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in all Quad countries
Japan can build a CoE dedicated to semiconductor manufacturing
Australia can host a CoE on critical materials for developing chips.
India, has design workforce and can build design architecture
Increase cooperation amongst other semiconductor alliances.
Semiconductors can be one of the central focus areas in the EU-India TTC agreement signed in 2021
In India-Taiwan collaboration, India can convince Taiwan to focus on building a low-investment trailing edge fab in the country to improve output volume and build redundancy into the ecosystem.
India must position itself as a credible alternative for Taiwan's ATMP giants (Foxconn, Winstron) and its design behemoths (MediaTek) to outsource the assembly and design processes to the country.
The availability of a skilled workforce in semiconductor design, as well as the low-cost labour needed for Assembly, Testing, Marking and Packaging (ATMP) facilities, can help India attract other potential.
Champion free and open semiconductor technologies
Open standards provide a royalty-free alternative on which technologies and platforms can be built
The current industry standards remain licensed and hard to adopt for startups. Hence, it can level the playing field across the global ecosystem.
For example, RISC-V, currently being developed to reduce the dependency on the licensed Arm instruction set architecture.
Open-Source Hardware (OSH) projects related to EDA tools (currently dominated by three American companies) can be funded to remove existing bottlenecks.
India can pave the way for procurement and deployment of open-source alternatives for design firms while saving their resources on licences and royalty fees.
Way forward:
The Covid-19 pandemic exposed the fragilities of the semiconductor supply chain in the form of dependencies and bottlenecks
Hence, multilateral cooperation in the industry is no longer a choice but a necessity.
India's market share may be negligible, but key partnerships and alliances can help the local ecosystem grow.
In this era of silicon diplomacy, India must tread a path favourable to international cooperation, which can help its domestic industry specialise in a specific area of the supply chain.
Technology in aid of Coffee Production
DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 9th December 2022


Just a Reminder During this Political Season… Island Candidates!
I will not be accepting any advertisements for any political candidates on my blog this year, those that know… it was the same for me in the last election.
I will be accepting announcements from candidates regarding their campaigns.
I hope that folks understand that any political announcement that may be made on my blog is simply being passed on by me and does not mean I endorse that candidate.
I think it benefits us all for candidates to push their message. If any candidate begins to try and use my blog as a "soap box"… it will be quickly squandered.
I do welcome political announcements, messages and letters of support. I won't allow any blatant advertisements.
With that said, I will do my best to try and not even open my mouth as to whom I'm gonna vote to this year.
So once again… I'm not accepting ads… Please folks don't think any messages that I receive from candidates stand as an endorsement of that candidate.
12/13/10 *UPDATE* This tour has now been canceled due to safety concerns for more information about the new Ziplines that KapohoKine will be opening see here: KapohoKine to Build New Zipline Course… Ends Affiliation with Umauma Ziplines Due to Safety Concerns.
How cool is this, when I went Ziplining at the Umauma Falls Zipline Experience, I had a great chance to meet with a great group of writers from all over the place.
(L-R) Margaret Kearns, Ellen H. Parlapiano, Albert Rodriguez, Sami Ewers, Deston Nokes and John Fischer watch as I make awa or kava for them.
It was good fun spending a few days with these guys on the Big Island Media Tour sponsored by the Big Island Visitors Bureau.
John Fischer is the Hawaii Travel Writer for About.com and he's been blogging about things in Hawaii since 1997.
Little did I know that John would actually show a picture of me in one of their posts that gets read around the world in his recent post The Umauma Falls Zipline Experience Photo Gallery. The Picture of me is actually on page 2 and you need to click it to make it larger.
Just wanted to say it was great meeting you and look forward to your other posts. Mahalo for showing a picture of me!
That picture is actually one of my favorites that has been taken of me in a long time!
Just a reminder folks… the Umauma Falls Zipline Experience are not the same ziplines that are at the World Botanical Gardens. They are completely different although located fairly close to the World Botanical Gardens.
Some folks love them, some folks hate them, but most of us have learned to live and adapt with these sounds all night.
King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel has a lot to celebrate this year, and to do that, the resort is giving away a free Three-Night Hawaiian Getaway each month, complete with a $100 Food Credit. Lucky winners will experience exciting upgrades at the hotel, including a complete room renovation, new infinity pool, and more.
For Hawaiian Getaway Giveaway details and to enter, please visit www.konabeachhotel.com, or find us on Facebook® to discover more.
… and that's just a dozen!
King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel is a 454-room resort located on 13 beachfront acres. Adjacent to Kailua Pier on the Big Island's sunny Kona coast, the area comprises a significant historical site, King Kamehameha the Great's final residence. Conveniently located at the start of famous Ali'i Drive, the resort is within walking distance to many other cultural sites, restaurants, shopping, and more. King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel is a proud sponsor of the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament, the annual Kona Brewers Festival, the Ford Ironman World Championship Triathlon, and other signature local, national, and international events. For reservations or information, call (808) 329-2911, visit us at www.konabeachhotel.com, or find us on Facebook® to discover more about us.
A minor earthquake occurred at 7:34:49 AM (HST) on Friday, January 15, 2010 .
The magnitude 3.2 event occurred 3 km (2 miles) WSW of Kilauea Summit.
The hypocentral depth is 15 km ( 9 miles).


text:
package org.gradle.internal.component.local.model;

import org.gradle.internal.component.model.ConfigurationMetadata;
import org.gradle.internal.component.model.LocalOriginDependencyMetadata;

import java.util.List;
import java.util.Set;

public interface LocalConfigurationMetadata extends ConfigurationMetadata {

    String getDescription();

    Set<String> getExtendsFrom();

    @Override
    List<? extends LocalOriginDependencyMetadata> getDependencies();

    @Override
    List<? extends LocalComponentArtifactMetadata> getArtifacts();

    /**
     * Returns the files attached to this configuration, if any. These should be represented as dependencies, but are currently represented as files as a migration step.
     */
    Set<LocalFileDependencyMetadata> getFiles();
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Saint Lucia prepares Economic Recovery and Resilience Plan
by Glen Simon, NCPC
OVER 30 AGENCIES FROM BOTH THE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTORS WERE ENGAGED IN THE FORMULATION OF THE PLAN.
The Government of Saint Lucia is preparing an Economic Recovery and Resilience plan.
The plan is designed to stimulate overall economic activity and was borne out of an engaging multi-faceted stakeholder process, encompassing public and private participation including representation from trade unions.
Government employed a three-phased approach to addressing the COVID-19 situation.
The initial component focused on the management of healthcare. This involved an increase in the number of healthcare personnel and personal protective equipment, the establishment of isolation and quarantine centers, and the development of local testing capacity for COVID-19.
The second phase of the plan focused on bringing support to the most vulnerable, and other persons directly impacted by COVID-19 such as those in the tourism, agriculture and transportation sectors.
The acting Permanent Secretary and Director of Finance, Esther Rigobert, said the Economic Recovery and Resilience Plan aims to bring about hope and instill confidence at the household and business levels.
"Many persons were directly impacted. They lost their income, their jobs and there was a sense of fear looming over Saint Lucia. The second phase was to bring immediate support. Some of the measures announced in the Social Stabilization Plan covered areas such as income support, the feeding programme, and ensuring persons who were out of work were able to receive a level of support.
"Under phase three the focus was on recovery and resilience. Recovery in terms of allowing persons who have either lost their jobs, their sources of income, or who need support to restart their businesses; and to get that support either from the government or private sector and financial institutions."
Over thirty agencies including the Chamber of Commerce, banks and credit unions were engaged for their feedback in the formulation of the Economic Recovery and Resilience Plan.
Chief Economist in the Department of Finance, Janai Leonce, said although the plan takes into account short, medium- and long-term initiatives, emphasis will be placed on the immediate to short term gains over the next six months.
"Some of the issues in the discussions have been: How can we reposition the economy? How can we diversify? We have also had discussions on food security, agro-processing, and lending to the SMEs. Cognizant of these, the plan will include some of those elements. It includes incentives for providing financial support to SME's and to also repurpose some of our donor funds toward stimulating agro-processing and the adoption of digital technologies."
Executive Director for the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council, Fiona Hinkson, explained that the planning process was heavily stakeholder-driven and inclusive with line ministries engaging various stakeholders such as the Chamber of Commerce, manufacturers, and other business associations.
"We met to discuss the proposals that we got from the various business associations, and to see how government can put together an appropriate response," she said, adding that the government also established a multi-sectoral committee comprising over 30 stakeholders from the public and private sectors including representatives from employers and trade unions. Guided by a framework, the committee made recommendations to the government on actions to help the economy recover within the immediate to short term.
"We felt it was necessary not only to look at recovery in the economy but also to building resilience in order to protect us from future events. Regarding economic recovery, we spoke to the fiscal stimulus that would assist in stimulating the economy; and fast-track shovel-ready projects that would help to build economic activity, and provide jobs for persons who are displaced. Regarding resilience, we focused on four resilience pillars that spoke to strengthening the productive sector, strengthening social protection systems, improving health outcomes, and disaster risk mitigation."
The Permanent Secretary in the Department of Finance said the Economic Recovery and Resilience Plan will touch every facet of the economy.
"There's a bit for each sector—households, small businesses, and property owners. It is to bring about and instill hope, and confidence that we can come out of this crisis a stronger people, and a stronger nation."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
DAVID WEEKLEY HOMES CELEBRATES FIRST HOMEOWNER IN SANTA RITA RANCH
AUSTIN, TX (August 18, 2015): David Weekley Homes welcomed its first new homeowner to the 3,100-acre master-planned community of Santa Rita Ranch in northern Williamson County.
Adelle Johnson, who is 91 years old, received a special red carpet welcome to celebrate moving into her new home. The David Weekley Homes Team surprised Johnson with her favorite dessert of brownies and toasted with iced tea and lemonade.
"Adelle is our first David Weekley homeowner in Santa Rita Ranch. We are excited to have her move in and wanted to do something to make her feel welcome in this new community she will call home," said Ken Swisher, Division President in Austin.
Santa Rita Ranch offers miles of hiking and biking trails and a multi-million dollar amenity center with a resort-style pool, splash pad and multi-use sport fields and courts. Students attend Liberty Hill ISD schools. In addition, residents have easy access to major roadways, including Highway 183, 183-A and IH 35.
Priced from the $295s, floor plans range in size from 1,900 to nearly 2,800 square feet of living space. Homebuyers can see firsthand what the home builder has to offer by visiting The Larmona model home, now open daily for tours. This one-story home has 2,492 square feet with three bedrooms, two full baths, one half bath, study and an open-concept in the kitchen, dining and living areas that provide ample space for entertaining. The Larmona also features a Texas basement, which is a floored attic space that is accessible via a separate stairway in the garage.
For information about David Weekley homes in Santa Rita Ranch, homebuyers may call 512-821-8838 or visit www.davidweekleyhomes.com.
David Weekley Homes, founded in 1976, is headquartered in Houston and operates in 20 cities across the United States. David Weekley Homes was the first builder in the United States to be awarded the Triple Crown of American Home Building, an honor which includes "America's Best Builder," "National Housing Quality Award" and "National Builder of the Year." Weekley has also appeared nine times on FORTUNE magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For®" list. Since inception, David Weekley Homes has closed more than 75,000 homes. For more information about David Weekley Homes, please visit the company's website at www.davidweekleyhomes.com.


text:
Governing Body Attendance 2018/19
Governing Body Attendance 2017-18
Register of Business/Financial Interests 2017-2018-2019-2020
Assessment and Achievement
Curriculum – Foundation EYFS
Additional Curriculum arrangements
Cornerstones – Unique Curriculum
Read, Write, Inc
Collective Worship / Assemblies
Term Dates and School day
Behaviour & Safety
E-Safety News and Advice
BC/ASC
Extra Curric.
Activities outside of school
Sugartots
Full Governing Body Meetings Attendance Register 2015-16
Name Role Date Date Date Date Date
JB HT 15/07/2015 03/12/2015 24/03/2016 19/05/2016 13/07/2016
AH Chair 15/07/2015 03/12/2015 24/03/2016 Apology 13/07/2016
CF Staff 15/07/2015 03/12/2015 24/03/2016 19/05/2016 13/07/2016
HLW Co opted 15/07/2015 03/12/2015 24/03/2016 19/05/2016 Apology
SS Vice Chair 15/07/2015 03/12/2015 24/03/2016 19/05/2016 13/07/2016
MW LA 15/07/2015 03/12/2015 Apology 19/05/2016 13/07/2016
LA Parent Gvnr N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
LL Parent Gvnr N/A N/A N/A Apology Apology
JH Co-opted N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Resources Committee Meetings Attendance Register 2015-16
Name Role Date Date Date
AH Chair 22/10/2015 11/12/2015 Apology
MW LA Gvnr 22/10/2015 11/12/2015 19/05/2016
SS Vice Chair 22/10/2015 11/12/2015 19/05/2016
NP Staff Gvnr 22/10/2015 11/12/2015 19/05/2016
HLW Co opted 22/10/2015 11/12/2015 19/05/2016
JB HT 22/10/2015 11/12/2015 19/05/2016
Pay Committee Meeting Attendance Register 2015-16
Name Role Date
AH Chair 03/12/2015
JB HT 03/12/2015
SS Vice Chair 03/12/2015
MW LA 03/12/2015
Standards & Inclusions Committee Meeting Attendance Register 2015-16
AH Vice Chair 03/12/2015 23/03/2016 13/07/2016
NP Staff Gvnr 03/12/2015 23/03/2016 Apology
CF Staff Gvnr 03/12/2015 23/03/2016 13/07/2016
SS Chair 03/12/2015 23/03/2016 13/07/2016
JH Co N/A N/A N/A
Knowsley Village Primary School
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It is in this place that we can have some real fun. The fun that only Gearheads can have and understand! The term "Gearhead" is one that well describes the inquisitive nature of our tribe.
"All young monkeys are inquisitive, but the intensity of their curiosity tends to fade as they become adult. With us, the infantile inquisitiveness is strengthened and stretched into our mature years. We never stop investigating. We are never satisfied that we know enough to get by. Every question we answer leads on to another question. This has been the greatest survival trick of our species." - The Naked Ape by Desmond Morris.
We have had very good responses from the marketplace on our book. There were some folks that didn't want this book written....but I guess they are out of luck on this one! The first orders for purchases of the book were from teachers that want to use the book as a textbook and support for their classes in engines and testing. The feedback from those teachers and students has been very pleasing to the authors. Thanks.
A book that should be of interest to gearheads and others. The title is Dyno Testing And Tuning by Harold Bettes and Bill Hancock. It will be very useful as a handy reference concerning dynamometers and testing and tuning on them. The book covers all types of dynamometers whether for engine or chassis applications. The cover is pictured below. This one might shake some folks up a bit as the book dispels many old wive's tales and does a decent job of separating the BS from the true life adventure that is dyno testing in the real world.
Our book was the Bronze Award winner for the Technical How To category of the International Automotive Media Awards for 2008 and we hope you like it and recommend it to others.
A new book on airflow will be coming out around June of 2010.
This new book will be published by HP Books. The title is Engine Airflow. This will be one of the most comprehensive book that has been presented on engine airflow to date. It will be a must have for your own gearhead library.
Engine Airflow will present many things about engine airflow and airflow measurement that will cause lots of lip movement (both smiles and frowns) in the industry and gearheads everywhere. There is a very informative listing of history and where airflow study and airflow benches came from. Lots of information on where numbers come from and how to use them. Many new ways to use airflow numbers to refine engine packages. A reader can either skip over the math or get right into it as the opportunity to dispel many myths and misuses of flow data is presented in readable format. There are even sections on calibration and certification practices too.
Jim McFarland was kind enough to write the foreword in this book and that was nice because he helped to pioneer some things in the aftermarket performance industry that relied heavily on the study and application of airflow technology.
Engine Airflow has won a Gold Medal!


Our Wired Illuminated Push Button – RPW213A has a brushed nickel finish that creates a cool and modern feel. Underneath the finish is solid brass—one of the strongest metals. Other features such as illumination and recessed mount add a cool factor.
Update your doorbell to this cool and modern push button. Our Wired Illuminated Push Button is made from solid brass to give it strength and durability. The cool, modern look comes from the brush nickel finish and the simple, artistic shape of the push button. It also illuminates and has a recessed mount that furthers the look.
Guests can struggle to find the doorbell, but not with our Wired Illuminated Push Button.


text:
Q: Understanding behaviour of simultaneous Animate with duration I am having trouble understanding how simultaneous (animateWithDuration:animations:completion:) method calls interact with one an another in the case where both animate the same property of a given View.
I have created the following test project to illustrate the behaviour that I am seeing which is completely contrary to how I understand the documentation. Here it is:
//
//  ViewController.swift
//  AnimationTest
//
//  Created by Jeremie Benhamron on 2017-03-03.
//  Copyright © 2017 beenie.inc. All rights reserved.
//

import UIKit

class ViewController: UIViewController {

    override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()
        // Create and add a colored square
        let coloredSquare = UIView()

        // set background color to blue
        coloredSquare.backgroundColor = UIColor.blue

        // set frame (position and size) of the square
        coloredSquare.frame = CGRect(x: 0, y: 120, width: 50, height: 50)

        // finally, add the square to the screen
        self.view.addSubview(coloredSquare)
        //First Animation
        // animate square moving to the right
        UIView.animate(withDuration: 4.0,delay: 0.0,options: [],animations: {
            coloredSquare.frame.origin = CGPoint(x: 320-50, y: 120)
        },completion:{print($0)})
        UIView.commitAnimations()

        //second animation
        //animate square moving back to original position
        UIView.animate(withDuration: 5.0,delay:0,options:[UIViewAnimationOptions.beginFromCurrentState] , animations: {
            coloredSquare.frame.origin = CGPoint(x: 0, y: 120)
        },completion:{print($0)})
        UIView.commitAnimations()
    }

}

The following youtube link shows what happens in the simulator when I run this project.
Also the following is printed on the console:
true
true
I expected to see:
false
true
in the console because from my understanding, the second animation is supposed to interrupt the first animation which cause its completion block to be executed before the animation is completed cause its input parameter to be set to false.
Secondly I would expect the blue square to not move at all because the second animation should immediately interrupt the first animation before it can move the blue square. But instead I think were seeing some weird superposition of the two animations going on at the same time (because the blue square is not going as far as it would had I only included the first animation).
Also if you set the second animations duration equal to first (i.e. 4.0) the blue square doesn't move at all suggesting that their superposition somehow cancels out.
Whats also weird is that the beginFromCurresntState option seems to have no effect on the behaviour of the square.
Can someone please explain why animation 1 is not being interruped by animation 2?

A: The call to UIView.commitAnimations() should not be used here.
There are two alternative ways of defining an animation block. The older one uses UIView.beginAnimations() to start the block and then UIView.commitAnimations() to finish it. This is no longer recommended.
The current method is to use just
UIView.animate(withDuration:animations:completion:) whereby the animations are automatically committed in the old sense.
However, this is not the cause of the weird behaviour which is absolutely reproducible with Xcode 9.1 and Swift 4...
The option .beginFromCurrentState is not being taken into account, it seems. I see no difference with this on to with it being off.
And instead of the first animation finishing before the second one takes effect, you are getting a mathematical addition of the two motions. The second animation is, in fact, being interpreted as 'move left' which becomes most obvious when you set the second duration to a smaller value than the first; the little square dashes off screen before slowly moving back in again. Fascinating!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


2016 January « THE BRYCE IS RIGHT!
– Why it should be considered mandatory to attend such classes.
Let me begin by saying I believe everyone in the country should attend a concealed weapons class. Whether you are a pro or anti gun advocate, every citizen should attend such a class, be it privately taught, in schools, or some other venue. If you are unfamiliar with the class, let me clear up an important misconception, it is NOT about gun advocacy, it is about gun safety. Although such classes vary from state to state, it is essentially used to teach the fundamentals of how a gun is used, how it should be stored and maintained, and all of the pertinent laws associated with it.
I took such a class a few years ago here in Florida and was very much impressed by the knowledge and professionalism of the instructor. Again, this was less about the actual firing of the weapon as opposed to a description of the various types of weapons (e.g., rifle, shotgun, semiautomatic, single and double action revolvers, etc.), what their capabilities are, gun safety "do's and do nots," and what to do in an emergency. For example, in my class, the instructor gave some pragmatic advice as to what to do if someone breaks into your home while you are there. It wasn't so much about shooting the suspect as opposed to contacting the authorities and protecting yourself. Overall, I found the class to be equally useful for those who were already knowledgeable about guns as well as the uninitiated.
While some people see gun control as the answer to solving weapons accidents and assaults, I believe an educated populace would save more lives and result in fewer victims whether it is due to an accident or premeditated assault. An informed public is less likely to become a victim and more likely to survive a shooting situation. Anyone who has attended such a class would probably agree, education is the key. Everyone from Middle School onward should be taught the lessons of gun safety. Even children in Elementary grades should learn some of the basics.
Again, let me be clear, this is not about gun advocacy or how to hurt anyone, and it certainly is not intended to glamorize guns, which we will leave to Hollywood. Instead, it is about safety and knowing what to do in dangerous situations. It is about survival.
LAST TIME: ANGERS AWEIGH; CUSTOMER SERVICE AT SEA – Losing your cool at sea is not conducive for relaxation.
– They may not be glamorous, but they are the ones we count on to tow the line.
Within any company or organization, there is at least one person who managers count on time and again to get a particular job done. Such a person is commonly referred to as the "Work Horse" of the group, the "Go-to guy" or the "Iron Man." Such a person is not necessarily the smartest or most physically endowed, but can be counted on to see a task through to completion based on sheer will and determination, something we used to call "dedication." The Work Horse may not be a thoroughbred, but possesses certain talents and strengths we find vital for running a company. Without such people, companies tend to flounder, thereby they should be prized and coveted. Quite often they are not, unfortunately.
NEXT UP: UNDERSTANDING THE TRUMP PERSONALITY – People simply do not understand the "Type A" personality.
LAST TIME: JUST FOR TODAY – Take time once a day to stop and think. Reflection is good for the soul.
– Take time once a day to stop and think. Reflection is good for the soul.
Recently, the wife of a good friend passed away due to cancer. She was a great gal who was normally vibrant and sharp as a tack. As a part of her memorial service, I was asked to read from a slip of newspaper she had kept on her refrigerator for the last few years, and something she read daily as she fought her disease. It was a quote from Abigail Van Buren (Pauline Phillips), the original Dear Abbey, the famed advice columnist. It was titled, "Just for Today," offering advice on how to live each day.
There are other "Just for Today" postings on the Internet, but I prefer Van Buren's version. These are some fine words which everyone should observe. They were a source of solace to my friend's wife as she fought her battle with cancer. Perhaps there is someone else you know who may be comforted by these words, which I advise to you to pass on to.
NEXT UP: WORK HORSES – They may not be glamorous, but they are the ones we count on to tow the line.
LAST TIME: A COMMUNICATIONS CURRICULUM – What should High School students know about this important subject.
– What should High School students know about this important subject.
For the last few years I have sat on a board of directors for a special business school at our local high school. The purpose of this program is to prepare students for the business world. In addition to teaching technical skills, community leaders address the students as part of a lecture series. We have discussed such things as career path planning, the use of math in business, adapting to the corporate culture, and more. Recently we began discussing future topics for next year. Among the ideas presented was the subject of communications as it was felt students are having difficulty adapting to business environments without such skills.
Written Communications – Writing a decent business letter is essential, yet we must recognize most of today's written communications is delivered by e-mail. Nonetheless, learning how to properly address someone, be it for sales or customer service purposes, is necessary for success. Interestingly, it was pointed out to me that most high school students do not use e-mail, preferring text messaging or use of social media instead. I assumed most students made active use of e-mail. Unfortunately, they do not which is another reason for them to brush up on their writing skills.
The fundamentals of giving a speech – whether it is for the presentation of an argument, to perform a lecture, of for humorous purposes, students should understand the basics of rhetorical thought, persuasion, and negotiations. This includes the three canons of speech as represented by ethos (an appeal based on the character of the speaker), pathos (emotional appeal) and logos (logical argument). In discourse, we will likely use all three when making a presentation, but it is necessary students understand what they mean and how to use them. Personally, I would like to see the students stand on a soap box and give a five minute speech to classmates passing by at lunch time. This would help them overcome their fear of speaking and give them the confidence to argue a point.
Conducting a meeting – unless students understand the basics for running a meeting, they will likely waste the time of everyone involved for years to come, thereby turning a useful communications tool into something counterproductive. An introduction to Robert's Rules of Order (Parliamentary Procedure) would be useful to teach the mechanics of a well structured meeting.
Interviewing – this will likely affect their lives going forward from now on, be it for a job or for college placement.
And finally, Common Courtesy – aside from a student's ability to write and speak, they will be judged by their ability to socialize with others. This specifically includes their ability to cooperate and work harmoniously with people. This is much more than just "please and thank you," but also includes how to conduct introductions (handshakes), greeting people, and generally getting along with others.
This may all seem rather obvious, but these are important life lessons which will serve young people throughout their academic and professional careers. I just wish I had known some of this before going to college. It would have certainly made my life a lot easier (and more productive).
NEXT UP: JUST FOR TODAY – Take time once a day to stop and think. Reflection is good for the soul.
LAST TIME: CHILI RECIPES – IT'S PERSONAL – Safely guarded family treasurers.
– Safely guarded family treasurers.
A couple of weeks ago I attended a Chili cookoff at a nearby town. For the uninformed, a "cookoff" is a cooking competition that concentrates on a particular dish, in this case, chili or "chili con carne" to be more precise, a spicy meat stew which is particularly popular in the South. There were a few dozen vendors in attendance and I took my time to sample all of them. I've tasted a lot of different interpretations of chili over the years, e.g., shredded beef versus ground beef, various types of chili peppers, textures, not to mention how served, such as on a bed of rice, on spaghetti, with corn bread, etc. Because of these many variations, I like to believe I have a pretty open mind when it comes to chili.
The competitors in the chili cookoff came from different backgrounds; everything from restaurants to mom and pop operations, to individuals who relished participating in such events. Usually when you go to a cookoff like this, you are likely to run across some commonality between entries. Interestingly, I didn't find anything remotely similar between the various competitors. Although I thought when it came to chili I had seen everything, I of course didn't as everyone seemed to have their own unique interpretation. Most had little or no spice whatsoever in it, which baffled me. Some were runny or soupy and others had more kidney beans than meat. I even found one with shrimp that could have easily passed for gumbo as opposed to chili (I think the guy was lost). There was also a vegetarian chili which I personally consider blasphemous. Regardless, each and every competitor was genuinely proud of their entry and boasted it was the best in the competition. Frankly, most of the entries could have been better used as fishing chum in the Gulf. I may not be a chili connoisseur, but this was bad and I think it would have offended everyone in the great state of Texas where chili is the official dish.
Regardless of the outcome, I discovered chili is a very personal dish and there are probably no two people who prepare it exactly the same. Even if people use prepackaged ingredients, I have found they like to add their own unique nuance to the recipe. When you ask someone to describe their version you usually get a contrived answer like, "It's Spanish style," or Cuban, Greek, Filipino or Ethiopian (huh?), not to mention Cincinnati-style with its "5 ways" of combining ingredients.
I have also found chili recipes are usually jealously guarded family secrets (sometimes even between family members). As to the cookoff competitors I experienced, I don't think they have to worry about the misappropriation of any trade secret. They could paste their recipes on every telephone poll from Tampa to Fairbanks and I think it is safe to say their secrets will remain proprietary.
NEXT UP: A COMMUNICATIONS CURRICULUM – What should High School students know about this important subject.
LAST TIME: LEARNING A LOT FROM VOTER REGISTRATION – Just sit and listen to the people; you will get an earful.
– Just sit and listen to the people; you will get an earful.
Last month I attended an Art Festival in the downtown area of Palm Harbor. This is a typical small town affair attracting no more than a couple of thousand people. The downtown street was closed off from traffic so vendors could erect tents and displays for their wares. At this time, I volunteered to assist in the registration of voters for the 2016 election. This was a first for me, so I didn't quite know what to expect. Now, I know some of you will say, "Wait Tim, you're a Republican; Republicans don't want people to vote." "Au contraire" my liberal opponents; You have to remember, I come from a generation who believes you do not have the right to complain about the country unless you are at least willing to vote. It is the most fundamental way of demonstrating your civic responsibility.
The organizer of the event had a simple table and chairs for us to distribute Florida standard voter registration forms. The form served three purposes: to register a new voter, to change voter address, and to change political parties.
This was a party neutral activity as we would assist anyone with their registration needs, regardless of their party affiliation. As we sat there, we would cheerfully ask passerbys if they were registered to vote. I was pleasantly surprised to find most of the people were already registered, and we would thank them for being so. We also ran into some people who growled they had no interest in voting whatsoever, which I still do not fully comprehend.
Although this was a party neutral event, there were many people who wanted to engage us in conversation regarding politics. Topics included everything from Obamacare to ISIS and "Muslim extremists," to Voter ID, to our fragile economy. We also heard opinions regarding the candidates, particularly Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. It was most illuminating to just sit back and listen to John Q. Public, who made it plain they were unhappy with the current state of affairs in our country.
If you ever get a chance to participate in such an event, I encourage you to volunteer your time. First, it is not difficult to do, but more importantly, you will learn a lot about what people think of our system of government.
NEXT UP: CHILI RECIPES – Safely guarded family treasurers.
LAST TIME: WHY DO WE FIGHT EVERY LITTLE THING? – Where is the cooperation and common courtesy?
WHY DO WE FIGHT EVERY LITTLE THING?
– Where is the cooperation and common courtesy?
Ever have a day where it seems it is almost impossible to get anything done? I've been experiencing a lot of these lately, as have my friends, and I'm not too sure why they occur. Let me explain by providing three examples which you might possibly be able to relate to. Even though these are minor incidents, they blossomed into ugly affairs and threatened business.
One of the ladies looked up at me, stone faced, and asked what I wanted. I judged her to be about my age, but it appeared she couldn't care less as to my needs. I explained what I needed and showed her my mock-up. It wasn't a complicated order, and I said my friend had something similar produced there which I would like to duplicate. This caused her to dig through her computer files to find my friend's order and a description of his plaque. She then showed me a blank version of the plaque which I agreed would suit my needs.
After giving her my name, number, and e-mail address, I thought I was finished. Far from it. She insisted I send her the text and graphics by e-mail so they could just cut and paste it into their engraving software. She also pointed out I would incur a $30 fee for converting my graphics into another file format. I told her I could do the conversion for her, but it didn't matter, I was still going to be charged $30. Finally, she said they would need seven business days to complete the job. Keep in mind, she wasn't asking for my approval, it was kind of "take it or leave it" with the emphasis on "leave it." It seemed she went out of her way to try and kill the deal. If I hadn't been in such a good mood that day I probably would have told her to shove it where the sun doesn't shine, but I let it go. I finally left the store shaking my head in bewilderment.
The second incident involves a restauranteur friend of mine who told me a story about his credit card machine going down due to an interruption in his Internet service. In all, the service was knocked out for approximately 15 minutes, but this didn't satisfy one of his patrons who was eager to pay his bill and be on his way. My friend explained to him the problem he was experiencing and if the man could pay with cash or wait just a few minutes for the service to restart. This did not sit well with the patron who started to become belligerent. When my friend asked if the man had cash, the patron became more irritated and vocal. He said he had to leave and would stop back later to pay the bill. This, of course, did not sit well with my friend, who went out and recorded the patron's license plate number. Interestingly, the man could have easily walked next door to a bank with an ATM to obtain cash, but he rejected this proposal outright and insisted on leaving. In other words, there was no interest in solving the problem amicably. To my knowledge, the man never returned to pay his bill, and he will likely never darken the door of my friend's restaurant again.
The third incident involves another friend who sells industrial supplies to manufacturing companies in the Tampa Bay area. Recently, he visited one of his larger accounts. His contact there was pleased to inform him that she just issued a purchase order to his company for some supplies. He thanked her for the order, but as he studied it, he discovered it was incorrect in that she was entitled to a volume discount, which obviously pleased her. "Not to worry," my friend assured her, "I'll have my office correct it on the Order Confirmation which we'll send you shortly." He then dutifully called his office, talked to the people in charge, and reported to her that all was corrected and she'll receive the confirmation shortly. She thanked him for saving her money before he left.
Three days later, the woman called my friend asking where the Order Confirmation was as she hadn't received it. My friend checked on it and discovered the people hadn't processed the order yet, which upset him greatly as it was rather simple procedure to perform. Days later, the woman still had not received the Order Confirmation and phoned my friend to tell him of her displeasure, and that it may threaten future orders.
All three of these incidents were relatively small and insignificant, yet they rippled into having an adverse effect on business. It seems people are going out of their way to irritate others, unnecessarily I might add. Such incidents should never occur, yet they are becoming more frequently these days. As another example, during the holidays, my mother wanted to send a Boneless Ham, fully cooked with a crunchy glaze to one of her neighbors. She contacted the local ham franchise (Yes, it was one of the big ones) and asked a clerk how much it would cost to purchase a whole ham and have it delivered. The clerk quoted a delivery price more than the cost of the ham. When my mother contested the price, the clerk became flustered and couldn't answer the question. They obviously lost the order simply because the clerk was clueless and made no effort to solve the problem.
In theory, we have the finest technology available to us for communications and office management; technology which is intended to simplify our lives, not make it more complicated. So, why do we keep tripping over our jocks? It baffles me when people seem to come down with a bad case of the stupids over the simplest things. There is no spirit of cooperation or common courtesy anymore over the most mundane tasks. Is it that we rely too heavily on technology as opposed to brain power or do we no longer care? Historically, customer service meant bending over backwards to help customers, thereby allowing them to leave satisfied. I am not asking people to make a herculean effort, just some simple "please and thank you" and a little cooperation can make life so much easier to live, but I guess that is too much to ask in this fast paced world of personal technology.
NEXT UP: LEARNING A LOT FROM VOTER REGISTRATION – Just sit and listen to the people; you will get an earful.
LAST TIME: TEMPERATURE SENSITIVITY – We may not be cognizant of it, but we do adjust the temperature to suit our comfort zone.
– We may not be cognizant of it, but we do adjust the temperature to suit our comfort zone.
I've noticed as we get older we become more sensitive to temperature. In our youth it really didn't bother us. If it was cold, we put on a sweater or sweat shirt; if it was hot, t-shirts were the order of the day. We didn't think twice about going outside on a snowy day to play. Now we do. Thanks to arthritis invading our joints along with muscle spasms, we become much more aware of temperature and constantly seek a comfort zone on the thermostat. This probably explains why so many people from the North migrate to the South in wintertime.
Seniors who prefer to stay in the North during winter, are inclined to keep a tight rein on the temperature dial. To illustrate, my in-laws in Cincinnati had a big house. Yet, in winter they kept the temperature in the 80's. It was so warm inside, you would be sweating while it was frozen outside. While other houses had snow on the roofs and around the houses, my in-laws' roof was warm and dry, even crispy. The radiating heat created a greenhouse effect whereby there was a dry three yard perimeter around the house where foliage flourished and the grass remained green. It is a strange sight to see Crocus and Daffodils in full bloom when it is -30 degrees outside. There was no need to shovel snow near the front door as the cement was so toasty warm, you could walk barefoot outside.
In the summertime, it was just the opposite as the house became Ice Station Zebra. They kept it so cold, you could see your breath and the windows were frosted requiring the occasional scraping and use of ice picks.
Spring and autumn represent the awkward months as people go back and forth clicking between the furnace and the air conditioner. These seasons are favorites for the power companies.
Down here in Florida, we have learned to live with the heat as our friends in the North have learned to live with the snow. As for me, I'll gladly take the sweat of the heat as opposed to the discomfort of the cold. I lived my first thirty years in the North, and I remember too well the layers of clothes to be worn outside, shoveling driveways, and being forced to stay indoors. In Florida, I wear comfortable shorts year round, particularly when I do yard work. The grass may slow down during Winter, but you still have to mow your lawn all year, such is the price for wearing shorts, which I happily accept. As an aside, if we learn a rare frost is in the offing in Florida, we cover our plants outside with old bed sheets. Northerners visiting our area during this time find it amusing to see our plants "put to bed" for the evening.
Even in Florida though, we become very sensitive to the temperature as we get older. Most of the time we are not cognizant of it. For example, my daughter recently came home for a visit and complained how cold it was in the house. Frankly, I hadn't thought about it before she made the observation. I then walked around the house to make sure there was no frost on the windows requiring scraping.
NEXT UP: WHY DO WE FIGHT EVERY LITTLE THING? – Where is the cooperation and common courtesy?
LAST TIME: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT MR. TRUMP? – Not as much as you think.


text:
And Such Small Portions!
a journey through my grandmother's cookbook
Meatballs and Tomato Sauce
March 14, 2016 / Hillary Busis
My darling readers — all 10 of you! — I have a confession to make: Nonnie's cookbook actually contains more recipes than the ones that appear on this list.
See, the binder's front cover has a pocket, and within that pocket, there's a small stack of loose papers — Post-Its, yellowed newspaper clippings, handwritten notes scribbled on pages torn from a "Memo from the Big Cheese" pad.
Save one clipping that contains tips for hand-washing silk clothing — did you know you should wash it separately in lukewarm water with a gentle detergent? — these pages mostly contain recipes. And of those recipes, most are for matzoh balls. (Nonnie was tortured by her quest to make the perfect matzoh ball, but we'll get into that come Passover-time.)
The others are a mixed bag, covering everything from a pumpkin cheesecake that's cooked entirely within the microwave (blech) to a vaguely Chinese chicken salad that looks a whole lot like the filling for P.F. Chang's lettuce wraps. (Which is to say, I will make it someday, and I will almost certainly love it.)
The first time I flipped through Nonnie's cookbook, I was surprised to find that the only meatball recipe it contained was a gross-sounding appetizer that combines ground beef with Heinz chile sauce and Welch's grape jelly. (I know I'll have to make them someday, but… blech squared.)
As it turns out, though, the more traditional Italian-style meatballs were just hiding out among the pocket recipes — which is a shame, because they deserve to be center stage. Provided the stage is made of garlic bread.
Tomato Sauce; main text Nonnie's, italicized asides my own
1/4 cup minced garlic [Yes, it's a lot of garlic; yes, you shouldn't be tempted to use less]
2 lb. tomatoes [An annoying measurement, since tomatoes tend to come in cans that are either 28 ounces (i.e. 1.75 lbs) or 14 ounces (.87 lbs). I followed the letter of Nonnie's law, but next time I'd just use one big can and one small can. You can never have too much sauce, right?]
Parsley [A handful of each herb should do the trick]
Water [Included in the ingredient list, but not the recipe itself. Maybe you're supposed to use it to thin the sauce? Either way, don't; you want something thick and deep red and richly reduced]
Cook garlic in oil until golden. Add tomatoes [crushing with a wooden spoon ] and remaining ingredients and cook uncovered, 45 minutes. [While it's cooking, go ahead and make the meatballs from the recipe below.] Add meatballs and cook uncovered 45 more minutes.
Cook pasta and drain. [Or don't! I didn't, because I was serving these as a side dish for this pizza, and I wanted to avoid carbs on carbs on carbs. Side note: You should absolutely make this pizza.] Mix pasta with sauce and meatballs.
Meatballs; main text Nonnie's, italicized asides my own
Garlic [No amount specified, but I added two cloves. Yes, even though there was a buttload of garlic in the sauce]
Parsley [Go for another handful, unless you're, like, weirdly into parsley and want more]
1/2 cup bread cubes [What kind of bread? I went with a crappy Italian loaf from the supermarket, because I don't really think there's any point in using good bread in a recipe where it's just being used to bind something else together. I was left with most of a loaf, which I didn't know what to do with… until I had the brilliant idea to turn it into garlic bread. This was obviously the right decision]
1 lb. ground meat [I went with half beef and half pork]
Parmesan cheese [No amount given, so I added 1/4 cup, using this recipe as a guideline]
Mix milk and egg. Pour over bread cubes and soak for 20 minutes. [Just so you know: 20 minutes is underlined.] Mix meat with other ingredients [including soaked bread, duh] and make small meatballs. [I ended up with 22 total. How big were they? I don't know because I didn't measure them, nerd.]
Brown meatballs. [Nonnie doesn't specify how she wants you to brown your meatballs; she probably figured you'd do it on the stovetop, in a pan. But because I find pan-frying meatballs messy and difficult, I used the broiler instead, placing an oven rack on the second-highest setting and browning the balls for five minutes on each side. Next time, I'd probably do four instead, since they continue to cook in the sauce.]
Pour into tomato sauce and cook 45 minutes.
The verdict: As you might be able to tell from the picture above, the meatballs were cooked through — and a little dry — straight from the broiler. (And since I chose to use that browning method, I have nobody to blame but myself.)
Thankfully, a nice, long sauce bath helped them regain some of the moisture they'd lost, leaving me with meatballs that had a pretty ideal consistency — nicely browned on the outside, tender within.
Oh, and speaking of that sauce: Insert Homer Simpson drooling noise here. True, you can't really mess up tomatoes cooked low and slow — but this version proves that you don't need a whole bunch of butter or 85 ingredients and 6 hours to make a sauce that sings.
It might have been even more delicious if it'd cooked even longer… but it also would have been cruel to delay it from getting onto my friends' plates as soon as possible.
Oh, and pro tip: The only thing better than meatballs and garlic bread is a slider made of meatballs on garlic bread. Trust me.
Meat, Sauces
meat, pocket recipes, Sauces
← Nut Sticks (a.k.a. Mandel Bread) (a.k.a. Mandelbrot)
Norwegian Salad →


An impressive personal best from Andy and following last year's disappointment it was a brilliant effort from Scott to break the 2 hour mark. Personally, I found the support from the Hastings crowd immense, allowing me to push past the pain and sneak under 2 hours.
Following the 2 half marathons of Eastbourne and then Hastings in March it is time for the team to start increasing the miles. April will see the start of the full marathons, beginning with Chester making his way around the streets of Paris. Later that month it is my turn to run a marathon for the first time, in London. Here is praying that these niggles disappear in time for us to get our mileage up.


Greg, Matt, and Adriana took time away from their busy spring break schedules to duke it out with the freakish dirt slopes of Northwest Passage.
In spite of a front puncture on the flats, Greg tucked into his aero bars and burned rubber up the 13% grades of Bow Mountain Road. Matt was close behind, giving the seasoned communications liaison a reason to look over his shoulder on future rides.
Adriana wasn't heard breathing at all on the ascent but was overheard chuckling something roughly interpreted as "that was easy" at the top. Though I could feel the spare-tire pounds (from four days of corn chips, beer, and kneeling), I didn't die on the ride.


Hey guys! Happy Friday! YAY!!!
This is the last Brash polish I have to show you.
Sergeant Khaki is a mossy green foily glass flecked nail polish. For the recond, my pointer finger isn't smudged; it is a weird reflection.
What do you think of the Payless nail polish? Have you tried it? Would you? For the money, I really liked it. The forumla's were easy to work with and the colors are right up my alley.


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text:
A predatory elite aims for further licence
When the kleptocrats gun for the Constitution and judiciary, they cynically dress their wholly destructive desire for elite impunity in the language of general emancipation.
By: New Frame
Minister of Tourism Lindiwe Sisulu's vituperative attack on African judges, first published on the website of the entirely discredited IOL, has provoked a firestorm of largely liberal critique. Her article is Trumpian in its crassness and its disregard for historical reality, which includes the elision of the generations of Black lawyers who advanced a constitutional vision of an emancipated future.
The attack on the judiciary has been widely understood as an attempt to delegitimate it in the wake of Jacob Zuma's sentencing to prison, the release of the first volume of the Zondo report on state capture, and the recommendations to pursue criminal cases against politically connected people like Dudu Myeni, Tom Moyane and Brian Molefe. It is clearly a cynical attempt to misuse the immiseration of the majority, a deeply and painfully racialised reality, to legitimise an often kleptocratic and sometimes violent and criminal political elite.
Politicians fail, then blame the Constitution
This elite has not only failed to build a more just society, but has actively and cruelly worsened the conditions of oppression. It is uniformly opposed by the mass-based organisations of the working class and the impoverished. In many instances, their opposition has come at the cost of arrests on bogus charges, assault, torture and murder by the police or izinkabi – assassins.
Sisulu is not wrong to note that systems of oppression are often, in their own terms, legal. She is also not wrong to note, though in an extraordinarily crude fashion, that law is a consequence of history – it is always a record of the balance of forces at a particular moment.
An unequal footing
The mediation of the law through the courts is never equally open to all for the simple reason that, outside of limited and often constrained opportunities to receive pro bono legal support, access to the courts requires money to pay lawyers. When access to the courts is gained, it seldom occurs on neutral ground. Massive advantages are gained with the money that can enable access to good lawyers, and their time and resources.
In the magistrate's court it is far from uncommon to encounter judicial officers and state prosecutors who are brazenly hostile to impoverished Black people, and even more so to people engaged in organised resistance to oppression.
But while the ruling party and the state relentlessly use the law and the courts to entrench oppression, sometimes, as in Durban at the moment, with the active complicity of the prosecuting authority, oppressed people also seek to use the law with equal vigour to advance their own interests. Many significant battles have been won in the courts.
The women who led the Ingonyama Trust case to victory
Some of the best-known judgments against the state have not resulted in material advances. The judgment in favour of Irene Grootboom in the Constitutional Court in 2000 affirmed the right to housing in elegant prose. But Grootboom died in a shack, the provision of state housing is in steep decline and many more people live in shacks today than back then.
Other judgments have resulted in important social progress. One of the best known is the case brought against the minister of health by the Treatment Action Campaign in 2002 that forced the state to provide medication to pregnant women to prevent mother-to-baby transmission of HIV.
A clear failure
Sisulu has been a member of Parliament since 1994 and has held eight ministerial positions. She is not considered to have made advances in any of these portfolios. Her sudden expression of concern for the immiserated majority, and her claim that their suffering is consequent to the Constitution and judiciary, conveniently ignore the fact that the ANC has held state power for close to 30 years, during which both poverty and inequality have worsened. It is also spurious. There are no cases in which the ANC tried to pursue a programme of radical redress only to be thwarted by the courts.
In her two terms as minister of housing, Sisulu made no progress in addressing the housing question, which is also a land question, and she became notorious for a high-handed and authoritarian approach. During her first term she failed to implement the Breaking New Ground policy, officially adopted in 2004, which recommended democratic engagement with communities with a view to upgrading settlements where they are. Under her watch the constitutional protection against the summary eviction of unlawful occupiers of land was also routinely ignored as the state remained the primary perpetrator of unlawful and often violent evictions.
Traditional Courts Bill denies democratic rights
In 2007, after residents of the Joe Slovo settlement along the N2 in Cape Town resisted forced removal to the "human dumping ground" of Delft, in the wastelands far outside the city, Sisulu infamously remarked that "if they choose not to cooperate with government, they will be completely removed from all housing waiting lists". This statement put her well to the right of the Constitution.
In 2014, announcing that people under 40 would no longer be eligible for public housing – a position with no basis in law – she declared that "none of you are ever going to get a house free from me while I live" and that "you have lost nothing [to apartheid]". She also said, in direct violation of the commitment to provide housing in the Constitution, that "free housing in a few years will be something of the past" and added, in the spirit of Margaret Thatcher, that "we want our young to grow up and be self-sufficient, we don't want them to be dependent on the state". Again her position was far to the right of the Constitution.
Taking aim at shack dwellers
This is not the only time that Sisulu has found herself in this position. In 2005 she announced that "slums" – shack settlements – would be "eradicated" by 2014. In 2007 she enthusiastically backed the so-called Slums Act passed by the provincial legislature in KwaZulu-Natal. It was a highly repressive and authoritarian piece of legislation that, closely following colonial legislation such as the 1951 Prevention of Illegal Squatting Act, forced municipalities and private landowners to evict shack dwellers. It was legislation against the expropriated, not in support of them. It was a direct attack on urban land reform undertaken from below that could only result in an escalation of state violence against impoverished people.
The campaign against the act, led by Abahlali baseMjondolo, was met with state violence as people protesting against it were beaten, shot with rubber bullets and arrested. Abahlali took its struggle against the act to the courts, a choice that was met with extreme hostility by powerful figures in the ANC in Durban and in KwaZulu-Natal. Prominent members of the movement were threatened, and in September 2009 the homes of a number of its leaders in the Kennedy Road settlement were attacked and destroyed by armed men. Key figures in the provincial ANC endorsed the attack, and the pending case was mentioned in their general presentation of the movement as an illegitimate actor. Sisulu expressed no concern about the repression of Abahlali. The following month, the Constitutional Court found key parts of the act to be in conflict with the Constitution and struck them down.
Shack dwellers hitting back at repression
The Constitution is not a sacred text. It is a political document, forged in a certain historical moment and open to critique and debate. There is no doubt, though, that in this case it offered protection to the oppressed against Sisulu's deeply reactionary political stance, and that there are many other instances in which it has offered protection to the oppressed against the ANC.
Sisulu's attack on the Constitution and the judiciary is not an attack on barriers to progressive social change. It is an attack on one of the few barriers to the desire for fuller impunity by a deeply corrupt and often repressive political elite that has treated the oppressed with gross contempt. This corrupt political elite, which Sisulu wishes to lead, is a direct threat to the interests of the majority, and to the possibility of building a viable and just society.
Renewing hope after another bad year
A plague on both their houses
CAF must stand up to European bullying


text:
Coronavirus (2020)
SNO's 18 Under 18 (2020)
Impeachment, At Home (2020)
Vaping (2019)
Admissions Scandal (2019)
Midterm Elections (2019)
California Fires (2019)
The Shutdown (2019)
Hurricane Coverage (2018)
Protests in Sports (2018)
Multimedia (2018)
Student Protests (2018)
Cyber Day policy implemented to prevent longer school year
Most students surveyed give online assignments a chilly reception
Photoillustration by Emily Cassidy
Caitlin Wolfarth, Cole Alban, Madison Meyer
By Hope Kelly, John Carroll School, Bel Air, Md.
Snow, snow go away. Come again another day. Even if the administration took to singing this song, it would hardly help stop the winter weather Harford County has been receiving. As a result of the weather, the administration made the decision to create a new policy and institute Cyber Days to keep students from having to make up snow days.
On Cyber Days, all teachers have to post at least a 30-minute assignment for each class scheduled to meet that day. Students then have to complete these assignments during their day off and have the assignments ready for the next day they attend school.
According to Principal Madelyn Ball, the decision was made at the suggestion of teachers because "we were really worried about how we could possibly [make up for all the missed snow days]." The new policy, instituted in mid-February, was the solution to ensure that days were not taken from Spring Break or tacked on to the end of the year. Cyber Days will replace snow days, and students will not have to make up these missed days. Already, there have been three Cyber Days.
"The only time this isn't going to work well is when we have the ice storms and students don't have electricity," Ball said.
However, in accordance with the Cyber Day policy, Ball said the school will be "flexible." As long as students bring in a note from home, they will be given more time to complete the work they were unable to complete due to power outages.
Students give Cyber Days chilly reception
Generally though, the majority of students are not in favor of Cyber Days. According to The Patriot survey of 108 students on March 3, 52.9 percent of students hate Cyber Days, and another 21.2 percent of students dislike Cyber Day. Only 7.7 percent of students actually like or love Cyber Days.
Many students responded to the survey calling Cyber Days "stupid," "ridiculous," or "horrible." One student called it "life ruining," and another said it "makes me cry."
One student that responded to The Patriot survey said that Cyber Days are "stupid and I hate them. I understand that we have a better advantage over kids who don't use technology in the classrooms because we do, but if the school feels that we need to have off, then I firmly believe that the school should treat us as if we have off. If we're not in class to do our work, why do we have to do it at home? My parents pay money for me to do my work at school, NOT the kitchen table. Plus, I don't have Internet at my house, so when my assignments don't get done, I still end up getting in trouble for it anyway."
Another student that responded said that, "I think that the amount of work I am getting for Cyber Days is absolutely ridiculous. Half the time the work I have to do is on material I have never learned, and it takes well over the half an hour that we are supposed to be allotted for each class we have that day."
According to The Patriot survey, 47.6 percent of students have an hour or more worth of Cyber Day work for each class, and 25.2 percent of student have 45 minutes worth of work for each class. Only 21.4 percent of students actually spend the correct amount amount of time or 30 minutes on their assignments.
They are just making us do work to do work. It's definitely busy work, and we get way more work on Cyber Days than on normal school days."
— Senior Alex Brewer
"I would rather be at home doing Cyber Day than being at school, but I feel like it's an inconvenience because some teachers give you work when you don't even have their class that day, and you have to bring all your books home," senior Megan Brulinski said.
Also, one student that answered The Patriot survey said that, "I would not mind Cyber Days as much if the assignments were for the length of the class. Not an hour or two hours for one class."
Senior Alex Brewer said that, "They are just making us do work to do work. It's definitely busy work, and we get way more work on Cyber Days than on normal school days."
However, sophomore Dave Carrier said that "if it means we can get all our work done, then I'm fine with it."
Another survey response said, "I would rather sit in the snow for twelve hours straight and freeze to death than do this work."
Not all students are negative. One student from The Patriot survey said that, "I think it's a lot easier than schooldays. I know that I can get through math work in half the class time, but other students require the whole class. I now have more time to focus on other subjects that others find easier. I work at my speed and still receive the same education as everyone else.
Additionally, Ball is "so happy we have the flexibility" and thinks that "it will have a big impact because it doesn't interrupt learning."
Future Cyber Days will affect student learning
One of the biggest problems with the snow days Ball noticed was that there was a struggle to maintain a rhythm with all the interruptions. According to Ball, Cyber Days will help to improve and maintain the rhythm when we don't have school.
Students can still learn using the Internet. The students are going to be engaged on the snow days, and learning can take place."
— Math teacher Sean Connolly
"The one thing we need to do is give teachers professional development on how to teach new material on Cyber Days," Ball said.
Math teacher Sean Connolly thinks "that it is a good idea" to have Cyber Days.
"Students can still learn using the Internet. The students are going to be engaged on the snow days, and learning can take place. As a math teacher, new material can be attempted, but sometimes it can't be replaced by actual direct interaction between the teachers and the students that have questions," he said.
However, Connolly does believe this problem could be solved in the future by using Skype during Cyber Days or other similar programs.
Despite all of this, 60.9% of students that responded to The Patriot survey said they learn less on Cyber Days than on a normal school day.
Ball also said that this new policy will continue in future years. JC will no longer have snow days, only Cyber Days. Additionally, while Ball said that the calendar for next year has already been planned, she recognized that the calendar needs to be revisited in light of the new Cyber Day policy. According to her, the options are to either shorten the school year or to give students off for random holidays throughout the year.
"I like the idea of Cyber Days. I have a very positive attitude about it," Spanish teacher Susan Garcia said. "I don't like the idea of tacking onto the end of the school year, nor onto Spring Break."
JC is not the only private school that can switch to Cyber Days. Ball said that any school that has a one-to-one laptop to student ratio has the ability to make this call.
"I know Harford County does not plan to put any snow days into the calendar for next year," Ball said. However, she also said they do not plan on having Cyber Days.
According to her, Harford County just plans to add on to the end of the year any days that need to be made up. For JC, Ball said that this "doesn't help" students. If this happened, seniors would never make up the days. AP classes, without snow make-up days, would struggle even more to fit in information, and the school's international students would have a problem because they have to buy their plane tickets in advance and the date the school year ends cannot keep changing.
Another student that replied to The Patriot survey responded, "I hate Cyber Days. I would much rather have a school day than a Cyber Day. In the past, seniors didn't have to make up snow days. I was so excited to finally be a senior and get this privilege. Now, I don't get that privilege. It's not fair that public school seniors do not have to make up these snow days. They are enjoying their days of relaxing and watching Netflix while I am doing school work all day."
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Soil Sample from Elysian Fields
The nonpareil of the Baseball Reliquary's artifacts is a mid-19th century soil sample from the legendary Elysian Fields, which was acquired in July 1997 from Gerald H. Orr of Reading, Pennsylvania. In the coming years, the soil will no doubt be viewed as one of the world's most sacrosanct baseball relics. Its historic significance will surely rival the National Baseball Hall of Fame's so-called "Doubleday baseball," although the soil sample comes with a legitimacy and documentation sadly lacking in the Cooperstown museum's crude, cloth-stuffed ball.
On June 19, 1846 at Elysian Fields in Hoboken, New Jersey, just a short ferry ride from Manhattan, the first baseball game ever played between two organized teams was held. Alexander Cartwright's Knickerbocker club took on a team called the New York Nine. The game, which was played under the first written rules of modern baseball, lasted four innings with Cartwright's team losing by the score of 23 to 1. Although much refinement and evolution would come, this historic outing embodied many of the essential features of the game as we know it today.
Comprising five acres of meadowlands overlooking the Hudson River, Elysian Fields was a baseball mecca in the 1840s, '50s, and '60s, and all of the great early teams played there, including the Atlantic, Excelsior, and Eckford clubs of Brooklyn and the Gotham, Eagle, Empire, and Mutual clubs of New York.
The entire text of Gerald H. Orr's letter to the Baseball Reliquary, dated July 13, 1997, is reproduced below, as the details of the origin of the soil taken from "the birthplace of modern baseball", and its miraculous preservation for nearly a century and a half, add considerably to the sanctification of this relic.
Elysian Fields Soil Sample
Dear Terry Cannon,
As we discussed during our telephone conversation of 11 July 1997, I am shipping you, via certified mail, the soil that my great-great-great grandfather, James Orr, Sr., surreptitiously dug up at the Elysian Fields in Hoboken, New Jersey.
According to the family's oral history, James was invited to New York City by his aunt and uncle, Sara and Robert Orr for his birthday celebration on 4 July 1853. Their son, George, had been an ardent cricket and baseball player, and had developed a friendship with a Mr. Tuche who had organized, I believe, the Gotham baseball club in New York City. As a birthday surprize [sic] for James, George had arranged for he and James to travel by ferry with Mr. Tuche and his team to the Elysian Fields in Hoboken to play the Knickerbockers on 5 July 1853.
A baseball match at Elysian Fields, illustration in Harper's Weekly, October 15, 1859 (courtesy Library of Congress).
During the game James, who had been described as an intuitive type (wrote poetry, unfortunately none has been handed down), was so moved by the game and its manner of being played that, at times, he seemed to be in a trance. After the game, he told George that witnessing the game was one of the most sublime moments in his life, and that he had a vision that baseball was to become a grand and noble sport. He and George talked at great length following the game and a decision was made to return to the Elysian Fields early next morning to dig up a small amount of soil from the area in front of the batters box. This accomplished, he wrapped his booty in cloth and brought it back to Pennsylvania.
James' family however did not share his enthusiasm which temporarily darkened his spirit and dampened his excitement. He placed the cloth encased soil in a box and stored it in the cold cellar for safekeeping. He attached a note to it describing its importance to him, where and when it was obtained, and instructions to have it passed down to each male child descendant (the note was lost when my father, Robert S. Orr, attended Girard College in Philadelphia from 1913 to 1917). The Elysian Fields "sod" as it was called by the family, was passed to James' son James Jr., then to his son Roy S., then to his son Robert S., and then to me upon my father's death in December of 1975. The original cloth container had apparently deteriorated and was unfortunately discarded. When I received it, it was freshly wrapped in newspaper (Reading Eagle, 4 July 1975) which marks the 122nd anniversary of James' visit to New York for his birthday.
Early baseball match at Elysian Fields, 1866 Currier & Ives lithograph.
Family tradition would have my son, Mark G. Orr, as the next and rightful heir to the soil. I discussed with him your plans to exhibit it and he agreed that the soil should have a public home and be placed on permanent loan to the Reliquary. If you would need documentation of his agreement, please let me know.
According to my father, the soil was passed through the Orr generations more out of respect for James' wishes than a belief in its historical importance. Baseball, as I remember, did not occupy a place of significance or prominence in the family. It was only during a visit to Reading by Albert Kilchesty (I had known him when he was a student at Albright College) in April of 1997 that I became aware of the significance of our family heirloom. He suggested that I contact you, and, well, the rest is history.
Gerald H. Orr


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Q: Flutter Firebase -- setting different deployment targets for iOS, Android, and Web The problem is how to set up your Flutter environment so you can target separate firebase instances (say for dev, prod, staging, ...)

A: In this example, I have three firebase instances (aka "firebase projects") called dev, staging, and prod.
Using This Solution
iOS and Android
For iOS and Android, to target these firebase instances I use Flutter flavors:
> flutter run --flavor dev

> flutter run --flavor staging

> flutter run --flavor prod

Web (Local web hosting server)
For the Web, to target these firebase instances I use firebase deploy targets:
> firebase use dev
> flutter build web
> firebase serve

> firebase use staging
> flutter build web
> firebase serve

> firebase use prod
> flutter build web
> firebase serve

CTL-C to stop the local web server
Web (Firebase web hosting server)
For the Web, to target these firebase instances I use firebase deploy targets:
> firebase use dev
> flutter build web
> firebase deploy

> firebase use staging
> flutter build web
> firebase deploy

> firebase use prod
> flutter build web
> firebase deploy

Setting Things Up
Assumptions

*

*You have already set up your Firebase instances and are comfortable navigating around the Firebase Console.

*You have set up your firebase public build target folder to build/web for web hosting.

Setting Up Flutter Flavors for iOS and Android
See the following for implementation of Flutter Flavors:

*

*Build flavors in Flutter (Android and iOS) with different Firebase projects per flavor As software platforms often change, if you run into problems with these instructions, please look at the comments on the article. Often readers have provided very useful solutions to new and common problems.

Setting Up Deploy Targets for the Web
Configuring Your Flutter Project for the Web
Flutter for the Web is now on the Flutter stable channel. Make sure you have the current version of Flutter:
> flutter channel stable
> flutter upgrade

Configure the web folder in your project:
> flutter config --enable-web
> flutter create .

Check the that the Web is configured to Flutter:
> flutter doctor

[✓] Flutter: is fully installed. (Channel stable, 1.27.0, on macOS 11.2.1 20D74 darwin-x64, locale en)
[✓] Android toolchain - develop for Android devices (Android SDK version 30.0.3)
[✓] Xcode - develop for iOS and macOS
[✓] Chrome - develop for the web
[✓] Android Studio (version 4.1)
[✓] IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate Edition (version 2020.3.2)
[✓] Connected device (3 available)

• No issues found!

Also check the devices:
> flutter devices
1 connected device:

Chrome (web) • chrome • web-javascript • Google Chrome 88.0.4324.150

Configuring the Firebase Deploy Targets
List the firebase projects you have access to when you entered > firebase login.
> firebase projects:list

You can assign a project alias (in my case, dev, staging, and prod) to each firebase instance by entering:
> firebase use --add
? Which project do you want to add?
my-great-app
my-great-app-staging
my-great-app-development

It will ask you which firebase instance you want to add an alias for: Use the arrow keys to highlight your selection then press Enter to select it.
? Which project do you want to add? my-great-app
? What alias do you want to use for this project? (e.g. staging) prod

In this case, I gave the alias prod by the firebase instance my-great-app.
To see which firebase instances you can switch between using firebase use just enter:
> firebase use

Adding Firebase Config details to your project
Some StackOverflow answers tell you to put your Firebase config into your projects web/index.html file. This isn't necessary. Rather than doing that, you just switch between firebase configs using firebase use prod, firebase use staging, firebase use prod from the Terminal command line to make each instance of firebase "active". When you do flutter build web, the build process automatically picks up the the correct firebase config from the active firebase instance.
How does this magic happen? Click here for the gory details on Adding SDKs Using Reserved URLs.

*

*In each of your firebase instances, ensure that you have a web app </> for each instance.

*Set the SDK Snippet to 'Automatic'

*Copy the code snippet from one of your firebase instances and add it to your web/index.html file. Your <body> tag should look something like this, depending on which firebase SDKs you are using in your Flutter app:

<body>
<!-- The core Firebase JS SDK is always required and must be listed first -->
<script src="/__/firebase/8.2.10/firebase-app.js"></script>

<!-- TODO: Add SDKs for Firebase products that you want to use
     https://firebase.google.com/docs/web/setup#available-libraries -->
<script src="/__/firebase/8.2.10/firebase-analytics.js"></script>
<script src="/__/firebase/8.2.10/firebase-auth.js"></script>
<script src="/__/firebase/8.2.10/firebase-firestore.js"></script>
<script src="/__/firebase/8.2.10/firebase-storage.js"></script>
<!-- Initialize Firebase -->
<script src="/__/firebase/init.js"></script>

  <!-- This script installs service_worker.js to provide PWA functionality to
       application. For more information, see:
       https://developers.google.com/web/fundamentals/primers/service-workers -->

  <script>
    if ('serviceWorker' in navigator) {
      window.addEventListener('load', function () {
        navigator.serviceWorker.register('flutter_service_worker.js?v=1367769473');
      });
    }
  </script>
  <script src="main.dart.js" type='application/javascript"></script>

A: Dynamically Place Firebase Config Files Depending On Target
This github repository contains a link to setup instructions, and scripts which will automatically place your iOS and Android Firebase config files into the appropriate places on demand, depending on which project you want to deploy to.
Repo: https://github.com/deimantasa/flutter-firebase-environment-generator-advanced
Guide: https://aurimas-deimantas.medium.com/cicd-p2-multiple-firebase-environments-in-flutter-deb919cfac2b


text:
Llista de monuments del Capcir registrats com a monuments històrics, bé catalogats d'interès nacional (classé) o bé inventariats d'interès regional (inscrit).

|}

Referències

Capcir
Monuments històrics de la Catalunya del Nord
Capcir

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Some might say 'you're just born with it.' In my case, I guess I can say that as a writer and photographer, you have to bring a quality of curousity with you in order to do your job. Even when I think way back I've always loved exploring new things, getting a glimpse of the production or the behind the scene. When I was a child, I loved to draw, play music or take pictures. The passion for photography hasn't changed and with the time I also found interest in telling story through words and I added the writing.
Not long ago I've been invited to Berlin Fashion Week to take pictures backstage at Pearly Wong's show. The one thing that I always say about backstage photography is that this is really the place where the magic happens. There's tons of people, like make-up artists, hair stylists and people involved in the organizing process who help making the designer's visions a reality. I personally love photographing backstage a whole lot more than photographing shows, because it really allows me to share my individual point of view, whereas at shows I can't really move and all the pictures look pretty much the same as from everybody else, you know what I mean?
Also, if you're interested in Pearly Wongs show, just hit the play button and take a look!


The diversity of TMAC's innovative design is illustrated by the broad range of electronic devices featuring a range of test and measurement tools. These include Single Phase Load Units and load management technologies such as Peak Smart Demand Response Enabling Devices and the Grid Tie Voltage Injection Set.
Another great example of TMAC active innovation. The PeakSmart signal receiver and 3G DCSR devices supplied by TMAC are a design based on customer request and necessity of the electricity network operator for use during periods of peak demand. These technologies will result in the evolution of this device towards multiple field applications within our customers Demand Management programs.
The PeakSmart has been installed with air conditioners throughout South East Queensland and parts of regional Queensland. Over several years it has proven to be an integral part of Energex's Demand Management program. TMAC are proud of this partnership and the success of the overall program and continue to invest in new technologies. The current PeakSmart air conditioner controller gives a reduction in overall power consumption whilst still maintaining a comfortable environment for the customer. It's a win-win situation for both the electric utility and the end user.
Demand Control Signal Receivers. Improves network utilisation, grid balancing and reduces overall network expenditure.


text:
USS Trippe (1812)
USS Trippe (DD-33)
USS Trippe (DD-403)
USS Trippe (DE-1075/FF-1075)