Check out the Media Basics page here.
Learn more about the history of non-nurse midwives in Nebraska here. Just scroll down.
NFOM BOD Response to "Home Births on the Rise"
To read the Omaha World Herald article this response addresses, please click here. This response was originally posted September 13, 2011 in the form of a note to the NFOM facebook page.
"Saturday's Omaha World Herald article about the rising home birth rate deftly demonstrated what so many already know: that the Nebraska laws governing home birth exist in their present state because many medical professionals seek to deter consumers from choosing home birth by making it legally difficult, and they have persuaded lawmakers that home birth is an unsafe option. When medical professionals characterize home birth as unsafe, they are directly contradicting many studies that establish the safety of home birth, including the one published in 2009 in Canada. In addition, Britain's Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG) is now calling for more out-of-hospital births. Such evidence in support of home birth makes one wonder if concerns about safety are truly behind the objection to midwife-attended home birth in Nebraska.
The fact that home births in Nebraska have increased by 30% between 2005 and 2010, a rate significantly higher than the 20% national rate of increase, is especially interesting. Not only is paying out-of-pocket the only option for a midwife-attended home birth in Nebraska (no insurance, no Medicaid coverage), but Nebraska consumers have no practical access to home birth attendants recognized by the state. The characterization of direct entry midwives (DEMs) who attend home births in Nebraska as "skirting the law" seems an attempt by the journalist to summarize the unclear statutes surrounding the profession, as there are no laws that specifically address the legality of DEM-attended births.
There was an effort to criminalize the work of non-nurse midwives in the early 1990s, but it was unsuccessful. An opinion issued by then Attorney General Don Stenberg was quoted in a Lincoln Journal article (May 19, 1993): "The practice of lay midwifery...constitutes the unauthorized practice of medicine". The opinion went on to state "...the Nebraska Legislature's failure to specifically mention midwifery in section 71-1, 102 (dealing with the practice of medicine) or to define it, could cause section 71-1, 102 to be challenged as being unconstitutionally vague should a lay midwife be prosecuted for the unauthorized practice of medicine under this statute." (More information is available on this topic [on the NFOM website].
Clearly, trying to deter women from choosing home birth by limiting their access to midwives is ineffective and, if concerns about birth safety are indeed paramount, then ensuring women have easier access to recognized birth attendants in the home seems a more prudent approach. Home birth is not the ultimate goal of its advocates, but rather safe birth, which is best achieved in a climate which supports open communication and collaboration among various care providers.
Of all potential birth attendants, including doctors, midwives, and family members, Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs) are the only ones for whom it is explicitly illegal to attend Nebraska home births. Nebraska Friends of Midwives (NFOM) is actively advocating and lobbying to remove the home birth exclusion from the statutes governing the practice of CNMs. While Marilyn Lowe, CNM, says that she will only practice in a hospital setting despite any future changes to the law, there are other CNMs practicing in Nebraska who would very much like to attend home births. Home birth is within the scope of CNM practice in most states, including all the states which surround Nebraska.
Furthermore, the American College of Certified Nurse Midwives (an organization of which Ms Lowe is a member) "supports the right of women who meet selection criteria to choose home birth," and "recognizes certified nurse-midwives (CNMs)...as providers who are qualified to attend planned home births." The discomfort of one CNM who is unfamiliar with home birth hardly speaks to the safety of midwife-attended home birth, let alone to the willingness of other current and future Nebraska CNMs to attend home birth. Nor does this opinion respond to the demands of consumers.
Finally, while access to attended home birth is certainly something NFOM supports, NFOM is not a "home-birth advocacy group" as stated in the article. NFOM is a non-profit organization with the primary purpose of providing education and raising awareness regarding the benefits of midwifery, and lobbies proudly within the boundaries of a 501 (c)(3) organization for increased access statewide to midwifery care in all settings. A request for a correction regarding this information has been submitted to the Omaha World Herald.
-Nebraska Friends of Midwives Board of Directors"
"Hospitals have trouble re-creating what midwives offer: a respect for the process and the ability to wait and support mom, baby and the family." said Omahan Rachel Dowd in her responding letter to the editor.
Essay about birth centers in Nebraska.
Published in the Omaha World Herald.
Gail Consoli CNM quoted in an article about midwifery access in Sioux City.
Omaha World Herald article about how the legal requirement for a Written Practice Agreement impeded the opening of Certified Nurse-Midwife Gail Consoli's free-standing birth center in Norfolk.


THE MAKING OF A CUSTOM STOCK!
Let me first preface this thread by stating that my first love has always been and always will be the World of the Shotgun Shooting Sports. Unfortunately medical conditions and the loss of the sight in my left eye has made me physically unable to compete any longer… Several years ago, when these medical problems first started, I looked for other ways, to continue my passion for shooting. Thus I entered the world of High Power Air Rifle Shooting….. Over the years I have acquired a very extensive collection of High Power, PCP (Pre Charged Pneumatic) Air Rifles that are manufactured all over the world. No longer doing any restorations' to my own Shotguns (they have all been completed). I decided I wanted to have a custom FT Stock (Field/Target) made for one of my Air Rifles.
The Rifle that I selected is my Swedish Made, FX Monsoon.
It's a .22 caliber semi-automatic Air Rifle, with a synthetic thumb hole stock.
I searched the web to see if I could find any stock makers that specialized in Air Rifles. After several weeks of searching and comparing costs and styles I decided on Paul Bishop Custom Air Rifle Stocks to make my stock. You can contact Paul direct at his Web Site... http://www.paulbcustomstock.weebly.com/... He will be able to answer any question that you may have in regards to having a custom stock made. Paul went way out of the norm to discuss all options available, what thier functions were and what options would work for me. After we agreed on the style and options, it was now time to find a blank of wood for the project.
Paul is a master wood craftsman who has spent the last 25 years creating and finishing Custom Guitars. He knows his woods and how to finish them, as the pictures in this blog will attest to. Everyone of Paul's Stocks is A Free Form, Hand Carved Creation. No two of his custom stocks look the same.
Paul does not keep a large inventory of blanks in stock. He prefers his customers purchase the blank they want and then send it to him.
He gave me several different web sites to look at, that offer a wide selection of all different types of woods. I had several weeks to find a blank, because Paul had a couple of projects ahead of mine. I was trying to keep the total cost of the project under $1,000. In today's day and age, it is almost impossible to do so. I started to look at the web sites that offered stock blanks for sale. I could not believe how many different types of woods, variations and grades that where available. I know I wanted a type of wood with really nice grain and color that would really POP when it was finished. Every time I found a blank that I liked, I would send a picture of it to Paul for his opinion. He would get back to me right away with the pros and cons of the blank. Unfortunately every blank that I liked pushed my project budget way over the top. I couldn't believe how much money some of these blanks cost.
Step #4:... Let the Work Begin!
Paul and I had decided that the muzzle and the grip area of the stock was to have some nice contrasting wood to set off it's lines . I also wanted the stock to have a Pac Myer Pigeon Recoil pad. I didn't care for the Morgan type recoil pads that where being used by most of the Air Gun Stock makers. Paul emailed me the following photo showing the preliminary layout, several samples of the wood accents and the recoil pad. We selected the Marble Walnut for all of the accent pieces.
The next steps in the project was to cut the design out on the band saw. Making the cuts for the adjustable comb and adjustable forearm. Add the operating hardware for the comb and forearm and gluing up the accent pieces. The picture shows all of these details and now the stock is ready for the hand carving and shaping. The most artistic part of the project. It amazes me how much the stock really takes shape going from one step to the next step. You really get a feel of what the finished project is going to look like.
The following two pictures show the stock fully shaped and ready for the next step. The sanding stage. Paul told me he will spend the next four to five days, just sanding the stock to get it ready for the final finish. You can really see the the grain and the color of the Chocolate Myrtle.
I was told by Paul, that Myrtle wood is an extremely hard wood. So, it takes longer for the sanding process to be completed. Now that all of the sanding has been complete, Paul sent this set of pictures showing the first coats of sealer applied to the stock. Once this stage is completed, than the final finishing begins. With only the sealer coat on you can really see the grain and color really Pop!
Step #5:... The Finished Product!
Paul just emailed me the pictures of the completed rifle. WOW!...This is way more than I expected. Absolutely FANTASTIC!. I am picking up the rifle on Saturday...Can't wait to see it in person...I will install the F/T Scope and add some pictures..
Here are some photo's of the finished Air Rifle with A Leapers 8-32 x 56 Swat Scope with Side Wheel.


Joshua Marston is an atypical filmmaker. After graduating from Beverly Hills High School, an interest in photography led him to internships with Life Magazine and ABC News. But, as he says in a 2004 Indiewire interview, he always felt that a photograph didn't convey the full story; he thought that film might provide the background, context and nuances of a situation far better than even the most evocative still image. But it was only after becoming dissatisfied with working towards a graduate degree in political science that he finally made the decision to become a filmmaker.
His thesis film at NYU (about a Russian couple stranded one night in New Jersey who are helped home by two Pakistanis) established a pattern which has held in his subsequent, sparse output: an interest in other cultures and the ways in which social and political circumstances shape individual lives. That film and the two theatrical features which have followed deal with marginalized people far from the attention of mainstream American movies, and all have been shot in other languages with casts taken from the communities being depicted.
Marston's first, and best-known, feature was the award-winning Maria Full of Grace (2004), about a Columbian teenager who makes the desperate choice to become a drug mule in an attempt to escape crushing poverty. His second feature, The Forgiveness of Blood (2011), recently released by the Criterion Collection on DVD and Blu-ray, is in many ways a more difficult film to grasp. Although the focus on Maria in his previous film might be an unfamiliar angle, the South American drug trade is something which has been highly visible in the media for decades. Life in post-communist Albania, on the other hand, has been virtually invisible to the West.
In The Forgiveness of Blood, Nik (Tristan Halilaj) and his younger sister Rudina (Sindi Lacej) are a couple of teenagers who live in a small town. They go to school, they have smart phones, they play computer games. Nik has an ambition to open a small internet cafe in a vacant storefront which he walks past on his way home from school. Their father Mark (Refet Abazi) makes a living by delivering bread from a home-made horse-drawn cart, while their mother Drita (Ilire Vinca Celaj) has some kind of factory job. With two younger siblings, Nik and Rudina live what seem like pretty normal teenager lives.
However, the small town in northern Albania where they live is not as modern as they are. When a dispute with a neighbour over access to a piece of land which used to belong to Mark's family escalates and the neighbour winds up dead, with Mark going into hiding and the kids' uncle under arrest, Nik and Rudina find their lives irrevocably changed. For all the external signs of modernity, an ancient code known as the Kanun dictates that blood must be repaid with blood. The family essentially go into a self-imposed house arrest because the other family has the "right" to kill one of the males – either Mark, Nik, or the younger brother Dren (Elsajed Tallalli) – in order to restore honour.
In this society, the actions of the fathers are visited on the children with a vengeance. Nik is condemned to stay inside the house indefinitely, perhaps for years. Rudina can no longer go to school as she must take over the bread delivery to support the family. While Rudina, devastated by the loss of her education, must learn to adapt and become strong – her bread business is undermined by a man who buys cheap in the next town and delivers to her customers from the trunk of his Mercedes; she starts selling contraband cigarettes from the cart – Nik is trapped, essentially imprisoned for his father's crime.
This is a story of kids being forced to grow up in ways they never anticipated. Driven almost mad by confinement, Nik's attitude to his father gradually changes from one of deference to questioning and finally confrontation. Mark occasionally emerges from hiding to bring money and gifts to the family, but Nik comes to see himself as a sacrifice to his father's destructive sense of honour.
Joshua Marston's The Forgiveness of Blood is a strange and disorienting film. On first viewing, there seems to be something inherently absurd about the narrative; the home-made horse cart and the smart phones; the power of the blood feud which seems to render the police helpless to deal with the killing, whether murder or self-defence. There is an elegant precision to the images, beautifully shot landscapes and interiors, the richly expressive faces of a largely non-professional cast, but the world we are shown seems to make little sense. Marston simply immerses us in this world without explanation.
We see events exclusively through the eyes of the two teenagers, and perhaps this is why the film is confusing; the ancient code which abruptly disrupts their lives is as alien to them as it is to us. It was only after viewing the Criterion edition's supplements and listening to Marston's commentary track that things began to make sense to me. These blood feuds apparently affect many lives in the country, resulting in people remaining confined to their homes for years, even decades, with some children born into such confinement and never knowing anything different until they emerge as adults. During the forty-five years of communist rule, all of this was suppressed (according to Marston, there was only one such event during that time), but since the end of communism, with a weak state, the ancient code has reasserted its hold, with families no longer relying on the police and courts to deal with conflicts.
But at the same time, the end of communism caused a surge out of backwardness with the influx of foreign technology and wealth. Cars, once rare, became common, existing side by side with horse-drawn carts like the one in the film. And kids born in the past two decades have grown up with computers, smart phones, video games and Facebook. What seems at times inexplicable in the film actually depicts the reality of life in Albania today. Armed with this information, a second viewing of The Forgiveness of Blood takes on a richness and depth not fully apparent on a first viewing. The tension between the sense of freedom and autonomy felt by the kids and the weight of an ancient social code which binds them only really comes into focus when the context is made clear.
Is this a failing? Marston set out to make a drama not a documentary, and yet the unfamiliarity of the setting almost demands some kind of background information for the viewer. In the making-of (with producer Paul Mezey giving a useful account of the film's genesis) and Marston's commentary track, it's made clear that the filmmaker immersed himself in the place and the culture, researching these blood feuds in great depth and creating the script by incorporating numerous details learned from actual people whose lives have been affected by them. But perhaps, so steeped in the material and determined to tell the story from within, rather than as an outside observer, he forgot how much he himself had to learn before any of this made sense to him and he just trusts that the viewer will be able to intuit what he had made so much effort to learn.
On the level of craft, The Forgiveness of Blood is a skillful piece of work. Rob Hardy's cinematography is richly coloured and expressive; the performances, particularly of Halilaj and Lacej, but including even the smallest roles, have a sense of depth and authenticity which give the film an air of truthfulness even when the events seem peculiarly alien. Watching it a second time, armed with background information, it becomes a fascinating study of an entire society which is struggling with a confused sense of identity, caught between the weight of a crushing past and the unsettling uncertainties of a present and future which are being overwhelmed by an outside world whose technology and attitudes seem to have no roots in the local history.
Marston's approach to the story is very rare, in that he submerges himself to the point of invisibility, allowing the Albanian cast and setting to exist without external editorial comment. If it reminded me of anything, it was Lionel Rogosin's searing depiction of South African apartheid in Come Back, Africa (1959), which was also made by a socially committed American filmmaker who cast and scripted the film with local people who were deeply involved in the situations being depicted.
Criterion's DVD offers an crisp transfer of the subtle, expressive film image with a 5.1 surround mix of the original Albanian soundtrack and optional English subtitles. This is one case where the supplements are extremely useful in understanding the film. In addition to the interview-based making-of and director's commentary, there's a discussion between Marston and three of his actors, Halilaj, Lacej and Abazi, in which they talk about both the casting and rehearsal process and the social background of the story. There are also audition tapes and some rehearsal footage which illustrate Marston's improvisatory approach to script development. In addition, the insert booklet contains more useful background in a brief essay by Oscar Moralde.
This entry was posted in Review and tagged Actors, Criterion, Directors, Docu-drama, Review. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
Q: Show $F(z)=\int_{0}^{1}{g(t)\over t-z}dt$ is holomorphic in $\Bbb{C}\setminus[0,1]$. Limit problem. Show $\int_{0}^{1}{g(t)\over t-z}dt$, $g(t):[0,1]\to \Bbb{R}$ a continuous function, is holomorphic in $\Bbb{C}\setminus[0,1]$. Trying to simplify ${F(z+h)-F(z)\over h}$ I arrived at $\int_{0}^{1}{g(t)\over (t-z)(t-(z+h))}dt$, and I don't know how I better compute its limit as $h\to 0$. Can I put the limit inside? How? Following Calculus, I only know I can do this for $n$ functions (countable ones) uniformly converging to $F$ but this is not the case. In addition, I don't know how to relate to $[0,1]$ points in this process so at to truly be sure how they can or can't impact the convergence of the limit above. I would appreciate your help.
Edit: I added more tags mentioning Real Analysis because I don't want to ignore the probability that one whose expertise is Real Analysis and not Complex Analysis will be able to give a Real-Analysis-based explanation

A: HINT:
Please double check your result of ${F(z+h)-F(z)\over h}$
$${F(z+h)-F(z)\over h}=\frac{1}{h}(\int_{0}^{1}{g(t)\over t-(z+h)}dt-\int_{0}^{1}{g(t)\over t-z}dt)$$
$${F(z+h)-F(z)\over h}=\frac{1}{h}(\int_{0}^{1}{[(t-z)-(t-z-h)] g(t)\over (t-(z+h))(t-z)}dt)$$
$${F(z+h)-F(z)\over h}=\frac{1}{h}(\int_{0}^{1}{h g(t)\over (t-(z+h))(t-z)}dt)$$
$$\lim\limits_{ h\to 0  }{ {F(z+h)-F(z)\over h} }= \lim\limits_{ h\to 0  }{  \frac{1}{h}(\int_{0}^{1}{h g(t)\over (t-(z+h))(t-z)}dt)}$$
$$\lim\limits_{ h\to 0  }{ {F(z+h)-F(z)\over h} }= \lim\limits_{ h\to 0  }{  \frac{h}{h}(\int_{0}^{1}{ g(t)\over (t-(z+h))(t-z)}dt)}$$
$$\lim\limits_{ h\to 0  }{ {F(z+h)-F(z)\over h} }= \lim\limits_{ h\to 0  }{  (\int_{0}^{1}{ g(t)\over (t-(z+h))(t-z)}dt)}=\int_{0}^{1}{ g(t)\over (t-z)^2}dt$$

A: HINT:
$$\begin{align}
\left|\dfrac{F(z+h)-F(z)}{h}-\int_0^1 \frac{g(t)}{(t-z)^2}\,dt\right|&=\left|\frac1h\int_0^1 g(t)\left(\dfrac{1}{t-(z+h)}-\dfrac{1}{t-z}-\frac{h}{(t-z)^2}\right)\,dt\right|\\\\
&=\left|\int_0^1 g(t)\left(\dfrac{1}{(t-z)(t-z-h)}-\frac{1}{(t-z)^2}\right)\,dt\right|\\\\
&=\left|\int_0^1 \dfrac{hg(t)}{(t-z)^2(t-z-h)}\,dt\right|\\\\
&\le\int_0^1 \dfrac{|h|\,|g(t)|}{(t-z)^2|t-z-h|}\,dt\\\\
\end{align}$$

SPOILER ALERT Scroll over the highlighted area to reveal the solution

We note that $|t-z-h|=\sqrt{(t-h)^2-2\text{Re}(z)(t-h)+|z|^2}\ge \left|\text{Im}(z)\right|$.  Therefore, we have $$\int_0^1\left|\dfrac{hg(t)}{(t-z)^2(t-z-h)}\right|\,dt\le \dfrac{h}{\left|\text{Im}(z)\right|}\int_0^1\dfrac{|g(t)|}{(t-z)^2}\,dt \tag 1$$Since the integrand in $(1)$ is bounded and independent of $h$, then it is easy to see that $$\lim_{h\to 0}\int_0^1\left|\dfrac{hg(t)}{(t-z)^2(t-z-h)}\right|\,dt=0$$And this completes the proof that $F(z)$ is differentiable.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: How to know whether a service path is invalid or not by feathersjs client? Feathersjs client provides a good API for sending messages to server through both rest and socket way. But I don't know how to detect a wrong service path in the client side. Let see below code as an example:
const feathers = require('feathers-client')
const Primus = require('../public/dist/primus.js')
var primus = new Primus('http://localhost:3030');
var app = feathers()
  .configure(feathers.hooks())
  .configure(feathers.primus(primus));

var service = app.service('/test-servcie/ssss')

The last line in above code includes a wrong service path (/test-servcie/ssss). A wrong service path means there is no service listening on this path. After that I use below code to send message to service:
service.create({}, {
  query: {
    hostname: 'localhost',
    port: 27017
  }
})

Since the service path doesn't exist, there is nothing happens on the server side. But I also didn't get any wrong message in the client side. How can I know the service path is invalid in client side? I want to show some error messages if the path doesn't exist.

A: When using the REST client you will get a 404 or 500 error, unfortunately there is no easy way for websocket libraries to know if the message you are sending is being listened to on the server or not so you will get a timeout (default is 5 seconds) when trying to call any service method in this case. There is a proposal for service introspection which will land in the next version though.


text: I decided to do a physique competition in 2012, where I qualified for Nationals, but most importantly I have over a decade of experience working with others varying in age and specific goals. My passion to work with others in the area of health and wellness runs to the deepest level of my being! In 2012, I made a transition into New York Real Estate specializing in residential sales and rentals, but I still continue to maintain a large client base in the the Health & Wellness industry. I believe that humans are multi-dimensional and capable of success in various areas of interest. To confirm this philosophy, I have also been active as a fitness model / actor for the past 10 years landing multiple magazine covers, as well as campaigns for brands like Bacardi and Met-Rx. I was a trainer/instructor in a Met-Rx training video, and my TV and Film credits includes the soap opera, Guiding Light, the television show, Law and Order Special Victims Unit, and the Troma Entertainment Film: Mr. Bricks. I also appeared in commercials for Ford Truck, Sprint, and channel 7 Eye Witness News, among others. Making sound waves in the music world since 1998, you could say that I have a deep rooted passion for music. I started performing at local concerts in my native Wisconsin, and bordering states: Illinois, and Iowa. After performing regionally in the mid-west with various bands, I moved to NYC in 2005. Following a 4-year hiatus from the music industry I once again reunited with my drum set in 2010, joining the Harlem based band, Stereo Crowd. During my 2-year stint with Stereo Crowd, I was blessed to perform with the likes of: MC Hammer, DJ Girl Talk, George 2.0 (Hype man for Janelle Monae), and was a musical guest on the Joey Reynolds Show in the Times Square Nasdaq Building. I continue to write and record music with various artists, working both as a live, and session drummer for hire. Passionate Coach/Trainer/Public Speaker, New York State Licensed Real Estate Agent, Actor, Model, and Musician. You could say that I have a full plate, but for me, doing these things is a blessing. Understanding that I am more than the labels listed above, I am inspired to take action in various areas of the many abundant opportunities that exist in this world. "Success begins with appreciation for the journey."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Array with children - display it in the form of parent-child hierarchy I have the data as shown in step#1 and I would like to rearrange it in the form of parent with corresponding children as in step#2 based on the "id":
step#1:
[
    {"id": "card:1.usa", "name": "usa"}, {"id": "card:2", "name": "card2"}, {"id": "card:1", "name": "card1"}, {"id": "card:2.washington", "name": "washington"},
    {"id": "card:1.usa.illinios", "name": "illinios"}, {"id": "card:1.usa.illinios.city1", "name": "chicago"}
]

step#2 :
[
    {"id": "card:1", "name": "card1", "children": [ {"id": "card:1.usa", "name": "usa", "children":[ {"id": "card:1.usa.illinios", "name": "illinios", "children":[ {"id": "card:1.usa.illinios.city1", "name": "chicago"}] }] }    },
    {"id": "card:2", "name": "card2", "children": [ {"id": "card:2.washington", "name": "washington" }] }
]

I tried to do the following from my side, but this gets only first level children:
var cardData = [
    {"id": "card:1.usa", "name": "usa"}, {"id": "card:2", "name": "card2"}, {"id": "card:1", "name": "card1"}, {"id": "card:2.washington", "name": "washington"},
    {"id": "card:1.usa.illinios", "name": "illinios"}, {"id": "card:1.usa.illinios.city1", "name": "chicago"}
]
var subCardList = [];
$scope.parentCard = [];
for(var i=0; i<cardData.length; i++){
    if( cardData[i].id.indexOf('.') > -1){
        subCardList.push( cardData[i] );
    }
}
for(var i=0; i<cardData.length; i++){
    for(var j=0; j<subCardList.length; j++){
        var cardObj = {};
        if( cardData[i].id == subCardList[j].id.substr(0, subCardList[j].id.indexOf('.')) ){ //found matching parent card
            cardObj.id = cardData[i].id;
            cardObj.children = subCardList[j];
            $scope.parentCard.push( cardObj );
        }
    }
}

Please let me know how I can achieve this through javascript/jquery?

A: I have improved my solution to make it more comprehensive and also handle the situation where all cards in the hierarchy are not present and in different order.
A sorting is performed on the sub-card array based on id before processing. This ensures order of cards do not break this code.
All top level cards are collected first. Each sub-card is then placed into buckets(Children collection).
I have provided additional data set (cardData1) to highlight boundary conditions.
Please let me know if you need more explanation.

var cardData = [{
    "id": "card:1.usa",
    "name": "usa"
}, {
    "id": "card:2",
    "name": "card2"
}, {
    "id": "card:1",
    "name": "card1"
}, {
    "id": "card:2.washington",
    "name": "washington"
}, {
    "id": "card:1.usa.illinios",
    "name": "illinios"
}, {
    "id": "card:1.usa.illinios.city1",
    "name": "chicago"
}]

var cardData1 = [
    {
    "id": "card:1.usa.illinios.city1.municipality1",
    "name": "DumDum"
},{
    "id": "card:1.usa",
    "name": "usa"
}, {
    "id": "card:2",
    "name": "card2"
}, {
    "id": "card:1",
    "name": "card1"
}, {
    "id": "card:2.washington",
    "name": "washington"
},  {
    "id": "card:1.usa.illinios.city1",
    "name": "chicago"
},

               ]

var subCardList = [];
var subCardMap = {};
var parentCardList = [];
var cardMap = {};
for (var i = 0; i < cardData.length; i++) {
    if (cardData[i].id.indexOf('.') > -1) {
        subCardList.push(cardData[i]);
        subCardMap[cardData[i].id] = cardData[i];
    } else {
        //top level cards
        var cardId = cardData[i].id;
        var parentCard = {
            id: cardId,
            name: cardData[i].name,
            children: []
        };
        cardMap[cardId] = parentCard;
        parentCardList.push(parentCard);
    }
}
//Sort the subcard list to ensure missing hierarchial cards do not break implementation
subCardList.sort(function (a, b) {
    return a.id.toLowerCase().localeCompare(b.id.toLowerCase());
});

//Build buckets(children array) for child cards on the fly
for (var j = 0; j < subCardList.length; j++) {
    var topCardId = subCardList[j].id.substr(0, subCardList[j].id.indexOf('.'));
    placeInBucket(topCardId, subCardList[j]); //find matching parent card from map
}

function placeInBucket(topCardId, childCard) {
    var topCard = cardMap[topCardId]; //get top card
    var childIds = childCard.id.split(".");
    childIds.splice(0, 1); //Remove the top card id

    var childId = "";
    var bucket = topCard.children; //Assign the initial bucket as the topcard children array
    //loop through all the hierarchy and create complete hierarchy
    for (var i = 0; i < childIds.length; i++) {
        var key = topCardId + childId + "." + childIds[i];
        if (!subCardMap[key]) {
            childId += "." + childIds[i];
            continue;
        } //Do not build hierarchy for missing subcards in the id chain
        var child = cardMap[key];
        if (!child) {
            bucket.push(childCard);
           cardMap[key] = childCard; //Register new child to cardMap
            break;
        }
        if (!child.children) child.children = []; //Add Children array to a leaf card if not existing
        bucket = child.children;
        childId += "." + childIds[i]; //Append the id to drill down the hierarchy
    }
}

console.log(JSON.stringify(parentCardList));

A: The short answer: you need a recursive function, a function that calls itself to nest the children until you find an element that has no children.
So, first, you find all the parents in your list:
[
    {"id": "card:2", "name": "card2"},
    {"id": "card:1", "name": "card1"},
]

Then, for each of these objects, you run through the array again, finding descendants. For example, for card:1:
[
    {"id": "card:1.usa", "name": "usa"},
    {"id": "card:1.usa.illinios", "name": "illinios"},
    {"id": "card:1.usa.illinios.city1", "name": "chicago"}
]

This is where we'll need recursivity: you need to repeat the same process again, taking this array as your input. So the "parents" you will find are:
[
    {"id": "card:1.usa", "name": "usa"}
]

And the children:
[
    {"id": "card:1.usa.illinios", "name": "illinios"},
    {"id": "card:1.usa.illinios.city1", "name": "chicago"}
]

Since you still have children, you would repeat yet again, until you don't find any more children.
This example might not be as clean as it could be (I wasn't sure how to deal with the ids), but it works:
function nestChildren(list, startIndex){
    var parents = [];

    // Search list for "parents" --> objects with only one period-separated section
    for(var i=0;i<list.length;i++){
        var ids = list[i].id.substring(startIndex).split('.'); // Count only sections from parent id

        if (ids.length == 1){
            parents.push(list[i]);
        }
    }

    for(var i=0;i<parents.length;i++){
        var parent = parents[i];

        var children = [];

        // Search list for "children" --> objects with ids that start with the parent id
        for(var j=0;j<list.length;j++){
            if (list[j].id.indexOf(parent.id) == 0 && list[j].id != parent.id){
                children.push(list[j]);
            }
        }

        if (children.length){
            // If there's any children, nest those children too
            // Pass the found children as the "list" parameter
            // and the parent's id length as the second (to count periods from that index)
            parent.children = nestChildren(children, parent.id.length + 1);
        }
    }

    return parents;
}

Working JSFiddle here.


The nation was in an uproar in 2014 over cases of Ebola in the United States. This year there is panic over approximately 150 cases of measles. There actually is a serious danger to health which can result in death; tuberculosis.
Sixteen cases of tuberculosis were discovered last month at a Northern California high school. A single active case was discovered and prompted testing to determine if there were more victims of the highly contagious disease. The first priority is to determine if the other fifteen are active or latent. Latent tuberculosis has no symptoms, and both can be treated with antibiotics.
Tuberculosis is spread by sneezing, coughing, talking, and singing.
Tuberculosis is the second leading killer of people around the world, second only to HIV. It is the leading cause of death for those infected with HIV/AIDS. The World Health Organization estimates that two billion people are infected with tuberculosis; that is one-third of the world's population. The latent form may never cause the carrier to become ill, but between five and ten percent will become sick in their lifetime. At this moment 12 million people around the world are suffering from active tuberculosis.
Deaths each year for TB number approximately 1.3 million. The WHO believed that they were gaining in their efforts to control the disease, but its link with HIV/AIDS and new drug-resistant strains are responsible for growing numbers.
Active tuberculosis attacks the lungs; without treatment it can be deadly.


Google's prototype self-driving car could be rolling through the streets of Northern California in the new year, the company said Monday.
The announcement comes as Google is seeking auto industry partners in Detroit or internationally to manufacture Google's cars and bring them to market within the next five years, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Meanwhile, California's Department of Motor Vehicles is still trying to figure out how it should regulate them, according to the AP.
My colleague Steve Johnson wrote for the Mercury News last month about how Google engineers have struggled to make their self-driving cars "act a little human" and handle the bizarre and unexpected conditions that human drivers deal with all the time.


text:
Microsoft June 2013 Patch Tuesday Review
Microsoft has release, June 11th 2013, during his June Patch Tuesday, one updated security advisory, one new security advisory and five security bulletins. On the five security bulletins one of them has a Critical security rating.
MSA-2755801,released during September 2012, has been updated. The security advisory is regarding updates for vulnerabilities in Adobe Flash Player in Internet Explorer 10. KB2847928 has been released for supported editions of Windows 8, Windows Server 2012, and Windows RT. The update addresses the vulnerabilities described in Adobe Security bulletin APSB13-16.
MSA-2854544 concern improvements of cryptography and digital certificate handling in Windows. KB2813430 expand Certificate Trust List (CTL) functionality for managing private PKI environments on Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 8, Windows Server 2012, and Windows RT.
MS13-047 Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer
MS13-047 security update, classified as Critical, allowing remote code execution, is the fix for nineteen privately reported vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer 6, Internet Explorer 7, Internet Explorer 8, Internet Explorer 9, and Internet Explorer 10. CVE-2013-3126 (2.0 CVSS base score) and CVE-2013-3123 (9.3 CVSS base score) were discovered and privately reported by [email protected], working with HP's Zero Day Initiative. CVE-2013-3110 (9.3 CVSS base score) was discovered and privately reported by Scott Bell of Security-Assessment.com. CVE-2013-3111 (9.3 CVSS base score) and CVE-2013-3120 (9.3 CVSS base score) were discovered and privately reported by SkyLined, working with HP's Zero Day Initiative. CVE-2013-3112 (9.3 CVSS base score), CVE-2013-3121 (9.3 CVSS base score), CVE-2013-3122 (9.3 CVSS base score) and CVE-2013-3141 (9.3 CVSS base score) were discovered and privately reported by anonymous researcher's, working with HP's Zero Day Initiative. CVE-2013-3113 (9.3 CVSS base score), CVE-2013-3114 (9.3 CVSS base score), CVE-2013-3116 (9.3 CVSS base score) and CVE-2013-3117 (9.3 CVSS base score) were discovered and privately reported by Ivan Fratric and Ben Hawkes of the Google Security Team. CVE-2013-3118 (9.3 CVSS base score) and CVE-2013-3125 (9.3 CVSS base score) were discovered and privately reported by Omair, working with HP's Zero Day Initiative. CVE-2013-3119 (9.3 CVSS base score) was discovered and privately reported by Stephen Fewer of Harmony Security, working with HP's Zero Day Initiative. CVE-2013-3124 (9.3 CVSS base score) and CVE-2013-3125 (9.3 CVSS base score) were discovered and privately reported by Omair, working with HP's Zero Day Initiative, and by Amol Naik also working with HP's Zero Day Initiative. CVE-2013-3139 (9.3 CVSS base score) was discovered and privately reported by an unknown security researcher. CVE-2013-3142 (9.3 CVSS base score) was discovered and privately reported by Toan Pham Van, working with HP's Zero Day Initiative.
MS13-048 Vulnerability in Windows Kernel Could Allow Information Disclosure
MS13-048 security update, classified as Important, allowing information disclosure, is the fix for one privately reported vulnerability in Windows Kernel. CVE-2013-3136 (4.4 CVSS base score) was discovered and privately reported by Mateusz "j00ru" Jurczyk of Google Inc.
MS13-049 Vulnerability in Kernel-Mode Driver Could Allow Denial of Service
MS13-049 security update, classified as Important, allowing denial of service, is the fix for one privately reported vulnerability in Windows Kernel-Mode Driver. CVE-2013-3138 (7.1 CVSS base score) was discovered and privately reported by an anonymous security researcher.
MS13-050 Vulnerability in Windows Print Spooler Components Could Allow Elevation of Privilege
MS13-050 security update, classified as Important, allowing elevation of privilege, is the fix for one privately reported vulnerability in Windows Print Spooler Components. CVE-2013-1339 (9.0 CVSS base score) was discovered and privately reported by an anonymous security researcher.
MS13-051 Vulnerability in Microsoft Office Could Allow Remote Code Execution
MS13-051 security update, classified as Important, allowing remote code execution, is the fix for one privately reported vulnerability in Microsoft Office. CVE-2013-1331 (9.3 CVSS base score) was discovered and privately reported by Andrew Lyons and Neel Mehta of Google Inc.
CategoriesVulnerability Management TagsAPSB13-16, CVE-2013-1331, CVE-2013-1339, CVE-2013-3110, CVE-2013-3111, CVE-2013-3112, CVE-2013-3113, CVE-2013-3114, CVE-2013-3116, CVE-2013-3117, CVE-2013-3118, CVE-2013-3119, CVE-2013-3120, CVE-2013-3121, CVE-2013-3122, CVE-2013-3123, CVE-2013-3124, CVE-2013-3125, CVE-2013-3126, CVE-2013-3136, CVE-2013-3138, CVE-2013-3139, CVE-2013-3141, CVE-2013-3142, KB2813430, KB2838727, KB2839229, KB2839571, KB2845690, KB2847928, Microsoft, MS13-047, MS13-048, MS13-049, MS13-051, MSA-2755801, MSA-2854544, Patch Tuesday
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text:
Prymorskyi Boulevard (Приморський бульвар)
Odesa City Center
The Most famous boulevard on the Black Sea
Among the sights of Odesa, Prymorskyi Boulevard has long been deservedly popular. At any time of the year on its alleys, you can meet the inhabitants of the city, numerous sightseers, and tourists. It may be hot in the city, but on the boulevard with its sprawling Oriental plane trees and a mass of flowers, it is always cool. The proximity of the sea's light breezes also contributes to this...
Prymorskyi Boulevard is a shady seaside promenade with many historic landmarks and interesting monuments. Here Odesites sit on shady benches, enjoy the sea breeze, and gaze at the panorama of the bay. The architectural ensemble of Prymorskyi Boulevard attests to the high standards of Odesa architects. Designed as the compositional pivot of the city, the Boulevard runs along the sea line.
The middle section of the Boulevard is occupied by the semi-circular square with the Monument to Duc de Richelieu in the center, although due to the war, he is currently clad in a cape of sandbags for protection.
Photo by Miguel A Lopes/EPA (Shutterstock)
The buildings of the former stock exchange and the Vorontsov Palace terminate the Boulevard on each end to form an integral balanced whole. The architectural rhythm of Prymorskyi Boulevard, enhanced by horizontal terraces, is interrupted by the vertical line of the grandiose stairs terraces which were given the name of Potemkin, not in honor of the man, but the sailors that revolted in the ship named after the man.
The Boulevard is half a kilometer (500 meters) and follows the contours of the steep cliff that it is built upon. At each end is a square, on the northwestern end is the Vorontsov Palace, and on the southeastern end is the Odesa City Council. Four rows of Linden, maples, limes and horse chestnut trees (also known as Buckeye trees) line the boulevard. In the late spring, Horse chestnut trees bloom in beautiful candle-like white cones. In the autumn pedestrians collect the shiny chestnuts.
At the end of the 15th century, on the site of Prymorskyi Boulevard, a Turkish fortress, Yeni-Dunya Castle (in Turkish "New World"), stood, part of the Hadzhibej fortress won over from Turks by de Ribas. After the expulsion of the Turks, the castle was destroyed.
Officially, Odesa was founded in 1794, but just on the site of today's Prymorskyi Boulevard there were found the ruins of an ancient Greek city, you can see it under glass as you walk along, and on the site of the Vorontsovsky palace there was a fortress built by the Italians (Genoans) and then reconstructed by the Turks, so the area is full of historic sights from various periods.
Green Odesa
Odesa is an incredibly green city. There are tens of thousands of trees. One old Odesa guide from 1976 said there were 15 square meters (18 square yards) of greenery per person (whatever this might mean). But in late June and July, particularly on Rishelevskaya (Рішельєвська) the pollen from trees is so bad, even those that have never had problems with pollen before may have difficulties with breathing and eyesight.
Did you know that each street in Odesa is lined with its own species of trees?
Katerynynsʹka is lined with Catalpa trees and chestnuts.
Prymorskyi Boulevard with linden, maples, limes, and horse chestnut trees
Deribasovskaya Street is shaded by linden trees.
Shevchenko Avenue is lined with Sycamore and Japanese pagoda trees, with wild grapevines on many of the buildings.
Pushkinskaya is lined with hundreds of Sycamore trees, making it one of the most beautiful and shaded streets in Odesa.
(Photo by Oleksandr Brovko)
Architect F. Challe designed the boulevard in 1819, while most of the buildings were built in the early 19th century. Prymorskyi Boulevard's construction started in 1821, and work began with landscaping and the planting of trees through 1823. Since the square offered an excellent view of Odesa Bay and the waterways, gradually this territory began to be built up and improved.
Prymorskyi Boulevard is relatively small. However, in this small area, architectural ensembles of unique beauty are brought together. There are buildings, monuments, and the world-famous staircase here, which are original in their design. From the boulevard, you can see the port of Odesa and a harbor with dozens of ships under different flags.
Lighthouse and ship in Soviet times
One of the best streets in the city — Vulytsia Pushkinska — somehow imperceptibly merges into the wide Dumskaya Square, which then turns into a boulevard. On the right side is the Odesa Archaeological Museum, founded in 1825. The spacious building, built by the architect Felix Gonsiorowski, contains the most valuable collections of antiquities, the richest monuments of the Northern Black Sea region. The museum has the largest numismatic collection in the country, which has more than 50,000 coins.
Odesa Navy Museum
A few steps from the museum is the former building of the "English Club", built in 1842 under the supervision of George Toricelli. During the Soviet-era, there were exhibits, but nowadays the beautiful building of the Odesa Navy Museum sits idle awaiting its future life.
Where once the entire glorious history of naval navigation of our country passed before its visitors in model form — from small sailboats to ocean liners, huge tankers, and dry cargo ships, ruin came in the spring of 2005, when a fire broke out and almost all the museum's exhibits were destroyed.
(Photo by Dima Pima)
At the very entrance to the boulevard is the building of the Odesa City Council. Once the merchant exchange was located here, and then the city council. The building was built in 1829-1834 by the architect Boffo according to the project of the outstanding Italian architect Giacomo Quarenghi.
The building was built in the style of the Italian Renaissance, architectural proportions are successfully observed in it, and the main facade with many columns is colorful. The niches contain sculptural figures of the god of trade Mercury and the goddess of agriculture Ceres.
Above, next to the clock, two figures are visible, symbolizing day and night. From here, the melodic call signs of the Odesa chimes are heard hourly. On January 14, 1918, a meeting of the Deputies of the Bolshevik uprising took place in this building, at which point their power was proclaimed over Odesa.
A monument to the great poet Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin was erected right against the facade. Here, to the South, he was exiled by the tsar for free thinking. Here, in Odesa, Pushkin created chapters from Eugene Onegin and other immortal creations. In memory of the stay of the great poet in the seaside city, the Slavic Society in 1888 built a monument to him with donations from the townspeople.
The image of the poet is expressively conveyed by the sculptor Olga Polonskaya. The bust of A. S. Pushkin is mounted on a pedestal, the basis for which is a fountain depicting marvelous sea animals.
Between the city council building and the monument to A. S. Pushkin there is an old cast-iron cannon. Mounted on a wooden carriage, it is surrounded by a rectangle of natural flowers. Its story is remarkable.
(Photo by Constantine Kulikovsky - Creative Commons)
During the Crimean War, Odesa in April 1854 was subjected to a fierce bombardment by ships of the combined Anglo-French squadron, numbering twenty-eight enemy ships.
The hardest trial had to be endured by the Sixth Battery, located at the tip of the Reydovyy Mole (the strip of land leading to the Odesa Lighthouse), which was commanded by the young ensign from Nikolaev, Aleksandr Petrovich Shchegolev (Александр Петрович Щёголев). Four guns fought against 350 enemy ship guns! The battlefield was shrouded in smoke, and the groans of the wounded rushed from everywhere.
One gun went out of action, then a second one. But the daredevils continued to fight back. And not only to fight back but also to attack; three enemy ships were put out of action by well-aimed fire. Only when the entire battery was destroyed did its commander, along with the few surviving gunners, leave the combat position.
The heroism and courage of the Odesan soldiers literally shook the command of the enemy squadron, and it did not dare to attack the positions of the Odesan defenders again. A few days later, on April 14, the Anglo-French fleet left Odesa, although its ships continued to cruise along its coast.
One of the squadron's frigates, the Tiger, ran aground on April 30, 1854, near present-day Arcadia. From damage taken by the Sixth Battery's artillery, the ship sank, its crew was taken prisoner, and the gun was installed on the boulevard as a symbol of the invincibility of Odesan courage and a formidable warning to all enemies.
Public Toilet
If you need to go, on the North lower side of the City Council building is a pay toilet (facing the sea). This is reached by walking past the Crimean War Cannon and down the path to the right. The path on the left of it will take you down into the Greek Park section, a nice walk in itself.
The boulevard as depicted in that weird Soviet style (1965)
Starting from the monument to A. S. Pushkin, along the boulevard stretched several paths-alleys lined with Oriental plane trees, in the summer months, their lush foliage forms a shaded corridor through which the rays of the hot southern sun can hardly penetrate.
Along the way, during times of peace, there are several bars and cafes to enjoy a break or a night on the town, from the Karaoke Hall, and in summer seasons at the Dvor 12 City Cafe (12 is the address) is one of the brightest courtyards in Odesa. With red walls, orange chairs decorating the walls, a piano, a pink "halved" unicorn, Dvor 12 is an art space where creative moods are born, and after a delicious meal, all kinds of ideas will come to mind about how to make your own life more colorful.
There are several beautiful buildings on the left side of the boulevard. One of them was once the best hotel in the city Hotel Londonskaya, which was also the first hotel in Odesa, built in 1827. This hospitable city shares its most beautiful halls, comfortable rooms, and a wonderful restaurant with summer and winter halls with tourists from all over the world. If you're not up for a stay, you can for sure stop in for a meal.
Next to the hotel is the Odesa Seamen's Palace (Palace of Seafarers Naryshkin, as it was often called, during Soviet times it was called the Palace of Culture of Sailors named after A. M. Gorky). Located in the former Countess Naryshkina's palace which was built by the renowned architect Francesco Carlo Boffo in 1830, on the initiative of the landowner Shydlovsky. "Franz" Boffo was a Neoclassical architect who, between 1818 and 1861, designed more than 30 buildings in the city, including the famous Potemkin Stairs. Construction of the two-story house with basement rooms took several years.
Foreign seafarers find a comfortable stay here, in this, one of the best areas of the city. Like many other buildings on the boulevard, it belonged to the ruling elite until the Great October Revolution — the highest military officials of the district sat in it. The main feature of the building was the restrained luxury of the palace, a style that has gone out of fashion for many centuries. The ageless beauty of the space became legendary but suffered under Soviet mismanagement.
In the December days of 1917, the workers, sailors, and soldiers led by the Bolsheviks took over. At the second congress of the Central Executive Committee of the Soviets of the Romanian Front, the Black Sea Fleet, and the Odesa Military District ("Rumcherod"), the envoy of Lenin, the Bolshevik Vladimir Volodarsky (real name Moisei Markovich Goldstein), spoke. Then a resolution was adopted on the transfer of all power to the Soviets. They declared the hammer and sickle would fly forever over Odesa, but wrong they were.
In December 1917, Rumcherod was located in this building, and after the establishment of Soviet power in Odesa — in January 1918 — the regional Odesa Council of People's Commissars. This event was commemorated by an inscription on a memorial plaque.
(Photo by Nadiia Ganzhyi)
A semi-oval building adjoins the Palace of Sailors, which before the building of the port facilities once housed the marine passenger ticket office. Previously, a hotel was located here, where many prominent figures of culture and science stayed, including Vissarion Grigoryevich Belinsky. This building and the opposite building of the same type in height and facade form a semicircular square. They were built in 1826-1831 according to the design of the architect Avraam Melnikov.
In one of them, there was a military district court, which in October 1916 sentenced the underground revolutionary Grigory Ivanovich Kotovsky to death, a sentence which was later replaced by a sentence of indefinite hard labor.
The country was going through turbulent days. Armed citizens took to the streets. The revolution freed political prisoners. Kotovsky (who now has a raion in Odesa named after him) was released and immediately joined the revolutionary struggle. In February of 1920, the Kotov cavalrymen, together with other units of the Red Army, with the support of the insurgent workers, finally liberated the city from Anton Denikin's forces and the international alliance in an orgy of violence.
(Photo by Maksym Pozniak Haraburda)
On the square, in front of the descent to the sea, in 1826 a monument was erected to one of the first mayors of Odesa — the Duke of Richelieu. It was built by the talented Ukrainian sculptor Ivan Petrovich Martos in the classical style. Locals recommend having a look at the monument from one of the nearest manholes. They even have a regular phrase for that: "Don't look at Duke from the second Luke" ('luke' люк is the Ukrainian translation of manhole). From this manhole perspective, it seems like Duke is demonstrating his penis (it's actually just the scroll in his left hand).
There is even a famous song with this lyric by the rock group Bastion (Бастион) "Прогулка по Одессе" (Walk in Odesa):
The square offers a magnificent view of the sea and the port with the Potemkin Stairs or Potemkin Steps laid out before you. You can go up or down by cable car — the funicular. Fitter people are more willing to use the wide stairs. It was built in 1837-1841, as mentioned before, by the architect Franz Boffo.
As part of the de-colonization process, the steps are now called the Prymorskyi Stairs. 192 steps are located in ten marches and are separated by wide platforms. Clever use of the size of the steps and parapets allowed the architect to achieve such a visual effect that the staircase seems to be of the same width from top to bottom, although in reality, its lower parts are almost twice as wide as the upper ones.
(Photo by Konstantin Brizhnichenko)
The staircase is known not only for its successful engineering solution but also for its monumentality. Here, in 1905, tragic events took place, connected with the arrival of the insurgent revolutionary Battleship Potemkin in Odesa. In order to prevent the workers of the city from connecting with the rebellious sailors, the local authorities and the police committed a monstrous provocation — on the night of June 15-16, the port was set on fire, and then they began to shoot innocent people. The stones of the pavement and the steps of the stairs were stained with blood... as shown in the famous 1925 silent film The Battleship Potemkin which was directed by the film director Sergei Eisenstein.
In memory of those days, the staircase was named Potemkinskaya by the people. The Potemkin events are immortalized in Odesa with a monument to the leader of the uprising, Grigory Nikntovich Vakulenchuk, a Ukrainian sailor in the Imperial Russian Navy, on Mytna Square.
Near the stairs, on Kateryna Square (which the Soviets renamed after Karl Marx) on June 27, 1965, on the day of the 60th anniversary of the uprising on the battleship, a monument to the heroic sailors was revealed, with the words "Descendants of the Potemkins" carved on the granite base. And next to it are the words of Vladimir Lenin: "The Battleship Potemkin remained an undefeated territory of the revolution." In the mid-2000s, this statue was removed to Mytna Square, and the controversial and soon to be removed statue to Catherine the Great took its place. Who knows now what will replace it?
It's nice to admire the seascape from the height of the Potemkin Stairs, especially in the evening. In the sea lanes and at the berths of the port there are dozens of ships, illuminated by a myriad of lights. In the distance, the outlines of Peresyp can be made out — the largest industrial region of Odesa, and the fishing villages of Dofinovka and Kryzhanivka.
At the bottom of the steps lies the complex of the reconstructed marine passenger station with its big hotel. Civil engineers and architects created this original project over many years, allowing those arriving in our city by the sea to bypass going up the streets adjacent to the port, instead going up the funicular to Prymorskyi Boulevard.
To the right and left are the Greek and Instanbul Parks, which after much time and work have been completed. All sections of this territory are now covered with lush vegetation and walking paths, plus children's playgrounds, and now the main entrance to the city has become even more beautiful, and even more attractive.
Prymorskyi Boulevard ends with the majestic building of the Vorontsovsky palace, which during Soviet times was the "Palace of Pioneers and Schoolchildren named after Yasha Gordienko". Nataly has many fond memories of going there for music and art classes, and even these days, it draws many youthful events…
The place of the Vorontsovsky palace may be considered the most advantageous point to protect the bay, so as far back as the 13 century there was built the Genoese fortress on the site. By the 15th century, it fell into decay but was restored by the Turks. So, by the 16th century, there was located the strong Turkish fortress, which was destroyed by the Russians in the 18th century.
In the years 1826-1828, the architect Franz Boffo erected a beautiful mansion in the style of Russian classicism on this deserted place. Now there remained no traces of either the Genoese or Turkish fortresses, and on the edge of а high bank, on the site of the former fortress walls, there was erected a portico with columns. In the evening hours, it is always crowded here — a beautiful view opens from the portico, of the panorama of the port and Odesa bay.
Initially, the governor-general Vorontsov lived in the palace. And in 1917, the first Council of Workers' Deputies of Odesa moved in. In 1936, a decision was made by the government that the palace would be transferred to the children of workers.
For Odesans of a certain age, most have had fond memories of wandering the numerous apartments of the former count's mansion, building models of ships and aircraft, studying the science of beauty in painting, choreography, music circles, and learning to be useful citizens of this wonderful city. Off to one side past the lion statues is a memorial wall dedicated to the leader of the Skryabin band Andrii Kuzmenko.
Near it is located the most interesting district of the Old Town of Odesa. In Vorontsovskaya Street are the oldest houses of the 18th-19th centuries with characteristic small yards of Odesa.
(Photo by Alan Rostovtev)
It is there that the "One-Wall Building" is located, an interesting optical illusion occurs depending on where you look at it from. Over the Teshchin (mother-in-law) bridge you can cross a wide ravine, which is called the Military Descent, and come to the Shah`s palace. Unfortunately, the palace is not a museum, so it is closed to tourists. On the bridge, there is a giant heart, where you can lock your love in place…
Prymorskyi Boulevard is a favorite resting place for citizens and visitors, on its alleys, in Greek Park with its sculptures like the head-shaped fountain and children's playground, and in Istanbul park (Stambulʹsʹkyy Park) that opened in May of 2017, (a lovely gift from the municipality of the Turkish capital that cost $1.5 million to complete), hundreds of people wander the paths, rest on the grass and take photos at the picturesque grottoes.
The boulevard is especially lively during the days of festivities and national celebrations, during the winter holidays the trees are ablaze with Christmas lights and vendors sell goods and mulled wine from wooden booths.
During the summer, the sky is lit up with multi-colored fireworks in honor of significant events, and the Odesa International Film Festival shows movies with the famous steps as the seating area. Every evening, along the shady paths of the boulevard, gray-haired pensioners, mothers with children, city workers, and, of course, young people slowly walk. Joyful laughter and the occasional musician can be heard everywhere, people's faces aglow with smiles and happiness.
(Photo by Alexander)
Come, friends, to Prymorskyi Boulevard! Here you will be met by gentle coolness and clean sea air. Here you will have a good rest, you will be able to get acquainted with one of the most picturesque corners of the hero city of Odesa.
And as an added bonus, if you have the time, check out the old Soviet movie Приморский бульвар (Primorskiy Bulvar from 1988) to see Odesa as it was right before the fall of the USSR!
Potemkin Steps Walking Tour Duke Richelieu Prymorskyi Boulevard Vorontsov Palace


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Our range of secondary school play equipment aims to bridge the gap in secondary learning by providing enriched resources and facilities that promote childhood development outside the classroom. From outdoor study areas and places to be social, through to multi-use sports courts and outdoor gyms, we have something suitable for every pupil and every outdoor requirement.
Since the early 90s, we have developed a hard-earned reputation for transforming dull tarmac areas and open spaces into inspiring and imaginative play and learning zones. We work closely with secondary schools to ensure that the chosen facilities can engage all children and young adults of all ages - while making the process as easy for you, our customer, as possible.
We relish the opportunity to get involved at an early stage and provide a free consultancy service to secondary schools before proceeding to assist you further with all facets of your new play and learning area - from design and manufacture, through to installation and after sales support.
Why Sovereign for secondary school play equipment?


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Swansea Crown Court
Two men jailed for attack on disabled man in Swansea
Dean Reilly and James Jones have been sentences to five-and-a-half years and six years respectively for the assault and robbery last year
Alicia Melville-Smith
Dean Reilly and James Jones
Two robbers who were charged with attacking a disabled man in Swansea have been sent to prison.
The victim was parking his car in a garage near Matthew Street flats when he was set upon, assaulted and had his black Volvo stolen in December last year.
South Wales Police officers quickly identified and arrested the suspects and within two days of the incident they were charged with robbery.
Two of the men – Dean Mark Reilly, 30, and James Paul Jones, 32, – have now been sentenced to five-and-a-half-years and six years respectively following a trial at Swansea Crown Court.
Detective Chief Inspector Jane Mackay of Swansea Central Police Station said: "This was a very nasty attack on a disabled man who was assaulted and robbed as he was parking up his car.
"The speed in which our officers identified the suspects and arrested them meant we were able to secure the necessary evidence to charge them and bring about a successful prosecution which has resulted in both defendants receiving substantial prison sentences.
"Fortunately, incidents such as this are not commonplace in Swansea but when they do occur we do everything we can to catch those responsible and bring them to justice."
South Wales Police


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Brittany Maynard dies using Oregon's assisted suicide law
By By Victoria Cavaliere
Reuters |
Brittany Maynard, an advocate for assisted suicide, moved to Oregon after she was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. She died using Oregon's doctor-assisted suicide law on Nov. 1. (Compassion & Choices)
A 29-year-old woman suffering from brain cancer who became an advocate for terminally ill patients who want to end their own lives has died using Oregon's doctor-assisted suicide law, an advocacy group said Sunday.
Brittany Maynard "passed peacefully in her bed surrounded by close family and loved ones," according to a
statement posted on Facebook
by the group Compassion & Choices, an Oregon-based nonprofit that assisted the young woman through her end of life.
Maynard was diagnosed in January with a glioblastoma brain tumor and said she planned to take prescribed medication to die when her pain became unbearable.
She and her husband moved from the San Francisco Bay area to Oregon this year to take advantage of the state's Death with Dignity Act which allows terminally ill residents to end their lives with the assistance of a physician.
Four U.S. states beside Oregon allow assisted suicide.
Messages of support poured into social media upon word of her passing.
"Thank you for paving the way for the future of death with dignity. You were a bright vibrant light in the world and you forever left your mark. Prayers for all family and friends," one user wrote.
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Opponents of assisted suicide say some people who are ill, especially among the elderly, might be unduly influenced by people close to them to end their lives and that other ways exist to ease the suffering of the terminally ill.
Maynard, who has stressed that her decision to end her life was her own, had previously told People magazine that she had picked Nov. 1 as the day she planned to die.
On the website of Compassion & Choices, Maynard said she had a bucket list of activities she wanted to complete, including traveling to the Grand Canyon, which she ticked off last month.
"It is people who pause to appreciate life and give thanks who are happiest. If we change our thoughts, we change our world! Love and peace to you all," she wrote in her own obituary.


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Q: Draw a line when user touch the Uiimageview i am working on a project in which i have added a UIimageview to show an image selected by user. Now requirement is that if user want to crop an images  it can touch the image according to crop requirement. when user cropping the image a line should draw at place where user has touched. i know that UITouch class will use for it. But i am unable to do it.

A: A couple of possible solutions.
1) Create a custom UIView that contains a UIImageView as it's subview.  Make the UIImageView be the same size as the custom UIView.  Then add code to detect the touches on the custom UIView and draw the lines on top of the UIImageView subview.
2) Create a custom clone of UIImageView that draws the image first as the 'background' and then detects the touches and draws the lines on top of the image.
Also make sure you have userInteractionEabled set to YES on the view receiving the touches.


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Spotify may let free users skip as many ads as...
By sahaskrit • On August 11, 2018 • In News
Since last month, Australian Spotify users have been using the Active Media feature, which lets them skip as many ads...
MoviePass Users Will Have To Choose Between...
MoviePass users wishing to use the service this weekend for anything other than the low-rated Slender Man or the...
To keep running a page with a 'large...
By sahaskrit • On August 11, 2018 • In Technology
Anyone who manages a Facebook page that has a "large audience," which is the somewhat nonspecific language Facebook...
MAYBE MOVIEPASS SHOULDN'T COMPARE ITSELF TO...
ON MONDAY, MOVIEPASS announced yet another entirely new model for subscribers. After announcing that it would...
Update Your Tax Withholdings Now
Here's an easy weekend financial task for you: Update your tax withholdings. Because of the new-ish tax law, tax...
How to Watch the Roku Channel's Free...
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Surprise! You don't need a Roku device or television to watch a ton of free, ad-supported movies and shows anymore....
The best movies on Netflix right now (August
Netflix offers thousands of movies (and TV shows) via its streaming platform. While the landmark service can be...
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Amazon's Prime Video service has come a long way since it first started offering free movies and TV shows to Prime...


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National Cyber Security Awareness Month is Focus of School of Computing Events
Major Gary Osland, cyber operations manager for the Alabama Air National Guard, will present the "Cybersecurity Threat Landscape" on Oct. 20 as part of the School of Computing's observance of National Cyber Security Awareness Month at the University of South Alabama.
He will speak at 3:30 p.m. in Room 2119 of Shelby Hall on the University's main campus.
Dr. Alec Yasinsac, dean of the School of Computing, said cyber security "is a growth area inside a growth area in academic research."
"Virtually every facet of our lives depends on computers that are connected together. Protecting those computers is one of the hardest jobs you could ever have. This month allows us to focus and familiarize the public with the difficulties, challenges and opportunities of cyber security," Yasinsac said.
Osland's presentation, one of many being presented throughout October, will focus on the latest cyber security news, threats and attacks happening daily and how they affect every American as well as the employees and students at USA.
Osland, a data center solutions specialist at Cisco, focuses on data center technology, strategy and sales for government and education customers. He creates strategies, develops proposals and delivers customer-focused solutions.
He has been in the IT industry for more than 25 years, holding roles ranging from engineering and sales to strategic development. He has worked in both the private and public sectors as well as the internet service provider industry.
Osland has presented on cyber security to the state governments of Alabama, Florida and California as well as to the New York City Police Department, many cities and governments, multiple universities and corporations.
The presentation will be free and open to the public.
For complete information on the many events scheduled at the School of Computing during National Cyber Security Awareness Month," visit http://www.soc.southalabama.edu/images/cybersecurityawarenessmonth.pdf.
Open House Set for Adult Learners
Interested in returning to college? The Office of Adult Learner Servic...


Tribeca New Music is proud to present the winning scores of the 2018 Young Composer Competition. Piano Trio No. 3: "Ecstatic Samba" (flute, cello & piano) by Kevin Day (age group 21 years old and younger) and Constellations for violin quartet by Ericsson Hatfield (age group 22-35) will be performed on Sunday, December 9 at Nancy Manocherian's - The Cell theater in NYC. These two works were chosen out of more than 120 submission to the TNM Young Composer Competition.
Additional works on the program include Karakurenai (piano solo) by Andy Akiho; Pañca (violin & piano) by Richard Einhorn (world premiere!); Jhule (violin & piano) by Reena Esmail; Silver Dagger (violin, cello & piano) by Stacy Garrop; Sam & Lilly (violin quartet) by Ericsson Hatfield; Spark (piano solo) by Alex Shapiro; and Song Without Words (guitar & piano) by Randall Woolf (world premiere!).
Performing on the concert will be Mary Rowell, Cyrus Beroukhim, Rebecca Anderson, Anna Elashvili, and Alex Shiozaki, violins; Kaoru Kinata, flute; Emily Brausa, cello; James Moore, guitar; Adam Marks, and Kathleen Supové, piano.


Hurricane season is upon us. That means there is a higher probability that it is going to rain, more than usual here in Florida. Since there is a chance for flooding anywhere that sees rain, this is a good time to think about buying flood insurance, even if your lender did not require you to purchase a flood policy. The good news is that if your lender did not require you to purchase flood insurance there is a great chance that the cost of a flood insurance policy will not break the bank. Most people are not aware or don't think about the fact that a flood loss is not covered by your homeowner's insurance policy. The lack of Flood Insurance is one of the biggest holes in insurance protection that people fail to plan for.
Out of all of the weather related hazards in the US, floods are one of the most common. In Florida, floods can affect any part of the state at any time. There can be localized flooding that impact just a few streets or extremely large floods that affect a city, multiple cities or even the entire state. 20% of all flood claims are made by home owners that are not in an area where lenders require a flood insurance policy. Imagine what that number would be if more people actually had purchased a Flood insurance policy!
With it being hurricane season, here is why it is important to rethink your decision against protecting your home with a flood insurance policy. Most people think that Flood Insurance is too expensive or that they don't need a flood insurance policy because their lender did not force them to purchase a flood policy. One thing to keep in mind is the fact that when purchasing a policy from the NFIP through your independent insurance agency, there is a 30 day waiting period for the policy to go into effect (unless the purchase of the flood insurance policy is to coincide with the closing of a mortgage loan). Seaman's Insurance Group not only has access to the NFIP but also has access to private insurance policies that have a waiting period of about half that time.
Why is this important? We need to think ahead.
Our phones here at Seaman's Insurance Group start ringing off the hook with clients asking for flood insurance when a named storm starts heading in our direction. At this point it is already too late to get coverage in place before the pending deluge hits our area. The perfect time to reach out to your insurance agent to talk about your flood coverage needs, since yesterday has already passed, is now, as in right this moment. Whether you are reading this after normal business hours, on the weekend, or on a national holiday, call, text, email or private message your favorite boutique independent insurance agency to let your agent know you want to discuss this very important policy.
We here at Seaman's Insurance Group have planned a series of blog posts to help you prepare for hurricane season. Stay tuned, there is a lot of great information coming your way.
To request a quote, follow this link.


Christa E. (Arnold) Buergin, 91, of Eatontown, NJ, passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 23, 2019, surrounded by family. She was the widow of Lt. Col. Allan A. Buergin, who died on September 4, 2018, and whom she married on March 8, 1952. Born in Munich, Germany, Christa was a daughter of the late Otto and Erna Arnold. After graduating from The Kimberly School in Montclair, NJ, she went on to receive a Bachelor's degree in Horticulture from Wheaton College, MA, and a Master's degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Christa was a homemaker and dedicated Army officer wife. The army took her and Allan all over the country including Alaska, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Colorado. They even spent two years overseas stationed in Germany.
She was a member of Lutheran Church of the Reformation in West Long Branch, NJ, where she was active with the Altar Guild and Worship and Music Committee. She enjoyed gardening, flower arranging, bowling, golfing and playing cards. Christa also was a member of the Oceanport Garden Club, and entered her arrangements into floral competitions.
She is survived by her three children, Curtis A. Buergin, and his wife, Joanna, Cynthia L. (Buergin) Nash, and her husband, Clifford, and Kenneth G. Buergin; and two grandchildren, Elise C. Nash and Daniel L. Nash. In addition to her husband and parents, Christa was predeceased by a brother, Georg R. O. Arnold.
A funeral service to celebrate Christa's life will be held on Saturday, March 30, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. in Lutheran Church of the Reformation, 992 Broadway, West Long Branch, NJ, with Reverend Matthew Cimorelli. officiating. Relatives and friends are invited to a viewing on Saturday before the ceremony from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the church. Burial will be private.
The family requests contributions be made in Christa's memory to Alzheimer's Assn. of New Jersey, 425 Eagle Rock Avenue, #203, Roseland, NJ 07068, Lutheran Church of the Reformation, 992 Broadway, West Long Branch, NJ 07764, or The Monmouth County SPCA, 260 Wall Street, Eatontown, NJ 07724.
Ludwick Funeral Homes, Inc., Kutztown, PA, is in charge of arrangements. Memories and condolences may be shared at www.Ludwickfh.com.
Leb wohl, liebe Mutter, bis wir uns wiedersehen.
I did not know Mrs. Buergin, but I have known her son, Ken, through work for many years. He always spoke so highly of his Morther, and she certainly did a wonderful job of raising him to be a good person. Rest in peace after a worthwhile life and a fine legacy.
Christa and Al came to Maintz,Germany with three children. We were in the same US Army battalion and became good friends from the begining. I met and came to know Christa's mother , father and brother and because of that I learned a lot about life and Germany. I came from a military family so over our many years of close friendship Christa and I learned from each other. She taught me German and Germany and I taught her a little about the military.We would walk into the town of Gonsenhiemand spoke only German with the children. What fun we would have. Came home and had coffee and she and I would have German wine.My parents had taught me to reciproccate in kind when we had been invited somewhere Christa helped us have a fondue dinner for our Division Commander and his wife..
Christa introduced me to a German friend,Frau Marges in Maintz. We also stayed friends for life. Our friend,Katy Marges drove me down on the autoban to Christa's mother's house in Munich. No one spoke a word of english but on the drive I learned a lot of German slang. Everyone on the road was a schwinhund if they dared to get in her way. We all remained special friends to the end. My son Stan went to the West Point prep schhool in Eatontown and she and Alan took special care of him and us when we visited. In many of our retirement years we spent the month of February sharing a home in Greneleaf, Florida at a major resort with 3 top notch golf courses.,We played golf almost every day. Fun fun. Every night Christa and I walked and interferred with Alan's donner at seven. She called them forced marches as she got olderbut we werealwaysable to get dinner at 7 so Al would be happy (so many happy fun days.) One day we were going to a luncheon and we stopped to get my car washed. A man came up and asked if we were "city folks" .We laughed and said we were. We were in a car wash in which you get out and do the work yourself. Thank goodness he washed it for us.
Christa was blessed with a great family who was with her through her painful and difficult final years. I am sorry to not be able to come to the funeral. My husband is very sick and can not travel.
Auf Wiedersehen, Christa. Many thanks for all our memories! Love, Cam and Betty Fraser!
Please share your memories of Christa.


Cara Levine and Michael Namkung live in opposite corners of the country: Levine in Portland, Oregon and Namkung in Miami, Florida. They met in the summer of 2016 and formed a unique artistic connection. Upon returning to their respective homes, they have been making collaborative artwork from a distance, and about distance. Looking at a map of the United States, they wondered where the actual geographic middle point would be, as the crow flies, along the 2696 miles between them. Lo and behold, they discovered this point, the geodesic center, to be within a stone's throw of Wichita, Kansas.
Desiring but unable to travel to the midpoint themselves, the artists asked the curators of At a Distance to enact the artists' meeting in their stead, to explore the view from the middle, and to contemplate the distance between two people. As surrogates, the curators were given precise directions for carrying out Instructions for Capturing The View From The Middle. As the exact midpoint lies on private property, the surrogates were to follow one set of instructions if they were given permission to access this point, and a wholly different set of instructions if they were denied access to this halfway point.
In exploring the physical, emotional and spiritual distance between them, Levine and Namkung ask what it means to reach across the distance, what it means to find connection with another, in spite of and because of this distance. What does it mean in a relationship to meet someone halfway? To close the distance between? As human beings, we seek connection; yet often when two people attempt to meet each other halfway, unforeseen distances are revealed.


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Govt probes Victoria Hotel
BusinessLocal NewsNews
By Lesotho Times On Apr 23, 2018
-says current owner not paying rents and taxes
Tsitsi Matope
THE government has resolved to probe the operations of Victoria Hotel in Maseru amid revelations that the operator who is leasing the facility for a song has not been paying rent and taxes on the government-owned property for almost a decade.
This was said by the Minister of Tourism, Environment and Culture, Motlohi Maliehe, in an exclusive interview with the Lesotho Times this week.
Mr Maliehe said the probe would also extend to all government-owned accommodation and tourism facilities because some private operators have not been paying any dividends, rent and taxes to the government for several years.
He said the government had been losing millions of maloti to the private operators and some of the operators had only started to pay up when the government began to scrutinise their operations.
Mr Maliehe said that while the ministry was working in line with the government policy of promoting the Public, Private, Partnerships (PPP), they were eager to foster win-win outcomes with the private operators running government tourism and accommodation establishments.
The audit, he said would, help to recover all the revenue the tourism ministry has lost over the years and to help devise a monitoring and evaluation mechanism that would ensure quick identification of challenges for the mapping-out of solutions.
He cited Victoria Hotel in the central business of Maseru as one of the establishments that were guilty of failing to pay rent and taxes to the government for many years.
"We have analysed and discussed the (Victoria Hotel) matter at ministerial level and we are now in discussions with the ministry of finance with regards to the agreement they had with the private operator. The crux of the matter is that, for years, the government has not received anything from that investment, including rent. Although it has taken this long to realise, we all agree that something has to be done," Mr Maliehe said.
The 56-room Victoria Hotel, which employs 58 employees was leased to the current operator, South African businessman Thabiso Tlelai, almost a decade ago in 2009. Mr Tlelai told this publication that the rent is M60 000 per month. Theoretically, Mr Tlelai only needs two days of full occupancy to pay his monthly rent and still have lots of change left over. A room costs M710 per person during the week and M870 per couple.
On weekends, the cost is M625 per person and M750 per couple. Assuming the hotel is always fully booked by single people the operator would make M880 000 per month in rentals alone. This excludes the rentals for the conference facilities at the hotel and income from food and beverages.
Mr Maliehe said leasing facilities without getting any returns did not make sense for the government as establishments were expected to generate revenue that would be used to further improve the tourism sector.
He further explained that the ministry was looking at leasing all its facilities, some of which have since become white elephants to local and foreign investors who would pay decent amounts in rentals.
"We are not saying we will be unreasonable and we want to milk the investors, but we have to work out agreements that ensure that the government also gets something."
However, the current operator of Victoria Hotel, Mr Tlelai, refuted Mr Maliehe's claims that he had not been paying rent, saying his lease agreement with the government stipulated that the rent would be deducted from the M20 million capital he claims he injected into improving the facility upon leasing it. He however, failed to furnish this publication with a copy of the lease agreement or proof that he had invested M20 million.
He said Mr Maliehe could be speaking from an uninformed point of view with regards to the issue.
"The truth of the matter is that I got sign-offs on the huge capital I injected into the facility and the government is getting rent out of that capital injection," he said, adding that he would be happy to meet the Mr Maliehe and his principal secretary to discuss the issue.
"It would help if we can meet to discuss what areas they would like fixed. If they do not understand the agreement, I will inform them so that their actions are based on the correct information," he said adding the lease agreement will continue until 2025.
Mr Tlelai explained that since he started operating the hotel, he has injected more than M20 million into the establishment and he estimates that he will need to inject another M30 million to further improve the facility to international standards.
He said at the time he took over Victoria Hotel, the then government had approached some big names in the hospitality sector in the Southern Africa region and none of them were interested in the facility.
"The hotel was in shambles when I took over. All the rooms, kitchen and dining area were a disaster. For me to even have the audacity to run the hotel was about improving the standards and I spent millions of my own money because no banks lend you money to invest in a property you don't own," Mr Tlelai said.
However, Mr Maliehe said as much as the partnerships with the private sector were very important, he was not happy with how some of the operators had deprived the government of millions in revenue.
"This defeats the PPP concept …..It says to us there is something wrong hence the need for us to put in place mechanisms that will inform us as to whether or not we are really benefitting from these facilities. I visited Molimo Nthuse accommodation facility in Selibeng, which boasts of a lot of potential and it was painful to watch it because it was badly run-down.
"The government did not establish the facility for someone to ruin but to support the private sector and work together in providing employment to the Selibeng community. We need to see how best the facility can be resuscitated together with Thaba Chitja in Mohale's Hoek.
"Corrupt practices will not be entertained. We are looking at serious and professional partnerships. I feel the tourism sector could have significantly developed by now had it been managed efficiently. This was not happening because of issues to do with corruption and unfair agreements."
He said the unprofessional conduct by some civil servants have cost the country dearly in terms of lost revenue in the tourism sector.
"I can also cite the Tourist Information Centre in Butha Buthe which has been closed since 2010 and the Liphofung Caves and Nature Reserve deal in Butha Buthe, which we lost some years ago because somebody wanted 10 percent free shareholding.
"An investor left because of the selfishness of one very senior civil servant. There are other such cases where certain individuals shamelessly sacrificed hundreds of jobs that could have benefitted our people, simply because they could not pocket anything in the deals. This government should make sure that level of shameless corruption is stopped. Our Prime Minister, Dr Tom Thabane continues to speak against corruption and we should not let him down or work against the ideals of development which seek to empower our people."
Ministers in bitter fight
Death threats as MKM furore escalates


We started a new fashionable game just for you. Always wanted to drive a mini red car?Well this is a chance for you to do so. Jump behind the wheel and find the perfect spot for you to fit your little car. Once you've parked drive away to the next parking spot. Pay attention to the arrows that point your way. Be careful to the other cars in your way and the obstacles that might damage your car and you will have to start all over again.


Yoga is that very activity, which does not only help you relax and distract from everyday problems but also makes it possible for you to understand your secret needs through connecting to your individual inner power. There are different types of yoga you can choose from nowadays.
However, it often proves quite difficult to realize what exactly your body needs at a given period of time. To make the right choice you will be pleased with, it makes sense to find out more about this activity and the core power yoga is what we will start with.
This type of yoga originated from Ashtanga, which was once popular in India. The term itself as well as the program came from the west and became recognized by lots of practitioners due to its conception, philosophic ideas, and style.
Core power yoga is the one that ensures numerous health benefits. This involves everything from body stimulation, detoxification, and healing and up to mental relaxation. The activity itself may seem somewhat challenging since it combines spirituality, strength, and persistence.
The program involves three power levels, each of which is meant to improve your overall well-being and health condition. Thus, the first level is referred as physical. This is because it helps improve your current state of health, thus contributing to your physical strength.
The second level deals with mental aspects. Its essence implies the enhancement of concentration abilities and will power, which is achieved through consistent practice.
Finally, the third level is all about your spiritual strength, which is connected with mental and physical issues. With that said, it becomes obvious that all levels are interrelated, so it is impossible to master this kind of yoga without getting the essence of each of them.
Apart from the power levels mentioned above, the program comprises three stages that focus on diverse body areas. These stages are known as "core power stage", "unlocking the athletic power and "soul of strength". The first stage deals with such body areas as abdomen and back. Vinyasa power poses practiced here are especially worked out to stimulate muscles found in the abdominal body region.
The second part of the program is helpful and extremely effective when it comes to increasing the strength of the pelvic area and that of the hips through performing back and abdominal exercises. The third stage, in its turn, has an emphasis on the mid-body area and almost all poses it comprises are quite challenging, especially for beginners.
The main thing that differs this kind of yoga from hot yoga and other programs is that each session is held in a well-heated room. This is because the practitioners believe that all the toxins, tension and excessive stress go away from their bodies with sweat. As a result, a person experiences the increase of stamina will power and improvement of concentration ability.
These effects are long-lasting and ensure superb health benefits you have dreamt about for a long time. So, if your intention is to enhance your body condition and spirit, then this kind of yoga is the one that is undoubtedly worth practicing!
Where you can learn Core Power yoga ??


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Oregon COVID-19 county risk levels drop as virus takes dive
Gary A. Warner/Oregon Capital Bureau
'We are seeing great progress in stopping the spread of COVID-19 across Oregon and saving lives.'
A steep drop in COVID-19 infections nationwide was reflected recently with 16 Oregon counties improving their infection risk levels.
Gov. Kate Brown said Tuesday, Feb. 23, that 10 of the state's 36 counties were dropping off the extreme risk tier. The moves means that restrictions on businesses, dining and activities will be less strict on Friday for a long list of Oregon cities. Among the larger cities that will see less restrictions are Beaverton, McMinnville and Oregon City.
"We are seeing great progress in stopping the spread of COVID-19 across Oregon and saving lives," Brown said. "Oregonians continue to step up and make smart choices."
Five counties — Jefferson (Madras), Benton (Corvallis), Josephine (Grants Pass) Douglas (Roseburg) and Coos (Coos Bay) — remain at the extreme risk level. That compares to 26 counties in late November at the height of the holiday spike in infections.
The state's four-tier risk level rates counties at lower, moderate, high and extreme levels for COVID-19 spread. Ranking is determined by measures including total cases, cases per 100,000 people and positive infection rate. The higher the level, the more restrictive the rules on businesses and activities.
The levels are adjusted every two weeks. The ratings announced Feb 9 expire Thursday, Feb. 25. The new ratings go into effect Friday, Feb. 26. Announcement of the next level changes will be March 9 and will go into effect March 12.
On Thursday, Feb. 25, Brown extended her declaration of a state of emergency for 60 days, until May 2. Extending the state of emergency means the state and continue to use federal COVID-19 relief and assistance, including assistance with vaccine distribution.
"When I issued my first state of emergency declaration last March, there were 14 known cases of COVID-19 in Oregon," Brown said. "Today, we have now seen more than 150,000 cases across the state, and, sadly, 2,194 deaths.
"As we vaccinate thousands of Oregonians each day and reopen more school buildings and businesses as safely as possible, now is not the time to let up our guard."
Some of the state's most populous counties improved their level, though Portland just missed the mark. Washington and Clackamas counties near Portland moved from high to moderate risk. Neighboring Multnomah County, which includes Portland, was just above the cut-off point for cases per 100,000.
Other than Multnomah, the largest county to not improve its level was Deschutes, which had already dropped to high level in the previous report. The county showed significant improvement in cases and is on pace to move to the moderate tier on March 9.
In Central Oregon, Crook dropped from extreme to high level. Jefferson remains at extreme.
The risk levels are part of a spate of good news on the COVID-19 front. Case have dropped 44% nationwide over the past 14 days, according to The New York Times survey of state health agencies. Deaths are down 28% in the same period.
Oregon was part of the trend, with a 34% drop in cases and a 54% decline in deaths. Oregon continues to rank 49th out of 50 states on a key measure that averages cases over seven days and adjusts the number for infections per 100,000 people.
Oregon has nine cases per 100,000. Only Hawaii, with three, had a lower mark. Among Oregon's neighbors, Washington and Nevada each had 11. California was at 17. The worst rates were in South Carolina, at 46 and New York at 38.
Dominate variant emerging
While public health officials are hopeful that the trend will continue as the slow pace of vaccination picks up in coming months. But experts remain concerned about a spate of variants that spread faster and may be more virulent. One first discovered in the United Kingdom has been reported in three cases in Oregon.
The Centers for Disease Control has forecast that the "U.K. variant" could be the predominate infection by the end of March. Another variant, from South Africa, has been shown in early research to be more virulent and deadly, and can possibly bypass the current Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
Both companies are working on revisions of the vaccine to deal with the variants. The CDC has said even if some variants infect those who are inoculated, the vaccine will at least protect against severe and fatal symptoms.
- COVID-19 hospitalizations, deaths falling
- COVID-19: Washington, Clackamas, other counties lowered to 'moderate risk'
- Clackamas County COVID vaccine site opens in Wilsonville
- Vaccine supply improves
- March 1 declared COVID-19 Memorial Day in Hillsboro
- COVID-19 vaccinations underway at Oregon prisons
- COVID relief grant covers library flooring and restroom remodel
- COVID cuts $4.5 million from Oregon's wine tasting revenue