1 Corinthians 11:17-34 contains Paul's instructions to the church in Corinth concerning correct and incorrect practice of the Lord's Supper (i.e. Communion). Ever since Jesus Christ instituted the Lord's Supper (Matt. 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:14-23) on the evening before his arrest and subsequent crucifixion, the practice has remained a repeated staple of Christian worship across ecclesial lines, even though historical debates have often raged concerning Christ's presence in the supper. At Spruce Creek we partake of communion once per month. Although some churches do so more frequently and others less frequently, in theological parlance the issue of frequency is known as a 'circumstance' of corporate worship (i.e. an issue of preference) because no instructions on frequency are given to us in scripture. Thus this issue is left to the discretion of the session. Nevertheless, when we do partake of the Lord's Supper it's important to know what exactly we're doing and what the grounds for participation are.
In the Biblical passage referenced above (1 Cor. 11:17-34) the Apostle Paul, the author of 1 Corinthians, begins by admonishing the church in Corinth for exacerbating divisions within the church (11:17-22). Directly in view are divisions that were propagated between the rich and poor. The problem Paul raises is as follows: when the church gathered in homes, as was the customary meeting place, the wealthier were afforded greater prominence than the poor. One way this division manifested itself was in the physical arrangement at the Supper. The rich were offered a place in the dining room, whereas the poor within the covenant community were forced to sit outside the dining room in the atrium. Such divisions, Paul tells us, have no place in the church and they even undermine the gospel!
Given the abuse of the Lord's Supper, Paul transitions to remind the church of the Supper's foundation and purpose by fixing his readers upon Jesus' words of institution at the last supper. In short, this is the feast of the covenant community wherein we feast on Christ. During the protestant reformation one of the chief dividing lines concerned the presence of Jesus in the Lord's Supper; how exactly do we feast on Christ? In reference to the bread Jesus says, "This is my body" (11:24) and in reference to the cup (i.e. wine) Jesus says, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood" (11:25). One the one hand, Martin Luther believed that while the elements did not transform into the actual body and blood of Christ, Christ's body and blood were somehow present in, with, or under the elements. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Swiss reformer Ulrich Zwingli believed the elements served little more than a memorial to remind us of Christ's sacrifice. However, the reformed view, which is the position this church assumes, is more of a middle road between these two reformation views. We believe that Christ is really present through his spirit and we partake through the mouth of faith. Thus, Christ is really present in the supper but rather than feeding upon him physically (e.g. Roman Catholic view), we feed upon him spiritually through the mouth of faith.
When we take the bread we are reminded of Christ's sacrificial and atoning death on behalf of his people. We are reminded that Christ bore the full weight of our sins, and we rejoice that we are considered righteous because of the righteousness of Christ imputed (i.e. attributed) to us. And when we partake of the grape juice, we are reminded of Christ's blood that inaugurated the new covenant (cf. Jer. 31:31-34). When we take the grape juice we are assured that because of the precious blood of Christ, we will one day feast with our Lord in paradise. Thus, in our eating and drinking the bread and grape juice we are announcing the gospel to the world and proclaiming our union with Christ.
Christ has commanded me and all believers to eat this broken bread and to drink this cup in remembrance of him. With this command come these promises: First, as surely as I see with my eyes the bread of the Lord broken for me and the cup shared with me, so surely his body was offered and broken for me and his blood poured out for me on the cross. Second, as surely as I receive from the hand of the one who serves, and taste with my mouth the bread and cup of the Lord, given me as sure signs of Christ's body and blood, so surely he nourishes and refreshes my soul for eternal life with his crucified body and poured-out blood.
Finally, after reorienting his readers to the Lord's Supper Paul provides brief instructions for how one should partake. Lest we partake "in an unworthy manner" he exhorts, "Let a person examine himself" (11:28) and implicitly calls his readers to "discern the body" (11:29). There are both vertical and horizontal dimensions to this preparatory calling. On the one hand, Paul calls his readers to examine themselves according to how they are presently relating within the covenant community. Any socioeconomic division within the covenant community has no place and the call to examine oneself and to discern the body are intended to eschew this division, among others. At the same time this is a call to examine oneself in relation to the covenant community, at its foundation, this is a call to examine oneself in relation to the person of Christ. When we meet for the Lord's Supper as a church, we are partaking in the body and blood of Christ. Thus, even though the immediate issue in Corinth were horizontal divisions – divisions among the body – the root issue is vertical. New Testament scholar Gordon Fee writes, "…such an abuse of the "body" [(i.e. the church)] is an abuse of Christ himself." The church was ultimately failing to "Do this in remembrance of me" (11:24); they were failing to take stock of what the meal truly represents. In this way the church was being called to renewal in the gospel through repentance and faith.
Those who are displeased with themselves because of their sins, but who nevertheless trust that their sins are pardoned and that their remaining weakness is covered by the suffering and death of Christ, and who also desire more and more to strengthen their faith and to lead a better life. Hypocrites and those who are unrepentant, however, eat and drink judgment on themselves.
Do I understand what the Gospel is objectively (i.e. what scripture says about the good news concerning Jesus Christ) and what it means for me, (i.e. not only the objective 'facts,' but why it is good news for me)?
What sins and idols of the heart (e.g. comfort, control, power, etc.) do I need to repent from? In other words, are there any areas of my life where I am 'lord' rather than Christ?
Is there anyone in the church I need to ask for forgiveness?
Because this is a feast that signifies our union with Christ, it is a feast for believers in Christ. This is why we ask that if you are not yet ready to embrace Jesus Christ as he is freely offered to us in the gospel, we respectfully ask that you refrain from partaking of this feast. But if you have become keenly aware of your sin and your need for the grace of Jesus Christ, this is the work of God who is calling you to embrace Jesus Christ. Why not take the next step and embrace Jesus Christ as your Lord? Receiving Christ as Lord simply requires repentance and faith. Repentance is a turning from sin and self-trust. And faith is trusting in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. If you're not sure what exactly to do, we invite you to begin by praying the prayer below. But this isn't some incantation or magical charm. Rather, this prayer is simply an outline that we invite you to make your own if indeed God is prompting you. Being a Christian involves a lifestyle of repentance and faith. Furthermore, being a Christian means that you live your life in the context of the Christian community, which involves finding a church home. Please let us know after the service if this is a commitment you are taking. The pastoral staff and elders would be more than happy to walk alongside you in this journey.
Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner. I need your forgiveness. Thank you for living a sinless life and dying a sinner's death on the cross for my sins. I now turn from my sinfulness and self-trust, and I place my trust in You alone for the forgiveness of my sins and the free gift of eternal life. I now receive you as my Risen Lord and Savior. Thank You for taking my sins upon yourself and giving me the gift of Your righteousness through faith. Take control of my life and make me the kind of person You want me to be.


text:
Q: Двойной вызов конструктора с std::initializer_list Почему следующая программа
#include <iostream>
#include <initializer_list>

template<typename T>
struct A {
    A(std::initializer_list<T> list) {
        std::cout << "list" << '\n';
    }

    A(const A& a) {
        std::cout << "copy" << '\n';
    }

    A& operator=(const A& a) {
        std::cout << "copy assignment" << '\n';

        return *this;
    }

    A& operator=(A&& a) noexcept {
        std::cout << "move assignment" << '\n';

        return *this;
    }
};

int main() {
    A<int> a{};
    auto b = A{a,a};
}

выводит

list
copy
copy
list

?

A: А что тут неясно?
Первая строка - при создании a, вторая - при подготовке инициализатора для b - копирование двух a, третья - при создании b из списка инициализации...

A: здесь
int main() {
A<int> a{};
auto b = A{a,a};
}

происходит следующее:
строка   A<int> a{};  - создается лист а, при этом
         вызывается A(std::initializer_list<T> list) {std::cout << "list" << '\n';}
               выводится "list"
строка   auto b = A{a,a};  - создается лист листов, в который 2 раза добавляется
                             созданный в предидущей строке а,
                             так как созданный а - это A<int> (лист)
         поэтому
            дважды вызывается A(const A& a) {std::cout << "copy" << '\n';}
              при создании 2-х а для A{a,a}
               выводится "copy", "copy"
            затем вызывается
              A(std::initializer_list<T> list) {std::cout << "list" << '\n';}
              при создании самого A{a,a}, который является листом
               выводится "list"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
ECOWAS and Intrastate Conflict Mediation in West Africa: The Case of Cote d'Ivoire
Author: Dramane Ouattara
Originally Published at Peace and Conflict Monitor on 10/04/2016
"If we all make a small effort, not necessarily on a daily basis but at least on a weekly basis to be nicer to our environment, I think we can make a huge difference; difference doesn't always mean solving the conflict – but solving any conflict must start with small efforts, on a small scale, so let's all try to do that. Life will be more pleasant, for all of us."
Carmela Lutmar, University of Haifa- Israel -2014.
"We need to do away with the pretence that cessation of hostilities amount to peace. A firm foundation for sustainable peace cannot be land unless and until full comprehension and mastery of the conflict has been realized. This requires more than mere conjectures or intelligent guesses as to their fundamental causes."
Adedeji, A. (ed) 1999. Comprehending and Mastering African Conflicts. The Search for Sustainable Peace and Good Governance. Zeb Books ltd London 1999 pp9.
Transitions from conflict are among life's most perilous journeys. Once societies have unraveled into violence and neighbors are preying on each other, trust is destroyed and the confidence to build is a community undermined. How can we move ahead?
Shifting geo-political realities, vigorous international mediation, growing war fatigue among the suffering people, and the realization on the part of warring parties that their objectives cannot be achieved through war have led to the cessation of intrastate conflicts in many parts of the world.
In other cases, one warring party has clearly emerged victorious, thereby ending the conflict. Consequently, countries such as Angola, Cambodia, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Haiti, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Rwanda, Uganda and Cote d'Ivoire are now breathing a respite from civil wars. The cessation of civil wars presents an unprecedented opportunity for these countries to rebuild their societies, institutions, economies and to embrace reforms that have been elusive in the past.
Peace accords invariably require holding free and fair mediation process with broad-based participation of each party. Moreover, mediation is supposed to settle the contentious issue of the political legitimacy of the government both inside and outside the country. More important, a responsive, representative political system is widely regarded as an effective mechanism for articulating the political aspirations of minority and other ethnic groups. Political competition based on ballots rather than bullets is also perceived to serve as an antidote to war and violence.
Mediation exists as part of the political process of concluding an armed conflict. The effectiveness of a mediation process should be judged by its contribution to the solution of the main issues facing the political system: The ending of a civil conflict and the establishment of a state authority under democratic control all over the country such as the ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) mediation in Ivorian conflict. Mediation is not always successful, many time it fails and accentuated the conflict in the country like the UN mediation in Syria where the UN–Arab League envoy Kofi Annan failed and resigned from Syrian Conflict Mediation in 2012.
But many times such efforts succeed and bring peace, stability and economic growth in the country like the case in Cote d'Ivoire where the mediation where undertaken by the ECOWAS in 2007, where Blaise Compaoré President of the Republic of Burkina Faso, ECOWAS mediator in the conflict in Cote d'Ivoire succeed with the Ouagadougou Peace Accord and settled the disputes between the belligerents.
Therefore, this paper attempts to answer the following research question: Under which conditions did ECOWAS mediation succeed in the Ivorian conflict resolution process?
The United Nations Charter made provision in its Chapter VIII (Articles 52-54) for a role of (sub-) regional agencies in matters relating to the maintenance of international peace and security and by extension conflict management. Among other things, regional bodies are to make every effort to achieve pacific settlement of local disputes (Article 52 [2]). But it was not until the 1990s, following the publication of Boutros Boutros Ghali's An Agenda for Peace (1992) that this responsibility has been taken seriously.
The literature on regional involvement in the management of conflicts, particularly intervention in intrastate conflicts, highlights the potential, but more so the inherent contradictions, in such an endeavour. Northedge and Donelan (1971:245) justify regional intervention on the ground that states in a particular region are better acquainted with the problems and characteristics of the area and better able to understand the motives and pressures which impel the conflicting parties; and therefore, are in a better position to know the kind of settlement which stands a better chance of being viable. However, they argue, if there are no well-established means for resolving disputes within the regional organisation (as was the case of ECOWAS) a party may find itself shut off from hearing at the global level.
Meyers (1974: 345-373) also opines that the mere existence of similarities of interests, problems and loyalties are not sufficient to guarantee success if the conflict management capacity of the regional organisation is weak.
Amoo (1993: 247) paints a bleaker picture. In his view, 'in any particular conflict situation that attracts regional intervention, member-states invariably have their own separate and often conflicting agendas' (Ibid). As a result, conflict dynamics and mediatory processes become more complex and intractable particularly when 'member-states in pursuit of incompatible goals proffer moral and military support to parties in conflict' (Ibid).
Salim (1990: 175-190) admits that regional mediation in internal conflicts is a sensitive issue since it touches on matters of national sovereignty. He sees credibility as the essence of any mediation effort but this cannot be acquired all at once. To be credible, regional organizations, like other third parties, must have demonstrated over time, the necessary political skills in their involvement in other conflict situations and they must have had an impeccable record of impartiality to be able to command the confidence of the parties to the conflict. Would ECOWAS have the time and experience before it entered Liberia?
Salim (Ibid) further concedes that some internal conflicts are so complicated that they do not lend themselves to easy resolution regardless of the credentials and efforts of the mediators. This is especially so in cases where the personalities involved see the resolution of a given conflict linked to their political future; or when the conflict involves so deep emotional feelings that it becomes an exercise in futility to try to advance reasoned arguments. It should be interesting to see how these factors impinge on the ability of ECOWAS to broker peace in the West African sub-region.
David (1997: 552-570) highlights the contradictory effects that outside intervention may have on internal conflicts. While it might halt wars that the belligerents cannot stop on their own, outside intervention might make things worse by relieving the combatants of responsibility for settling their own disputes. Whereas regional organizations might be the key to ending some internal conflicts, they might prove incapable of producing peace in others. These apparent contradictions arise partly because the main actors in such wars range from government-directed armies to roving bands of youth; and partly because, internal conflicts themselves are diverse, including: insurrections, insurgencies, terrorist campaigns and mass slaughters. Clearly, success in mediating internal conflicts would depend to a large extent on the mediators' understanding of the genesis and dynamics of each crisis.
Zartman (1995:3) takes the peculiar problems of resolving internal conflicts further, contending that while internal conflicts are most difficult to negotiate, negotiations are a better option for resolving such conflicts than military victory. In his view, a military defeat of the rebellion often drives the cause underground only to emerge at a later date; while victory for the rebellion may 'carry with it the mirror image of the previous exclusions, triggering new repressions and exclusions'.
The intensity of internal conflicts prevents the parties from either communicating with each other or thinking of a mutually attractive solution; and this is where mediation by a third party becomes crucial. Yet mediation is difficult in a civil war context, because the parties, for different reasons, are reluctant to accept third party intervention. For the incumbent, the mediator necessarily interferes in its domestic affairs and also recognizes the rebellion. On their part, the rebels are suspicious that the interveners would support the incumbent government and prevent the rebellion from running its course (Zartman 1995:121).
Stedman (1997: 570) is far less charitable in his assessment of regional efforts at halting internal wars. He argues that such efforts often end up prolonging the wars because 'they transform wars that would have ended quickly with one side winning into protracted stalemates' (Ibid). He viewed the Liberian crisis, for example, through those lenses and concluded that ECOWAS' intervention only prevented Taylor acquiring power in 1990.
The fact that each conflict is different, and the process to mediate one conflict successfully can be different from another one, this paper attempts to analyse the mediation efforts of ECOWAS as regional organization in the peace process in the conflict which started in Cote d'Ivoire in the year 2002 after the failure a" military Coup d'Etat" against the former President Laurent Gbagbo.
Intrastate conflict
Conflict is in fact a crisis which signifies a breakdown in the normal pattern of behavior. It involves a collision of incompatible positions resulting from a failure to regulate, reconcile and harmonize differences.
The literature defines intrastate conflict as armed sustained combat between groups within state boundaries. The intrastate conflict in the literature is broken into ethnically, religiously, and ideologically based groups with the first refer to as ethno nationalists or ethno class. Ethnically based conflicts involve groups that are organized in defense of their religious beliefs. Ideological based conflicts involve groups contesting the dominant political or economic ideology. Small, David Singer(1982) .
Mediation is defines as any" intermediary activity…. Undertaken by a third party with the primarily intention of achieving some compromise settlement of the issue at stake between the parties. Christ Mitchell (1981:287). Mediation involves the intervention of an acceptable, impartial and neutral third party who has no authoritative decision making power to assist contending parties in voluntarily reaching their own mutually acceptable settlement. Christopher Moore (1986:6). Mediation is a voluntary process which can be undertake by an individual person, an international organization, or a state. Effective mediation is dependent on not only the mediator knowledge and skills regarding conflict and conflict resolution but also their prestige and authority, originality of ideas access to resources and ability to act unobtrusively.
ECOWAS Mediation in Ivorian Conflict
The context of Mediation: Brief background of the Ivorian Conflict
Before this conflict, Cote d'Ivoire had been a much more stable country. Despite having some 60 ethno-language groups and 25% of the population made up of immigrants, it managed to maintain economic growth and political stability for more than 30 years after independence. While a policy of "Ivoirité" – which sought to redefine who constitutes "true Ivoirians" – had increased social tension during the mid-1990s, the economy was showing signs of improvements after a devaluation package in 1994.
On September 19, 2002, military troops originating from the North, mutinied and attacked major cities throughout the country, claiming control over the northern region (which represent 60% of the territory) and establishing Bouake (the second largest city in Cote d'Ivoire) as its base. During 2003-2004, violence escalated. Massacres of civilians took place especially in the South West and many presumed northerners in Abidjan neighborhoods were arrested and killed (McGovern 2011). The North was currently occupied by the rebel movement, the "Mouvement Patriotique de Cote d'Ivoire (MPCI)", later known as Forces Nouvelles De Cote d'Ivoire/ New Forces (FN), set up its headquarters in Bouake in the Northern Cote d'Ivoire and remobilized for an attack on the South. With the Government in the South with Abidjan it Capital. However, French troops intervened and halted this southward march.
While most fighting ended in 2004, the country was effectively split between north and south by a confidence zone" – set up by international peace keeping forces – between the rebels and government forces (United Nations 2009). The reconciliation process was not abided by and elections originally set for 2005 were pushed back several times until late 2010. The 2005-2010 was described as a "no war, no peace" situation characterized by uncertainty, severe disruptions of services and widespread small armed conflicts (McGovern 2011).
ECOWAS was very swift to condemn the mutiny in Cote d'Ivoire and offer its support to the democratically elected President Laurent Gbagbo, which is to show the commitment of the organization to ensure democratic practice and at the same time to be committed for peace and security in the West African region.
The Process of ECOWAS Mediation: An African Solution to an African Problem
Like most African conflicts, the Ivorian crisis has witnessed a plethora of international and internal negotiation processes aimed at arresting the conflict and shepherding peace. This section concentrates on ECOWAS mediation efforts to reach international and regional accords in order to solve the Ivorian conflict.
As the fighting erupted, ECOWAS and France took a proactive posture to end the conflict. Peace talks were hastily held in Accra, Lomé, and Paris. During the January 2003 Paris Conference, the belligerents signed the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement on the 24 January 2003, which is basically the framework upon which other negotiations attempt are contingent upon.
The Head of States and Government Summit and the Accra Accords
An extraordinary summit of ECOWAS Head of State and Government was convened in Accra (Ghana) on 29 September 2002. The summit named the Head of States and Government of Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Togo to constitute a High Level Contact Group to negotiate a peaceful end to the Conflict. The Group began its mediation efforts by meeting with President Gbagbo and the leaders of the MPCI in early October 2002. The group succeeds in early November with the Togolese President Eyadema as a facilitator of the peace process.
Under this Agreement, both parties reaffirmed their commitment to the ceasefire, refrain recruiting and using mercenaries, and children, respect human rights and preserve the territorial integrity of the country. The Government also agreed to submit to parliament a draft amnesty law involving the freeing of jailed members of the military, and the return and reintegration of soldiers in exile, etc.
ECOWAS on its part pledged the deployment of a buffer force from Benin, Ghana, Niger, Senegal, and Togo to monitor the ceasefire, a role that was being played interim basis by French troops (ECOWAS Report, 16-22 December 2002:8-10).
These initial successes soon floundered because of the entrenched positions of the opponent sides, the inability of ECOWAS to speedily redeploy troops and the perceived rivalry been ECOWAS Chairman Wade of Senegal and Chief Eyadema. Thus, like in previous ECOWAS initiatives, intransigence on the part of the warring factions and lack of commitment and intra-community rivalry would protract the peace process (ECOWAS Report16–22 December 2002:8-10). It was under such circumstances that the French government took the wind at of ECOWAS sail and negotiates the Linas- Marcoussis Accord in January 2003.
Though Marcoussis Agreement offered a workable framework for moving towards peace and reconciliation in Cote d'Ivoire. Subsequent events have also proved that the French and ECOWAS initiatives were complementary. It was through the mediatory efforts of ECOWAS Chairman President John Kuffor of Ghana that the rough edges of the Marcoussis agreement were smoothened to ensure its implementation from March 2003. An ECOWAS force (ECOFORCE) with troops from Benin, Ghana, Niger, Senegal, and Togo were in Cote d'Ivoire working side by side with French troops to maintain Peace and security (Alexander K.D. Frempong, 8-11 December 2003).
The Ouagadougou Peace Agreement- Direct talks: Path to Peace
Many elements contributed to the direct talks to take between belligerents, in this section we highlight the key ones.
Internal Dynamics
The Ouagadougou Agreement under the mediation of ECOWAS (with Blaise Compaore has facilitator) was hatched within this quagmire. Since its signing in March 2007 by the FPI government and FN, security has greatly improved and durable peace is in sight, despite implementation delays. The agreement was preceded by two key developments which altered the political calculus in Côte d'Ivoire. On one side there was a clear sense of war fatigue (after 5 years of belligerencies) among the masses and realization by the elite that outright military victory was elusive. On the other side the national public opinion as for peace put on both the rebels group and also the government a pressure. Those realities were echoed in conciliatory remarks by Laurent Gbagbo (President) and Soro Guillaume (leader of the MPCI rebel Movement).
The ECOWAS Mediator
In addition to the internal dynamics, there were shifts in the attitude of President Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso, who has been suspected of supporting the rebels. Blaise Compaore understood that peace in Côte d'Ivoire would ensure the flow of remittances to Burkina Faso and repair his tarnished image as a supporter of warlords. The combination of sense of vulnerability, war fatigue, lack of a clear path to military victory, and the shifting position of Burkina Faso provided fertile ground for compromise.
The Need for Direct Talks Between Belligerents
The Ouagadougou Peace Agreement was predicated on assumed mutual trust among the belligerents and the ECOWAS facilitator (Blaise compaore), a spirit of dialogue, and parity between the government and Force Nouvelles. This tacit understanding between Gbagbo and Soro was buttressed in the code of conduct provisions and generous amnesty covering offences relating to national security committed since 17 September 2000.The Ouagadougou Peace Agreement departed from the peace formula devised in the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement and marked a monumental shift in the peace process. In contrast to all the other agreements, the Ouagadougou Peace Agreement was spearheaded by Ivorians. As the agreement noted, Gbagbo personally asked President Compaore in January 2007 to facilitate direct talks between his government and the FN. Ayangafac Chrysantus (2007).
The Understanding of the Core Issue of the Conflict by the Belligerents
From the start, the belligerents acknowledged that 'the identification of the Ivorian and foreign populations living in Côte d'Ivoire is a major concern. The absence of a clear and standard identity document and of individual administrative documents attesting to the identity and nationality of persons is a source of conflict.' By recognizing this bare fact, Ivorian leaders demonstrated profound understanding and appreciation of the cause of the war. Most remarkably, the belligerents agreed that the Ouagadougou Peace Agreement should directly address the underlying citizenship issue. The Ouagadougou, Agreement therefore provided a mechanism for resolving the conflict over citizenship that was reasonable and consistent with Ivorian law.
The Outcome of the ECOWAS Mediation: The Achievements of the Ouagadougou Peace Agreement
The Ouagadougou Peace accords addressed different important point which was on the view of the both parties indispensable for the resolution of the conflict.
The Military and Confident Zone Issues
The Ouagadougou Peace Agreement under the mediation of The ECOWAS addressed the military issues that stalled the previous agreements and provided a mechanism for continuous dialogue. The belligerents agreed to restructure the two armed forces and set up an Integrated Command Structure under the joint command of the chief of staff of FANCI and chief of staff of FAFN. The integrated command was charged with disarming and reintegrating combatants, ensuring free movement of people and goods, and providing security. They agreed to remove the zones of confidence manned by French and UN peacekeepers, facilitate free movement across the country, and redeploy the administration in the north.
The Citizenship Issue
To resolve the citizenship issue, the protagonists agreed to provide credentials to all Ivorians who did not have proper documents and establish a reliable identification system. The Ouagadougou Peace Agreement provided a mechanism for resolving the conflict over citizenship that was reasonable and consistent with Ivorian law.
Monitoring of the Peace Agreement
The Peace agreement created two high-level bodies, the Permanent Consultation Framework (PCF) and the Evaluation and Monitoring Committee (EMC), to facilitate the continuation of direct talks. The PCF, comprised of Gbagbo, Soro, Ouattara, Bédié, and Compaore, is the organ of supervision and permanent dialogue. The EMC, which monitors implementation of the agreement, is comprised of the facilitator and three representatives each for the government and FN. The two parties could jointly extend membership to other Ivorian political forces. The facilitator could also invite observers and members of the international community. This framework for continuous dialogue has proved invaluable in adjusting the implementation schedule and keeping the agreement on track.
The Critical Peace Deal and the Ouagadougou Agreement
One critical element of the peace deal, not mentioned in the text of Ouagadougou Agreement, was the power-sharing arrangement between Gbagbo and Soro. Gbagbo nominated Soro to be Prime Minister shortly after signing the agreement. This arrangement not only satisfied the political egos of the two leaders, but also gave them considerable influence over the political future of the country. Gbagbo saved his presidency and gained a strong platform from which to launch another presidential bid. As a powerful Prime Minister, Soro has a strong position to shape the implementation of the agreement and deliver to northerners their citizenship documents. For Soro, this could be a vindication of the rebellion and a path to becoming a hero in the north (Ayangafac Chrysantus 2007).
ECOWAS was able to establish some kind of fragile peace in the country, and this mediation effort contributed to ensuring security and opened the way for the "free" and "trustworthy" election which took place in October 2010.
Analysis of the ECOWAS Mediation Success in Ivorian Conflict
Many observers perceive the ECOWAS mediation and the peace accords which started in Accra and end in Ouagadougou as a victory for insurgency grounded in the logic of war in Ivorian's conflict. Different elements at different level played a key role in the success of this conflict resolution process.
On the National Level
First, the Rebels groups got a NATIONAL AMNISTY vote by the National Parliament which gives them incentives and a willing to engage in the ECOWAS mediation Process.
Second, on the national, there was a commitment to peace from both sides due to the war fatigue. There was trust between different parties and also a power sharing agreement between Gbagbo Laurent (President) and Soro Guillaume (Rebels Leader). The Agreement was also support by the civil society; the political opposition and the population in the country. A high level of Permanent Consultation Framework (PCF) which includes the two belligerents' leaders, the most important political parties' leaders and the mediator was created to sustain the Agreements. But more important is that the political opposition was not involved in the Ouagadougou negotiation process. This ECOWAS mediation process last for five (5) years and end up with the Ouagadougou Peace Agreement which was the beginning point of peace implementation process in the country.
On the Regional Level
On the regional level, there was the assistance of the African Union (AU) to support the Peace Agreements between belligerents. Moreover, their engagement of neighboring countries to find to solution of the conflict as it had a shadow or indirect effects on them both politically and economically due to the position of Cote d'Ivoire in the region.
On the International level
First, in the international level there was the implication of a superpower which is France with the Linas – Marcoussis Agreement signed in Paris in 2002, which was a framework agreement of the Ivorian conflict resolution process lead by the ECOWAS as a mediator.
Second, there was also the intervention of the international community with United Nations as its legal body to ensure peace and security in the country with the peace keeping operations.
Others Factors
Many other factors enhance the likelihood of success of the ECOWAS mediation lead by the Blaise Compaoré (President of Burkina Faso). The cultural similarities between parties and the mediator help him to understand the conflict and the parties unloved more deeply. The geographical proximity between the two countries increased the movement of population and created historical strong ties between both countries and families, moreover Cote d'Ivoire as the highest rate of inhabitants Burkinabe's in the region. There is also a strong economic interdependence between the two countries. The target killing of the Burkinabe's inhabitants in Cote d'Ivoire during the conflict raised the public opinion and the pressure of the opposition parties in Burkina against the president in order to solve the conflict a mediator.
Following a conflict mediation process that began in Accra, belligerents in the Ivoirian conflict decided to resolve their differences through direct dialogue. This brought to an end a mediation process that witnessed a synergy between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) in conflict resolution. On 4 March 2007, the armed resistance militia in the north and government signed the Ouagadougou political accord as a framework for addressing the key issues in the conflict under the mediation of the ECOWAS. This Ivorian case showed that a regional organization is more likely to solve regional interstate conflict with the support of the international community and the commitment of the parties engage in conflict. Therefore, the persistence of conflict in Sudan, Somalia, Uganda, and DRC has made Afro-pessimism fashionable. Moreover, it indicates Policy-makers, academia and the international community are still grappling how to prevent, manage and resolve African conflicts with little or no success. Consequently, a major enquiry facing Africa remains how to find a lasting solution to violent conflicts on the continent. Fundamentally, this challenge imposes an urgent need for a conceptual understanding of the origins, recurrence and persistence of African conflicts.
Indeed, from a contextual and theoretical perspective, the general focus of conflict management and resolution debate has become pre-occupied with armed conflict. Though warranted because of its excruciating impact on human lives poverty and development (human security)-they tend to overlook the low profile and simmering conflict over resources and exclusion. As a consequence, conflict resolution should be addressing the structural causes of conflict rather than immediate causes which are merely a result of structural decay in the society; after all prevention is better than cure. On a policy level this calls for greater attention to early warning signals rather than waiting for conflict to explode.
Bio: Mr. Dramane Ouattara holds a B.A in Management Sciences and a Master's Degree in Economics at the University of Abidjan, he has also a Master of Sciences (MSc.) in Statistics from National School of Statistics and Applied Economics (Cote d'Ivoire). In 2013, Mr. Dramane Ouattara received the University of Haifa (Israel) Presidential Merit Scholarship where he completed a Master of Arts Degree (MA) in Peace and Conflict Management Studies. He is a current PhD Candidate at UPEACE (Department of Peace & Conflict Studies), his PhD topic is related to Electoral Engineering and Political Reconciliation in Post Conflict Society. In 2010, Mr. Dramane Ouattara received SPLAR Foundation (USA) Gold Medal of Honor for his contribution to Humanitarian services in West Africa. He speaks fluently both French and English, basic Spanish and Hebrew.
AfricaConflictConflict MediationCote d'IvoireECOWASIntrastate ConflictNigerPeace AgreementUnited Nations

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Supreme Court charts course for Blackbeard's pirate ship
By Jacqueline Thomsen - 06/03/19 12:28 PM EDT
The Supreme Court will soon be navigating the legal waters surrounding Blackbeard's pirate ship.
The justices on Monday, in an unsigned order, said they will review the case of videographer Frederick Allen and his production company Nautilus Productions, over whether North Carolina violated copyright law by publishing videos and a photo they took of the pirate ship wreckage off the state's coast.
North Carolina has shared the images of the Queen Anne's Revenge — the famed pirate's flagship vessel whose wreckage was uncovered in 1996 — to attract tourists to the state.
And state lawmakers have also passed legislation, known as "Blackbeard's Law," to protect their right to share the video.
Allen and his company allege that the state has violated copyright law by publicly posting the documentary footage, and that the law allowing them to share "all photographs, video records, or other documentary materials of a derelict vessel or shipwreck" is unconstitutional.
But North Carolina claims that its actions are protected under the 11th Amendment of the Constitution, and that the state has "qualified and legislative immunity."
A district court sided with Allen and his company in 2017, while the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of North Carolina last year.
It's unclear exactly when arguments will set sail, but the justices will likely dive into the case once their new term begins in October.
Tags Rick Allen Supreme Court North Carolina


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Artists James Ensor
Flemish Painter, Engraver, Writer, and Musician
Movements and Styles: Realism, Impressionism, Neo-Impressionism, Expressionism
Born: April 13, 1860 - Ostend, Belgium
Died: November 19, 1949 - Ostend, Belgium
"Finally, hemmed in by followers, I have happily confined myself to a solitary milieu where the mask is enthroned full of violence, light and splendor. For me the mask means Freshness of tone, overly shrilled expression, sumptuous scene, great unexpected gestures, reckless movements, exquisite turbulence."
Summary of James Ensor
Although educated in traditional painting, Ensor quickly stepped off that path and began to develop a revolutionary style that reflected his own take on modern life. He was particularly fascinated with the popular carnival culture organized around the celebration of Mardi Gras each year throughout Belgium, most certainly influenced by the fact that his family's shop in Ostend was a main purveyor of carnival paraphernalia. The imagery he produced is consistently cynical and mocking; presenting an almost grotesque form of Realism meant to record the stresses underlying contemporary social morays of his time, and probably of all times.
Ensor developed a revolutionary method of painting better suited to his personal agenda. Abandoning the usage of illusionism and one-point perspective to organize the image depicted, he began to build volume with patches of color across the surface of the canvas. The effect was imagery that no longer receded but instead, threatened to enter the viewer's space. Crowded to the point of bursting, denied room to breathe, the figures in Ensor's works impress with their presence.
The artist was particularly intrigued by the carnival theme and found it an excellent means by which to capture society's foibles. He masked his figures, giving them faces that would express their inner selves rather than their outer, anatomical ones. In this way he was able to dig beneath the surface and reveal the "true face" of society. His exploration of society unmasked eventually caused his rejection by many, even the local avant-garde artists.
Ensor's social commentary, at first subtle, eventually took on a furiously cynical tone. While it could be noted in the inclusion of a jesting element within an image it could also be a full-blast attack on a subject as sacred as the Entrance of Christ into Jerusalem. There's no question that the artist's continual feeling of rejection was responsible for his frenzied critiques, but the end result was simply further alienation.
James Sidney Ensor was born in Belgium in 1860. His father James Frederic Ensor and mother Maria Catherina Haegheman owned a souvenir shop in the tourist town of Ostend, selling carnival novelties and seaside trinkets. The shop, full of innovative motifs and objects, inspired Ensor throughout his artistic career. He had a happy and carefree upbringing, living with his mother, father, sister and aunt. He went to school at the College Notre-Dame but showed very little interest in learning. He struggled within the structured disciplinary environment and after two years withdrew from school.
James Ensor's childhood, life, career, and various anecdotes Read James Ensor's Biography
And, the artists and movements that built upon James Ensor's art Read James Ensor's Artistic Legacy
Important Art by James Ensor
The below artworks are the most important by James Ensor - that both overview the major creative periods, and highlight the greatest achievements by the artist.
Portrait of the Painter in a Flowered Hat (1883)
Artwork description & Analysis: Portrait of the Painter in a Flowered Hat represents Ensor in a three-quarter view, openly confronting the viewer's gaze. His use of loose, feathery brushstrokes and the juxtaposition of colored areas on the canvas to suggest volume and the emphasis on differentiating light in order to suggest depth, typify the contemporary portraiture work of the Impressionists who were already painting in Belgium and Holland from the 1870s.
Like many artists before him, Ensor received great inspiration from the tradition of the great masters. This portrait recalls the Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens' Self-Portrait with Hat, (1623-25). Despite the vague similarities between the two images they actually differ quite a bit and there is a clear sense that Ensor is making a joke of the tradition of the old master who he ostensibly emulates. The hat he sports, adorned with pastel flowers and feathers, was part of a traditional Belgian costume worn by women during the mid-lent carnival. And although the facial hair seems close to that of Rubens', he works blue flame-like whiskers into his mustache in a very untraditional manner. Although both depicted figures have an intense expression, suggesting something of their state of mind, Ensor alleviates the unhappy set of his own mouth with the gaiety of the hat.
This painting's light-hearted motifs represent a transition in Ensor's work from his "somber period" to his "light period;" the move from Realism to some form of whimsical reality. It marks the beginning of his experimentation with playful subjects and alternate meanings.
Oil on canvas - Ensor Museum, Ostend, Belgium
Christ's Entry into Brussels (1889)
Artwork description & Analysis: This painting, no question Ensor's most famous, represents a carnival mob engulfing Christ sitting on a donkey. Although traditional in subject, the presentation is anything but. The formal means by which he describes this chaotic scene defy an easy understanding of what is being depicted. There is a vague sense of a vanishing point perspective. In the foreground, the grotesque faces, painted as if wearing masks, are enormous, and seem to loom in the viewer's face, but as they recede into the background, coming together in a "V," they blur into dots of color. Nevertheless, this is countered by a more modern approach to building volume. Ensor flattens out the figures across the surface of the composition, denying the perspective he's built in order to make the image more pressing and intense. There is even a sense that the crowd is slightly tipped forward, ready to rush out at the viewer and engulf her at any moment. Figures in the crowd are depicted from multiple angles, their shapes and forms deconstructed, and their volume is suggested through the juxtaposition of unmodulated dabs of pure, unsaturated color. This almost primitive, simplistic technique resembles that utilized by Gauguin. As Ensor described: "My colors are purified, they are integral and personal."
Leopold II of Belgium had remade Brussels into a modern city with royal monuments, streamlined facades and broad new boulevards along the model of Haussmann in Paris, but by the late 1880s the country's state of affairs was similar to that of the infamous Paris Commune. The country struggled with economic and political oppression that Ensor captures by transforming Brussels into a sea of disorder and chaos.
Ensor's Christ faces a Belgian public instead of one in Jerusalem. The crowd depicted is a mixture of bourgeoisie, clergy, and the military - basically the ruling class. Individuals are illustrated masked in order to emphasize their superficiality in a carnival-like atmosphere - at the same time as a religious, serious event is supposedly depicted. The strength and intensity of the masses suggest the artist's interest in giving those marginalized by society a voice, enabling them to speak out against figures of authority. This chaotic spectacle takes the focus off the figure of Christ. Christ himself has interestingly been painted with the artist's own features, expressing his empathy with the biblical figure, purposefully representing himself as a martyr.
Ensor found the use of a kind of grotesque realism cleansing and, despite the fact that his representation of the ugly side of society through mystical parody met with harsh criticism; he used this technique throughout his career. In this way his work shares the avant-garde impulse toward social, formal, and libidinal rebellion and anticipates many modern movements from Fauvism to Surrealism, and even Abstract Expressionism.
Oil on canvas - The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, California
The Baths at Ostend (1890)
Artwork description & Analysis: Here, Ensor draws a whimsical scene, paying homage to his beloved Ostend Sea. By this time the town of Ostend had become a seaside resort, known for its casino, boardwalk, beach, and restorative baths. Ensor uses colored pencils, crayons, and oil to represent this quirky vacation spot. He adds a decorative effect by describing the water and figures with arabesque lines which resolve into a sea of caricatures, drawn on multiple planes, representing the seaside resort as a crowded spectacle. Ensor refrains from using linear perspective and instead, draws his figures across the canvas with a restricted palette of black, blue and red, creating a dream-like space.
In total, Ensor represents this summer playground for the middle-class in a satirical manner. He paints the tourists as caricatures. While overall the scene depicted seems to be a happy one, a sunny day where tourists are enjoying themselves, it also depicts them missing clothing, and a few of which are shown upside down with their heads between their legs- in the midst of vulgar acts. Accordingly, when viewed up close, this painting takes on a somewhat comic and most definitely unsettling effect, it runs counter to the social decorum expected of the bourgeoisie. Ensor's work offers a very clear critique of the contemporary social milieu in which he lived, anticipating movements like Dadaism.
Black crayon, colored pencil and oil on panal - Fondation Challenges, Paris, France
More James Ensor Artwork and Analysis:
Interactive chart with James Ensor's main influences, and the people and ideas that the artist influenced in turn.
Years Worked: 1877 - 1949
Content compiled and written by Sheryl Siclari-Ostyn
Edited and revised, with Synopsis and Key Ideas added by Caroline Goldberg Igra
First published on 22 Jul 2016. Updated and modified regularly.
James Ensor Videos


I've been with ooma for 24 hours now and I am thoroughly unimpressed. Yesterday afternoon, I setup my ooma telo and got everything working relatively quickly. Calls in and out worked fine. Last night, I added a second phone number, tested, and it too was fine. So last night I setup my existing phone service to forward to my ooma number (so I can test it out for a while before deciding if I want to port my number).
Today I got to call my ooma account from my cell phone, and it just rings and rings on the cell, but the phone never rings in the house. I then try the opposite, and it works perfectly. In other words, outgoing calls are fine, but not incoming. So I try to call my second line number and I end up getting an what I think was an elementary school (first time she answered "Ms Karen's room", and then when I called back, thinking I had dialed wrong, I got a voicemail for room 204a). So BOTH of my ooma numbers are not working properly.
I call up ooma support and explain the problem, and the lady seems a bit puzzled. Apparently somehow they gave me a number that was ported in from another carrier by a previous customer. She has no idea how I got that number, but she's gonna fix it for me by giving me a brand new number. She assures me this number is not a ported and will work just fine. I hang up, reboot my telo, call out, it works fine, try calling in, and I get an elementary school...this time room 110.
So I had to call ooma back and get ooma to assign me a FOURTH number. This time it finally works (for now at least...my first two numbers worked for at least a few hours). I tell you, this is completely unimpressive. I'm not even sure I want to stick with ooma with this sort of service.
Hmmm...sounds like number management issue with Ooma (or Ooma's carrier(s))?
If indeed the number you got assigned is a ported in number of a previous Ooma customer that cancelled service, the number should have gone through some aging and then snapped back to the original carrier. For sure, not "assign-able" by Ooma nor Ooma's carrier(s).
When a ported number is disconnected, that telephone line number will be released (Snap-back), after appropriate aging, back to the original Service Provider assigned the NXX in the LERG.
FWIW, I'll guess that Ooma has to depend on the word of the DID reseller(s) they get numbers from when they acquire numbers for customers. Sometimes the recordkeeping at those resellers or the places they buy from is... um, flawed. That's how mistakes like this happen.
The big phone companies can afford to rent huge batches of numbers all over the country and keep them sitting idle in a "pool" controlled by that company, even though there's a monthly cost for each and every number. A small company like Ooma likely can't afford to pool numbers like that, so they acquire them as needed from resellers.
It shouldn't be a reflection on Ooma's work or their professionalism when that process goes wrong, but alas, 99% of VoIP customers don't realize that there's another layer or two between Ooma and their phone number.


The Céline Spring jewelry feels very personal and I'm a big fan. The marble disc and triple dot earrings are lovely.
I am counting the days until the pearl beauties from the summer collection hit the store https://www.celine.com/en/collections/summer/campaign.


An assorted box 6 delicious and delicate handmade soft centred bonbons, truffles and plain bonbons, in a tissue paper lined box, wrapped in a festive ribbon.
All our ingredients are natural, organic where possible, and our couverture is Forest Alliance and UTZ certified. Such a treat!
Notify me when RibbonWrapped 6 Box Ribbon Wrapped 6 Box of Bonbons is available.


Elegant, clean lines are used in this open-profile floor lamp design. Stacked spherical accents are finished in a plated antique brass, displayed on black iron rods. This simple design creates a versatile piece that is easy to place in various design styles. A white linen hardback drum shade completes this piece.


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Attempto Racing overcome mixed conditions to sweep Friday practice at Misano
Blancpain GT Series competitors have completed Friday running at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, where a rain-hit afternoon session was followed by a more representative evening shift for the 22-car field.
The weather effectively brought free practice 1 to an early end, but a dry track later in the day allowed teams and drivers to prepare for a busy Saturday at the Italian venue.
FREE PRACTICE 1 HIT BY HEAVY RAIN
Rain had already fallen earlier in the afternoon, and more spots began to appear just as the opening session began at 16.20. The conditions quickly worsened, with a heavy summer storm following, though a number of cars did brave the slippery surface and venture out on to the circuit.
It was not a fully representative session, but 15 of the 22 runners completed classified laps, with the #55 Attempto Racing Audi R8 LMS topping the charts with a 1m54.661s. The #19 Grasser Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 was second fastest, with the #66 Attempto-Audi completing a good wet-weather showing for the German squad in P3.
As the session progressed the rain became ever more heavy, to the point that any meaningful running became near impossible. One of the few cars to continuing putting in laps was the #114 Emil Frey Racing Lexus RC F GT3, though this was more of a shakedown for the Swiss squad.
DRY TRACK LEADS TO BUSY SECOND SESSION
The second session began on a dry circuit and, unlike the afternoon run, the weather remained calm throughout.
Beginning at 20.10, the sun set on Misano as drivers and teams carried out final preparations for tomorrow's qualifying sessions and opening race. Unsurprisingly, the times posted were significantly quicker, with the benchmark almost 20 seconds clear of the best lap set earlier in the day
And it was once again an Attempto-Audi that ended on top of the charts, with a lap of 1m34.643s from Kelvin van der Linde putting the #66 R8 LMS at the head of the field.
The South African racer's lap came late in the session and saw him knock the #82 Grasser-Lamborghini of Franck Perera from P1. The top-three was completed by the #1 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT machine of Dries Vanthoor.
While Grasser Racing had one car firmly among the front-runners, the evening session was less productive for their #63 machine of Mirko Bortolotti and Christian Engelhart. The reigning overall and Endurance Cup champions managed just five laps before their day was curtailed, giving them plenty of work to do ahead of Saturday.
Indeed, tomorrow promises to be a busy day for all competitors, with qualifying taking place at 13.50 followed by the opening race at 19.40. Sunday's concluding race is set to get underway at 14.00, with both days forecast to be free of rain. All of the action will be available to watch live on the Blancpain GT Series website.


Amanda Laird and her boyfriend TJ Sybilrud are renovating their nasty, outdated kitchen to create a more modern space. They've done several other projects together in their new house, but they quickly learn that the kitchen isn't so easy. When they recruit Amanda's dad for help, Amanda and TJ learn the hard way about the dangers of electricity!
Terry Bullman and Blair Ramsey are renovating their backyard living space. The couple wants to expand their existing patio and update their screened porch, all while sticking to an extremely tight budget. But as the problems quickly mount, so do the dollar figures. Terry and Blair realize their bare hands are no match for Mother Nature and are forced to call in some heavy-and expensive-reinforcements.
Kevin and Tiffani Searer just bought the house of their dreams. Unfortunately, the backyard isn't so perfect. So they decide to turn their boring backyard into a beautiful outdoor patio, but they soon discover that this isn't as easy as they think. Kevin quickly learns why plumbing should be left to the professionals!
Travis Confer and his girlfriend Krista Kelley have recently purchased a home with a lot of space outside, but inside is a different story. They decide to expand their tiny master bedroom by adding a walk-in closet and door that leads out to a new deck. They are confident in the beginning, but soon learn that this renovation isn't going to be as easy as they thought.
Mark Grelle and his fiancee Molly want to turn his attic into a master suite, and they are starting by adding a bathroom. Mark and Molly quickly learn that they are in way over their heads and must call in the help of a plumber. But no plumber or mathematician can help Mark perfect his math skills in order to frame the bathroom walls. Can this newly engaged couple pass the test of this renovation?
Kristy Hirko enlists the help of her uncle Bob to renovate the ugly, old front porch on her rental home so that she can sell it. Renovation might not be new to uncle Bob, but to Kristy, renovation is completely foreign and the pair faces endless challenges that threaten the outcome of this project.
Alice Marie Wolter wants nothing more than a brand-new kitchen to replace her nasty out-of-date one. She's recruiting her friend Carrie to help her rip out every one of her kitchen cabinets, tear up the floor and create a pass-through into Alice Marie's sunroom. However, cutting into a cement wall proves to be a very daunting task, especially since Alice Marie is afraid her house will collapse when she does it. The drama is never-ending as Alice Marie attempts to install a heated floor as Carrie helplessly looks on. Hanging cabinets proves to be the unraveling of Alice Marie when a horrible discovery leaves both women wishing they'd never taken on a project this big and this unpredictable.
Paula Bartello is known as the "hostess with the mostess" but doesn't have the modern kitchen to match. So she's enlisted the help of her friend Julie to help give it the face-lift it needs. But will this renovation prove to be too much for them to handle?
Ali and Tom Antonacci are only a few months away from the birth of their first child and want to get their kitchen renovated before the new baby arrives. Between the potential hazards buried behind their thick 85-year-old walls and Ali's physical state, this means a lot of the heavy lifting will be placed on Tom. He insists he knows what he's doing, but after a few surprises it's clear that they might be in over their heads.
Giacomo Abrusci wants to turn his guest room into a place guests actually want to stay. So the experienced Giacomo enlists the skills of his friend Yale Scott to make this happen. The only problem is that Yale's skills are pretty much nonexistent. Whether it's tearing up the ceiling or installing a skylight, these two show that although renovation is about hammers, nails and hardship, it is also about knowing what your friends are made of.
Luke and Michelle Ward live in a high-rise building in Brooklyn, New York, with an amazing view of Manhattan. The only thing that's not amazing is their tiny, outdated kitchen. So they decide to open it up and give it a face-lift, but the couple soon discovers that their kitchen renovation is going to be a lot harder than they thought.


This week is School Half-Term in our part of the world. So there will be little time for blogging! Instead, there will be lots of cycling, lots of swimming, trips to see favourite aunts and visits from my extended family.
We are also going to be touring England's West Country; gazing at the eternally mysterious ancient standing stone circle at Stonehenge, sampling the delights of the grandeur of Bath and idling through charming sleepy small towns and villages.
Following tradition my son Tom will be in charge of in car entertainment. So, lots of Louis Prima, Julie Andrews, Bobby Darin, Ruth Brown and now, top of his charts with a bullet – Meghan Trainor!
Sam was (is – greatness is always current) an artist of immense talent and cultural impact; a musical exemplar, a guiding spirit able to illuminate life's arc of sorrows, joys and struggles with power, wit and grace. Sam Cooke resists all easy categorisation. Artists of this stature can't be neatly filed in genre racks!
When I think about how to describe him I'm drawn to a term taken from the greatest of all cycling races – Le Tour de France. Anyone hoping to complete the race, let alone win it, has to be able to complete a series of lung wracking, muscle burning, mountain ascents seemingly designed to test the absolute limits of human endurance. Mountain stages receive, 'Categorie' ratings exquisitely calibrating the brutality of the challenge presented.
Categories of difficulty are assigned taking into account how far the riders have cycled before they begin to climb and the subsequent length and steepness of the ordeal to the summit. The, 'easiest' climbs are rated Categorie 4 and the most arduous Categorie 1. And then, then, there are some climbs, climbs like Alpe d'Huez with it's terrifying 21 hair pin bends on the route to the summit at over 6000 feet involving gradients up to a near impossible 13% that merit the extraordinary term, 'Hors Categorie' – beyond category.
When I contemplate the stature of Sam Cooke I now use the term, 'Hors Categorie' as my own shorthand for those rare artists who rule imperiously over their own artistic realm. When you hear a characteristic performance by Sam Cooke the use of classifications like, 'Soul', 'Gospel', 'Rhythm and Blues', 'Jazz' and, 'Pop' becomes insignificant. Sam was a musical explorer; never intimidated by any map that might proscribe the limits of the world he might journey to and claim for himself and his audience. Artists of this stamp have the wherewithal and ambition to redraw all our maps.
Let's start off with his electrifying, 'Any Day Now' when he was still a member of The Soul Stirrers.
This is singing that invites you to share in a transcendent experience. An experience that can't really be described in prose but which might be just glimpsed through the medium of a poem or here via a song taking us to a place we've never known yet still somehow recognise.
Sam's vocal here glides through the song like a raptor effortlessly riding the air currents – now ascending, now swooping down, now wheeling for the sheer life-affirming thrill of it! Sam Cooke sang, at all emotional temperatures, with an ease and elegant poise that is genuinely awe-some, in it's proper sense. I'm listening to this performance on the feast of Pentecost – who can doubt that tongues of fire can descend on human heads when you listen to Sam Cooke sing, 'Any Day Now'!
Now let's hear Sam taking the church-wrecking skills displayed above into another dimension as he ignites the Harlem Square Club in 1963 with an out of the ball park grand slam performance of his own, 'Bring It On Home To Me'.
Sam Cooke seems to live inside rhythm; pushing or lagging the beat in time with the demands of his and our own beating hearts. Crescendo after crescendo rains down on us until we are intoxicated, elated, finally enraptured. Very few singers have genuinely had the gift of opening up the gates to rapture and bringing it on home as Sam could.


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U.S Oil Won't Ship Oil From Port
Signs written agreement and city gives it additional land at no charge.
By Graham Kilmer	- Sep 13th, 2017 02:27 pm
A new amendment to U.S Oil's ground lease in the Port of Milwaukee promises the company will not handle or ship crude oil out of their facility, while adding another .95 acres to their property free of charge.
U.S. Oil, a subsidiary of U.S. Venture Inc., went before the Common Council's Public Works Committee in May to secure a tract of land for a pipeline connecting their terminal to the port's liquid cargo dock. As Urban Milwaukee reported then, advocacy groups and elected leaders expressed concern about the pipeline and the potential increase in traffic of hazardous materials at the port. But they were particularly concerned that U.S. Oil's lease allowed them to handle and ship crude oil out of their facility.
At the May meeting, U.S. Oil representatives assured the committee their primary interest was shipping ethanol."Wisconsin has a very strong ethanol industry and it's an export market for the state. So we've always looked at Jones Island as an outlet for that product, for international markets primarily," Richard Sawall, director of business development for U.S. Oil, told the committee.
But advocates pointed to interviews Sawall gave to shipping trade magazines where he said U.S. Oil was "considering" shipping crude oil out of their Jones Island terminal, and even discussed the volumes of crude oil their terminal on Jones Island could receive by rail.
Later in May, when the land deal went before the full Common Council, it failed to earn enough votes to be adopted the first time a vote was called. But after council members considered that preventing access to the liquid cargo dock would violate the company's master lease and be considered a breach of contract, it was adopted after another call of the vote.
But Ald. Nik Kovac also proposed that U.S. Oil commit to not ship crude oil from the port. So U.S. Oil representatives came back Wednesday for another amendment to their lease promising not to handle crude oil at their facility. The new amendment also adds two parcels of bare ground to their lease that add up to .95 acres for no additional rent.
"I do want to thank them for being true to his verbal word and putting it in writing," Kovac said of Sawall and the company. "On the narrow issue of does this lease make us feel a little bit safer on the Great Lakes… Yes it does."
Kovac added that the lease amendment barring crude oil at the terminal was thanks largely to the concern and efforts of local advocacy groups like Citizens Acting for Rail Safety and the Milwaukee River Keepers.
Still, "there are a number of unanswered questions," he noted.
Eric Hansen, of Citizens Acting For Rail Safety, said he and others are still troubled by U.S. Oil's expanded footprint and their handling of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) at the port. They were also concerned about a potential tire pyrolysis plant, which decomposes tires at high temperatures, and is allowed for in the master lease.
Sawall said they had no plans for the pyrolysis plant currently. Then he said, "Quite honestly I don't understand why it's our responsibility to forecast our private plans at the Port of Milwaukee," and added that "the fact of the matter is opportunities come and opportunities go."
Advocates feel differently. Hansen said the waters in the lake, the port and the surrounding rivers represent "decades of clean water efforts." And he feels that any storage and shipping of hazardous materials from the port deserves significant scrutiny.
"And the health of those waters and the health and safety of our citizens," he said, "are not a private matter."
But for now, the committee and U.S. Oil have an agreement, which will be reviewed at the next meeting of the Common Council.
Categories: Politics, Real Estate
One thought on "U.S Oil Won't Ship Oil From Port"
Doug Lueck says:
Thanks, Nik.


This lacy and delicate cowl is made of square motifs that are seamlessly joined as you go for a customizable and easily portable project. Make as many motifs as suggested for a classic cowl, or make more and turn your project into a lacy infinity scarf for an eye-catching winter accessory.
Each motif is made inside out in the round. After the first motif all others are joined while working Rnd 5; some on one side and some on two sides. The last 2 motifs are joined to the first 2 motifs to make the cowl. The cowl can easily be made longer or shorter by making more or less motifs.
Ch 6, join with sl st to form ring.
Rnd 1: Ch 4, 3 tr in ring, (ch 6, 4 tr) 3 times in ring, ch 6, join with sl st to top of 1st ch-4.
Rnd 2: Ch 4, holding back last lp on hook, tr in next 3 tr, yo and draw through all 4 lps on hook (3-tr-cl made), *(ch 6, tr, ch 4, tr, ch 6) into next ch-6 lp, holding back last lp on hook, tr in next 4 tr, yo and draw through all 5 lps on hook, (4-tr-cl made) **; rep from * to ** 2 more times, (ch 6, tr, ch 4, tr) into next ch-6 lp, ch 3, tr into top of 1st ch-4.
Rnd 3: Ch 8, sc in 6-ch lp, ch 5, *(4 tr, ch 4, 4 tr) in next 4-ch lp, ch 5, sc in next 6-ch lp, ch 8, sc in next 6-ch lp, ch 5 **; rep from * to ** 2 more times, (4 tr, ch 4, 4 tr) in next 4-ch lp, ch 2, tr in last tr of previous rnd.
Rnd 4: Ch 8, sc in next 8-ch lp, ch 8, sc in next 5-ch lp, ch 5, *(4 tr, ch 4, 4 tr) in next 4-ch lp, ch 5, sc in next 5-ch lp, ch 8, sc in next 8-ch lp, ch 8, sc in next 5-ch lp, ch 5**; rep from * to ** 2 more times, (4 tr, ch 4, 4 tr) in next 4-ch lp, ch 2, tr in last tr of previous rnd.
Rnd 5: (Ch 8, sc in next 8-ch lp) twice, ch 8, sc in next 5-ch lp, ch 5, *(4 tr, ch 6, 4 tr) in next 4-ch lp, ch 5, sc in next 5-ch lp, (ch 8, sc in next 8-ch lp) twice, ch 8, sc in next 5-ch lp, ch 5**; rep from * to ** 2 more times, (4 tr, ch 6, 4 tr) in next 4-ch lp, ch 5, sl st in last tr of previous rnd. Fasten off. Weave in ends.
Rnds 1-4: Work same as First Motif.
To join on one side – Rnd 5: (Ch 8, sc in next 8-ch lp) twice, ch 8, sc in next 5-ch lp, ch 5, (4 tr in next 4-ch lp of current motif, ch 3, sc in 6-ch corner loop of completed motif, ch 3, 4 tr in same 4-ch lp of current motif), ch 2, sc in next 5-ch lp of completed motif, ch 3, sc in next 5-ch lp of current motif, (ch 4, sc in next 8-ch lp of completed motif, ch 4, sc in next 8-ch lp of current motif) twice, ch 4, sc in next 8-ch lp of completed motif, ch 4, sc in next 5-ch lp of current motif, ch 3, sc in next 5-ch lp of completed motif, ch 2, 4 tr in next 4-ch lp of current motif, ch 3, sc in next 6-ch corner loop of completed motif, ch 3, 4 tr in same 4-ch lp of current motif. One side joined. Complete Rnd 5 as for first motif.
Join 2 x 9 motifs, joining on 2 sides as required. Where 4 corners meet, work corner joining sc into previous corner joining sc.
To Join on 2 Sides – Rnd 5: (Ch 8, sc in next 8-ch lp) twice, ch 8, sc in next 5-ch lp, ch 5, *(4 tr in next 4-ch lp of current motif, ch 3, sc in corner 6-ch loop of completed motif, ch 3, 4 tr in same 4-ch lp of current motif), ch 2, sc in next 5-ch lp of completed motif, ch 3, sc in next 5-ch lp of current motif, (ch 4, sc in next 8-ch lp of completed motif, ch 4, sc in next 8-ch lp of current motif) twice, ch 4, sc in next 8-ch lp of completed motif, ch 4, sc in next 5-ch lp of current motif, ch 3, sc in next 5-ch lp of completed motif, ch 2**; rep from * to ** once more, 4 tr in next 4-ch lp of current motif, ch 3, sc in next 6-ch corner loop of completed motif, ch 3, 4 tr in same 4-ch lp of current motif. Two sides joined. Complete Rnd 5 as for first motif.
To Join on 3 Sides – Rnd 5: (Ch 8, sc in next 8-ch lp) twice, ch 8, sc in next 5-ch lp, ch 5, *(4 tr in next 4-ch lp of current motif, ch 3, sc in corner 6-ch loop of completed motif, ch 3, 4 tr in same 4-ch lp of current motif), ch 2, sc in next 5-ch lp of completed motif, ch 3, sc in next 5-ch lp of current motif, (ch 4, sc in next 8-ch lp of completed motif, ch 4, sc in next 8-ch lp of current motif) twice, ch 4, sc in next 8-ch lp of completed motif, ch 4, sc in next 5-ch lp of current motif, ch 3, sc in next 5-ch lp of completed motif, ch 2**; rep from * to ** twice more, 4 tr in next 4-ch lp of current motif, ch 3, sc in next 6-ch corner loop of completed motif, ch 3, 4 tr in same 4-ch lp of current motif. Three sides joined. Ch 5, sl st in next lp. Fasten off.
Join the last 2 motifs to last completed motifs and the first 2 motifs joining on 3 sides as required to complete the cowl.
Weave in ends. Block to finished measurements.


The day before the election, I was surrounded by smart people in a room on a beautiful compound among the oak trees in the hills above Santa Barbara, where the University of California Humanities Research Institute (UCHRI) convened the fall workshop for the Humanists@Work initiative. The fifth of its kind, the workshop brings UC humanities graduate students together to think, plan, and prepare for a variety of careers, inside, outside, and alongside the academy. This is what many have termed "alt-ac" programming. While the election was not a topic of discussion—and despite a productive day—I think many of us felt anxiety, which hung heavily over the event's proceedings.
The results of the election the next day only reinforced the conclusions I had come to during the workshop: Humanists@Work and the humanities must look outward and go on the offensive. If advocacy for advanced degree holders and the continued existence of graduate programs in the humanities is to have any long-term impact, it must engage publics beyond humanities departments, especially—crucially—far, far beyond the university. To do otherwise is to concede humanistic inquiry to the elite, and to concede that to study humanities is a privilege rather than a public necessity and a human right.
I have attended four of the five workshops, and I served on the Humanists@Work Graduate Student Advisory Committee for the 2015-2016 year. The fall workshop was termed a "Partner Summit," which meant fewer attendees, more returning participants, and more career services staff members—not only from the UC but also from institutions in New York and Illinois—and fewer practical strategies for career search and more meta-level thinking about what we are doing and how. Beyond these format changes, the workshop felt different to me. I sensed a kind of repetition of concerns and challenges articulated in prior workshops—not yet exhausted, but maybe heading in that direction. Repetition is not bad. It helps us learn, and helps us to see more clearly where we are, who we are, and what we are doing.
So-called "alt-ac" programming developed out of the need to address several issues, but perhaps the most immediate of these was the fact that increasing numbers of humanities PhD graduates found themselves without permanent employment in the kinds of positions for which they had ostensibly been trained: as tenure-track college professors. The reasons for this are numerous and complicated, and many of them are not new, but this reality affected the livelihoods of people who have been increasingly vocal about their dissatisfaction. What are the sources of this dissatisfaction? If we are coarse, we might say that upper- and middle-class students are angry that their pipeline to stimulating, stable employment (which might also be thought of as "socially responsible") promised them by the lives and expectations of their parents has been interrupted. For working class students, students of color, and others who have been underrepresented and marginalized in the academy, the advanced humanities degree offers no guarantee of stable academic employment, and even if such employment is gained, there is certainly no guarantee of a welcoming, diverse work environment free of the forms of marginalization they battled through to get there.
One of the things that I believe Humanists@Work has done well, and I that I like to think that I contributed to as a member of the Advisory Committee is to think broadly not only about how to achieve gainful employment for humanities workers but also about the value of humanities work in all sectors of our society. In this sense, Humanists@Work and other programs like it have been alt-ac thought leaders, seeking to address several interrelated problems: the declined status of the humanities in increasingly instrumentalized university education, the reputation and function of humanities work in society, the cost of university education, and of course the disparity between the number of humanities PhD graduates and available tenure-line academic positions.
So far, despite the breadth of our thought, we have directed a fair share of our efforts toward humanities graduate students. This makes sense. Often supported by faculty, these students have been increasingly vocal critics about these problems because their livelihoods depend on addressing them.
But we need to think about the long game. Despite the struggles faced by humanities PhDs, their rate of unemployment is low: according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate among doctoral degree holders was 1.7% in 2015. Though this figure doesn't tell the whole story in terms of income, stability, and overall job satisfaction, I have to say that looking over the room at the Humanists@Work conference in Santa Barbara, I was not fearful. This may be callous, but I was not worried about any of us. We may not end up with the job we envisioned, or even one we want, but in a knowledge economy such as this one, an advanced humanities degree has provided us with the abilities and nimbleness to find employment of some kind.
Certainly, improved programming and resources for graduate students to prepare for, search for, and obtain satisfying careers in a variety of fields is an important task, one that academic departments, graduate studies offices, and university career services should develop and provide to humanities graduate students.
But this is not enough. If we aim completely and only at addressing and serving the needs of those who are educated at the highest levels—and whose rates of unemployment are among the lowest of nearly every demographic category—we fail on two fronts. First, without public awareness and demand for humanities workers, such an approach will force each student to replicate the same process of convincing themselves and potential employers that a humanities PhD is a unique asset outside the academy, one that has use value in non-profit, government, and business sectors. Worse than that, however, we signal that our primary aim is to help those who are already in fairly privileged positions, not only with regard to employability but also in terms of intellectual and cultural capital.
I don't mean to discount the real struggles faced by graduate students and humanities PhDs (including myself). We need to address those concerns. But where we have been inward-thinking, considering how we might change humanities and career preparation programming by converting graduate students, faculty, and staff into advocates for these changes, we also need to turn outward. We need to fight actively for the importance of the humanities, and we need to invite increased inclusion and participation in humanistic inquiry, even as it reshapes what the humanities are and might be.
The election is simply confirmation of that need. Donald Trump's supporters are not monolithic; neither are Clinton's or the many who did not vote on election day. But certainly this election signaled a rejection of what many consider the "liberal elite." Whatever that meant to voters—and it means many things—it was embodied by Hillary Clinton. Trump's disregard and outright dismissal of facts, research, multiculturalism, the conventions of polite and rational debate resonated with many, many people—most of them white, but more broadly across lines of class and education than we might like to think. Those critiques might as well have been aimed at the university and its ilk, and the contemporary humanities might serve as the exemplar of the kind of elite smugness that is the target of this disdain and outright hatred.
For many of Trump's supporters, as well as many, many other people in this country, negative perceptions—or, worse, none at all—of the academy and in turn the humanities exists in part because the vast majority of people in the United States simply have no real relationship to humanities in the academy. Their exposure to humanistic research, teaching, and inquiry occurs in K-12 education, through museums and local cultural and religious organizations, and the media.
That exposure is paltry, and thus our value is marginal. And that marginalization is exacerbated by attacks on ethnic, gender, and sexuality studies—which, aside perhaps from reporting on Shakespeare and Mark Twain, are certainly the humanistic research and teaching areas that receive a disproportionate bulk of news coverage—the vast majority of it sneeringly negative. And so it's easy for politicians to further cut humanities funding, or to suggest, as some in the past have, that public universities should charge higher tuition for majors in areas that aren't directed toward specific forms of employment. When no one knows what we do, and when we don't advocate for what we do or change what we do to address our compromised reputation, such attacks register support with members of the public even when they have little to no factual basis. And of course employers outside academic circles will question the value of what we do. And of course in dire times we will eventually question our own relevance, usefulness, and value.
How can we possibly expect the humanities to be legible to a broad spectrum of the population that doesn't see our work, doesn't understand our work, and doesn't see how that work engages with the issues, questions, and concerns of their own lives?
This is certainly not solely the fault of humanities workers inside and outside the academy, but we do bear some responsibility for this perception. And it will be up to us do something about it—that much is certain. No one else will do it for us.
If we concede the humanities to the university as it stands, we are destined for more of the same. Our audiences replicate themselves, we serve ourselves, and we wonder why no one else comes.
We cannot simply defend the humanities. Humanists@Work now must go on the offensive even more forcefully. That means supporting humanities graduate students in their search for gainful employment by broadly communicating their abilities and contributions to society. But it also means turning outward to a variety of publics beyond the university, not only advocating for humanities study as it is but also transforming it to meet the needs of new constituencies, increasing the diversity of students and faculty, and stimulating a demand for rigorous humanistic inquiry as value, necessity, and right.


Back in 2003, the Air Zoom Generation aka Lebron I's were first released. I was a freshman in high school and didn't have a job back then. I remember going to the mall and seeing them on sale. $79.99, $49.99, and even $29.99! During that time, I was getting more serious into sneakers that I wasn't able to get the Lebron I's. Nike Sb Dunks were dropping such dope colorways that I decided to focus my attention more on SB's rather than Lebron's. That was 10 years ago.
For several Lebron James sneakers, I had my eye on a handful that I always wanted to obtain but was focused more on Jordan's, Co.Jp's, Vintage sneakers or whatever grails cam across my way. So... I never actually ended up getting a pair of Lebron's. All that changed when I saw the Lebron XI's for the first time, I was simply attached. The whole old school box car look. The whole Gundam Robotic style look. The added signature of Dynamic Flywire and Foamposite material all in one. The colorway. Loved everything about it plus more. The more I ended up seeing the sneaker, the more I wanted it. When the first XI's released to the public, I was unable to get them. I knew the second time around, I would change that. So, 10 years later, I purchased my first Lebron sneakers. Kindly enjoy these detailed photos.


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GMA TELLS YOUTH AT 'GO NEGOSYO' CARAVAN: BE ENTREPRENEURS!
BACOLOD CITY, JULY 14, 2007 (STAR) By Antonieta Lopez – Inspired by the warm reception she received at the Go Negosyo Caravan at the University of St. La Salle here, President Arroyo broke her one-speech-per-day rule and addressed an audience of more than 5,000 entrepreneurs and students from Negros Occidental.
The President interrupted host and entrepreneurship advocate Paolo Bediones and spoke in fluent Ilonggo, a gesture that earned applause from the audience.
Jose Concepcion III, presidential consultant for entrepreneurship, said the President aims to transform three million Filipinos into entrepreneurs before her term ends in 2010.
What the country needs is a mindset change and politics should be set aside to make way for an economic revolution, Concepcion stressed.
He added that the positive performance of the Philippine Stock Exchange and the foreign exchange market is no longer a dream but a reality. "We have to participate and not remain as watchers," he added.
Bacolod is the second leg of the Go Negosyo Caravan after a successful launch in Cebu City. A project of the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship, the caravan seeks to bring entrepreneurial forums and exhibitions to key cities outside Metro Manila.
Concepcion said that the conference is focused on giving the people of Bacolod hope despite the economic woes the country is currently experiencing and to provide Filipinos the opportunity to develop a positive mindset.
The caravan was highlighted by the awarding of Bacolod's most inspiring entrepreneurs by Mrs. Arroyo, who was assisted by Secretary Cerge Remonde, Dizon, and Concepcion.
The awardees are Gov. Joseph Marañon for his tourism development efforts in Mambukal Resort, Roberto Montelibano for GH Foods Inc., Joaquin Torre for Riverside Medical Center, Dianna Lynn Agustin and Maria Corazon Bitong for Bayo, Jose Maria Cajili for Chicken House, Cecille del Castillo for Dungganon Bank and Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation, James Chua of Foodman, Josephine Locsin of Tumandok Crafts Industries, Benjamin Lopue Jr. of the Lopue's Group of Companies and Olivia Yanson of the Yanson Group of Companies.
Awards were also given to the Most Inspiring Bacolod Business Support Organizations, namely, the Association of Negros Producers, Bacolod IT Focus Team, Negros Kabisig Livelihood Foundation Inc. and the University of St. La Salle Business Resource Center.
The Go Negosyo Caravan was also participated in by advocates Dr. Vicki Belo, Vivienne Tan, Jay Aldeguer, Myla Villanueva, Gaita Fores and Camarines Sur Gov. LRay Villafuerte, who shared their insights during the forum.


text:
Q: Polymorphic member variable(s) - class design Wondering whether anyone can help identify a more elegant design approach - or potentially identifying shortcomings of the following design.
Currently, I have an abstract Response class that derives from a serializable JSON Object.
//objects.h
struct Object
{
    [[nodiscard]] std::string serialize() const;

    virtual void deserialize(const Poco::JSON::Object::Ptr &payload) = 0;

    [[nodiscard]] virtual Poco::JSON::Object::Ptr to_json() const = 0;
};

// response.h
class Response : public Object
{
public:
    std::unique_ptr<Data> data;
    std::unique_ptr<Links> links;
};

Where both Data and Links member variables are abstract base classes - in which their respective set of subclasses contain various STL containers.
Now the problem I'm facing is one of class design - and how to avoid downcasting each member variable depending on the derived Response (and to identify a more clean hierarchy/design). For instance...
ResponseConcreteA response_a;
response_a.deserialize(object_a);
auto data_a = static_cast<DataConcreteA *>(response_a.data.get());

ResponseConcreteB response_b;
response_b.deserialize(object_b);
auto data_b = static_cast<DataConcreteB *>(response_b.data.get());

The seemingly obvious solution is to abandon polymorphic member variables and substitute them for the respective concrete types. However - my concern is that this is a deviation from the inherent relationship of a Response having Data & Links members which are each a particular polymorphic type.
One important thing to note is that the concrete types attributed to Data & Links are determined at compile time - there is no necessity for the derived classes to change at any point. There respective construction(s) is governed by the following preprocessed template:
#define DECLARE_RESPONSE_TYPE(type_name, data_name, links_name \
        struct type_name final : public Response \
        { \
            type_name() \
            { \
                data.reset(new data_name()); \
                links.reset(new links_name()); \
            } \
            ~type_name() = default; \
            void deserialize(const Poco::JSON::Object::Ptr &payload) override; \
            Poco::JSON::Object::Ptr to_json() const override; \
        };

Is there a more appropriate approach to avoid these polymorphic member variables in my design where constant downcasting is required (despite the fact that derived object pointed to is known at compile time). Thanks!

A: (I'm adapting one of my recent Reddit comments that answered basically the same question.)
in general
Don't model serialization with inheritance! It's a cross-cutting concern you want to attach to arbitrary types. Inheritance is the wrong tool for that. Some problems with the approach:

*

*You force everything serializable to become a full-fledged polymorphic class with all the related overhead.

*You need control over the type you want to serialize, which means you cannot use 3rd party types without wrapping them.

*Because serialization is cross-cutting you'll likely run into the inheritance diamond problem at some point.

*Fundamental types cannot be serialized that way. You cannot make int derive from Serializable.

Pattern matching is a more flexible approach. In a nutshell, you template your serialization framework and depend on certain functions being available for serializable types. Quick, dirty and naive example:
struct Something {
    // ...
};

// If these two functions exist a type has serialization support
void serialize(const Something&, SerializedDataStream&);
Something deserialize(SerializedDataStream&);

Now you can make anything serializable without touching the type at all. That's vastly more flexible than inheritance, but probably makes the serialization framework somewhat trickier to implement. Additionally supporting (de)serialization member functions is a good idea for more complex types that need access to their private data to (de)serialize properly.
Have a look at Boost Serialization or Cereal for real world examples of the pattern matching approach.
in your particular situation
To serialize larger nested structures you split up the serialization functionality. Each type has to know how to serialize itself, but that's as far as it goes. Serializing a complex member is delegated to that member, because it too has to know how to serialize itself. That way you build the final JSON step by step.

One important thing to note is that the concrete types attributed to Data & Links are determined at compile time

The obvious solution is to turn Response into a template.
template <typename Data, typename Links>
class Response  // note: no more base class
{
public:
    Data data;
    Links links;
};

// externalized serialization functions
void serialize(const Response&, JSONDataStream&);
Response deserialize(JSONDataStream&);

That way you have the correct types available to find the correct overload of the serialization functions for Data and Links, and delegation boils down to simply call them. Whether that approach is feasible depends on the larger context. Retrofitting a template into a project that relies on polymorphism can lead to ripple effects throughout the whole code base. In other words, it can be a really expensive change.
The alternative is similar to what you're already doing. Response itself still uses the pattern-matching approach to serialization. But you keep the polymorphism for Data and Links including the overriden virtual serialization functions. In each concrete derived type we're back to the original idea of "each type knows how to serialize itself". If the concrete Data and Links classes need to be serialized in other contexts (not as members of Response), too, implement the pattern-matching functions for them and call those from the overriden member functions. Otherwise serialization can happen directly in those member functions.
class Data
{
public:
    virtual ~BaseData() = default;

    void deserialize(const Poco::JSON::Object::Ptr &payload) = 0;
    Poco::JSON::Object::Ptr to_json() const = 0;

    //...
};

class ConcreteData
{
public:
    ~BaseData() override = default;

    void deserialize(const Poco::JSON::Object::Ptr &payload)
    {
        // ...
    }

    Poco::JSON::Object::Ptr to_json() const
    {
        // ...
    }
}

// ------

Poco::JSON::Object::Ptr Response::to_json() const
{
    // ...

    auto serializedData = data->to_json();

    // ...
}