Endoparasitic chiggers were collected from juvenile Bufo quechua (Bufonidae) and adult Eleutherodactylus platydactylus (Leptodactylidae) sampled in perhumid montane forests in Bolivia. Complete taxonomic descriptions are given for Hannemania yungicola n. sp., which parasitizes both amphibian hosts in higher montane rain forests, and for H. chaparensis n. sp., which seems to be restricted to lower montane rain forests. In histological sections, the mites are completely embedded in capsules produced by the host. The parasites' mouthparts obviously are adapted to rupturing host cells, the contents of which are ingested. The life style of Hannemania species, its evolution, and the parasites' potential influence on their hosts are discussed.
Species composition and systematic placement within the order Plagiorchiida has been controversial. Species number in Glypthelmins Stafford, 1905, a genus of cosmopolitan parasites of anurans, has varied between 19 and 28 species, depending on the taxonomic treatment. The present study performs a phylogenetic analysis using partial lsrDNA sequences to test the monophyly of the genus, and compares new sequences obtained with those published for different plagiorchiids to clarify the systematic position of Glypthelmins within the order Plagiorchiida. Maximum parsimony (MP) and maximum likelihood (ML) analyses result in identical tree topology. The single MP tree (L=1587, CI=0.40, RI=0.76) includes several clades with high bootstrap and Bremer support values. Glypthelmins sensu lato as traditionally classified is paraphyletic. Based on molecular and/or morphological evidence, the taxonomic diagnosis for Glypthelmins is emended, only eight species are retained in the genus, and re-establishment of the genera Choledocystus Pereira & Cuocolo, 1941 and Rauschiella Babero, 1951 is proposed, resulting in the following new combinations: Choledocystus simulans (Teixeira de Freitas, 1941) comb. nov., C. vitellinophilum (Dobbin, 1958) comb. nov.; Rauschiella chaquensis (Mañé-Garzón & Holcman-Spector, 1967) comb. nov., R. lenti (Teixeira de Freitas, 1941) comb. nov., R. linguatula (Rudolphi, 1819) comb. nov., R. poncedeleoni (Razo-Mendivil & León-Règagnon, 2001) comb. nov., R. robusta (Brooks, 1976) comb. nov., R. rugocaudata (Yoshida, 1916) comb. nov., R. staffordi (Tubangui, 1928) comb. nov. In the phylogenetic reconstruction, Glypthelmins sensu stricto forms the sister group of Haematoloechus Looss, 1899.
Producing a robust phylogenetic reconstruction for Polychaeta using either morphological or molecular data sets has proven very difficult. There remain many conflicts between morphological analyses and hypotheses based on DNA data, the latter principally derived from 18S rRNA sequences. For the present study a data set covering a broad range of polychaete diversity was assembled, including 38 new sequences from 21 species. Besides available 18S rRNA data, five additional gene segments were examined: the D1 and D9-10 expansion regions of 28S rRNA, histone H3, snU2 RNA and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I. Maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses were conducted.Annelida and Mollusca were reciprocally monophyletic in maximum likelihood analyses, but Polychaeta included a cephalopod in maximum parsimony analyses, and a patellogastropod in Bayesian analyses. When rooted on the Mollusca, optimal topologies from maximum likelihood analyses showed a recognisable basal group of taxa, including Oweniidae, Chaetopteridae and Amphinomidae. The six studied phyllodocidan families plus Orbiniidae (as the sister group of the scale-worms) formed the next most basal group. All analyses support the inclusion of Echiura, Clitellata and Siboglinidae within polychaetes. Bayesian analyses show Echiura as the sister group of Capitellidae, in agreement with previous 18S rRNA results, In contrast, Echiura formed the sister group to Trichobranchidae in maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony analyses.Supra-familial groupings consistently recovered within Polychaeta in the analyses are: (i) Terebellida without Ampharetidae; (ii) Scolecida (excepting Orbiniidae); (iii) Eunicidae, Lumbrineridae and Clitellata; and (iv) "Cirratuliformia" (including Sternaspidae) plus Sabellidae, Serpulidae and Spionidae.
A new calliopiid amphipod, Apherusa delicata n. sp., is described from specimens sampled with a suprabenthic sled in the 'Grande Vasière' area (northern Bay of Biscay). The new species can be distinguished from its sympatric congeners, A. bispinosa and A. ovalipes, mainly by the posterodorsal tridentate armature of pleosomites 2 and 3 and by the smooth posterior margin of epimeral plate 3. Its geographical distribution seems to be restricted to muddy sand bottoms of the 'Grande Vasière' fishing grounds. A key to the 20 known species of Apherusa is provided, followed by a discussion on the morphological characters to be considered for a future cladistic analysis of species within this genus.
Phylogenetic relationships of gecarcinucoid freshwater crabs were investigated, based on morphology of the male second gonopod. In addition, a comparison of sequences from the mitochondrial large subunit rRNA gene helped to resolve the phylogeny of this group and relationships to other Old World freshwater crabs. As a result, we recognise two sister groups within the Gecarcinucoidea, the African Deckeniidae and the Asian Gecarcinucidae. Deckeniidae includes three monophyletic clades, the Deckeniinae in East Africa and on the Seychelles, the West African Globonautinae and the Malagasy Hydrothelphusinae. Gecarcinucidae comprises two sister groups, the Gecarcinucinae with representatives in Sri Lanka, India and southeast Asia, and the Parathelphusinae in India, southeast Asia, the Sundaic Islands and Australia. Interpretation of our phylogenetic results leads us to propose a new biogeographic hypothesis for the Gecarcinucoidea. Most likely, the gecarcinucoid freshwater crabs have an African origin; their distribution can be explained by successive events of dispersal. This model can be correlated with palaeogeographical and palaeoclimatological data for the Cenozoic, suggesting a gecarcinucoid dispersal to Asia via the "Lemurian Stepping-Stones", a chain of islands in the West-Indian Ocean that were emergent in times of low sea levels during the Oligocene.
Knowledge of the secondary structure of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) molecules has become increasingly important in phylogenetic analyses. Advances in RNA substitution models have underlined the need for reliable secondary-structure models for individual taxonomic groups. The present investigation aims to infer a secondary-structure model of the mt SSU (12S) rRNA of Zygaenoidea using a comparative approach. Structural variation of the 12S rRNA molecule proves to be minor among the investigated species, although at least two helices exhibit taxon-specific deviations. The consensus structure of the zygaenoid mt SSU rRNA clearly differs from the structure published for Bombyx mori and challenges some helices proposed in the silk moth model. Our analyses demonstrate the need for taxon-specific rRNA models, which can capture evolutionary patterns in these molecules far better than general eukaryotic consensus structures and thus provide an improved basis for phylogenetic analyses incorporating secondary-structure information.
The phylogenetic relationships of the moss genus Pleurochaete was investigated using evidence from chloroplast and nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences (atpB-abcL spacer, rps4+rps4-trnS IGS, trnL-trnF region, and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region). Monophyly of Pleurochaete is confirmed, but the genus is nested within Tortella. Five highly supported clades, including Chionoloma, Pseudosymblepharis and Trichostomum tenuirostre, were found, partially corresponding to phytogeographic areas. However, denser sampling is needed to resolve subgeneric relationships. Within Pleurochaete three monophyletic clades were recovered: neotropical Pleurochaete luteola, European Pleurochaete squarrosa, and North American P. squarrosa. The relationships between and taxonomic status of these clades are not resolved. Our results point to two hypotheses to explain the current situation: (1) an ancient, wide distribution of P. squarrosa on the Laurasian continent, with a subsequent split into two genetically isolated clades and sympatric ecological isolation of P. luteola; and (2) a neotropical origin of the genus, followed by long-distance dispersal of P. squarrosa into Eurasia. In contrast to previous molecular studies on transatlantic bryophytes, no evidence was found of recent intercontinental gene flow in P. squarrosa. Consequently, the two genetically isolated but morphologically indistinguishable clades of P. squarrosa may represent a further example for either lineage sorting or cryptic speciation in mosses.
Five species of spirotrichonymphids representing three genera have been studied by light and immunofluorescence microscopy, and by transmission electron microscopy. The genus Spirotrichonympha, represented by S. flagellata from Reticulitermes grassei, is characterized by a compound axostyle composed of several fibers or subaxostyles. The genus Spironympha, represented by S. kofoidi from Reticulitermes flavipes (syn. R. santonensis) and by the two new species S. verticis and S. lanceata, is characterized by flagellar lines restricted to the anterior area and a simple, tubular axostyle. Spironympha verticis and S. lanceata are mainly distinguished by ultrastructural details of their flagellar lines and axostyle. These three Spironympha species were found in hosts identified as R. flavipes or R. santonensis, but not in R. grassei. This provides additional support for the synonymy of R. santonensis with R. flavipes recently demonstrated by molecular methods. The generic diagnosis of Microjoenia is emended, based on an ultrastructure study of M. fallax.
An earthworm biodiversity survey of the Philippines has yielded 14 new species of the perichaetine megascolecid genus Pleionogaster, previously known from only a few species from scattered Philippine locations. Bicol, the southern peninsula of Luzon, has intact forests on several isolated volcanic peaks and other remote areas. Collections made in these forests yielded the following new species, here presented by type location: Mt. Malinao, Pleionogaster albayensis, P. bicolensis, P. castilloi, P. malinaoensis, P. tiwiensis; Mt. Isarog, P. ffitchae, P. isarogensis; Mt. Bulusan, P. bulusanensis, P. hongi, P. sorsogonensis; Catanduanes Island, P. nautsae, P. viracensis; Caramoan Peninsula, P. caramoanensis, P. nillosae. Most of the species were found only in the neighborhood of the type locality, but P. bicolensis occurs in two locations in northern Bicol. Intraspecific variation in P. castilloi was observed between northern and southern flanks of Mt. Malinao. The importance of several previously overlooked Pleionogaster traits is demonstrated by their homogeneity within species reported here.Full article published online at http://www.senckenberg.de/odes/06-08.htm.
The nauplius is the earliest free-living stage in the development of most crustaceans, except in the majority of the Malacostraca. Several character states of the nauplius larva are used as constitutive for the Crustacea as a whole. The nauplius shows the following structural characters: a median (nauplius) eye, at least three pairs of head appendages (first and second antennae, where the second antenna bears an arthrite; mandibles), a posteriorly directed fold (the labrum) extending over the mouth, and a cephalic (=nauplius) shield. Extant taxa such as the Cephalocarida, Branchiopoda, Ostracoda, Mystacocarida, Copepoda, Cirripedia, Ascothoracida, Rhizocephala, Facetotecta, Euphausiacea, and Penaeidea are known to develop free-living nauplii. Other Crustacea show at least some vestige of an 'egg-nauplius' during embryonic development. The diversity of nauplii belonging to major crustacean taxa is briefly described, and a key to these nauplii is provided. The key is also available in digital format, as a JAVA program capable of being modified and expanded as new information arises. The programming structure allows uses in dichotomous or multi-branching formats.
The phylogeny of Maladera (subgenus Omaladera) is investigated with morphological data. Twenty-one species or subspecies in one of four subgenera of Maladera (Macroserica, Maladera, Cephaloserica, and Omaladera) were included in the cladistic analysis, with Stilbolemma sericea chosen as the outgroup. Data were analysed using two approaches, the parsimony ratchet and heuristic search with successive weighting based on the rescaled consistency index. The results of both analyses provide evidence for the monophyly of the subgenus M. (Omaladera) and the group of species occurring in the Himalayas. Each of the three principal lineages of Omaladera has diversified independently in separate geographical regions. The present phylogenetic hypothesis provides no evidence that faunal exchange has occurred between these regions as regards ancestral and terminal taxa of Omaladera. The phylogenetic analyses support the hypothesis that the strictly parapatric M. himalayica, M. incola, M. immunda, and M. thakkholae are valid species rather than subspecies.
Petals, a characteristic feature of eudicots, have evolved elaborations in various ways and across diverse clades. In this survey of petal and staminode elaborations throughout the eudicots, based on both new studies and a review of the literature, the diversity of such structures and their functions is discussed. Petal elaborations are primarily present as marginal lobes and ventral lobes of various shapes. Lobation patterns can be loosely classified as pinnate, binate, or ternate. One of these patterns may be dominant within a family (e.g. pinnate in Anisophylleaceae, binate in Caryophyllaceae, ternate in Elaeocarpaceae); transitional forms also occur (e.g. between binate and ternate in Onagraceae). Coronas between the corolla and androecium are found in several groups, for example in several families of Malpighiales or in Apocynaceae. In some clades, petal elaborations are especially prominent and can be used as approximate systematic markers (Anisophylleaceae, Elaeocarpaceae, Rhizophoraceae). Petal elaborations are especially diverse in rosids. In asterids, which are characterized by sympetaly, elaborations are more conspicuous at the level of the architecture of the entire corolla, rather than at the level of individual petals. Evolutionary trends in petal elaboration in certain larger clades are shown and their involvement in floral biological functions is discussed.
The genus Owenia (Annelida: Polychaeta) in the Persian Gulf, with description of Owenia persica sp. nov.
The systematic position of the rare Indian turtle Geoemyda silvatica Henderson is examined by a phylogenetic analysis of mtDNA sequence data (cytochrome-b gene) of most species of Geoemydidae. Geoemyda silvatica represents a basal and isolated taxon within Geoemydidae, definitely not a close relative of any species of Geoemyda or Heosemys, the genera in which G. silvatica has been placed in the past. Therefore, the new genus Vijayachelys is proposed for G. silvatica. Cranial morphology and some other osteological characters of Vijayachelys silvatica are described and illustrated. Differential diagnoses are given for the type species of Melanochelys and the respective type species of the superficially similar genera Geoemyda, Heosemys, and Leucocephalon. According to Bayesian analysis of mtDNA data, Melanochelys trijuga could be distantly related to V. silvatica, whereas the morphological similarity of the other species probably is the result of a similar mode of life. The discovery of the phylogenetically isolated position of V. silvatica highlights the importance of the Western Ghats as a biodiversity hotspot rich in higher-level endemics.
Recently several conflicting hypotheses concerning the basal phylogenetic relationships within the Phasmatodea (stick and leaf insects) have emerged. In previous studies, musculature of the abdomen proved to be quite informative for identifying basal taxa among Phasmatodea and led to conclusions regarding the basal splitting events within the group. However, this character complex was not studied thoroughly for a representative number of species, and usually muscle innervation was omitted. In the present study the musculature and nerve topography of mid-abdominal segments in both sexes of seven phasmid species are described and compared in detail for the first time including all putative basal taxa, e.g. members of Timema, Agathemera, Phylliinae, Aschiphasmatinae and Heteropteryginae. The ground pattern of the muscle and nerve arrangement of mid-abdominal segments, i.e. of those not modified due to association with the thorax or genitalia, is reconstructed. In Timema, the inner ventral longitudinal muscles are present, whereas they are lost in all remaining Phasmatodea (Euphasmatodea). The ventral longitudinal muscles in the abdomen of Agathemera, which span the whole length of each segment, do not represent the plesiomorphic condition as previously assumed, but might be a result of secondary elongation of the external ventral longitudinal muscles. Sexual dimorphism, common within the Phasmatodea, also applies to the muscle arrangement in the abdomen of some species. Only in the females of Haaniella dehaanii (Heteropteryginae) and Phyllium celebicum (Phylliinae) the ventral external longitudinal muscles are elongated and span the length of the whole segment, possibly as a result of convergent evolution.
The present study describes a new species of Cycliophora with the aid of light- and electron microscopy. The animals live attached or free-living on the mouth appendages of the American lobster, Homarus americanus. Individuals occur in dense clusters of up to several thousand individuals. The new species is named Symbion americanus sp. nov. according to the name of its host; it can be distinguished from the previously described species Symbion pandora by the presence of a posterior pair of retractable tubular appendages or toes in the Prometheus larva. Morphological variation among cycliophorans on H. americanus collected in different localities seems to be high. In several sexual populations of S. americanus, older feeding individuals with a female typically have 5–13 rings of cuticular scars and a thicker cuticle. Moreover, attached Prometheus larvae frequently contain three males, chordoid cysts possess a distal appendix, and chordoid larval morphology varies among localities. These differences in morphology might indicate the existence of cryptic species. The presence of toes in the Prometheus larva could support a cycliophoran relationship with rotiferan taxa, although additional ultrastructural studies are needed. Considering that the genus Homarus is at least 60My years old, and with regard to its history of speciation, it seems possible that the two Symbion species separated during the Pleistocene.
Two new species of hyalellid amphipods, Hyalella crawfordi and H. gauthieri, are described from Lake Titicaca; H. echinus (Faxon, 1876) is redescribed. The H. echinus group of species is newly proposed for these three species, and a group diagnosis is provided. A key to the three species in the group is provided Full article published online at http://www.senckenberg.de/odes/06-10.htm.
Ancient lakes have long been recognized as evolutionary theatres and hot spots of endemism; the evolution of their morphologically often highly diverse species flocks has received much attention. However, as each ancient lake has its own geological and evolutionary history, modes of speciation may differ from system to system. Ancient lakes can act as evolutionary reservoirs that assure the survival of relict species, but at the same time extant species may evolve through intralacustrine speciation. Other aspects of interest are the actual rates of immigration, diversification or extinction as well as the temporal framework of morphological change. Many of these questions have been addressed in the African (e.g. Lake Tanganyika) and Asian (e.g. Lake Baikal) ancient lakes. For an European ancient lakes (e.g. Lakes Ohrid and Prespa), such studies are largely missing. In the present paper, extraordinarily shaped endemic freshwater limpets of the genus Ancylus from the Balkan Lake Ohrid are used in a phylogeographic and phylogenetic context to test whether they represent an ancient lake species flock, to study the mode of speciation, and to assess the timing of morphological change. Based on DNA data from two mitochondrial genes (COI, LSU rDNA), it has been found that the Lake Ohrid Ancylus species form an endemic monophyletic group. In addition, the lake's feeder springs are inhabited by another, undescribed Ancylus species. All other studied waterbodies within the watershed do not support their own Ancylus lineages but are inhabited by a widespread Mediterranean taxon. The split between the species endemic to the lake and its sister taxon is dated to 1.4±0.6 million years ago. The study presents the first genetic confirmation for the existence of a species flock in a European ancient lake. Contrary to the prevailing opinion it shows that, concerning Ancylus, Lake Ohrid represents a site of intralacustrine speciation rather than an evolutionary reservoir. Moreover, it provides the first evidence for rapid morphological change in an European ancient lake species flock. See also Electronic Supplement at: http://www.senckenberg.de/odes/06-12.htm.
The pea clams Sphaeriidae represent a major molluscan freshwater radiation with cosmopolitan distribution in all kinds of lotic and lentic habitats. Their phylogenetic relationships are still controversial, with comprehensive taxonomic sampling and examination of morphological characters still challenging. Here, based on rare and rediscovered original material, we study in detail the anatomy and aspects of brood protection of the African Pisidium reticulatum Kuiper, 1966. Representing the monotypic subgenus Parapisidium Kuiper, 1966, this species is characterized by its peculiar combination of shell and anatomical features of potentially high phylogenetic relevance. While similar to other congeners in several anatomical characters (e.g. reduction of inhalant siphon and descending lamella of outer demibranch, simplified structure of intestine coil and nephridium), P. reticulatum differs from other Pisidium species in retaining both pairs of retractor muscles of the inhalant siphon, and particularly in its peculiar mode of brooding. The yolky eggs are relatively large (160–170μm in diameter) and are incubated in the gill, albeit in the absence of the formation of brood pouches. During later stages of incubation the larvae are surrounded by large cells similar to nourishing cells in other sphaeriids and probably with similar function. This unique combination of reproductive features is hypothesized to represent an intermediate stage between the typical ovoviviparity of Euperidae and euviviparity (i.e. nourishment by the parent animal) as found exclusively in Sphaeriidae, the latter being characterized by the possession of closed brood pouches. Phylogenetic analyses based on a comprehensive set of morphological characters reveal Parapisidium as the most basal lineage within a clade Pisidium. Evaluating the phylogenetic reconstructions based also on available molecular data for Sphaeriidae, we discuss alternative scenaria of (parallel) evolution of brood pouches and viviparity in this group.


1. This package will include a 4-day/3 night all-inclusive trip for two to the Advertised resort during the current contest period.
2. Accommodations provided by participating resorts, Tour Operators, cruise lines and airlines.
3. Actual dates of travel are based upon availability and subject to approval by HoneymoonTravelAgent.com. The winner may only book this trip within 60 days after the end of the contest period.
4. There is no guarantee as to availability of travel dates and some restrictions will apply. HoneymoonTravelAgent.com determines these restrictions. Blackout dates will apply.
5. This prize is non-transferable, non-refundable, and has no cash value.
6. This trip must be used by the winner of the sweepstakes within one year of the date the prize is awarded.
7. To enter you must be a bride or groom to be. One entry per couple, duplicate entries will be discarded. You must be a resident of US or Canada to enter contest.
8. The odds of winning are dependent on the number of entries submitted.
9. By entering this contest, the winner agrees and grants a license to HoneymoonTravelAgent.com to have their name and photo displayed on the website of HoneymoonTravelAgent.com as winners as well as participating affiliates such as hoteliers, cruise lines, Tour Operators and hoteliers. No additional compensation will be awarded to the winners for said promotions.
10. Drawings will be held on the tenth day after each calendar quarter, and will be announced on HoneymoonTravelAgent.com and the winner notified by e-mail, and/or telephone at the e-mail address, and/or phone number provided.
11. The winner must redeem and claim their prize within 14 days of being notified. Redemption or prize must be redeemed by e-mail to marketing@goldentravelguides.com or phone at 1-877-465-3368.
12. If the prize is not redeemed within the 14 days, a second drawing will be held ten days after the original date and the new winners will receive all privileges of the original selected winners. The original selected winners will have no rights to the contest reward or any other benefits if they are not in contact with us within the aforementioned period or do not meet the contest rules and criteria. Additionally they will not be expected to participate in any media or promotions. The same rules above will apply to any subsequent drawings.
13. No purchase necessary to enter.
14. Information provided may be shared with the aforementioned providers as well as any Wedding Professionals that participate in the drawing via online, direct mail, in-store drawing boxes or other media.
15. Employees and Franchisees of HoneymoonTravelAgent.com, Participating Resorts, Hoteliers, cruise lines, Tour Operators or Wedding Professionals or their immediate family members are not eligible to enter this contest.
16. Winners will be chosen randomly.


text:
Colombia: Protection Gaps Endanger Rights Defenders
(Washington, DC) – Armed group killings of human…
(Washington, DC) – Armed group killings of human rights defenders are pervasive across Colombia, yet the government is dragging its feet in carrying out policies to prevent them, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.
The 127-page report, "Left Undefended: Killings of Rights Defenders in Colombia's Remote Communities," documents killings of human rights defenders in the country in the last five years, as well as serious shortcomings in government efforts to prevent them, protect defenders, and hold those responsible to account. Over 400 human rights defenders have been killed in Colombia since 2016, according to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
"Colombia has had the highest number of human rights defenders killed of any Latin American country in recent years, but the government's response has been mostly talk, with little meaningful action," said José Miguel Vivanco, Americas director at Human Rights Watch. "The administration of President Iván Duque frequently condemns the killings, but most of the government systems to address the problem are barely functional or have serious shortcomings."
Human Rights Watch interviewed more than 130 people in 20 of Colombia's 32 states, including judicial authorities, prosecutors, government officials, human rights officials, humanitarian workers, human rights defenders, and police officers. Human Rights Watch also reviewed information and statistics provided by multiple government agencies and ministries, including the Interior and Defense Ministries, the Attorney General's Office, the Human Rights Ombudsperson's Office, the Inspector General's Office, the National Protection Unit, and the Superior Council of the Judiciary.
Killings of human rights defenders have increased since the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas demobilized as part of a 2016 peace accord with the government. Other armed groups, including several that emerged from the FARC, have stepped into the breach, fighting for control of territory, engaging in illegal activities, and using violence against civilians. Human Rights Watch documented killings in six of the areas that have been most affected.
OHCHR has documented an increasing number of killings each year, from 41 in 2015 to 108 in 2019. The office has so far documented 53 cases in 2020, and it is still verifying 80 others. At least 49 of those killed since 2015 were women.
Colombia's Human Rights Ombudsperson's Office, a government body independent of the executive, reports an increase in killings of human rights defenders between 2019 and 2020.
The authorities' failure to exercise effective control and establish a civilian state presence in many areas reclaimed from the FARC has to a significant extent enabled this dynamic. The government has deployed the military to many parts of the country but has failed to strengthen the justice system, improve protections for the population, and to ensure adequate access to economic and educational opportunities and public services.
The killings have distinct dynamics in various regions. In North Cauca, groups that emerged from the FARC have killed many human rights defenders from the Indigenous Nasa communities who oppose armed groups and drug trafficking in their territories.
"They [the armed groups] have weapons, cars, and money, they have everything to wage war against us," an Indigenous leader told Human Rights Watch. "We only have our Indigenous canes that symbolize our authority, our peaceful resistance, and our defense of the territory."
Armed groups in Tumaco have killed human rights defenders whom they suspect of collaborating with the military or who fail to comply with the groups' orders. They have threatened people who support projects to replace coca crops – the raw material of cocaine – with food crops.
Argemiro Manuel López Pertuz, 46, who led the crop substitution program for 200 families in a rural area of Tumaco, was killed on March 17, 2019 by men who went to his house and shot him 12 times. Evidence gathered by prosecutors suggests members of the Contadores armed group, who had accused López Pertuz of collaborating with the military, killed him.
Colombia has a broad range of policies, mechanisms, and laws designed to prevent abuses against human rights defenders and other people at risk. But their implementation has often been poor, Human Rights Watch found.
The National Protection Unit, under the Interior Ministry, has been charged since 2011 with protecting people at risk. To its credit, the unit has granted individual protection measures to hundreds of human rights defenders. But it only provides individual protection schemes in response to reported threats, and many of those killed had not received threats or been able to report them.
The unit also provides collective protection measures for communities or groups. But its budget is extremely limited, and the unit has rejected the vast majority of collective protection requests. The government has also failed to implement the Interior Ministry's 2018 comprehensive protection plan. A pilot program to protect specific communities and groups has barely begun.
The Early Warnings System in the National Ombudsperson's Office plays a crucial role in monitoring risks, including in remote regions. But national, state, and municipal authorities have repeatedly failed to respond to scores of "Early Warnings," or have reacted in a pro-forma and ineffective way.
The government has also failed periodically to convene the National Commission of Security Guarantees, which is charged with designing policies to dismantle armed groups responsible for killing rights defenders. The commission has yielded no concrete results.
Efforts to bring killers to justice have proven more meaningful. The Attorney General's office has passed directives and created specialized units to prosecute the killings, with 59 convictions since 2016. Yet serious progress in prosecuting people who ordered the killings, as well as in dismantling the armed groups, is still needed.
A key obstacle is the limited number of judges, prosecutors, and investigators in areas where most of the killings take place. The government has yet to create the "special team" of judges that President Duque announced in May 2019 to try these cases.
To meet its obligations under international human rights law, the Duque administration should move swiftly to implement and fully fund effective policies to prevent the killings – and protect the rights – of human rights defenders, Human Rights Watch said, with attention to ethnicity, gender, race, and other characteristics that may affect individuals' or communities' risk and needs. The authorities should substantially increase the capacity of judicial authorities and prosecutors to bring those responsible for such killings to account.
"Unless the government takes serious action, many more human rights defenders are likely to be killed, leaving hundreds of vulnerable communities undefended," Vivanco said.
This post was originally published on Human Rights Watch News.
Human Rights Watch | Refugee Watch (2023-01-27T14:44:06+00:00) » Colombia: Protection Gaps Endanger Rights Defenders. Retrieved from https://www.refugee.watch/2021/02/10/colombia-protection-gaps-endanger-rights-defenders/.
" » Colombia: Protection Gaps Endanger Rights Defenders." Human Rights Watch | Refugee Watch - Wednesday February 10, 2021, https://www.refugee.watch/2021/02/10/colombia-protection-gaps-endanger-rights-defenders/
Human Rights Watch | Refugee Watch Wednesday February 10, 2021 » Colombia: Protection Gaps Endanger Rights Defenders., viewed 2023-01-27T14:44:06+00:00,<https://www.refugee.watch/2021/02/10/colombia-protection-gaps-endanger-rights-defenders/>
Human Rights Watch | Refugee Watch - » Colombia: Protection Gaps Endanger Rights Defenders. [Internet]. [Accessed 2023-01-27T14:44:06+00:00]. Available from: https://www.refugee.watch/2021/02/10/colombia-protection-gaps-endanger-rights-defenders/
" » Colombia: Protection Gaps Endanger Rights Defenders." Human Rights Watch | Refugee Watch - Accessed 2023-01-27T14:44:06+00:00. https://www.refugee.watch/2021/02/10/colombia-protection-gaps-endanger-rights-defenders/
" » Colombia: Protection Gaps Endanger Rights Defenders." Human Rights Watch | Refugee Watch [Online]. Available: https://www.refugee.watch/2021/02/10/colombia-protection-gaps-endanger-rights-defenders/. [Accessed: 2023-01-27T14:44:06+00:00]
» Colombia: Protection Gaps Endanger Rights Defenders | Human Rights Watch | Refugee Watch | https://www.refugee.watch/2021/02/10/colombia-protection-gaps-endanger-rights-defenders/ | 2023-01-27T14:44:06+00:00
← Myanmar: Lethal Force Used Against Protesters → Weather: Cloudy with rain

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Day Trippin'
The Shoppes
Proud to be a Farmer
Send it to 10
Watch WALB Live
WALB on Roku
Civil Rights Legacy
First View 10 Cameras
Hurricane Coverage
Fish and Game Forecast
Dialogue This Week
Heroes Among Us Submission Form
Noon News
Gray Television Careers
U-Pick Em
U Pick-Em 10 Contest
DCSS Superintendent talks goals, vision for new school year
By Desirae Duncan
Published: Jul. 27, 2017 at 9:33 AM EDT|Updated: Jul. 28, 2017 at 7:54 AM EDT
Kenneth Dyer (Source: WALB)
ALBANY, GA (WALB) - A new school year starts for Dougherty County students on August 1. This will also be a new school year for Superintendent Kenneth Dyer.
Dyer filled the position after the former superintendent David Mosely retired.
A new vision for the school year
Dyer said his focus this year will be to continue building on the success the system has seen in the past few years, including an increase in graduation rates and a decrease in drop out rates.
He said test scores have shown improvement in some areas, though there are some areas of concern. The system has developed a continual improvement plan which it will implement this school year.
Dyer said the system will be taking advantage of the flexibility of being a charter system to make necessary changes. He said his primary goal is to improve literacy at the elementary level to create a foundation of success for students.
"There's a lot of reading in social studies, a lot of reading in science, and believe it or not, a lot of reading in math," said Dyer. "You have word problems, those infamous word problems, that we enjoyed growing up, they start those as early as third grade now. So if students can't read and comprehend the word problem, they can't answer the math question."
Dyer said he will also be focused on preparing students in Dougherty County for college.
This will be the first year for the Commodore Conyers College and Career Academy. The 4C Academy will also hold the Move on When Ready Program.
Around 400 students will start on August 1. Once construction finishes, the academy will be able to hold 1100 students.
Addressing declining enrollment
Dyer said DCSS is nearing around 14,500 students enrolled for upcoming school year.
This is a drop from where enrollment stood this winter at around 15,000. Some families moved out of Dougherty County following the storm.
He said enrollment is on a steady decline. The state estimates the system will lose around 150 students yearly for the next 3 to 4 years.
The system won't have exact numbers on how big of an impact that will have on enrollment until school officially starts.
Dyer said, though, they are prepared to accommodate incoming students who were impacted by January's storms.
"We want them to have a sense of normalcy as much as possible," Dyer said. "We don't want school to be a place where they're trying to figure out what to do. We want them to be in a comfortable environment at school so we're going to make every effort to make sure they are there."
Families who are displaced with students should call 229-431-1264 if they haven't been contacted already by a social worker.
Closing Albany High and Southside Middle
Dyer cited declining enrollment as one of the reasons why DCSS made the decision to close Albany High School.
He said he was a student at Albany High in the past and understands the history behind the school and why it was an unpopular decision to close the school.
However, he said DCSS had a necessary financial decision to make.
Dyer said the funding is declining. Albany High wasn't at the needed capacity to receive full funding from the state. Dyer said this is due to the district losing students in the past 10 years.
The local tax base is also declining, bringing in less revenue.
Dyer said closing and repurposing Albany High, as well as Southside Middle, saved the system around $1.7 million. Of that, DCSS will save $1.1 million by closing older buildings and moving those functions to Albany High.
The district plans to redirect those funds saved toward student achievement.
"Eventually, it would have negatively impacted students because we would have had to cut resources that we could put in the classroom," Dyer said. "So as unpopular as the decision is, as it was and still is in some circles, it was a decision that was necessary. We want to make sure we provide our students with the best opportunities in the future."
The community will be able to rent Albany High for events and meetings.
Meshing the cultures
Superintendent Dyer said part of the challenge of this year's realignment will be meshing the cultures.
He said safety and security are always their top concern as they strive for unity in each of the schools. Most students from Albany High have been rezoned to attend Dougherty High this year.
On Thursday, Dougherty High will host an event today called "We Are One" to welcome students to Dougherty's "Trojan Nation."
Dyer said the district is focused on making this year's realignment a smooth transition.
He said he is aware of the concerns parents have about possible conflicts between students, but stressed that each school has taken several safety measures including security cameras and security storefronts to keep students and staff safe.
"Parents, they care about the quality of education, and we do too," he said. "But if they don't know their kids are safe, what they're being taught in the classroom, really don't matter to the parents. So we want to make sure we take care of safety and security first and then they can learn in a safe and secure environment and that's what we plan to do."
The first day of school for Dougherty County students is August 1.
Copyright 2017 WALB. All rights reserved.
Report an error | Submit a tip to WALB News 10
Georgia Dollar General employee accused of $80K worth of fraudulent transactions
Update: 1 killed in Albany hotel shooting
1 killed as a result of Colquitt Co. high-speed chase
Family searching for answers following Colquitt Co. deadly deputy pursuit
Albany's Molson Coors brewery announces seasonal layoffs
WALB
publicfile@walb.com - (229) 446-4005


text:
Go to the mobile menu
France Diplomacy
Press RoomPress Room
Choose a language عربي Deutsch English Español Français Русский
Close the 'The Ministry' menu
Our MinistersOur Ministers
Directory and Addresses of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs
The work of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs
Implementing Agencies of the Ministry
Diplomacy roles
Ministry Digital Transformation Plan
The Diplomatic Archives
Gender equality at the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs
The Crisis and Support Centre
Training of diplomats and personnel
Future Leaders Invitation Programme (PIPA)
Access this section
Close the 'Foreign policy' menu
Economic Diplomacy & Foreign Trade
Emergency Humanitarian Action
Feminist Diplomacy
Francophony and the French Language
French G7 Presidency (2019)
Scientific Diplomacy
Security, Disarmament and Non-proliferation
Sports Diplomacy
External action of local government bodies
Close the 'Country files' menu
AmericasAmericas
ArcticArctic
Asia and OceaniaAsia and Oceania
North Africa and Middle EastNorth Africa and Middle East
Coming to France
Close the 'Coming to France' menu
Coming to France? Your Covid-19 questions answered
Requesting a visa
Studying in France
Visiting France
Entrepreneurship and investing in France
France Facts
French Foreign Policy
Add our RSS feed
International Association of Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) becomes the International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation (Jan. 26)
On January 26, France and the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) held a signing ceremony for the Convention on the International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation. France is the depository state for this convention, which elevates IALA's status to that of an international organization.
Twenty-six countries, represented by their foreign minister or their ambassador to Paris, signed the convention at IALA's headquarters in Saint-Germain-en-Laye: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Gabon, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Guinea Bissau, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Iceland, Malta, Mauritania, Mexico, the Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Togo, Tunisia and Vanuatu.
They will be among the new organization's founding members, along with the other 24 countries that had already signed the convention: France, the Netherlands, Singapore, Malaysia, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Denmark, Spain, Finland, Panama, Canada, Japan, Morocco, India, Romania, Brazil, Belgium, Turkey, Ecuador, Italy, Argentina, Chile, Germany and Russia.
The convention will enter into force once it has been ratified by 30 countries. Five have already done so: Japan, Singapore, Norway, Malaysia and India. They will soon be joined by France.
The convention will give the IALA an international legal personality and the legal capacity it needs to encourage and facilitate the widespread adoption of standards on marine aids to navigation in order to boost safety and efficiency in this field.
The establishment of an international organization for marine aids to navigation will enhance the international community's efforts to improve the safety of people and goods on the sea, the efficiency of marine navigation and the environment. The organization will play a leading role in ocean governance, a crucial area for international and multilateral cooperation.
Given that international organizations play a central role in global governance and in strengthening multilateralism, the French authorities are delighted to host a new international organization on their soil.
Follow us on Twitter - (new window)
Like us on Facebook - (new window)
Follow us on Instagram - (new window)
We're on Youtube - (new window)
We're on Flickr - (new window)
Follow us on LinkedIn - (new window)
Get our RSS feed - (new window)
E-mail usE-mail us
Cookies manager
All rights reserved - Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs - 2023


text:
Roberts' bat stays warm despite cold
By Roch Kubatko
Brian Roberts looked like a sick man as he sat in front of his locker yesterday morning at Camden Yards. His expression was pained, his steps to the trainers' room deliberate. He acted as though the slightest movements could drop him to the floor.
Then the game began, and the Orioles' second baseman reverted to leadoff hitter in an 8-4 loss to the Minnesota Twins.
Roberts went 2-for-4 with a double, raising his average to .264. He has been bothered by a head cold for two days but had no intention of missing the game.
"I feel weak, but we've got too many guys hurt," he said. "You've got to play with stuff and deal with it."
Roberts' six-game hitting streak ended Saturday when he went 0-for-1 with two walks and a sacrifice bunt. But he has gone 10-for-28 (.357) in his past eight games, and has hit safely in 26 of his past 32 with 18 doubles.
"I'm definitely more comfortable at the plate," he said. "Me and Bigs [Larry Bigbie] were just talking about this. You go through phases where you're not as comfortable, but you try to keep them as short as possible."
Palmeiro back in swing
Rafael Palmeiro's run-scoring double in the second inning moved him into 37th place on the all-time hits list with 2,867, breaking a tie with former Oriole Harold Baines.
"It's nice and all," he said, "but I'm not keeping up with that stuff."
Palmeiro went 2-for-4, making him 14-for-46 (.304) since the All-Star break. He has hit safely in 10 of 12 games, a sign that his slump is beginning to lift.
"When you have a guy that's a Hall of Famer, you'd think that he's going to come into his own," manager Lee Mazzilli said. "You always have that confidence that he would. And I think moving him down at times in the order, flip-flopping him with Javy [Lopez], is good.
"Raffy's a gamer. He wants to play every day. I think when you go through that stretch sometimes, no matter who you are, you try to do too much."
Garcia's rough trip
To chronicle Karim Garcia's trip around the bases Saturday, just scan the marks on his body.
The bridge of Garcia's nose was bruised and swollen after Twins shortstop Nick Punto accidentally kicked him on a play at second base in the seventh inning. Garcia also had a bright-red scrape just below his right knee, and a larger scrape on his shin from sliding into second and third.
It almost made the collision at home plate seem mild by comparison.
Garcia reached on a pinch-hit single and took second when pitcher Joe Roa fielded a bunt and threw wide of the base. That's when Punto's right foot slammed into Garcia's face.
"It didn't feel very good," he said, "but I knew it wasn't broken."
Garcia moved to third on Roberts' bunt and scored on a fly ball from David Newhan. Torii Hunter's bouncing throw from center field arrived in time, but catcher Matt LeCroy lost control of the ball before Garcia plowed into him.
"The ball beat me clearly, so I was trying to knock it out of his hands," Garcia said.
Mazzilli returned Garcia to the lineup yesterday, soreness and all. His sacrifice fly produced a run in the fourth.
"They're just little bruises," Garcia said. "I've played through those before."
Smith can throw again
The Orioles expect former No. 1 draft pick Chris Smith, a left-hander out of Cumberland (Tenn.) University, to resume pitching in early August after being shut down with tightness in his surgically repaired shoulder.
Smith was removed from his fourth start at short-season Single-A Aberdeen after facing five batters. The initial prognosis had him missing one or two starts, but the shoulder tightened again and required a cortisone injection last week.
"He got immediate relief, which is a good sign," said Doc Rodgers, director of minor league operations. "He'll start tossing again shortly. I talked to him Monday night in Aberdeen and he said it feels great and he can't wait to start throwing again."
Smith, who hasn't pitched since July 7, missed the 2003 season while rehabilitating from surgery on his rotator cuff. He made five appearances at Rookie-level Bluefield in 2002.
Smith is 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA in 13 1/3 innings at Aberdeen.


, we selects the very best collections together with greatest image resolution simply for you, and now this images is actually one of graphics selections in our greatest photos gallery concerning 20 Luxury Emma Roberts Magazine Shoot Wallpapers. I am hoping you might think it's great.
submitted by Christian Jackson in 2019-04-15 22:54:30. To see just about all photographs inside 20 Luxury Emma Roberts Magazine Shoot Wallpapers images gallery make sure you stick to this specific web page link.
We hope you can find what you need here. We always effort to show a picture with HD resolution or at least with perfect images. Emma Roberts Magazine Shoot Wallpapers Inspirational 72 Best Emma Roberts Images On Pinterest In 2018 can be beneficial inspiration for those who seek an image according specific categories; you can find it in this site. Finally all pictures we have been displayed in this site will inspire you all..


text:
| | Hits: 7681
Wembley Park Golf Club, Greater London. (1912 - 1922)
The club was founded in 1912.
From The Referee Sunday 14 July 1912. Image © News International. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.
In 1914 the secretary was R A McCulloch and the professional Alec Thomson (1912 to 1914) and C A Double (1914 to 1922). An 18-hole course in Wembley Park. Undulating with many natural hazards and numerous bunkers and hummocks that made it an interesting and sporting course. There was a membership of 250. Entry fee for gents was £5/5/0 and ladies £3/3/0. Subs for gents were £5/5/0 and ladies £3/3/0. Visitors' fees on introduction were 1/6 a day, weekend and Bank Holidays 3/6. Ladies were required to be accompanied by gents on Saturday and Sunday. Sunday play was allowed without caddies. The stations at Wembley Park Metropolitan Line was 3 minutes, Wembley Hill 10 minutes and Wembley London & North Western Railway 15 minutes.
On Saturday 16th May 1914 Harry Vardon of South Herts, the Open Champion, and George Duncan, Hanger Hill, French Champion, competed in a match to mark the opening of the extended course at Wembley Park. In the morning a stroke competition was played, when Duncan was seen at his best, and defeated Vardon by four strokes with a round of 73, this score establishing the course record. In the afternoon there was a match play competition which Vardon won 3&2.
The following articles and pictures are attributed to the magazine "Golfing" in October 1914. Thanks go to them for a really interesting and rare insight into the former Wembley Park Golf Club and Course.
The history of Wembley Park.
The above article continues:-
As is natural in a park course those most picturesque hazards, the trees, are very much in evidence, but they are kept to their proper place as side hazards only and are nowhere permitted to encroach on the fairway. Many of the foreign trees bought in to enhance the beauties of the pleasure grounds, still add variety to the scenery – the bamboo plantation at the seventh in particular being quite a novel feature of the course. The chief hazards, however, are sand-bunkers, which are placed with great judgment. Moreover there is no lack of depth in the sand.
Before we pass on to any discussion of the individual holes, let us have a look at that hackneyed and highly instructive bit of statistics, the table of lengths. Here it is:-
Hole one – Westward Ho! – 401 yards – bogey 5; Hole two – Well – 139 yards – bogey 3; Hole three – Fairview – 452 yards – bogey 5; Hole four – Garden – 300 yards –bogey 4; Hole five – Brent – 138 yards – bogey 3; Hole six – Hole Across – 462 yards – bogey 5; Hole seven – Lakeside – 210 yards – bogey 4; Hole eight – Fountain – 506 yards – bogey 6; Hole nine – Wood – 173 yards – bogey 3; Out - 2,812 yards; bogey 39.
Hole ten – Wembley Hill – 353 yards – bogey 4; Hole eleven – Old Manor – 309 yards – bogey 4; Hole twelve – Dogleg – 460 yards – bogey 5; Hole thirteen – Rink – 516 yards – bogey 5; Hole fourteen – Gate – 159 yards – bogey 3; Hole fifteen – Poplars – 233 yards – bogey 4; Hole sixteen – Tower – 454 yards – bogey 4; Hole seventeen – Shrubheries – 363 yards – bogey 4; Hole eighteen – Chestnuts – 196 yards – bogey 3; Home – 3,042 yards; bogey 37.
Total length - 5,854 yards; bogey 76.
Above course information and hole descriptions.
Pictures of the former Wembley Park golf course.
Thanks to Golf Heritage @LdnGolfHistory for supplying the following images of both clubhouses and the course. The first clubhouse was destroyed by fire.
The Wembley Park clubhouse and course, now under the National Stadium.
The picture below shows Wembley Park and Watkin's Tower. The tower was demolished in 1907, about five years before the course was laid out.
Wembley Park showing Watkin's Wembley Tower.
Wembley Park Golf Club eventually made way for the iconic twin-towers of the original Wembley Stadium (now also gone). The fairways from the golf course were lifted and used for the pitch.
Wembley Park Golf Club closed in May 1922.
The members from Wembley Park eventually moved to a new home, Hartsbourne Manor Golf Club, in 1928 (see separate entry on this website for Hartsbourne Manor).
The RAF took over Hartsbourne Manor in 1940 to house officers stationed at nearby Bentley Priory.
After the war the club was purchased by Mr C J Stillitz and the club was re-named Hartsbourne Country Club, which is still going strong.
Wembley Park Golf Club closed in May 1922. The course now lies under the new Wembley Stadium


text:
Review: Deepwater Horizon (2016)
Directed by: Peter Berg
Premise: Based on a true story. An explosion occurs aboard the BP oil platform Deepwater Horizon, putting the entire crew at risk and creating one of the worst oil spills in the history of the petroleum industry.
What Works: The basic facts of the Deepwater Horizon disaster are fairly well known and the movie doesn't necessarily reveal much about the incident. But the purpose of a dramatization is to portray the human experience of a historical event and Deepwater Horizon does that exceedingly well. The movie puts the audience on the deck of the oil rig, recreating what life was like for the employees and then placing the viewer in the midst of the disaster. The picture begins as a procedural, focusing on Chief Electronic Technician Mike Williams (Mark Wahlberg), Offshore Installation Manager Jimmy Harrell (Kurt Russell), and Dynamic Positioning Operator Andrea Fleytas (Gina Rodriguez) as they arrive at the Deepwater Horizon for the next work rotation. The filmmakers avoid the kind of artificial expository dialogue that would spoon feed information to the audience. Instead, the movie provides us with images of the oil rig's operations and relies on the audience to put it together. This requires the viewer to pay attention which invests us in the movie but it also creates an impression of reality. That's one of the greatest assets of this film. Director Peter Berg, who previously helmed 2004's Friday Night Lights and 2013's Lone Survivor, has a knack for detail and immersing the audience in a specific subculture. The cinematography of Deepwater Horizon is frequently handheld and the lighting appears very natural. This style especially pays off once the disaster begins. Deepwater Horizon places the audience alongside these men and women on a burning oil rig and the film creates an immediate visceral experience comparable to the D-Day sequence of Saving Private Ryan. Admirably, the filmmakers don't overplay the drama or the heroism. The movie avoids Hollywood hero shots of the actors and the music score by Steve Jablonsky is restrained. The people on the rig do their best in a desperate situation but everyone is palpably scared for their lives. The human approach to the material includes lead actor Mark Wahlberg and Deepwater Horizon has one of his best performances. He's working within the kind of blue collar survivor role he does well but Wahlberg is more believably in the moment than in his other films.
What Doesn't: As a feature film based on a true story, Deepwater Horizon does an excellent job of balancing the facts with dramatic necessity. However, there are two respects in which the film falls short. The first is the matter of culpability. As presented in the film, BP Rig Supervisor Donald Vidrine (John Malkovich) prioritized profits over safety and set off the chain of events that culminated in the explosion. But as described by Joel Achenbach, who covered the Deepwater Horizon story for The Washington Post, the blame for the spill is more complex than that and involved a series of mistakes and bad judgements that emerged out of BP's corporate culture. The other respect in which Deepwater Horizon falls short as a dramatization is in its limited scope. This is an A-to-Z survival story, not unlike The Towering Inferno. But the rig workers escape from the fire was just the first part of a much longer saga. The disaster released 210 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, devastating the ecology and the economies of coastal cities and states. Ultimately, the Deepwater Horizon story requires another movie and it's not entirely fair to criticize this film for ignoring later events that were beyond the purview of the story the filmmakers were trying to tell.
Bottom Line: Deepwater Horizon is an extraordinary visceral experience. It may not tell the whole story of the BP disaster but it does place the audience in the midst of a horrific event and tell a gripping story of survival that is also full of humanity.
Episode: #616 (October 16, 2016)


text:
About Political Science Academics Faculty & Staff Research Careers Scholarships Alumni & Giving
Dr. David B. Cohen
Title: Interim Director, Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics, Professor of Political Science
Dept/Program: Political Science
Office: 208 Olin Hall
Fax: 8841
Email: dbcohen@uakron.edu
Website: https://1600pennave.blogspot.com/
Curriculum Vitae: Download in PDF format
David B. Cohen is a professor of political science and Interim Director of the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at The University of Akron. He earned a B.A. in political science and international relations at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an M.A. in political science at the University of Tennessee, and a Ph.D. in political science at the University of South Carolina.
Professor Cohen teaches courses and conducts research on the American presidency, Congress, and homeland security. He has studied White House staffing and organization for over two decades and is currently co-authoring a manuscript to be published by the University Press of Kansas titled The President's Chief of Staff: Evolution of a White House Institution.
In addition to his academic pursuits, Professor Cohen is a frequent media contributor and guest speaker on national and Ohio politics. He has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Akron Press Club since 2007 and is the former Vice President for Programs.
Ph.D., University of South Carolina
3700: 100 Government and Politics in the U.S.
3700: 336 Homeland Security: Policy & Process
3700: 341 American Congress
3700:346 American Politics in Film
3700: 350 American Presidency
3700: 351 Inside the White House
3700:352 Weapons of Mass Destruction
3700: 630 Seminar: National Politics
American Politics Homeland Security


text:
Meet Baker Juliana Evans, Competing in Spring Baking Championship
Get to know Juliana Evans, one of the eight bakers competing in Spring Baking Championship on Food Network.
By: Joseph Erdos
Photo by: Emile Wamsteker ©2015, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved
Emile Wamsteker, 2015, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved
Eight bakers have entered the Spring Baking Championship for a chance to win the title and earn $50,000 in prize money. Each one brings a unique talent to the competition. Some are professional pastry chefs, while others are culinary arts instructors, competitive bakers or self-trained bakers. This new series gives them the opportunity to show their skills on national television.
Before tuning in for the premiere on Sunday, April 26 at 9|8c, get to know the bakers. Every day leading up to the first episode we'll be revealing a Q&A with one of the eight.
Even as a homemaker and stay-at-home mom, Juliana Evans (Orlando, Fla.) finds time to spare for her passion, baking. She loves teaching her four daughters how to bake, and enjoys sharing her treats with family and friends, which led to the opening of her own food truck, Graciously Sweet. She also has competed in many baking contests and runs her own blog.
What's your first memory involving baking?
My first memory of baking was in my mom's early 1982 orange kitchen, and we were making a cake for my grandpa's birthday. I can remember cake batter flying all over the bright orange walls and cabinets because she accidentally turned the mixer on high.
What's the first thing you learned to bake really well? Do you still make it today?
My first really successful baked good was chocolate chip cookies. This recipe is amazing, and I still bake it today. There is nothing like a warm and soft oozy-gooey cookie.
What would you say is your signature baked item, one that everyone knows you for?
I would say I am known for my cupcakes. I had a cupcake truck and a short-lived boutique in Orlando. Everyone really loves my cupcakes.
If you could bake only one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Almond poppy seed cake. Not only does this remind me of my gramma and my heritage, but it is to die for.
What's your favorite ingredient or item to use in your baking?
Buttermilk.
What's your favorite holiday to bake for? What do you typically make?
Christmas is my favorite baking holiday. I love all the spices and warm flavors. I usually make gingerbreads, spice cakes and red velvet.
Who is (or was) your baking mentor? What's the No. 1 thing that person taught you?
My mom. She taught me to keep experimenting and fighting to get that recipe right.
When it comes to baking, how would you describe your style, your mentality?
I absolutely love baking and being in the kitchen. I am happy and in my zone. I feel that I am a rustic home baker.
If you could bake a cake for anyone (alive or dead), who would it be and what would you make?
My gramma, and [I'd] ask if she thought it was as good as hers :)
What's the biggest baking fail you've ever had that you're willing to admit to? Were you able to rescue it, or did you have to start from scratch?
Pineapple upside-down cake. Let's just say I should've started from scratch.
In your opinion, what's the No. 1 mistake that most home bakers make?
Hurrying the measuring process and over-mixing. People think beating the batter to death is good, but it creates so much gluten, the cake is tough and falls.
What are five or so tips or words of advice you'd give to beginner bakers to improve on their baking?
1. Don't give up.
2. Pay attention to measurements.
3. You can't always just double ingredients to make a bigger batch.
4. How you mix batters does make a difference.
5. Buttermilk is an amazing alternative to regular milk.
Baking Quickfire (name your favorite for each)
Cake/cupcake: Lemon curd-filled lemon cupcake with cream cheese frosting and raspberry puree
Pie/tart: Key lime coconut tart
Cookie: Double-stuffed chocolate cookies
Quick bread: Carrot bread
Yeast bread: Bananas Foster cinnamon rolls
Pastry: Coconut caramel puff
Muffin: Blueberry orange muffin
Savory baked item: Spicy four-pepper cornbread
Keep coming back to FN Dish for more on the bakers, and visit the Spring Baking Championship page for more on the new series, including behind-the-scenes galleries, episode recaps, video highlights and baking tips.
Get to Know More of the Bakers
Andy Chlebana
Damiano Carrara
Dwayne Ingraham
Kristine de la Cruz
Sandy Hunter
Simone Faure
Meet Baker Chris Taylor, Competing in Spring Baking Championship
Get to know Chris Taylor, one of the eight bakers competing in Spring Baking Championship on Food Network.
Meet Baker Andy Chlebana, Competing in Spring Baking Championship
Get to know Andy Chlebana, one of the eight bakers competing in Spring Baking Championship on Food Network.
Meet Baker Simone Faure, Competing in Spring Baking Championship
Get to know Simone Faure, one of the eight bakers competing in Spring Baking Championship on Food Network.
Meet Baker Damiano Carrara, Competing in Spring Baking Championship
Get to know Damiano Carrara, one of the eight bakers competing in Spring Baking Championship on Food Network.
Meet Baker Sandy Hunter, Competing in Spring Baking Championship
Get to know Sandy Hunter, one of the eight bakers competing in Spring Baking Championship on Food Network.
Meet Baker Dwayne Ingraham, Competing in Spring Baking Championship
Get to know Dwayne Ingraham, one of the eight bakers competing in Spring Baking Championship on Food Network.


text:
From Book 4: Trotsky and Nusch
Posted bynonpersonne November 7, 2019 November 7, 2019 Posted inBook 4 - Ebony LifeTags:Anaïs Nin, Andre Breton, Antonin Artaud, Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Hugh Guiler, Jacqueline Breton, Jean-Louis Barrault, Léon Trotsky, Nusch Eluard, Paul Eluard, Robert Desnos, Simone Breton, Sonia Mosse
Author's note: I really, really mourn Nusch Éluard, too. She was Marvelous. Writing this novel series about Artaud and Desnos has led me to love – and to mourn – so many other people: André Breton (though I'm conflicted about him), Benjamin Péret, Paul Éluard, Picasso, Cocteau, Jacques Prével, Paule Thévenin, Jean Paulhan who also did so much for Artaud, and so many others. And it's painful to love, write about, and lose all of these heroes but I choose the pain and would not live without it. If you love Antonin Artaud, do the same.
How can I explain that I consider Artaud the only true humanist who lived?
With rumors of war coming, my thoughts changed as well. I did not share the sunny outlook of Desnos and neither did Jean-Louis Barrault, who was also a regular at these dinners. All I could do was dread another day, the news was so dire. Reportedly the Reich Interior Ministry was drawing up a government form on which doctors and nurses would report any seriously disabled child under three years of age. The Ministry denied this was a euthanasia program. At the same time, many injured and diseased adults lived in near-intolerable conditions in Germany, and they petitioned Hitler's Reich to be put humanely to death, but they were rebuffed due to the law that made assisting in euthanasia a crime! Hitler brutalized and humiliated the Jews of Austria. He locked dissidents up in the Dachau concentration camp. He mobilized the military. I waited in vain to hear a strong word from British Prime Minister Chamberlain or the American President Roosevelt, or from Mussolini—or even from Stalin—but no world leader stood up against Adolf Hitler. Hitler, unopposed, chose the fall of 1938 to occupy the Sudentenland, and the spring of 1939 to take over all of Czechoslovakia.
Lee Miller had married Roland Penrose and left England with him for New York. She resumed her work there as a photographer with Vogue magazine. She wrote me a letter urging me to move there but I couldn't dream of it. Artaud was already far enough away from me. Hugh Guiler told Franz he and Anaïs were also thinking of moving back to the States and urged my brother to think about it, but Franz was not enthusiastic. I couldn't leave Louis and I could not ask him to come with us; he was a black man and we had heard enough from Anita about the discrimination he would face there. When I told Nusch about this, she begged me not to go and I realized I could not leave Nusch, either. And what if Justine showed up at last?
I did not know what to wish for. Perhaps Artaud should never have gone to Mexico—his fortune-teller friend Marie Dubuc had told him not to, and indeed something there had frightened him off all sexual relationships at last. Or perhaps he should have stayed in the Tarahumara Mountains and sent for Cécile, and written to Breton to join him there, but his health would not last in the wilderness. Breton was in Mexico now. Surely that was far enough away from Hitler, but Artaud was trapped at Ville-Évrard. I felt trapped, too. Franz seemed to sense this and, perhaps remembering my promise to follow him anywhere, told me he didn't want to go to the States.
During Breton's stay at the house of Diego Rivera, Trotsky collaborated with Breton on the political tract, "For an Independent Revolutionary Art" which congealed the two men's philosophies, but Jacqueline wrote Nusch that their work together was not going smoothly. Breton and Rivera enjoyed combing the countryside for Mexican votive figurines, but Trotsky disdained all artifacts. Yet Trotsky reacted with moral outrage when Breton slipped a few pieces that decorated a grave into his pocket. Trotsky envisioned a future without dance or poetry or painting, a utopia in which healthy food and the "harmonious movements" of peasants would replace all artistic yearning. This prospect horrified Breton, and it horrified me. Now I could understand Artaud's argument with Breton over Trotsky. Rivera's wife, Frida Khalo, was a painter and Marxist thinker in her own right, but naturally she and Jacqueline had been banished from all political discussion and had to content themselves with playing Surrealist games with the children in the kitchen. Trotsky wrote day and night and he berated Breton for not being similarly prolific (and this did remind me of Artaud). However, Trotsky could not tolerate a woman who smoked or wore makeup in his presence—decidedly unlike my puritan, who had held chain-smoking contests with Sonia and with Simon Breton, and who had admired Anaïs Nin's outfits and Jacqueline Breton's daring cosmetics. And of course my goody-goody had outrageously painted his own face while with Dullin and for Fait-Divers.
When I finished reading Jacqueline's letter to Nusch I said to her, "What a disappointment Trotsky is! Artaud was right about him."
"Paul and I don't follow men," Nusch replied. "We follow ideas. That's how Paul and he have remained friends through the years."
"I can't tell you what your friendship with Artaud has meant to me, both of you," I said, feeling emotional then. "And with me." How dearly I loved Nusch, this former hypnotist's assistant and so hypnotizing herself, this beautiful and strong collagist who painted on eggs and built figurines out of seashells—she had made for me a clergyman! It sat on my shelf next to my books, and Nusch along with Artaud and Louis sat next to my heart.
From Book 4: Blackmailing Fouks
From Book 1: Rrose Selavy
One thought on "From Book 4: Trotsky and Nusch"
Pingback: For Veterans Day: Lee and Nusch – The Double


If you would like to submit a piece of writing (i.e. story, essay, poem, etc.) for consideration, use this handy form to paste your plain text (no html tags) into and submit it to Instant Classics.
Remember to put your name, email address, and biographical info in the body of the email.
Or, if you feel the need to snail-mail a submission, contact the above email address. We will email back snail-mailing instructions.


text:
The NTABLog
Let's Throw it Around!
2017 Season Information
Sign me UP! 2017 NTABL News The Winter Manager's Meeting will Be Tuesday, February 7, 7:00PM at Palios Pizza Cafe, 825 W. Royal Lane, Ste 120, Las Colinas, TX 75039 All returning and prospective managers need to plan on attending or sending a team representative. Teams can secure a spot with a $500 REFUNDABLE deposit…
2016! Already Gone? Wow.
This post was started- according to WordPress – seven months ago. The original title was "2016 Already? Wow!" NTABlog is a little ashamed…OK, a LOT ashamed nothing has been done with it since February. You can thank or curse Mark Shonka and his excellent blog piece on the Old Fashioneds for inspiring us to sit on our butt and write…
Team Fees Due Now
Team Fees Due Now. No words in the English Language strike more dread in the heart of the Adult Baseball Manager. They dread chasing down grown men and begging them to pay for their summer hobby. Our particular hobby, at about $300 per player, is a relatively inexpensive one when when you consider a season includes 20+ games spanning…
What to Expect at the NTABL Tryout
Originally posted in 2015, we've edited to make appropriate for this year. 2019 NTABL Tryouts for all divisions will be held at Prestonwood Christian Academy. Check in begins at 1:00PM. With six different divisions and four different age groups, the North Texas Amateur Baseball League is home to players of all ages and abilities. At…
More Than Just a Baseball League
The NTABL is pretty much a year round enterprise now. Before our last Fall Ball games are complete and everyone gets back from the Word Series in Florida and Phoenix, we start planning for the next year. There are phone calls to make, dates to set, bills to pay and taxes to file. This off-season,…
Charity All Star Games Benefitting the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children
What: NTABL Charity All Star Games Benefitting the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children When: Saturday, August 17 – 9:00AM – 6:00PM Where: Dr Pepper Ballpark, Frisco, Texas The North Texas Amateur Baseball League (NTABL), in partnership with the Frisco Roughriders and Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPS), will hold their Annual Charity All Star games at…
Forfeits, Rain Outs and Other Bummers
What's the big deal about forfeits? In the NTABL, there should never be a forfeit. By league rule, teams are allowed to borrow players from other teams to get nine or ten players to the field. You can even play with eight men. Really, look it up. The rule is printed right in the front…
Should Major League Baseball replace umpires with technology?
Hello everyone, This is Richard Davis and I'm a member of this illustrious and long-standing institution. The league we know as the NTABL. I've been playing for just over a year, and I can say that making that decision to play is one of the best decisions I've made as an adult. It's kept Dick's…
Texas Rangers Fantasy Camp
Maybe not for everyone, but if you have the means… http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/tex/fan_forum/fantasycamp.jsp
Reverchon Blues
Our league has a long tradition of playing at Reverchon Park. As the oldest baseball field in Dallas, it has quirks, character and immense history. The location is superb, the setting is beautiful and many of us consider it a treat to play there. Countless locals as well as players from baseball's "Golden Age" have…
Rookie League
Rookie League registration is open. Cost to play is $150 for ten games. Players currently on an NTABL Open, Veterans or Masters roster can play for half price ($75). http://dallasmsbl.com/leagues/baseball/27621-2014-rookie-league Play begins on Saturday, May 17 at WT White High School. We'll have an open workout to evaluate talent and create evenly matched teams, then…
Gentlemen, Join us in Dallas on Memorial Day weekend for a tournament full of fun for the "elder statesmen"! Why should the young guys get to have all the fun? Enjoy three guaranteed games on one of Dallas' premium fields at Jesuit College Preperatory. There are no bad hops on this Field Turf gem in…


I was just about to mention the Humument, I see I was beaten to it!
It was also previously discussed here.
Thanks, caddis. These are visually interesting, too, with the scribbling and color in the background.
Burroughs did this a lot, didn't he? At least it seems like a lot of his text is cut up ... slightly different, but same general idea.
Crispin Glover has been doing this for years.
Wow, really... Jill must have been delighted. I liked page 82.
these are very cool, caddis.
This reminds me of my favorite artist, Jiri Kolar. He spend his career cutting up paintings and books and putting them together.
quote about housework: it's pointless to clean house because after 4 years or so the dirt is as bad as it's going to get.
I'd call that art before I'd call it poetry. Either that or I'd call it bad poetry.
Oh wonderful! The Humument popped into my head just the other day, though I read about it in a previous mefi thread a very long time ago, but unfortunately couldn't remember what it was called or who made it or any details about it whatsoever. I had resigned myself to living with one of those vague, unresolved itches in the back of my mind about that book thing that I think was interesting but no longer know why, but now my life is complete. Thanks protocol, grapefruit, and most of all caddis, for posting this.


text:
Signaturen
Fan-Geschichten
These Rules describe the conduct requirements for Star Conflict players on the game servers. All the listed requirements in the Rules conform to the Gaijin Network Ltd. User Agreement.
Take note that these Rules do not describe all possible situations of bad conduct. In all cases, the administration of the project has the final say. Each situation will be reviewed individually, and the penalty will depend on the specific circumstances and severity of the specific violation.
Nickname — a name independently chosen by the player and linked to the player's account to identify the player on Star Conflict servers.
Corporation — an in-game community (group) of players created and managed by players with a view to playing together, chatting and taking part in special game modes on Star Conflict servers.
Corporation Design Elements — independently chosen textual elements editable by player corporation members, including the corporation's name, tag, motto, description and graphical logo.
Devoice — switching text chat to read-only mode, preventing messages from being sent.
Game Master (and/or Moderator) — an individual appointed by the project administrators with the task of ensuring that players stick to the Rules of Conduct on Star Conflict game servers.
1. Nicknames, Corporation design elements and SC League team names
It is forbidden to use nicknames, corporation design elements and SC League team names that contain, use or describe any:
1.1. Obscene or offensive expressions and words, or words and phrases that sound similar to them, either in Russian or in English, including transliteration.
1.2. Words, phrases and idioms that encourage discrimination on any level, including by political, religious, national, racial, ethnic or gender lines.
1.3. Words or phrases in full or in part consisting of trademarks and names protected by copyright.
1.4. Surnames of political and historical figures of the 20th-21st centuries.
1.5. Words, phrases and idioms that reference psychoactive or narcotic substances, alcohol, tobacco, and their use.
1.6. Words and phrases associated with rape or sexual violence or with a vulgar sexual meaning.
1.7. Words or phrases in any way connected to persons who have violated or are violating Russian or international law, including names and surnames of Nazi figures and names and surnames of criminals and war criminals.
1.8. Names of organizations declared criminal, extremist or terrorist by Russian or international courts. This includes names of organizations, divisions, and military companies included in the SA, SS, SD of Nazi Germany.
1.9. Words and phrases that mislead users into thinking they were said by the developers or project members (forum moderators, chat moderators, community coordinators, game masters) or the project administration.
2. Penalties for violations related to the nickname, design elements of corporations and team name
Actions for discouraging violations of subsections 1.1.-1.9. of these Rules can be taken by the game masters based on complaints from players, or by the administration as a result of analysis of the user account database.
2.1. Nickname:
2.1.1. In the case of violation by a player of the subsections 1.1.-1.9. of these Rules in choosing a nickname, a game master can change the player's nickname to a randomly generated alternative without warning or notifying the player.
2.1.2. In the case of repeated violations of the subsections 1.5.-1.9. of these Rules, the administration can ban the player's account for a period of between 3 days and an indefinite amount of time.
2.2. Corporation design elements:
2.2.1. In the case of any player member of a corporation violating the subsections 1.1.-1.9. of these Rules in selecting a title, tag or description for a corporation, a game master can change this element to a randomly generated or empty line without warning or notifying the corporation member.
2.2.2. In the case of repeated violations by a corporation member of the subsections 1.5.-1.9. of these Rules in choosing a title, tag or corporation description, the administration reserves the right to disband (delete) the corporation.
2.3. Team title in the SC League:
2.3.1. In the case of a violation of the subsections 1.1.-1.9. of these Rules in choosing a team name, a game master can change the team name to a randomly generated name without warning or notifying the players, and can also apply a penalty in the form of preventing (banning) the team from participating in the SC League for a period of up to 5 days.
2.3.2. In the case of repeated violations of the subsections 1.5.-1.9. of these Rules, the administration reserves the right to disband (delete) the team without warning or notifying the players.
3. Text chat and in-game mail
Text chat in Star Conflict is split into: the general chat, the chats of game rooms (battles), group chats between players, corporation chats and private messages. In-game mail allows private messages to be sent to other players.
The game's text chat and in-game mail of Star Conflict is post-moderated.
The owner of the account used to send messages via text chat or in-game mail takes exclusive responsibility of the content of the messages, regardless of who authored the messages.
In the text chat and in-game mail, it is forbidden to include:
3.1. Meaningless or empty messages; links to websites that are not official sites of Star Conflict, Gaijin Network Ltd. and Star Gem or their official links to social networks and other community resources.
3.2. Obscene or offensive expressions and words, or words and phrases that sound similar to them, in any language, including transliterations.
3.3. Personal or group insults; defamations of individuals of any gender, sexual orientation, faith; other topics that do not conform to generally accepted rules of morality and propriety.
3.4. Discrimination and encouraging discrimination of any nature, including national, racial, religious, ethnic or sexual.
3.5. Political and religious propaganda.
3.6. Any advertisements, including advertisements of third-party game projects.
3.7. Any other forms of provocative behavior in the chat or via in-game mail.
3.8. Vulgar sexual vocabulary, realistic descriptions of sexual or other violence or of any illegal or sexual actions.
3.9. Encouraging the use of narcotics, psychoactive substances, alcohol, tobacco, distribution of pornography.
3.10. Any declarations of Nazism, nationalism; incitement to international, interfaith or interracial discord or enmity; encouragement to overthrow the authorities by violent means.
3.11. Discussing methods of hacking or by any other means subverting the protective systems of Gaijin Network Ltd. software products.
3.12. Attempts to pass as a developer, project official (forum/chat moderator, community coordinator, game master) or project administration representative.
3.13. Messages about the purchase, sale or exchange of user accounts.
3.14. Messages that directly or indirectly contain threats and/or hints of actions of violence in any sphere not related to the game.
4. Order of moderation for internal chat and in-game mail. Complaint reviews and Penalties
4.1. The general game chat is moderated directly from the game client on the basis of complaints made by players. In the case of violations of the subsections 3.1.-3.14. of these Rules, moderators can place a chat block (devoice) of up to 1 hour to immediately suppress the violation. Game masters can subsequently set an additional penalties in accordance with subsections 4.5.-4.6. of these Rules based on complaints made by players.
4.2. Game masters moderate in-game room chats, corporation chats and group chats based on complaints made by players.
4.3. Private messages and in-game mail messages are not moderated. If a conflict arises during private messaging, the player can block the receipt of messages from the offending user.
4.4. For complaints made through the in-game mechanism, a two-week limitation period is set. Complaints that are not reviewed within this time are considered expired and are deleted.
4.5. In the case of a violation of the subsections 3.1.-3.7. of these Rules, on the basis of in-game complaints, a game master sets the penalty:
1st violation — 2 days of devoice
2nd violation — 3 days of devoice
3rd violation — 5 days of devoice
4th violation — 10 days of devoice
5th-9th violation — 15 days of devoice
10th violation or more — 90 days of devoice
4.6. In the case of a violation of the subsections 3.8.-3.14. of these Rules, on the basis of in-game complaints, a game master sets the next penalty in succession, but no less than 5 days of devoice.
5. Voice chat
Players can use an inbuilt voice chat in in-game rooms (battles).
All the requirements and limitations set for text chats and in-game mail in section 3 of these Rules also apply to voice chat.
The player can block voice messages in voice chat from any other player.
5.1. In the case of a voice chat violation of the subsections 3.2.-3.7. of these Rules, on the basis of player complaints, a game master may set a penalty in the form of blocking the voice chat function for up to 3 days.
5.2. In the case of a voice chat violation of the subsections 3.8.-3.14. of these Rules, on the basis of player complaints, the administration may set a penalty in the form of a user account ban for between 3 and 7 days, and in the case of a repeated violation — a permanent user account ban.
6. Corporations
6.1. The current head of the corporation is a player with the status of CEO. He has all the rights to manage the corporation, including: to dissolve the corporation, to exclude any players from the corporation, to appoint his deputies, to change the name and design elements of the corporation.
6.2. The CEO may, at his own discretion and under his own responsibility, transfer the corporation and his status as the head of the corporation (CEO) to any other member of the corporation, with all management rights of the corporation irretrievably transferred to the new CEO.
6.3. The CEO must take care of the functioning of the corporation in the case of his absence. For this, the CEO has the opportunity to appoint active members of the corporation as his deputies (Vice President, Officers).
6.4. The Vice President of the corporation has all the necessary rights to manage the corporation, but can not exclude the CEO from the corporation.
6.5. If more than 60 days have passed since the last login of the CEO and the Vice-President (if appointed), the Administration can transfer the status of Vice President to an active corporate Officer, and in the case of no Officers in the corporation, to any other member of the corporation.
6.6. If within 60 days or more no member of the corporation entered the game, the Administration may dissolve the corporation.
6.7. In the case of the dissolution of the corporation (including the exit of all players from it), the corporation itself and all its progress are lost and can not be restored (including the name of the corporation, resources, items, buildings, ships, etc.).
7. Unsporting behaviour
Unsporting behaviour is the intentional violation of game rules, actions or acts that interfere with conduction of fair games, or prevent other players from enjoying a game.
Unsporting behaviour behaviors are but not limited to:
7.1. Inactivity in the battle, avoiding afk detection and avoiding to perform any objective oriented actions.
7.2. Exit from an unfinished game.
7.3. Use of exploits in game mechanics to gain a personal benefit or an unfair advantage.
7.4. Sabotage of battle, including: intentionally causing damage to the team members, multiple self-destruction as a mean to avoid the fight or/and prevent allies from scoring objective points, refuse to inflict a damage to the opponent, help in any form to the opponent team, including disclosure of coordinates and locations of teammate forces to the opponent team.
7.5. Coordination with opponent team in order to predetermine the match outcome in advance (match-fixing).
7.6. Use of any 3rd party means of automation (bots, macrosses, etc ), that allow to accomplish actions in a game without intervention from a player.
7.7. Playing SC Leagues from alternative accounts (twinks or someone else accounts), if a player is already participating in SC Leagues.
8. Penalties for unsporting behaviour
Actions to eliminate violations of Rules of conduct items 7.1.-7.7. can be undertaken by game masters on the basis of the complaints which have arrived from players, or by Administration as a result of the accounts database analysis.
8.1. In case of the repeated violation of paragraphs 7.1.-7.4 during one playing session or within twenty-four hours span on the basis of the players submitted complaints, game-master can suspend a convicted account from accessing the game for up to 72 hours. In case of the repeated violation or systematic violations of paragraphs 7.1.-7.4. Administration can suspend a convicted account from accessing the game for 30 days and up to a permanent account blocking.
8.2. In case of the violation of paragraphs 7.5.-7.6 Administration can suspend a convicted account from accessing the game for 10 days. In case of the repeated violation of paragraphs 7.5.-7.6 Administration can impose a permanent blocking of the convicted account.
8.3. In case of violation of paragraph 7.7. Administration has right to impose the permanent blocking on all alternative accounts (twinks) and suspend main account for up to 10 days (main account is considered to be the account with store purchases, in case of an absence of any store purchases, main account is selected by the longest in-game time). In case of a repeated violation Administration can impose a permanent blocking of all the convicted accounts, main and alternatives.
9. Spam, insults and false reports in the in-game complaint system
9.1. If the in-game complaints system is used for sending spam, messages containing knowingly false information, insults against game masters, chat or forum moderators or company developers and employees, a game master may set a penalty in the form of banning the offending player's account for 1 day. In the case of a repeated violation, the administration may ban the player's account for 7 days or more.
10. Other cases
10.1. The project administration reserves the right to ban the player's user account for 3 days or more, up to and including a permanent ban, as a result of the player performing actions that do not fall under the described violations, but still cause a widespread negative reaction from other players.
10.2. Any actions the player takes that are aimed at circumventing penalties previously applied to the user, including creating additional user accounts, may result in a ban on all the player's user accounts, up to and including a permanent ban.
11. The appeal against in-game punishments
11.1. If the player believes that the penalty is unfounded, erroneous or contrary to the Rules of Conduct in the game, he can appeal this penalty according to the procedure described on forums in the section "Appeal against in-game punishments".
11.2. The correspondence between the player and the administrator is private. Partial or complete placement of correspondence on forums or other platforms is forbidden. The transfer of information from correspondence to third parties is also forbidden.
12. Changes and updates to the Rules
12.1. These Rules may be changed and added to by decision of the project administration without prior warning to players.
12.2. The Rules are in effect as soon as they are published.


More Americans are heading to the doctor's office, supporting growth in the U.S. healthcare services sector and related exchange traded funds.
Year-to-date, the iShares U.S. Healthcare Providers ETF (NYSEArca: IHF) rose 15.4% and SPDR S&P Health Care Services ETF (NYSEArca: XHS) increased 12.4%. In contrast, the Health Care Select Sector SPDR (NYSEArca: XLV), which includes a 19.3% tilt toward the health care providers & services space, gained 8.5% so far this year.
"The survey data suggest better spending on healthcare services, in particular at outpatient care facilities and other medical service providers," Jesse Hurwitz, an economist at Barclays, said in the Reuters article.
The improved healthcare spending could have increased U.S. GDP by as much as four-tenths of a percentage point to an annual 2.2% rate.
"Consumption of services was a bit stronger than the [Bureau of Economic Analysis] had estimated, and most of that was tilted toward health care," Hurwitz said, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Supporting the increase in doctor visits, the Affordable Care Act has been a helped millions of Americans become insured clients. However, the ACA, or so-called Obamacare, is under scrutiny as the Supreme Court is set to give its answer on the legality of a key component in the new healthcare reform, according to the New York Times.


This all-natural bug repellent is enriched with plant nectars and essential oils designed to work with the skin's own natural defense system to keep skin bug-free.
The lightweight and non-greasy moisturizer offers full-barrier protection and leaves skin feeling fresh and hydrated. Formulated with all-natural anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties to soothe irritated skin or previous bug bites. Use alone or layer with Sunny Sunscreen for ultimate outdoor skin protection.
Directions: Create an even layer over skin. Do not use on open wounds or in eye area. For ultimate outdoor protection, layer under Sunny Sunscreen.
Ingredients: Aloe Barbadensis (Organic Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Water (Aqua), Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Oil, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Macadamia (Nut) Ternifolia Seed Oil, Cera Alba Beeswax, Bee Propolis Extract, Lecithin, Polygliceryl-4 oleate, Tocopherol (Non-GMO "TocoBiol"


text:
Q: Is an arrangement of solenoid valves the only way to achieve fluid redirection? Not sure if this fits in the charter of this site. If not, pointer to another stack-exchange site would be great.
For a rain-water harvesting system that I am designing for my house, I need to be able to control the flow of water out from/into a reservoir in 3-4 different directions, i.e. a case of multiple inputs and outputs.
I am only aware of solenoid valves as the mechanism, that I could control via a microcontroller, to achieve the desired flow-path -- including having a water-pump on/off. Are there other mechanisms to achieve such goals (of course, under microcontroller supervision) ?

A: Yes, there are motor-operated valves too.
There are all kinds of ways to manage fluid flow, like pumping, controlling valves, changing height, and changing pressure somehow.  In your case however, either controlling pumps (if gravity feed is not enough) or controlling valves somehow sounds like the easiest way.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange